General, you should rest now; the lady is even more ruthless.

The next morning, Jiang Qiqi and Shen Luo began to dress up in their finest attire.

Jiang Qiqi goes without saying; every time she dresses up, she amazes everyone, including herself.

Shen Luo seemed to be taking this very seriously, making sure that Nineteen combed every single strand of his hair perfectly and that he wore the most imposing and handsome outfit.

Today, Xiang'er chose a light green dress for her mistress, with several white plum blossoms embroidered on the skirt, which made her look elegant, refined, and extraordinary.

Shen Luo was wearing a dark-colored long robe embroidered with gold thread, with a bright red tiger-head belt around his waist. He looked noble and aloof, yet also had a youthful and heroic air about him.

The two got dressed and went out together. When they saw each other, a hint of amazement flashed in their eyes.

Shen Luo stared at the person before him, his gaze lingering on her for a moment. He had previously dismissed the notion that a fairy descending to earth was an exaggeration, but now, seeing Qi Qi in person, he felt there was no more fitting description. The moment she appeared, she shone brilliantly, making everything else in the world pale in comparison.

Jiang Qiqi: Tsk, this face, tsk, these broad shoulders, tsk, this narrow waist... tsk, why is it not good?

……

The two boarded a specially made carriage: Carriage 2.0 (without a canopy).

Let the march begin!

The march ended abruptly halfway through...

Because we can't get out.

As soon as the carriage 2.0 turned the first corner, it was surrounded by the people.

Everyone rushed to ask questions, one after another, creating an atmosphere comparable to a top celebrity press conference.

"General Zhenguo, is the imperial court recruiting soldiers? How can I become your subordinate?"

"General, has the Northern Ming Kingdom recently considered attacking us? If they don't, can we attack them instead?"

"General, will you come to Longcheng again next time?"

"General, do you have a girl you like? What kind of girl do you like?"

"General, do you think the flower in my hair is pretty?"

"General, would you like some snacks? I have some freshly made snacks here, only ten coins each."

"General Zhenguo, I challenge you."

Shen Luo looked at the crowd in front of him, feeling extremely troubled.

Why is the parade like this?

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Shen Luo's imagined parade:

He sat side by side with Qiqi in the carriage, while the people on both sides of the street cheered:

"The General Who Protects the Nation is mighty!"

"The general and his wife are a perfect match."

"Congratulations on your marriage, General! May you both live a long and happy life together and have many children."

Hearing what the people around her said, Qiqi smiled shyly and nestled in his arms with a blush.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

And now... he looked at Jiang Qiqi sitting blankly beside him with lifeless eyes and realized that there was indeed a big difference between ideals and reality.

Jiang Qiqi has now lost her dreams.

The parade was completely different from what she had imagined.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Jiang Qiqi's imagined parade:

She traveled by horse-drawn carriage, exploring every street in Longcheng.

The locals, merchants, and vendors they encountered along the way all offered them local specialties and delicacies.

"Madam General, please try this."

"Madam General, you've come all this way to Longcheng, why don't you try some local specialties?"

"Madam General, I have some delicious food here that you've certainly never had in the capital."

……

Shen Luo and Jiang Qiqi were both speechless.

However, despite the fact that the scene was different from what he had imagined, Shen Luo still patiently answered the people's questions.

Jiang Qiqi stood by, smiling and nodding, while also receiving envious, jealous, and hateful glances from all directions.

"The imperial court will issue a notice of conscription, and the Ministry of War will make the final decision on which unit you will be assigned to."

"Bei Ming has been relatively well-behaved lately, and we do not intend to start a war. In recent years, the two countries have been frequently at war, and both have been severely weakened and need several years to recover."

"They might come."

"……Have."

He glanced furtively at the person next to him.

Jiang Qiqi sat upright, looking straight ahead with a determined gaze that made her worthy of joining the Party.

"Yes!" Shen Luo answered loudly.

Jiang Qiqi: Those with firm eyes can join the Party.

Shen Luo: "..."

Continue answering.

"I don't know anything about flowers, so I don't know if they're pretty or not."

"No, thank you."

Huh? Why is there a challenge letter here?

……

Although Shen Luo was arguing so much that his ear was practically spitting fire, and Jiang Qiqi had a determined look in her eyes that said she wanted to join the Party, the two of them were already receiving the best treatment in the carriage.

Because at the same time, the twelve, thirteen, sixteen, and nineteenth children below them will also be trampled by the crowd.

……

Finally, after an emergency troop of soldiers was dispatched to maintain order, the carriage (the open-top version) was able to continue moving forward.

The parade continues.

As they walked down each street, they would pause in the middle for a while, where the people would ask questions, which Shen Luo and Jiang Qiqi would then answer.

Then continue walking down the next street and repeat the process.

Compared to the wide variety of questions Shen Luo had, Jiang Qiqi's questions were relatively simple.

"Madam General, could you please provide a tutorial on how to marry the General Who Protects the Nation?"

"Madam General, would you mind if the General took a concubine?"

"Madam, I don't want a title, I only ask to be able to stay by the general's side, please grant me that request."

"Madam General, would you like any more maids?"

"Madam General, do you need another maid?"

……

These are all similar problems.

Jiang Qiqi: If I said that I didn't marry your Zhenguo General willingly, would anyone believe me?

I'm afraid I'll be killed by their gaze...

She suddenly felt like she had been officially announced by a popular celebrity, which was a bit exciting and inexplicably satisfying.

Now all she wants to say is, "Guan Xiaotong, who says there's no such thing as true empathy in the world!"

At first, she replied patiently, but after answering so many questions, she couldn't help but get a headache.

She miscalculated; she should have just stayed silent from the beginning.

Being a beautiful mute, only responsible for smiling and nodding, is also quite nice.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Longcheng is not small, and they strolled around for most of the day, stopping and starting.

During this time, they also dealt with a group of assassins, which caused a small disturbance, but not much.

……

After working for most of the day, it's finally over.

Upon returning home, Jiang Qiqi immediately lay down on the bed.

Xiang'er, who was completely unaware of what was happening, asked curiously, "Miss, what are you doing?"

Jiang Qiqi replied listlessly, "Cosplaying a dead fish."

Xiang'er: "Hmm?"

It was already afternoon, but they hadn't eaten yet, so Jiang Qiqi was forcibly pulled up and forced to eat a couple of bites of food.

Then she lay down peacefully and continued being her cosplayer.