Yan Shu had just returned to the palace and was resting on the soft couch for a while when she heard a palace servant announce from outside the door: "Your Majesty, Xia Luoge has presented the tribal statistics."

Yan Shu was stunned for a moment, then her lips twitched: "That was fast."

She took the thin booklet made of animal hide and glanced at it.

She only glanced at it twice before clicking her tongue.

"Three females?" She raised an eyebrow, her gaze sweeping down. "And two underage females?"

This ratio can no longer be described as disparate, but rather as tragic.

Further down, the male data clearly states: a total of 247 people.

Yan Shu: "..."

She leaned back on the soft couch, squinted, and flipped through the pages again to make sure she wasn't mistaken. Then she slowly sighed, "Tsk tsk tsk, this tribe is truly a case of females being scarce and males being scarce."

Hearing the sound, A-Xu approached from under the bed, smiling as she leaned down: "This Shalog has never been one to admit defeat before."

Yan Shu wrapped her arms around his neck, nestled softly in his embrace, and chuckled, "She's all bark and no bite. Whether she admits defeat or not doesn't matter—anyway, the water she drinks and the meat she eats are all from me."

Ah Xu chuckled and kissed the top of her head.

"Shushu is right. Our Shushu is now a powerful female capable of raising tens of thousands of males and females."

Yan Shu blushed as she was praised.

"It's all thanks to you guys. You didn't have to worry about anything, and you arranged everything perfectly."

Ah Xu smiled gently, but then, as if remembering something, he sighed, his tone carrying a hint of admiration and a touch of self-reproach: "The greatest credit actually belongs not to us, but to Zhan Yuan."

Yan Shu leaned against him, stunned for a moment, then looked up at him. A-Xu's voice was low and gentle:

“He built up the tribe step by step, set rules, recruited people, trained people, and suppressed those tribes that were eyeing us covetously. Many times, before we even realized it, he had already thought of everything and made all the arrangements for us.”

"...We might be more like protecting you and accompanying you, but he is carrying the burden of this tribe for you."

Yan Shu didn't speak, but gently bit her lip, and unconsciously tightened her grip on A Xu.

Of course she knew that Zhan Yuan had been doing something.

But she didn't expect him to do so much.

Just like when she returned, the palace had been expanded, patrol teams had been dispatched to the border of the tribes, and the tribes outside had all settled down, but she never saw Zhan Yuan show off even a little bit.

He was like a quiet yet dangerous dragon, silently coiled behind her, ready to bite off the throat of anyone who dared to touch her.

“That kind of person…” Ah Xu chuckled softly, “When he’s not talking, he’s actually more clingy to you than any of us. Well, maybe not as much as Ah Ye or Ah Hou.”

Yan Shu felt a warmth in her heart upon hearing this, but she was also left speechless, both amused and exasperated by the last sentence.

She slowly sat up from Ah Xu's embrace, propping herself up on the soft couch, her gaze falling on the high daylight outside, and whispered:

"...Then tell me, shouldn't I go see him?"

Ah-Xu looked at her profile, his eyes full of tenderness.

He didn't say much, but simply reached out and tidied the stray hairs by her temples, saying in a very soft voice, "Okay, go take a look."

"He's definitely waiting for you too."

Ah-Xu wasn't jealous.

During the time he was away, he had already been fed by Yan Shu.

Even Ah-hou, who is usually very clingy, automatically made way for him to do chores after he came back.

In addition, Zhan Yuan was the most meritorious among this group of males.

Yan Shu nodded gently, and without further delay, stood up.

She changed into a light outer robe, and as soon as she stepped out of the palace gate, the guards on both sides of the palace road immediately bowed respectfully. She waved her hand to tell them not to follow, and with only two female attendants, she walked towards the side hall where Zhan Yuan was.

The wind was still and the sky was bright. The newly replaced tassel curtains hanging under the eaves were gently lifted by the wind, making a soft rustling sound.

Zhan Yuan was standing in the council hall, a newly delivered scroll between his fingers. His golden eyes swept across the area, and none of the males responsible for recording dared to look up.

"The two newly surrendered small tribes on the northern front have a total of 157 people, including 16 females, 29 immature females, and the remaining males have been assigned to the farmland area and will not be assigned to guards for the time being..."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an imposing aura; it was as steady as a mountain, yet it instilled fear in people.

The dragon males standing a few steps away from him stood solemnly, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.

Everyone knew that the handsome male before them, who was so beautiful he seemed otherworldly and stood like a god, was one of the most noble beings in the dragon race.

Truly "unreachable".

Several elders once privately lamented, "If He so desired, the entire dragon race should kneel at His feet."

But now?

This dragon, possessing the most noble bloodline, unexpectedly became the most composed and hardworking male by the Empress's side.

Not only does she have to personally handle most of the tribe's affairs for the queen, but she also has to personally take care of things that ordinary males do, such as ownership, land, and food for the people.

A young male dragon couldn't help but sigh softly, "He could have... done nothing at all."

An older man nearby gave a soft hum: "His female is the Queen."

The young man was startled, then suddenly remembered—

Yes.

Zhan Yuan's females are not ordinary females.

She is the one who can summon the entire beast race to a state of upheaval, the goddess that every male dreams of following but no one dares to hope to possess.

No matter how high Zhan Yuan's status was, he only chose the one female who was worthy of his bowing down.

At this moment, the calm and composed male dragon suddenly twitched his brow, and his golden pupils flashed slightly.

He looked up at the palace entrance.

A breeze swept into the hall from the long corridor, causing the beaded curtains to tremble slightly, and casting light and shadow on the jade steps.

The figure that stepped into the hall was like a ray of light descending to earth.

She wore a light gauze robe, the color of which resembled the soft glow of dawn, making her skin appear radiant and translucent.

At this moment, Yan Shu's hair was loosely tied up, secured only by a hairpin, with a few strands falling down her neck and swaying slightly with her steps.

A glance at her, without a word, is enough to make one forget all duty and etiquette.

Zhan Yuan was still expressionlessly flipping through the tribal allocation documents, his temperament as cold and aloof as snow, carrying the arrogance and pressure of a superior.

But in that very instant—

His fingertips paused, his golden eyes snapped open, and his gaze fell on the figure.

The cold indifference and composure in his eyes vanished instantly, like ice and snow melting away.

His expression softened in an instant, as if spring water had turned into gentle waves, carrying an unconcealable surprise and tenderness.

He really didn't expect it—

She would take the initiative to find him at this time.

"Shushu".

His voice lowered and became hoarse, and the corners of his lips slightly raised. He was no longer the tribal chief who orchestrated everything, but simply... her male.

Tap the screen to use advanced tools Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.

You'll Also Like