The ultimate contrast: the Northern Territory's god of war entered the estate in women's clothes to meet his relatives
"You don't really think everyone's blind and can't see you're a man, do you?"
The man immediately shut up.
After a pause, he lowered his voice and asked, "Princess, don't I look like a woman?"
Murong Xue's temple throbbed. "What do you think?"
Tuoba Mang looked down at his skirt.
The fabric was stretched taut by her shoulders and back, and the waistband cinched her body as if it were about to burst at any moment.
He touched the powder on his face again, and a patch of grayish-white powder rubbed off his palm.
The person who taught me on the way said that all women in the capital are like this.
Murong Xue tensed her jaw muscles. "Who taught you that?"
"A cosmetics seller."
What else did he say?
Tuoba Mang recalled carefully, "He said that female relatives entering the city were subject to fewer checks, and if they applied white makeup, no one dared to look at them too much."
Murong Xue stared at him. "Did you buy rouge? How much did he charge you?"
Tuoba Mang held up three fingers. "Three taels."
Murong Xue closed her eyes briefly and tapped the riding whip twice in her palm.
You've been scammed.
Tuoba Mang's face was blazing with anger. "I'm going back to smash his stall."
Gu Moran was helped over by Uncle Fu when she heard this.
They paused for a moment.
People from the Northern Territory should not be treated with disrespect.
But this person is slow to think and his punches are too fast.
He seemed very easy to fool.
"This... brave warrior."
Tuoba Mang turned his head and saw Gu Moran. His eyes went from Gu's face to his shoulders, then to his waist, and finally landed on the arm that Uncle Fu was supporting.
"You're the son-in-law?"
Gu Moran clutched his chest and coughed twice. "Exactly."
Tuoba Mang took a half step back, his lips parted, but he couldn't hold it in.
He turned to look at Murong Xue: "Princess, how did you end up marrying a sickly man?"
The front yard fell silent for a moment.
Uncle Fu's fingers twitched slightly, and the short stick in his sleeve was already pressed against his palm.
As soon as Lin Qingdai arrived at the corridor, her face immediately darkened.
Su Yao stood behind and whispered, "It's not easy for you to make it to the capital alive."
Murong Xue lashed her whip across the floor tiles.
The whip tip grazed past Tuoba Mang's feet, kicking up a speck of dust on the blue bricks.
"Admit your mistake."
Tuoba Mang retorted, "I didn't say anything wrong. He needs help to stand."
Gu Moran his hand and pressed down on Murong Xue's riding whip.
"Never mind. People from the Northern Territory are straightforward, but they're not bad at heart."
Tuoba Mang's eyes lit up. "My son-in-law understands me."
Murong Xue sneered, "You don't know anything. He's calling you brainless."
Tuoba Mang was stunned and turned to look at Gu Moran.
Gu Moran coughed even harder. "No, Madam, you misunderstand."
Tuoba Mang stared at him, a look of disdain on his face. "You coughed so weakly just now. Were you beaten up by someone?"
Gu Moran continued, "A few days ago, the remnants of the previous dynasty broke into the imperial prison, and I was terrified."
Tuoba Mang only understood "frightened".
His eyes widened. "With such a cowardly attitude, how dare you marry Murong Xue?"
Murong Xue raised her whip. " Tuoba Mang!"
Tuoba Mang immediately raised his hand. "I won't say anymore, I won't say anymore."
He verbally agreed, but took a step forward, clenching his fist inside his sleeve.
"I'm just trying it out lightly; it doesn't count as actually doing anything."
Murong Xue's riding whip was held across his chest.
"If you dare touch him, I'll write to my father and tell him that you came to the capital pretending to be a woman and have disgraced the people of the Northern Territory."
Tuoba Mang's face changed. "No, no."
Murong Xue stared at him. "Step back."
Tuoba Mang lowered his head and remained silent, his shoulders slumped, and he took half a step back.
Gu Moran chuckled inwardly.
This guy is afraid of Prince Murong and Murong Xue.
But he was not afraid of the rules of the capital, nor was he afraid of his status as a prince.
This kind of person could kill on the battlefield, and cause chaos in the capital.
Uncle Fu closed the gate, and the front yard finally quieted down.
Before entering, Tuoba Mang remembered to bow, clasping his hands together with great force.
" Tuoba Mang of the Northern Territory greets His Prince Yi."
Gu Moran his hand. "No need for formalities."
Tuoba Mang straightened up and saw Gu Moran's pale face; his manners vanished once more.
"Your Highness, are you really going to live to reach Yi Prefecture?"
Gu Moran: "..."
Shen Ling'er stood to the side, clutching her medicine box, gritting her teeth. "I guarantee he can."
Tuoba Mang looked at her. "Are you a doctor?"
Shen Ling'er nodded.
Tuoba Mang was relieved. "Alright then. As long as they don't die on the road."
Lin Qingdai's hand was already on the hilt of the knife.
Gu Moran quickly led the person to the study.
"General Tuoba's arrival in the capital must be for important business. Please have a seat and some tea."
Tuoba Mang waved his hand. "Tea won't keep you full. Is there any meat?"
Murong Xue slapped him on the back. "Let's get down to business!"
Tuoba Mang was swayed forward by the slap, but he wasn't annoyed; instead, he grinned.
"The princess's strength has increased."
Inside the study, Tuoba Mang sat down, and the chair made a painful creak.
Su Yao glanced at the chair legs and whispered to the maid, "Change to a sturdier one."
Tuoba Mang picked up the snacks, swallowed two pieces in three bites, and then began to talk about the Northern Territory.
"We won."
Murong Xue's eyes lit up, but her hand pressed down on the edge of the table.
"Is my father injured?"
With a cake still stuffed in his mouth, Tuoba Mang said, "He's doing great. He cut off an enemy general's arm and even cursed the enemy for running too slowly."
Murong Xue's shoulders relaxed a little, but quickly tensed up again.
What about military casualties?
Tuoba Mang swallowed the cake, his voice lowered. "Some people were injured. Some died too."
He paused for a moment and pushed the cake on the plate away by half an inch.
"The king told you not to worry about it; the Northern Territory is perfectly fine."
Murong Xue did not respond.
Her fingers traced the riding crop.
Why did you suddenly come to Beijing?
Tuoba Mang took another piece of cake and mumbled, "The king heard that you were getting married early, so he sent me to deliver a message. I just arrived in the capital when I heard that my son-in-law was going to Yi Prefecture."
Gu Moran looked up. "Where's the letter?"
Tuoba Mang stopped.
Several people in the room looked at him at the same time.
Tuoba Mang blinked, patted his chest, touched his waist, and then rolled up his sleeves.
I didn't touch it.
His expression gradually changed, his palms became sweaty, and he lowered his head to rummage through his clothes.
Murong Xue lowered her voice. " Tuoba Mang, don't tell me you lost my father's letter."
Tuoba Mang immediately stood up and flipped his chair backward.
"No! I remember! Trust... trust..."
He squatted down to rummage through the boot tops, then ran to the yard to rummage through the saddles.
The three attendants also rummaged through the bundles, even emptying the straw bag next to the horse's mouth.
Uncle Fu stood under the porch, his face tense and strained.
Gu Moran looked at the people ransacking the courtyard and activated her Eye of Detection with her mind.
[ Tuoba Mang: A soldier from the Northern Territory, Murong Xue's cousin, possessing immense strength.]
[As his name suggests, he's a typical brute.]
[Loyalty to Murong Xue: 100]
[Host affinity: 66. He considers you weak, but admires you for daring to marry Murong Xue.]
[Extremely conceited, with a fondness for married women who have given birth.]
[The real intention is to protect Murong Xue and gain more benefits for the Northern Territory.]
Gu Moran was stunned.
He, being a good wife, understood the significance of this saying about having given birth.