Inside the room, Gu Ning was still going through the list of potential sons-in-law.

Seeing Tang Xiaobai return, she smiled and asked, "Did you forget something?"

Tang Xiaobai snuggled up to her side and quietly asked, "Does Sister’s marriage really have to be so rushed?"

Gu Ning laughed and said, "Your father’s intention is to finalize the marriages for both you sisters within three months."

Tang Xiaobai was taken aback.

Father seemed indifferent to her words, but his actions were swift and decisive.

However...

"Won’t it be too hasty?" Tang Xiaobai was in a dilemma.

She understood her parents’ protective intentions, but marriage is a major affair!

Gu Ning smiled gently, "It’s okay, if you don’t like it in the future, you can annul the marriage."

Tang Xiaobai: "..."

A seven-day unconditional return policy?

"Is there something unsuitable about Pei The Ninth Son?" Gu Ning suddenly asked.

Tang Xiaobai glanced at her in surprise as she returned to her senses.

Gu Ning chuckled, "It seems like Xiaobai isn’t willing for your sister to choose Pei The Ninth Son, could it be that Xiaobai has taken a liking to him?"

"No, no!" Tang Xiaobai immediately shook her head in denial.

She turned back, precisely to discuss the issue of Pei Xuan with Gu Ning.

"... I haven’t confirmed this yet, and it’s not convenient to confirm it, could you, Mother, investigate?" Tang Xiaobai shared her findings and suspicions with Gu Ning.

Gu Ning pondered for a moment after listening and nodded, "Mother will look into it, don’t worry."

If Pei Xuan simply had a marriage agreement with someone, even with Gu Wan, it wouldn’t matter.

But if he holds someone else in his heart, that’s absolutely unacceptable. How could the precious ladies of Duke Yan Mansion endure such grievances?

Reassured by her mother’s words, Tang Xiaobai completely set her mind at ease.

As she was about to leave, Gu Ning called her back.

Gu Ning smiled warmly and asked, "Has Xiaobai taken a fancy to someone?"

Tang Xiaobai thought earnestly.

She was only eleven; how could she fancy anyone?

Brother Wenren was only at the stage of admiring beauty, not genuinely fancied.

Even if she reluctantly fancied someone now, she would most likely annul the marriage later, so wouldn’t any choice be the same?

So she replied, "Mother can decide, as long as the match is suitable, I agree," then thought a moment and added, "At least fifteen years old, okay?"

Though she would prefer someone twenty or older, the other side probably won’t agree.

"Someone with a gentle and generous disposition, not petty or overly proud."

She didn’t want to unintentionally assist a male lead destined for annulment.

Thinking carefully, the best arrangement would be someone who harbored a crush forced into family alliances, making annulment easier later.

In that regard, Tang Xiaobai realized someone perfectly matched her criteria.

"Mother," she moved back beside Gu Ning with bright eyes, "I think Xue Tenth Son is quite good!"

Gu Ning laughed aloud.

This child, from casual to gradually attentive, reaching her fancy for Xue Tenth Son, it all changed within two blinks of an eye.

"Wasn’t Jiaojiao’er saying Xue Tenth Son fancies Miss Qin?" Gu Ning asked with a laugh.

"Rumors aren’t reliable." Tang Xiaobai fibbed with wide eyes.

Gu Ning shook her head and smiled, "Xue Tenth Son is much older, how could he wait all these years for you? Switching to Xue Shisan would work."

Xue Shisan was Xue Shaojian’s younger brother, quite a match in age with Tang Xiaobai, but she didn’t fancy him.

Tang Xiaobai sighed and waved, "Forget it, just look according to the requirements I mentioned!"

Ultimately, engagement was merely a fallback arranged by her parents for her and her sister.

But if the fallback came into play, it would mean the situation had reached the utmost severity.

Tang Xiaobai felt that wouldn’t be the case.

Her family had allied with the protagonists, it wouldn’t get that extreme.

Since it wouldn’t, no need to overly focus on the fallback but rather on resolving the problem.

Leaving Gu Ning, Tang Xiaobai returned to her room to start writing a letter.

The letter was to Little Ancestor.

She knew Little Ancestor recruiting soldiers for the Crown Prince in Hedong was a significant task, but for her currently, what mattered most was the Turkic issue.

Her father alone in Liangzhou made her uneasy, so she wanted to ask Little Ancestor about how her brother’s injuries and poison recovery were, and if allowed, he should expedite the journey to Liangzhou to assist her father—

...

"... Taihang Mountain is near the jurisdiction of Zhenzhou Governor Mansion and can align with Prince Li, and you became famous in the battle of Longmen Mountain, so handling the brigands of Taihang Mountain shouldn’t be an issue—"

Li Mu, reading this, couldn’t help but smile.

The battle of Longmen Village finally let her acknowledge his strength.

Now she admitted he could manage responsibilities independently.

"Summon Doctor Feng!" Li Mu commanded while continuing to read.

Once Feng Hua arrived, Li Mu asked, "How is Tang Ziqian’s injury, poison recovery?"

"The poison has been cleared, Little General Tang is young and strong, so injuries are also fine, but the injury near his heart needs years to completely heal."

"Could he endure long travels, engage in warfare?"

Miss Tang’s letter mentioned the attack on Liangzhou might be suspicious, worried for her father facing it alone; if Tang Ziqian’s injuries allow, she hopes he could shift to Liangzhou.

Feng Hua hesitated and said, "Food and lodging still need careful attention."

Li Mu nodded, "The Turkic disturbances in Liangzhou already mobilized Duke Yan, relay this news and his status to him, and let him request relocation to Liangzhou," paused a moment recalling the hint of unease in the letter, and added, "Liangzhou’s military situation isn’t urgent, don’t rush too much, let him bring more people for care on the route—"

...

"I’ll go with the eldest son?"

Tang Ziqian turned his head, looked at the hopeful young lady, and chuckled, "What for?"

Xin Yi paused, "The eldest son hasn’t recovered yet, I could follow and take care of him."

"Now that Miss Xin is under the Crown Prince, if something happens here, responsibility isn’t mine to bear."

Xin Yi pursed her lips, "I’m not under the Crown Prince."

Tang Ziqian smirked, gazing at her without words.

Xin Yi lifted her eyes, meeting his gaze, "I requested the Crown Prince’s permission myself to care for the eldest son."

Tang Ziqian smirked coolly, lips slightly curved, "What? Regretted it? Now looking to share the bed with the son?"

Xin Yi’s face turned pale; she stared at him for a while before speaking softly, "The eldest son once said although Xin Yi is a woman, she shouldn’t be useless, and would take Xin Yi to Liangzhou someday—"

"I said that I, Tang Ziqian, don’t support useless people, you’re not my person now—" He abruptly stopped, suddenly stretched his hand toward her face.

Xin Yi instinctively tilted away.

His hand sharply caught her chin, drawing her close, smiling tenderly, "Want to be with me?"

Xin Yi’s face was pale, but her gaze was unwavering, "The eldest son’s teaching, Xin Yi has never forgotten, I want to go to Liangzhou!"

Before, she thought herself the daughter of Duke Yan, filled with yearning for Liangzhou guarded by Duke Yan for over ten years.

Later with Tang Ziqian, hearing of Liangzhou’s horses, wine, flutes outside the city, moon on the tower.

All planted a seed within her heart, secretly sprouting.

Not knowing when, she felt destined for Liangzhou.

Perhaps this time.

Tang Ziqian watched her for a long while, released his grip.

"Go inform Mr. Qin, I’m taking Xin Yi with me!"

...

Li Mu, listening to the report, merely said, "Xin Yi is not mine."

Then resumed reading Miss Tang’s letter from the start.

Mo Huan suddenly chuckled, "Just had a brief chat with the messenger from Su Shunqing, discussing how Duke Yan Mansion seems busy with children’s marriages—"