The Prince of Jin could tell from her expression that she had misunderstood, and quickly said, "Linlin is fine. He is in the Xia Kingdom and is cooperating very well with Song Jingyang."
Linlin is his pride, always has been.
Tang Zhuyun breathed a sigh of relief, then couldn't help but scold, "You were talking so breathlessly, you almost scared me to death."
The Prince of Jin laughed and said, "It's clearly you who can't hold your breath. I just mentioned Linlin and you interrupted me."
"It's just that some people always try to hide things from me."
"Just this once, you caught me in a mistake," the Prince of Jin laughed. "Then let's consider it my fault for now."
"That's more like it. What's wrong with Linlin?"
As long as her son is alright, it's a sunny day, and Tang Zhuyun can laugh and talk again.
"Linlin and Song Jingyang's current troop strength is sufficient to deal with the situation in the Xia Kingdom."
"So what?"
"Therefore, of the troops I brought back, I left 30,000 to guard the border city, and sent the rest with Qu Nian to attack the Northern Yi."
Tang Zhuyun was still confused.
She could understand everything he said, but why did he specifically emphasize Linlin?
Am I overthinking things?
But Tang Zhuyun felt that the Prince of Jin was emphasizing "Linlin".
As it turned out, her intuition was correct.
The Prince of Jin grasped her hand and said, "Keep the tiger tally in your hand, and I'll leave my private seal to you as well. A-Yun, everything here is entrusted to you. It's for you, not for Linlin, and not for anyone else."
Tang Zhuyun was even more confused. "Giving it to me means giving it to Linlin, right?"
Do we have to guard against Linlin too?
The Prince of Jin of Jin isn't that kind of person.
If you're constantly on guard against your own son, wouldn't you be like an emperor?
The Prince of Jin said, "A-Yun, look at me."
There are some things that would make him uncomfortable to say, but he has no choice but to say them.
She was his biggest worry and concern.
Tang Zhuyun looked up at him.
Time has been exceptionally kind to Prince of Jin; with his sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, he still looks exactly the same as when we first met.
Time never defeats beauty; this isn't just a compliment for women.
If this were applied to the Prince of Jin, it would be a realistic portrayal.
"A-Yun, you are kind-hearted and innocent. You are never guarded with your father, brothers, me, or other family members. You are always sincere and devoted..."
Her unconditional love for her family is heartwarming.
The Prince of Jin knew her weaknesses, yet he still protected her, allowing her to be herself freely.
But now, he's going to the capital.
He will be away for a long time.
Compared to attacking the Northern Yi, the return date is even more uncertain this time.
There's even a possibility that he might never come back.
Some things are beyond human control.
"Linlin is a good person, I don't doubt him. However, he doesn't always do the right thing, and not all the people around him are reliable. So these things are for you to secure your livelihood, and you can't give them to anyone else, including Linlin, understand?"
Tang Zhuyun felt distressed upon hearing this.
Why are you saying all this? I don't want to hear it.
It wasn't that she was angry that he didn't trust Linlin, but rather that there was always an ominous feeling in his instructions.
"I know you don't like hearing this," the Prince of Jin reached out and touched her face, his eyes full of affection, "So I'll only say it once. Remember, if I come back and find you've misbehaved, I'll punish you..."
Tang Zhuyun blushed, "We're an old married couple, why are you being so improper?"
"Is my sword already worn out?" The Prince of Jin raised an eyebrow, deliberately teasing her.
Tang Zhuyun rolled her eyes. "I'm getting old."
"Let me tell you who you can trust..." the Prince of Jin instructed anxiously.
He mentioned a few people: his strategist Mr. Xu and his general Jiang Zhong. Tang Zhuyun had met these people before, but because she rarely got involved in outside affairs, she couldn't say she was familiar with them.
"... Don't worry, we will give them all proper instructions and treat you as the only master of this city. Treat them well, but don't be too polite; you are the master."
"Mm." Tang Zhuyun nodded.
Since separation is an unavoidable fact, she needs to grow up as soon as possible.
There's one more person.
Wu Zhenhai?
"Clever." The Prince of Jin's eyes showed approval, and he told Tang Zhuyun many details that she did not know.
From the time the Prince of Jin left until the end of this great battle, Wu Zhenhai quietly did many things.
"You could say that, apart from the Mingzhu, nothing I could bestow upon him would be excessive," said the Prince of Jin. "But you need not concern yourself with these matters; he will surely receive the reward he deserves in the future."
Wu Zhenhai deserves both high office and generous salary.
Tang Zhuyun nodded. "I won't mention it to Mingzhu, lest I upset her further. Wu Yu has been living in the Prince's Mansion, and I will take good care of him from now on. I won't let Wu Zhenhai's efforts be in vain."
Prince of Jin smiled and said, "With you in the palace, I feel at ease."
Even if he were truly gone, someone as resilient as her would surely be able to hold up the sky.
He just couldn't bear to part with it.
Even if he had only a breath left, he would return to her side.
He made so many arrangements and gave so many instructions simply because he had begun to feel awe for the unknown, and because he loved her deeply and wanted to lay the groundwork for her.
"Mr. Xu and Jiang Zhong will handle things outside, so you don't need to worry too much. They'll let you know if anything important happens."
Tang Zhuyun had no doubt about this.
She trusted the Prince of Jin's judgment in judging people.
"What if I'm mistaken?"
"You've misread it, and I'm even more likely to misread it. So what if I'm wrong? Can't I afford to be wrong?" Tang Zhuyun said matter-of-factly.
The Prince of Jin laughed loudly, which aggravated his wound, causing him to gasp for breath.
"Are you done talking?" Tang Zhuyun asked, pouting.
She still had something to say to him!
Prince of Jin: "Not yet."
Tang Zhuyun: "... Please speak!"
"After I leave, do you plan to open a clinic and train apprentices?"
Tang Zhuyun nodded.
She had mentioned these thoughts in her letters to him.
Some things can't be regretted too late; you have to do them now.
The Prince of Jin said, "You've done very well, but A-Yun, you can't do everything yourself. This is too big a undertaking; you should focus on the big picture and delegate the smaller tasks to the more important ones."
He didn't want to boss her around, but he felt sorry for her.
Seeing Tang Zhuyun's thoughtful expression, he continued, "You are the most skilled doctor, but how much energy does it take to save one person? And how many people would be waiting in line for your help?"
The task of cooking in the army cannot be entrusted to the imperial chefs; it must be entrusted to the cooks.
The same principle applies to medical matters in the military.
Quantity is key; quality is fundamentally unattainable.
"So you just need to guide them and make them all more capable; you don't need to do everything yourself."
He was afraid of wearing out his Tang Zhuzi.
Tang Zhuyun certainly understood his good intentions.
A good man is both a partner and a mentor.
This kind of good teacher isn't one who's bossy or likes to lecture, but one who genuinely wants her to have a better life.
Marrying a man like that is truly a blessing earned from saving lives in a past life.
Tang Zhuyun's voice choked slightly, "I've remembered. Now it's my turn to speak."