Chapter 312

"Let go! Release me. I need to see the Deputy General," a sharp voice of a woman rang out. She was being bound disrespectfully by the soldiers. As a princess from a tribe, how could she accept being treated this way?

Initially, she thought her journey would surely succeed in negotiations. Who would have thought that the Deputy General would have the audacity to slap their tribe in the face? Not only did he ignore their goodwill, but he also resorted to dirty tactics!

"Your Highness, you really cannot see the Deputy General right now. If you upset him while he’s in a hurry to return to the capital, you might end up as a prisoner who dies on the way," the soldier, although sympathetic, had no other orders regarding the young princess sent along with the tributes. Thus, he had to treat her like any other captive.

However, the care she received was already better than the others, yet she remained dissatisfied. To be precise, she had been unhappy since being rejected!

"But I am a princess. Even as a prisoner, my status is such that even the emperor of the Region must regard me with importance. If you treat me this way, it is disrespectful. Therefore..."

"What is this commotion?" Before the princess could finish speaking, an irritated voice laced with a killing aura echoed.

A handsome young man appeared. His body was well-built and muscular, his skin darkened from prolonged exposure to the sun, which only made him look even more striking. He was the dream man of many women, even within the tribe.

Seeing him appear, the princess paused as if spellbound. This reaction explained why "Wei Mudan," now "Noble Consort Wei," had been interested in Mu Heng at first sight. Unfortunately, he had ignored everyone equally, no matter who they were.

"Y-you are..."

"So, Princess, what do you want to talk about?" Mu Heng said with a slightly aggressive tone, seemingly disrespectful, but it was because he was truly annoyed.

After confirming that the man before her was indeed the Deputy General, the one she almost became the wife of, the princess’s face turned bright red with embarrassment.

Initially, it wasn’t as if she willingly wanted to be his wife, but as a princess, she had little choice. She had to marry for the survival of her tribe. However, upon seeing his face now, the young princess found herself falling in love. She forgot that she hadn’t been accepted as his wife. Therefore, regardless of whether she accepted the role now or not, they were nothing to each other.

"Y-you. These soldiers treated me poorly. I am a princess from a tribe, and yet, how could they dare to touch me and throw me in with the others? This is unacceptable," the beautiful woman complained, but Mu Heng didn’t pay her much mind. He merely looked at her as if she were a dead fish, his indifferent gaze causing her to pause once more.

"I should be the one asking why the princess of a tribe cannot stay with her own soldiers. Aren’t they the ones who came to help you fight? And now, what kind of behavior is this?" Mu Heng not only ignored her but also scolded her for acting disgusted by the soldiers who risked their lives following her father’s orders.

As a soldier of the Region himself, or even before that, when he was just a commoner, Mu Heng wasn’t willing to accept such disdainful looks from a superior he had served loyally!

Just like the other soldiers, upon hearing this, they initially hadn’t thought much of it, as they were used to being in a lower status. But after reflecting on their narrow escape from death, only to be met with contempt instead of gratitude from their superior, how could they be happy?!

"Y-You! Do you not understand? I am on a different level from these people. I am a princess!"

Slap!!

Without waiting for the other person to say more, Mu Heng, who never differentiated between men and women—only between his wife and those who were not—expressed himself differently depending on the situation.

His thick hand slapped the princess’s face so hard, sending her staggering backward. Her eyes widened in shock. Even her father, the king of the tribe, had never struck her like this. She never imagined she would be slapped in public like this!

Her lips trembled, filled with both anger and embarrassment, but Mu Heng remained indifferent. He sneered at her.

"A princess? Now, you’re just a lowly prisoner like the rest. What right do you have to speak to me as if we’re equals?" Mu Heng didn’t let her go. He grabbed her by the collar and lifted her until she was hanging in the air. Then, he threw her into a cage with other tribespeople, mostly women and children, who were huddled together crying.

These were the tribe members who had chosen to fight. After Mu Heng’s victory, everyone in the tribe became prisoners of war! Only four tribes had surrendered peacefully without fighting. They would send tributes later and not lose their people entirely.

Of course, their independence was gone. They would now be under the Bai Region’s rule, returning to the way things were before. True, if they had won, they would have gained freedom, not having to follow orders or pay protection taxes. However, with their limited strength, resistance was extremely dangerous. Many tribes often chose to surrender, except for those around the Red Earth City, who had united and still retained their rights to govern their tribes and lands.

"She is a princess of the tribe. Even if we bring her back as a prisoner, she will hold a high position in the inner palace. Treating her like this might unknowingly create enemies," the former great general understood the court’s dynamics well. Just as he had previously subdued rebels, if the emperor or the princes had no interest, the women would fall to generals like him.

This was like a reward, albeit one with no place to go. Still, her status warranted better treatment. She couldn’t be sent off as a slave like commoners.

By directly rejecting her, Mu Heng might force the emperor of the Bai Region to take her as a concubine. If she became an important figure, Mu Heng would face difficulties.

"Thank you for your concern. However, I’m not afraid of making more enemies," Mu Heng said arrogantly, and he had the ability to back up such arrogance.

The former great general of the Du Region could only laugh. He looked at the princess, still loudly complaining. It seemed unlikely that she would survive long in the inner palace, so he decided to let it go.

If she had the potential to become their significant enemy, this was a good opportunity to eliminate her. They could claim she was poisoned, encountered bandits, or any other reason. After all, this was a place far from the capital. Who would know what happened?

However, this princess seemed foolish and unaware of the situation. So, the master decided to let her live until they reached the capital.

"Deputy General, it looks like this battle has rewarded us greatly. Using the secret weapon Furen Mu provided was timely. The horses and heavy weapons of the cavalry remain intact, making these items valuable to the Bai Region. Upon our return, the emperor will surely reward you."

"We still have many living soldier captives. Developing various cities requires slaves, so they are excellent workers for the Bai Region. In the future, you can request assistance with different tasks, as you can bring back more than 10,000 slaves. This grants you the right to utilize these workers."

"Is that so?" Mu Heng listened to the report. He just realized that those who brought back victory and captives could borrow these slaves for their own use.

"Absolutely. These people are not just slaves of the palace but are considered half yours as well."

"Good," Mu Heng nodded. He was thinking about needing help with many tasks. Even the port required significant improvements. He wondered how far his wife had progressed with her work. She must be exhausted from handling so many responsibilities simultaneously.

Of course, Mu Heng was unaware of the problems brewing in the capital. Even the difficulties Yueqian faced in finding food for the refugees had not been communicated to him. Each day, he only received letters explaining how their son, Xihao, was doing or updates on the movements in the palace that he needed to know.

What Mu Heng didn’t know was that the port he was worried about had already been opened by his wife and was operating exceptionally well.

While the army was busy seizing assets to bring back to the capital and secure their achievements, preparations for a celebration called the “Floral Viewing” had already begun in the capital.

Before the event, many unmarried women in the royal palace participated in rehearsals for their performances on the day of the event. Each tried to showcase their unique talents, with some choosing to showcase what they excelled at the most. There was a wide variety of skills on display, but they all shared the same goal: to become the most beautiful “flower” of the event!

Meanwhile, Yueqian spent her time caring for her intelligent son when the young miss from the Yan family appeared at the manor’s entrace.

“Miss Yan, is there something I can help you with, visiting my Mu manor?” Yueqian asked in surprise, after serving her tea.

She didn’t know this woman personally. The visitor was the youngest daughter of Furen Yan, not very prominent due to her status. Her only notable quality was being the daughter of Furen Yan and the principal wife.

However, her appearance was not particularly striking like others. Her small, almost stunted frame didn’t attract much male attention. Nevertheless, in Yueqian’s opinion, this adorable young girl was like a little Loli. She might not have a beautiful or captivating face, but it was cute and pleasing to look at. Her petite body would probably appeal to some men with a protective instinct.

Unfortunately, people of this era didn’t express their preferences openly, and the accepted standard of beauty leaned towards elegant or sweet women. A bright and lively girl like this was not often admired. If she had been born in Yueqian’s time, she would likely have become a famous Loli idol.

“Furen Mu, actually... in a few days, there will be the Floral Viewing event. You are aware of it, right?” The other woman asked, nervously.

“Yes, I know about it. So, what is it you wish to discuss regarding the Floral Viewing?”

“W-Well, I... I wonder if you could help me? My mother said that you are the most accomplished woman. If you had joined the Bai Region before you were married, you would have been the most beautiful flower for sure. So, I... I don’t need to be the most beautiful flower. I just want to avoid embarrassing myself. Can you help me?”

When Yueqian heard this, she understood the other party’s purpose.

"You want me to help with your performance?"

"Yes, Furen Mu, can you help me, please? I am not good at anything. I’ve been practicing music since I was a child, but I’m no good. I’m not graceful enough to dance, can’t compose poetry, and even my chess skills are lacking. I don’t know what I’m good at anymore!"

Hearing her dejected words, Yueqian couldn’t help but smile. This young girl was truly adorable. It seemed Furen Yan had raised her daughter quite well.

Goodness! This was the first time she felt compelled to help someone like this. Seeing this petite girl made her eager to assist, even though there was no benefit in it...