Zhu Yurun looked at Pengxin and nodded. “There are many times when I have that same thought too, but Mister Ji said that if you want too many things in this world, you’ll only end up making yourself feel worse. It’s normal for men to have a harem. Not everyone will be like the current marquis, who wholeheartedly wants to spend his life with just one person. It’ll be worth it if you’re the most important person in his heart.” 

  Pengxin considered this advice for a long time before nodding. 

  But, she wasn’t even able to grasp that position in his heart. She wasn’t the most important person to him. 

  — 

  Normally, a servant girl would bring over tea after the meal was finished. However, after Pengxin took the offered cup of tea, she didn’t drink it today. Her mind was too occupied with thoughts of Ning Mingjie. To her surprise, he actually appeared in front of her after she had been thinking about him for a while. 

  “What are you thinking about?” Ning Mingjie raised his eyebrows as he looked at her. He took a seat next to her. 

  “You……” Pengxin looked at him. Soon after, she realized her answer wasn’t right. She pursed her lips and said, “We’ve been married for so long, so I was wondering why I still haven’t gotten pregnant. When I see Xing-er, I truly feel a bit envious.” 

  Ning Mingjie chuckled. “You were thinking about that issue for that long of a time?” 

  “En.” Pengxin blushed and nodded. 

  Ning Mingjie laughed in spite of himself. Sometimes, this Yuzhen Princess, who didn’t know propriety, was quite cute. 

  “You can’t get a child just by thinking about it,” he said. 

  When the bed curtain fell down, Pengxin’s eyes widened. As it turned, when a woman asked a man this question, it meant that she was asking for his favor? Did this mean that in the future she didn’t need to act coy to seduce him? She could just directly ask him for a child? 

  Princess Pengxin thought that she had discovered a great secret. She felt immeasurably satisfied with herself. 

  It seemed that her relationship with Ning Mingjie was gradually improving. She learned the skills that a woman from Great Song would have: embroidery and cooking. Even the thing that she hated the most before, poetry and songs, she patiently learned them because he liked them. 

  The formerly unruly princess that only knew how to play around with weapons now wished to become an able and virtuous wife. 

  — 

  Luoqi said, “The general is usually away on military campaigns for years on end. His body has many old injuries. This servant heard that one-hundred-year-old ginseng was recently discovered on Fu Mountain. It’s the type that can move around. Only a person with a sincere heart would be able to find it. It can cure a person’s old injuries and all illnesses. This servant wants to go and find this for the general.” 

  Pengxin was guarded against her. Ji-shi had said that she couldn’t believe Luoqi’s words, so Pengxin’s only response was nodding and saying, “Alright, you can go.” 

  Ning Mingjie had once received an injury on his leg. The wound had reached all the way to his bone. On rainy days, this injury would ache. She had heard from a doctor that his leg would hurt more as he aged. 

  — 

  Pengxin was slightly tempted and wanted to go to Fu Mountain to dig up that ginseng too. However, after she told Zhu Yurun about this, Zhu Yurun shook her head. “What ginseng? I haven’t heard anything about this. She’s definitely lying to you. Look, she definitely won’t be able to bring anything back. Don’t be fooled by her!” 

  “I’m such a smart person. I won’t be fooled!” Pengxin solemnly vowed. 

  — 

  Sure enough, Luoqi didn’t bring back any ginseng. She cried and said that she wasn’t able to find it. She also said things like the general must be feeling awful since the weather hadn’t been good lately. 

  Zhu Yurun said, “She looks like she wants to trick you into hunting for that ginseng. At worst, she has a trap set up to harm you.” 

  Pengxin scoffed, “Only a pig would get duped.” 

  However, a day later, a pig-headed person was walking on Fu Mountain’s paths. 

  It would soon be Ning Mingjie’s birthday. Although it wasn’t a milestone birthday, so there wouldn’t be a grand feast, she still thought that there was no harm in trying her luck. If she really was able to find it, it could be used as gift. 

  She wasn’t stupid, really. She knew that Luoqi didn’t have good intentions, so she told Ning Mingjie that she was going to Fu Mountain to pray for blessings and would return home in a few days. She had even brought along a dagger for self-protection. If someone dared to attack her, she would teach that person why the flowers were so red. 

  Because they’re stained by blood! 

  (T/N: This phrase/question is the title of a Chinese folk song. The answer is because the flowers are watered by the blood of youths.) 

  Baring her teeth to show a ferocious expression, Pengxin was full of confidence as she walked down the path. 

  Of course, there wasn’t any one-hundred-year old ginseng, but, she wasn’t willing to easily give up. She practically scoured the entire mountain and ended up wasting a lot of time. 

  However, during Pengxin’s three-day absence, Luoqi had acted as matckmaker for Ning Mingjie. Li Xianglan, the Minister of Revenue’s concubine-born daughter, had married into the household as a concubine. 

  Normally, this was something that required the main wife’s approval, but since the main wife was gone during this time, Luoqi had acted as the person in charge. Since Luoqi and Xianglan had a good relationship, they were naturally very close once Xianglan entered the household. 

  Moreover, Ning Mingjie hadn’t objected. To him, it was only adding another person to his estate. Since his birthday was approaching, he treated this woman as a gift from the Li Clan. 

  When Pengxin returned to the general’s estate in disappointment, she saw Ning Mingjie with a woman that she hadn’t seen before. They were heading towards the main courtyard. 

  Seeing Pengxin, Ning Mingjie stopped walking and said, “You’re back? You’ve been praying for blessing for three days. There must be a mountain’s worth of blessings on my body now. This is Xianglan. She recently entered the household.” 

  Seeing the smile on his face, Pengxin suddenly realized something. She realized that she had made things worse for herself after all. She had been telling herself not to want too much, but when she saw the current scene, her eyes still felt as if they were being stabbed. 

  “Your new mistress?” She asked. 

  Ning Mingjie’s smile dimmed. “Pengxin, think before you speak.” 

  Pengxin smiled. She waved her hand and strode away with a domineering presence. 

  What was she doing here? She had turned herself into a different person, but had only received a small portion of his heart in return. 

  Pengxin felt a bit tired. Her hands were full of bruises and so was her heart. 

  Why did you have to change yourself for the person that you love?

  Chapter 478 – There’s another way to accompany you (1) 

  After getting married, you had to slowly adapt to the other person through many interactions. It was true that you had to correct your flaws; otherwise, it would be difficult to live together. However, Pengxin had made a mistake. She had directly changed herself to suit Ning Mingjie’s preferences. She hadn’t considered that Ning Mingjie should change himself too for their relationship. She had only though she should be the one changing. 

  Many women knew how to expend their time and energy in a relationship. It was because these women had experienced the love their parents had for them since they were children, that’s why they knew how to you should treat the person you love. But, if you only gave without asking for anything in return, only you would be emotionally moved and only you would suffer a lost. 

  You could improve yourself for a man, but if he didn’t know how to cherish you, then your sacrifice wasn’t worth it. Don’t ask why you weren’t repaid for your efforts, that would be like asking why a ball didn’t bounce back after you threw it against the wall. The problem wasn’t your strength. It was because the other side might be black hole instead of a wall. 

  Ning Mingjie didn’t chase after her to ask her what was wrong. Xianglan had just entered the household, so tonight would be considered their wedding night. 

  — 

  Pengxin was sitting on a roof by herself and holding a jar of wine. She was drowning her troubles in alcohol. After getting drunk, she fell asleep on the roof. Anyways, no one in this place cared where she went. 

  The next day, it was Zhu Yurun, who falteringly used a ladder to climb onto the roof to look for her. “Aren’t you scared of falling down from here in your sleep?” 

  Pengxin woke up to the morning sun. She looked at Zhu Yurun and grinned. “I have unrivaled martial arts, so there’s no way I would fall to my death.” 

  Zhu Yurun harrumphed. As they went down from the roof, she said, “I heard that the general has taken a concubine, so I knew you would be feeling bad and came over here to see you.” 

  As she said this, she respectably patted her friend’s shoulder. “All men like the new and get bored with the old. Whenever Yingchen takes a new concubine, I just stay far away until he remembers me and comes looking for me. By that time, I’ll naturally be the one he likes the most again.” 

  Pengxin was stunned by Zhu Yurun’s open-mindedness. And yet, she felt envious of her. In the past, she had also been able to live a carefree life without worries. 

  — 

  Of course, the estate became even less at peace once Xianglan entered the household. The time that Ning Mingjie spent with Pengxin was already very little to begin with. Once another new person was added, he visited Pengxin less frequently. 

  Xianglan was a troublemaker. After she entered the estate, she couldn’t stand Pengxin and didn’t get along with her. There were many times when Pengxin wanted to slap her mouth for daring to speak to her in such arrogant tone. 

  But, once she thought about Ning Mingjie, she would give up on that notion. 

  Xianglan rolled her eyes as she said, “Aiyo, Yuzhen’s princess has such extravagant habits. Who else uses silver chopsticks to eat?” 

  And so, Pengxin changed to using normal chopsticks like everyone else, but she inexplicable got sick for a month afterwards, and couldn’t share a bed with the general during this time. 

  — 

  Xianglan clutched an orchid-colored cloth and said, “Aiyo, sure enough, this is the main wife’s courtyard. The fabrics here are much better than ours.” 

  Pengxin didn’t bother arguing with her. Whatever fabric she wanted, she could take it. 

  — 

  Xianglan and Luoqi were on the same side. Nuanyu would naturally help Luoqi too. With three women working together, they forcibly snatched Ning Mingjie away. They made her feel unpresentable and unable to receive favor. 

  However, Pengxin discovered that she was pregnant. She wasn’t sure when it had happened. Counting the days, it had been two months. She didn’t say anything and quietly remained in her courtyard. Even if her food and clothing were at the same level as a concubine’s and Ning Mingjie hadn’t come to see her for a long time, she didn’t care about any of that. 

  — 

  Zhu Yurun came over and leaked out the news that she wouldn’t have to wait too long for her good days to come. 

  The locust plague in Jiangxi had given the rebels an opportunity to revolt. The rebels said they would attack the capital to rescue the young emperor and kill Marquis Moyu. 

  Ning Yuxuan had treated this threat as a joke. However, he still sent a massive military force to put down the rebel force. Surprisingly, the power of the commonfolk could be terrifying. Jiangxi’s region had many mountain kings, and they gathered up 30,000 soldiers. They were determined to overturn the current regime. 

  An order was issued for Ning Mingjie to go to Jiangxi. 

  The group of troublemakers in his estate finally settled down. Once the general left, there was nothing for them to compete. Once he left for a military campaign, he would be gone for a few years. There was nothing left to hope for until he returned. 

  With red eyes, Luoqi held Ning Jinxing’s hand as they went over to send Ning Mingjie off. 

  Ning Mingjie wasn’t surprised by this expedition at all. He was still young. It was no burden for him to be given the chance to perform outstanding military service. Yuxuan was just thinking of ways for him to accomplish meritorious service, so he had to seize this opportunity. 

  But, it seemed that he hadn’t seen Pengxin in a long time? As Ning Mingjie got onto his horse, he couldn’t resist turning his head back to look. Lately, he had frequently been thinking about her. Every time he wanted to go over to see her, he always ended up being delayed by something. This had happened a number of times, and he actually ended up not seeing her for a month. 

  Back when he had married her, it was true that the reason was for political benefits. However, now that so much time had passed, it would be a lie to say he didn’t have any feelings for her. 

  “Where’s Madam?” he asked. 

  “This servant hasn’t seen her.” Luoqi lowered her eyes and said, “She probably went out to play. Madam really likes the capital. She frequently goes out.” 

  Ning Mingjie nodded. “Once she returns, tell her that I left.” 

  “General, take care.” Luoqi led the other people to salute him goodbye. 

  The armored guards mounted their horses and followed after Ning Mingjie in departing. 

  Even after the horses had galloped a distance, Ning Mingjie was still wondering why Pengxin hadn’t come to see him off. He suddenly heard someone nearby murmuring, “No wonder you haven’t been coming to see me. It’s because someone always intercepts you on the way there.” 

  That voice…… Ning Mingjie abruptly turned his head.

  Chapter 479 – There’s another way to accompany you (2) 

  Pengxin looked up. Her tender little face looked especially small inside the helmet. 

  Even the horse was startled and came to a quick halt. Ning Mingjie looked around, coughed to clear his throat, and pulled on her horse’s reins to lead her to the side to talk. “What are you doing?” 

  “Me?” Pengxin blinked. Swish. She pulled out her three-ring sword from the scabbard that was on her horse’s back. “I’m going with you to fight, ah.” 

  “Outrageous!” Ning Mingjie’s face had changed colors. “Is war a child’s game? You’re a mere woman……” 

  “We met on the battlefield.” Pengxin cleaned her ears and harrumphed. “My sword has killed countless enemies. Even if I spent the last year embroidering for you, I still know how to use my sword!” 

  Seeing that he was going say more, Pengxin took out a yellow cloth scroll. “Oh yeah, the emperor appointment me to come along. Here’s the imperial edict. Do you want to take a look?” 

  Ning Mingjie was stunned. He took the imperial edict from her. It really did have the emperor’s seal. The emperor was allowing Yuzhen’s princess, Pengxin, to follow the army. 

  “This……” After thinking it over, Ning Mingjie understood. 

  Who had possession of the emperor’s seal? Ning Yuxuan. 

  Who did Ning Yuxuan listen to? Ji-shi. 

  These cousin-in-laws were like actual sisters, ah. She even helped Pengxin to this degree. Ning Mingjie sighed. He let go of her horse’s reins. “Why are you coming with me to battle? It’ll be very hard and tiring.” 

  “I’m not scared of hard work,” Pengxin said, “Someone told me that it’s better for me to be myself. I thought it over. I have to go with you to fight. When you charge ahead, I’ll help you chop down your enemies. When you capture a city, I’ll guard your back. That’s what the real me would do. I’m not suitable for staying at home to embroider and plotting out schemes against them, really. 

  Ning Mingjie couldn’t help it; his heart felt warm. “Alright, you have to do a good job with protecting me then.” 

  “En!” Pengxin placed her sword onto her shoulder and took a long breath. “It feels much better to speak loudly like this.” 

  Ning Mingjie’s heart felt a bit distressed. It seemed that this Yuzhen Princess had felt horribly stifled in his inner court. 

  — 

  “I still feel really worried about Pengxin following the general to the battlefield.” Zhu Yurun said to Ji Man while cracking melon seeds between her teeth. “Wouldn’t it unfairly help those wretched women in the general’s household if she dies on the battlefield?” 

  Ji Man thought that Zhu Yurun must have suffered a shock recently. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have said words like wretched women. 

  “That’s alright. Pengxin still has a big move that she hasn’t used yet. Once she uses it, she’ll be arranged inside the camps and won’t even have to lift a finger.” Ji Man spat out a melon seed’s shell. She narrowed her eyes as if she was focused on looking at a goal. “Pengxin actually has a very likable personality. It’s only that other people take Ning Mingjie’s attention away, so he can’t properly spend time with her and get to know her. They’ll be staying in Jiangxi for three years. By the time they come back, they’ll have a child together. Their feelings will have had time to grow. While they’re away in the military camps, no one will be scheming or bullying Pengxin. Her life couldn’t be better.” 

  Zhu Yurun doubtfully looked at her. “How can you know the war will last three years?” 

  Ji Man coughed. She didn’t feel right pointing out to this fool that she had an inside source for the imperial court matters. She went to sleep hearing all sorts of national secrets, so how could it be possible for her to not know something minor like this? 

  She had originally only wanted to help Pengxin a little bit, but once Ning Yuxuan found out that she wanted to develop the relationship between Ning Mingjie and his wife, he didn’t say another word before getting an imperial edict and sending Pengxin off to join the army. 

  That’s why she had felt okay with divulging a spoiler in advance by telling Zhu Yurun that she could tell Pengxin her good days weren’t far. 

  It would be so pointless just to change yourself. While you were striving to change yourself, you might as well change him too. 

  Ji Man felt that it was easy for people to feel sympathetic for foolish, young women. It was unlikely that she would ever change into a foolish, sweet person herself, so she would dote on these foolish, young women. She would teach them how to live properly and get people to believe that true love was invincible. 

  — 

  Pengxin had blocked an attack for Ning Mingjie, and there was a wound on her arm as a result. Furious, Ning Mingjie was about to go after the scattered remains of the enemy army to get revenge for her. Unexpectedly, Pengxin, who should be feeling weak and lying down, acted as if she was perfectly fine. She raised her large sword and ran quicker than anyone else to cut off the enemy’s hand. 

  Ning Mingjie, “.……” 

  His anger was gone, but he felt a bit distressed. 

  Pengxin sucked in a breath of cold air, Looking at him, she said, “I’m going to head back to the tent first.” 

  The enemy soldiers were pretty much wiped out. Seeing that her expression looked pained, Ning Mingjie went back to the camp with her to check on her injury. 

  As a result, he heard an army doctor saying she was in her third month of pregnancy! 

  Ning Mingjie immediately flipped the table. Three months! This girl had come along with him into the battlefield, protected him, and taken a wound meant for him when she was three months pregnant? Was she Yuzhen’s princess, or the Monkey King? How could she be so lively? 

  He was speechless with anger. It was only when he saw that Pengxin’s complexion had changed that he anxiously asked the doctor what to do. 

  The army doctor hadn’t treated a woman before. He sighed and said, “Prepare medicine to help stabilize her condition.” 

  And so, the dignified, great general of the nation sat outside the tent and earnestly cooked medicine. His expression was stern, and the soldiers that passed by him saluted and stopped by the side to see what he was out here doing. 

  More and more people came to watch this spectacle. When Ning Mingjie returned to his senses, his surrounding was already a solid blanket of black. The pot of medicine was bubbling over. 

  Translator Ramblings: It’s strange that Ji Man can find stupidity cute. Isn’t that Wen Wan’s defining character trait?