Chen Qing Xu carefully watched Chang Geng's face and said, "I heard that Your Highness has been on a non-stop journey. First went south to Jiangbei to rectify the cruel officials and traitors along the canal, then returned to the capital to instruct the Ministry of Housing and the Ling Shu Institute, then rushed to the northwest before the New Year no matter the cost. You have not rested, yet you seem to still be in a good mood?"

　　This was quite strange. When she left the capital, Chang Geng's Bone of Impurity was almost beyond control. She assumed that as he had been exhausted both physically and mentally for more than half a year, there was no telling what stage would he be in. When she received the Lin Yuan wooden bird, Chen Qing Xu had been worried about seeing that ominous red glint in his eyes.

　　Who knew that Chang Geng's face was much better than she imagined. The state of ‘even if the heaven falls, I am at peace’ seemed to have returned on Yan Wang's body.

　　It was almost the same as those years when he followed General Zhong while living a simple life, wandering the pugilist world.

　　But there seemed to be another difference: he did not appear to be bland to the extreme as before, he now carried a hint of smoke and fire of the mortal world.

　　"Only running a few errands, it isn't much." Chang Geng said indifferently. "It is said that everything is difficult at the beginning, but in truth, I don't think it's necessarily the most difficult at the beginning. You see, now the whole dynasty has reached the point of breaking. Even if I were to do a more horrible job, the only thing that could happen is that the Westerners will surround the capital once again, there are no worse outcomes. This matter will soon be accustomed to by the gentlemen in the court, they would not blame me much.”

　　"... His Highness's heart truly...shines brighter near the light, you have received parts of the Marquis’s passed down experiences.” Chen Qing Xu obscurely pulled out Gu Yun, who never took anything to heart even once. Then, as she carefully assessed it, she felt that there was some truth in Chang Geng’s words, she said, "Yes. Sometimes, compared to rebuilding the nation, it is more difficult to accept the descending path after prosperity."

　　"That does not affect my business." Chang Geng said to her with a somewhat casual attitude, "Zi Xi had poor health since young. He had to rest as soon as possible. If he no longer fights in wars, he would not stay in the Black Iron Camp for many years. If he left, I would follow him."

　　Chen Qing Xu: "..."

　　It took her a long time to realize who this ‘Zi Xi’ was referring to. Turned out, the thing that had covered thousands of miles of wind and dust on His Highness Yan Wang's face was not ‘good complexion’ but the ambience of spring!*

*ambience of spring refers to the glow of someone who's in love.

　　Chen Qing Xu did not know what word to say for a time — if such feelings that went beyond the norm could blossom, then a grown woman who was not that unsightly like herself spending all her time in the midst of men, how come no one had ever expressed anything towards her?

　　Was her naturally cold face too lethal?

　　...Or perhaps, although General Gu's upper beam was incorrect, his lower beam was not at all distorted, and the strictness of his rules in the army were that much awe inspiring?