Lu Xiaoyun shook her head: "I am now a nobody, how can you achieve anything by following me?"
Qi Shaocheng stood there, pursing his lips and remaining silent. He joined the army as a young man, full of passion, and fought on the battlefield. Now he has achieved some success.
But, without the prince, is the Northern Army still the Northern Army?
He couldn't imagine what would happen to the Northern Army if the Emperor handed it over to the Crown Prince or someone else.
The army is a powerful tool of the nation, meant to protect the country and its people. However, if it falls into the hands of those with ulterior motives, it will only become a bargaining chip for them to seize power.
If that's the case, what's the point of him being a general?
Seeing that he was in a bad mood, Lu Xiaoyun knew that he must be feeling a mix of emotions. She stepped forward, patted Qi Shaocheng on the shoulder and said, "The 200,000 Northern Army cannot be handed over to others. I hope you can take over."
Qi Shaocheng suddenly paused, looked up at Lu Xiaoyun in disbelief, could it be that the prince...
"Your Highness..."
Lu Xiaoyun knew that Qi Shaocheng should understand what she meant, so she nodded to him.
"Lord Yongbo has been loyal to the emperor and loved his country all his life. Remember, the Northern Army belongs to the Great Zhou Dynasty and is for the purpose of protecting the country and its people. The Northern Army does not belong to me alone, nor to anyone else."
Qi Shaocheng was moved, and after a long while, he nodded firmly.
Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside. After a short while, a guard said, "Your Highness, this is the Prince's study, a very important place. Without the Prince's permission, I cannot let you in."
Why is Zhu Yu here?
She looked at Qi Shaocheng beside her and saw that he looked completely at ease, without any embarrassment at his fiancée suddenly becoming someone else's wife.
"I have something important to say to Your Highness in person. Is General Qi Shaocheng inside?" Zhu Yu's voice was calm and unhurried, a stark contrast to his previous two outbursts of temper.
The guard felt a chill run down his spine and could only say, "Yes, General Qi is indeed inside. But General Qi has important matters to discuss with the Prince, so I cannot let you in. Please do not put me in a difficult position, Your Highness."
The guards treated Zhu Yu with utmost respect.
“Miss, let’s go back. The Prince is busy with official duties and certainly won’t have time to see you right now. If you need anything, the Prince will come to Feixue Garden to dine with you later anyway.”
Li Feng was extremely anxious. Miss had already married the Prince. Since you scolded Young Master Qi away eight years ago, he had joined the Northern Army. Why did you rush over as soon as you heard that Young Master Qi had come to the Prince An's Mansion? Did you want to scold him again?
He's now a deputy general in the Northern Army, no longer the young marquis who rested on his ancestors' laurels.
Besides, Miss, you are now a princess. It's not appropriate for you to meet other men in front of your husband.
Lu Xiaoyun opened the door and saw Zhu Yu half-lying on a sedan chair carried by four people, with Li Feng standing beside Zhu Yu, trying to persuade his young mistress with a troubled expression.
"Why are you here? You're injured, and it's so cold outside. Why aren't you resting inside?"
Lu Xiaoyun immediately ordered people to carry Zhu Yu back: "Send the Princess back."
Zhu Yu grabbed Lu Xiaoyun's hand and said softly, "I want to say a few words to Qi Shaocheng."
Lu Xiaoyun frowned slightly, guessing that he had something important to tell Qi Shaocheng.
But now that he's in Lu Xiaoyun's body, how can he say anything to Qi Shaocheng face to face?
If Qi Shaocheng finds out, it won't be a good thing.
Zhu Yu tugged at Lu Xiaoyun's sleeve again.
Qi Shaocheng had already left the study and saw that the "Princess An" on the palanquin, who was obviously seriously injured, moved her mouth. This Lu Xiaoyun was so different from the ones he had seen before.
She used to be dressed in bright and colorful clothes, but now she wears only a plain dress, and even her hair is simply adorned with a jade hairpin.
She used to wear heavy makeup, but now she goes out without makeup.
Yet, Lu Xiaoyun was breathtakingly beautiful.
Qi Shaocheng slowly lowered his head.
Perhaps it was because she got married; after all, marrying a prince like him, it was right for Lu Xiaoyun to change.
He bowed and said, "This humble general greets Your Highness."
Zhu Yu nodded, discreetly scrutinizing Qi Shaocheng. He noticed that apart from the initial surprise at seeing his new body, Qi Shaocheng showed no other unusual reaction.
Zhu Yu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. This person had followed him for eight years, and he knew how outstanding he was.
He looked up at Lu Xiaoyun.
Lu Xiaoyun instructed the four men carrying the palanquin: "Bring the princess in."
Zhu Yu stretched out his arms: "Carry me inside."
The people around him kept their eyes down, seemingly lost in thought.
Qi Shaocheng lowered his head and made way for him.
Lu Xiaoyun's temples throbbed; it was maddening. What was Zhu Yu up to now?
Zhu Yu said, looking aggrieved, "Your Highness carried me back to my room the first two times. What's wrong with you today? Did you not sleep well last night because you took care of me? Look, you have dark circles under your eyes. Let's finish our business quickly and go back to our room to sleep."
Lu Xiaoyun smacked her lips. Why did those words sound so teasy?
She looked at Zhu Yu speechlessly, but he still had his hands raised high, waiting for her to hug him.
Oh well, what can you do when their bodies are swapped?
So Lu Xiaoyun picked him up horizontally. Zhu Yu's hand, which was wrapped up like a pig's trotter, hung limply in front of his chest, but his other intact arm encircled her neck.
The key point is that he buried his small head in her arms.
She looked like a shy, demure young wife.
The three entered the house, and Lu Xiaoyun placed Zhu Yu on the couch in the study. Only then did he reluctantly step out of her arms.
Qi Shaocheng knew he shouldn't stay any longer: "Your Highness, I understand your meaning and will certainly not fail your trust."
Lu Xiaoyun nodded.
After Zhu Yu's great victory over Northern Qi, he transferred 50,000 troops from nearby areas to take over the northwest frontier. The main army followed Zhu Yu back to Shengjing and set up camp 100 miles away from the imperial city.
Qi Shaocheng took a step back and bowed respectfully to Lu Xiaoyun and Zhu Yu: "Your Highness and Your Highness, I take my leave."
"Wait a minute," Zhu Yu said. "How is the Northern Army doing now? What are the soldiers' reactions to the Prince handing over the Tiger Tally?"
Qi Shaocheng looked at "Princess An" with surprise, then turned to look at "Prince An" with confusion.
Don't tell me that women in the inner quarters shouldn't interfere in politics. Given Prince An's temperament, would he really allow his wife to ask him about the Northern Army in front of him? Besides, Miss Lu from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion doesn't have a very good reputation.
He thought the prince had long since abandoned the person in the backyard, so why did they seem to be getting along quite well?
If the princess truly wins the prince's heart, and if she treats him well, that would be good. The prince has suffered too much these past twenty-odd years.
Lu Xiaoyun nodded and said, "That's exactly what I wanted to ask you, General Qi, please speak frankly."
Qi Shaocheng pursed his lips before saying, "At first, no one understood. Indeed, a few people clamored to come to Prince An's residence to ask Your Highness for clarification, but I stopped them."
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