In the Empress Dowager's entourage, Tuo Tiewuhua and a man who was younger than him walked over.

"Greetings, General!!"

Zhao Chengchao glanced at the black flower on the embroidered robe and asked suspiciously, "What does the Empress Dowager mean by this?"

He Wu said with some difficulty, "General Tuo Tie returned from a defeat and was unwilling to accept it. He wanted to follow the Great General on the southern expedition. But... he is a defeated general, and the Great General did not appoint him. He dared not come to you, so he came to me instead."

Tuo Tiewuhua clasped his hands and said, "General, please give me another chance! Even if it costs me my life, I will definitely avenge this humiliation and drive Yang Qingzhi out of Yun Jing!"

Zhao Cheng frowned and said, "If you want to request an order, you should come to me. Why are you bypassing me and going to the Empress Dowager? Don't you know that the Empress Dowager doesn't concern herself with state affairs?"

Upon hearing this, Tuotie Wuhua immediately knelt on one knee and said, "It was my rudeness! Please forgive me, General. After I accompany you on your southern expedition, I will not hesitate to kill or torture you!"

Tu Haiping said, "General, please calm down. General Tuotie has followed the Champion King for many years. If those people from the Zhennan Border Army are all gone, he can only speak to me in Changsui..."

"Your Majesty, you all like to take the blame upon yourselves!"

At this moment, a woman stepped out from the group and said, "It was my idea to send Tuo Tie Wu Hua to find the Empress Dowager."

Zhao Cheng's eyes widened as he asked, "Xiao Nuo?"

Look at the black flower that has been peeled off, and then look at Tu Haiping.

What's going on with you guys?

Zhou Nuo patted Tuo Tie Wu Hua on the shoulder, walked around him to Zhao Cheng's side, and said, "Yesterday I came to the palace to practice archery with Fu Zheng and also to help him teach the archery skills of the new batch of Imperial Guards. I saw General Tuo Tie at the corner of the palace. He looked worried and kept banging his head against the wall, which startled me."

“I asked him and found out that he had been blaming himself ever since he came back. He wanted to go to you but didn’t dare, but you didn’t go to him either. I felt bad seeing that, so I told him to go to the Empress Dowager.”

"It can't be that simple, can it?"

Zhao Cheng stared at Zhou Nuo with an air of complete understanding and said, "Is your purpose really to help him?"

Zhou Nuo blushed under Zhao Cheng's gaze and said, "Of course! I, Zhou Nuo, am all about helping others!"

"Alright, then you can go back now. This is none of your business."

"I……"

"Is there anything else?"

Zhou Nuo punched Zhao Cheng in the chest with his little fist and said, "Take me with you on this southern expedition!"

Zhao Cheng pouted and said, "See, I knew it..."

Zhou Nuo said, "You need my help! Yang Qingzhi beat us so badly this time, I'm not satisfied!"

Zhao Cheng said, "Even if I agree, would the old man and my mother agree? They're still waiting to hold their grandson."

Zhou Nuo turned to the side, crossed his arms, and said, "I don't care, you'll definitely have a way with Mom and Dad. Besides, they already have three grandsons, what's there for me to worry about!"

"Cough cough..."

Zhao Cheng interrupted Zhou Nuo with a fake cough, saying, "We'll talk about your matter when we get back."

Zhou Nuo smiled and said, "I'll take that as a yes."

Zhao Cheng had no choice but to walk up to Tuo Tiewuhua and say, "I've only been giving you the cold shoulder for a few days, and you're already getting impatient?"

Tuo Tiewu lowered his head and said, "This humble general feels ashamed!"

Zhao Cheng said, "If you feel guilty, you should bang your head against the wall? You're already like this, so what should Xiao Luofeng do? Cut his own throat to atone for his sins?"

Tuo Tiewu said, "Unless Yang Qingzhi is defeated, the knot in my heart will be hard to untie."

Zhao Cheng stopped speaking and turned to look at the heavy rain in the palace.

The rain poured down, splashing and pattering.

The sound of the stones striking the tiles on the palace wall creates a rhythmic murmur.

After a long silence, Zhao Cheng said, "The defeat at Yunmeng City was not your fault. With the entire army collapsing, you were able to bring back 80,000 survivors, which is already quite remarkable."

"I haven't contacted you these past few days because I wanted you to calm down and reflect on what happened."

"If you haven't recovered emotionally, how can you accompany me on my southern expedition?"

Tuo Tiewuhua suddenly raised his head and exclaimed in surprise, "The General has agreed to let me go on the expedition?"

Zhao Cheng turned around and helped Tuo Tiewuhua up, saying, "You were originally part of my plan. You are familiar with the situation in Yunjing County. How could we do this decisive battle against Yang Qingzhi without you?"

“General…” Tuo Tie Wuhua tightly grasped Zhao Cheng’s hand, tears welling up in her eyes.

"But you must always prioritize military orders and never act impulsively because of emotions," Zhao Cheng reminded him.

Tuo Tiewuhua said solemnly, "General, rest assured, as long as I can go, I'll even be willing to be a foot soldier!"

Zhao Cheng glanced at the man who appeared with the black flower-adorned robe and asked, "Who is this?"

Tu Haiping immediately said, "General, his name is Tu Wei, and he is my younger brother."

Tu Wei, who appeared to be around thirty years old, bowed to Zhao Cheng and said, "Greetings, General!"

Zhao Cheng said, "Since he is the Empress Dowager's brother, then he is family. There is no need for formalities. Empress Dowager, does your brother hold an official position?"

"No. I came to the Zhennan Border Army in the twelfth year of the reign of Emperor Taizong and served as a lieutenant under Yuan Qi."

“Then let him stay in Changsui. I’ll have my fourth brother find him a job.”

"General!" Tu Wei knelt on one knee and said loudly, "I am a rough man and do not understand the ways of officialdom. I only want to follow you to fight on the battlefield and make meritorious contributions!"

Zhao Cheng glanced at Tu Haiping and, seeing the latter's troubled expression, understood what was going on.

Having served on the southern border for many years, Tu Haiping knew the dangers of the battlefield and probably didn't want her younger brother to go to the front lines.

Zhao Cheng advised, "The inner palace is cold and desolate. The Empress Dowager is lonely in the palace. Wouldn't it be better for you to stay in Changsui and keep her company?"

Tu Wei said seriously, "How can a real man spend all his time around women?"

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