He shifted his body slightly, careful not to wake the sleeping woman.

However, as soon as he got out of bed, Jiu Hua woke up.

"General, let me help you change your clothes."

"I can do it myself. His Majesty has granted me permission not to attend court today. You can sleep a little longer." Li Ye wanted to dress as quickly as usual, but he hissed and was quickly proven wrong.

"This back injury really hurts!" he cursed.

Jiu Hua said gently, "General, you don't have to be so strong in everything. It's okay for a man to be a little weak sometimes."

Upon hearing this, Li Ye smiled helplessly and had no choice but to turn around and let Jiu Hua help him change his clothes.

Jiu Hua's fingers moved nimbly, gently loosening his belt and carefully avoiding the wound on his back. A hint of concern appeared in her eyes as she softly said, "General, your injury pains me to see."

Li Ye felt a warmth in his heart; this sudden tenderness made him feel somewhat uneasy.

He cleared his throat and said, trying to sound calm, "It's just a minor injury, nothing serious."

Jiu Hua said nothing more, but silently helped him get dressed. Once everything was finished, she gave a slight curtsy and said, "General, I will go and prepare breakfast for you."

Li Ye nodded and watched Jiu Hua leave.

He walked to the window, opened it, and the morning breeze brushed against his face, carrying a slight chill.

He took a deep breath, savoring the rare tranquility.

After having breakfast, Li Ye sat in his study, flipping through a military treatise.

With the new emperor's ascension to the throne, one wonders what plans the Great Xuan, a neighboring state bordering Yunchao, is making. The border defenses must be fortified; we cannot afford to be complacent.

At this moment, Jiu Hua walked in carrying a cup of hot tea and said softly, "General, please have some tea."

Li Ye looked up and saw Jiu Hua's gentle smile, a warm feeling welling up in his heart. He took the teacup, took a small sip, and said, "Thank you."

Seeing that he had finished his tea, Jiu Hua hesitated before speaking her mind, "General, I would like to visit Miss Song with my three younger sisters today. I wonder if you—"

"Approved, approved. Go quickly!" Li Ye said, then suddenly felt like he was shooing someone away, so he added, "Go early and come back early!"

"Alright! Thank you, General!" Jiu Hua happily turned around and left with small steps to inform Qing Tang and the others.

In less than half an hour, the four of them left happily but returned disappointed.

“Miss Song only recognizes the General, not us four sisters.” Xi Wu sighed. “Sister Jiu Hua, we need to discuss this matter more carefully. The General’s Mansion has never had a mistress, and Sister Jiu Hua is the eldest among us. Why don’t you take charge of the household affairs for now, and we can hand over the well-managed General’s Mansion to her after the mistress enters the mansion?”

Li Ye overheard the four's plan from behind and clapped with satisfaction.

He thought to himself, "The girls from the palace are indeed sensible. With that in mind, I don't need to worry about unrest in my own household."

Upon hearing the applause, Jiu Hua and the others quickly turned around and greeted Li Ye, saying, "Greetings, General."

Li Ye nodded and explained the details of the affairs of the mansion to the four people. He then drove to the palace feeling relaxed.