The Marquis's line has ended? The pregnant maid is pregnant again!

Lu Jihan was stunned, clearly not expecting Shen Qinghe to ask him that question.

Lu Jihan had never thought about this question before, and no one had ever questioned or interrogated him with such a sentence.

Lu Jihan was raised by the old lady, who came from a military family. Naturally, she raised her sons to serve the country and its people, believing that it was the best and most glorious destiny.

Lu Jihan had been on the battlefield since he was a young man, so he understood firsthand how dangerous the battlefield was, where danger and opportunity coexisted.

Over the years, Lu Jihan has been on countless battlefields, saved countless civilians, and defended the country's territory countless times. The number of soldiers under his command has also increased significantly.

Lu Jihan and every soldier who went to the battlefield had already accepted that they might one day die in a war.

Moreover, someone like Lu Jihan has already experienced countless moments of facing death on the battlefield.

When Lu Jihan was a child, his grandmother often told him that a man's ambition lies in all directions, and that on the battlefield, where swords and spears rain down, there are bound to be bumps and bruises.

A real man should be even braver.

Throughout history, death has been described as either as light as a feather or as heavy as Mount Tai. If one dies for one's country and people, that death is heavier than Mount Tai and will be remembered for eternity.

Therefore, throughout his many years of dealing with debts, Lu Jihan had never encountered a young girl who dared to question him so confidently.

"If you die, what will happen to me and the children?"

When Lu Jihan met Shen Qinghe's clear eyes, which were red and brimming with tears, he became even more anxious than he had been on the battlefield.

Lu Jihan stood up and paced back and forth in front of Shen Qinghe with some frustration, seemingly unable to think of how to answer Shen Qinghe's question. He then scratched his hair in annoyance.

Then, Lu Jihan looked at her and said, "The bandits on Lingque Mountain are really few in number. According to intelligence, they number no more than a hundred. The bandits we wiped out last time numbered several hundred, and I still returned safe and sound, unharmed."

"It's different, it's different this time!"

Shen Qinghe knew that this was how it happened in her previous life. If she didn't intervene this time, Lu Jihan would most likely end up with the same fate as in her previous life.

What happens in the past is irrelevant; things that have already passed can never be changed.

Now that Shen Qinghe finally has a chance to start over, how could she possibly stand by and watch a great hero like Lu Jihan, who served his country and its people, die unjustly?

Shen Qinghe thought for a moment: "Master, perhaps... perhaps you could take more troops with you?"

Lu Jihan looked at Shen Qinghe and shook his head: "I have already reported the suppression of the mountain bandits to the Emperor. The number of troops used, the armor and equipment used, etc. are all recorded in the ledgers."

Lu Jihan only said this much, but Shen Qinghe understood the next sentence. Since the emperor had already been informed and the accounts had been completed, if different troops were used now, it would be a crime of deceiving the emperor if the enemy in the court found out.

Lu Jihan had experienced countless battles, both large and small, but this was the first time he had encountered such a scene, and it wasn't even considered an expedition yet.

Just before he was about to leave, a little girl tugged at his sleeve, crying and saying she was worried about him and didn't want him to go.

It was as if Lu Jihan was experiencing what it meant to be worried for the first time at this moment.

Lu Jihan didn't know how to persuade or comfort Shen Qinghe, but he didn't want to turn around and meet the girl's red eyes, nor could he bear to hear her tearful words.

Lu Jihan pinched the bridge of his nose, then took a deep breath and knelt down on one knee in front of Shen Qinghe again: "Ahe, you have to trust me. I've fought many battles and experienced countless situations far more dangerous than this."

I've returned safely so many times before, and I'm sure I'll come back unharmed this time too. I've never considered not supporting you and the children.

I want both the woman and the baby in her belly.

But I am now a second-rank Grand General of the State. If I were to abandon the task of suppressing the bandits and let someone else do it because of a vague and inexplicable dream, wouldn't I be betraying the court's trust in me, the emperor's reliance on me, and the people's respect for me?

Lu Jihan stared directly into Shen Qinghe's gaze and spoke word by word about the crimes committed by the bandits of Lingque Mountain back then: "According to the people's reports, the bandits of Lingque Mountain were really arrogant back then. At first, they would grab people who had wandered into the deep mountains and then extort their families."

If they couldn't extort the money they wanted, they would sell off both men and women. Later, seeing that the court didn't care, their behavior became increasingly arrogant and despicable.

They not only frequently cause trouble on the road, stopping passersby and merchants, but also demanding that anyone who wants to pass pay them a large sum of money.

Even worse, some of them stormed into the homes of villagers at the foot of the mountain, kidnapping farmers' daughters and selling them into brothels. The local government tried to intervene, but due to their lack of experience in dealing with the deep mountains, they were instead wiped out by the bandits.

Lu Jihan didn't give Shen Qinghe a chance to speak. His rough, broad hands gently squeezed the soft hand in his own: "Ahe, you have always been kind and righteous. You must understand that if we allow the bandits to continue their rampage, more people will be harmed."

Moreover, since I am supported and respected by the people and appreciated by the emperor, I have no reason to be afraid halfway or give up halfway.

The glory of my Marquis's mansion is indeed bestowed by the state, but the people are the foundation of the country. This vast country is supported by countless people. In the end, my Marquis's mansion is nothing more than being supported by the people.

How can I ignore the fact that the people are under such threat? If word gets out, wouldn't I, the Great General Protector of the Nation, become a laughingstock?

Furthermore, those soldiers outside are all my men; I am their commander. Each of them has entrusted their lives to me, showing me such respect and trust. Naturally, I cannot betray their trust; I must be responsible for them to the very end.

The fact that Shen Qinghe was able to become the wife of the Grand Secretary in her previous life proves that she was naturally discerning and reasonable.

Shen Qinghe naturally understood these principles.

Shen Qinghe reached out and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, appearing somewhat calmer as she stared steadily at Lu Jihan in front of her:

"Master...you really have to go, right?"

Lu Jihan nodded: "Yes, for whatever reason, we must go."

"it is good."

Shen Qinghe agreed quickly, which surprised Lu Jihan.

Lu Jihan thought Shen Qinghe would be like those ordinary women he had seen before, making a scene and crying and clinging on until the person left.

But Shen Qinghe seemed to react quickly, and after accepting the fact, she quickly calmed down.

"If I want to go, fine." Shen Qinghe agreed first, then grabbed Lu Jihan's cloak and used it fiercely to wipe her tears.

"but!"

As Shen Qinghe spoke, she was still a little angry. She grabbed Lu Jihan's cloak and smeared tears and snot all over it, making it a mess in no time.

Lu Jihan raised one eyebrow in surprise as he watched her actions. It was clearly the behavior of a young girl throwing a tantrum and being petty.

But at this moment, Lu Jihan looked at her without the slightest hint of reluctance in his eyes; in fact, he didn't even notice that his lips had curved into a smile.

"Tell me, but what? As long as it's something I can agree to, I'll definitely agree to it."

Lu Jihan nodded quickly and agreed readily.

As long as he wasn't allowed to comfort the crying Shen Qinghe, he was willing to agree to anything Lu Jihan asked.

"Before you leave, you must take everything I have prepared with you, without missing a single item."

As she spoke, Shen Qinghe called out to Fang Yu and Qing'er outside the tent, and the two of them immediately came in carrying their things.

The two men carried a large bundle and put it on the ground. The bundle fell apart, and Lu Jihan could see that it was full of miscellaneous items.

Shen Qinghe walked over and placed each item in front of Lu Jihan as if it were a treasure: "This bottle contains the Hundred-Cure Pill, which I specially asked Doctor Lin to prepare. No matter what kind of pure poison it is, as long as you take the Hundred-Cure Pill, it can be detoxified."

As she spoke, Shen Qinghe poured out two pills from the small bottle, forcibly pried Lu Jihan's hand away, and placed them in her palm.

Shen Qinghe took out another small jar and looked at Lu Jihan in front of her very seriously, saying, "The medicine in this jar is even more extraordinary. I told Doctor Lin that there might be mixed poisons, and that's why Doctor Lin took out this small jar to sell to me."

I heard it wasn't made by Doctor Lin, but by his reclusive master. It can not only cure all poisons, but also all kinds of mixed poisons. Just one pill is all it takes to neutralize any combination of poisons.

I heard there are only a few inside, and eating them will make you immune to all poisons.

As Shen Qinghe spoke, she opened the jar, only to find that there were only two or three pills inside.

Her eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Lu Jihan: "There really are only three. Lord Marquis, would you like to guess how expensive these things are?"

Lu Jihan raised an eyebrow, now fully cooperating with Shen Qinghe: "One hundred taels??"

Shen Qinghe shook her head mysteriously.

Lu Jihan asked again, "Two hundred taels?"

Shen Qinghe shook her head again: "No, no, no, a full five hundred taels for these three small pills. But..."

Shen Qinghe smiled and looked at Lu Jihan in front of her: "Well, as you know, my lord, I don't have much money, so I had Doctor Lin put all this money on your tab."

"The Marquis wouldn't be so stingy, would he? Besides, these are all for the Marquis's own use!"

After speaking, Fang Yu and Qing'er lowered their heads and obediently dared not speak. Even Shen Qinghe herself felt a little guilty and stuck out her tongue at Lu Jihan in embarrassment.

Little did they know that the three of them, master and servant, thought this was an act that would obviously anger people, but in Lu Jihan's eyes, he only felt that the little girl in front of him was too cute and charming.

He scoffed, "A mere five hundred taels."