The reason she made clothes for Rong Heng wasn’t out of kindness, it was merely because there’s an old saying: "Short favors make long friends." After accepting so much silver from others, it was only proper to compensate in certain areas.
As for Rong Heng himself, unlike some male leads with obsessions over cleanliness and all kinds of melodrama, he adapted well to local customs.
Mixing in the military camp, bathing once every two or three days and changing clothes once every three to five days was considered clean enough, after all, conditions in the camp weren’t that great.
He never brought maids around him, simply because he found them troublesome. Sometimes, he was so busy that he didn’t even have time to eat, let alone care about cleanliness.
Over here on the border, one could say it was peaceful, but on the other hand, there were constant troubles—with bandits from the neighboring Xigu Country causing disturbances every now and then. Rong Heng was not a man who needed gold plating; if he didn’t show up, then all was well. But once he did, he came to accomplish tasks. Previously, he led in constructing windmills, and now he was joining the warriors to fend off foreign aggression. He was favored, yet not proud or arrogant; instead, he was down-to-earth and hardworking.
Sometimes she felt that the old man, whom she often cursed, probably also understood his temperament, hence assigning him the dirtiest and most exhausting tasks. He might complain and rant on the surface, but deep down, he knew it was the old man’s way of tempering him. His favoritism wasn’t just superficial, but was also fully demonstrated in his actions.
To quote Rong Heng himself, "When you’re given an opportunity, if you don’t cherish it, then you deserve to be oppressed and eliminated from the game."
So, while his other brothers were enjoying their frivolous lives in Beijing, he had already embarked on a tough journey of envoy missions, crossing mountains and rivers to suffer in the military camp and experience life.
It might seem like he was at a disadvantage on the surface, but in actuality, he was quietly getting to know the local customs of Nanling Country and gaining popularity by immersing himself among the people and in the military camp.
Now, because Rong Heng had not only solved the local irrigation problems but also promoted the use of windmills and waterwheels throughout the country, and had scored remarkable achievements in the military camp, it was time for him to return, right?
Ha, I’m sorry, the summer arrived and with it, the floods, and he was sent off by an imperial decree from the Emperor to manage flood control work where the dikes had breached.
Naturally, before setting off, he couldn’t help but grumble a lot, and seeing him irritably ruffling his hair, Tangyuan found it amusing.
"Are you in such a hurry to return to Beijing because you miss your wife and kids?"
Upon hearing this, Rong Heng stared at her as if she were an idiot, while Tangyuan was puzzled, Ming Yue, who always seemed scholarly, said with a smile.
"Tangyuan, don’t you know? Our Prince hasn’t married yet!"
Tangyuan looked up incredulously: "How can that be? Aren’t you already twenty-five? By that age, your kids should’ve been running around everywhere."
Qingfeng kept giving her meaningful glances, but Tangyuan didn’t catch on. Eventually, Rong Heng spoke up, "Can’t an old man have a curse on his wife, no?"
"Curse? Curse his wife? So you mean, you got married?"
This time, Rong Heng truly couldn’t be bothered with her any longer. He told them to roll out directly and left the tent. The ever-curious Tangyuan couldn’t help but ask Qingfeng Mingyue.
"What exactly happened?" ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by NoveI[F]ire.net
"What else could’ve happened? Our lord is just too kind-hearted. He married three Princesses in a row, the first being the Empress Dowager’s niece. She had been sickly since she was a child and vomited blood to death on her wedding night. It was only later we found out that our lord was their hope for auspicious blessings. But instead of bringing luck, he ended up with the reputation of cursing his wife!"
"The second was the Empress’s niece, who had to marry our lord due to family relations. But on the wedding night, she told our lord that she was already pregnant. She was forced into this marriage against her will and even begged our lord to let her be with the one she loved..."