Every time the prince opens his eyes, he sees

The emperor was delighted upon seeing this and said with a smile, "What a service to the state! I like loyal subjects like you who are not vain. Come, enter the city quickly. I have ordered a celebration banquet to be held at Qingquan Terrace to congratulate you on your triumphant return."

"Thank you, Father."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Xie Qingchen and the Gu father and son responded one after another.

Everyone entered the palace.

Lu Yaoyao is a woman, and her identity should not be revealed, so Gu Huai arranged for someone to secretly send her back to the mansion.

At Qingquan Terrace, after three rounds of wine, the Emperor raised his glass and said, "Come, my Lords, I offer you a toast. Thank you for sacrificing your lives and blood for the Great Jin."

The three Gu family members, father and son, raised their wine glasses and stood up to respond, "Your Majesty, you are too kind. This is the duty of a minister."

"Well, we still have to reward those who deserve it, otherwise it will chill the hearts of those loyal subjects who have dedicated themselves to the country. Tell me, what do you and your son want?"

"Would you rather receive ten thousand taels of gold, a hundred acres of fertile land, or be granted the title of Marquis, a hereditary title? Especially for General Gu, whose contributions are so outstanding, I would like to bestow upon you the posthumous title of 'Loyal and Brave' to show my appreciation for your life's achievements."

"The emperor has shown enough favor to the Gu family. We have to bear the emperor's worries and eat his food. I beg the emperor to revoke his order." General Gu knelt down first and respectfully asked the emperor to take back the reward.

The emperor seemed drunk, but his eyes were sharp and piercing. "General Gu doesn't want it, so what about you, Gu Huai?"

Gu Huai also knelt down. "For me, no reward is better than the people living and working in peace and contentment, and the reunion of their families. Therefore, I boldly ask the Emperor to reclaim these material rewards and grant me a marriage with Miss Yi. I started my career at the age of sixteen, and now I am twenty-three, and I have plans to start a family."

"Oh?" The emperor narrowed his eyes slightly. "Which young lady has General Gu set his sights on? With your current military achievements, let alone a young lady from a noble family, even if you ask me for my beloved princess, I am willing to grant you a marriage."

Gu Huai shook his head. "The person I want to marry is not some talented and beautiful daughter of a noble family, but just an ordinary minister's daughter who is close to me and can live a simple and warm life with me."

"You said, I will grant you marriage immediately."

Gu Huai wanted to marry an ordinary girl, and for the emperor to grant them a marriage, there was no better reward than this.

"It's Lu Yaoyao, the daughter of Lord Lu Jinglin."

Lu Yaoyao?

This name doesn't sound familiar at all and is indeed unknown.

Her father was just a fifth-rank official in the Hanlin Academy.

"Are you sure?" he asked uncertainly.

"I'm sure." Gu Huai was secretly nervous, but he remained calm and sincere on the surface. "Although Miss Lu is not from a prominent family, she is kind-hearted and I am in love with her. I am willing to spend my life with her."

"Your Majesty, this is impossible. Lu Yaoyao is of humble origin and has been embroiled in numerous scandals recently. She is also not a decent person and is somewhat frivolous. I do not think she is worthy of General Gu."

The Concubine Shu objected.

Lu Yaoyao was the person she chose to conquer the prince, how could she marry Gu Huai?

Moreover, Gu Huai is the prince's right-hand man, and his wife should preferably be a lady from a noble family with a noble status who can be helpful to the prince. How could she be someone like Lu Yaoyao who has a bad background and reputation?

"Really?" The emperor looked at Lu Jinglin.

Lu Jinglin felt the emperor's intimidating gaze and instantly broke out in a sweat. He knelt down in fear and said, "Your Majesty, there may be a misunderstanding here, but it is indeed my fault for not raising my daughter well. I allowed Yaoyao to become a little wild and spoiled."

The eunuch whispered a few words in the emperor's ear.

His eyes turned dark.

Xie Qingchen stood up in this tense atmosphere and said, "Father, those rumors against Miss Lu are all rumors and cannot be believed. I have met Miss Lu twice. Although her etiquette is not as good as other young ladies from noble families, she is kind and straightforward, and is worthy of General Gu."

Lu Jinglin hadn't expected the Crown Prince to actually speak up for Lu Yaoyao. He was both surprised and grateful, and quickly agreed, "Yes, Your Majesty. Although my daughter has some shortcomings, she has a kind heart. She often goes out to give alms, and most of the beggars wandering the streets have received her kindness."

The Emperor was silent for a moment, as if weighing something. Finally, he spoke slowly, "Since General Gu and Miss Lu are so deeply in love and have personally requested the imperial decree for their marriage, and the Crown Prince and I have also interceded for them, I will grant you and Miss Lu your marriage. However, Lord Lu, before your daughter marries into the Gu family, you must send someone to teach her the rules and etiquette. I will remind her that once she marries into the Gu family, she must strictly abide by the rules of marriage and refrain from any frivolous behavior."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!" Gu Huai and Lu Jinglin bowed in thanks at the same time.

Although Concubine Shu was unwilling, she didn't dare to say anything more. She could only force a smile and congratulate Gu Huai and Lu Jinglin.

The celebration banquet continued, but the atmosphere subtly changed because of this sudden arranged marriage.

All officials looked at Lu Jinglin:

The inconspicuous Lu Jinglin is about to become their new target of flattery.

Lu Jinglin did have some foresight. Although he was happy about marrying into a wealthy family, he did not want to show his joy too much so as not to upset others.

When he returned home, he immediately told Lu Yaoyao the good news.

Lu Yaoyao had a feeling that it was unreal. She didn't expect this day to come so soon.

……

Gu Mansion.

Mrs. Gu couldn't help but burst into tears when she saw her husband and son return safely.

She knew the hardships behind the success of this battle.

She went forward and hugged her husband and son one by one.

After reminiscing about the past, they sat down in the main hall and Mrs. Gu ordered the servants to serve the dishes.

At the dinner table, General Gu said, "Huai'er, you are not irrational. Your father does not understand why you insist on marrying that young lady from the Lu family and even ask the emperor for permission to marry you. You have also seen Lu Jinglin's snobbish face. How can such a father raise a good daughter?"

Gu Huai smiled faintly and said, "She is different from Lu Jinglin. Father, she is Doctor Miaofeng."

General Gu was stunned for a moment, then showed an incredible expression.

Mrs. Gu was confused. "What are you talking about? I don't quite understand."

General Gu pressed on, "So she went to Northern Xinjiang just for you?"

"right!"

General Gu's initial disapproval turned into a sincere blessing, "Well, since you love each other, as a father, I should bless you."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

General Gu would not tell anyone about Lu Yaoyao's transformation into a man and her infiltration into the military camp as a doctor. He also did not want to tell his wife about the thrilling experiences he had on the battlefield and worry her. He patted Madam Gu's hand and said, "In a few days, the Emperor's decree for Huai'er's marriage will come down. When Miss Lu comes into the family, you, as her mother-in-law, should not make things difficult for her. You should treat her well and love her like your own daughter."

A few days later, the imperial decree granting the marriage was officially issued, and along with it came various precious jewels bestowed by the emperor and the concubines of various palaces.

General Gu, along with Gu Huai and a matchmaker, came to propose marriage in person, giving the Lu family enough face.

He also severely beat up those noble ladies from aristocratic families who looked down on Lu Yaoyao.