Zhao Xiheng was taken aback, but Wei Li pretended not to see her.

She was thinking to herself, something's not right. Based on her understanding of Wei Li, if he were really angry, he would have come and choked her this morning, and might even have killed her and the cat together. But why is he so indifferent now? Is he angry or not?

Or perhaps reading makes one more virtuous. Wei Li studied diligently for a few days and has already learned to hide his emotions.

The calmer Wei Li remained, the more apprehensive Zhao Xiheng felt.

She never imagined that Wei Li was hurt or wronged by her actions.

After all, even Wei Li himself wouldn't admit that he had such feelings.

"My lord?" Zhao Xiheng called to him.

Wei Li ignored everyone, took out a roll of clothes from the wardrobe, stuffed it into a bundle, and turned to leave.

Zhao Xiheng: "!!!"

Could it be that Wei Li was so angry with her that he ran away from home?

She didn't care how cold it was outside the blankets, and quickly ran downstairs. Without even putting on her shoes, she grabbed Wei Li's sleeve and said, "Princess, I was wrong. I apologize. Please don't be angry anymore, okay?"

She truly realized her mistake and felt so guilty that she couldn't sleep all night.

Zhao Xiheng, who usually seemed carefree, had never felt this bad before.

The ground was icy cold, making her interdigital toes sting. Zhao Xiheng couldn't help but clench her toes, but she still didn't let go. She was afraid that if she let go, Wei Li, that stubborn guy, would run away without listening to her.

She would feel terrible if someone really got so angry that they left.

This is Wei Li's home. How can she drive everyone away and then live comfortably here? Besides, what happened last night was really her fault.

Wei Li remained silent, pulling his sleeve from Zhao Xiheng's hand and continuing to walk with a cold face. Zhao Xiheng relentlessly followed, this time grasping his wrist. "My lord, I was really wrong. Please forgive me. I promise it won't happen again."

She lowered her voice, softly, using the same tone she used when she made a mistake as a child to whine to Zhao Xinglie; it never failed her.

"Does your hand still hurt? Have you put on any medicine?" Zhao Xiheng took his hand. Wei Li's pale hand was covered with brown scars and frostbite. The cat scratches on the back of his hand didn't seem so serious anymore. In short, it looked very ugly.

Zhao Xiheng looked at it, and suddenly couldn't speak. She felt a tightness in her chest, a sense of unease.

It seems like he didn't have so many injuries when I saw his hands a few days ago, or maybe I didn't look at them carefully last time.

She thought of her father, who always returned from the battlefield covered in scars, but Wei Li's scars were even more severe.

Although Wei Li was a bit of a jerk, he never complained of pain, was oblivious to heat or cold, and didn't even tell her when the cat scratched him. It was quite distressing to see him like that, and Zhao Xiheng's eyes welled up with tears.

We're all human, everyone feels pain, how could he not feel pain?

"Let me put some medicine on your paws. They're not clean, and they'll easily get infected later," Zhao Xiheng said earnestly, holding his hand.

When Wei Li noticed her staring at his hands, his gaze darkened, and he quickly pulled his hand back behind his back. His hands were ugly; sometimes he didn't even want to look at them. How could Zhao Xiheng, a delicate young woman, not feel frightened and disgusted by them? It was truly remarkable that she could endure that disgust and talk to him for so long.

He smirked, a hint of disdain in his eyes, "Have you seen enough? What did you do wrong?"

Just as Zhao Xiheng was about to speak, Wei Li grabbed the end of her hair, making her face him. "You are a princess, how could you be wrong? It's all my fault."

Having said that, he ignored Zhao Xiheng's explanation and left.

Does Zhao Xiheng really think he's made of dough? That she can coax him with just a few words? He's not her father or her mother, he doesn't love her, he even hates her. How could he be so easily persuaded by her in just a few words?

Besides, her apology might not be sincere. She never really cared about him; she was just apologizing to appease him for fear of upsetting him and making things difficult for him in the future. She pretended that he knew nothing.

The more Wei Li thought about it, the more irritable and restless he became. Remembering the inexplicable sour feeling he had in the study last night, he slapped himself hard.

He cursed inwardly, "Wei Li, how despicable are you? What was the point of kidnapping Zhao Xiheng in the first place?"

Isn't it just to quell years of resentment?

What are you doing now? Zhao Xiheng eats well, sleeps well, and still gets angry at you for no reason. Are you despicable for indulging her like this?

You should yell at her, hit her, and torment her. She upset you, so why are you leaving? She's the one who should leave!

Although he thought this, he didn't stop walking and never turned back. He figured he'd just ignore Zhao Xiheng for a while; once she felt neglected while he was away, she'd know to behave properly and wouldn't dare yell at him again!

Zhao Xiheng's feet were freezing cold, so she quickly jumped onto the heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed), squatted by the window, and watched Wei Li's shadow disappear behind the window paper, feeling slightly disappointed.

Wei Li was genuinely angry. In the past, there were always clues to why he was angry, but now he was so cold and distant.

She touched her neck, wondering why Wei Li wasn't choking her anymore when he was angry.

Early in the morning, Gou Dan'er got hungry and ran over to Zhao Xiheng like a cat that had nothing to do, begging for food.

When Zhao Xiheng saw it, she was reminded of the scars on Wei Li's hand, three deep marks revealing pink flesh.

She angrily threw the cat down, saying, "You're not eating! You scratched me and you still have the nerve to ask me for food?"

Dog Egg circled around below, but Zhao Xiheng still picked it up, then took a small pair of scissors and carefully trimmed its nails.

She kept her head down, muttering as she cut, "Don't scratch people anymore. Look how much it hurts your dad. He's angry and won't let me put medicine on him. I wonder if it will leave a scar."

Zhao Xiheng was angry at Gou Dan, but she was even angrier at herself.

She's such an idiot. Dog Egg doesn't scratch her. Every time it bares its teeth and claws, it's just to scare her. She actually thought that this little guy could only scare people. In reality, this little thing is wild and untamed. When it scratches someone, she doesn't apologize immediately. She even complains that Wei Li threw her cat away.

She did something wrong; she couldn't appease him, and now he's even driven away in anger.

Seeing Wei Li take so many clothes away, I wonder when he'll be back.

Although she used to wish Wei Li would never come back, so that the whole courtyard would be hers and no one would have to compete with her for the warm kang bed, Zhao Xiheng felt guilty because Wei Li had really left. She was still angry.

Just a few nights ago, Wei Li had promised to play cards with her.

After inspecting the southern camp, Wei Li, still angry with Zhao Xiheng, led his men to the eastern camp in a fit of rage.

Dongying is located on the coast, facing Japan across the sea.

When the sea freezes over in winter, it becomes difficult for ships to travel, and even if the Japanese wanted to cross the sea, it would be difficult. It was relatively safe, and there was actually no need for patrols.

It took two days to travel from Buxian to Dongying. When Wei Li arrived, General Song came to greet him and arranged a camp for him.

"I have heard that Wang Zhiyao and Liu Huan have recently been at odds, causing great unrest in Huashang. He wants to use the two prefectures as a bargaining chip to ask my lord to go and mediate. Why has my lord not agreed?"

General Song was a scholar-general with a meticulous mind and was well-versed in military strategy and tactics. He had thought about this matter many times. It was profitable and highly lucrative. He could easily take over the two counties of Ji Province. Why not do it?

I've heard that Wei Li has recently gained great fame in the Southern Camp, and he seems to have a lot of support. If he were to take the two counties of Ji Province, his reputation would rise even higher.

Wei Li was already in a bad mood, and listening to General Song's drawn-out rambling only made him more irritated. He put his two crescent-shaped swords on the table and looked at him coldly, "Are you done talking?"

General Song touched the tip of his nose and withdrew. "My lord must be exhausted from traveling these past few days. I will discuss this with you another day."

Wei Li's clothes were covered in thick dust, and he hadn't changed them since the night of the 30th. He untied the package he had brought, and a heavy purse fell out.

The purse was a plain beige color, without any embroidery, but the material was very delicate. It looked simple yet expensive. He didn't own such a thing, and the maids in the mansion couldn't afford it either. It most likely belonged to Zhao Xiheng.

The mere thought of Zhao Xiheng caused him a burning pain in his heart. Naturally, Wei Li didn't want to look at her things, so he casually tossed them onto the table with a thud.

That evening, General Song sent a young soldier.

"My lord, General Song has prepared a banquet in the camp to welcome you and wash away the dust of your journey."

"Hmm." Wei Li stayed in the tent for half a day, from noon to night, but he couldn't fall asleep no matter what. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Zhao Xiheng holding his hand yesterday morning and saying, "My lord, let me apply some medicine for you."

Wei Li didn't want to think about Zhao Xiheng too much, as it made him feel very embarrassed, as if he cared about Zhao Xiheng too much.

General Song's welcoming banquet was timely and could help distract him.

Although it was called a welcome banquet, the feast at the East Camp was far less lavish than the banquet at the mansion. It was just a group of people drinking and eating meat around the campfire, and when they got excited, they would dance with swords and beat drums to add to the fun.

Wei Li sat at the head of the table, and no matter who offered him a toast, he silently drank it all in one gulp.

Wei Li is the kind of person whose face doesn't turn pale when he drinks; the more he drinks, the more his face turns blue.

Men's feelings are often developed over drinks. After a few rounds, these rough men, flushed and red-faced from the alcohol, start talking without restraint. Their crude jokes and laughter nearly overturn the facade they had just built.

Although Wei Li had a notorious reputation, he was still young. Even if the generals were somewhat afraid of him, they couldn't help but embolden themselves after a few sips of his urine.

"I've heard that our lord has just married, and his wife is a princess born to the late emperor. She must be very beautiful and virtuous," one of the men in the room said, raising his cup.

Who cares if Zhao Xiheng is a princess or if she was abducted by Wei Li? In this world, beauties are won by whoever has the ability, and princesses are no exception.

Wei Li's ability to snatch a princess as his wife makes him seem quite capable!

The crowd egged them on, asking if Princess Wei Li was beautiful and virtuous, and just how beautiful she was.

Wei Li's phoenix eyes glistened with tears as Zhao Xiheng's face flashed before her eyes when they asked about it.

She was beautiful, with red lips and white teeth, skin as smooth as jade, and eyes as bright as the stars in the sky. When she looked at him, it always seemed like she was being coquettish. No, that's not quite right; it was more like she was timid, prone to crying, and always being coquettish.

He smiled slightly and downed the wine in his glass in one gulp.

Upon seeing this, everyone understood Wei Li's thoughts and burst into laughter.

What young man isn't attracted to beautiful women?

Someone mustered up their courage and asked again, "My lord, at home, who is in charge, you or your wife?"

“Naturally, I’m in charge, and she listens to everything I say.” This was the first time Wei Li had spoken at the banquet.

These words drew sighs from the crowd. Someone put down his wine cup with a sigh and said, "My lord is truly skilled at managing his wife. He can keep her completely under his thumb, unlike my tigress. I have to ask her for every penny I spend, and the worst part is that she won't give it to me."

"Hey, what you're saying sounds like nonsense. You have three boys and two girls who need to be fed and go to school. What's wrong with your wife being stingy? If anyone's not good, it's my wife. We're married but don't have any kids, and she still controls me and doesn't let me spend money."

When the topic of wives came up, it was like a floodgate had been opened, with many people chiming in.

"You're already doing well, what more treatment do you want? When I go out drinking with my colleagues, she interrogates me, and if I can't explain, I get beaten up. She always asks if I'm seeing someone else. I'm as thin as an elm bark, who else would want me but her?"

Wei Li's alcohol didn't affect his face, but it did make him dizzy. He put down his cup with a clink, a slight smile playing on his lips, his eyes shining. "Your mistress has a soft temper. I manage the money in the house, and whatever I say goes. She's very frugal, saving me every penny, and she reports to me every time she spends a penny. Your mistress is also quite delicate. She doesn't care where I go, but she reminds me every day to come home early after I leave, because she's afraid to sleep alone at home."

"Whenever we argued, she would always apologize and go to sleep in the study. She would greet me three times a day and make me snacks."

As soon as he said this, gasps of astonishment filled the air, and the generals all looked bitter.

Chen Ruojiang coughed twice and gently tugged at Wei Li's sleeve. "Just keep your boasting; don't let it backfire. I wonder who slept in the study last night."

Wei Li was so engrossed that he stopped noticing Chen Ruojiang's subtle actions. He even tore Chen Ruojiang's hand off, drank two more cups of wine, and continued to chat with him, saying, "If you're talking about the art of managing a wife, then of course there are methods."

Chen Ruojiang couldn't bear to look. If Wei Li weren't his lord, he would have covered the man's mouth and dragged him away.

You've been holding back your chatter, and you even claim to have the skills to manage a wife? If you really had the skills to manage a wife, would you be sitting here?

"It's a pity that we couldn't be invited to the banquet to see the Lady of the Lord's wedding. It's a real shame."

Wei Li nodded slightly, only smiling, but not saying a word. Anyway, seeing the envious and jealous looks in the eyes of the people below, he felt very comfortable, as if he had finally won against them.

However, he stared at the wine in his glass. A wedding banquet is a must, and he didn't seem to have hosted one. Should he make up for it when he had time?

Zhao Xiheng has things that others don't, so she'll probably cry again, and she'd be happy to cry.

Because of his interest in finding a wife, Wei Li managed to get closer to these people. The banquet lasted until late at night before Chen Ruojiang carried Wei Li back to his tent.

Chen Ruojiang was red-faced and his neck was thick with anger. He didn't know how his lord, who looked so thin, could be so heavy. Where did all the flesh go?

Wei Li collapsed onto the bed, having probably drunk too much tonight. He was talking a lot, grabbed Chen Ruojiang by the back of the neck, and forced him onto a chair. Then he dragged another chair over and sat opposite him, looking at him with a sinister gaze.

Chen Ruojiang shrank back in fright. "My...my lord? It's getting late. Can we talk about this tomorrow?"

"Chen Ruojiang".

"Hey...hey, my lord, your subordinate is here." The lord could still recognize him, so he wasn't too drunk.

"Are you married?"

"No." He was still drunk and had even forgotten whether he was married or not.

Wei Li patted Chen Ruojiang on the shoulder. Chen Ruojiang thought he was going to say something, but Wei Li stood up and kicked him. "Get lost!"

Chen Ruojiang was completely baffled. Was this what a drunk person was like? It was utterly incomprehensible!

Wei Li stood up and took a few steps. He was steady and his face was not red, as if he had not drunk any alcohol at all.

His phoenix eyes were misty with tears. He sat down at the table and tried to untie the sachet, but he had drunk too much and his vision was blurry. He tried very hard but couldn't untie it. In a fit of temper, he opened his mouth and tore the fabric of the sachet apart.

Zhao Xiheng was sometimes right; Wei Li did have a bad temper, and when he got angry, he was like a mad dog.

The gold coins in his purse fell to the ground with a clatter. Wei Li seemed to be dazzled by the falling gold, just watching them fall and glitter in the candlelight.

The golden nude stones were beaten into the shapes of puppies and kittens, each one looking adorable.

Wei Li picked one up, twirled it in his hand, and then unexpectedly took a bite.

A sharp tooth mark was left on the puppy's head.

It didn't taste good...

He shook the cracked sachet in his hand, and a piece of paper fell out.

Reading and reading are already difficult enough; it becomes even more difficult after drinking too much.

He pointed to the words above, reading them one by one, and found them very difficult to decipher.

"new……"

"age……"

His vision blurred, so he shook his head and continued reading the next word.

"install……"

What is "安"? The last character has a lot of strokes.

He stared at it for a long time before he could vaguely make out that it was the character "康".

He recognized the signature in the bottom right corner! Wei Li slapped his forehead.

He wrote this name countless times, more often than he wrote his own name.

Zhao Xiheng wrote "May you have a peaceful and healthy new year," and Wei Li, whose brain was so dull from drinking, wondered what "peace and health" meant.

He thought for a long time but still couldn't remember, so he slumped onto the table and didn't move. But he could still recall that the four characters were written by Zhao Xiheng.

Zhao Xiheng was the person he hated most in his life. He hated her so much that seeing her whenever he saw her only made him feel uncomfortable.

Wei Li's eyes were brimming with tears. She wrapped her arms around herself and buried her face in her arms.

The next day, when Chen Ruojiang came to call Wei Li, he found him asleep on the table, with a piece of paper in his left hand and something else in his right. Gold coins were scattered all over the floor.

Wow, is this what they call a rich person?

He already knows, so what? This pile of gold is truly testing his resolve.

Chen Ruojiang picked up the gold pieces one by one and placed them on Wei Li's table.

I must say, the shape of this gold piece is strangely beautiful.

Wei Li was woken up by him. He rubbed his temples with a headache and found a piece of paper in his hand. Memories of last night flooded his mind, and he was stunned.