Rebirth: Phoenix Riding the Ninth Heaven

Upon learning that Xiongnu spies had visited the northwest, Li Ruoyue couldn't help but worry about her father. The next morning, she rose early and, along with her personal maid, Lu Zhu, bustled about the kitchen. They meticulously prepared some of her father's favorite, long-lasting plum blossom cakes, along with a variety of delicate and delicious snacks. Once everything was ready, they hurriedly boarded a nondescript carriage and headed straight for her father's camp.

When the carriage slowly stopped outside the camp gate, the guards immediately stepped forward alertly and shouted impatiently, "This is a key area of ​​the military camp. No unauthorized persons are allowed to enter! Leave immediately!" Li Ruoyue did not get angry at the soldiers' scolding. Instead, she calmly gestured for Lu Zhu to take out her badge and handed it to the guard. She said softly, "Please inform my brother that someone from our family is here to visit the Marquis."

The guard took the badge and looked at it. His impatience instantly vanished, replaced by a fawning smile. He nodded and bowed, "So it's the young lady. Please wait a moment. I'll go and report." He quickly ordered another soldier to stay and guard the carriage, and he turned and hurried into the barracks.

Lord Li sat in his study, intently flipping through a thick stack of military reports sent in from various locations. His brow furrowed, and he cursed under his breath, clearly troubled by the complexities of military affairs. He felt a splitting headache. He stretched out his right hand and rubbed his brow vigorously, trying to ease the tension.

Just then, hurried footsteps suddenly rang out from outside the door, followed by the anxious voice of a subordinate reporting, "My Lord, two young girls are outside, holding badges from the Marquis of Weiyuan Mansion, and they want to see you!" Li Jing's heart skipped a beat, and his tense nerves instantly relaxed. He thought to himself, "Someone who comes here with a badge from the Marquis of Weiyuan Mansion must have a close relationship with us. Could it be... my precious daughter?" At this thought, Li Jing's face lit up with joy, and he quickly ordered, "Bring them in!"

While waiting, Marquis Weiyuan quickly stood up and sorted the documents scattered across his desk, stacking them neatly to one side. He then casually picked up the teacup on the desk and gently sipped the hot tea, gradually calming his slightly anxious mood. He sat quietly, his gaze fixed on the door, eagerly anticipating the appearance of a familiar figure.

Soon, two guards led two young ladies into the study. The girl in front wore a snow-white robe, a pink jacket faintly visible beneath. From a distance, she looked like a delicate flower blooming in the snow. A closer look revealed that it was none other than the daughter he had longed for. She wore a playful smile and winked at Li Jing repeatedly, as if telling him something amusing.

Marquis Weiyuan gazed at his graceful eldest daughter, his gloomy mood gradually brightening. He slowly walked out from behind the desk piled high with documents. Although he scolded her, his tone was full of doting. "You! You are such a worrying girl, running around all day without a break. What brings you here today?"

Li Ruoyue looked up at her father's thin face and the slightly messy beard on both sides of his cheeks. Her heart ached and her eyes reddened slightly. She said softly, "Father, I heard that the Huns were secretly sending spies to harass us. I was worried about you, so I rushed over to check on you." As she spoke, she gently placed the exquisite lunch box in her hand on the table, and her little mouth kept muttering like a machine gun: "Father, look at you, you have lost so much weight! You don't even eat a good meal every day. What will happen if this continues? If you are not in good health, how can you preside over the affairs of the army? If you collapse from exhaustion, how can we resist the aggressive Hun army!"

Li Jing looked at his daughter helplessly. Listening to her non-stop chatter, he felt his head buzzing. He couldn't help but raise his hand to rub his temple, sighing with a wry smile, "Oh, my dear daughter, I know you're too concerned, but this nagging is really giving me a headache!"

Li Ruoyue stood aside, quietly listening to her father's endless complaints. Her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, and finally she couldn't help but glare at her father fiercely, saying coquettishly, "Huh, Dad, I'm doing this for your own good, why are you so ungrateful and ungrateful!"

Li Jing looked at his daughter's dissatisfied look and suddenly panicked. He quickly raised his hands in surrender and shouted anxiously: "Okay, okay, my dear daughter, Daddy knows. I know that you really care about Daddy. Alas..." As soon as he finished speaking, he sighed deeply, his face full of helplessness.

Seeing her father sighing like this, Li Ruoyue's anger suddenly rose again. She stamped her feet in mock anger, put her hands on her hips and said, "Dad, what do you mean by this? Don't you even want to listen to me?"

When Li Jing heard this, he was so frightened that his whole body trembled. He quickly waved his hands and explained: "Oh, my dear daughter, it's not like that, it's absolutely not like that! Dad just hasn't heard you nagging me like this for a long time, and I'm not used to it for a while!" However, as soon as he said this, he realized that he had said the wrong thing. He saw Li Ruoyue's face became more and more ugly, and her originally bright big eyes were now staring at him.

Seeing this, Li Jing hurriedly changed his words again, stammering, "No, no, no, Dad is wrong. It's probably been too long since I felt your care, so I accidentally said the wrong thing just now. Dad really misses your care for him now!"

Li Ruoyue's anger finally subsided after hearing her father's sincere words. A faint smile rose from her lips, and after a slight snort, she said, "You're sensible. This is more than enough! Dad, come sit over here and try these pastries I made especially for you. How do they taste?"

Upon hearing this, Li Jing walked quickly to the table with a beaming smile. He reached out and picked up a piece of pastry from the plate, carefully placing it in his mouth and chewing it gently. He found the pastry soft, glutinous, and sweet, not greasy, just the right amount. Furthermore, the pastry's appearance was exquisite and beautiful, like a blooming flower.

Li Jing savored the delicious pastries carefully while praising them non-stop, "Mmmmm, they're so delicious! It's true that the ones my daughter makes are the best!"

Luzhu stood quietly by, her gaze fixed on her young lady and grandfather, a touch of emotion etched in her eyes. She knew full well that her young lady had lived with her in the Taoist temple since she was a child, while she and her grandfather had been apart for much of the time. Even when she occasionally returned to Kyoto, she saw her grandfather only briefly, never sharing such heartwarming moments as they did now.

At this moment, Luzhu felt genuinely happy for her young lady, and at the same time, she was also very happy that her master could have such a precious moment of warmth. She just stared at everything in front of her silently, as if time had stopped at this moment.

However, just as Luzhu was immersed in this warmth, she suddenly heard the young lady's clear voice: "I think Luzhu is so happy that she is silly! She is standing there motionless, what on earth is she doing?" Hearing this, Luzhu suddenly came to her senses and quickly forced back the tears that were about to burst out. Then, with a bit of helplessness, she responded coquettishly: "Young lady, you are obviously making fun of me! I just saw that you and the old man are so warm and harmonious at the moment, and I really can't bear to disturb you." After saying this, Luzhu gently bit her lip and showed a faint smile on her face.

Upon hearing this, Li Jing couldn't bear to let his daughter continue to act so arrogantly. With a look of helplessness on his face, he reached out and grabbed his daughter's sleeve, gently pulling her to sit beside him. He then asked earnestly, "Yue'er, what brings you all the hassle to come to your father's place? Daddy does have a house here, with servants and maids. Why don't you move in there and avoid sharing a room with the doctors brought by the Fourth Prince? After all, you're now dressed as a man, which is bound to cause a lot of inconvenience!"

Upon hearing this, Li Ruoyue shook her head without hesitation and replied softly: "Father, I have come here in disguise this time. If I rashly move into your house, won't my identity be discovered soon? Besides, after some time, when the weather here gradually warms up, I think nothing important will happen. When the Fourth Prince returns to the capital, I will follow him back." After saying this, Li Ruoyue raised her head slightly and looked at Li Jing, with a hint of determination in her eyes.

Hearing this, Li Jing held his forehead and said with a helpless smile: "Oh, it's true that girls can't be kept when they grow up! Fine, fine, it's up to you, do whatever you want, dad will always be your most solid backing!" Li Ruoyue heard this, her heart was warm, and she said coquettishly: "What do you mean by 'girls can't be kept when they grow up'? I will always be your precious daughter, and this will never change, unless you don't want me as your daughter anymore!

"When Li Jing heard this, he quickly waved his hands and said, "Yes, yes, yes. I really want her. How could I not want such a smart and lovely daughter of mine?" Li Ruoyue nodded contentedly and said with a smile, "I told you, where can you find such a smart and lovely girl?" Li Jing listened to his daughter's unconcerned boasting, and the fatherly love in his heart almost overflowed. That's right, where can you find such a smart and lovely girl?