After the meal and a few more words, Jiayin excused herself that she was tired and returned to the side hall early.

Shui Ling and Shui Yun knew the inside story, and quickly dismissed the palace maids who were serving them.

Jiayin pushed open the door to the inner hall, walked around the four carved floor screens, and as soon as she turned around, she saw Mu Xu sleeping on the low rosewood couch by the window.

He had been away for several days and hadn't had time to eat or sleep, so he lost a lot of weight, and his hands, face, and clothes were all dusty and grimy.

Because of the small table placed in the middle of the low couch, he lay on his side with his legs curled up, looking very uncomfortable.

Jiayin quickly stepped forward and moved the small table away.

Mu Xu frowned and moved slightly.

Jiayin hesitated for a moment, but still took his hand and said softly, "Get some sleep first, nothing is in a rush."

Perhaps it was the familiar warm scent that made Mu Xu's brows relax, and he fell into a deep sleep, completely at ease.

Nightfall swallowed up the hustle and bustle of the day, and a rare moment of peace was restored to the world.

The bustling streets, once teeming with people, have become deserted.

Crickets and all sorts of small insects, who had been cooped up all day, all came out to seek attention.

Even the most oppressive place in the world, the imperial palace, rarely becomes lively.

In the small garden behind Zhilan Palace, an unknown insect strained its neck and screeched loudly, perhaps aspiring to become a singer.

In the side hall, Shui Ling was already fast asleep, snoring softly.

Shuiyun rubbed her heavy eyelids, listened carefully to the faint sounds coming from the next room, and then picked up her needle and thread again.

Just a wall away, Jiayin also yawned and put down the account book in her hand.

The dim candlelight cast a yellow glow on Mu Xu's face, and his eyelashes cast a small shadow under his eyes.

Having known each other for so long, Jiayin mostly treats him as a friend, so she doesn't feel reserved or need to be wary of him.

But now, as she rested her chin on her hands and carefully examined him, her heart suddenly began to beat faster.

In his previous life, Mu Xu at that age would have been a freshman in college at most.

But in this timeline, he has already experienced the destruction of his family, the loss of his loved ones, the pursuit of revenge, the learning of martial arts to make a living, and now he is doing his best to help his family protect the peace of the rear of the Northern Expeditionary Army, while also taking care of her safety...

It must have been really tough on him!

Jiayin hadn't thought about whether she would really marry him and spend the rest of her life with him.

But for now, she does seem to like some of them.

As long as he remains unchanged and stays the same, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad for them to be a free and unrestrained young couple, still in love with each other...

As she was thinking this, she drifted off into thought. When she came back to her senses, she suddenly met a pair of bright eyes.

"Oh my, when did you wake up?" Jiayin blushed a little.

Mu Xu sat up abruptly, a smug smile on his face, and replied, "I woke up a while ago, but someone was admiring my stunning good looks, so I didn't want to disturb you."

Jiayin rolled her eyes at him and said angrily, "Hurry up and wash your hands and face, I've saved some food for you."

After saying that, she went to lift the small heater in the corner of the room.

It has to be said that this heater has become a dedicated cover-up tool.

It's best to store food in a cool, dry place, as it won't spoil or taste bad.

Mu Xu was starving and didn't even notice where the food came from. After washing up hastily, he picked up his rice bowl.

The large bowl of white rice, topped with glossy, oily braised pork, was devoured by Mu Xu in the blink of an eye.

Jiayin quickly handed him a glass of warm water, saying, "Eat slowly, don't choke."

Mu Xu gulped down the warm water and went on to finish the next bowl.

He finally ate until he was half full, then slowed down and said as he ate, "There's been some progress on the matter of the destroyed military rations."

"I never expected that Uncle Dayong, who usually seems so gentle, would have such a ruthless side. He managed to pry open the mouths of two key witnesses and obtain some clues and evidence."

Jiayin's eyes darkened, and she sighed.

"Uncle Dayong was also furious. He had been following his godfather on the expedition for several years and knew all too well how dangerous the battlefield was."

"Not only did Xindu not help wholeheartedly, but they also dragged him down. It's no wonder he was angry!"

"Although my second uncle and his men only delayed for three or four days before they managed to procure the second batch of military rations, no one could have predicted how many soldiers my adoptive father would have to sacrifice due to those three or four days of delay."

"Yes!" Mu Xu nodded, holding out his bowl. Jia Yin tacitly added a spoonful of braised pork to his bowl.

Mu Xu added, "We still haven't caught the key figure behind the scenes, but we've managed to bring several involved military officers under control, so they won't have any room to cause trouble in the future."

"Furthermore, I sent out the key evidence for a few more rounds and sent a few more people to the Dali Temple."

"These are all related to what happened at the palace gate the night before last. Along with the five hundred soldiers guarding the gate, none of them will have an easy time. They will probably be sent to guard the southwestern border next month."

Jiayin was stunned for a moment before she reacted.

Does Mu Xu mean that he used the evidence of the destroyed military rations to avenge her being blocked at the palace gates?

"You... you acted too fast! I didn't even tell my family about this, how did you know?" Jiayin felt a little hot inside, but tried her best to appear calm as she asked.

Mu Xu served rice again, placed it directly onto the plate of braised pork, mixed it in with another plate of refreshing cold dishes, and continued eating.

Stealing a moment from his busy schedule, he finally replied, "I promised the Marquis I would protect you, so naturally you are the most important person to me. Others may not know, but I can't afford to neglect even the smallest thing."

"Besides... I won't allow you to suffer even the slightest grievance!"

Perhaps it was the first time he had said such sweet words, Mu Xu blushed a little, coughed lightly, and continued with his head down, "Fortunately, I helped investigate the destruction of military rations this time, otherwise I really wouldn't have been able to deal with those scoundrels so quickly."

Jiayin blushed even more and casually asked, "Who's behind those people at the palace gate?"

"You might be surprised to learn that although the people involved were military officers who intended to test the Emperor's intentions, the one who contributed the most was actually bribed by a merchant with a large sum of money."

"Merchants?" Jiayin frowned. "Has my family's business offended someone?"

Mu Xu nodded, "They are the owners of Jiulianzhai."

"Nine Lotus Pavilion?" Jiayin was even more surprised. "Didn't that shop close down a few years ago?"

“Yes, it was because Baiyunjian stole its business that it had to close down,” Mu Xu laughed. “Even though it’s been a long time, you can’t allow people to hold grudges.”

Jiayin sighed, "This is truly an undeserved disaster. It's just normal competition. Can't my pastry shop even have a thriving business?"

Mu Xu put down his bowl, let out a satisfied burp, and ate with great contentment.

"Don't worry about it, this matter has been resolved. The few people who were bribed are in trouble. They have nowhere to vent their anger, so they will definitely try to push all the blame onto the owner of Jiulianzhai. In the end, they will fight like dogs and all end up eating sand in the southwest."

Jiayin couldn't help but laugh when she saw his expression.

"So, this matter is settled without my intervention?"

Mu Xu raised an eyebrow smugly and grinned smugly, "Of course, with me here, you don't need to lift a finger."

The two looked at each other, both smiling brightly...