I support the army through farming and business.

Chapter 157 Who is the most useless?
On the tenth day of the eighth lunar month, the Wei State Duke's mansion was brightly lit all night long, and servants and maids hurried about, their feet barely touching the ground.

At Chenshi (7-9 AM), Granny An led several maids into the outer room and forcibly woke Tang Wan, who had just fallen asleep. After bathing and changing clothes, she made Tang Wan sit in front of the dressing table to comb her hair and put on makeup.

"Third Miss, today is your special day, you should smile more," Granny An couldn't ignore Tang Wan's listless, lifeless face. She half-reminded and half-warned, "Other women from other households dream of entering the mansion as proper mistresses. Not only have you entered the mansion, but you've also become the legitimate daughter. That's a blessing that you can't even ask for."

Tang Wan spat out the words through gritted teeth, "Do you want this good fortune?"

As expected of someone raised outside, she doesn't know what's good for her. Granny An stopped wasting her breath and said, "Third Miss, please."

Tang Wan remained seated.

“Third Miss, don’t be so stubborn,” Granny An clapped her hands, and the maids standing outside the door pushed the door open and entered. “They are all rough people and don’t know their own strength. If they hurt the Third Miss, please forgive them.”

Looking at the four burly maids, Tang Wan instantly recalled how they had dragged her into the room, forcibly pried open her mouth to feed her, and how her arms and wrists were covered in bruises from being grabbed, her eyes filled with terror.

Granny An repeated, "Third Miss, please."

Tang Wan bit her lower lip lightly, hesitated for a long time, stood up before the servants could approach, pushed through the crowd and walked towards the front courtyard.

In the front hall, the old lady was entertaining the elders of the Tang clan. The second elder said with envy, "Sister-in-law is so lucky. The Duke's family has a worthy successor, and all three of her granddaughters have married into the royal family."

"Thanks to the old lady and the young ladies, the women of the Tang clan have married very well these past two years," the old lady of the three clans said, beaming from ear to ear. "My little granddaughter has just been engaged to the eldest son of the prefect of Suzhou, and she will be married into the family next year."

The old lady of the Duke of Wei had a sarcastic look in her eyes, but smiled humbly on the surface. After Tang Wan arrived, she personally stepped forward, took Tang Wan's hand, and led her to the ancestral hall in the backyard.

The gates of the Tang Clan Ancestral Hall were wide open, and the women of the Tang Clan, including Madam An, stood solemnly outside. Upon seeing the old lady and the elders of the Tang Clan arrive, they all curtsied.

The old lady led Tang Wan past the crowd into the ancestral hall, followed closely by the second clan elder and the third clan elder, who knelt on the prayer mats to offer incense and kowtow.

Outside the door, the women of the Tang family knelt on the blue bricks and kowtowed.

After the three kneelings and nine kowtows, the old lady, the second clan's old master, and the third clan's old lady were the first to stand up. Tang Wan was about to follow suit, but was frightened into standing still by a look from the old lady.

An carried the copper basin into the ancestral hall. The second patriarch washed his hands, solemnly picked up the Tang family genealogy, and turned to the last page, which contained the surnames and names of Tang Zheng's wives, concubines, and children, the fifth-generation heir of the Tang family.

"Daughter Tang, originally the illegitimate daughter of Duke Tang Zheng of Wei, has diligently followed the family's teachings since entering the household. She is virtuous, intelligent, filial, and kind. Now, thanks to the grace of Heaven, she is specially registered under the name of Madam An as the third legitimate daughter. This is to respectfully inform our ancestors."

After the second clan elder finished his announcement, he picked up a pen, dipped it in ink, and wrote Tang Wan's name under the name of the An family.

From this point on, Tang Wan and her mistress Qingyan had no further connection.

After the ancestral worship ceremony, the Duke of Wei's mansion became lively again.

At the same time, the Flying Dragon Guards, carrying imperial orders, quickly rode out of the city and sped northwest, arriving in the northwest twenty days later.

Inside the Protector General's Mansion, Tang Zhao, who had just run two laps around the city, removed the sandbags from his legs and collapsed on the ground like a dead fish, unwilling to even move a finger.

Qi Jiming stood aside, panting, and reminded her, "Princess, after strenuous exercise, you cannot, you cannot sit down or lie down immediately. You taught us that."

"I know, but I really can't take it anymore."

Seeing the princess lying casually on the ground, Qi Jiming also stopped caring and stretched out his arms and legs, panting like a puppy with his tongue lolling out. Comfortable.

Wu Jiayi walked over from a short distance away, kicked Qi Jiming, and roared, "Line up!"

"Ouch!" Qi Jiming scrambled to his feet and limped back to the group.

After everyone left, Wu Jia quickly helped Tang Zhao up, asking, "Miss, can your body still take it?"

"It's alright," Tang Zhao dismissed them, "Don't worry about me, you guys continue training."

"Yes," Wu Jia said, turning back every few steps as he walked away.

Tang Zhao stood there for a while, waiting until Wu Jia finished cursing and started the next training exercise before stepping over.

Standing in the shade, Qiu Yu spotted Gu Ci in the distance and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Miss! The young master is here!"

"Who is it?" Tang Zhao turned around and saw Gu Ci walking towards him in full armor, covered in sweat. "Why are you back?"

Wasn't it said that the Turks have been restless lately?
"The Flying Dragon Guards have arrived," Gu Ci said, pursing his lips. "His Majesty has decreed that the Prince of Xuan's family be summoned back to the capital to celebrate the Empress Dowager's birthday."

"What the hell!" Tang Zhao's eyes widened. Had the emperor been eating too well and lost his mind? At a time when the border situation was tense, summoning the Prince of Xuan's family back to the capital as hostages—was this something a human being would do?!
"My father has already returned to the villa and asked me to invite you to discuss this," Gu Ci said, seeing that Tang Zhao was still in a daze. He grabbed Tang Zhao's hand and left. "There's no time to lose, hurry up."

Tang Zhao stumbled as he was dragged along, and just as he was about to roll up his sleeves and beat the man up, Gu Ci lifted him onto his horse, and they sped back to the Prince's villa.

When the two arrived at the main hall, the leader of the Flying Dragon Guard was questioning them about returning to the capital. Prince Xuan and Princess Xuan sat at the head of the table, saying nothing.

Just as the Flying Dragon Guard leader was about to ask another question, Prince Xuan impatiently interrupted, "There's still some time before the Empress Dowager's birthday. I'm not even in a hurry to return to the capital to pay my respects to her. What's the rush for you?"

Seeing that King Xuan was angry, the leader of the Flying Dragon Guard dared not say anything more and got up to take his leave.

Princess Xuan instructed her servants to arrange for the Flying Dragon Guards to rest in the guest courtyard.

After the Flying Dragon Guards had gone some distance, Tang Zhao couldn't wait to ask, "Father, did His Majesty damage his brain from taking too many pills?"

King Xuan:
There's no need to be so direct.

"Father, have you decided who will return to the capital?" Tang Zhao plopped down in a chair. "Let me make this clear first, I'm not going. I have over 200,000 disaster victims and civilians under my command waiting for my coordination and arrangements. I can't leave!"

“I didn’t plan for you to go,” King Xuan said helplessly. “I called you here to ask you to help advise on who to send back to the capital.”

"Is that so?" Tang Zhao's eyes darted around. "Then we'll have to choose this person carefully."

Since he is to return to the capital as a hostage, he must be very important to King Xuan, otherwise he will not serve the purpose of a hostage. However, he cannot be very useful either, at the very least, his departure should not have any impact on the situation in the Northwest.

Tang Zhao felt there were quite a few of these mascots that were all show and no substance.

"Consort Han, Consort Qin, Seventh Sister, and Eighth Sister," Tang Zhao rattled off four candidates in one go. "Father, whoever you think is the most useless, let her return to the capital to celebrate the Empress Dowager's birthday."