I only wished to take up my fiefdom, but my elder brother forced me to rebel.

As soon as she said it, Su Yuling wanted to back away.

But with her hand still on Lu Yuan's shoulder, wouldn't letting go now be an admission of weakness?

She simply raised her chin, adopting the posture she usually adopted when inspecting troops, but deliberately refused to meet his gaze.

Lu Yuan wanted to say something more witty, but when he saw her reddened eyes, he changed the subject.

"Yes, Your Majesty. But since Your Majesty has kidnapped someone, you must state the ransom amount."

"Who cares about your money!"

Footsteps passed by outside the screen.

Su Yuling immediately fell silent, and even tightened her grip on his hand.

A maidservant, carrying soup meant for the backyard, stopped outside the door and asked if the meal was ready.

She had dared to block people here just moments before, but now she wished the screen were three feet wider.

How can a princess consort hide her husband?

Lu Yuan suppressed a laugh and ordered that dinner be sent to the main courtyard.

Even as the footsteps faded into the distance, Su Yuling still didn't let go.

"Can we talk now?"

She gripped his sleeve, and after a long while, she managed to squeeze out a sentence.

"I'm just envious."

Once those words were spoken, the remaining grievances could no longer be hidden.

She was happy to see Mingzhu's joy; and when she saw Ruyan's tears, she wanted to take better care of her.

But after finishing with other people's business, when it's her turn, she's too embarrassed to even say she wants to have children.

She feared that others would think the principal wife was intolerant of others, and she was even more afraid that she herself would eventually become petty and calculating.

"I am your legal wife. If we don't have a legitimate son, won't people laugh at the Su family?"

Lu Yuan's smile vanished.

He took her hand and pulled her to sit down beside him.

"The Su family's reputation was earned on the battlefield by the old man and his entire family of loyal martyrs. When has it ever needed to be based on whether you are pregnant or not?"

Su Yuling looked up, wanting to refute, but couldn't find any words to say.

"But grandfather..."

He wants you to be doing well, not for you to submit a pledge.

Lu Yuan turned around and pulled her into his arms.

"I married Su Yuling, not a contract to have children within a certain time limit."

She had been tense all night, but suddenly it all dissipated.

In front of everyone, she could arrange rewards, give instructions to servants, and perform the duties of the Crown Princess flawlessly.

She returned to his side, wanting someone to tell her that she didn't have to be the first to compete in everything.

Su Yuling rested her forehead on his shoulder and stopped arguing back.

Lu Yuan found it strange.

This man, who would draw his gun at the slightest provocation, could be so quiet.

He was about to look down when she grabbed his collar.

"Don't laugh."

"I am thinking of a name for the child."

She immediately looked up.

"Have you thought it through?"

"The girl will follow your lead and practice shooting. The boy will follow mine and be responsible for avenging the mother and daughter."

"With me here, why would he need to seek revenge?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Su Yuling laughed.

The pent-up resentment in my heart began to ease.

Lu Yuan got up and led her towards the main courtyard.

As she passed the threshold, she suddenly grabbed his hand and checked it again carefully.

"Are you really not leaving tonight?"

Lu Yuan raised their clasped hands.

"With the Crown Princess personally escorting me, where can I escape to?"

She finally stopped avoiding his gaze.

Back in the main courtyard, Su Yuling personally hung up his sword and wrote down one by one what the headmaster had said.

She crumpled the piece of paper, which she had originally intended to ask someone to inquire about folk remedies for having a child, into a ball and threw it into the wastebasket.

Lu Yuan saw it, but didn't expose her; he simply had dinner with her.

Before the door closed, she reached out her hand to keep him inside.

This time, she didn't act like a princess consort, nor did she mention the legitimate son again.

As night deepened, Su Yuling fell asleep leaning on his shoulder, her hand still resting on his sleeve.

Lu Yuan tried to pull it out, but couldn't.

Good guy.

They guarded the city on weekdays, and even when they fell asleep, they were still on guard.

He simply stopped moving.

The next morning, as soon as Lu Yuan stepped out of his room, he saw Shen Xiyao waiting in the corridor with an urgent letter in her arms.

Instead of finding fault first, she immediately handed over the letter, as she had done before.

"Third Sister has been waiting in the front hall for more than half an hour since she came from Beiliang."

Lu Yuan stopped when he received the letter.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"She didn't want to disturb the main courtyard, and I noticed she looked unwell, so I waited here."

After Shen Xiyao finished speaking, she pointed to the postmark on the cover.

This letter has been delivered by several fast horses, even faster than a typical urgent official document.

Lu Yuan unpacked the package and walked around looking at it, his pace quickening.

Liang San Niang did not sit in the front hall.

Beside her lay a packed bag, and her sword had been changed to a style that allowed it to be hung on the saddle.

Lu Yuan saw the luggage and glanced at her first.

This isn't a tantrum.

She was already preparing to return to Beiliang.

"My great-uncle is in trouble."

Liang San Niang handed over another sheet of paper and pointed out the words written by He Zhang.

"He saw it with his own eyes."

After the withdrawal, Liang Qingtian sent a swift cavalryman to deliver a report back, and then rushed back to Liangdu to report.

He brought back the regulations of the border city, as well as the letter of peace written by Liang San Niang herself.

However, no one in the Northern Liang court was willing to listen to these two things.

After the thirteen cities were returned to Yong, the 100,000-strong army gained nothing and wasted its resources.

Several key generals criticized him in the main hall, saying that he had damaged the prestige of the Great Liang.

In their eyes, the amount of salt and grain they could exchange at the border market was far less glaring than the loss of the city.

Liang Qingtian unfolded the official letter bearing the imperial seal and retorted, "Since you've already promised the city, why break your promise and force the soldiers to risk their lives to take it back?"

This statement enraged the emperor of Northern Liang.

"Damn it! The official letter was written by someone else, but the old man is expected to pay the bill?"

Lu Yuan was furious.

Liang San Niang didn't speak, but reached out to press the area under the letter.

The few lines there were written very hastily.

Liang Qingtian had been working tirelessly for days, and the argument he had with someone in the palace caused him to vomit blood and faint.

When He Zhanghuai rushed over to help the old prince, the old prince was already unconscious.

The military doctor managed to stabilize the patient's condition.

The letter stated that the incident occurred three days prior.

Upon seeing this, Lu Yuan stopped cursing.

Three days.

No matter how fast the messenger runs, he can't keep up with the changes in a patient.

Liang San Niang clearly understood as well.

She didn't sleep all night, repeatedly looking at those few lines of text.

She had no idea where the man who had asked her on the battlefield if she had lost weight was now lying, or if anyone was taking care of him.

Lu Yuan continued reading.

The Southern Prince's Mansion has been sealed off, and family members are not allowed to enter or leave.

Liang Qingtian's command seal was taken away and handed over to the Privy Councilor Tuoba Lie.

New conscription edicts have been issued to all prefectures, and the Northern Liang emperor intends to regroup his army and march south to attack Yong.

He Zhanghuai tried to dissuade them in the main hall, recounting the power of the muskets he had witnessed firsthand.

Tuoba Lie did not deny that the musket was very powerful.

He believed that the new army of Dayong was too small to hold the long border, so he insisted on going to war.

He Zhanghuai offered his advice again, but was dismissed and sent outside the palace.

"We'll risk our soldiers' lives to earn them honor."

After Lu Yuan put the letter away, he looked at Liang San Niang's luggage.

Are you planning to go back alone?

"I want to see my great-uncle."

She answered quickly, then bit her lip.

She knew that if she went back alone, she would most likely not even be able to get through the gates of the Prince's mansion.

But are we just supposed to wait here for the next letter announcing the death?

Lu Yuan did not advise her to endure it.

"First, find out if the old man can be moved, then bring him over. If you crash back alone, who will save you?"

Liang San Niang grabbed his clothes.

"The Prince's residence still has family members."

"Accept them all."

Lu Yuan took the luggage into his own hands.

"I promised you that I would prepare a horse for you if you wanted to go home. The road is difficult this time, so please take a few more people with you."

Looking at him, Liang San Niang finally let her tears, which she had held back all night, flow.

Instead of wiping it away, she crumpled the copy of the conscription order into a ball.

"My uncle saved 100,000 troops for them, but they want his life."

She held the knife and raised her head.

"My husband, I don't want to pick them up this time."

"I'm determined to take the throne of Northern Liang."