The girl blushed

With the expedition fast approaching, Gao Yuan seized every moment to enjoy the peaceful time with his women.

Mu Qing found an excuse to spend every day in the backyard of the government office, which had been renamed the Military Governor's Residence.

Mu Sheng understood his daughter's intentions; he smiled helplessly and let things take their course.

For dinner, Gao Yuan cooked personally, stir-frying five or six dishes and buying a free-range chicken to make a pot of mushroom steam-pot chicken.

The five of them sat together, and Gao Yuan raised a glass of chilled fruit wine.

"Come, everyone raise your glasses to wish me success in this expedition."

The four women revealed helpless smiles and raised their glasses.

"Wishing Husband a safe return."

After downing the drink, Gao Yuan lifted the lid of the steam pot and attentively served everyone a bowl of chicken soup.

"Come, come, hurry and taste it. This is a free-range chicken I specifically bought today; it's incredibly fresh!"

The warm family dinner began with a bowl of steaming hot chicken soup, and the atmosphere quickly became harmonious.

Perhaps because she had drunk too much, or perhaps because she had intended to do so from the start, Mu Qing pulled on Zhao Xiyao's hand with a flushed, pretty face.

"Zhao Xiyaos informal address, I... I want to go with him. That way, I can not only protect him but also take care of his daily life."

The three women looked at the stubborn girl with amusement, revealing ambiguous smiles.

At this, the girl's face turned even redder.

"I, I, I... I just saw how worried you were and wanted to help you."

Zhao Xiyao nodded, then shook her head.

"No need to explain, I understand!"

She then couldn't help but roll her eyes at Gao Yuan and reached out to pick up some food for Mu Qing with her chopsticks.

"If you want to go, then go, but make sure to stay safe."

"Wait, Zhao Xiyaos informal address, if I take a girl on a military campaign and word gets out..."

"Qingqing is my commander of the guards, a legitimate sixth-rank military official appointed by the imperial court. Is there a problem?"

"But this military position and the ones in the army..."

"Then I will issue an order tomorrow to appoint Mu Qing as the army supervisor."

"Alright, alright, fine, I'll take her, is that okay?"

Gao Yuan retreated in defeat; this girl was truly adept at using the 'one rank higher crushes the subordinate' logic to her advantage.

Having gotten what she wanted, Mu Qing was beaming, and for the next few days, she didn't linger at the Military Governor's Residence.

Time quickly reached the end of August. The autumn harvest was imminent, and after it concluded, the main army would set out.

Over this past month or so, Gao Yuan had not been idle; he had recruited two thousand new soldiers and trained them day and night.

Whether out of concern for the lack of troops after the expedition or considering the need for garrison forces after taking new territory, recruiting new soldiers in advance was a prudent precaution.

In September, the autumn air was crisp, and the weather in the Southwest was no longer so stiflingly hot.

The rice was gradually ripening, and the annual autumn harvest had begun.

Places like East Pass, Coastal Defense, and Guangning were already harvesting their second crop.

Although rice harvested three times a year didn't taste as sweet as rice harvested once a year, it could still fill one's stomach, right?

The harvest brought abundance to the storehouses—not just grain, but also various dried mushrooms and dried fish.

If one were to ask which army in the Southwest region had the strongest combat power, there might not be a definitive answer.

But if it were about who ate the best, it would undoubtedly be the Nanzhou Army.

For other armies, being able to eat their fill of grain every day was considered decent, but the Nanzhou Army had mushroom and salted fish soup to go with their meals every day.

With both meat and vegetables, balanced nutrition, and delicious flavor, it was no wonder the soldiers of the Nanzhou Army were all strong and sturdy.

They were departing tomorrow, and that night, Zhao Xiyao dragged Gao Yuan to her own courtyard.

Dismissing her attendants, the Husband and wife snuggled together.

"Husband, did you ever resent me back then?"

Gao Yuan shook his head resolutely.

"Never. Back then, I was indeed too incompetent; it was normal that you didn't like me."

The girl leaned into his arms, her delicate, jade-like finger drawing circles on his chest.

"Husband, we... we have never consummated our marriage. Why don't we... today..."

Gao Yuan had long been looking forward to this day. The greatest beauty of the Great Qian! Being able to see her but not touch her—who wouldn't find that agonizing?

"Zhao Xiyaos informal address, you don't have to, just because I have to leave tomorrow..."

A jade-like hand covered his mouth, and the girl raised her head, looking at him with a pair of captivating, beautiful eyes.

"Imperial Son-in-law, Husband, Husband, believe it or not, right now, you are the most important person in my heart; as important as my mother, even more important than myself."

The girl's cheeks grew redder as she spoke, and watching her made Gao Yuan's heart flutter.

At that moment, a thought popped into his mind: A young girl's blush is worth more than a long confession.

"Zhao Xiyaos informal address, then... let's rest..."

The girl's head was almost buried in her chest, and she responded in a muffled voice.

"Mm!"

Like a soldier hearing the charge bugle, Gao Yuan scooped the girl up in his arms and walked toward the bed.

...

In the end, the girl had overestimated her own endurance. Despite her delicate and weak appearance, her heart had never been inferior to anyone else's.

The physical pain nearly made the girl unable to hold on, yet she stubbornly refused to end it.

At that moment, her strong competitive spirit overcame everything; she wrapped her arms around Gao Yuan's neck and said stubbornly,

"They... they can do it, so I must be able to as well."

Seeing the girl on the verge of tears yet full of stubbornness, Gao Yuan couldn't help but kiss her and speak softly.

"Relax, don't be nervous."

After all, he had watched countless films in his past life, plus the experience of eating two plates of dumplings in this life.

Gao Yuan pulled out all the stops, and finally, he and Zhao Xiyao completed this rather unpleasant learning session.

As the clouds cleared and the rain ceased, the girl leaned in her Husband's arms, enjoying the rare tenderness.

"It was completely different from what I thought. I clearly saw both of them very happy."

Gao Yuan scratched his cheek, organizing his words slightly.

"This... that... the first time is like this. It will be better in the future."

"Then we should do it more..."

The girl's voice grew softer and softer, finally sounding like a mosquito's hum. Suddenly, she seemed to think of something else.

"Husband, after you return from this expedition, take Qingqing as your concubine."

"This... this wouldn't be appropriate, would it?"

Gao Yuan pretended to be in a difficult position, though in his heart, he was already overjoyed.

The girl angrily thumped his chest and coquettishly said,

"You can barely stop yourself from smiling, and you're still pretending!"

The girl tried her best to put on an angry look, but unfortunately, her voice was still like a sheep's—soft and lacking any deterrent power.

Gao Yuan imagined his wife wearing majestic dragon robes, standing in a solemn, dignified palace hall, and saying in a delicate voice,

"All ministers, rise."

The contrast made Gao Yuan laugh out loud, and now the girl was unhappy.

"Look, look, have you long had improper intentions toward Qingqing?"

The girl tried to struggle out of the scumbag's arms, but the physical discomfort made her knit her delicate brows.

"Alright, alright, I was just thinking of something else."

Gao Yuan hurriedly began to comfort the girl with concern.

"As for the matter of Mu Qing, it's not something you or I can decide alone. We'll have to ask for Mu Sheng's opinion later."

"Mu Sheng? He would definitely be eager. I suspect that as long as you express even a hint of interest, he would be beating drums and gongs to send Qingqing to your room."

"It wouldn't go that far, would it!"

"You have more and more capable people under your command; Mu Sheng must feel a sense of crisis. And you are destined to become a marquis and prime minister in the future. If he becomes your father-in-law, would he still worry about his own and his family's future?"

"What's the point of becoming a marquis or prime minister? Compared to that, I would rather you, Zhao Xiyaos informal address, become the first female Prince of Great Qian, and I will just be the pretty boy behind you living a life of leisure."

The girl actually thought about it seriously and finally nodded earnestly.

"That's not impossible. Once we unify the Southwest, I will submit a memorial asking my Royal Brother to grant me a princely title."

"I suspect The Emperor will go crazy."

"Hmph, if he dares not to grant it, I'll have the army attack him."

The little girl was making progress, which gave Gao Yuan a bit more confidence in his plan to raise a female emperor.