The Queen, blushing, escorted her out of the Taiji Hall. She tapped her forehead and scolded her, "You little girl, be more reserved."

Gu Xinran nodded perfunctorily. After leaving the palace, she came to the Princess' Mansion, which was awarded by the Emperor for her meritorious service in treating illnesses. This place was separated from the Prince Qi's Mansion by a wall and had been newly renovated.

It is better to do it today than to wait for a day. Gu Xinran took Xiao Ba and the other two and moved in from Prince Qi's Mansion.

Butler Qi was reluctant to leave. The mistress he had been waiting for so long had brought the palace back to life. But now that she had moved out, the Qi Palace became desolate and cold again!

But living in the palace before getting married is indeed against etiquette.

The worried housekeeper Qi could only silently say in his heart, "Prince, you must do your best! Such a wonderful princess must be married off as soon as possible. It would be best if you could have two children in three years, so that the prince's palace can prosper and flourish forever!"

Although Gu Xinran moved into the Princess's Mansion, everything in the mansion was still managed by the housekeeper Qi. Except for Xiao Ba and the other two, all the other servants were seconded from the Prince's Mansion.

Gu Xinran did not plan to stay in the capital for a long time. She wanted to wait until the emperor's condition was more stable and the army returned triumphantly, and then she would meet Xiao Mingzhan, Brother Gu and other relatives, and then rush back to Jinzhou Prefecture to celebrate the New Year.

In the following days, Gu Xinran was busy except for her daily routine of going to the palace to see the emperor.

She brewed a large amount of spiritual wine and instructed the housekeeper Qi to help her open a "Ruyuan Spiritual Wine Shop" in Dongshi Street, the most prosperous street in the capital.

The Imperial Medical Bureau also occasionally invited her to the penicillin production base to provide guidance. She suggested that the Imperial Medical Bureau develop some new medicines for the benefit of the people, such as Baota Pills for deworming, Isatis root for clearing away heat and relieving internal heat, and various granules for treating colds.

There is still a constant stream of people visiting her and asking her to treat their illnesses, and every day is very fulfilling.

Twenty days passed in a flash, and it was the beginning of the twelfth lunar month. On a snowy afternoon, the streets of the capital were bustling with activity, and the sound of gongs and drums could be heard.

Amidst the hustle and bustle, a mighty and majestic team slowly approached.

Xiao Mingzhan, clad in golden armor, sat upright on horseback with a resolute expression, leading a group of generals with outstanding military achievements. They were greeted by the prime minister and many officials from the three dukes and six ministries, and headed for the imperial palace. Several prison carts followed behind them.

Gu Xinran, Xiao Ba and the other two squeezed into the crowd to watch the excitement, shouting along with everyone else: "The King of Qi is mighty!" "The general is invincible!" "Well done to the Northern Expedition Army!"...

When Xiao Mingzhan passed by her, he saw her in the crowd at a glance. He looked in her direction with a brilliant smile, which captivated a large number of people.

At this moment, the King of Qi in their hearts was not only majestic, but also gentle and elegant, making people feel like they were in the spring breeze. It turned out that the rumors of his tyranny were not credible.

The emperor originally wanted to keep Gu Xinran in the palace to receive the victorious general and participate in the prisoner presentation ceremony.

The repeating crossbow she invented, the military books, training methods, food, medicine...she provided made outstanding contributions to the pacification of the northern border.

But she refused because she thought the process was too complicated. It was more exciting to see her handsome boyfriend being admired by thousands of people on the street.

After the generals of the Northern Expedition Army presented the prisoners and reported the battle situation to the emperor, it was dark after they had dinner.

Xiao Mingzhan took Gu Yuchen and Duan Yunchi and went straight to the Funing Princess's Mansion without returning to the palace.

Gu Xinran hadn't seen her brother and cousin for a long time. When she greeted them at the gate, her eyes were red.

I haven't seen Brother Gu for eight or nine months. He has grown taller and stronger. The almost seventeen-year-old boy has become more mature and steady after more than a year of experience on the battlefield.

Except that his skin has become a little rougher, Duan Yunchi is still the sunny boy with a cheerful smile.

As soon as Brother Gu saw his sister, he stuffed a gift into her hand and said, "Ranran, this is a jeweled dagger I captured from an enemy general. Do you like it?"

After stuffing the gift into her mouth, he patted Gu Xinran's head and giggled, "My sister is getting prettier and prettier."

Xiao Mingzhan watched from the side with gritted teeth. He thought his brother-in-law’s hand that was touching his head should be chopped off!

Gu Xinran took the dagger with the scabbard and hilt inlaid with colorful gems, her eyes sparkling. She loved these shiny things.

When he pulled it out and took a look, he was filled with coldness and couldn't help but praise: "Good stuff! Thank you, big brother, I like it very much."

Duan Yunchi was not willing to be left behind, so he stuffed a box into her arms and said, "Cousin, I haven't seen you for a few months. I missed you so much. Come and see the gift I prepared for you."

Xiao Mingzhan couldn't stand it anymore. Since he came in, his young wife hadn't said a word to him. It would be fine if he was his biological brother, but this cousin wanted to get ahead of him. No way!

With a cold face, he pushed Duan Yunchi aside, took the gift and placed it on a small table beside him.

He took Gu Xinran's hand to declare his sovereignty, "Ranran, those are nothing to look at. I have prepared more gifts for you."

Gu Xinran didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She let him lead her hand and said with a smile, "I'll look at the gift later. You've traveled all the way and entered the palace to see the emperor. You must have worked hard. First, wash up and get a good night's sleep. We'll talk tomorrow."

Xiao Mingzhan held her hand and didn't want to let go, but he was really exhausted both physically and mentally, so he had to put down a large wooden box and took Duan Yunchi to say goodbye and return to the palace, while Gu Yuchen stayed in the princess's mansion.

Duan Yunchi didn't want to leave at all and argued, "Mingzhan, don't be so overbearing. I want to stay at my cousin's house, and you have to control this?"

Xiao Mingzhan couldn't stand seeing him sticking to Gu Xinran. He had no chance to get along well with Ranran, let alone other men. What kind of brother was his cousin?

He spoke nonsense in a serious tone, "Staff Duan, I need to discuss with you the follow-up arrangements for the Northern Expedition Army and the content of the peace talks."

Duan Yunchi followed Xiao Mingzhan helplessly, looking back every few steps.

Brother Gu was indeed tired after the rapid march, so he went back to his room under the guidance of Xiao Ba to wash up and rest.

Gu Xinran admired the gift. Duan Yunchi gave her a set of gold headpieces inlaid with sapphires, which had the characteristics of nomadic people and was very unique.

There were more kinds of things in Xiao Mingzhan's box, including gems, jade, and gold... He must have given her all the good spoils.

Gu Xinran laughed happily, thinking that he performed well. This is what a good man should be like. He should have the awareness to consciously hand over good things.

At the morning court session the next day, the military generals were rewarded based on their merits and were promoted and rewarded.

At a young age, Gu Yuchen was promoted to the rank of General Mingwei, a fourth-rank official. He was awarded 100 taels of gold and was allowed to stay in the capital, responsible for the establishment of the Divine Crossbow Battalion of the Imperial Guard.

Duan Yunchi got the idle job of a fourth-rank Han general. He received a salary but did not have to work. He became a high-ranking staff member beside Xiao Mingzhan.

Gu Xinran’s reward was more practical, it was an 800-acre hot spring villa on the outskirts of the city.

The most shocking imperial edict at the morning court was that Prince Qi was named the Crown Prince and entrusted with important tasks to assist the Emperor in managing state affairs.

When the emperor was seriously ill, some ministers heard about this matter, but as the emperor recovered, they thought the matter would be shelved. Unexpectedly, it was carried out as planned.

There was no joy on Xiao Mingzhan's face. He shook his head as he recalled the conversation with his brother yesterday.