Miss Cousin is Always Busy

"Regardless, Wan'er won't be marrying anyone. I will find her a good family myself."

Madam Ning refused to loosen up no matter what.

"Whatever you say, Madam."

The fifth prince nonchalantly took a sip of tea, making it seem as if he didn't care about Madam Ning's reply at all.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to go along with your wishes, Your Highness."

Jun Zishu, who had been taking on the role of a transparent person thus far, suddenly stood up and smiled at the fifth prince. Since they were discussing her marriage, she had to more or less voice her opinions. "I have to accompany Auntie since nobody else is at home right now, so I won't be considering marriage for the moment."

Madam Ning nodded in agreement. At worst, the General's manor would lose some reputation from this matter. She wouldn't mind such an outcome at all. It'd be much better than letting Jun Zishu marry someone belonging to the fifth prince's faction. Moreover, now that Jun Zishu had also stated that she didn't care about her personal reputation, Madam Ning had even less need to feel worried.

"How filial of you, Little Sister Wan'er."

The fifth prince put down his teacup and sneered.

Seeing this, Jun Zishu put on a perfunctory smile in response. The fifth prince was trying to control her? He'd be better off dying in a ditch.

Then, the fifth prince stood up and politely said, "How about meeting with Xiao An at the very least? Think of it as giving me some face."

Alarm bells began ringing in Jun Zishu's mind, and she immediately thought of rejecting the fifth prince's request.

"What? Are you not going to give me even this bit of face?" the fifth prince lightly asked, hints of coercion hidden in his voice.

"You are overstepping your boundaries, Little Brother."

Suddenly, a voice came from outside the guest hall, and the owner of this voice was none other than the fourth prince.

"Oh? What wind brought you here, Fourth Brother?"

The fifth prince stood up and greeted the fourth prince with a smile. Looking at how the two were smiling at each other, one would assume that the two brothers shared a friendly relationship.

"Naturally, it is because I heard that you're helping someone seek Little Sister Wan'er's hand in marriage. Little Sister Wan'er and I have long since confessed our feelings for each other. It's just that I never found the right opportunity to propose to her. I have already discussed marriage with Little Sister Wan'er multiple times, but she has always eluded me, saying she wanted to be filial. However, if I don't appear now, wouldn't my beloved be snatched away?"

As the fourth prince spoke, he kept his eyes focused on Jun Zishu, hints of embarrassment on his face. From an outsider's perspective, it looked as if he truly adored Jun Zishu. However, where the fifth prince couldn't see, the fourth prince winked at Jun Zishu, giving off quite the playful look.

"It seems you are getting better at spouting nonsense, Fourth Brother." The fifth prince chuckled, his words carrying hints of mockery.

"If you don't believe me, you can ask Little Sister Wan'er yourself," the fourth prince said as he pointed at Jun Zishu.

By now, Jun Zishu had already finished considering her options, so she nodded to the fifth prince and said, "I'm really sorry, Your Highness the Fifth Prince."

"I don't want to hear any rumors about Little Sister Wan'er floating outside, Little Brother. If I hear any, I don't mind pushing the blame onto you," the fourth prince spoke with narrowed eyes.

Meanwhile, upon hearing Jun Zishu's reply, the fifth prince couldn't help but glare at Jun Zishu with a dark look. Then, he left the Ning manor in a huff.

"Why are you here, Your Highness?"

After the fifth prince left, Madam Ning quickly stood up to bow to the fourth prince. However, before she could do so, the fourth prince raised his hand and stopped her, signaling that there was no need for formalities right now.

"I heard that Little Sister Wan'er was in trouble, so I came here to help," the fourth prince said to Madam Ning. Then, he looked toward Jun Zishu and playfully said, "However, now that I have already made such a declaration, I will have to trouble you for some time, Little Sister Wan'er."

It had been becoming increasingly difficult for the fourth prince to maintain communication with Jun Zishu because more and more people had started to keep an eye on him recently.

In reality, the fourth prince could've found another way to resolve Jun Zishu's predicament. However, he currently needed to maintain closer contact with Jun Zishu to discuss more important matters.

"Okay."

Jun Zishu nodded, quickly understanding the fourth prince's intentions.

After getting Jun Zishu's agreement, the fourth prince left the Ning manor as well.

Meanwhile, Madam Ning remained ignorant of the situation, so she couldn't help herself from asking, "Wan'er… Since when have you and the fourth prince…?"

"I don't have any personal affairs with the fourth prince. We have only reached an agreement with each other. However, I'm afraid I won't be able to accompany you for some time, Auntie."

"That's not important. Just help me understand the situation a little," Madam Ning requested.

Subsequently, Jun Zishu gave a brief explanation to Madam Ning, helping her understand the current situation in the capital.

"How do you know all these things, Wan'er?"

"Big Sister told me about them."

Jun Zishu wisely passed the ball to the distant Ning Qinghuan. She even put on a look of worship when she spoke of Ning Qinghuan.

"I need to go write a letter first, Auntie. Then, I'll prepare to…stay at the fourth prince's manor for some time."

"Go ahead."

Madam Ning was only a woman in high society. Although she possessed foresight, she lacked understanding of matters pertaining to the imperial court. Hence, she couldn't help but feel a little worried about this development.

…

After Jun Zishu returned to her room, she wrote a letter explaining the situation to Ning Qinghuan. She also added some of her upcoming plans in the letter.

After rolling up the letter and storing it into a bamboo container, Jun Zishu had Shaoyao prepare a plate of raw meat.

A year had already gone by since Ning Qinghuan left, yet the date of her return remained unknown because the war in the north had entered a stalemate.

Jun Zishu sighed when she thought about the war. Then, she whistled loudly.

A moment later, an eagle flew toward her and perched on the railing outside the room. Then, after feeding the raw meat to the eagle, Jun Zishu tied the bamboo container to the eagle's claw.

"Go on."

…

Two days later, a palanquin came to bring Jun Zishu to the fourth prince's manor.

Since Jun Zishu would be entering the fourth prince's manor as a concubine, there was no need to create much fanfare for her arrival. Thus, she entered the manor through the rear courtyard instead of the main entrance.

This arrangement was perfect for Jun Zishu. It was also fortunate that she lacked status. Otherwise, she would definitely voice her refusal if she was required to go through a bunch of tedious procedures.

However, despite the lack of fanfare, Jun Zishu's marriage with the fourth prince was already more than enough to indicate which faction the General's manor stood with.

"Little Sister Wan'er."

The fourth prince stepped into the bridal chamber, an awkward smile appearing on his face as he looked at Jun Zishu. Even if the marriage was a sham, he still needed to remain in this room for the night to convince others of his marriage with Jun Zishu.

"Sit."

Jun Zishu had long since changed into casual clothing and sat by the tea-table.

"Little Sister Wan'er… We…"

"We'll just talk through the night," Jun Zishu stated, giving an indifferent look to the fourth prince.

"Okay, let's talk through the night, then."

The fourth prince nodded. Through the interactions they shared in the past years, he had already gotten a good idea of Jun Zishu's personality. Rather than a harmless rabbit, Jun Zishu was a cunning wolf that ruthlessly devoured others.

Jun Zishu might look weak and gentle on the surface, but the profoundness and viciousness of her schemes caused even the fourth prince to break out in cold sweat.

Truth be told, the fourth prince had a soft spot for women like Jun Zishu. However, he quickly dismissed his thoughts since there was no way Jun Zishu would obediently remain by his side. Though, this situation also made him wonder what kind of person Jun Zishu liked.

"I'm a little curious, Little Sister Wan'er. Should you ever find yourself falling in love with someone, what kind of person would that be?"

Jun Zishu propped up her chin with her palm and began formulating words in her mind. Then, she replied, "I can't say it clearly, but you'll understand once you meet him."

Jun Zishu had originally wanted to describe Ning Qinghuan with words such as chivalrous and courageous. However, she quickly dismissed those thoughts since she felt such a description wasn't appropriate. In short, Ning Qinghuan was a very kind person in Jun Zishu's mind.

"Oh? If you put it that way, does that mean you already have someone you like, Little Sister Wan'er?"

"That's right."

Jun Zishu nodded, a gentle smile appearing on her face.

"I'm waiting for him to return and marry me."

"Is he not in the capital right now?"

"Mhm."

"Does he know that you've entered my manor?" the fourth prince curiously asked. He doubted that there would be any man so generous as to watch their woman marry another man, even if it was all just an act.

"He should find out about it soon. Once he does, he will probably explode in rage."

When Jun Zishu thought of Ning Qinghuan's reaction once her cousin found out about this matter, she couldn't help but have the urge to chuckle.

"How do you plan to deal with this situation, then?"

"I will discuss it with him. Once he returns, 'Jun Wan'er' will pass away, and I will use a new identity to appear by his side."

Jun Zishu quietly observed the candle on the table, a blank expression on her face. Under the glow of the candle, her face gave off a daunting feeling.

The fourth prince sighed when he heard Jun Zishu's reply. Then, he picked up the teapot on the table and poured Jun Zishu a cup of tea.

"With your insight and intelligence, you will surely be able to achieve great things if you attach yourself to someone more influential, Little Sister Wan'er."

"I don't care about those things."

"I know. I still remember your reason for helping me. It's for the sake of your Big Sister Qinghuan, right? Speaking of which, Ning Qinghuan is a talent as well. Despite being a girl, she dares to take part in the war. I guess it is to be expected of General Ning's daughter."

The fourth prince sighed, his words carrying hints of admiration.

"Wait… You two… Don't tell me the person you like is…"

For some inexplicable reason, the fourth prince suddenly thought of an absurd possibility. Jun Zishu had previously stated that her beloved was currently absent from the capital, and Ning Qinghuan just so happened to be absent as well. Moreover, the relationship between the two sisters was so good that the two were almost always together.

Tribadism?

The fourth prince let out a dry laugh, finding his conjecture to be absurd. Perhaps Jun Zishu had indeed met a man and fell for him without his knowledge. After all, there was no need for Jun Zishu to report to him on her private affairs. He wasn't keeping a constant eye on Jun Zishu, either.

However, what Jun Zishu said next thoroughly shocked the fourth prince.

"How perceptive of you, Big Brother Four. You have exceeded my expectations," Jun Zishu said with a surprised expression. She never thought that the fourth prince could guess her relationship with Ning Qinghuan.

Meanwhile, the fourth prince knew that Jun Zishu would only ever refer to him as "Big Brother Four" when she was putting on an act for outsiders or in a good mood. In other times, she would maintain formality and refer to him as "Your Highness" instead.

Thus, he had hit the mark with his absurd conjecture?

"Are you really not joking with me, Little Sister Wan'er?"

"Why would I joke with you? In my opinion, this isn't something worth joking about. What's wrong? Do you feel that my relationship with her is improper?"

"No, no, not at all. In fact, after carefully thinking it over, I find it perfectly reasonable. After all, the degree of closeness between you two has truly reached abnormal levels," the fourth prince said, shaking his head. Although he indeed felt that the relationship between Jun Zishu and Ning Qinghuan was taboo and improper, he didn't have much to do with their relationship. Thus, it'd be best if he kept his thoughts to himself.

Moreover, the fourth prince found the fact that Jun Zishu was a lesbian to be relieving. At the very least, it proved that he didn't lose to another man.

"But even if you change your identity, you still can't marry her. Unless, of course, you plan to crossdress as a man?" the fourth prince asked, still feeling a little confused.

"That is not a problem for you to worry about. This is between the two of us. Alright, Your Highness, let's talk about court matters next. I only gave you my personal opinions in the past, but now that I am officially standing on your side, Big Sister and Uncle will side with you as well," Jun Zishu said. "However, even though you have our support, he is still too biased toward the crown prince. Thus, we need to do something about it next."

Jun Zishu had never been a soft-hearted person. Once she started plotting against someone with her cunning mind, she would show no mercy to her opponents.

The fight for the throne had always been a cruel process. Since the fourth prince didn't mind what would become of his elder brother, Jun Zishu naturally did not need to worry about the crown prince's future, either.

Legitimacy belonged to the victor. Only the person who could laugh until the end could take control over everything.

Ten days had already passed by the time Ning Qinghuan received Jun Zishu's letter.

After Ning Qinghuan read the letter's content, she crumpled the letter with a grim expression on her face. At the same time, she also gnashed her teeth and inwardly cursed at him a hundred times.

Her fiancée had originally been waiting for her in the Ning manor obediently. Yet, because of the fifth prince's interference, her fiancée had to take shelter in some man's home while waiting for her to return.

After Ning Qinghuan burnt the letter into cinders, she heard the rallying horn blowing outside. So, she promptly picked up her halberd and walked out of her tent.

On the battlefield, the soldiers fighting alongside Ning Qinghuan noticed that the girl was especially ruthless when fighting against the enemy today. Her behavior made it seem as if she had a massive grudge against the enemy soldiers.

Meanwhile, in Ning Qinghuan's eyes, every one of the enemy soldiers in front of her had transformed into the fifth prince, and she stabbed every one of these fifth prince clones with great glee.

You want to steal my wife? I'll kill you! I'll kill you! Die! Die!

Such thoughts repeatedly echoed in Ning Qinghuan's mind.

When Ning Yunlang saw his little sister's behavior from a distance, he couldn't help but frown.

The battle this time was a massive victory for the empire's army, the enemy army frantically retreating from the battlefield after suffering huge losses.

Of course, the empire's soldiers didn't get away unscathed, either, with many suffering injuries. Meanwhile, Ning Qinghuan was one of these people.

She had received a slash to her left shoulder, and the wound looked quite terrifying.

Ning Yunlang was responsible for treating Ning Qinghuan's wound. Originally, the responsibility should've fallen onto the military doctors. However, many people crowded around the military doctors, and Ning Yunlang felt it would be inconvenient for his little sister to seek treatment there. It might be fine if Ning Qinghuan had suffered injuries to her hands or feet, but treating her shoulder wound required her to expose a huge portion of her back. Hence, Ning Yunlang felt that it'd be better if he did the treatment himself.

"What's wrong with you today? You looked more impulsive than usual. You also seemed very angry."

"It's nothing. Hurry up and patch me up."

Ning Qinghuan shook her head and grabbed the bottle of rice wine on the nearby table. After taking a huge gulp, she revealed an irritated expression, looking as if she was in a bad mood.

"What's a girl like you drinking such strong alcohol for?" Ning Yunlang said as he tried to snatch away the bottle in his little sister's hand.

However, Ning Qinghuan evaded his hand and said, "Just let me drink. We already won the battle today, so those bastards won't be trying anything for the next few days."

As soon as Ning Qinghuan finished speaking, she let out a groan as Ning Yunlang spread medicine on her wound.

While bandaging his little sister, Ning Yunlang curiously asked, "What's annoying you? Is it something especially important that you can't share with your big brother?"

"It's that scumbag fifth prince," Ning Qinghuan said contemptuously.

"Shh! Keep your voice down when talking about something like this. It'd be terrible if others heard you. Also, what did the fifth prince do? Did you receive a letter from home?"

"That's right. I honestly used to treat him as a friend and thought that he was a good person. Even though he was a prince, he didn't have that kind of domineering air royalty usually has. But I later realized that he was a little stupid. He couldn't even see through the facade of a hypocritical woman.

"I wouldn't have cared if he was a little dumb since I already discussed with Daddy, and we decided to side with the fourth prince. Although we have already decided to stand against the fifth prince, I didn't hate him. However, he actually dared to lay his hands on Wan'er!"

Ning Qinghuan smacked the table angrily, catching Ning Yunlang by surprise.

"I have long since severed relations with him and said that I won't marry him no matter what. Yet, despite knowing that Wan'er is very important to me, he vented his anger on Wan'er and tried to marry Wan'er off to someone in his faction while I'm away!"

Ning Qinghuan more or less understood the fifth prince's thought process.

The fifth prince probably hated her as much as she hated him right now. After all, the fifth prince had always thought that they should be together, yet she had crushed this thought of his.

Had the fifth prince hated her for this, Ning Qinghuan wouldn't have said anything about it. This was because she didn't care about the fifth prince's thoughts. However, it was different if the fifth prince tried to lay his hands on Jun Zishu. The fifth prince knew how important Jun Zishu was to her, yet he still tried to drag Jun Zishu to his side. To make matters worse, he had done so while knowing full well that Jun Zishu couldn't influence the decisions of the General's manor. He was simply trying to force the General's manor to use Jun Zishu as a sacrificial piece and anger the General's manor.

"What a narrow-hearted person."

After hearing the details from Ning Qinghuan, Ning Yunlang felt contempt toward the fifth prince's behavior. He felt that the fifth prince was childish for involving an innocent girl in his fight for the throne.

Ning Yunlang would've considered the fifth prince as a capable man if he had used some amazing tactics to gain the upper hand over his opponents. Yet, instead of doing so, the fifth prince had used a pitiful girl to create an issue. Moreover, he had only done so out of spite instead of doing so for a greater purpose. The fifth prince's actions were truly disappointing and infuriating.

"What happened next? How is Cousin Wan'er now?"

Ning Yunlang had long since known that their family had welcomed the arrival of a younger cousin with pitiful family background. However, apart from that, he didn't know much about Jun Zishu. Only with Ning Qinghuan's arrival at the battlefield did he learn more of this younger cousin.

"The fourth prince came to resolve the situation and took Wan'er in as his concubine."

"Ah, this seems like a good—"

Before Ning Yunlang could finish, Ning Qinghuan interrupted him, saying, "Good? It's not good at all! Even if the fourth prince wouldn't touch Wan'er, this outcome is still far from good! If not because of the fifth prince, Wan'er would still be waiting for me at home!"

Ning Qinghuan took another gulp of wine, dissatisfaction coloring her face.

"This doesn't seem like anything to be angry about. Although the fifth prince's actions are indeed infuriating, you don't need to lose your mind over it. Even if the fourth prince isn't a kind person, haven't you said it yourself that the fourth prince wouldn't touch her? Once you head back and solve the problem, wouldn't everything be alright?"

Ning Yunlang still couldn't understand why his little sister had gone out of control like she did today. The crazed manner in which she slaughtered the enemy soldiers was truly frightening.

"You don't understand."

"What don't I understand? Isn't it simply because you two sisters share a good relationship? But don't you think that the degree of concern and possessiveness you have toward Wan'er are a little abnormal?" Ning Yunlang asked in a solemn tone.

In reality, this wasn't the first time Ning Yunlang had seen his little sister lose control. Earlier on during the war, there was one time when Ning Qinghuan had nearly lost her neck to an enemy. Fortunately, she was quick to dodge out of harm's way, and the enemy's blade only managed to sever the string of the pendant Ning Qinghuan wore.

However, for some inexplicable reason, Ning Qinghuan suddenly went crazy and lunged at the enemy, pushing the enemy off his horse and brutally killing him.

After the battle that day ended, Ning Qinghuan had even run out to the battlefield by herself to search for her missing pendant. When Ning Yunlang discovered this, he also joined in on the search.

At the time, Ning Yunlang had asked Ning Qinghuan what special meaning that crescent-shaped pendant had to make her go crazy and ignore the safety of her life.

In response, Ning Qinghuan said that both she and Jun Wan'er possessed a copy of the pendant, so she couldn't lose it no matter what. When Ning Yunlang heard that explanation, he already started feeling that Ning Qinghuan was clinging too closely to Jun Wan'er.

Meanwhile, after getting her wound bandaged, Ning Qinghuan carefully put on a new set of clothes and nonchalantly said, "What's wrong with that? She's willing to stay with me, anyway."

"She has to marry someone eventually. You two cannot stay together like this forever," Ning Yunland said.

In response, Ning Qinghuan stood up, looked at her elder brother, and said, "We can."

"Qinghuan… You…"

Ning Yunlang was shocked when he realized the hidden meaning in his little sister's words.

"I didn't originally plan to tell you about it since the timing isn't right yet, but you'll find out about it sooner or later. So, I'll tell you now: I'll be marrying her once I return, Big Brother."

"Have you lost your mind?"

"I'm not crazy!"

When Ning Yunlang saw the expression on Ning Qinghuan's face, he knew that his little sister was serious.

Although he hadn't interacted much with his little sister after he had reached adulthood, he knew that his little sister had been an especially stubborn girl since she was a child.

"Otherwise, why do you think I would even come here? I'll do anything to obtain her."

Ning Qinghuan held up the pendant hanging from her neck, put it to her mouth, and kissed it.

Ning Qinghuan's expression was ever so serious, and her actions when she handled the pendant were ever so gentle. Yet, the meaning in her words caused Ning Yunlang to shudder.

"You don't need to poke your nose in this matter, Big Brother. I'll handle everything by myself. I'm not a man, in any case, so I don't have any responsibility to pass on the family lineage. I'll leave that kind of responsibility to you."

Ning Qinghuan raised her uninjured arm and patted her elder brother on the shoulder. Then, she revealed a sassy smile, sweeping away the gloom that previously covered her face.

"You don't need to agonize over this matter; you just need to focus on the war. I only hope that you can speak a few words on my behalf when the time comes. If I'm lucky, I might not even need you to speak for me to resolve this matter."

"Has she agreed to be with you?"

"Of course."

Ning Qinghuan revealed a sweet smile. Her smile was so dazzling that Ning Yunlang couldn't bear to look at her directly.

"Since you like her, just go for it. It's fine so long as you're happy. I doubt Mom and Dad will do anything about it," Ning Yunlang said as he massaged his aching temples.

"Mhm, mhm. Let's stop talking about me and talk about you instead. Although I don't know when we can return, once we do, you'll be forced to marry someone."

"I know, I know. I've already bandaged your wound, so get out."

Ning Yunlang had an even bigger headache when speaking about his marriage. So, he quickly ended the conversation and shooed his little sister away.

Meanwhile, Ning Qinghuan merrily hummed a song as she left Ning Yunlang's tent, her mood not as terrible as it was before. Now that she got her elder brother's support, she hoped that her parents could also support her relationship with her little cousin. If possible, she didn't wish to create an unhappy situation in her family. Though, with how much her parents doted on her, it was unlikely that they would disagree with her.

The protracted war lasted three whole years.

When Ning Qinghuan was fighting bloody battles in the north, Jun Zishu had devoted herself to strategizing in the fourth prince's manor.

Jun Zishu's life in the manor was considerably well. The fourth prince had shared Jun Zishu's situation with his wife Consort Wang. Thus, Consort Wang did not treat Jun Zishu like she would a love rival. Instead, she treated Jun Zishu like a friend. Whenever she faced problems, she would even seek help from Jun Zishu.

The first time Consort Wang visited her, Jun Zishu already knew what kind of thoughts the woman harbored. The woman was simply worried that Jun Zishu would fall in love with her husband. Hence, during their first conversation, Jun Zishu had tactfully revealed that she already had a loved one, easing Consort Wang's worries completely.

Outside of the fourth prince's manor, the crown prince's reputation had thoroughly crumbled during the past three years. His ability had originally been subpar already, having no strengths to speak of whatsoever. To make matters worse, he had a bad temper and a fatal lust for beauty.

Thanks to the fourth and fifth princes uncovering the crown prince's dirty secrets in the background, the emperor had already grown extremely dissatisfied with the crown prince.

Now that the emperor was still in good health, he had already started leaning toward the option of withdrawing the crown prince's succession rights and choosing another son, whom he was more satisfied with, as his successor. Meanwhile, this son was none other than the fourth prince.

In Jun Zishu's opinion, the fifth prince should never have held much advantage in the fight for the throne. The fifth prince had only managed to rise to the throne in the original timeline because the fourth prince had met with an unlucky death. 

Not to mention, the emperor didn't really like the fifth prince. Although the crown prince, the fourth prince, and the fifth prince all shared the emperor's blood, the degree of favoritism the emperor held for each of them differed.

Out of the three princes, the emperor doted on the crown prince the most. This was because the crown prince had originated from the empress, who was also the emperor's first wife. The emperor loved his first wife very much. Moreover, his wife had helped him a lot both before and after he ascended to the throne. Thus, even after the empress passed away, the emperor still left the position of empress vacant.

In comparison, the emperor disliked the fifth prince the most. The fifth prince originated from Concubine Xian, and the emperor didn't like Concubine Xian very much. This was because he did not welcome Concubine Xian into his harem willingly. Instead, his mother had forced Concubine Xian onto him before he had ascended to the throne.

Although the fifth prince was nothing but an innocent child in this affair, the emperor couldn't help but dislike him solely because his mother was someone the emperor disliked. Not to mention, the emperor didn't dislike Concubine Xian simply because she had been forced onto him. It was also because Concubine Xian's family was a troublesome force to deal with in the empire. This situation irked the emperor very much.

Meanwhile, this troublesome force was also the opponent Jun Zishu and the fourth prince had to go up against.

…

On this day, Consort Wang came to chat with Jun Zishu once more.

Although Jun Zishu was adept at misleading people, she didn't like to converse with others very much. Fortunately, Consort Wang was only using chatting as an excuse to complain and vent her frustrations to Jun Zishu. Thus, Jun Zishu only needed to stay quiet and listen. She didn't even need to express her own opinions.

Although being a prince's consort looked wonderful from an outsider's perspective, Consort Wang had to deal with many troublesome matters.

Not only did Consort Wang have to handle the manor's internal affairs, but she also had to watch out for other women trying to seduce her husband every day. To make matters worse, when such situations took place, she had to act generous and ignore these vixens' actions.

"You're embroidering a rabbit again, Little Sister."

Consort Wang familiarly took a seat in the courtyard and watched Jun Zishu embroider.

"Mhm."

"Don't you find it boring to embroider every day?"

Consort Wang sighed, looking a little distracted.

Jun Zishu shook her head in response and continued with her embroidery.

"Why do you keep embroidering rabbits? Why not embroider something else?"

Whenever Consort Wang was bored and came to visit, she would always find Jun Zishu embroidering. Initially, Consort Wang didn't believe her husband's claim that Jun Zishu was only here as an adviser. After all, no matter how she looked at it, there was no way a weak and tender girl like Jun Zishu could be so capable. However, after Jun Zishu helped her develop a solution for the troublesome vixens, she quickly became convinced of Jun Zishu's abilities.

"Because he likes to have me embroider rabbits. He probably likes rabbits a lot."

Jun Zishu warmly smiled as she spoke, all the while her hand skillfully manipulated the embroidery needle.

"The person you are waiting for; when will he be returning?"

"He should be back soon, very, very soon. When that time comes, I will disappear from this place."

"Are you sure Husband will succeed?" Consort Wang asked in a lowered tone, anxiety filling her heart.

"He will. You should probably prepare yourself in advance. When the time comes, you'll become even busier. Being a…is much more tiresome than being a prince's consort."

Although Jun Zishu deliberately avoided mentioning that title, she knew that Consort Wang would understand what she was trying to convey.

Jun Zishu had a relatively favorable impression of Consort Wang. Although Consort Wang gave off a fierce impression on the outside, she was, in reality, a tender girl on the inside. Consort Wang might not be a seasoned noblewoman right now, but Jun Zishu knew that Consort Wang would become a qualified empress one day.

Meanwhile, hearing Jun Zishu's advice, Consort Wang didn't know whether she should be happy or sad. She simply fell silent and looked up at the sky with a blank look.

[It's a huge victory, Host. The mission target is on her way back now.]

When Jun Zishu heard this voice echoing in her mind, she accidentally stabbed her thumb with the needle. Seeing blood seeping out of the wound, Jun Zishu quickly put her thumb into her mouth and set her embroidery work aside.

She's finally coming back, huh? Even the flowers are close to withering already.

[The flowers have withered three times already. Regardless, at least she is returning in one piece. I have a feeling that our mission will be ending soon, hehe.]

Little Fairy was elated by this situation. She was confident that their mission this time would receive a high evaluation.

Does the Department have that kind of ability, Little Fairy?

[What ability?]

The ability to erase my memories.

[Of course we have such a user-friendly ability. Moreover, hosts can choose from two modes. The first mode is the storage mode. If you go with this option, we will extract all of your memories during the mission period and store them. You can also freely retrieve these memories whenever you want. The second mode is the separation mode. In this option, we will dull the feelings you experienced during the mission period.]

I see.

Jun Zishu sighed in relief. Though, she felt that Little Fairy might have misunderstood her intentions. She simply didn't wish for her memories to be forcefully removed.

[Very few people go with the first option since that's akin to suffering from amnesia. Those who go with this option are generally looking to readjust their conditions or forget some bad experiences they underwent during their missions. However, people who took the first option almost never went back to retrieve their memories.]

I won't choose the first option.

[Mhm. I will support you no matter which option you choose.]

Jun Zishu believed that humans were creatures that lived by relying on memories. Thus, she'd rather keep her memories than discard them.

…

News of the army's triumphant return quickly reached the imperial court, exciting everyone.

The emperor rejoiced, and the people rushed to share the news.

"Have you heard? General Ning is returning after a victorious battle!"

"Of course! I've long since heard of this wonderful news!"

"I heard that Little General Ning will be returning as well."

"Really? Oh my. I heard that the Little General still isn't married since he has always remained at the border."

"Compared to the Little General, I'm more concerned about Miss Ning. I heard that she's ruthless on the battlefield, but I guess that's expected of someone from the Ning family. I wonder what kind of man can make such a woman submit?"

"Whoever it is, it definitely isn't you."

Apart from serving as gossip for the general populace, the return of the Ning family siblings also gave ideas to many people in the imperial court. As both siblings had yet to marry, they were prime targets for those seeking to increase their influence.

After General Ning, Ning Yunlang, and Ning Qinghuan returned to the Ning manor, before they could hold any sort of reunion with Madam Ning, the family of four hurriedly dressed up and made their way to the imperial palace. This was because the emperor had specifically hosted a grand banquet to welcome General Ning's triumphant return.

After assigning rewards to the war's contributors, the emperor started asking the question everyone was curious about.

"You're not young anymore, Yunlang. Have you found yourself a sweetheart yet?"

"I don't have any thoughts on this matter, so I will leave the decision to my parents," Ning Yunlang said with a blush, making it seem as if he was embarrassed to talk about this topic.

"I see. What about you, Qinghuan? You have made great achievements on the battlefield this time. Do you have anyone on your mind?"

"As it so happens, I do, Your Majesty."

Ning Qinghuan stood up and looked at the emperor with an earnest expression.

General Ning and Madam Ning were shocked to hear Ning Qinghuan's words. Meanwhile, Ning Yunlang revealed a slightly worried look.

"Oh? Which young lad is it? What family does he come from? If you don't mind telling us, we can play matchmaker for you," the emperor asked with an interested expression.

"It's not a man from any house."

"Hm?"

The emperor raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"It's a little awkward for me to say this, Your Majesty, but I came across many things during the expedition. Some of the things I witnessed are so outrageous that I can't help but have bad thoughts whenever I see them now."

"Oh? What kind of bad thoughts?"

"Whenever I see that thing that men have, I have the urge to draw my sword and cut it off," Ning Qinghuan stated with a sincere expression, her words causing all of the men present to gasp and clamp their legs.

Even the emperor shuddered and choked a little when he heard Ning Qinghuan's words.

Afterward, silence enveloped the banquet hall as everyone focused their gaze on Ning Qinghuan.

"I apologize for the rude remark, Your Majesty."

"It's fine, it's fine… Then, what of the person that you like?"

"The person I like is a girl."

The banquet hall went into an uproar.

Ning Yunlang never imagined that his little sister would make such a bold move. Even before informing their parents of her sexual preference, Ning Qinghuan had announced that she liked girls in front of the emperor and officials.

This was a prime example of acting first and reporting afterward!

With this, no matter how dissatisfied General Ning and Madam Ning were with Ning Qinghuan, they couldn't force Ning Qinghuan to marry a man anymore. Otherwise, it would create an awkward situation for everyone involved.

Ning Yunlang couldn't help but give Ning Qinghuan a look of admiration. His little sister's courage was truly unparalleled.

However, not all was smooth sailing. Madam Ning had nearly fainted when she heard her daughter's declaration. Fortunately, General Ning remained relatively calm, and he quickly pinched his wife, helping her stay conscious.

"This… This…"

The emperor was at a loss for words. He had no idea how to continue the conversation at all. He couldn't possibly ask which family's daughter Ning Qinghuan had taken a liking to, right? Even he found such a topic too awkward to talk about.

"Your Majesty."

Suddenly, General Ning stood up and bowed to the emperor.

Seeing a way out of this awkward situation, the emperor nodded and signaled General Ning to continue speaking.

"I have long since known about this matter, but I never thought my daughter would be so stubborn as to come clean on this occasion. However, I think this is good as well. This way, others can avoid wasting their time coming to our manor seeking marriage," General Ning said with a smile, his words causing many in the hall to gasp.

"Your words make sense. Children can take care of their own affairs. Everyone, sit and drink up."

The emperor nodded and used this opportunity to move the conversation to another topic.

The people below naturally followed suit, and Ning Qinghuan happily sat down and grinned at her father.

In response, General Ning glared at his daughter before hurriedly placating his wife.

Meanwhile, Jun Zishu sat in her courtyard and watched Little Fairy's live broadcast with a hand placed over her heart.

Her cousin was very manly today as well.