Tang Dynasty: To win Yang Guifei, they asked Emperor Xuanzong to die.

"Princess Yaru, everything went smoothly today. You must be exhausted."

Hearing that gentle tone and such concern for her, Ya Ru blushed slightly: "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I'm fine."

As one of the many daughters of the old lord of Tar, she never received any special care or preferential treatment from childhood. Even when she was close to the old lord, she always felt that he treated her no more than a cute and obedient little pet.

Now that she's been adopted by the wolf master as his daughter, she feels like she's living under someone else's roof and has no home.

Li Mao not only chose the most comfortable tent for her, but also asked her if she was exhausted when everyone was thinking about her marrying the Crown Prince and bringing the glory of the grassland bloodline to Chang'an.

How could such kindness not move one to tears?

Li Mao didn't continue with his concern, but instead changed the subject, saying, "From now on, you will need to learn many things. Not just court etiquette, but also literacy, and most importantly, how to deal with all sorts of complex situations. These all require time and patience, but don't be afraid. I will teach you little by little, personally, and I guarantee that after you go to Chang'an, you will become a qualified concubine of the Crown Prince."

Ya Ru nodded earnestly: "I will study hard!"

In the days that followed, Li Mao arranged for several learned officials to teach Ya Ru to read and write. Every evening, Li Mao would take the time to check on her progress.

Ya Ru learned very quickly; she was smart and diligent, which pleased Li Mao greatly.

Every night, Li Mao would chat with her, asking about her thoughts and concerns.

Each time, Ya Ru's eyes would grow brighter when she looked at Li Mao.

One night, the moonlight was as clear as water.

Ya Ru sat outside the tent, gazing blankly at the stars in the sky.

Li Mao walked over and quietly sat down beside her.

"Princess, what are you thinking about?"

Ya Ru turned her head, her gaze softening: "Your Highness, I was just wondering what Chang'an will be like. Sometimes I feel uneasy. I'm only sixteen years old, and I'm about to leave the place I've lived in for over a decade to go to a completely unfamiliar world. Although Chang'an is very prosperous, I'm still afraid..."

"Chang'an is one of the most prosperous cities in the world today, with many beautiful sights and talented men and women. When you get there, you will see many interesting things. You have never traveled far before, so it is understandable that you are afraid. But don't be afraid, I will personally escort you there until I hand you over to the Crown Prince."

"What kind of person is the Crown Prince?" Ya Ru asked, bewildered. She seemed not to fully understand what marriage meant for a woman.

Li Mao patiently said, "His Highness the Crown Prince is a bit older than me and looks somewhat like me. He is gentle and refined. Although he is not good at fighting, he is very talented in literature. If you want to win his favor, you should study hard and learn to read and write these days, so that you won't be blind to the truth later."

Ya Ru nodded repeatedly, a look of longing appearing in her eyes.

Li Mao continued, “I know that you nomadic peoples are all skilled in singing and dancing, but the dances that the people of the Central Plains like are slightly different from yours. My army is full of rough men, and I can’t teach you these things. Come with me in a few days, and I will take you to find a good teacher who will teach you properly on the way to Chang’an.”

The "good teacher" he was referring to was none other than Jiang Caiyue, currently serving in the Shuofang Army. Taking the two girls back to Chang'an would be killing two birds with one stone, a perfect and natural outcome!

Seven days later, a message sent by carrier pigeon from Chang'an arrived at Yinshan.

Although Li Longji was not entirely satisfied with Princess Yaru's adopted status, the matter had already come to this point, and he couldn't very well back out and refuse the marriage proposal. After all, she was a princess of the wolf clan, so whether she was the wolf lord's biological daughter or not didn't really matter. Throughout history, there had been precedents of royal women being adopted as princesses to serve in marriage alliances.

After careful consideration, Li Longji personally approved Princess Yaru's marriage to the Crown Prince.

"His Majesty has ordered Your Highness to set off as soon as possible to escort Princess Yaru to Chang'an?" Upon hearing the news, Li Jingqing stood up abruptly and asked in confusion, "Your Highness has traveled a long way and encountered various emergencies along the way, without ever getting a proper rest. Why is it that you must set off again in such a hurry?"

Li Mao smiled, seemingly taking it for granted: "Isn't this normal? Father's mind isn't on his son, so naturally he won't think of anything else. But it doesn't matter. Since Father hopes I can return as soon as possible, then I will return as soon as possible."

During this period, we will have to return to the Shuofang Army camp again.

In any case, whether Li Longji returned to Chang'an sooner or later made no difference. His health was deteriorating, and he was already struggling to take care of himself. Li Mao had no intention of arguing with such a dying man; he would simply delay his return and appease him.

Over the past few days, Ya Ru and Li Mao have become increasingly close.

One night, under the clear moonlight, Ya Ru sat outside the tent as usual, gazing at the stars in the sky.

Li Mao discovered that this seemed to be her only hobby.

Seeing Li Mao approach, Ya Ru smiled and made room for him to sit down.

She said, “Your Highness, you must think that a woman like me has no ambitions, no interests, and seems boring, right? But all the girls on the grasslands are like this. In particular, I don’t like riding horses and I’m not as brave and skilled in battle as Princess Aya. So I don’t have any outstanding qualities. If Your Highness hadn’t valued me, I’m afraid I would still be unknown.”

The more Ya Ru learned these days, the more she realized how shallow and uninteresting she had been before. Surely someone like Li Mao, who grew up in the Central Plains and was well-traveled and knowledgeable, would look down on a woman like her?

Whenever Ya Ru thinks about this, she feels very sad.

She thought it would be great if she could do something to help Li Mao.

Thinking about it, he asked, "Your Highness, once we get to Chang'an, I'll be at the Crown Prince's residence. Will we still be able to meet? Is there anything I can do to help you with what you're doing in Chang'an?"

In the eyes of the daughters of the grasslands, women can also help men with tasks and achieve success.

Li Mao said, "After you go to Chang'an, you will not live in the Crown Prince's residence, but in the Eastern Palace with the Crown Prince. After you enter the palace, it will be difficult for the two of us to meet again. We may only be able to exchange greetings from afar during festivals."

Ya Ru froze instantly; she didn't want things to turn out this way.

She wanted to see Li Mao from time to time, to talk to him about what she had learned these days, and how life was different from the grassland.