Sister, you traveled through time too?

"How can your highness, a noble and beautiful woman, be a scourge?"

"I just... respect Your Highness and dare not offend you."

Xia Jie half-knelt on the ground and spoke solemnly.

Tang Xiaoyu stared at him, seeing through the thoughts in his eyes.

She looked at the distance he deliberately kept, understood his panic, knew his panic, and forgave his fear.

She knew that she was too impatient.

Xiaoyu should have known this long ago. How could a man like Xia Jie not be able to resist temptation?

This young general had too many honors, disgraces, rises and falls, and his unfinished mission on his mind.

Although Xiaoyu never thought of keeping him by her side, her kindness and temptation would inevitably make him panic and uneasy.

The little wolf who was born on the grassland mingled in the imperial city and had been dealing with the scheming tigers in the city since he was a child.

He will not trust anyone easily, nor will he accept unsolicited kindness.

Sooner or later, the wolf cub will return to the grassland and return to the battlefield that belongs to him.

She smiled gently, she was just anxious.

But was there really never a trace of emotion, even the slightest bit, in his eyes?

Tang Xiaoyu thought, there should be.

The dire situation in the imperial city could not quench the fire in the young general's heart, and his heart was not cold.

She thought, perhaps Xia Jie's heart was softer than anyone else's, so he had to be so cautious, so fearful, and keep his distance.

He won't let anyone hurt him.

Therefore, he will not, and dare not, put any person or thing that may hurt him on the soft soil in his heart.

Xiaoyu understands that establishing a bond is not an easy task.

She is not yet at the point where anyone would give up everything to follow her.

She looked at Xia Jie, put away her coquettish look, and solemnly helped him up.

"General Xia, there is no need to be so panic. I also respect the Xia family and the general."

Xiaoyu said seriously.

"I guess the general is frightened by my sudden show of goodwill."

"General, you also understand that there is no such thing as a free lunch. My money is certainly not so easy to take."

Xiaoyu smiled with curved eyebrows and said lightly.

Xia Jie looked at her and thought she smiled like a cunning fox.

That's right, this is your highness.

He knew why His Highness would help him for no reason.

Xia Jie felt relieved and immediately bowed seriously.

"It's all up to your Highness! Whatever your Highness asks for, we will grant it."

His eyes were full of respect as he spoke respectfully.

Xiaoyu also became serious for a rare time. She sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes like a sea without waves.

"I respect the loyalty of the Xia family. I only ask the general to remain true to his original intention and work with the Xia family to guard the border for the emperor."

"The aristocratic families are as deep as the sea, the open and covert struggles between parties are numerous, and there are many people with wolfish ambitions."

"The emperor is young and has only been on the throne for a few years. The situation in the imperial city is turbulent. If someone were to force the emperor to abdicate and rebel, I would be powerless to fight back."

"I want the three thousand imperial guards in the general's hand."

Tang Xiaoyu was serious and didn't look like she was joking. She sat at the top with black hair and white clothes, exuding a sense of dominance.

Xia Jie felt that this seemingly frail and charming woman in front of him was actually not that dandy.

There is no ambition in her eyes, and she looks at everything calmly. It is an incomparable calmness.

The calmness emanating from his eyes seemed to be able to see through everything, leaving no one able to escape.

That feeling is like control.

Xia Jie was shocked that he was shocked by her eyes.

But Xia Jie didn't know if she really had a plan in mind, so she was so calm and seemed to be in control of everything.

"I will defend the border to the death! The soldiers of the Xia family will never retreat!"

"I, Xia Jie, and even the Xia family will always be the sharp sword and backing of the emperor and his highness."

Xia Jie solemnly promised Xiaoyu's first request.

This promise will always stand.

Even if someone plots a rebellion in the future, he will never let any harm happen to them as long as King Jie of Xia is alive.

This promise was to repay her for saving her younger sister Shu'er.

"However, this imperial guard is not something I can give away at will. The imperial guard's tiger talisman is with the emperor."

"I guess, considering the emperor's love for your Highness, how could he be reluctant to give these three thousand imperial guards to your Highness?"

"So, Your Highness asked the wrong person for this matter."

Xia Jie pretended to be calm, and after he finished speaking, he looked helpless.

Unexpectedly, Tang Xiaoyu burst out laughing.

She walked forward slowly and gently lifted Xia Jie's chin, her eyes calm yet oppressive.

"General, telling lies is not a good thing."

Xia Jie listened to her calm and playful words, and his heart trembled, but his face remained expressionless.

"It is true that the tiger talisman is in the hands of the emperor, but it is not the tiger talisman that I want."

"What I want is the morale of the army."

She loosened her hand and helped Xia Jie up from the ground.

Xia Jie looked at her at eye level, and through her eyes, he only saw her calmness.

He felt that there was a scheming and cunning look in her eyes as if she were in control of everything.

Xia Jie smiled and was convinced.

"It doesn't matter who holds the tiger talisman. What I want is the morale of the army."

"The tiger talisman is only a token that can be used to mobilize them in public. In secret, what can really make them obey is your order."

"The only one they swear allegiance to is you, Xia Jie."

"Give me your private seal."

She said this without hiding anything, with a smile that was as bright as spring.

These three thousand imperial guards have been following King Jie of Xia in mediating in the imperial city for more than ten years, from the time King Jie of Xia was a child until today.

The real transfer order is not the tiger talisman, but the people's hearts.

She forgave Xia Jie's dishonesty, understood his temptations, and knew his thoughts.

But if she wants something, she'll say it.

She disdains metaphor, parallelism, symbolism and ambiguity.

Xia Jie was sincerely convinced, and his eyes softened and became serious as he looked at her.

"Your Highness, please forgive me for testing you just now."

He said, taking off a jade pendant from his neck.

The jade pendant is a small seal with a wolf head carved on it. It is smooth and of excellent texture.

He handed the jade pendant to Xiaoyu and said solemnly: "This is my humble servant's personal seal. Your Highness, if you take this, these three thousand imperial guards will swear allegiance to you until death."

"They have followed me for many years, and I hope Your Highness will treat them well."

"This private seal can also mobilize the troops that belong to me in the Xia family army. It is a token of my loyalty to you."

"Please accept it, Princess."

Xia Jie felt at ease, thinking that these three thousand imperial guards and their sincerity were just a token of repayment for her kindness of one hundred thousand taels of gold.

He suddenly felt much more relieved.

No one owes anything to anyone, everyone takes what they need.

He feels this is the most stable, safest, and best and most comfortable way for people to get along with each other.

If you owe someone something, you will always feel uneasy and subconsciously look down on them.

Only if he also puts out corresponding chips, he will not be inferior to others and will he be qualified to look her in the eye.

He can be loyal to her, but he doesn't want to depend on her. He wants to use his bargaining chips to cooperate with her in exchange.

Talking about love and trust is too fake. Only interests can make each other let down their guard, right?

Her Highness is a smart person and a superior. She has no shortage of treasures, power, or men.

He didn't think he had the ability to make someone like His Highness give so much just for him, Xia Jie.

If I don't have any bargaining chips, how can I cooperate with her for a long time?

Without chips, you will lose value and freedom.

More than anything else, he wanted to be able to really return to the grassland one day.

Xiaoyu solemnly held the jade pendant in her hand and hung it around her neck with a smile.

The black rope with white jade beads was very delicate, contrasting sharply with her neck.

She solemnly put on the seal that belonged to him alone.

She understood that to establish a bond, one must first achieve common interests.

Xia Jie was very cautious and nothing could be done hastily.

However, she has plenty of confidence and time to take things slow.

She knew that one hundred thousand taels could not buy the three thousand imperial guards who would live and die together with Xia Jie, nor could they buy the loyalty of the Xia family's soldiers.

She was able to get all this because of love.

She helped Xia Shu escape the pain of marriage, so Xia Jie would naturally be grateful to her.

If it weren't for this feeling, Xia Jie would not have easily given her the private seal and promise.

Interests are one part, feelings are another.

Both are indispensable.

She understood that Xia Jie would not be willing to stay in the imperial city, and she never wanted to trap him.

Rather than keeping him, Tang Xiaoyu wanted him to fly and run.

He shouldn't be stuck here.