"It's not bitter," Lin Xue shook her head, a bright smile appearing on her face. "Marrying the Emperor of Da Qian, Xue'er will be an imperial concubine. No other woman could even dream of this."
"And..." As she said this, a blush spread across Lin Xue's face. "The Emperor of Da Qian is very handsome, with great bearing. I... I really like him."
After saying this, Lin Xue lowered her head, her expression very shy.
On the way back to the manor from the Chuxiu Palace, she had already understood her own feelings.
"Uh..." Lin Wencheng was stunned by his granddaughter's girlish demeanor.
So it was just him wallowing in self-pity?
His granddaughter's expression was clearly that of a maiden in love, truly fond of the Emperor of Da Qian.
Lin Wencheng felt like a clown and couldn't help but say with a bitter smile, "Alright, alright. Since you like him, then go for it."
He had let go of his worries. Love and marriage were things Xue'er had to decide for herself.
He had initially thought his granddaughter was being forced into it, and felt wronged for her. But now, it was clearly not the case. Lin Xue herself was willing, so he naturally accepted it more readily.
"Sister, shouldn't you thank me for finding you such a good match?"
At this moment, Lin Zihao's head popped over, a silly grin on his face, feeling very pleased with himself.
His sister was finally getting married, and he would be the only one at home from now on!
What was that saying? When the tiger leaves the mountain, the monkey becomes king!
With this tigress leaving, he, Sun Wukong, would rise up, and no one could suppress him!
A hand directly slapped Lin Zihao's head, making him cry out in pain.
"You dare bring this up again! If you dare to speak carelessly again, I'll break your legs!" Lin Xue glared at Lin Zihao. Although she had accepted the fact of becoming an imperial concubine, she was very angry at Lin Zihao's reckless actions!
Lin Wencheng felt the same. He put on a stern face and lectured Lin Zihao properly, even resorting to physical discipline this time.
And so, Lin Zihao experienced a bit of 'childhood joy' within the manor.
...
In the north of Da Qian, it was much colder than in the imperial capital.
Some of the high mountains were still covered in snow, and the air was frigid, like winter.
The northern front of Da Qian, a fortress resembling the Great Wall, stood tall here.
The long fortress was built with dark gray bricks, making it very conspicuous against the white snow.
From high above, it looked like a coiling dragon on the snowy ground, ferocious and terrifying!
Xu Mo had set off from the imperial capital and arrived here in less than half an hour, his speed incredibly fast!
If he were still at the Quasi-Saint realm, it would have taken at least two hours.
Xu Mo did not conceal his presence. The moment he appeared above the northern front, he alerted the soldiers below.
Upon seeing that the person above was His Majesty, the soldiers erupted in cheers, their expressions incredibly excited!
His Majesty had personally come to the front lines!
The news spread instantly and soon reached Chen Dahai, the commander of the northern garrison.
"What!? His Majesty personally arrived at the northern front?" Chen Dahai stood up, exclaiming in disbelief.
The soldier who reported the news had a flushed face and lowered his head, saying, "Yes, General. His Majesty is outside now!"
Chen Dahai asked no further questions. He immediately shot up into the sky, leaving the camp and heading outside. Then he saw Xu Mo in the air.
Chen Dahai's spirit immediately soared! He knelt on one knee in mid-air, his voice filled with emotion, "Your humble subordinate greets His Majesty! Long live, long live, long live His Majesty!"
With his shout, the soldiers on the ground also knelt on one knee, their voices echoing to the heavens, filled with a stern, killing aura!
"Long live, long live, long live His Majesty!"
"Rise, you are excused!" Xu Mo looked at the northern garrison, which had lost more than half of its numbers, his expression heavy.
The soldiers rose one after another, looking up at His Majesty with expressions of immense excitement and fervor.
"Your Majesty, your personal visit to the front lines, does this mean Da Qian is going to wage a full-scale war with Da Jin!?" Chen Dahai approached Xu Mo, his voice tinged with anticipation.
He had long been displeased with Da Jin and wanted to wipe them out in one fell swoop.
However, his northern garrison did not have the strength for it. It would require all four garrisons of Da Qian to mobilize, along with the assistance of the Dragon Guard.
Furthermore, the surprise attack by Da Jin last night, which resulted in the deaths of over a thousand soldiers in the northern garrison, had undoubtedly ignited a fire within Chen Dahai, making him eager to vent his anger.
Xu Mo naturally understood Chen Dahai's thoughts. He shook his head and said, "There will not be a full-scale war."
"Not going to be?" Chen Dahai's expression immediately fell upon hearing this.
But he would not say anything more. He would do as His Majesty commanded; he never acted rashly. This was precisely why he was the commander of the northern garrison.
"Then, Your Majesty, what is the purpose of your visit to the front lines?" Chen Dahai asked next.
Xu Mo looked at the soldiers below, all of whom bore injuries to varying degrees, and said, "Where are the soldiers who died last night buried? I wish to go and see."
Chen Dahai was taken aback, then his expression turned somber, and he said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, they are all buried on Wangnan Mountain. The last wishes of the brothers before they died were to be buried on Wangnan Mountain after their deaths. They said that His Majesty was in the South, so they wished to face the South even in death."
Xu Mo was deeply touched, and his expression grew even more solemn.
"Take me to see them."
"Yes!" Chen Dahai acknowledged the order and led the way.
Although Wangnan Mountain had "Mountain" in its name, it was actually just a small hill, formed by accumulated snow.
At this moment, on Wangnan Mountain, there were many grave mounds, each over a meter high, densely packed, numbering over a thousand!
Xu Mo and Chen Dahai landed on the ground, gazing at the graves before them in silence for a long time.
After a long while, Chen Dahai spoke, "Your Majesty, the soldiers would be overjoyed and deeply moved if they knew you came to see them personally!"
Xu Mo did not reply. Instead, he looked at the graves and solemnly bowed to them.
Seeing this, Chen Dahai also bowed.
"Have the arrangements for the deceased soldiers' aftermath been properly handled?" Xu Mo exhaled and asked.
Chen Dahai solemnly replied, "Rest assured, Your Majesty. Your humble subordinate has made all the arrangements. The fallen brothers will receive generous compensation, and their families will be added to the list of meritorious service, receiving various preferential treatments in Da Qian henceforth."
Xu Mo nodded, then said, "Since these soldiers loved the South, let them be buried in the South. I have ordered the construction of a Martyrs' Cemetery in the imperial capital. It will be dedicated to burying the remains of martyrs in the future, and it will still be called Wangnan Mountain."