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

Twenty miles outside Beijing, the area was already packed with people.

From both sides of the official road to the city gate, there was a dense, dark mass of people.

Some people arrived before dawn with dry rations, just to secure a good spot.

An elderly person was standing on tiptoe ahead, peering out, while a woman was holding a child in her arms.

"I heard that Prince Zhongyong is returning to the capital today!"

"Finally, the Northern Hu have been pacified! Will our border finally be peaceful?"

"Of course! I heard that the Northern Barbarian King was captured alive!"

"And the King of Nanyue and the King of Xirong personally came to the capital to kowtow!"

"My God! This is the first time since the founding of the nation!"

"The Loyal and Brave Prince has truly brought honor to our Great Liang!"

The crowd grew larger and larger.

When dust rose from the distant official road, a child was the first to shout.

"It's here! It's here! The banner! I see the banner!"

The Xiao-character flag came first.

Black background with silver lettering, as if forged from the cold winds of the North.

Lin Huiyin was already waiting at the city gate.

Today he was wearing a brand-new uniform as the commander of the Longcheng Guard, with a sword at his waist, and he had a handsome appearance.

Xiao Fang took the lead and, upon reaching him, slightly reined in his horse.

"Commander Lin, what a magnificent sight!"

Lin Hui clicked her tongue.

"What's so impressive about it? While you were away from the capital, this grueling job as a member of the Dragon City Guard has given me no end of trouble."

Lu Zhao appeared from behind and hit him with a horsewhip.

"You're acting all wronged, aren't you!"

We heard everything when we got back. You're quite something now; the entire imperial city is under your protection!

Lin Hui smiled.

"That's just to look after Xiao Fang's house."

As he spoke, he took a bright yellow scroll from the person behind him.

"Xiao Fang, receive the imperial decree."

Xiao Fang dismounted and knelt on one knee.

Lin Huiyin stopped smiling, unfolded the imperial edict, and read it aloud.

"By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:"

The loyal and valiant King Xiao Fang led a northern expedition against the barbarian invaders, annihilating the Northern Hu and conquering the Southern Yue and Western Rong territories. His achievements were of great merit to the state and his prestige resounded throughout the land.

His father, Xiao Ji, was posthumously granted the title of Prince of Zhenbei and was entitled to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

Xiao Fang inherited the title of Prince Zhongyong, was granted the title of General Zhenbei, and was awarded ten thousand taels of gold.

So be it.

Lin Hui paused for a moment, lowered her voice, and read on.

"I am very honored to be your brother."

Xiao Fang lowered his head, his Adam's apple bobbing. It was wonderful that he could be renamed the Prince of Zhenbei.

My elder brother really cares about him in every way.

He rolled those eight words between his lips.

"Your subject accepts the imperial decree and expresses his gratitude."

Lin Huiyin closed the imperial edict and helped the person up.

"Don't rush in, Lu Zhao is behind us."

Lu Zhao was taken aback.

"mine?"

Lin Huiyin then took out another imperial edict.

"By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:"

Since joining the Supervisory Department, Lu Zhao has repeatedly made meritorious contributions.

He is hereby appointed as the commander of the Imperial City Guard, in charge of the defense of the capital and to protect the Imperial City.

So be it.

Lu Zhao's eyes lit up instantly.

He knelt down with a thud.

"Your subject, Lu Zhao, accepts the imperial decree and expresses his gratitude!"

Lin Huiyin placed the imperial edict into Lu Zhao's hand.

"Get up, Commander Lu."

Lu Zhao stood up, laughing so hard he couldn't stop.

"I knew the Emperor was a wise man! From now on, everyone inside and outside the capital will have to give me some face!"

Xiao Fang glanced at him sideways.

"Do your job well first, then think about saving face."

"Of course," Lu Zhao patted his chest.

"The Imperial Guards I'm going to lead have actually killed people in the Northern Territory!"

"They're nothing like those slicked-back, powdered-hair guys from before!"

The group chatted and laughed as they officially entered the city.

The city gates opened wide, and the cheers of the people grew even louder.

At the very front were Xiao Fang, Lu Zhao, and Lin Hui.

The three rode side by side, with Xiao Fang in the middle.

On both sides of the street, someone shouted "Long live the King of Zhenbei!"

Then, the whole city was shouting.

"The Prince of Zhenbei! The Prince of Zhenbei!"

"Commander Lu! Well done!"

"Our Great Liang has won!"

Lu Zhao straightened his back and waved to both sides.

Lin Huiyin, on the other hand, had a handsome appearance and nodded from time to time.

Xiao Fang didn't smile much, but instead gazed into the distance, towards the direction of the imperial palace.

Although the Emperor did not say it in his letter, one could infer from the increasingly flimsy handwriting that Long Yuanqi probably wouldn't last much longer.

Further back in the procession was a long line of prison wagons.

In the first prison van, the Northern Hu King was tied up.

His hands and feet were useless, and his limbs hung limply at his sides.

The person leaned against the iron railing, their face showing no sign of wanting to survive.

Some people recognized him.

"That's the King of the Northern Barbarians!"

"It's him! He crosses the border every year! How many of our people has he killed!"

"Smash him! Smash this beast to death!"

Countless vegetable leaves, pebbles, and rotten eggs were thrown at him.

The Northern Hu King couldn't even hide from it.

His head was repeatedly struck and tilted to one side.

But he seemed oblivious.

With his eyes half-open, he looked up at the sky, which was mostly obscured by flags.

His children followed behind.

The princes were tightly bound, and their mouths were gagged with strips of cloth.

The princesses huddled together, their faces streaked with tears and resentment.

Princess Saren glared fiercely at the crowd, then immediately lowered her head as she was struck.

The more the Northern Hu people resisted, the angrier the people became.

"You've finally gotten your comeuppance!"

"Why didn't you show any mercy when you were killing our Han sons and daughters!"

Gu Jinghuai's prison van was at the very back.

He was wearing old, drab clothes and his hair was disheveled.

But he didn't look towards the common people.

He kept his head tilted to the side, staring intently at the extremely luxurious carriage in the middle of the procession.

The wind lifted a corner of the carriage curtain.

Only a section of her jade-white fingers was visible, but it was quickly covered up again.

Gu Jinghuai's throat felt sore.

He knew that Yun Shuyao was inside.

She's doing well and even gave birth to a daughter for Xiao Fang.

"Even just one more look would be enough."

Gu Jinghuai muttered to himself.

"Even when we get to the execution ground, I don't know if I'll be able to see him."

He closed his eyes.

Many things from the past kept replaying in my mind.

What if there is an afterlife?

What if we could go back to the time before our wedding?

He thought he would do everything in his power to win her back and make it up to her.

Even if she hates him, he will still follow her.

I will never let go again.

The King of Nanyue and the King of Xirong rode on horseback, following at the rear of the procession.

They went to wear the royal robes and put on the plain clothes bestowed upon them by the Great Liang.

Each horse had a separate horse behind it, with their eldest son tied to it.

The two princes were only teenagers, their faces pale, yet they dared not show the slightest resentment.

The King of Nanyue and the King of Xirong themselves were laughing in a way that looked more like crying.

Some people pointed at them and laughed.

"Hey! Isn't this the King of Nanyue? Why have you gotten so thin?"

"King of Nanyue? There's no King of Nanyue anymore! He's just a vassal of our Great Liang!"

The King of Nanyue heard this, but pretended not to hear it.

He cupped his hands to both sides and smiled ingratiatingly.

"From now on, we'll be family."

"Yes, we're all one family," the Western Rong King chuckled dryly.

But as they laughed, their faces froze.

Because there were more than a hundred large trucks following behind.

The car was piled high with gold and silver jewelry.

There were boxes full of jade artifacts, rolls of leather, jewel-encrusted scimitars, and corals as tall as a person.

They didn't even cover those things with cloth; they were just exposed, gleaming in the sunlight.

When the sun shines, it's all golden.

The sight of it made the people on the street gasp in astonishment.

"My God, how much did they steal?"

"What do you mean 'robbed'? These are spoils of war brought back by the Prince of Zhenbei from the Northern Hu royal court!"

"I heard that all the good things from the royal palaces of Nanyue and Xirong are here too!"

"General Xiao is truly remarkable! Not only did he win the battle, but he also managed to bring back so many treasures!"

"Everyone says Xiao Fang is the number one bandit in Liang! I think this is real skill!"

"Exactly! For centuries, only the Northern Hu have robbed us. Now it's finally our turn to hold our heads high!"

"With these things, our Daliang will be much more financially secure!"

Suddenly, an old man knelt down, trembling.

"His Highness the Prince of Zhenbei!"

At his shout, everyone knelt down and shouted in unison.

"His Highness the Prince of Zhenbei!"

"His Highness the Prince of Zhenbei!"