After returning to the capital, the eldest daughter saved her entire clan with her medical skills.

Capital

The blizzard raged for three days and three nights without showing any signs of stopping.

The wintersweet in the corner of the general's mansion was bent over by the weight of the snow, and the branches broke off from time to time, making a "crack" sound.

The maids and servants in the courtyard, wearing thick cotton-padded clothes, were sweeping the snow from the courtyard pavilions and corridors.

The general's mansion treated its servants very well; the servants were all disabled soldiers who had been seriously wounded on the battlefield.

These disabled soldiers were poor souls who were seriously wounded while fighting alongside General Xue Yan, losing limbs and being unable to continue on the battlefield. They were also despised by their families and left homeless.

Xue Yan couldn't bear to see his soldiers fall into such a miserable state, so he arranged for them to guard the Zhenguo General's Mansion.

However, the general's mansion had limited manpower, and there were a large number of disabled soldiers who had come from the battlefield.

With the imperial court struggling to provide subsidies to the army, Xue Yan had no choice but to use his own private property to supplement the soldiers' food and clothing.

The Zhenguo General's Mansion has stood for over a hundred years. Since the old Zhenguo Duke, it has continuously subsidized the army, resulting in the current family members of the General's Mansion living a very frugal life.

Fortunately, the women of the Xue family were all well-educated and reasonable, and none of them were temperamental, which allowed Xue Yan to focus wholeheartedly on fighting the enemy on the battlefield with his two sons.

Everyone was grateful for the General's kindness and performed their duties diligently; not a single person was lazy or dishonest.

"Cough cough cough..."

A series of heart-wrenching coughs came from the side room, where a woman lay covered with a quilt on an exquisitely carved canopy bed.

The long-term torment of illness had made her face as pale as paper, and her body so thin that she looked as if a gust of wind could blow her away.

Her eyes were bright, like stars in the night sky, twinkling with shimmering light.

From her gaunt facial features, it's easy to guess how stunningly beautiful she must have been in her youth.

The beautiful woman, panting heavily, looked out the window at the blizzard, a hint of sorrow faintly visible on her delicate face.

"Princess, are you feeling unwell again? This is a fish maw, bird's nest, and white fungus soup specially prepared for you by the imperial physician, which is specially arranged by the old lady. Please drink some to calm your nerves."

Looking at the emaciated princess on the bed, the maid Qingyan felt sorry for her and quickly brought a bowl of fish maw, bird's nest, and white fungus soup into the inner room.

Ever since the young lady was taken away by that crazy old man who came from nowhere, the princess's health has deteriorated, and she hasn't had a good night's sleep in over a decade.

Especially recently, the weather has been freezing cold, and even a heater can't stop the pervasive chill.

Seeing the princess's pale face, bluish lips, and increasingly weak spirits, I was extremely worried about her.

Qingyan was Princess Lingjun's personal maid. She had served the princess since childhood and became her dowry maid when the princess got married, following her to the State General's Mansion in Chu Qin Kingdom.

Xue Yan, the Grand General of the State of Chu and Qin, was renowned for his outstanding military achievements at a young age.

It was long rumored that he was exceptionally handsome, a truly dashing man.

Xue Yan was famous at a young age, and even the people of the neighboring country of Fufeng knew of this brave and skilled young general.

Fufeng Kingdom is the motherland of her and the princess.

General Lan Tian of their motherland would often praise this formidable enemy whenever he mentioned it to His Majesty.

He does not mean that.

Every time General Lan Tian entered the palace to pay his respects to His Majesty, the Eldest Princess would always find an excuse to listen to him recount Xue Yan's heroic deeds.

Later, the two countries made peace, and Emperor Wenzhi of Chu and Qin invited the King of Fufeng to visit his country. Princess Lingjun insisted on going with him.

The king loved this daughter dearly and couldn't bear to see her sad, so he had no choice but to agree.

When the King of Fufeng was on a diplomatic mission to the states of Chu and Qin, he happened to be there when General Xue Yan, the Grand General of the State, was returning in triumph. The people of the capital lined the streets to welcome him.

The two groups of people walked towards each other, and whether it was because the people were too noisy or for some other reason, the princess's horse was suddenly frightened and ran wildly through the street.

This terrified the king and his princes, as the princes were exceptionally skilled and had considerable martial arts prowess.

But the horses galloped wildly, heading straight for the army of the Chu-Qin State's Grand General.

The people of the capital who lined the streets to welcome them were all dumbfounded. They didn't even have time to dodge, and it looked like the two groups were about to collide.

Suddenly, a lithe, armored figure leaped from the horse and flew towards the crazed carriage like the wind.

The boy landed steadily on the horse's back, held the reins tightly, and forcefully turned the horse around, narrowly avoiding a collision between the carriage and his own tall warhorse.

A soft cry rang out from inside the carriage, and a red figure tumbled out.

The boy's expression hardened, and he nimbly flipped over to catch the rolling figure.

The streets of the capital were bustling with activity as people flocked to the city to welcome the newcomers.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, two figures, one in black and one in red, embraced tightly.

The princes of Fufeng Kingdom were frantic. This was their precious little princess, how could that scoundrel have taken advantage of her?

They were itching to rush over and teach that lecherous scoundrel a lesson.

Only the King of Fufeng laughed heartily, never expecting such a pleasant surprise during his mission to the Chu and Qin states.

A hero and a beauty, a perfect match.

Later, the ruler of Fufeng took the initiative to propose a marriage alliance to Emperor Wenzhi, sending the princess of Fufeng to marry into the Chu-Qin Kingdom.

However, the person he was to marry was not a prince of the Chu or Qin kingdoms, but the renowned General Xue Yan.

Emperor Wenzhi admired Xue Yan but was also wary of him, and was unwilling to agree.

It was only after the King of Fufeng promised never to invade the states of Chu and Qin during his reign that Emperor Wenzhi reluctantly agreed.

Naturally, Princess Lingjun of Fufeng Kingdom married Xue Yan, the Grand General of Chu and Qin Kingdom, thus forming a marriage alliance.

Time flies like an arrow, passing in the blink of an eye.

Princess Lingjun, once a beautiful and radiant woman, has been transformed by the passage of time into a frail and emaciated figure.

Qingyan looked at the pale-faced princess and felt heartbroken.

"The old lady is so kind. She didn't look down on me because I was sick and couldn't do anything. She even worried about me every day. It is truly my fault for being unfilial."

Princess Lingjun was grateful to the old lady, who had treated her like her own daughter ever since she married into the Xue family, always considering her needs.

However, her own frail body was useless; she was sickly all day and unable to do anything, which was a serious dereliction of duty for the mistress of the General's Mansion.

"Princess, why belittle yourself like this? You have carried on the Xue family line, bearing five sons and one daughter. You are no less a meritorious contributor to the Xue family..."

Qingyan was originally trying to comfort her master when she inadvertently mentioned the young lady who had been missing for more than ten years.

Seeing the princess's face turn pale, he realized he had mentioned a taboo, and his face turned white with fright. He immediately knelt down on the ground.

"Princess, I was wrong. I shouldn't have mentioned Miss's matter. It's my fault for being so foul-mouthed."

Everyone has their own taboos and pains, and the princess's greatest pain is her mistress.