A family of loyal martyrs, starting with nine wives to continue the family line.

When Tuoba Yue returned from the Western Qiang, it coincided with the first spring rain in the capital.

She led Wei Xuan to splash in puddles in the Imperial Garden.

"Wei Xuan! Don't run into the pool!"

Tuoba Yue chased after him for half a lap, lifting the hem of her skirt, but she was still a step too late.

The little guy stepped into a puddle, mud splashed onto his knees, and the branch he had just broken off fell to the ground.

He didn't cry; instead, he squatted down, splashed the water a couple of times, and smiled as if he had found some treasure.

Tuoba Yue stood behind, hands on her hips, so angry she wanted to curse, but she laughed first.

"You little rascal, who taught you that?"

Wei Xuan looked up at her; her face was covered in mud.

"Butterfly!"

He pointed to a butterfly that had just flown out of the flower bushes and took off chasing it.

Tuoba Yue hurriedly pulled him away.

But the two-year-old child was already running very steadily. With a twist of his body, he slipped out of her grasp, his trouser legs dragging in the mud, heading straight for the edge of the flower bed.

When Wei Zhao returned from court, he happened to witness this scene.

He stood under the veranda for a moment, but did not speak immediately.

Children chase butterflies, women chase children, and several palace maids chase after them to pick up their shoes.

The entire Imperial Garden was so chaotic that it didn't resemble a palace at all, but rather a sheep-grazing hillside in a Western Qiang tribe.

Looking at that small figure, Wei Zhao felt a little less tired from the court session.

People in the imperial court fight over grain, soldiers, ports, and military reports, but here, the biggest issue is whether the child's pants are wet.

Good.

At least there's something like this that can keep him occupied.

"Wei Xuan".

He called out.

Upon hearing the sound, Wei Xuan immediately stopped, turned around, saw Wei Zhao, and ran towards him with outstretched arms.

"Father! Butterflies! Catch butterflies!"

Wei Zhao walked over, bent down, and lifted him up from the muddy water.

The child's legs were still kicking wildly in the air, and his finger kept pointing at the flower bushes.

"Your pants are all wet, what if you catch a cold?"

"Catch the butterfly!"

"The butterfly will still be here tomorrow."

Wei Zhao held him in his arms and reached out to brush the mud off his sleeves.

"I'll make you a small net tomorrow. Go home and change your pants today."

Wei Xuan hugged his neck and immediately changed his words.

"We need a large net."

"You want to take over the entire Imperial Garden?"

"Go all the way to Abashiri!"

Wei Zhao chuckled at his words.

Tuoba Yue finally caught up, panting as she took the child and patted him on the bottom.

"If you run again, I'll break that broken branch of yours."

Wei Xuan quickly buried his face in Wei Zhao's shoulder, only showing one eye to look at her.

Tuoba Yue reached out to snatch the child, but Wei Zhao stepped aside.

"Don't scare him."

"Your Majesty, just keep protecting him. If you keep protecting him for another two years, he'll be able to tear down the beams of the Imperial Study."

"Replace the roof beams with new ones."

"What if he tears up the memorials on your desk?"

Wei Zhao glanced at Wei Xuan in his arms.

"Then let him learn to read first, and then he can copy it himself after tearing it up."

Tuoba Yue opened her mouth, but in the end, she couldn't help but laugh.

She took Wei Xuan from him and bent down to wipe his face.

"The matter concerning the Western Qiang has been settled."

Wei Zhao looked at her.

"So fast?"

"The cattle and sheep that were to be divided among the tribes have been distributed, and the leaders that were to be replaced have been replaced. The batch of grain you sent over has also been delivered, and those old guys who originally wanted to cause trouble have stopped causing trouble after they've eaten their fill."

She spoke casually, but Wei Zhao knew things wouldn't be that simple.

The various tribes of the Western Qiang have always been unruly. Tuoba Yue's trip back was not only to appease the royal family, but also to let them know that she now stands with Xinwu, not the Western Qiang princess of the past.

It must have taken a lot of effort to bring the situation under control so quickly.

Wei Zhao followed behind her, suppressing the slight sense of relief he had felt.

The situation in the Western Qiang region has been stabilized, but stabilization is not the end.

The tribes on the grasslands may submit to you today, but tomorrow they might turn against you over a cow or a piece of pasture.

Her being able to come back means there's nothing to worry about over there for the time being.

It's only temporary.

At night, Wei Zhao and Tuoba Yue sat in their bedchamber drinking tea.

Wei Xuan had already washed himself clean and was asleep on the small couch next to him.

He was still clutching the broken tree branch in his arms, as if afraid someone would take the whip away while he was asleep.

Tuoba Yue glanced at the child and lowered her voice.

"He ran faster today than he did last month."

"If we hurry up, we should be assigning him guards."

"What kind of bodyguards does he need? He's just a petty bandit himself."

Wei Zhao picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"Although the pirates in the southeast have retreated, Ke Zhenchuan is still in the south. The matter of the White Wolf tribe in the west is not completely resolved, and that madman Bai Tukui will make a move sooner or later. Three more military reports came from the north today, and there are also tribes in Xianyuan testing Guanyin."

He spoke calmly, but his fingers paused briefly on the rim of the glass.

There are too many things to do.

We need to negotiate with the Western Regions, guard against pirates, defend the northern border, and maintain trade and grain routes to the south.

With the new emperor newly established, the framework of the court was not yet solid, and every gust of wind outside could blow the newly built structure askew.

He's not afraid of being busy.

He was afraid that all the trouble would come at once.

In that case, neither side can rely on just one or two people to support it.

Tuoba Yue looked at him.

"What's wrong with you tonight?"

"Nothing much."

"You glanced at Wei Xuan three times while you were drinking tea."

Wei Zhao raised his eyes.

He didn't sleep well.

"His snoring is so loud it's shaking the window paper."

Wei Zhao did not respond.

Tuoba Yue pushed the teapot in front of him.

"Just say what you have to say, don't beat around the bush."

Wei Zhao held the cup and remained silent for a few moments.

"Everything is moving."

"Um."

"Then we'll need people guarding everywhere."

He looked at the sleeping child, then at Tuoba Yue.

"I currently have nine wives, but when you count them all, there are only three who can truly lead troops into battle."

Even Wei Zhao himself felt something was off about what he said.

He had nine wives, three of whom were skilled fighters.

The remaining few were in charge of money and supplies, intelligence, weapons manufacturing, medical treatment, and a third who was stationed in Xianyuan and held the old relationships between the various tribes of the grasslands.

It seems like everyone is busy.

Tuoba Yue rested her chin on her hand and looked at him.

"What about the rest?"

"I haven't finished speaking yet."

"Then continue."

Wei Zhao felt a little helpless under her gaze, so he could only continue speaking.

"You've got the Western Qiang under control. Guanyin is in Xianyuan, Qingyun is in charge of the money and provisions, Jieyu and Yinniang are keeping an eye on the capital, Wanqing is building ships in Quanzhou, and Qingyun and Daoning are in charge of medicinal herbs and military supplies. Daoning and Yinniang have also made advance preparations in the south and north."

He paused for a moment after saying this.

Xie Daoning was originally a member of the Imperial Medical Academy, but now he has taken over the management of southern medicinal herbs and military medical scheduling.

Needless to say, Nie Yinniang's secret network had already spread along the northern border and the sea route.

These things don't usually seem like a big deal.

But if even one person is missing, the court will immediately reveal a weakness.

Wei Zhao put down the teacup.

"Think about it carefully, I am not guarding this place alone."

Tuoba Yue chuckled.

Wei Zhao looked at her.

"I realized it a little late."

"It's not early."

Tuoba Yue smiled.