Chapter 988 Big Bro-in-Law, Lower Your Head First

The carriage continued its journey, but the rhythm outside seemed to have changed.

A group of knights guarded the perimeter, but there was only one person who could silently order these loyal guards to scatter and leave their positions.

Xiong Liqing lifted the curtain and saw the man in a python robe riding a Pixiu outside the carriage.

Zheng Fan happened to turn his head at the same time, and the couple smiled at each other.

The curtain was lowered,

Zheng Fan waved, signaling the team to continue forward; there was still some distance to the command tent.

However, a beautiful figure emerged from the front of the carriage; the Princess opened her arms, the wind constantly blowing her hair. As a mother, she revealed a childish innocence.

On the contrary, the Regent, who always thought his skin was thicker than Zhennan Pass,

Was a little shy at this moment.

Although he was the one who held her hand that year, leading her up the golden steps of the Great Yan Palace to face the late Emperor and his officials, now that they were an old married couple, showing affection felt a bit… well, awkward.

But Zheng Fan didn't let his wife wait long. Without being told, the Pixiu under him increased its speed, and Zheng Fan reached out, grabbed Xiong Liqing's hand, and pulled her into his arms to ride with him.

"Whoa..."

The Princess shouted happily.

Although Zheng Fan didn't shout "Let us live a carefree life together in this mortal world," he had a smile on his face.

After a moment of joyous madness, the Princess returned to her demure little woman persona, leaning slightly against Zheng Fan's chest, looking at her husband.

"Husband is a bit darker."

"It's cold, so I basked in the sun a little longer. By the way, you must have been tired on the road."

"Not tired at all, just homesick at the thought of coming home."

"Heh."

"Right, Husband, about Lin'er…"

"Si Niang told me about it. It's not a big deal; he won't starve to death. Locking him up for a while will also help temper the violence in him."

Changing the subject,

The Prince continued,

"I feel sorry for my daughter, having to stay with that brat all the time."

"Da Niu is his older sister; it's only right that she should."

The team continued to move forward;

Xiong Liqing didn't return to the carriage, but stayed in Zheng Fan's arms the whole time.

However, when entering the military camp, Xiong Liqing instinctively wanted to get down; she knew the rules were strict in the army.

Zheng Fan reached out and held her down,

Saying:

"It's fine."

In the camp, many soldiers subconsciously put down what they were doing and looked over.

In the former territory of the Chu Kingdom,

Their Prince was riding a Pixiu, embracing the Chu Princess.

This scene

Caused a surge of emotion deep within these soldiers.

This wasn't intentional on Zheng Fan's part; he was simply too lazy to bother. After all, he was already a "god" in the Great Yan army and had long been too lazy to add more "bricks and tiles" to his image.

Unfortunately, the breeze may be unintentional, but ripples still arise.

When you've become accustomed to your identity,

Whether you take off your disguise or not, you can't change how others see you.

"Greetings, Your Highness, greetings, Your Highness Consort!"

"Greetings, Your Highness, greetings, Your Highness Consort!"

After a series of greetings,

Xiong Liqing looked at her husband with wide eyes, seeing that he simply waved casually, without the slightest hint of pride.

Her mother had once told her,

That when women choose men, before marriage, it doesn't matter whether there's love or not. Even if you hear about talent and elegance, hear about romance, it's all hearsay.

When you're really married, have children, and live your life properly,

When you look up at him,

If you don't find him repulsive, it's already a rare good match.

Entering the command tent, Xiong Liqing didn't see Si Niang and couldn't help asking,

"Where's Eldest Sister?"

"She's gone to Sansuo County. They're going to start reclamation there, and Si Niang is overseeing the overall situation."

A county that has been devastated also has its benefits. After the old system is removed, the Prince's Manor has more room to rebuild and plan. Large-scale immigration is impossible, as Jidong isn't saturated yet.

But it's still important to re-establish the production relations system before spring arrives.

From a military strategic point of view, the army here will be able to rely on local logistical support.

From a livelihood perspective, letting the people who have just changed from Chu people to "Yan people" produce and labor in an orderly manner can also reduce a lot of governance burden.

Between the countries of Zhuxia, even if there are differences in accents, they are essentially speaking the same language. The font styles may have different focuses, but it doesn't prevent everyone from understanding the meaning.

Leaving aside the Chu nobles, the common people don't really care whether it's a fire phoenix or a black dragon flying high in the sky.

"Husband, when will we go see them?" Xiong Liqing asked.

"What, are you so impatient?"

"Not really, I just hope to help Husband as soon as possible."

"Three days later, Nian Yao went to contact them early on. The Blind is with him, and they'll arrange everything properly."

Liu Dahu brought a washbasin;

Xiong Liqing washed her hands, and while squeezing the towel,

Asked Liu Dahu,

"Can I bathe in the command tent?"

Liu Dahu nodded and said, "Your Highness Consort, don't worry, this humble servant will arrange it immediately."

"Okay."

There was already a place to bathe; after all, under the premise that conditions permitted, the Prince would try his best not to compromise on his lifestyle.

Behind the command tent was another tent, where a bathtub was already prepared.

Liu Dahu led Xiong Liqing to the tent entrance and said,

"Your Highness Consort, please wait a moment. This humble servant will send someone to call your personal maid over; she'll be here soon."

The area where the command tent was located was the most heavily guarded place in the army. It was already strict for people in the army to enter and exit, and the difficulty for irrelevant people to enter and exit was naturally even greater.

"No need, don't bother. I, this Consort, am already here. What's the point of calling the maid in as well? I can do it myself."

"Yes."

Liu Dahu saluted and took his leave.

Xiong Liqing walked into the tent. Hot water had already been prepared inside, with everything from towels to soap readily available.

...

"Your Highness, tea."

"Hmm."

"This humble servant will first send out the memorials at hand. In addition, this humble servant also needs to go to the military discipline office on behalf of Your Highness."

"Understood."

"This humble servant takes his leave."

Zheng Fan was reviewing memorials while reaching out to pick up the teacup and took a sip;

Looking down,

He found that there were goji berries soaking in the cup.

At this time, Xiong Liqing walked over, and the Prince continued to review the memorials.

Xiong Liqing walked behind the chair and reached out to help massage his shoulders, her body exuding a unique fragrance after a woman's bath.

Then,

Xiong Liqing leaned down,

Pressing her face against Zheng Fan's cheek,

Saying:

"This is Chu territory."

Zheng Fan put down the pen in his hand,

Saying:

"It is."

Xiong Liqing blew into Zheng Fan's ear,

Saying:

"Little Zhengzi, why aren't you serving this Empress and taking off my shoes?"

...

After nightfall,

There were a few intermittent showers,

But it gradually cleared up at dawn.

The Jin Shuke and Li Chenghui troops of the Yan Kingdom stationed in Moya County and Wenqiu County retreated fifty li northward from their camps;

At the junction of the two forces, that is, the northern edge of Shangyang County, a small, unknown county town began to gradually become lively.

The Yan army retreated, but at the same time, an army of about three thousand people moved into the county town.

Outside the county town, ten thousand Chu imperial guards were stationed. The two sides did not probe each other, nor did any conflicts occur. Everything seemed very peaceful.

Two days later,

The Yan army withdrew from the county town, while the Chu army moved their camp south, leaving the county town empty again.

On the third day,

An elite guard army of a thousand men came and entered the county town to begin defenses;

At the same time, a thousand imperial guards were sent from the southern military camp to station in the county town;

Each side occupied half of the small county town.

At noon,

The Blind led a group of people into the selected residence to inspect it first, while the Chu side sent the chief manager of the Phoenix Nest Inner Guard to do the same thing;

The two sides crossed each other, searching and confirming that no one was hiding anything or playing tricks.

In the afternoon,

Two carriages entered the county town from the north and south gates respectively, and almost at the same time, entered the residence from the entrances of the two houses.

Zheng Fan got out of the carriage first, then reached out and helped Xiong Liqing down.

Extending from here all the way to the hall,

On one side,

Stood the elite guards, on the other side stood the Phoenix Nest Inner Guard;

The elite guards wore flying fish robes, with Embroidered Spring Blades at their waists, all blood-soaked elites;

In comparison, the Great Chu's Phoenix Nest Inner Guard, their armor was bright and shiny, and their spirit was also good, but they gave people a feeling of insufficient inner strength.

Really,

Just a feeling;

Because these Chu youths had tried their best to stick out their chests and reveal their own killing aura.

But the equality in this small residence

Could not change the complete victory and suppression of the Yan people over the Chu people in the overall situation.

However, when Xiong Liqing, who had been "away from home" for many years, saw this group of Phoenix Nest Inner Guards again, her nose instinctively felt slightly sore.

For her, only at this moment did she truly smell the scent of home.

The Chu Kingdom's Phoenix Nest Inner Guard and the Qian Kingdom's Silver Armored Guard were not all spies; they were also responsible for most of the security and safety duties of the imperial palace. Therefore, Xiong Liqing, who grew up in the imperial palace, was very familiar with them.

When the Prince and Princess appeared,

The elite guards on the right collectively raised their scabbards to their chests, took a step forward, their movements unified and consistent.

The Phoenix Nest Inner Guards standing opposite blinked their eyes, not knowing what to do.

They wanted to do something in unison, but they hadn't prepared anything.

It could only be said that the Jidong Prince's Mansion had already been at the forefront of the entire Zhuxia in this regard.

And it was no exaggeration to say that

When the Regent of Great Yan cast his gaze on them, these Phoenix Nest Inner Guards felt a huge pressure.

It wasn't that the Prince had nothing to do and deliberately exuded some "kingly" aura here,

It was purely that he was tired of looking at his own soldiers and couldn't help but try something new, so he took a few more glances.

Then,

The Prince turned to look at Xiong Liqing, opening his arms.

Xiong Liqing smiled slightly. She was a little surprised, but not resistant, and took the initiative to reach out and take her man's arm.

The two walked towards the front hall together;

In the other direction, the Chu Emperor was also walking, and he was also supporting someone, not his Empress, but the Great Chu's Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager had a smile on her face,

She had always been a very wise woman, at least in the palace environment, she didn't compete or grab, but she had been quietly paving the way for her son.

To a certain extent, half of the credit for her son's successful victory in the struggle for the throne came from her personal connections.

Xiong Tingshan was her adopted son, the Shi family had also received her favor, the Qu family had a concubine in the palace who had been barren and unpopular, and she had been protecting her from being bullied by the snobbish palace.

Piece by piece, she had already done too much.

In her old age,

She was even more understanding.

National war, national war, the Chu Kingdom had lost twice, but what could she do?

She couldn't possibly, as an old woman, pick up a knife and go to the front line to kill, could she?

In any case, this Great Chu, this land, all belonged to his Xiong family, and had nothing to do with her, so let them waste it all.

At her age, what she cherished more was the happiness of having her children around her, and this was not an act.

Before the main characters came in,

The Blind stood in the hall, facing Xie Yu'an.

The two didn't exchange anything,

The Blind reached into his sleeve and took out two oranges, throwing one to Xie Yu'an.

Xie Yu'an reached out to catch it, and smelled the orange in front of his nose.

However, neither of them peeled it.

After confirming with their "eyes," neither of them liked to eat oranges;

Since no one would eat it if it was peeled, there was no point in peeling it.

Finally,

The main characters came in.

When Xiong Liqing saw the Empress Dowager, she immediately shouted,

"Mother."

"My child!"

Xiong Liqing rushed into the Empress Dowager's arms, and the Empress Dowager patted her head.

One acting as a husband and the other as an older brother, their eyes met, then they sat down facing each other.

Neither of them spoke,

Letting the mother and daughter talk first;

At first, the mother and daughter were indeed excited to see each other.

But they were both women who came from the deep palace, their levels were very high, and they knew how to restrain their emotions. After the initial sincere expression, the subsequent constant chatter about family matters was actually deliberate.

At this time, they all wanted to warm up the atmosphere to create a better setting for the two men's conversation that followed.

After a long time,

The mother and daughter took each other's hands and sat down on the other side.

The Empress Dowager stroked Xiong Liqing's hand,

Glared at her Emperor son,

Scolding:

"Fortunately, this girl had her own ideas and didn't follow your lead. Look, the man she found herself is so good."

Saying this,

The Empress Dowager turned her gaze to Zheng Fan,

Saying:

"I wasn't at ease before, but now that I see this girl in front of me, I understand that she's living a comfortable life."

There were too many women coming and going in the palace. The Empress Dowager could tell at a glance whether their lives were going smoothly.

Zheng Fan didn't stand up, but he leaned forward slightly,

Saying:

"It's what I should do."

"Mother, our Jidong Prince's Mansion is very quiet. If you're willing, come and live with me for a while. Your daughter's home is also your home, isn't it?"

Hearing this,

The Empress Dowager glanced at Zheng Fan again,

Saying:

"Oh, where in the common world is there a son still living in his daughter's home?"

"But don't people in the common world also visit relatives? Besides, I don't have any parents-in-law, so why so many rules? Da Niu has also been clamoring to see her grandmother."

"Oh, yes, why didn't you bring Da Niu with you? I really want to see my precious granddaughter."

Of course, Xiong Liqing couldn't directly say that your granddaughter is currently setting up a tent at home to "visit prison."

She just smiled and said:

"Mother doesn't know, our Prince cherishes this daughter of ours more than anything else. He's afraid of dropping her if he holds her in his hands, and afraid of her melting if he keeps her in his mouth. How dare he let her come to the front line."

"Ah, yes."

Xiong Liqing looked at her Imperial Brother and said, "Imperial Brother, will you let Mother come and live with me for a while?"

Somewhat surprisingly,

The Chu Emperor actually nodded directly and said, "Okay, it's good for Mother to relax."

"Mother, look, Imperial Brother has agreed."

"I'm telling you, your mother has saved a lot of private possessions that I'm reluctant to give even to your Empress sister-in-law, just thinking about giving them to my granddaughter. You're not allowed to fight with her."

"Your heart is really biased. What, you're not relying on Imperial Brother and me to take care of you in your old age, but on her?"

"Why can't I? Da Niu said in her letter that she's practicing swordsmanship and will take me to fly in the sky on a sword in the future."

"She's just talking nonsense."

"How is it nonsense? My granddaughter is a spiritual child, a genius."

The Empress Dowager sighed, covering her chest with her other hand, saying:

"You say, it's clearly a family, and in the common world, with our relationship, if anything happens to one family, the other family will definitely send someone.

Why are we fighting?"

Zheng Fan didn't speak, but silently took a cup of tea from the Blind.

Xie Yu'an also offered a cup of tea to the Chu Emperor;

The two men silently drank tea.

The Empress Dowager continued:

"When family members get along, it's inevitable that there will be a few problems, that's very normal. Which family with a large population doesn't encounter such things?

But in the end,

Relatives are relatives,

A family is a family;

Doesn't the next generation also have the blood of both families flowing in them?

Not to say that breaking the bones still connects to the tendons, at least, if the meat rots, it must fall into the same pot. It doesn't make sense for family members to fight to the death, and let outsiders take advantage. That's a real loss.

You say, is that the right thing to do?"

Zheng Fan put down the teacup,

Placing his hands on the armrests of the chair,

Speaking:

"Bro-in-law, let's not talk like strangers."

The Chu Emperor also put down the teacup, nodding slightly:

"It should be so."

The Blind and Xie Yu'an consciously straightened their bodies slightly at this time.

"Then you should lower your head first."

"Lower my head to whom?"

"Me."