Three Kingdoms: Start by buying a governor.

"So that's how it is..." Da Qiao breathed a sigh of relief, the huge weight in her heart finally lifted.

It turns out that it wasn't that her husband didn't like them, but that he felt sorry for them because they were so young.

Xiao Qiao also peeked out from Da Qiao's embrace, blushed, scratched her head, and smiled shyly:

"It turns out we misunderstood. We thought...we thought our husbands didn't like us. Just now...just now was so embarrassing."

"Silly girl, how could you not like it?"

Zhen Jiang smiled and ruffled Xiao Qiao's hair, a gesture as affectionate as if she were talking to her own younger sister.

"You two are so beautiful, one gentle and the other lively, like fairies who stepped out of a painting. Your husband is overjoyed. But he's always been thoughtful and wants to pamper you both, not wanting you to suffer any hardship too early. Haven't you noticed how he looks at you the same way he looks at us, full of doting affection?"

As they spoke, everyone looked at He Lian and said with a smile, "If we're talking about who understands her husband best, it has to be Sister He Lian. If you have any questions, let Sister He Lian tell you all about them."

The two sisters also turned to look at He Lian, their eyes full of curiosity.

He Lian smiled, picked up her teacup, took a sip, and slowly said, "Actually, my husband did this not only because he cares about your young age and that your bodies haven't fully developed yet, and that having sex too early is bad for your health; more importantly, he wants you to have a couple more years of carefree life."

She put down her teacup, looked at the two sisters, and said with the sigh of someone who had been through it all: "Think about it, in this chaotic world, how many girls your age have already been displaced and sold from one place to another, unable to even get a full meal, let alone study, learn to read, or have fun."

"Your husband allows you to live in the palace, where everything is done for you, without having to worry about anything or care about anyone's feelings. You can play peacefully for two years. This is already the greatest blessing in the world."

She paused, a gentle smile on her face, and continued:

"When you're two years older, you'll understand more and know what true feelings are. Then you won't feel wronged when you do these things, and you'll be able to truly appreciate their value."

"When I got together with my husband, I was already in my twenties and knew everything. He has always been very gentle and considerate to me... Don't worry, my husband is the best man in the world. When you grow up, he will definitely love you very much."

After listening, Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao nodded repeatedly, and the last bit of doubt and unease in their hearts completely disappeared.

It turns out that her husband didn't dislike them; rather, he reserved his deepest tenderness and longest patience for them as they grew up.

The two sisters looked at each other and saw sweet anticipation in each other's eyes.

It's only two years; they can wait that long.

Two years later, they were only eighteen years old, the prime of their lives.

Just then, Cai Yan suddenly cleared her throat and smiled mysteriously at the two of them:

"By the way, you two, starting today, you need to work out more and improve your stamina."

"Huh? Why?" The two sisters looked at them blankly and asked in unison.

The group exchanged glances, all revealing meaningful smiles, their eyes crinkling with laughter, but none of them spoke directly.

Zhang Ning raised an eyebrow and smiled, saying, "Don't ask so many questions. You'll definitely need it in the future anyway. You'll understand when you grow up."

"That's right, that's right," He Lian nodded, suppressing a laugh. "Running more and exercising more can't hurt. You'll see later that your older sisters are doing this for your own good."

The two sisters looked at each other, still completely confused. But seeing their older sisters' mysterious expressions, they were too embarrassed to ask any more questions and could only nod blankly.

Da Qiao wondered to herself: Why are the sisters laughing so strangely? Strengthening their stamina... does that mean they'll be doing heavy work in the future? But the Prince's mansion has everything; why would they need to do any work?

Xiao Qiao was also thinking: Running? I hate running the most... But since my sisters all say so, then I'll run.

Looking at their bewildered expressions, Cai Yan couldn't help but laugh again, thinking to herself: You'll understand later. With my stamina, if I don't train, the two of you combined won't be able to keep up.

Then Xiao Qiao muttered under her breath, "So, I'll have to run three laps around my yard every morning from now on?"

Zhang Ning laughed heartily, "Three laps aren't enough, at least five!"

Xiao Qiao shrank her neck, thinking: Five laps it is, the yard isn't that big anyway...

...

A week later.

Life in the backyard of the Prince of Yan's mansion in Luoyang remained leisurely.

The ladies were either taking care of their pregnancies or tending to their flowers, while Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao spent their days walking, jogging, and doing exercises in the courtyard, following their sisters' instructions to "strengthen their physical strength."

At first, she would be out of breath after running just two laps, but after a week, she could run four laps. Xiao Qiao proudly told Da Qiao, "Sister, I feel like I've gotten stronger!"

Da Qiao smiled and nodded, "Yes, I also feel my legs are stronger."

The two had absolutely no idea what the purpose of this "strengthening physical strength" was.

a few days later.

In the backyard of the Prince of Yan's Mansion in Luoyang, the sun was shining brightly, warm and inviting, making one feel drowsy.

Cai Yan sat by the window, holding a book in her hands, but her gaze drifted toward Liu Ce, who was practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard.

He didn't turn a single page for a long time, clearly his mind wasn't on the book at all.

Today, Liu Ce was dressed in a black outfit, his black hair was tied up with a jade hairpin, and a black belt was tied around his waist, which made him look as tall and straight as a pine tree.

He wielded a long sword, wielding it with impressive skill in the courtyard. The sword flashed like a bolt of lightning, gleaming coldly in the sunlight. Every move he made carried a fierce aura, yet also exuded a sense of composure and ease.

After a few moves, he sheathed his sword and stood still, his breathing steady, his face neither flushed nor out of breath, showing no signs of having just practiced swordsmanship.

He casually put the sword back in its rack, took the handkerchief handed to him by the maid and wiped his hands. He looked up and met Cai Yan's gaze, and smiled at her.

His smile was gentle and composed, without a trace of the sharpness he displayed in the imperial court.

Cai Yan smiled back at him, but her mind was elsewhere.

Since unifying the country, Liu Ce's life has become unusually regular: he would get up in the morning to handle government affairs for an hour, and in the afternoon he would either go outside the city to inspect farmland and water conservancy, or chat with Li Jing, Fang Xuanling and others about state affairs. In the evening, he would come back and take a walk and talk with them, and then go back to his study to sleep.

It wasn't that Liu Ce was indifferent, but rather that all the ladies were pregnant.

The sixteen wives each had a huge belly, and they had to hold their backs to walk.

Liu Ce felt sorry for them and never touched them again after they became pregnant.