Though she was said to be accompanying the army, Ye Qingcheng was actually treated like Xiao Wangye's personal attendant. It was only then that she learned that Xiao Si had even been on the battlefield with Xiao Wangye.
When Ye Qingcheng wasn't tending to Xiao Wangye's legs, he would send her to the logistics and cookhouse. When he was undergoing treatment, he would call her to his side to prepare a basin of hot water and silver needles.
As this continued, the soldiers around her began to look at her strangely.
Although she knew that even in disguise, her beauty couldn't be completely hidden, the rumors that she was involved with the Prince and that the Prince favored men made her want to laugh.
However, because her medical skills were excellent, and she helped treat some people with Xiao Wangye's permission, these rumors were dispelled.
While many still believed she was the Prince's male lover, Ye Qingcheng couldn't have been happier to see Xiao Wangye flustered.
At the same time, she heard from Lin Xiao that the Emperor had rewarded the Prince's manor with many items because of her compressed biscuits. Excitedly, she bragged about her contribution the next time she helped Xiao Wangye with his leg treatment.
"After all, this is my contribution, and the rewards are for me. It's not too much for me to take them, right?" Ye Qingcheng said with a sly smile, pricking Xiao Wangye with needles and jesting with him. Xiao Wangye replied coolly, "As you wish." He also didn't care about the money.
In Ye Qingcheng's eyes, Xiao Wangye marched daily, attacking one place after another. Although his leg still prevented him from fighting on the front lines, his use of troops was masterful. Whenever they passed through towns, she could hear the cheers of the local people.
When Xiao Wangye recaptured the lost territories, she could hear the cries and cheers of relief from the people of the former Chengguo.
Ye Qingcheng witnessed this and couldn't help but be moved by the people surviving in this chaotic era, treating Xiao Wangye with even greater dedication.
She also secretly thought that in this way, Xiao Wangye was a person whose domestic life might be turbulent, but who shone brilliantly for the country and the public. The original Ye Qingcheng likely only loved this heroic appearance.
It was a pity that for the original Ye Qingcheng, Xiao Wangye was just a scumbag. Not only did he marry her without taking responsibility, but he also poisoned her to marry his first love.
Ye Qingcheng thought this with a pang of bitterness.
Xiao Wangye's plan was to stop fighting after repelling the barbarians. Therefore, after defeating them and recovering some lost territories, they encamped in the area for a while and did not advance further.
During this time, Ye Qingcheng went to see him once, and Xiao Wangye was clearly thinking about something. She was by his side and was about to leave, but Xiao Wangye stopped her.
Xiao Wangye was deep in thought, even indifferent when she came to administer acupuncture. But as she was packing up to leave, he suddenly asked, "Is there any way to find a specific direction when the terrain is unknown?"
"Sinan," Ye Qingcheng replied casually, recalling the ancient name for a compass.
"But Sinan has been lost for many years, and now it only appears in unofficial histories," Xiao Wangye said, tapping the armrest of his wheelchair as if seeking her opinion. "Can you make one?"
Ye Qingcheng felt like Doraemon at that moment, able to produce strange things from her pocket to satisfy Xiao Wangye.
She asked Xiao Wangye, "What do you need this for now?"
"A vanguard team got lost in a river valley. I was wondering if you have any way to find them."
So, Ye Qingcheng explained to Xiao Wangye what a lodestone was and how to make a compass. As she spoke, Xiao Wangye's expression gradually turned strange. He interrupted her and questioned, "How do you know all this?"
Ye Qingcheng rolled her eyes and told him the story she had already concocted. "I saw it in an old book before. The author even detailed where to find the lodestone and drew diagrams. In the book, this item was renamed a luopan."
"So you're just using something you saw in a book to fool me."
Ye Qingcheng retorted defensively, "Hey, Your Highness, this is clearly a case of 'golden houses within books'! If this thing is truly useful, someone will make it. You can't just criticize something you know nothing about, I'm telling you."
Xiao Wangye didn't bother arguing with her, but the next day he summoned her and several accompanying craftsmen again, asking her to guide them in making this luopan.
Ye Qingcheng asked him suspiciously, "Did you find the lodestone?"
"You said it's attracted to some metals, which you called lodestone. Come and see if it's these." He had happened to find them in the local inventory.
Ye Qingcheng placed two small pieces of metal together and indeed felt the attraction between them.
She had someone grind the lodestone into a circular shape. After it was ground, it was combined with a thin wooden board, and both wobbled on the water.
She felt that just presenting it like this might not be convincing, so she made several more, including needle versions. After confirming that these compasses all pointed in the same parallel line, Ye Qingcheng presented them to Xiao Wangye.
This time, there were many more people in Xiao Wangye's tent. Ye Qingcheng felt she should speak less, as she couldn't change her voice, so she pushed forward a craftsman to explain the principle.
She had already explained the principles to them as much as possible, so even though they still thought it was magically made by spirits, they repeated Ye Qingcheng's words.
Xiao Wangye was not entirely satisfied. He frowned and pushed his wheelchair, calling Ye Qingcheng out. "Why aren't you speaking? Are you mute?"
"!"
I was just thinking you didn't want me to reveal myself after letting me disguise myself as a man and enter!
A general rescued her. "The Princess Consort's actions are truly great."
All the generals agreed.
Only then did Ye Qingcheng realize that all these people knew who she was.
This was because most of them were Xiao Wangye's own men.
Ye Qingcheng had a good impression of these generals, and the generals also had a good impression of her due to her series of contributions.
"Princess Consort, your compressed biscuits are truly amazing! The ones being promoted in the army now, after eating them, one feels full of strength! I feel like I won't be hungry for half a day after eating them!"
"Do you remember the young man who injured his thigh last time? He was my soldier. He bragged to me that there was a new doctor with the Regent who could treat his leg, which was thought to be lost, but after you worked on it, he recovered in no time!"
"We are also truly grateful to you this time! Our brothers didn't expect to be trapped there, but thanks to your intervention."
The crowd then turned back to the compasses. A group of men collectively marveled at the small objects floating on the water, and Ye Qingcheng suddenly felt a little embarrassed.
"Sinan can also be made into a portable form. This time, I just wanted to show the Prince the results. I will immediately start making some more portable ones."
"The Princess Consort is truly knowledgeable!"