Quick Transmigration: Why did you provoke him? He's love-struck!

Chapter 512 Relying on Favor (57)

Seeing the Liang army's flags being raised again in the border city, Xie Ying, who had been feeling anxious for months, finally felt relieved.

Fortunately, he managed to protect the Liang dynasty.

Just as Xie Ying had this thought, a scout stumbled up the city wall to report: "General Xie, something terrible has happened! Zhao Yuan has led 200,000 troops in a surprise attack on Qingzhou, and Qingzhou has fallen!"

Xie Ying: "..."

On the other side, in Yunzhou.

Yan Zhen received the gifts that Zhao Yuan had sent back by fast horse ten days later.

Upon opening the wooden box containing the human head, even after undergoing simple preservation treatment, Ji Tu's head still emitted a faint stench, and the skin on his face had turned a horrifying grayish-purple.

Fu Xue, who was standing next to her, screamed in fright.

Yan Zhen glanced at it and then had someone take it away and dispose of it.

The guards took the head away, and Fu Xue, while gagging, brought hot water up for Yan Zhen to wash his hands.

"Your Highness, ugh... what is that... ugh... what is that?"

"The head of the Northern Khanate Chanyu," Yan Zhen said. "A gift from Zhao Yuan."

She was very happy with the gift.

On one hand, Zhao Yuan helped her kill Ji Tu, advancing the mission by twenty percent. On the other hand, Zhao Yuan still remembered a casual remark she made back then.

She really enjoyed the feeling of being cared for.

"Why... oh... why would you send me such a gift, my lord?"

“That’s called… romance.” After Yan Zhen finished speaking, he saw Fu Xue’s face change color from gagging, and waved his hand, saying, “Go and rest, you don’t need to be served here anymore.”

Fu Xue knew that it was not appropriate for her to serve Yan Zhen at the moment, so she covered her mouth and hurriedly retreated.

After washing and drying his hands, Yan Zhen opened the letter and news of victory that Zhao Yuan had sent.

The good news was sent back along with the head of Ji Tu.

The above is news about Zhao Yuan's journey back from Tianyin City, during which he dispatched 100,000 troops from Jingzhou and Yunzhou, along with the men he brought to support the Liang army, to launch a pincer attack and "casually" capture the poorly defended Qingzhou.

At this point, Qingzhou, Jingzhou, and Yunzhou all came under Zhao Yuan's control, and two-thirds of the territory of Daliang belonged to Zhao Yuan.

It was worth the three years she spent helping Zhao Yuan store grain and make money; Zhao Yuan did not disappoint her.

It was half a month later when Zhao Yuan returned to Yunzhou.

When he entered the Prince of Zhao's residence, Yan Zhen was in the front hall discussing with officials from the Ministry of Revenue the matter of promoting planting in Jingzhou. Because the area of ​​land that needed to be managed had increased, Yan Zhen simply established six ministries in Yunzhou, recruiting talents and assigning them different functions.

The administrative center is taking shape, but the specific office location has not yet been determined.

The main reason was that the original princely residences in each state were limited in size, and Yan Zhen did not want to waste resources and manpower building another palace.

After all, her goal was the existing palace complex in the capital of the Great Liang Kingdom.

Therefore, when matters arose, each department either reported directly to Prince Zhao's residence or submitted a written memorial.

Neither the soil nor the climate in Jingzhou are suitable for growing potatoes and cotton; the area is more suitable for growing fruit and developing fish farming.

Yan Zhen discussed the specific details of the planting process with several agricultural officials, and the officials left one after another an hour later.

As soon as the agricultural officials stepped out of the front hall and around the moon gate, they saw Zhao Yuan, dressed in black, standing behind the moon gate, having waited for an unknown amount of time.

The agricultural officials were all taken aback and instinctively wanted to kneel down and pay their respects.

"Shh!" Zhao Yuan gestured for them to be quiet and waved for them to leave as soon as possible.

Only after the agricultural officials had all left did Zhao Yuan quietly enter the front hall.

The front hall was set up as a temporary office, with a desk added to the original small tables and chairs for guests. Yan Zhen was writing something on the desk at the moment, completely unaware that Zhao Yuan had come in.

The maidservant behind her saw this and opened her mouth to bow.

Zhao Yuan gave her a wink.

The maid understood and quietly withdrew.

Zhao Yuan walked around the armchair and small table, went to Yan Zhen's side, and quietly ground ink for her, while glancing at the document she was reviewing.

The characters were too small for Zhao Yuan to see clearly; he could only vaguely make out the words "expanding the official road," "building a bridge," and "suppressing mountain bandits."

Seeing that Yan Zhen was writing diligently, Zhao Yuan did not disturb her.

As soon as Yan Zhen finished reviewing the memorial in her hand and put down her pen, the "maid" beside her eagerly picked up a teacup and brought it to her.

Yan Zhen was about to reach for the teacup when he caught sight of the large hand holding it—it wasn't the hand of the maid who served him.

She suddenly looked up and met Zhao Yuan's smiling face. She was taken aback at first, then raised an eyebrow.

Taking the teacup from Zhao Yuan's hand, Yan Zhen moved to the side, making room for half of the "dragon chair," and patted it to indicate that Zhao Yuan should sit down.

As soon as Zhao Yuan sat down, he put his arm around her and snuggled into her embrace.

Yan Zhen patted Zhao Yuan's head: "Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?"

Are you going to meet me at the city gate?

“Yes,” Yan Zhen said, “Our great hero is back, we definitely have to go and pick him up.”

"I don't want you to pick it up."

"Why?"

"I came back from Qingzhou after a three-day journey, and I'm covered in dust. I didn't want you to see me in such a disheveled state."

Only after he said that did Yan Zhen notice that Zhao Yuan had taken a shower, washed his hair, and changed his clothes before coming over.

"Now you know how to care about your image?" Yan Zhen said, reaching into the collar of his oversized shirt and peering under his undershirt.

Zhao Yuan quickly grabbed her hand and whispered, "What are you doing, indulging in debauchery in broad daylight?"

"You don't like it?"

Zhao Yuan: "...Let's not stay here, let's go back to our room."

Yan Zhen slapped his hand away: "Stop talking nonsense, let me see if you're injured?"

"No, really no!" Zhao Yuan said.

"Then why did you specifically take a bath and change your clothes before coming over?"

She hadn't forgotten how impatient Zhao Yuan was when he returned from the war a couple of years ago; his current behavior was nothing like him.

Zhao Yuan hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

"What exactly happened?" Yan Zhen asked.

Zhao Yuan then said, "I met Xie Ying on my trip to Tianyin City."

"Um, so?"

"He... he's just average-looking," Zhao Yuan said nonchalantly. "He's only slightly better-looking than the average person."

Yan Zhen realized that this was another inexplicable attempt to find an enemy in the void, and that he was now competing with Xie Yingxiong.

"Didn't you meet him before?" Yan Zhen said. "Is it a little late for you to feel threatened now and start showing off in front of me?"

"It was too rushed before, I didn't even get a good look at what he looked like." After saying that, Zhao Yuan started shouting again, "Besides, what sense of crisis do I have? Why should I have a sense of crisis? Xie Ying is at least thirty years old, isn't he?"

His hair was all white; he wasn't as young as me, nor as strong. He fought Ji Tu for ages but couldn't defeat him. I took action, and slaughtered Ji Tu in less than ten moves! He was inferior to me in every way!

Yan Zhen watched Zhao Yuan boast quietly.

As Zhao Yuan met her gaze, which seemed to say, "I'll see if I don't expose you," his bluffing gradually faded. Like a deflated balloon, he listlessly rested his head on Yan Zhen's shoulder.

Yan Zhen gently stroked his hair soothingly: "What's wrong? Why are you unhappy and lacking confidence after winning the battle?"