Seeing Leng Nuo's hesitant expression, Su Muqing understood. She put down her chopsticks, a meaningful smile on her face, and looked at Leng Shizhui, who was blushing, and asked persistently.
"Do you really want me to return to Yaojing and then come back to spend more time with the Prince? Or do you want me to bring another person back with me from Yaojing so you can alleviate your longing? These are two entirely different matters. You need to express your thoughts clearly, otherwise, I won't understand what you mean..." Su Muqing's eyes sparkled with amusement. She exchanged a glance with Huo Qiyuan, and then they both looked at the flustered Leng Shi.
Leng Shi truly hadn't expected that his inner thoughts would be seen through so quickly before he even said anything. He scratched his head; his already red face turned even redder, like Guan Yu.
Su Muqing's gaze was teasing enough, and the other brothers in the Leng Squad were staring at him with gossip. Seeing that he couldn't escape, Leng Nuo said awkwardly.
"Heh heh... heh heh, if, I'm just saying if, His Majesty feels bored traveling alone, you could also bring Miss Rongrong along. That way, you'd have someone to chat with on the road, and you wouldn't be so bored, right? Plus, we haven't seen each other for so long, it would be good to catch up..."
"Oh~"
"Oh~"
After Leng Nuo finished speaking, Su Muqing and the others in the Leng Squad chimed in, their gossiping expressions synchronized to the point of being unbearable to look at.
This brat, though not yet twenty years old, the youngest among their brothers, was also the most impatient.
In fact, it wasn't Leng Nuo's fault for being anxious. He saw that his older brothers were all approaching thirty, but apart from Leng Kui, who was married and about to have a child, the others were all still bachelors. He was an orphan, and the elder brothers had taken good care of him after he joined the Leng Squad, so Leng Shi envied Third Brother Leng for having his own family.
When Huo Qiyuan was still the young heir of the King of Bing Jian Mansion, he was solely focused on his career and serving the imperial grace, not valuing personal relationships. Coupled with the previous disputes among the princesses because of him, his interest in marriage and children further waned.
Since the master didn't prioritize these matters, let alone Leng Ren and the others who had always followed him closely. Therefore, although they were all talented young men, they were in their twenties and nearing thirty but had not yet married and had children.
However, all of this began to change after they met Su Muqing. First, Leng Kui got married, and now there was Leng Nuo's indirect mention.
Su Muqing had interacted with them for several years. Although her status had changed, in her heart, she truly considered Leng Ren and the others as her own people. Therefore, she also looked forward to seeing them all find their own happiness.
"You brat, we are marching into battle, not sightseeing. Miss Rong is no longer the ordinary farm girl she used to be; she is now a first-rank female official by the Empress's side. Instead of letting her reminisce with you on the battlefield, it would be better for you to perform well and achieve great merits. When the army returns to the capital, let His Majesty bestow marriage upon you. Then you can marry her with great fanfare, won't that be better?"
After everyone had finished their teasing, Leng Ren lightly punched Leng Nuo as if joking, reprimanding him for making such a request.
Although Su Muqing was very familiar with them, and they had faced life and death together, it was not an exaggeration to say they had a life-and-death bond. However, she was now the Emperor, and every word and action was observed by her subjects. It was truly inappropriate to trouble her with such trivial matters.
Leng Nuo was stunned for a moment. When Su Muqing ascended the throne, they were already on campaign. Therefore, in Leng Nuo's heart, this girl before him was still the same little girl who used to playfully interact with them without any distinction.
Especially since Su Muqing's way of interacting with them hadn't changed at all since she arrived, Leng Nuo naturally overlooked the fact that the little girl before him was now the ruler of a nation.
Leng Nuo finally came back to his senses. He put down his chopsticks and knelt before Su Muqing on one knee to confess his crime. "Your subordinate admits his guilt. Please forgive me this once, Your Majesty. I will never dare to do it again!"
"Why has the atmosphere suddenly become so serious? There are no outsiders here. Old Ten, please get up! Actually, we've known about you and Rongrong for a long time, but since neither of you has explicitly indicated it, I couldn't directly make decisions for you, which is why I haven't mentioned it. However, marriage is ultimately a matter between two people. Regardless, you must ask Rongrong's wishes personally." Su Muqing personally helped Leng Nuo up, without any trace of displeasure on her face.
She truly didn't care about the attitude of the people in the Leng Squad towards her. In fact, Su Muqing preferred the way they used to interact.
They would eat, drink, have fun, mingle, and be as close as family, without any distinction. It was better than now, where deep-rooted class consciousness stood between them. Not only had their attitudes changed, but even the smiles on their faces were not as bright as before.
Hearing that Su Muqing was going to help him find a match, Leng Nuo beamed, as happy as a fool. "Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, Your Majesty, for fulfilling my wish! Your subordinate promises to treat Rongrong well in the future."
"Your promises to me are useless. You should tell Rongrong these words yourself when you return triumphantly. I will prepare a generous dowry for her then, so she can marry you gloriously."
With another good match made, everyone's mood was exceptionally good. Seeing Su Muqing's usual friendly demeanor, the people in the Leng Squad no longer felt constrained. They ate hot pot and chatted boisterously, just like before, enjoying themselves immensely!
After finishing lunch, Su Muqing accompanied Huo Qiyuan to inspect several selected locations in the prefectural city, and also to walk and digest their food, as they had eaten a bit too much.
Sian Prefecture now belonged to Huaxia territory. After a long period of drought, it had become a ghost city. However, its geographical location was so good, and it was too much of a waste to let it remain desolate. It had to be rebuilt to be even better than before.
Therefore, since the virus was brought under control, they had started looking for suitable locations nearby, planning to open several factories near the prefectural city to provide job opportunities for the local people.
If it weren't for Su Cuiping's impending due date, and Leng Kui's eagerness to rush back, Su Muqing would have stayed here until the people assigned from Yaojing Imperial City arrived before leaving.
However, it wasn't just Leng Kui who was worried. Was Su Muqing herself not worried? Although Yaojing City had established a medical college and a gynecology class, their experience was still too shallow, and they could not guarantee foolproofness.