In a moment of impulse, I forcibly kissed my brother's best friend.

Xie Yige turned her head to look at him; his long eyelashes shimmered with a faint golden hue in the rosy light.

"I don't want to be a behind-the-scenes strategist." She slightly raised her chin, her peach blossom eyes full of pride. "I want to be your superior. You'll have to rely on me to support you."

She was curled up beside the small table on the low couch, a tiny ball of fur, like a smug little fox. Cui Yutang's heart was bubbling with delight. She was just so adorable.

He bent down and scooped her up in his arms.

"Hey! What are you doing! How dare you disrespect your superior!"

Cui Yutang ignored her. He supported her buttocks with one hand, holding her firmly in his arm. Xie Yige had no choice but to wrap her arms around his neck, hanging on him with her legs dangling in mid-air.

"Cui Yutang, please don't hold me like a baby, okay?" she protested, puffing out her cheeks, while her little legs swung happily.

"You are my little baby, and also my Shangguan wife." Cui Yutang glanced down at her, a slight smile playing on his lips, and replied earnestly, "I will now take you to see the Gu woman brought by my uncle."

"Brought by your uncle? Sang Miaoyao?" Xie Yige paused, her swinging leg faltering.

He nodded, and with his other hand, he hooked the embroidered shoe over for her, carefully slipped it onto her foot, and then turned to walk out.

Xie Yige clung to him, a sweet smile curving her lips, her legs swinging happily again.

"Lord Cui has served you well; I have decided to give you a raise next month."

"Could we exchange the moon silver for something else?" He asked, his lips almost touching her earlobe, his voice low.

"For example—repaying with one's own body."

Xie Yige's face instantly turned bright red. She raised her fist and punched his shoulder: "You lecherous scoundrel who dares to flirt with Shangguan!"

He smiled and hugged her tightly, letting her pound and wobble as they walked through the courtyard and corridors until they reached the outside of the main hall. Xie Yige then squirmed in his arms and whispered, "Put me down."

Only then did she stand under the eaves, raise her hand to straighten her clothes and long hair that he had messed up, and regain her dignified appearance.

He watched her from the side, his gaze fixed on her, a doting smile playing on his lips.

She's so funny.

He took her hand and led her into the main hall, sitting directly at the head of the table, his hand casually supporting her lower back.

"Uncle." Xie Yige greeted Xie Wanzhou, then turned her gaze to Sang Miao, who was dressed in red.

Today she wore a dark red Miao dress with silver trim, her long hair was braided into a thick braid that hung down her shoulders, and she wore two very thin silver earrings.

When she saw Xie Yige and Cui Yutang enter, she stood up, clasped her hands in front of her chest, and performed a standard Miao greeting, showing great respect.

"I apologize for disturbing you," she said, her expression neither humble nor arrogant. "I've come to discuss a collaboration with you."

"Please continue." Xie Yige was very polite to her because of the evidence she provided last time, and also because of her relationship with her uncle.

Sang Miao looked at Cui Yutang and then moved her gaze to Xie Yige's face.

"The rebellion in the southwest was not the will of the Miao people. King Rong'an held my brother hostage, imprisoned Miao people from various tribes, and forcibly manipulated them to make Gu weapons, forcing us to rebel for him."

"I know all the flaws in the crafting of those fearless, painless, and strangely difficult-to-kill Gu soldiers on the battlefield, and the methods to counter them."

She raised her eyes and looked directly at the two of them: "I am willing to do everything I can to help you restrain the Gu soldiers and defeat the rebels who oppress my people."

She paused slightly, her eyes pleading: "I only ask that after the war is quelled, the General, innocent Miao people will not be implicated. My blindly obedient and coerced people have never been enemies of the Tang Dynasty."

The main hall fell silent for a moment.

Xie Yige looked at Cui Yutang, who nodded gently to her.

"Sang Miao, I will also be traveling to the southwest with my husband. You will come with me when we depart."

Upon receiving this confirmation, Sang Miao's long-held anxiety finally subsided. She bowed solemnly to the two of them.

The following day, ten miles outside Chang'an, the capital of the capital, the grand ceremony was held as scheduled.

As dawn broke and the earth shone with the light of day, tens of thousands of soldiers marching to the southwest stood in solemn formation. Banners fluttered in the wind, and layers of armor gleamed coldly in the morning light. The entire training ground was filled with a heavy, iron-blooded, and chilling aura.

Cui Yutang stood on the reviewing stand.

He was clad in gleaming silver armor, his posture tall and straight. He wore no helmet, his long hair tied up high and flowing in the wind, revealing a handsome yet cold face. His deep-set phoenix eyes exuded an imposing aura even without anger.

He spoke softly, his voice carrying inner strength, clearly reaching the ears of everyone in the formation.

"I've heard that you all have objections to Mr. Cui."

His gaze swept calmly over the faces in the front row, tanned dark by the sun.

"I'm giving you a chance today. If you're not satisfied, come forward and fight!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the army fell silent.

To everyone's surprise, a civil official challenged them right from the start. After a while, they began to whisper among themselves.

"In the end, he was a civil official who excelled in rhetoric, but he relied on real skills in battle."

"This kid is so handsome, can he lead troops into battle? I'm afraid he really won't come back this time."

"Hard to say, judging by his upright posture, he might actually have some skills?"

The next moment, a series of figures stepped out from the formation.

Luo Meng strode forward, gripping a heavy longsword, and slammed the hilt heavily onto the ground, sending dust flying.

He was the most impulsive and outspoken of them all: "This humble general, Luo Meng, is a rough man who doesn't believe in the art of the pen, only in the power of weapons! I dare to challenge the commander-in-chief to a contest of skill!"

The soldiers on the field became excited, like a pack of wolves that had smelled blood.

Cui Yutang's expression remained unchanged. Instead of using the soft sword he usually carried at his waist, he waved his hand, and two guards brought over a heavy Green Dragon Crescent Blade.

The entire venue fell silent for a moment, and then erupted in chaos.

A civil official wielding a broadsword? Isn't that like showing off one's skills in front of Guan Yu? Could he even lift it?

With a single, swift motion, he firmly grasped the hilt of the knife and lifted it up with one hand.

The blade drew a deep arc beside him. With a flick of his wrist, he placed the sword behind his back with one hand. The sound of the heavy sword cutting through the air echoed on the platform. He was majestic and imposing, his whole being like a divine weapon forged by the sunlight in the morning light.

Another wave of stunned clamor swept through the audience.

Cui Yutang looked at Luo Meng. He saw that Luo Meng was burly and had a firm gaze, the true nature of a fierce general.

"I admire your courage. Come on."

Luo Meng went all out. With a burst of power from his legs, he charged forward with an overwhelming momentum, his long saber cleaving through the wind and waves, each move a deadly strike from the battlefield. The wind from his saber whipped up the yellow sand as he swept in.

All the soldiers assumed that Cui Yutang would dodge and maneuver. But Cui Yutang did not.

He lowered his stance and mounted his horse, then suddenly swung his crescent blade, unleashing a three-hit combo that advanced with the force of thunder!

The first slash shattered the oncoming gale, sending yellow sand swirling; the second slash clashed head-on with the opponent's blade, the force of which made Luo Meng's arm go numb, forcing him to retreat repeatedly; the third slash pressed down from above, its domineering power overwhelming him.

He skillfully channeled his inner strength into the blade, making it extremely powerful, yet his movements were light and agile, a perfect blend of strength and gentleness that dazzled the eye.

A loud clang rang out as metal struck metal.

The shockwave made everyone's eardrums ache. Luo Meng's hand instantly split open, and the excruciating pain spread from his arm throughout his body. He could no longer hold the heavy longsword in his hand, and it flew out of his hand, crashing heavily into the yellow earth.

The entire room fell silent.

Everyone was stunned. No one could have imagined that a scholar-official who had won the imperial examinations could defeat a fierce general so decisively in a head-on confrontation.

Luo Meng stood there stunned for a long time, the blood dripping from his fingers onto the yellow earth. Suddenly, he laughed loudly, knelt on one knee, and shouted.

"Your Excellency's might is truly awe-inspiring! This humble general is completely convinced!"

Tens of thousands of soldiers on the drill ground finally came to their senses. Someone shouted "The Great Commander is mighty!" and then a wave of sound surged up like a tidal wave, startling the birds in the morning sky from the treetops and soaring across the entire horizon.

Xie Yige held a pair of binoculars given to her by her mother and gently exhaled from the distant stands.

As she listened to the overwhelming shouts, her heart felt as if it were filled with something, burning hot.

Her husband, their commander-in-chief—was incredibly handsome.