The Great General became anxious upon hearing that his daughter was unwell. “The Queen is unwell?”
Su Xi-er walked up to him and said, “The Queen just needs a bit of rest, General; there’s nothing to worry about. Besides, I’ll be the one taking care of her.”
The Great General looked at Su Xi-er before saying, “Thank you, Your Highness. This humble subject’s daughter is really fortunate to receive such care from you; it’s just that…” He hesitated for a brief moment before directing his gaze towards Du Ling and continuing. “…I hope that the King can visit the Queen more often in the future. We always doted on her like a precious gem at home.”
To himself, he thought, It’s good that my daughter and the Imperial Princess are on good terms; such a relationship will only benefit her.
Su Xi-er spoke before Du Ling could answer. “Elder Brother dotes on Sister-in-law, right?” Her voice carried a playful tone.
Du Ling nodded. “Of course. You can rest assured, Great General.”
“Many thanks, King. This humble subject will take my leave for now and return for the banquet at night.” The Great General then bowed respectfully before turning to leave the Golden Throne Hall.
Su Xi-er sighed as she watched him depart. “Elder Brother, you should treat a loyal subordinate like that like gold. Why did you treat his daughter so poorly?”
The Grand Empress Dowager walked up to them and said, “I was the one who picked the Queen. I didn’t mind what you did in the past because of how much influence the Xian Residence had, but you’ll have to carefully consider your actions from now on.” She then turned to Su Xi-er and said, “Rulan, come with me. Prince Hao, you’re good at governing the nation. Give Ling’er some tips.”
She then took Su Xi-er’s hand and pulled her out of the palace hall.
Du Ling laughed. “Let Royal Grandmother hog Younger Sister for now. She’ll be by your side every day when you guys are back in Beimin.”
“It’s just as the rumours say; the Grand Empress Dowager is involved in everything, but she’s not unreasonable in her demands. I would recommend you heed her advice.”
Du Ling sighed. “This King knows that, but I’ll always be a little kid in her eyes. Please don’t make fun of me, Prince Hao.” He then politely gestured with his hand. “After you.”
With a quick nod, Pei Qianhao and Du Ling headed for the study to discuss the specifics of the Western Region and Beimin’s future cooperation.
Before long, everyone in the Western Region had already heard that the genuine princess had returned. Not only that, they knew that she was married to Beimin’s Prince Hao, and that a quarter of the nation’s military power had been handed over as a dowry.
Merchants from the Central Plains who happened to be in the Western Region at the time were shocked, and before long, gossip began to spread.
“Look at how awesome the Western Region is. Dowries are usually jewelry and such, but they’re giving military power!”
“The Imperial Princess originally holds that authority in the first place, so being used as a dowry is only a formality.” Another man replied.
“But the Imperial Princess usually marries a Western Region warrior, so the authority over the military stayed in the hands of the Western Region. Now that the Imperial Princess is actually Princess Consort Hao, it will only add to Beimin’s military prowess.”
