Chapter 31 Part I Fınd the newest release on 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⁂𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱 In the thirtieth year of the Jingyan reign, in the middle of the third month. The Yan Region’s court officially declared victory in the war. The Tang Region had been driven back, and their emperor surrendered, agreeing to send tribute to the Yan Region for 50 years without fail. The two regions opened their borders for official trade, allowing Yan citizens to trade with the Tang Region tax-free. Emperor Shi Gaoyan bestowed the title of Hou upon Zhao Yangshi, a title that would be inherited by his descendants for three generations, along with lands and the right to collect taxes according to title. This was the first time a non-royal had been granted the title of Hou. Yong Saiweihao was promoted to a second-rank military noble and appointed as a military strategist. The Emperor Shi Gaoyan greatly honored the father and son of Zhao family. Additionally, the generals and commanders who participated in the war were rewarded and elevated in rank. Yong Saiweihao left the throne hall with a composed expression, unaffected by the praise and titles bestowed upon him by the emperor. Only one thing the Emperor said lingered in his mind: "General Zhao, the Third Princess has now reached an age suitable for marriage. What do you think?" How could he not understand the meaning in his words? The Emperor was opening the way, waiting for his acceptance. The Emperor would grant the marriage immediately, though the Emperor showed his respect for his father, still waiting for his opinion. The long-standing friendship between his father and the Emperor was quite useful. "Congratulations. Congratulations, Young General Zhao!" "Congratulations indeed, Young General!" Various nobles came to offer their congratulations, some sincerely, others with barely hidden envy. Such was the tiresome nature of the court. It took a while for him to make his way through the crowd of nobles. He then boarded his carriage and headed straight to his manor, longing to see the bright eyes and beautiful face of someone. However, upon arriving at the manor, he found that she was not there. "Where has Zhu’er gone?" He asked his younger sister, who was coming out with an umbrella. "Oh, she’s at her own manor. I was just about to go see her. Do you want to come along, Big Brother?" Li Si replied. "Yes, her manor. She decided to buy a manor this morning. I acted as her agent to negotiate the purchase. See, I’m doing this for you, Big Brother, so you can climb over the wall to see her." The young woman pointed to a medium-sized manor adjacent to the Zhao Manor. It had belonged to a fourth-rank noble who had moved for his work to a different city, leaving it up for sale. Since returning to the capital a few days prior, Zhenzhu had been staying at the Zhao Manor, which had led to frequent malicious gossip. Therefore, she decided to move out. Her friend had recommended she buy the available neighboring manor. Even though it was expensive, Zhenzhu agreed immediately, motivated by the single reason, staying close to Brother Hao. Yong Saiweihao walked out of his manor and headed to the neighboring manor. He periodically heard the noisy voice of workers cleaning the manor and a familiar voice. "No, no, don’t put that there. I might build a greenhouse in the future, and it would be in the way." "Ah, yes, place that flowerpot close to the wall." "Clean the fishpond too. I’ll find some beautiful lotus flowers to plant." "No, no, don’t cut those vines. Let them grow along the wall like that. They look lovely." As Yong Saiweihao walked through the gate into the manor with his younger sister, they found Zhenzhu leaning against Baihu in the pavilion, pointing and giving orders to the workers who were cleaning the manor diligently. In her hand, she held a large stick of tanghulu, which she occasionally popped into her mouth. Next to her was a jar of Putao wine for her to take a sip. "Oh, this is delicious. The tanghulu in the capital has a perfectly balanced flavor that pairs wonderfully with Putao wine. I’ll have to buy some to take back to the children in Fengfu," she mumbled to herself. "Hey!" Preoccupied with savoring the wine and shouting to order the workers, she didn’t notice the Zhao siblings entering the manor. In her haste to hide the wine jar in her dimensional bracelet, she accidentally knocked it to the ground. The fragrant aroma of the wine filled the air, presenting its sweet and inviting scent. But now, the young woman’s face had turned pale. "Brother Hao! I wasn’t drinking. It was Baihu. Baihu wanted to drink, so I took it out for him. I only took a tiny sip." The one with a guilty conscience immediately exclaimed. She was blinking her eyes while looking at his handsome face. "A’Zhu, you shameless! You drank it yourself and now blame me!" Baihu stood up, stretched, and walked away, flicking his tail. "Um..." Zhenzhu cursed him inwardly upon seeing that. Baihu, how dare you abandon me? Just wait! Nonetheless, she turned and smiled sweetly at her visitors. "Ah, Brother Hao, A’Si, please sit down." "A’Zhu, what was that? It smells wonderful. I want to try it!" Li Si said to her friend. "Oh, it’s a fruit wine brewed at my house, we sell them. It tastes really good, but I wasn’t drinking it. Baihu was," she said, glancing at the stern-looking general. Why did his sharp gaze have to be so intimidating? "I want to drink it. I want to drink it." Li Si said excitedly. What’s from the He family that is not good? Even their liquor must be excellent. "Ah... sure, maybe later," Zhenzhu saw Yong Saiweihao’s grim expression and decided to postpone it. Otherwise, neither of them would get to drink. "Brother Hao, why did you come back so early? Weren’t you attending the court?" If she had known he would return so quickly, she wouldn’t have brought out the wine to sip. "My matter ended early." "Don’t drink too much liquor." "Yes, yes," the young woman nodded in agreement without arguing even half a word. "Zhu’er, are you planning to move here?" Yong Saiweihao asked. "Yes, I bought a manor here in the capital. In case I have the opportunity to travel here, I can stay without having to rent an inn." She had a fabric shop and an oil business in the capital, so she would likely travel to the capital frequently in the future. Moreover, she intended to sell coffee here as well, so she bought a manor. Staying at the Zhao Manor too often would be inappropriate. This manor was adjacent to the Zhao Manor, allowing her to visit her friends and Yong Saiweihao easily. "I’ll have someone drill the wall to make a door," Yong Saiweihao said. "Good! That’s great. I’ll be able to visit A’Zhu often," Li Si supported her older brother. Zhenzhu could only blink, as the siblings made decisions without asking her opinion. Nevertheless, she didn’t object since Brother Hao desired it. The three of them chatted for a long while, with Li Si monopolizing the conversation with Zhenzhu. She talked about the oil business, which was doing well, and the thriving Fu Zhenzhu fabric shop. The newly trained weavers were starting to work efficiently. The Fu Zhenzhu Shop in the capital had become a place where wives and ladies of high society wanted to visit the most. The prices of each piece of clothing were not cheap, but the women didn’t give up and flocked to the shop. Some were lucky enough to buy a piece, while others left disappointed. Thus, clothing from Fu Zhenzhu Shop became a status symbol. Anyone who wore it could boast for a long time. "A’Zhu, am I talented or not?" Li Si smiled broadly, waiting for praise from her friend. "Very talented. You’ve never done business before, yet you manage so well. A’Si, you’re truly talented," Zhenzhu genuinely praised her. "N... No, it’s because your fabric is excellent," Li Si blushed and twisted with embarrassment at the compliment. "You really are talented. With this, I can entrust the business to you." "Mmm, thank you." With that, Zhenzhu felt assured she could return to Fengfu. "Zhu’er..., come outside with me for a bit," Yong Saiweihao, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke. "Where are we going?" "Big Brother, where are you taking A’Zhu? I want to go too," Li Si immediately said. "You stay home. We have important business," Yong Saiweihao said as he took Zhenzhu’s hand and led her out of the manor, leaving his displeased sister in the pavilion. Oh, Big Brother, are you going to steal A’Zhu from me? Just because A’Zhu liked him, he kept stealing her friend from her. But this is good, too. She could be sure that her brother wouldn’t marry another woman as his wife. The position of the Zhao family’s Young Furen, she reserved it for A’Zhu. Thinking this, her mood brightened instantly. As for Yong Saiweihao, after leading the young woman out of the manor, he had her mount the horse that the guards had prepared and led her out of the city to the north. Zhenzhu followed him on horseback, puzzled. After riding for a while, Yong Saiweihao stopped. They were on a low hill overlooking a vast grassland, with undulating mounds overlaying each other’s, creating a visually pleasing landscape. A small stream flowed between them. Above the stream was a sturdy wooden bridge, built for crossing the water. It was a beautiful natural area, not far from the capital as well. "Brother Hao, why did you bring me here?" "To show you some land." "Land?" The young woman exclaimed in confusion. What land? She hadn’t told him she wanted to see or buy land. Moreover, this large, beautiful plot in the great location near the capital must be expensive. Brother Hao, have you switched to being a land broker? "Mmm, the land for planting the fruit trees you bought," Yong Saiweihao didn’t let the young woman stay confused for long. "Um... this place doesn’t seem suitable." The beautiful land, green grass, and clear stream didn’t seem right for a coffee plantation. It would be better suited for a coffee shop, but it would be very expensive. Besides, she didn’t intend to plant coffee in the capital; she planned to plant it in Fengfu, where she had plenty of vacant land. No need to buy more. "This place is too beautiful. I don’t want to ruin such nature. It would be better to build a lovely wooden house and plant peach trees by the stream for relaxation. But never mind, I wouldn’t be the owner anyway. I already have land for planting. Don’t worry, Brother Hao." "Mmm, then follow me to another place." After he finished, the young man led her on horseback for another two hours. It turned out that he took her to a dense forest. This area seemed to have been used for farming by villagers but had been abandoned for years, now overgrown with grass. "Can this place be used for planting?" "It can be used, but..." "Alright, then we’ll use this place." "For planting your fruit trees." "Brother Hao, I said I would plant them in Fengfu. Besides, I’m not the owner of this land. I will not buy more land. I have enough already." She didn’t need to buy more land. Yong Saiweihao dismounted and then helped the young woman down from her horse as well. "Zhu’er... don’t you want to stay here anymore?" The young man spoke softly, sighing. Zhenzhu understood his meaning immediately. He tried to find land for her to plant coffee because he wanted her to stay in the capital. But... This time, the young woman hesitated. She wouldn’t leave soon because she had to wait for the physician to treat Brother Hao until he was fully recovered. But seeing his warm, gentle eyes made her heart melt. "Uh...so, d... did the owner agree to sell?" Well, if he wants the planting to be done here, she could allocate some of the coffee seeds to plant here. "The owner won’t sell. They said you can plant here for free. Consider it an engagement gift." "T... The owner... The owner..." This time, the young woman’s face flushed. Was this land owned by Brother Hao? "May I ask if Lady He will accept this engagement gift?" "Brother Hao..." She looked into his eyes, which showed no hint of jest, and her heart began to race in an unusual rhythm. "I don’t want you to return to Fengfu. Can you stay here, Zhu’er?" The young man raised his hand to gently pat her head like he used to do. His request troubled her. In truth, neither Fengfu nor the capital was her home. However, if she were happy somewhere, that place would be her home. She was happy in Fengfu, where she could invent and do what she loved. But in the capital, there was Brother Hao, the man she really liked. "I’m not wealthy. I’m just a general, but what I can do is protect the land of Yan from invaders, ensuring the people of Yan have land to make a living. So, may I use this peaceful land to propose to you?" The firm words of the general left a deep impression in her heart. As he said, he was a general who protected the region. What he could do was ensure the peace of the land so that people like her could live without hardship. Using land for a proposal wasn’t so wrong. "W... What should I say? I... I mean..." Was this a proposal? Was he asking her to be his wife? She said while rubbing her cheeks, feeling shy. How could she resist such a straightforward proposal, especially when his sharp eyes held such charm? "Then it’s settled. We’ll plant the fruit here." "Come on." The young man took her hand, led her to his horse, lifted her onto the large horse, and swiftly mounted behind her. "Brother Hao, what about my horse?" "Leave it here for now." He then rode off with her to another location. The next place was a cemetery, with a simply built pavilion that was well-maintained and guarded, not abandoned. Upon arrival, she saw only a few name plaques. This must be the ancestral tomb of a family. She guessed it was the Zhao family’s ancestral tomb. "Brother Hao," she resisted a little as he led her inside after dismounting the horse. How could she enter someone else’s ancestral tomb? An ancestral tomb was a private place, off-limits to outsiders. "Come on," he pulled her inside. He led her to a gravestone. She knelt in a modest manner, following his lead. "Mother, I haven’t visited in a long time." This must be the grave of Zhao Furen, the mother of Yong Saiweihao and Li Si, the woman who held the heart of the General of the Region and gave birth to such fine children. "I almost went to meet you in the afterlife." "Mother, this is Zhu’er. Please look kindly upon her." -----Read ‘Rebirth: This Farmgirl Has Spirit Fish Scales’ before anyone else with more Chapters at https://www.jinovel.com/en