Sitting in front of Shao Mingyuan, Qiao Zhao’s face was slightly flushed as she lowered her gaze to stare at the large hand gripping the reins without speaking.

Seeing this, Chi Can couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

When he went to Jia Feng, this girl had insisted on going along, and when they shared a horse, he hadn’t seen her being shy at all.

Was she becoming more thin-skinned as she grew older?

After a brief moment of confusion, seeing his friend’s beaming expression, Chi Can snorted coldly, “Pay attention—it’s broad daylight.”

Shao Mingyuan laughed, “Since when do you care about such things?”

Chi Can rolled his eyes, “I don’t care, but you’re the dignified Marquis Guanjun, the upright and proper General in the hearts of Great Liang’s people.”

Shao Mingyuan looked down at Qiao Zhao, tightened his large hand around his wife’s slender waist, and said with a smile, “Even upright and proper generals need to marry and have children. Loving one’s wife is natural and right—others have no say in it.”

Previously, they had been an unmarried man and woman, so naturally, they couldn’t overstep boundaries in public. Now that they were husband and wife, with the wife coming to meet her victorious husband returning home, what was wrong with husband and wife sharing a horse?

Chi Can found it an eyesore and spurred his horse to gallop away.

Shao Mingyuan smiled and looked toward Qiao Mo, “Brother-in-law, I’ll take Zhaozhao and go first.”

“Go ahead.” Qiao Mo smiled.

His younger sister and the Marquis were in perfect harmony—of course, he was happy to see it.

Watching helplessly as the two horses departed one after another, raising clouds of dust, Qiao Wan’s eyes sparkled, “Big Brother, brother-in-law is good to Sister Li.”

Qiao Mo looked down at Qiao Wan and asked gently, “Envious?”

Qiao Wan nodded vigorously, “Of course I’m envious! I used to think it was wonderful when I saw Father and Mother treating each other with respect. Now seeing brother-in-law and Sister Li, I realize that husband and wife can be this close.”

Qiao Mo was slightly startled, only now realizing that his younger sister had quietly grown up. He couldn’t help but smile, “Big Brother forgot that our Wan Wan will soon be of marriageable age.”

Qiao Wan’s small face instantly turned completely red. “Big Brother, what nonsense are you saying!”

The young girl said this while her eyes rolled, and she smiled, “Rather, Big Brother is already quite old. We’ve finished our mourning period—I wonder when you’ll find me a sister-in-law?”

“There will be a sister-in-law eventually.” Qiao Mo smiled faintly.

“When there’s a sister-in-law, should we move out of the Marquis residence?”

Qiao Mo looked seriously at Qiao Wan, “Would Wan Wan be reluctant?”

His younger sister had grown up following their mother. Although naturally lively, he believed she wouldn’t forget the proper rules.

Indeed, Qiao Wan shook her head, “Not at all. Although my brother-in-law is good, if we continue living in the Marquis residence after Big Brother marries, people will laugh at us for being greedy for wealth and honor. I don’t want to hear others say such things about us.”

As the young girl spoke, she couldn’t help but straighten her spine.

Her grandfather was a world-renowned great scholar, her grandmother was an imperial princess, and her mother had taught her early on that if a person had no sense of family honor, they would easily do spineless things. As a member of the Qiao family, she couldn’t let people gossip about them like that.

“Yes, we should move out.” Qiao Mo patted the horse’s back. “Can Wan Wan get up?”

Qiao Wan smiled proudly, “Of course I can. The little colt brother-in-law gave me has already grown taller than this white horse!”

White horse: “…” Could you not make such comparisons? Horses have dignity, too!

Qiao Wan stepped on the stirrup and mounted swiftly. Qiao Mo sat behind her and smiled, “Come, Big Brother will take you riding too.”

The group returned to the Marquis’ residence one after another.

Shao Mingyuan surveyed the familiar residence. When he left, it was still cold spring weather; now it was lush with flowers and trees.

“Zhaozhao, you’ve managed the household well.” Shao Mingyuan grasped Qiao Zhao’s hand and gently squeezed her soft palm.

Sharing a horse along the way, she hadn’t escaped someone’s taking advantage, and Qiao Zhao’s body was still somewhat weak at this moment. She glared at Shao Mingyuan, “Stop saying such things and go wash up quickly.”

“Mm, then you first attend to Shixi and brother-in-law and the others.” Shao Mingyuan looked with some regret at the person he had missed day and night, then strode into the washroom.

Qiao Zhao had already instructed the kitchen to prepare food and wine. She first had the maids serve fragrant tea to Chi Can and Qiao Mo, and when Shao Mingyuan came out wearing casual blue robes, they immediately began the meal.

After the meal, the maids served tea again, and only then did the group begin chatting.

“Lan Songquan was sentenced to beheading, and Lan Shan was dismissed from office and returned to his hometown. Finally, these two scourges have been eliminated. I imagine His Majesty will soon promote Xu Mingda to Grand Secretary. New people will enter the cabinet, and then there will be a new power structure.” Chi Can took a sip of tea and said lazily.

Shao Mingyuan glanced imperceptibly at Qiao Mo and smiled, “It doesn’t matter who His Majesty promotes as Grand Secretary. The key is being able to avenge my father-in-law’s family—that’s what’s most important.”

Though he had little contact with the scheming and plotting in court, he understood it clearly in his heart. Whoever took over wouldn’t necessarily be much better. He was a military general who didn’t get involved in such matters. Anyway, whoever wronged the people he cared about, he would find a way to eliminate them.

“With Lan Shan’s downfall, before I could even impeach his followers and confidants, countless people were competing to denounce them. Suddenly, I feel rather lonely.” Chi Can’s lips curved in mockery.

“If you could truly remain lonely forever, that would be a good thing.” Shao Mingyuan seemed to think of something and asked, “Shixi, have you ever heard about Master Wumei’s past?”

Qiao Zhao’s hand holding the teacup paused.

“Master Wumei?” Chi Can put away his lazy demeanor. “Why bring her up out of the blue?”

Facing his close friend, Shao Mingyuan had nothing to hide, “Master Wumei once gave Zhaozhao a prayer bead bracelet. Later, several times when Zhaozhao encountered danger, it was related to that bracelet. Some days ago, I sent people to investigate in the Southern Region and discovered that Master Wumei had some vague connection to a confidant besides Prince Su—”

“I know who you’re talking about.” Chi Can frowned slightly, “That person was called Xue Ping, Prince Su’s capable general. When Prince Su rebelled back then, he was defeated within just a few months. There was a rumor related to this person.”

“What rumor?”

“It was said that Xue Ping, entrusted by Prince Su, exchanged years of accumulated gold, silver, and jewels for silver to buy grain and supplies. But that money disappeared without a trace, Xue Ping drew his sword and killed himself, and from then on, no one knew the whereabouts of that silver.”

“What connection does this have with Master Wumei?” Shao Mingyuan asked.

“Later, somehow, rumors spread that someone had seen Xue Ping in the capital’s outskirts, saying he had gone to see a Princess Imperial.” Speaking of this, Chi Can sneered, “Originally, few people knew about these vague rumors. The reason I heard about them was because of that inexplicable claim that Xue Ping had given the silver to a Princess Imperial.”

The group couldn’t help but be intrigued by Chi Can’s words.

Chi Can’s expression grew colder, “My mother and I were once trapped on Lingtai Mountain by Prince Su’s remnants precisely because of that rumor—they mistook my mother for that Princess Imperial!”

“This suggests that the secret in the prayer beads might be related to that silver.”

Chi Can slammed his teacup on the tea table. “I’ll find a way to investigate further.”

After Chi Can left, Qiao Mo soon tactfully departed, leaving space for the couple who had been briefly separated.

Shao Mingyuan looked deeply at Qiao Zhao.

“What are you—” Before Qiao Zhao could finish speaking, she was swept up in his arms.

“Sleep!” Shao Mingyuan replied domineeringly.