Several days later, Zhao Shu's coming-of-age ceremony was approaching, but he still hadn't woken up, as if he was exhausted and didn't want to wake up for the rest of his life.

Zhao Shu didn't know how many tears she shed or how many words she said, but he seemed not to hear any of them; those words of love were false.

Throughout the entire coming-of-age ceremony, Zhao Shu was not very happy. Even though the most respected matriarch of the Xie family was the chief guest, and the master of ceremonies, hostess, and other attendants were all prominent figures, her coming-of-age ceremony was incredibly grand, but she still couldn't feel happy.

Wei Tingsi seemed to let her vent her emotions freely, ignoring her completely and simply bringing her fun and delicious things like a flowing stream. Zhao Shu saw all of this and remembered it all. She knew she couldn't be sad for too long and had to look forward.

The most heartbroken person after Uncle Fu was injured was Prince Yong. This chubby steward had been with him for decades and never abandoned him during his most absurd days. Zhao Shu felt very guilty, as she had promised to protect them, but she still failed to do so.

Fortunately, like Huo Baichuan, he had injured an artery and was bleeding heavily. However, he was a martial artist and had a better foundation than Huo Baichuan. With the combined efforts of dozens of imperial physicians, he was pulled back from the brink of death.

Recalling that day, Zhao Shu couldn't help but feel a lingering fear. Back then, everyone thought he had lost his life force and that he was dead.

Thinking of her original intentions, Zhao Shu didn't care about anything else. She called Bi Qiao and Mo Qin over and asked them directly, "Do you want to get married? If you are interested in each other, don't delay."

Bi Qiao and Mo Qin exchanged glances, and without hesitation, they knelt before her. "Princess, your subordinates sincerely wish to marry Bi Qiao, but the Yong Prince's Mansion..."

Uncle Fu was still seriously injured, and with so many foreigners, bandits, and assassins appearing in the capital, he dared not make any excessive demands at this time.

Zhao Shu waved her hand, "I will release Bi Qiao from slavery. Even if you don't get married, we'll at least arrange an engagement. As for everything else, nothing is more important than seeing you two happy."

The two men understood that Zhao Shu had been upset and would definitely be unhappy if they didn't agree. Moreover, they were truly in love and had wanted to get married for a long time, but things had been going on and on, which was why it had been delayed until now.

Bi Qiao blushed and whispered to Mo Qin, "Who said I was going to marry you?"

"You don't want to?" Mo Qin, this rough and unromantic fellow, asked in a serious tone, which made Zhao Shu smile knowingly.

Seeing that Zhao Shu finally smiled, Bi Qiao was no longer shy. She turned and walked up to Zhao Shu, saying, "Princess, look at him! I will not marry a man like that!"

"If you won't marry me, who will? Tell me his name, and I'll cripple him!" Mo Qin's face was full of murderous intent.

"Hahaha." Zhao Shu couldn't help but laugh when she saw Mo Qin's face turn red from holding back his laughter. This roughneck would be a good subject for Bi Qiao to train in the future. Thinking of the word "training", she beckoned Bi Qiao closer and lowered her voice to say, "Before the wedding, deflate his arrogance and make him obedient. If you can't do that, don't say that you came from the Yongwang Mansion."

"Princess, rest assured, I will definitely subdue him so that he dares not go east or west." Bi Qiao was very confident, which showed that the two had a very good relationship.

Zhao Shu glanced at Mo Qin with pity. "Sigh, what a fine general from a poor family. He's entered the Yongwang Mansion and fallen into Bi Qiao's clutches. May he have good fortune in the future."

"Don't be too ruthless," Zhao Shu couldn't help but remind her.

Bi Qiao disagreed, "Princess, I agree to everything you say, except for two things."

"Oh ho, she hasn't even been released from slavery yet, and she's already acting disobedient," Zhao Shu glared at her. "Tell me about it."

"This servant does not want to leave the Prince's Mansion. When the Princess enters the mansion in the future, I will simply stop being the head of the household and do odd jobs instead. In short, this servant does not want to leave the Prince's Mansion. The Prince's Mansion is my root, how can I leave?" she said reluctantly.

Zhao Shu was moved, but she had her own plans. "Your roots are in Mo Qin. You can't just stay if you don't want to. Mo Qin is a general appointed by the imperial court. If his wife is a slave, his colleagues will laugh at him."

“Isn’t he a soldier himself? If he looks down on me because I’m of slave birth, then I won’t marry him.” Bi Qiao was still quite unconvinced, and after saying that, she glared at Mo Qin.

Mo Qin listened intently, taking the words to heart, but didn't respond. Over the years, he had observed Bi Qiao's character and actions, knowing that she was sensible and capable, and therefore trusted her greatly.

Although they were not married, their relationship was far better than that of newlyweds who were arranged to marry without their consent, and they had a tacit understanding with each other.

"Fine, you said so. I, the princess, will arrange for him to marry a woman from an official family," Zhao Shu said teasingly.

As soon as she said it, Bi Qiao disagreed and immediately grabbed Zhao Shu's hand, pleading, "I was just saying that, and you took it seriously. Let me make it clear first, I won't leave the palace, so please don't send me away."

"Alright, alright, I won't kick you out. If anyone tries to kick you out, I, the princess, will kick them out too, okay? The Prince's Mansion is your maternal home, your support. If he bullies you, you can come to me, or your father, or even your Sun Yun if all else fails. No one is allowed to bully you. Be strong too, don't be so submissive after you get married and bring shame to the Prince's Mansion. I cannot agree to that." Zhao Shu instructed with a smile.

After settling Bi Qiao in, she felt somewhat relieved.

Bi Qiao nodded, moved. "Thank you, Princess. This servant..." She choked up and couldn't speak. She had never thought that she could get married, let alone marry a general, even though he was just a junior officer. She never thought that Zhao Shu would care about her so much.

She had never dared to hope for any of these things, but everything was moving in a positive direction, and she saw things flourishing.

"Alright, alright, what's with all this crying? This isn't the you I know. In my heart, you're someone who can hold up half the sky," Zhao Shu said, her smile reaching her eyes, genuinely happy for her.

Bi Qiao smiled shyly, raised her eyebrows, looked at Mo Qin, and lowered her voice to say to Zhao Shu, "Princess, there is a second matter."

"Go ahead, I'm listening," Zhao Shu said helplessly, showing great tolerance.

Bi Qiao glanced at Mo Qin a few more times, thinking that this matter was related to Mo Qin. "Princess, you just said not to be too harsh, but I disagree. Women have to be ruthless and cannot be lenient with men, otherwise they will take advantage of you. After you get married, you also have to be ruthless, otherwise they will be climbing on the roof and tearing off the tiles if you don't discipline them for three days."

Zhao Shu: ... Reached out and pulled her aside, then beckoned to Mo Qin, "Come here."

Mo Qin stepped forward. "Princess, what are your orders?"

Zhao Shu looked at him with pity, organized her thoughts, and reminded him with a heavy heart, "Keep medicine at home in the future. If you get hurt or bumped, bear with it. You need to know that where there is resistance, there is oppression. If you are gentle, she won't be able to get hard."

After saying that, he felt that his words were a bit vulgar, but people in this era would not say such things. Mo Qin was also a rough and straightforward man, and he did not notice Zhao Shu's embarrassment. He nodded and said, "I understand. I will treat Bi Qiao well and not let her suffer any grievances."

Zhao Shu thought to herself, "Fool, I'm worried that you'll be wronged, but never mind, it's better for him to suffer than for Bi Qiao to suffer."