In ancient times, she gave birth to seven daughters and was divorced by her husband's family.

"I'm already so old and have three children!"

"Besides, your sister-in-law and I have been very close over the years. If I told her I had an affair, she would tear me apart and divorce me and send me back to my parents' home with the child in her arms!"

Bai Lu was silent.

She thought of the previous head of the Shangguan family and the prince. It couldn't be them no matter what.

The head of the Shangguan family is aloof and reserved, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is of noble status.

Bai Lu turned away and said to Bai Chuyao, "Brother, you might be overthinking it... I don't have any romantic luck, and you're still being sarcastic!"

"I'm now moving rice, adjusting grain prices, and my children have also arrived from Liangzhou... I'm so busy I wish I had 300 separate bodies! How can I take care of all this?"

Bai Chuyao was happy, and said to Bai Lu: "Silly sister, I know you don't have this idea, and you also think that now that you have 7 children, you don't want to get married in the future! But..."

"You have to know that even if you don't think about it, others do."

He walked up to Bai Lu, causing her heart to tremble. "Your Highness the Crown Prince and Patriarch Shangguan are both heroes of our time... Your Highness the Crown Prince is cheerful and generous, and has always been fair and reasonable, always on our side."

"As for Patriarch Shangguan, he's incredibly capable and can handle any situation on his own. He's a man who can make a name for himself on his own. He's a truly remarkable man!"

"What kind of woman hasn't seen such a good man? Beautiful women, gentle and considerate... They've seen them all!"

"So, they don't want mundane things anymore!" "For the strong, what do you think is the most attractive thing to them?"

Bai Lu was shocked.

Are they both strong? "

Bai Chuyao said with satisfaction: "It seems that you are not too stupid.

"Deep down in their hearts... they naturally desire the strong."

"And you, my dear sister, you happen to be that strong one."

"You are gentle yet firm, have a good personality, are beautiful, and have exceptional qualities. Your abilities are even more remarkable!"

"Back in Liangzhou, you single-handedly broke into a den of thieves to rescue the people, and you controlled the entire grain supply of Liangzhou. In Kyoto, you even confronted the powerful, refutating your father without regard for dogma or etiquette. You're a man who lives a carefree life!"

"Now that the plague has been cured in Qingzhou, you can even be a female general. What else can't you do?"

"

...My sister, if everyone is not blind, they will like you."

As for the fact that Bai Lu was a widow and now had seven children, Bai Chuyao tacitly did not mention it.

This is not a shortcoming, but a shining point.

Bai Lu was able to raise a child by herself, and with such an identity and background, she was able to achieve such outstanding results... This is enough to show her ability.

Besides, what’s wrong with having a past? Who doesn’t have a past?

Bai Chuyao thought it was nothing.

The other men didn't think it was a big deal.

After listening to Bai Chuyao's analysis, Bai Lu felt that it made a lot of sense.

She nodded, but...she felt that it didn't make sense. "But brother, is it possible that we are really just overthinking?"

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the head of the Shangguan family are surrounded by many people! Big Brother, I have a different opinion from you. The reason those girls are different from me is because, under the doctrines and etiquette of the world, they are ordinary people!"

Bai Lu knew very well that if she were not a modern person, she would probably be an ordinary person.

Or even not be able to survive at all.

Everything is fate.

Bai Chuyao was shocked and seemed to be thinking about something.

What Bai Lu said makes sense!

Then Bai Lu said, "His Majesty knew about this, so he established the imperial examination for women, so that women all over the world can have a chance to succeed!"

"In the future, there will be more and more beautiful women like this."

"besides."

She shook her head and said to Bai Chuyao, "Besides, brother, what you said is too shocking!"

"Let's not talk about anything else for now, just mention His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Could it be that...he can still give me the position of Crown Princess?"

Bai Chuyao's eyes narrowed, and he said to Bai Lu, "The reason why my brother told you so much is so that you can remember the most important thing."

"Brother just wants to tell you that with His Royal Highness's status as the Crown Prince, no matter who it is... whether it's His Majesty or Aunt Queen, they will not let you become His Royal Highness's principal wife. At most, you will be a concubine!"

"They will covet the power you hold and try to squeeze you dry! Perhaps His Royal Highness the Crown Prince loves you and is willing to protect you... but you must remember that there is no love in the royal family."

"In the end, kings will turn around and kill their loved ones with their own hands, using this strategy to get closer to the throne of power."

Bai Lu's heart trembled, and Bai Chuyao said with a smile.

"Of course, brother also knows that you don't want to marry into the royal family, so there's no need to mention this matter anymore. In short... from now on, you just need to stay away from the prince."

"As for the Shangguan family master, if you think it's a good idea, I can help you get together."

Bai Chuyao said, squinting his eyes and smiling mysteriously at her, "But... Brother thinks that Master Gu is not bad either, and that Master Sun is not bad either, and also Master Pei from Kyoto..."

"Well, although Master Pei is your sworn enemy, it would be quite nice if you two became a couple!"

"It's like a pair of bickering lovers! Brother understands!"

"???"

Pei Huizhou?

Can this be married???

Bai Lu was dumbfounded and couldn't help but ask, "Brother, are you crazy?"

She went forward and touched Bai Chuyao's forehead, and said speechlessly: "Brother, are you running a fever now, starting to talk nonsense, or are you possessed by a ghost?!"

"Pei Huizhou looks like a jerk...you're asking me to marry him, are you cursing me to death?!"

"You don't have any daughters, so you've been coveting my daughters for a long time, wanting to anger me to death as their mother. Are you a parent?"

Bai Chuyao smiled, but before he could say anything, he heard a sharp voice coming from behind him.

"Brother, what are you doing?"

Bai Chuyao and Bai Lu turned their heads and saw the prince standing under the corridor. His face was gloomy and no longer as handsome as before. They wondered how long he had been listening here.

Bai Chuyao was stunned and looked at Bai Lu.

Bai Lu shook her head slightly at Bai Chuyao. Even if her martial arts skills were inferior to the prince's, the prince should have just arrived and her footsteps had just been heard.

The prince walked forward, turned his back to Bai Chuyao, and said gently, "Brother, you seemed to be saying...that you want to marry my cousin to Lord Pei? I'm afraid that's not appropriate.

"Didn't my cousin say before that she doesn't like Master Pei? If she liked Master Pei, she would have asked the emperor to arrange the marriage long ago. Don't you know that?"

"..."

Bai Chuyao was unable to answer for a moment. He breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the prince didn't know that he had just said bad things about him.

That's good, though.

Looking at the prince's reaction, Bai Chuyao laughed in his heart.

He said that the prince must be coveting his sister.

Bai Lu didn’t believe it before, but now she should believe it a little bit, right?

Bai Lu looked at the prince indifferently, but the prince suddenly turned his head to look at Bai Lu.

He was tall, and when he looked down at Bai Lu, his back was to the sun, so Bai Lu felt it was dazzling for a moment and couldn't see his face clearly.

The prince, half of his body already submerged in the sun's shadow, looked at Bai Lu and said slowly, "Are you... going to marry Master Pei?"

"Master Pei, is it really that good?"

Bai Lu quickly shook her head, took a step back calmly, and said with a smile: "Your Highness, you are joking. I have never thought of marrying Master Pei again."

"My eldest brother didn't think so just now. We were just talking casually."

"Just a casual remark?"

The prince seemed to believe this statement, so he lowered his head and smiled at Bai Lu and Bai Chuyao and said, "There's a military report from Pingzhou. The prefect wants you to go to the study. Go quickly."

Bai Lu and Bai Chuyao hurried there, and the prince followed.

The head of the Shangguan family went to discuss things with some wealthy businessmen.

On the way, Bai Chuyao didn't know whether it was intentional or not, but he just felt that it was a bit crowded around him.

The prince arched his butt and pushed him aside.

"???"

Bai Lu was about to pull her elder brother in, but she saw that the prince's sleeve was being pulled by her.

Her heart trembled, and when she turned around, she saw the prince looking at her gently, his phoenix eyes were very warm.

"Cousin, let's go."

"Why don't you leave?"

Bai Lu was silent for a moment, then she loosened his sleeve and said to the Crown Prince with a smile, "Your Highness, you are the ruler and I am the subject."

"After you."

"...What about the monarch and his subjects?"

The Crown Prince grabbed Bai Lu's sleeve and dragged her wrist towards the study without a word. He sighed to her, "I don't know who is trying to drive a wedge between us... After all, we are cousins, and in the palace, my only support is the Bai family. I have a very good relationship with the brothers in the Bai family, and I have a very good relationship with you as well. If you become estranged from me... I really don't know who to turn to."

"Could it be that I will be the only one in this huge palace from now on?"

Why did they suddenly bring up the topic of lonely people? Bai Lu was shocked, and saw Bai Chuyao behind her step forward to separate the two.

He cheerfully took both of their arms and said with a smile, "You are right. It is true that we are a little unfamiliar with each other."

"How about this, I, as your older brother, will take you two along."

The prince's face darkened, and Bai Lu breathed a sigh of relief.

Along the way, the prince didn't say anything, and the mood was a little low for a while.

Bai Lu just felt that the prince was becoming more and more strange... Could it be that it was really as Bai Chuyao said?

After entering the study, the Qingzhou prefect saw them coming and said anxiously, "You've arrived so quickly! Duke Liang is here! Please come and meet him."

Bai Lu was stunned and quickly told Bai Chuyao: "Brother, go call Liuyun over."

Since Duke Liang is here, he must want to see Ximen Liuyun, after all, he is his only son.

When they entered, they heard Duke Liang's face darken as he said to Bai Lu in a cold voice, "That's not necessary."

"My Lord, we don't need to bring that rebellious son over here."

"???"

Bai Lu was confused and her heart skipped a beat. Just as she forced a smile and was about to say something about how well-behaved Ximen Liuyun was, she heard what Duke Liang said.

"I'm really anxious right now! Let's get down to business!"

He was as tall and straight as a pine tree, with handsome features, and looked very similar to Ximen Liuyun. His words were full of righteousness.

"I'm here in Pingzhou, don't worry!"

"...Recently, Qingzhou has had to fight the plague, protect the people of Qingzhou, and provide support to Pingzhou. You've all worked hard!"

"Your Majesty sent me to fight in Pingzhou. I've almost finished dealing with Pingzhou. I've taken back all the cities I could... and for those I couldn't, I'll naturally exchange them for Generals Lin Zanghai and his two men."

"in addition."

Duke Liang was silent for a moment, then turned to Bai Lu and the others and said, "Could you prepare some rice for me?"

"We need to exchange Master Pei back, and we need a lot of rice."

Bai Lu was stunned: "How much rice do you need?"

"According to the measurement unit of Baijia Rice Shop, it will take 10 catties."

"10 kilograms of rice? How is that possible? How can we have so much rice in Qingzhou?"

Bai Lu was horrified.

The Qingzhou governor and his men were also horrified, and everyone was stunned.

General Murong, General Li, and the others also returned. Seeing this, everyone started chattering, saying, "10 kilograms of rice? They are robbing us, aren't they? They are humiliating our Dawu!"

"This is impossible!"

Everyone is so angry!

Seeing the generals' outrage, the Duke of Liang, with the Crown Prince frowning at him, quickly said, "This is what Your Majesty wants."

"His Majesty said... no matter how much rice it takes, Master Pei must be returned."

"But I guess the Turks were just angry and said it casually. They can't ask for so much rice."

"We should probably prepare 1 or 2 kilograms."

"..."

The prince was silent, clenching his fists so tightly that blood was oozing out of them.

Bai Chuyao quickly covered his fist with his sleeve, his face grim as he said to Duke Liang, "Even if it's 1 or 2 kilograms, it's still a lot of rice for us in Dawu!"

"Especially Qingzhou, there aren't that many rice reserves!"

"Duke Liang, are you sure this is what His Majesty meant?"

"I am sure."

Duke Liang nodded and immediately took out the emperor's handwritten edict.

Everyone took a look and even saw that the imperial edict was embroidered, and the base of the imperial edict was bright yellow, which was a special silk supplied from Jiangnan.

They asked the prince to admit it again.

The prince looked down at the large characters above and felt his heart bleeding.

He gritted his teeth and said, "Father, have you ever considered... what if the Turks turn against us after we ask these counties to provide food? If they continue to attack Qingzhou and Zhaozhou, what will happen then?!"

"We in Qingzhou don't have enough food to resist. A long war... As long as the Turks cut off our food supply, we will definitely be defeated!"