Remarried to a top-tier playboy, her reborn ex-husband is filled with regret.

When Xiao Fang returned to the manor, the rain had stopped.

He walked to the gate of the Prince's Mansion and looked up.

The original plaque that read "Zhenbei Prince's Mansion" has been removed and replaced with "Zhongyong Prince's Mansion" inscribed by the emperor himself.

The black background with gold lettering was almost blindingly bright in the post-rain sunlight.

Xiao Fang stood in front of the door and looked around for a while.

He suddenly felt that this place was both familiar and strange.

When the emperor bestowed the title "Loyal and Brave" upon his father, he had probably already decided on it.

He had decided to take back the military power of the Zhenbei Army.

He withdrew his gaze and stepped through the door.

Yun Shuyao was enjoying the cool air under the pavilion in the back garden.

She was wearing a thin shirt, leaning against the cushions, holding a book in her hand, but she hadn't turned the pages in a long time.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up.

"I'm back."

When Xiao Fang saw her, a smile finally appeared on his face.

He walked over in a few steps, squatted down at her feet, and pulled the thin blanket that had slipped down to her knees up.

"It's chilly, don't catch a cold."

Yun Shuyao looked down at him.

"It's not that precious."

Xiao Fang didn't speak, but gently pressed his head against her stomach.

Yun Shuyao chuckled and patted him on the shoulder.

"The child is so young, how could there be any disturbance?"

Xiao Fang didn't get up either.

"My daughter is so smart, I need to get closer to her now so she'll like me as her father after she's born."

As Yun Shuyao listened, she felt a pang of sadness in her heart.

She knew that he had lost his mother at a young age, and his father was often in the North, so he didn't even have a close elder by his side.

He longed for this child more than anyone else.

They are more afraid than anyone else of not doing well enough.

She asked softly.

"Why is it a girl? What if it's a boy?"

Xiao Fang's expression fell almost imperceptibly for a moment, then softened again.

"Yaoyao, be good and give me a daughter."

"Someone as beautiful as you, I'd definitely spoil her rotten."

Yun Shuyao couldn't help but laugh.

The atmosphere became unusually relaxed.

But she knew that Xiao was still holding a grudge.

The death of his father was a far greater blow to him than he outwardly showed.

He didn't say it, but he was always blaming himself.

He felt that he was greedy for credit and acted rashly, and that he was incapable of managing the overall situation, which was why he had implicated his father.

But on the battlefield, swords have no eyes.

Rather than taking all the blame upon themselves, it would be better to say that the Northern Hu people killed the Prince of Zhenbei.

If they hadn't invaded our borders year after year, there wouldn't have been this bloody battle.

But she had tried to persuade him with these words before.

It's useless.

So she stopped trying to persuade her.

Some wounds cannot be healed by outsiders.

He has to get through this step by step on his own.

She reached out and gently rubbed his earlobe.

"Let's rest for a while. I'll have someone set the table."

Xiao Fang hummed in agreement and moved closer to her stomach.

During the meal, Xiao Fang was clearly distracted.

He stirred the food in the bowl a couple of times with his chopsticks, picked up a bite of food for a long time, and finally put it back on the plate.

Yun Shuyao put down her spoon and looked at him.

"What are you thinking about? Is it about supplies? Your maternal grandfather and cousin have prepared almost all the provisions. Even if the imperial court doesn't support us, our family can supply the army with enough provisions for a month or two."

Xiao Fang shook his head.

"The bulk of military supplies must be paid by the state. The Great Liang and the Northern Hu have been fighting for decades, and it took the entire nation's resources to support the border troops. It's not something that one person can pay for with money."

"I wasn't thinking about that."

He looked at her and became serious.

"Long Yuanming has run away. The Crown Prince and I both guessed that he would go to seek refuge with a vassal king. The Crown Prince suspects the Fourth Prince the most."

Yun Shuyao paused for a moment, then nodded.

"I died young in my previous life, but I vaguely heard that the Prince of Junjin was not very well-behaved in his fiefdom."

"Later, when Long Yuanming ascended the throne, he was the first one to be punished. So, it seems he always harbored rebellious intentions."

She paused for a moment, then asked again.

"But Long Yuanming is nothing now. Would the vassal king take him in?"

Xiao Fang nodded.

"Definitely."

"If a prince wants to do something, he needs a title. Long Yuanming was once a prince, which is a ready-made title."

"Moreover, he had cultivated his influence in the court for many years, amassed a large fortune, and secretly maintained a group of loyal followers and remnants. These were his bargaining chips in negotiations with the vassal kings."

He picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"Two ambitious people hit it off immediately, each wanting to take advantage of the other."

"But they can't succeed."

Yun Shuyao looked into his eyes.

Xiao Fang put down his teacup and said slowly.

"They seem to share the same interests and demands. But how can a power struggle be dominated by just two people? When it comes to dividing the spoils, who will be willing to concede an inch?"

"He's incapable of accomplishing anything. But if he acts recklessly, it will be the people of Daliang who suffer."

As he said this, his gaze turned cold.

"Moreover, if I do not eliminate him, he may take advantage of the situation in the rear and cause a palace coup while I lead my troops out to war, which would be a great disaster."

"His presence is a threat to you and the children. I won't let this cancer continue to grow."

"His Highness the Crown Prince should already have plans."

Xiao Fang leaned back in his chair, his brows slightly relaxed.

"The Emperor is seriously ill, and many government affairs have been handed over to the Crown Prince. Apart from the Tiger Tally of the Northern Garrison, most of the other powers have fallen into the hands of the two of us."

"The Crown Prince is in charge of the government, and I will purge the disloyal ministers on his behalf. In another month or so, the court will be completely transformed."

"At that time, wherever the Crown Prince points, I will attack."

Yun Shuyao looked at the dark circles under his eyes, her heart aching.

She reached out and gently took his hand, which was resting on the table.

"Don't overwork yourself. My child and I are counting on you."

Xiao Fang immediately grabbed her hand in return, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Don't worry. Don't you know whether your husband is healthy or not?"

Yun Shuyao blushed and scolded him.

"I'm talking to you about something serious!"

Xiao Fang chuckled softly and reached out to ruffle the top of her hair.

Her tone softened again.

"I know you feel sorry for me. But with the political situation so turbulent right now, we can't maintain order without putting in some effort."

"Once the Crown Prince takes the throne, even bigger storms are yet to come. I need to pave the way for him in advance."

As he said this, he seemed to suddenly remember something and turned to ask.

"In your past life memories, did the Crown Prince have any children? Were they sons or daughters?"

Yun Shuyao gently shook her head.

"The Crown Prince has no children. He... will die of illness in three years."

"My illness didn't suddenly improve in my previous life either. This life is completely different from my previous life."

"I don't know where things went wrong."

A hint of pain flashed in Xiao Fang's eyes.

"I've heard before that Qingfeng Temple has a secret method that can make a dying person burn their lifespan to regain a healthy complexion for a period of time."

"I've seen that pill before. It takes ten years to obtain just one. It's a small, black pill that doesn't look very impressive."

"I used to think it was just some charlatan's trickery. But looking at the Crown Prince now... perhaps the rumors are true."

Yun Shuyao did not respond.

The two of them fell silent for a moment.

The crown prince is a rare wise ruler.

If he were to ascend the throne, he would surely do a better job than the old emperor.

Unfortunately, he did not live long enough.

Ultimately, it was the Emperor's disrespect back then that allowed the Empress and her son to be taken advantage of.

The prince was born with poison.

He was later assassinated several times.

In his previous life, he didn't even make it past thirty-five; he died before his life force was exhausted.