Lady Shanci

Yasuke was tasked with escorting the prisoners of war, armaments, and provisions, while Dongfang Mao led fifty light cavalry ahead to return to Tsukimiura.

Galloping all the way, he felt a slight sense of relief upon reaching the city gates to find that no riots had broken out as he had feared.

He rode into the city and headed straight for the Governor's Mansion, only to find the building ablaze with light.

Luzhen, Tsunade, Shizune, and the others were all gathered in the main hall.

"What is happening here? Did you encounter an attack by ninjas?"

Seeing this, Dongfang Mao hurriedly pulled on the reins, dismounted, and asked aloud.

At these words, Tsunade proudly puffed out her chest, a smug smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

Luzhen also stepped forward, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he smiled and explained to Dongfang Mao.

"A group of thieves did indeed infiltrate the Governor's Mansion just now, but fortunately, they were detected by Lady Sen (Tsunade's alias). She has already apprehended the madmen, but the Night Patrol Bureau is still interrogating them, fearing they may have accomplices. That is why we have gathered here for the time being to prevent any unforeseen incidents."

Upon hearing this, Dongfang Mao cast a surprised glance at Tsunade, feeling a pang of annoyance in his heart.

Because his impression of Tsunade's hemophobia was so profound, he had subconsciously always viewed her as a fragile woman.

He had completely forgotten that in the eyes of enemies unaware of the intelligence, she remained the "Sannin" Tsunade, capable of shattering mountains and splitting the earth with a wave of her hand!

To think he had worried that a few trash-tier ninjas, who might not even possess the strength of a Jonin, could cause trouble in the Governor's Mansion under Tsunade's nose—he had truly been foolish.

"It is truly thanks to Lady Sen; otherwise, the Governor's Mansion would likely have suffered heavy losses this time."

At this moment, Dongfang Mao's heart finally settled completely. He hurriedly praised Tsunade with a smile. As for rewards, Tsunade lacked for nothing, so he would simply have to repay her with his own body later.

The officials nearby, hearing this, also chimed in with flattering remarks toward Tsunade.

For once, Tsunade felt a rare, faint flush rise to her cheeks in front of everyone.

She had heard such flattery countless times back in Konoha, leaving her heart unmoved.

But facing this group of officials who shared Dongfang Mao's aspirations, who devoted themselves wholeheartedly to their duties and strove to support this Governor's Mansion, their affirmation made her feel quite touched, bringing a sense of satisfaction she had never experienced before.

"By the way, how many of these assassins did you capture?"

Dongfang Mao thought of something and added another question.

"Reporting to the Governor, Lady Sen captured a total of nine thieves."

Hearing Luzhen's words, Dongfang Mao's brow furrowed instantly.

"The Tian Kingdom general sent ten assassins to kill me this time. Since one has slipped away, it is highly likely they were scared off by Lady Sen. However, we cannot let our guard down. Inumaru, the Night Patrol Bureau must monitor the entire city strictly over the next few days; there must not be the slightest negligence."

"Yes!"

"Understood!"

Inumaru cupped his fists and accepted the order.

After Dongfang Mao finished his deployments, Luzhen suddenly stepped forward.

"The Governor mentioned the Tian Kingdom general just now? Could it be that during this trip out of the city..."

"Correct!"

Dongfang Mao strode like a dragon toward the main seat, slammed his hand on the table, and laughed heartily.

"This Governor has captured the commander of the Tian Army alive during this excursion—a complete victory! Yasuke is currently escorting the prisoners and seized supplies back to the city; they are expected to arrive by daybreak!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the hall fell silent for a moment, followed by an expression of visible, ecstatic joy on everyone's faces.

"We offer our congratulations to the Grand Governor!"

Dongfang Mao raised a hand to signal them, saying loudly, "We share in this joy! This great victory is entirely due to your painstaking efforts and strategic planning in recent days. Once Yasuke returns with the prisoners, this Governor will certainly reward you according to your merits!"

After speaking, Dongfang Mao turned his gaze to Tsunade beside him.

At this moment, she was wearing a brilliant smile, genuinely happy for him.

Without warning, Dongfang Mao suddenly reached out and pulled Tsunade into his arms.

Tsunade's smile froze instantly, her body stiffening against his chest as she widened her eyes in disbelief. We are in full view of everyone—what is this little brat doing?

Dongfang Mao merely smiled at her, then turned to the officials.

"This foundation could not have been built without the generous assistance of Lady Sen from the very beginning. I hereby confer upon her the title of 'Lady Shanci' and the rank of 'Meritorious Minister of Assistance.' Does anyone have any objections?"

"We have no objections! Greetings to Lady Shanci!"

The officials responded in unison, each keeping their eyes fixed on their own noses, their expressions solemn, pretending not to see the two people embracing in public.

Even the Minister of Rites, Luzhen, did not dare to jump out and rebuke them for "lacking all decorum!"

Only Shizune peeked at the dais from time to time, watching Tsunade, who was curled up in Dongfang Mao's arms, squirming in discomfort, and the smile on her lips was nearly impossible to suppress.

As for Tsunade, she was both shy and annoyed, yet accompanied by an indescribable sense of pleasant surprise.

After all, their previous intimacy with Dongfang Mao had been kept private, leaving their relationship appearing extremely ambiguous in the eyes of others.

Many people even subconsciously assumed that she was merely an elder to Dongfang Mao.

Yet now, with Dongfang Mao making their relationship nearly explicit in full view of everyone, the truth was laid bare for all to see.

This couldn't help but stir a trace of indescribable sweetness in Tsunade's heart.

However, she still feigned annoyance for the moment, glaring fiercely at Dongfang Mao and complaining in a voice only the two of them could hear.

"You little rascal, you're always like this. Can't you tell me beforehand what you're planning to do so I can at least prepare myself?

And this title, 'Lady Shanci'—isn't it just awful?"

Dongfang Mao was left between laughter and tears upon hearing this.

"I'm praising your kind nature, your dedication to saving the world, and your noble medical ethics. What does that have to do with whether it sounds good or not?"

At these words, the corners of Tsunade's mouth curled up slightly, and she immediately accepted the title in her heart, though she still chided him with a pout.

"Hurry up and let me go. How much longer do you want me to lose face in front of everyone?"

Beyond the joy in her heart, Tsunade was also incredibly embarrassed.

If not for the sake of Dongfang Mao's reputation, and the fact that his embrace had left her limbs feeling weak and powerless, she would have broken free and fled long ago.

Catching sight of Tsunade's crimson earlobes, Dongfang Mao knew she had reached her limit.

If he pushed any further, his Multi-Shadow Clone package deal would likely go up in smoke.

He gave a dry laugh and sensibly loosened his grip.

Tsunade immediately flashed away, struggling to maintain her composure as she smoothed out her disheveled robes.

Yet her flushed cheeks and shifty eyes betrayed her embarrassment completely.

Seeing that the two above had finally settled down, Luzhen gently waved his feather fan, stepped forward, and stroked a non-existent beard, unable to hide the smile on his face as he spoke.

"The Governor has returned in triumph. With this, all hidden threats to our city are eradicated, and our foundation is secure. In the future, we may retreat to hold our own territory and stand as equals with the Tian Kingdom, or advance to pursue victory and plot for greater things!"