Quick Wear: The first person to love the host

The furnishings inside the Prince's Mansion were extremely simple. Faded curtains hung low, rough pottery was scattered on the table, and the original wooden tables and chairs were unpainted, exuding a rustic charm unique to the frontier.

Compared to the exquisite luxury of the princes' residences in the capital, it was worlds apart.

Concerned about military affairs, Qi Jinyu carried Su Ziyu all the way back to the main courtyard and settled her in. After instructing the servants to take good care of her, she hurriedly left.

Liu Ye looked around at the furnishings in the room, her little face scrunched up: "Young master, this place is not even as good as the woodsheds in Jiangnan."

Although he complained loudly, he didn't stop working—he couldn't let his young master suffer such humiliation, so he immediately ordered his servants to rearrange the place according to the standards of the capital.

Su Ziyu let him do his thing, only taking a small sip from the rough pottery teacup.

The bitter taste of the inferior tea immediately spread between his lips and teeth. He swallowed it with difficulty, looked out the window at the vast twilight, and sighed softly: "It is indeed difficult to go from luxury to frugality."

The border region is bitterly cold; although it is only early autumn, the night wind already carries a biting chill.

Su Ziyu was already weak, and the long journey had left him exhausted. Upon arriving in this place, he suffered from acclimatization problems and developed a high fever that very night.

When Qi Jinyu returned under the moonlight, he saw the lights still burning in the main courtyard. A smile just appeared on his lips as he thought that his wife was waiting for him. But then he smelled a strong medicinal scent, and his heart sank.

Pushing open the door startled Liu Ye, who was on night watch.

He had just opened his eyes when Qi Jinyu gestured for him to be quiet, but that still woke Su Ziyu. He was already feeling unwell and hadn't slept soundly. He groggily opened his eyes and said, "The Prince is back..."

"Madam has suffered." He stepped forward quickly, gently stroking the woman's burning forehead with his palm, his voice full of tenderness.

Su Ziyu coughed lightly a few times: "It's alright, I'll be fine after a few days of rest."

That's what they say, but the illness came on suddenly and lingered for more than half a month.

Su Ziyu lay on her bed all day, losing weight and turning as pale as paper. She didn't even have the strength to get out of bed and walk, and was confined to the small space in the mansion all day.

Despite her busy military duties, Qi Jinyu's heart was with Su Ziyu.

Every evening at dusk, he would ride his horse back from the military camp for half an hour, never empty-handed—either with a trinkets unique to the frontier or some novel food, always thinking of ways to cheer up the sick man.

He even personally watched Su Ziyu drink his medicine and talked to him for a while, even if it was just sitting quietly together for a quarter of an hour.

With the border war in full swing, the commander-in-chief was frequently returning home early, which gradually led to gossip among the troops.

That evening, just as Qi Jinyu was about to ride back to her residence, her strategist Qin Wujiu lifted the curtain and came out.

The usually composed strategist hesitated for a moment before finally speaking: "General, are you aware that the camp is now buzzing with rumors that you've been entangled with a 'beauty' from Jiangnan?"

Qi Jinyu paused slightly as she adjusted the reins.

Qin Wujiu continued, "The soldiers are fighting bloody battles, and the most important thing is for the commander to be distracted. Besides..." He lowered his voice, "the background of that young master Su is ultimately a hidden danger."

"I know what I'm doing." He replied indifferently, but still turned his horse around and galloped towards the palace.

Behind him, Qin Wujiu watched his resolute back, his hands gradually clenching in his sleeves.

Ever since that young master Su appeared, the prince has become much more cautious in his actions. A ruthless and powerful ruler should be decisive; how could he be so swayed by emotions?

Most importantly, this young master Su has become the prince's most obvious weakness.

Qi Jinyu disregarded the strategist's concerns. As she rode through the market, she suddenly heard a vendor's cry: "Kucha medicinal sachets, calming and sleep-aiding—"

Remembering that Liu Ye had mentioned his wife's insomnia due to coughing at night, he immediately reined in his horse, dismounted, and prepared to buy a few for his wife to play with.

While selecting sachets, the woman selling them suddenly bowed and said, "Greetings, Your Highness."

"Do you know this king?"

Qi Jinyu looked up and noticed that the person selling sachets was a woman. The woman had gray hair and a face full of wrinkles. Although she was only over thirty, she looked very old.

A little girl was hiding behind her legs, peeking timidly.

"My late husband, Wang San, was once a personal guard of the prince," the woman said with a bitter smile.

Wang San?!

Qi Jinyu remembered that he used to be a member of his personal guard. He had a round head and a cheerful appearance. He was killed in battle against the Xiongnu two years ago.

Qi Jinyu paused in picking out the sachets, then nodded nonchalantly. When paying, she handed over a large piece of silver, saying, "Keep the change. Keep the rest to buy candy for the children."

The woman refused to take advantage of the situation, but she didn't have any extra money to give change. She could only watch helplessly as Qi Jinyu rode away on horseback. Her daughter tugged at her sleeve, "Mother, Bao'er wants some candy."

The woman's eyes reddened as she looked down and stroked her daughter's hair. "Alright, after I sell all the sachets, I'll buy some candy for Bao'er."

Back in the main courtyard, the smell of medicine was still strong. He handed the sachet to Su Ziyu: "This is a Kucha medicine sachet, which can calm the mind and help you sleep. I specially gave it to you, Madam."

The sachet was embroidered with images of flying apsaras from Dunhuang. Su Ziyu took it and sniffed it lightly: "The embroidery is exquisite, and the scent is refreshing."

Seeing that the lady showed some interest, Qi Jinyu's expression softened. "Although it is not as exquisite as the embroidery in Jiangnan, it has the advantage of being a local specialty."

Su Ziyu played with the sachet, then looked up at him: "Your Highness seems to have something on your mind today?"

Over time, he became able to detect the man's emotional fluctuations—especially when the man did not try to hide them.

"As expected, nothing can be hidden from Madam." Qi Jinyu smiled wryly and recounted what she had seen at the market.

The meager compensation for fallen soldiers and the difficult lives of their families remained a constant source of pain for him.

Su Ziyu lowered her eyes, stroked the pattern on the sachet, and said softly, "I have an idea. After I recover, I might run a business, recruiting people specifically from the families of fallen soldiers."

Qi Jinyu's eyes lit up—he knew his wife's business acumen well, and that she had a well-thought-out plan in mind whenever she spoke. However, he shook his head and said, "Madam, this matter is not urgent. I was just mentioning it casually. You are still ill, and the most important thing now is to rest and recuperate. Don't overwork yourself."

Su Ziyu smiled faintly: "I'm not made of clay. Doctor Jiang also said that I'll be better in the next couple of days."

He looked at the other man's weathered brows and said, "The battle at the front is critical, Your Highness should prioritize the overall situation. It pains me to see you working so hard every day."

He had witnessed everything that had happened over the past few days.

Although Qi Jinyu is the ruler of the frontier, things are not the same as usual. The Xiongnu are eyeing him covetously, and war could break out on the frontier at any time. If he misses a military opportunity because of himself, wouldn't he become a sinner for all time?

The word "I feel sorry for you" instantly dispelled Qi Jinyu's fatigue from the past few days, and her heart felt as sweet as if it were soaked in honey.

He grasped Su Ziyu's slightly cool hand, his gaze intense: "Seeing Madam is the moment I look forward to most each day. Madam's well-being is my greatest motivation."

Once Su Ziyu's illness subsided, he began planning his business ventures.

That afternoon, he leaned against the soft couch by the window, pen in hand, deep in thought as he looked at an account book.

Liu Ye brought in the medicine and, seeing his appearance, couldn't help but mutter, "Young Master was just feeling better, why are you tiring yourself out again?"

"It's alright." Su Zi took the medicine bowl and drank it all in one gulp without even frowning. "The sooner we get it done, the more people we can help."

He recalled the deep sorrow hidden in Qi Jinyu's eyes when she mentioned the families of fallen soldiers that day. His husband was the guardian of this frontier, and since he was here, he could not simply be the one being protected.