Upon hearing this, Cao Zhen's expression instantly turned serious, his brows furrowed with urgency. "Grand Commandant, in that case, I will immediately devote all my efforts to resolving this matter. I shall take my leave now!"

The wicked man nodded slightly, his voice as steady as a mountain. "Time waits for no one, so go quickly!"

"Excuse me, Grand Commandant." Cao Zhen bowed and then turned and left like a whirlwind.

The wicked man strolled around leisurely for a while, and seeing that everything was in order, he stopped lingering there and turned to head home.

.........

Time flies like an arrow; two days passed in the blink of an eye.

As dawn breaks and the rooster crows, the first rays of sunlight pierce the clouds like golden arrows, scattering across the vast land. Smoke rises from the chimneys of every household in Xianyang.

The three thousand Black Dragon Armored Army soldiers were like a steel torrent, draped in bright red cloaks as vivid as flames, their upper bodies also tightly wrapped in red cloth, and the heads of their warhorses were tied with red cloth, fluttering in the wind, making them look exceptionally festive.

They rode their magnificent steeds, galloping like lightning through the streets, and in no time arrived at the gate of the Grand Commandant's mansion, where they immediately reined in their horses and stopped.

At this moment, the entrance to the Grand Commandant's mansion was bustling with people.

Xiang Lihe lived up to his mission, crafting the auspicious dragon and phoenix glassware into a masterpiece, a rare treasure; while the other group was led by Cao Zhen, who brought over three carts of newly developed fruit-flavored candies.

Zhang Erhe, who was standing at the entrance of the mansion, saw the Black Dragon Armored Army arrive and immediately returned to the mansion to report.

Before long, the wicked husband strode over, wearing a gorgeous white and red robe. The fabric was smooth as water, and the hem was adorned with circles of gold tassels, which were elegant yet not cumbersome.

Upon seeing the Black Dragon Armored Army arrive, Zhang Erhe, who was standing at the entrance of the mansion, immediately turned around and rushed back to the mansion to report.

Before long, the wicked husband strode over.

Today he changed his outfit, wearing a gorgeous white and red robe, as dazzling as the sunset.

As you move, the fabric flows smoothly like water, seemingly exuding poetry. The golden tassels adorning the hem resemble twinkling stars in the night sky, graceful yet not cluttered.

“I told you, our eldest brother’s looks are top-notch even in Qin, right?” Erniu looked at his wicked husband’s attire, a hint of envy flashing in his eyes.

They were originally boys from the same village, but now he looks more and more like a bear, while his older brother is becoming more and more handsome. It's true that comparisons are odious.

He couldn't help but mutter and curse, "We're all from the same land, we drink from the same river, so how come there's such a huge difference?"

Chun Ning laughed heartily upon hearing this, and teased, "Oh, so Er Niu has started to care about looks now? Have you taken a fancy to any girl?"

It was meant as a joke, but unexpectedly, Erniu's dark face turned red, and he scratched his head and grinned foolishly, making Chun Ning laugh at his silly antics.

"Oh, looks like you've really taken a fancy to some girl?"

Suddenly, the wicked husband appeared out of nowhere, his eyes burning with the fire of gossip.

"Uh... she's the daughter of the Zhang family in the east of the city, about my age, and quite beautiful..." Erniu didn't mince words and directly mentioned the woman he admired, a hint of tenderness flashing across his usually cold face.

The wicked man and Chun Ning exchanged a glance, never expecting that this big, clumsy man would have such a side.

Adhering to the principle that his own brother's affairs are his own affairs, the wicked husband immediately said, "You've indeed reached the age where you should start thinking about getting married and having children."

Upon hearing this, Erniu looked at her husband with a hint of anticipation, but then felt a little disappointed. "She is Zhang Ying, the daughter of Zhang Di, a high-ranking official in the court. She comes from a prestigious family. How could I be worthy of her?"

Despite following Erniu in battles across the country, he is now quite well-known in the army and is one of his trusted confidants, with a powerful background.

Unfortunately, he was ultimately from the countryside and a warrior who only knew how to kill and fight. In the eyes of these scholars and noble families, he was indeed the kind of person who was looked down upon.

The wicked husband, of course, knew why Erniu was acting this way, and immediately sneered, "You are my wicked husband's man. My brothers have married his family's women eight hundred times over, and even then, it's still a bit of a detour. That's an honor for the Zhang family. How dare they look down on you?"

Chun Ning quickly said, "Brother, our marriage is all about fate. You can't force it. A forced marriage won't be sweet!"

"Yes, yes, brother, don't worry about this." Erniu quickly chimed in, genuinely afraid that the wicked husband would come to their door and snatch her away.

In this way, not only will Zhang Di despise himself even more, but Zhang Ying will also hate him to death.

"Forced love is never sweet... but it quenches thirst."

The wicked husband waved his hand and said, "Don't worry about this matter. When I return from Chu, I will personally take you to propose marriage. I want to see if Zhang Di knows what he's worth."

Chun Ning and Er Niu could only smile wryly at this. Their eldest brother was good to his brothers, but he was just too domineering for them to talk to. They really couldn't persuade him.

Erniu wanted to try again, but was interrupted by her husband, who raised his hand and said, "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Time is of the essence, so let's pack our things and leave quickly."

"yes!"

Erniu could only remain silent and, together with Chun Ning, accepted the order.

A short while later.

Three thousand Black Dragon Armored Soldiers set off with gifts, and the people along the way all came out of their homes to watch and see them off.

"The King is finally getting married! Our Qin Kingdom is now safe and sound..."

"Yes, this time the Grand Commandant personally led the team, which really gives Chu a lot of face."

"......"

The people were all talking excitedly, their faces beaming with joy. Ying Zheng's marriage was a joyous occasion, and the birth of a prince would surely secure the succession of the Qin state. How could they not be happy?

The wicked man and his party left Xianyang City and headed east towards the State of Chu.

Inside Xianyang Palace.

"Your Majesty, the Grand Commandant has already set off," a lowly soldier from the Black Ice Guard hurried into the hall to report.

Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng paused, casually tossing aside the bamboo slips containing the recorded memorials, and asked nonchalantly, "That lad... what betrothal gifts did he bring?"

The soldier replied, "One large piece of colorful glassware, and three cartloads of sugar cubes."

"Um?!"

Ying Zheng paused for a moment, then asked, "Five-colored glassware?"

The soldier nodded and explained, "I've never seen this five-colored glassware before. Its beauty far surpasses that of the previous three-colored glassware. It's decorated with dragons and phoenixes and is incredibly magnificent."

"The sugar cubes were made two days ago by the Grand Commandant himself, who went to the workshop to instruct the supervisor, Cao Zhen. It is said that fruit pulp was mixed into the sugar cubes, making them not only sweet but also with the flavor of melons and fruits."

Ying Zheng nodded slightly, a smile appearing on his face. Despite how he had tricked his wicked husband back then, he was just as afraid that this kid would really give up and do whatever he wanted.

These past few days, the wicked husband's every move has been under the surveillance of the Black Ice Guard. His statement that sending two pieces of mud was a favor to the State of Chu was also reported to Ying Zheng by the Black Ice Guard.

This worried him terribly. He knew this kid was really capable of doing such a thing, but now that he was going with gifts, he could finally relax.