Lu Shiyi struggled to turn over, too exhausted to face the crowd.

"So you're admitting it?"

Lu Shiyi closed his eyes and did not reply.

Seeing this, Meng Xu stopped pressing the matter and said to Wen Yanche, "Let's leave everything to our lord's decision."

He then bowed to Wen Yanche and quietly left the room.

Chi Yan watched Lu Shiyi's retreating figure with a deep gaze before bidding farewell and leaving as well.

The two young men frowned, overwhelmed with mixed feelings.

Wen Yanche noticed their awkwardness and told them to go back first, while he stayed to accompany Lu Shiyi.

Now that things have come to this, he hopes that Lu Shiyi can tell him the truth, otherwise he can only treat him as a suspect and put him under house arrest until the truth is found.

He didn't want to see this outcome.

Lu Shiyi fell into a deep sleep, and Wen Yanche sat beside him waiting for him to wake up...

Until very late...

Unfortunately, I still didn't get the answer I wanted.

Lu Shiyi was disheartened and unwilling to say anything.

As he left the courtyard, Wen Yanche coldly ordered: "Lu Shijun is to be confined to Hehuan Pavilion for an extended period..."

The following day, rumors about Lu Shiyi poisoning Gu Cejun's daughter spread even further.

The people of Hehuan Pavilion were filled with unease.

Every day when Lu Shiyi opens his eyes, he looks intently at his child. Among all the beautiful faces, that pale blue becomes the only light in his eyes.

May 1st

The child's pearl is broken.

The deserted Xi Liu finally had a glimmer of life.

Lu Shiyi held the child tightly, refusing to let go for a moment, and softly called her name, "Yaoyao."

Blocking out all outside noise, the only sound inside was the laughter of a father teasing his beloved daughter.

…………

After three days of fierce fighting, the Yue army finally broke through the gates of Muyang City.

Cangyuan was unfortunately injured.

Fortunately, the injury wasn't too serious.

"A-Yuan, you don't need to participate in the mission to attack the main city. Yan-ge and I will go."

"My lady, I can do it."

A light tap on the head, neither too hard nor too soft, and he said, "This prince has no desire for a disabled man as a husband."

Cang Yuan pursed his lips and chuckled softly, "It's just a minor superficial injury; it won't cripple you."

"What minor injury, broken bones?" Leng Qingning asked, pointing to his dislocated arm.

He then pointed to his knee: "Tsk, it's covered in blood. The bones inside are probably broken. No, no, how can a crippled general go to the battlefield?"

To prove he wasn't crippled, Cang Yuan pulled her into his arms and sat her on his lap, deliberately asking, "Can my wife sit still?"

"Pfft!" I couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Ah Yuan, I know you're very manly, but you're injured, so listen to me!" She tried to forcefully break free from his embrace.

Cangyuan held her tightly, preventing her from getting up.

"Cough cough."

Jin Yan and Ji Heng walked over together and interrupted the two of them.

Leng Qingning stood up, while Cang Yuan blushed deeply.

Jin Yan was surprised: "Commander Cang? You're so thin-skinned?"

Leng Qingning chuckled mischievously, "A Yuan has always been like this. Don't let his cold and aloof demeanor fool you; he never acts rudely in public."

Jin Yan agreed with this point, as he had indeed never seen Cang Yuan overstep his bounds in front of him.

Cang Yuan blushed, straightened his posture in a second, and changed the subject, saying, "What is it, Your Highness and Young Master Ji?"

Ji Heng stopped and said, "Ningning, we should be able to take down Huai Kingdom's main city quickly tomorrow, right?"

"I plan to take it within a month."

"It's fine." Ji Heng forced a smile.

Leng Qingning sensed that he seemed unhappy. "What's wrong?"

No.

Ji Heng smiled slightly, concealing his thoughts.

Seeing this, Leng Qingning pulled him out of the house.

Any issues must be addressed immediately.

Once outside, "Ji Heng, is something on your mind?"

"It seems I'm not good at hiding my emotions; you can always see right through me," Ji Heng said with a bitter face.

He recently inquired about some things and learned about the situation of the other nine husbands from Jin Yan Cangyuan.

A sense of trepidation arose within me.

Before he arrived, he had prepared himself mentally, but now that he found Leng Qingning had changed and was very different from before, he couldn't help but feel afraid.

"Ningning, after we return to Yue Kingdom, will you still love me?"

“Of course.” Leng Qingning nodded firmly, immediately understanding his thoughts. “I will always love you.”

Seeing her answer so readily, Ji Heng softened his expression. "Are your husbands easy to get along with?"

"Hehe." Leng Qingning chuckled at Ji Heng. He actually asked such a question?

"why are you laughing?"

"I laughed. If they saw you, they might think the same thing. You're the white moonlight, and you're suddenly scared?"

"So, they won't reject me?"

“They are both very good men, with good character and easy to get along with, so there’s nothing to worry about,” Leng Qingning comforted him.

"That's good."

Ji Heng's affectionate yet melancholic expression tugged at Leng Qingning's heartstrings. "I know what you're worried about. Don't worry, my feelings for you have never changed, not in the past, not in the future. You traveled through time to find me, how could I bear to let you lose!"

With reassurance in his heart, Ji Heng felt relieved.

What worried him was Leng Qingning's attitude, but she directly gave him a positive response and made a promise, so he was relieved.

Leng Qingning's words now inexplicably make people believe her.

"Thank you, Ningning."

Leng Qingning curled her lips into a smile. "Don't overthink it." Then she leaned into his arms. "You've only been here a short time and you're not used to it yet. You'll get used to it later."

"Um."

………

"Your Highness, please help me back."

"That is exactly what I intend to do!"

………

One month later

The iron cavalry broke through the city gates, and the Yue army completely occupied the capital of Huai Kingdom.

The king of Huai Kingdom announced his abdication and sent the letter of surrender to Dayue by express urgency. The soldiers of Dayue celebrated for three days and three nights and agreed to return to the capital the next day.

The war is finally over.

The summer night was sweltering and unbearably hot.

The generals sat on the ground, drinking wine under the moon.

Cang Yuan sighed with emotion: "My lady, it's been almost a year since we left. We can finally go home."

“Yes, we can go home tomorrow.” Leng Qingning thought of Wen Yanche and the others, as well as the three children she hadn’t met yet.

"A-Ning, do you miss the Lord and the others?"

“I really want to.” Leng Qingning said thoughtfully, “Brother Yan, you haven’t seen Mother for a year either. Let’s go back to Jin Kingdom on our way back to China.”

Such thoughtfulness is truly touching.

Jin Yan smiled sincerely: "No rush. I estimate that it won't be long before I will be sent as an envoy to the Jin Kingdom in your place."

Leng Qingning had been looking forward to these words for a long time. Upon hearing them, she looked at Jin Yan with surprise and joy in her eyes.

After conquering Qi Huai, the next step is the other three kingdoms.

It would be most appropriate for Jin Yan to persuade the Jin Emperor. There would be no need for the two countries to go to war. Leng Qingning had already thought it through. After the Jin Kingdom submitted, the Jin Emperor would continue to govern it and be made the King of Jin. After the King of Jin passed away, a new king would be established from among their own people.

The unification of the six kingdoms was an inevitable trend, and she believed that the Jin emperor would not refuse, nor did he have any reason to refuse. A wise ruler had no successor, and if the country did not submit, the Jin kingdom would face a dire situation a hundred years later.

Jin Yan and she were of one mind; without needing to say more, they smiled at each other.