“Something like this—you could have just sent Wei Shouyi a telegram. Why make the trip yourself?”
“This is one of those matters where my personal presence will have the best effect. First, it will reassure them; second, it will serve as a warning. Since I’m giving them gunpowder, I have to make sure they use it for the right purposes.”
Yue Fuguang rose and headed outside, instructing Cuizhu as she went, “Cuizhu, go tell Grandmother and Mother that I have some business to attend to and will be away for a few days. I’ll be back soon, so they don’t need to worry.”
She also tossed her a hastily written letter. “Give this to Grandfather. He’ll know what to do.” She couldn’t be bothered to go to the palace herself to explain her plans to Emperor Mingxi. Whatever she decided, the emperor wouldn’t oppose it anyway.
She was informing them because the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works would need to guarantee these men’s logistical support, as well as arrange their future military merits and rewards.
Cuizhu followed her into the courtyard. When a flying carriage suddenly appeared before them, she couldn’t help asking, “My lady, where are you going? Shall I pack some things for you?”
Yue Fuguang waved her off. “No need. I’ll be back in two or three days.”
Turning around, she said to He Jin and Shen Chunying, “Only the two of you are coming with me this time.” Her carriage wasn’t large, and there was no need to bring anyone else.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Dai Yuxing and Luo Shendong hurrying over. She waved at them. “You two stay behind and look after the place.”
She waved to everyone and departed in the carriage with a carefree flourish.
Dai Yuxing watched the flying carriage recede into the distance. Turning to Luo Shendong, he complained, “I’ve been held back by my gender! If I were like He Jin, could I follow the lady around all day too?”
“The lady treats the few of you better than she treats Yu Huaixian and the rest of us old men. Don’t you think that counts as gender discrimination?”
Luo Shendong gave him a light, disdainful look and said with her chest puffed out, “We’re more favored than you men. So what? The lady likes us. Do you dare object? If you want, I can mention it to her when she gets back.”
Dai Yuxing hurriedly shook his head and waved his hands. “I wouldn’t dare! Auntie, I was wrong. Please, whatever you do, don’t tell the lady.”
Seeing the two of them, Cuizhu smiled, shook her head, and went off to attend to her own tasks.
Inside the flying carriage, Shen Chunying’s eyes gleamed. “My lady, you’ve noticed too, haven’t you?”
Yue Fuguang gazed out at the cloudless blue sky and deliberately asked, “What do you mean?”
The smile on Shen Chunying’s face widened. “I mean my Shendong and Lord Dai…”
Yue Fuguang put on an expression of sudden realization. “Oh, that. Yes, I’ve noticed something going on.”
“Then, my lady, do you approve?”
“Me?” Yue Fuguang looked baffled. “It’s their business. As long as they both agree, that’s all that matters. They don’t need to ask me.”
She had no experience with romance, after all. If the two of them had fallen for each other and wanted to marry, she wouldn’t stop them. They were all her subordinates, and letting them pair off among themselves was rather convenient—at least the good water wouldn’t flow into someone else’s fields.
Shen Chunying looked troubled. “If they really get married, will they still be allowed to remain by your side?”
That was why Dai Yuxing and Luo Shendong had hesitated to make their feelings known even after realizing how they felt about each other.
Neither of them wanted to leave the lady’s side, but they were also in love.
Yue Fuguang paused. That was indeed a problem. Once people married, they were no longer solitary souls who only had themselves to worry about. “What do they want? Do they want to stay, or should I find Shendong another position?”
Whether she placed them in the civil administration or the military, it would only take a word from her. Both of them were capable, and they could make a name for themselves anywhere.
Shen Chunying hurriedly shook her head. “Naturally, they want to stay by your side. They don’t want to go anywhere else!”
She quickly stole a glance at Yue Fuguang’s expression. “Are you going to send them away, my lady?”
Seeing how cautious and worried she looked, Yue Fuguang chuckled. “I’ve grown accustomed to having all of you around. As long as you don’t want to seek opportunities elsewhere, I won’t drive you away.”
She wouldn’t be staying in Dayan for more than a few years anyway. There was no need to find another group of unfamiliar guards and make trouble for herself. What a hassle!
Shen Chunying and He Jin’s eyes lit up at the same time. “My lady, we’ll remember those words. You can’t go back on them!”
Yue Fuguang smiled and accepted the tea He Jin handed her. “This lady always keeps her word. Once spoken, even a galloping horse can’t catch it. The lot of you can rest easy and start families.”
“There is one condition, though. If you have children, you must let me decide what to do with them.” She couldn’t very well have the children grow up neglected while their parents were away.
[Host, we can only stay here for a few more years. There’s no chance of any latchkey children. And see? I told you those two had something going on, but you didn’t believe me.]
“I just don’t have any experience. How was I supposed to notice?”
[You may lack hands-on experience, but don’t you have theoretical knowledge? Did you waste all those romance novels and television shows?]
“Fictional romances aren’t the same as real life. Isn’t it perfectly normal that I couldn’t tell when they hid it so well?”
“My lady, we’ve arrived.”
He Jin’s soft voice roused Yue Fuguang from sleep. Her old habit from her previous life had never changed: she always got drowsy in a vehicle. She had been arguing with the system earlier, but at some point, she had fallen asleep without realizing it.
“He Jin, how long was I asleep?” Yue Fuguang lifted her head and looked out at the rising sun. After flying for more than ten hours, they had finally reached the skies above Gancheng.
“You slept for three and a half shichen.” As she helped Yue Fuguang wash up, He Jin asked, “My lady, shall we have breakfast at General Xu’s residence, or would you like to eat now?”
Yue Fuguang brushed her hand across the tabletop, and a spread of steaming hot Western and Chinese breakfast dishes appeared. “The food at their place may not be as good as what I brought.”
At General Xu’s residence, General Xu nervously rubbed his hands together. “Brother Wei, do you think the Grand Preceptor will come to the general’s residence for breakfast?”
He glanced outside once again. “By my reckoning, the Grand Preceptor should have reached Gancheng by now!” No one knew how many times that morning he had looked toward the courtyard entrance.
Wei Shouyi, who was more familiar with Yue Fuguang, remained as steady as an old hound. He picked up the bowl of porridge on the table and took a large gulp.
“Hey! The Grand Preceptor hasn’t arrived yet, and you’re already eating?” General Xu reached out dramatically. If the porridge hadn’t already gone down Wei Shouyi’s throat, his expression suggested he might have tried to claw it back out.
“Do you know this is a grave offense?” General Xu had spent years stationed at the border. Although he had met Yue Fuguang only a few times, he knew quite a bit about her deeds.
