Chapter 164

Three days after visiting Mu Heng’s manor, the princess from the Bai Region entered the marriage ceremony and was appointed as the Imperial Honored Consort. It could be said that a great storm had arisen within the inner palace. Everyone was eagerly awaiting to see just how much favor the emperor would bestow upon her after she entered the inner palace.

Of course, the person most anxious was none other than the Wang from the Bai Region, who had just requested a person from the emperor. This caused confusion and puzzlement among the people and received strong opposition from the Deng family of the Great General. They had numerous excuses to refuse sending someone to another Region, especially Young General who was more adamant than anyone else!

It was heard that during the ceremony, Young General even knelt down and begged the emperor not to send Mu Heng and his family to the Bai Region. This caused widespread gossip, with many speculating that he did it to prevent Yueqian from leaving.

In the end, the emperor did not make any decision. He stated that matters related to the affair would be discussed later and then went to the inner palace to spend the night with his new wife.

Of course, at the crack of dawn the next day, before the sun had even risen, the Wang from the foreign land visited Mu Heng’s manor again. It was unclear whether he came to hear news about his sister or the morning assembly of the nobles from the Bai Region, or if it was simply because of breakfast. Upon arrival... he immediately asked for the table to be set for a meal.

Fortunately, Yueqian had prepared quite a lot of food, so she did not have to spend time cooking again. There were not many people today, so the Wang allowed them to behave as before. Yueqian and her siblings did not have to go out to eat in the pavilion, avoiding the hassle.

"Do you have any matters with the person known as Young General?" The nobleman asked while eating.

Yueqian did not show any emotional reaction. Only Mu Heng and her siblings were slightly taken aback. She chewed her food slowly, swallowed it, and then spoke.

"He is my former fiancé." Upon hearing this, the Wang raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Former fiancé?"

"Yes, but due to certain issues between us, my father sent me to marry my husband as a punishment."

"Punishment? You don’t seem like you were punished at all, do you?" Hearing this, the large man almost laughed out loud. What kind of punishment involves marrying a strong man like Mu Heng? If he were to send his daughter away, it would be considered a reward.

"I think the same as you," Yueqian smiled, lifting her teacup to take a sip with a satisfied expression, showing just how happy she was with her marriage to Mu Heng.

"Then, what about the matter with Young General? Why does he still want to keep you both here... Ah, I see. What you said about wanting to fight—that man is your wife’s former fiancé who refuses to give up, isn’t he?" After some contemplation, the Wang recalled Mu Heng’s intense gaze when he was disguised as a mountain bandit, and everything suddenly became clear.

Actually, he had forgotten about this until he saw Young General’s expression. It was evident that the other man was very attached to this issue. He even knelt and begged the emperor, saying that for his accomplishments, he sought no reward other than for Mu Heng’s family to remain here.

This caused quite a stir among those who heard about it, with many gossiping about the situation. He, being an outsider, did not initially understand the original context.

Now, he began to understand! It seemed that this matter was related to a woman, not a political issue. If that was the case... it shouldn’t be too difficult for him to handle.

"If last night went well and my sister pleased your emperor, moving to the Bai Region shouldn’t be difficult for you." He twirled the cup in his hand. In truth, he had come to wait for news about his sister. If the Du Region’s emperor favored her, he would return home and let her proceed with the support of those he left in the Region.

But if she did not gain favor! He would need to establish a power base here to ensure her survival and then return home with a revised plan.

"Tell me honestly, how confident are you that he likes women who play Go?" He turned to asked Yueqian, seeking reassurance after waiting aimlessly.

Yueqian smiled slightly but did not respond. For her... there was no need to say how confident she was, because she had read it herself—an emperor surrounded by women, yet ultimately seeking something that few women could provide.

For him, even the daughter of a low-ranking official, merely a concubine’s child, had ultimately been appointed as an Imperial Honored Consort! Amidst everyone’s objections, the emperor had elevated a woman of lower status to a position that commanded respect across the land.

If the woman were a princess from a foreign region, it would be much easier for people to accept her once she gained favor. After this, all she needed to do was keep an eye on whether the emperor showed interest in any other women. She was the only one who had made him fall in love. As for the others... even if they fought to the death, it would be useless.

It wouldn’t affect his feelings in the slightest!

Fortunately, they didn’t have to wait long. After only the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a royal decree arrived at Mu Heng’s manor. A plump eunuch called for Mu Heng to come out after respectfully greeting the Wang from the foreign region, who had arrived at this small manor early in the morning, still feeling quite confused.

The royal decree announced that the emperor was granting a person to the Wang of the Bai Region in gratitude for saving both his and the Imperial Honored Consort’s lives. Additionally, they were bestowed with numerous royal gifts. This public display made it clear to everyone just how much favor the princess had gained.

After the eunuch left, people from the Bai Region arrived. They reported that the inner palace was in turmoil. The emperor had spent the entire night with their princess and showered her with many rewards in the morning. People speculated that if the empress position were not already occupied, the emperor might have elevated the princess to empress.

Moreover, he had granted her a special royal title. When the concubines any woman in the palace even if a woman held a higher rank by one level, she had to show respect to someone with such a title. This meant that even the empress had to respect the Imperial Honored Consort. Only the Empress Dowager could instill fear in her now.

The change in the heartless emperor’s behavior made people fearful. He even bestowed the largest palace to her, which, when compared, seemed grander and more valuable than the empress’s palace.

"The princess now..."

"Stop calling her a princess. She is now the “Imperial Honored Consort.” You should address her as such," her brother was greatly satisfied. As long as his sister had a secure position, few would dare to bully her.

Previously, it was heard that this emperor was difficult to please. They didn’t have high expectations. However, among all the siblings, this youngest princess was the only one who was exceptionally intelligent. Everyone agreed that she should be able to survive in a foreign state. Even if she wasn’t favored, as long as she had a good life and bore children, that would be enough for them.

In the future, the Bai and Du Regions would inevitably come to a breaking point. They even promised to bring their grandchildren back to the Bai Region.

Now, it seemed they had new hope. If their sister continued to be favored and had children, it was possible he could seize the throne and become one of those who could unite the two regions!

If they could actually achieve that, there would be no more war. Their Regions would unite and become stronger. In front of the Hu Region, they might even become a worthy adversary.

"You’ve done very well. When you reach the Bai Region, I’ll give you another 500 soldiers to help you take over that city," the Wang said with satisfaction.

Five hundred soldiers might not seem like much, but for Mu Heng, it meant that he would have enough force to surpass any independent armies. Initially, he thought he would get 100 soldiers to accompany him; he didn’t expect the other party to be this generous.

"Thank you, Your Highness," Mu Heng said happily. The Wang nodded in acknowledgment.

"You have a good family. I believe the position of Great General will soon be yours," the Wang had always had high expectations, so he couldn’t keep his thoughts to himself any longer.

His words carried great expectation, and he spoke them for everyone to hear. Even though these people were his own, everyone now knew that this small family of six would undoubtedly become a great family in the Bai Region in the future.

The former Great General of the Du Region clenched his fists tightly, feeling that he wasn’t foolish for deciding to follow Mu Heng and Yueqian. Before even reaching the Bai Region, Mu Heng had already received command of 500 soldiers. This exceeded his expectations by far, and naturally, the flames of his vengeance burned fiercely!

It seemed that his revenge would soon yield results!

Not long after, the people from the Bai Region departed, arranging to meet Mu Heng and Yueqian in seven days. They still had many matters to handle, and so did Yueqian and her husband. This time, they truly had to prepare for a long journey. Yueqian knew that traveling with a large group meant that relying solely on the items from her dimensional mall would increase the risk of raising suspicion.

Therefore, she started drying meat. This meat had a different taste compared to the hard, dried meat typically eaten by soldiers. Yueqian also prepared a large amount of oil to load onto the cart, along with fruits, rice, and other supplies.

As for the items from their old village, she would ask the soldiers from the Bai Region to help transport them, as it wasn’t far. The territory was mountainous, making entry and exit through the mountains the only real challenge.

While she was busy with preparations, an unwelcome guest arrived!

"Qian’er, I need to speak with you," said a man with a handsome face, the kind that could easily make many women in this world fall in love with him. Now, he appeared like a rogue in Yueqian’s manor.

Naturally, he did not enter through the door but instead jumped over the wall and appeared before Yueqian, who was in the kitchen. Now, they were alone together.

"Has no one ever told you that you should enter other people’s manors through the door?" Yueqian frowned, looking at the man she disliked with indifference.

"Damn it, that expression on your face now... it’s genuine, isn’t it?" The large figure stepped closer, now only an arm’s length away.

Yueqian frowned, feeling threatened. Her expression clearly showed she did not appreciate his behavior.

"All this time, you’ve been looking at me with those eyes, haven’t you?"

"..........."

"And now you still think of running away from me? Or was moving to the Bai Region your plan from the beginning?"

"..........."

"That’s right. If you stayed here, you’d never escape from me. So, you decided to move to the Bai Region. Then...Do you think I won’t follow you?" 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"..........."

"You still underestimate me, don’t you, my Qian’er... In your eyes, do I look like a fool? Hah! Remember this, no matter where you run, even if it’s to the Hu Region, I... will follow and bring you back!"

"...........""Because... you were born to be mine!!"