Upon learning of this, Shaoyao covered her eyes and remained motionless for a long while. Then she smiled. If she still couldn't live well under such circumstances, then she truly deserved it.
Though Wu Yong's parents had passed away, there were still elders in the clan and several older sisters above him. Initially, they weren't entirely satisfied with this marriage. To them, having a princess as a daughter-in-law wasn't necessarily a good thing—if she was easy to get along with, that would be fine, but if she turned out to be domineering, who knew what troubles might arise in the future.
However, with the imperial decree issued, all dissatisfaction turned into satisfaction. They all thought that even if the princess were somewhat domineering, they could tolerate it. After all, such a dowry was unique in the entire world. Not all descendants of the Wu family could become generals, and the establishment of Nuo City would inevitably require a large workforce—how could they bypass the Wu family for this!
Having received such tremendous benefits, what was initially just a superficially acceptable marriage now became something they cared deeply about. The garrison commander's residence, which previously only had the Second Elder Lady in attendance, suddenly welcomed several other elder ladies.
"Don't blame them," said Second Elder Lady Wu Zhen, stepping back to examine the effect of her new clothes while gently speaking up for her sisters. "After marriage, one faces many constraints. If I hadn't married someone my father personally promoted, and if he weren't serving under you, I might not have this freedom to come and go as I please either."
Wu Yong didn't mention that his other sisters had also married descendants of their father's old acquaintances, merely saying, "Second Sister, don't worry. I won't hold grudges against them because of this. Didn't they all contribute greatly to my marriage preparations?"
"I know you too well." Wu Zhen gave him a reproachful look but said no more. They were all adults who knew how to handle matters, though emotional bonds had indeed been strained.
Wu Yong lowered his gaze, not telling his most doting second sister about the numerous matters he'd learned from his trusted aides the moment he returned from fetching his bride, without even catching his breath. Nor did he mention how he had stayed up all night checking and filling gaps in every aspect. The Wu family had been without a proper mistress for too long—so long that some people had forgotten their proper places.
He didn't expect Shaoyao to have great means to deal with them, but he believed the whip in her hand could make people obedient.
This was a garrison commander's residence, not one of those wealthy households in the capital. There was no need for complicated maneuvers—using force to suppress dissent was perfectly acceptable.
Naturally, these matters couldn't escape Gu Yanxi's notice, and since he knew, Hua Zhi inevitably found out as well. Yet she wasn't angry, nor did she plan to do anything to those people. This was to be Shaoyao's home from now on, and she needed to establish her authority herself. Hua Zhi simply changed from her regular attire into ceremonial robes and, with the dignity of a princess consort, received the respects of all the women from various families. She also ostentatiously displayed the dowry—the wedding gifts that nearly overflowed the garrison commander's residence made everyone realize that Princess Hele wasn't just a frightening title; she was genuinely cherished.
Bao Xia entered to report, "Garrison Commander Wu requests an audience."
"Denied." Hua Zhi placed gold bars of uniform thickness into a wooden chest, refusing without even looking up. "Tomorrow is the main event. Let him focus on preparing for it."
Bao Xia acknowledged the order while suppressing a laugh. Her young mistress wouldn't admit it, but she was clearly displeased with Garrison Commander Wu.
Gu Yanxi stood up and walked over, looking at the sea of gold at the bottom of the chest with some amusement. "I'm not worried about you emptying our family assets for Shaoyao's dowry. I'm just concerned whether they'll be able to carry all this tomorrow.""If two people can't lift it, then have four people do it. If four still can't manage, then eight." Hua Zhi glanced at him and continued stacking items inside. Compared to ordinary people, Shaoyao's dowry was indeed substantial, but since it was a long-distance marriage, the dowry prioritized practicality over value. In terms of worth, it might not match the dowries of noble families in the capital when marrying off their daughters, let alone her own "ten miles of red dowry." Of course, if Nuo City was included in the dowry, no one could surpass it.
Now aware of the Wu family's intentions, all she could do was thicken the bottom-line funds. If needed, they could be used to make a statement by "throwing money at people" – at least it would make some noise.
"Your Highness." Chen Qing hurried in, bowing hastily to the couple as he spoke. The princess has ridden out on horseback."
The couple exchanged glances. Hua Zhi stopped counting the gold bars and stood up to ask, "Do you know where she went?"
"I've made inquiries." Chen Qing suppressed a laugh. "The princess said she couldn't be bothered to deal with women, but she'd be more than happy to deal with their men.""
That was indeed Shaoyao's style. Hua Zhi was pleased she was establishing her authority this way and clapped her hands as she ordered, "Prepare my horse."
"Yes."
It was hard to say what would become of Nuo City in the future, but both in the past and present, the military camp was the foundation of Yinshan Pass. Those who depended on Yinshan Pass for survival were more or less connected to it, and the Wu family was no exception – this was their very livelihood.
Shaoyao wasn't reckless enough to charge in directly. She reined in her horse, making it rear up, and tossed her identity token to the wary squad leader. She waited for him to verify her identity.
Trespassing into a military camp was grounds for immediate execution, and she would never leave such a vulnerability for others to exploit.
Recognizing the identity the token represented, the squad leader instinctively dropped to one knee in salute. Belatedly, he remembered that this person was not only a princess but also the future wife of the garrison commander. With her fierce demeanor... was she here to confront General Wu?
Raising the token overhead with both hands, the squad leader said respectfully, "To inform the princess, General Wu is not here.""
"I'm not looking for him." Shaoyao coiled her whip to retrieve the token and casually stuffed it into her robe. "I've heard the soldiers of Yinshan Pass are exceptionally brave. I'm itching for a match – would you permit me entry?"
"This..."Allowing a princess into the camp was unheard of." The squad leader hesitated only briefly before waving for her to pass. Aside from her status as a princess, she would soon be their garrison commander's wife. Current authority outweighed distant rank – why make a fuss over something that would earn him no gratitude? In any case, the Princess of Hele couldn't possibly be a spy.
Shaoyao paid no mind to his thoughts. Digging her heels into the horse's sides, she galloped into the camp, heading straight for the noisy training ground.
Stationed at the border, even in peacetime, soldiers trained rigorously. Especially now, with the war just ended, their ferocity hadn't fully faded, and their skills remained at their peak – making their sparring particularly impressive.
Amidst the cheers, Shaoyao stood on her horse's back and leaped high. Her whip coiled around a flagpole, using the momentum to swing herself onto the training ground. Without a word, she launched an attack on the two men sparring. Seeing her aggressive approach, they immediately joined forces to counter.
Her skills, honed through harsh training and years of practical experience, might be slightly inferior to those of the Seven Constellation Bureau members, but they were more than enough to outmatch many. In moments, she had thrown the two junior officers off the training ground.With a sharp crack of her long whip cutting through the air, Shaoyao swept her arrogant gaze over the group of men below. Most were bare-chested, their bodies lean and muscular, yet she showed not a hint of shyness as she declared coolly, "Next."
No man could endure such a challenge. Immediately, one leaped up to engage her in fierce combat, but the gap between them couldn't be bridged by courage alone. It didn't take long before Shaoyao kicked him off the training ground.
"Next."
One after another, they strode up only to tumble down, until the training ground grew increasingly silent.
PS: Huh, still need another chapter?!
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