Having successfully secured another hundred carts of grain and routed the rebel general Hantong, capturing two thousand of his soldiers, the General's Residence erupted in celebration once more. Although the two sisters had fully ceded authority to me, I still chose to convene all meetings in the former residence of General Bailang. This served two purposes: firstly, to show respect for the supervisory authority of the two princesses, and secondly, because I needed to know what was wrong with Ma Xiaowei. She had been fiery hot toward me the night before, yet the very next day she completely ignored me. Considering that she was the one who had initiated things between us, it was only right that she give me a reason for this sudden coldness.

After praising Liu Dan and Gu Qi, who had achieved the greatest merit, the staff began to discuss the next phase of the plan. Gu Qi stated, "My Lord, your subordinate still advocates for continuing night raids to harass the enemy. Lin Gu is too cunning; rashly inviting him into the city will likely not work. His decision to send Hantong ahead this time to scout the situation makes this clear."

I nodded. "General Gu speaks the truth. Lin Gu is talented; he won't easily fall into our trap. However, continuing night raids will come at a significant cost. The enemy troops no longer need to rush; they can rest during the day and engage us in battle at night. Furthermore, you have all seen the sturdy palisades surrounding the enemy camp—even breaking through them with our main force would be difficult, let alone mere harassment on the perimeter. Moreover, our maneuverable javelin throwers can inflict negligible damage on enemies deep within their fortifications. Burying mines is not feasible as we cannot constantly infiltrate their camp, and setting up the trebuchets requires significant time. In short, we have lost the optimal conditions for nighttime harassment."

Gu Qi expressed his admiration. "My Lord’s analysis is sound. I was reckless. But with twenty thousand enemies right under our noses, we must devise a foolproof strategy to eliminate them; otherwise, the danger remains constant."

General Ding, Xiao Dingzi, chimed in, "My Lord, I suggest we array our forces and engage them in a full battle. Given our advantage in weaponry, defeating them should not be difficult. Coupled with the three-person combat tactics you recently taught everyone, defeating Lin Gu will surely be a simple matter."

I replied, "We currently number twenty thousand combat personnel. Even without strategic maneuvering, we can match Lin Gu in sheer numbers. However, the resulting casualties would be too great. I still prefer a more cautious approach."

Ma Xiaowei said coolly, "Since Lin Gu is a talent, shouldn't we find a way to bring him into our service? The Imperial Court is in dire need of capable men right now; I believe Father Emperor would agree."

Ma Xiaowei maintained her elegant composure but wouldn't meet my gaze, her eyes darting away as if afraid to look directly at me. Ma Xiaorui found some excuse to skip the meeting entirely; according to Linglong, she only cared about playing.

I stared intently at Ma Xiaowei. "Your Highness, I hold the same view, but Lin Gu is currently riding high on success. What reason do we have to persuade him to submit to the Court?"

Ma Xiaowei’s gaze swept over the men seated below her, yet her words were aimed at me. "We can offer him terms of surrender. He is merely a commanding marshal for now; surely promising him a higher official rank would suffice?"

The men seated below remained silent. The political and military structures of the Shuangcheng Kingdom were quite backward. Since they had never maintained large standing armies, a commanding marshal was already the highest military position, surpassed only by official posts within the Ministry of War. However, everyone knew that the Ministry of War was merely a shell of its former self. Although it nominally controlled all military authority and provincial military commissions across the realm, currently there were hardly any troops left in the world, and few provincial commissions remained under the Ministry's actual control; they either found powerful patrons or simply became local despots.

Slightly annoyed by Ma Xiaowei’s fluctuating attitude toward me, and because her suggestion was impractical in the short term, I remained silent. The others, having no ideas of their own, also held their tongues when they saw my silence. Ma Xiaowei seemed to realize her mistake and quickly amended, "Marshal Zhao, perhaps we should first hear your opinion. I am, after all, an amateur; I was merely speaking off the cuff."

Ma Xiaowei had shown me sufficient deference, so I stated, "Your Highness, I still insist on continuing the strategy of luring Lin Gu and Jiu Xia to their deaths. Rumors are already circulating among the enemy ranks. If we exercise a little patience, we can achieve a great victory with minimal losses. Even if the ploy fails and Lin Gu sees through our true colors, only then should we proceed as General Ding suggested and bring our forces out for a decisive battle."

Everyone seated below, except for Gu Qi, consisted of men I had promoted. My words were tantamount to unchangeable commands for them, so they all voiced their agreement. Ma Xiaowei concluded, "Since no one has objections, Marshal Zhao, please arrange the specific plan."

I did not stand on ceremony with Ma Xiaowei. I first instructed Liu Gang and Xiao Dingzi, "General Liu, General Ding, you will lead your respective units in a feigned assault on the city this afternoon. Set the location at the South Gate. Make the commotion as loud as possible—Lin Gu must see it. However, ensure the safety of the soldiers and avoid unnecessary casualties."

Liu Gang and Xiao Dingzi accepted the orders. I then turned to Liu Dan. "Centurion Liu, tonight I will need you to take Hantong's corpse once more to Lin Gu's camp. I wonder if you possess the courage for this task."

Liu Dan replied, "My Lord worries too much. Losing one's head is merely a small scar. Please command as necessary, My Lord."

"Good, a true man!" I affirmed. "When you meet Lin Gu, tell him that Hantong led his troops to support the city defenders during this afternoon's assault and unfortunately died in battle. Inform him that the situation inside the city is critical and they must advance quickly to devise a retreat strategy, otherwise, once Pingyuan County falls, Hongping County and Huyang Prefecture will be directly endangered, and no one will escape accountability when Prince Shou investigates."

Liu Dan bowed. "My Lord, rest assured, this subordinate knows what to do."

I then addressed A San. "Lin Gu absolutely will not ignore an attack on the city without responding. Deploy four thousand men to set up an ambush around Lin Gu's main camp to support the action. If he sends troops out for reinforcements, ambush them. You will be allocated all twenty of our newly acquired javelin throwers. Additionally, requisition more Sky-Shaking Thunder from Factory Director Shi. Factory Director Cui has designed a small trebuchet specifically for launching Sky-Shaking Thunder; although its range is limited, it is effective in close combat and convenient since it doesn't require disassembly. Collect some of those as well. Make sure the reinforcing troops dare not leave their camp."

From my observations these past few days, I trusted these individuals to handle matters. Thus, I did not go into exhaustive detail on how the battle should be fought, allowing them freedom to improvise. My role was merely to provide slight coordination from behind the scenes, as the current situation dictated Lin Gu’s eventual defeat anyway. This was a good opportunity to drill the troops.

Because my plan simultaneously used strategy to confuse Lin Gu and deployed troops for an attack, it satisfied everyone’s wishes, boosting morale considerably. They all accepted military pledges and departed, as time was tight and much needed to be arranged.

The meeting concluded and everyone dispersed. As I walked last, I secretly hoped Ma Xiaowei would call out to keep me back for a celebratory toast. Today's battle had yielded great rewards, certainly enough for a couple of drinks—no, I must remember not to touch any Ma family wine again; the last time nearly killed Yun Yao.

Regrettably, no one called out to keep me when I left the General's Residence. Seeing my disappointed expression, Linglong said, "Master, are you hoping to stay behind for a private celebration with the two princesses? Yun Yao and I aren't princesses, but arranging drinks isn't hard. We can set up a table back at our residence immediately; we certainly won't be inferior to their last 'Hongmen Banquet.'"

Yun Yao turned pale with fright. "Don't—you two drink. Just don't let Brother Zhao come to my room after drinking like last time."

Linglong put her arm around Yun Yao's shoulder. "Sister Yun Yao, your sounds of agony were so loud that night! Was Master bullying you in there? It's strange; if he was bullying you, why was there an element of pleasure mixed with the pain? I wanted to peek in but was afraid you’d scold me, so I wandered around outside for half the night."

What? Linglong eavesdropped for half the night! Yun Yao blushed, glanced at me, and then told Linglong, "What business is that for a child to ask? If you have the chance, you'll find out for yourself."

Linglong’s face turned redder than Yun Yao’s. She had experienced intimacy, but her experiences lacked pain and were only filled with happiness because she hadn't been truly penetrated by a man. Therefore, she couldn't understand the sensation of pleasure mixed with pain. Even though she had wandered outside for half the night without knowing exactly what the two inside were doing, she was certain it was something only married couples did, which was why Yun Yao was blushing.

Seeing the two girls playfully teasing each other, I felt a sense of release. To hell with it. If Ma Xiaowei ignores me, so be it. Doing my job well is repayment enough to Ma Xiaoda. In truth, a large part of accepting this campaign was to save Ma Xiaowei. She had once forged an imperial decree to mobilize troops to relieve the Imperial Horse Bureau when I was in trouble, an act that, while initially counterproductive, showed her genuine regard, which I could not ignore. To pacify the angry court officials, I had to agree to lead troops against the bandits.

With the matter of Ma Xiaowei settled in my mind, I naturally focused more attention on the two women beside me, who protected me day and night. How could I fail to notice such deep affection? Since no one invited me to a celebratory lunch today, I would arrange a table for them to properly express my gratitude. We could drink while waiting for news from the front lines.

Upon returning to the residence, I immediately instructed the servants to prepare a banquet in the kitchen and kept the two girls company in the hall. Regarding the drinking at noon, Linglong seemed somewhat fearful. "Master, are we really having a celebratory drink today? Will you be like last time when..."

I considered for a moment. "That night was an exceptional circumstance. Do you think every time we drink it has to be like that? Haven't I drunk wine with your father before? Was anyone else by my side then? I actually think Linglong might be right about them setting a 'Hongmen Banquet.' The wine probably had something in it; otherwise, I wouldn't have become so intensely excited."

Yun Yao added, "Yes, you never acted so wildly before. You were completely inconsiderate of others. But for those two inexperienced girls to drug you like that—is that even possible?"

I rubbed my forehead. "I overworked you that night, my wife. Who knows? Let's stop thinking about it. I'll just be more cautious in the future."

Linglong seized the opportunity to pile on. "I told you Ma Xiaowei wasn't a good person, but none of you believed me and insisted on staying so close to her. Now look, you’ve been harmed! Let's see if you learn your lesson."

The melodious sound of a mobile phone rang. I assumed it was Ah Mao reporting intelligence, but when I pulled it out, it was a call from Shuangcheng. I casually told Yun Yao, "It’s Chenchen."

Yun Yao exclaimed happily, "Really? Let me take it! That guy hasn't contacted us since leaving Shuangcheng. I'm starting to doubt if he still thinks of us... Sister Nini? Sister Susu? Oh, it’s you two."

Zhou Ni and Cheng Susu appeared on the screen, but behind them stood Xu Chen and Cai Jingjing. The beauty of the four women was rare in ten thousand, and the sight of the four lovely faces, one near and one far, was breathtaking. Cheng Susu said somewhat reproachfully, "Why can’t it be us? You haven't reported your safety in such a long time; we thought you'd forgotten us. Are you trying to monopolize our husband?"

Yun Yao smiled and handed the phone back to me. "It's bad, Big Sister is jealous and angry. Brother Zhao, you deal with it yourself. Linglong and I will go downstairs to prepare dinner."

I took the phone and smiled apologetically at Cheng Susu. "Haven't we been exchanging text messages? Did Princess Xu Chen not relay my regards?"

Xu Chen, standing behind me, clarified, "Grand Marshal Zhao, please don't misunderstand me and Jingjing. We copied everything verbatim and sent it to your manor."

Cai Jingjing seemed slightly annoyed, pouting. "That's right. Do you want me to recite a few lines for you? I never thought you were such a base and vulgar person, considering how much we trusted and appreciated you before."

I had deliberately sent some overly sweet and suggestive texts to provoke Xu Chen and Cai Jingjing, and the effect was obvious now—those two were a little jealous. But was that considered suggestive? Was the time Cai Jingjing held me and asked me to suck her breast less suggestive?

Recalling the warm, comforting, motherly security of Cai Jingjing’s embrace, I said to her, "Jingjing, I miss you all so much. Have you been well recently?"

Zhou Ni turned to Cai Jingjing and said, "Jingjing, look how concerned he is about you! He didn't ask about Susu and me first, but rushed to express his feelings for you."

Cai Jingjing, standing behind Zhou Ni, shot me a sidelong glance that nearly stole my soul. She had seen every word of the texts I sent to Zhou Ni and Cheng Susu, and her attitude toward me was no longer indifferent like before. It seemed the video recordings must have worked their magic. If a girl has entirely given herself to a man, even if she forgets the specific event, seeing evidence of past frantic intimacy makes it impossible for her to abandon everything and love someone else. Especially since, in the Shuangcheng Kingdom, there was no other man worthy of their love besides me. Even if I seem shameless, I possess that confidence.

With a coquettish gaze, a full bosom, and a trembling delicate body, I couldn't help but whisper, "Jingjing..."

Zhou Ni saw this, handed the phone further back, and said, "We'll step out first. You two chat slowly; you have plenty of time."

Cai Jingjing suddenly came to her senses, stomped her foot with a blush, and retorted, "What is there to chat about? You three can talk as a family. Jingjing and I will step out."

Cheng Susu pointed at Xu Chen and laughed. "Yes, the family of three! It seems you know everything. Isn't it time you returned to the Zhao Manor to live with us, my Seventeenth and Nineteenth Sisters?"

Xu Chen, naturally shy, became even more flustered by Cheng Susu’s words. "Sister Susu, what are you saying? Who is a family of three with him?"

Cheng Susu said, "Chenchen, are you still refusing fate? Don't think only Jingjing has a phone; the one I carry is also intact. I won't lie; I also suffered memory loss, but through that phone and the love Zhao Qian showed me, I found myself again. Don't tell me you haven't seen the contents either. Our twenty-plus sisters always share our files; we know everything about you and Zhao Qian. Jingjing plays the role of mother quite well! Chenchen, who seems so frail, is surprisingly unrestrained when passionate, no less than Qian or Xiaorou. Heh heh, it’s a fair trade—you’ve seen my live streams, and I’ve seen yours..."

I should thank Cheng Susu. Although she hadn't truly recovered her original memories, she had recovered herself. If she hadn't pointed it out just then, the relationship between Xu Chen, Cai Jingjing, and me might have remained ambiguous for much longer. However, Cheng Susu’s words left the two girls mortified. Of course, they had seen the files and knew their own explicit appearances within. They had already resolved that even if they couldn't reconcile with the male protagonist, they wouldn't love another man, as it would be impossible to marry someone else after behaving so wildly in those recordings.

Having their secret revealed so bluntly, the two girls felt like dying. This situation lacked a gradual process, unlike on Earth where people got to know each other slowly, accompanied him to bed slowly, and then slowly shared experiences. The shame of having their frantic lovemaking and acts as 'wives' exposed to others without preparation was unbearable. Cai Jingjing kept her head bowed so low her back nearly bent like a shrimp. Xu Chen tried to flee but was pushed toward the camera by Zhou Ni. Then the phone was forcibly shoved into Cai Jingjing's hand. Cheng Susu and Zhou Ni laughed and ran out of the room, leaving the other two standing there like wooden stakes.

The camera shifted direction, and I could only see a small hand. I feared they would panic and shut off the phone. Having finally found a breakthrough, I couldn't let the opportunity slip away; who knew when the next chance to express myself would arise? So, I repeatedly shouted, "Chenchen, Jingjing, listen to me! I will not use past events to blackmail you. I only hope you will give me a chance to compete. It's fine even if you fall for someone else, but I will prove with actions that I am the one who loves you most and is most worthy of your love. Even if you never love me again, I will take you back to Earth because I promised to protect every one of you safely."

The turn of events was exhilarating. The phone wasn't disconnected. Cai Jingjing took Xu Chen's hand and slowly sat down by the table. The camera slowly focused on two familiar faces. Cai Jingjing said, "I’m sorry, we truly don't know how to face you, nor how to handle our relationship, as that period of memory is too unfamiliar to us."

"Jingjing, Chenchen, you don't need to rush. Since Yun Yao and Zhou Ni's memories could be restored, yours certainly can be too; it's just not the right time. You must believe me; I have no intention of harming you. I genuinely want to ensure your safety."

Xu Chen suddenly spoke bravely, "I know. I can feel it, because you gave me my second life. We... we won't love anyone else. We hope the day your memory returns comes quickly."

Cai Jingjing said, "Fine. Since Chenchen has spoken, I'll say something too: You are a big scoundrel!"

I waited excitedly to hear something like, 'Husband, I love you,' or 'Brother Husband, let's play the breast-sucking game,' but instead, I was met with a phrase similar to what Ma Xiaorui had said, leaving me stunned. Then, Cai Jingjing angrily terminated the video call.

I hadn't expected that this wife-sister, who was once like a child, would still be so childish, capable of changing her mood instantly. She had completely ruined my plan to mend our relationship; otherwise, with a few sweet words, I might have won Xu Chen over.

After pausing to compose myself, I immediately called back. Their ringtone played for a long time before Xu Chen appeared on the screen with a faint smile. "Brother Zhao, Sister Jingjing was just joking with you. I criticized her just now."

Cai Jingjing’s voice sounded from the side, still seemingly agitated. "Chenchen, you can't spoil him! Let's set aside the things we don't remember for now, but last time he deliberately acted that way in front of us with Susu and Zhou Ni. And these past few days, he keeps sending those pointless messages, forcing me to copy every word down to send to his two beloved wives. If he’s not a scoundrel, what is he?"

My heart immediately soared with joy. Cai Jingjing wasn't angry; she was jealous, like a child seeing their favorite toy being played with by someone else. I smiled and didn't argue with Cai Jingjing. Xu Chen added, "Brother Zhao, I will persuade Sister Jingjing again later; you don't need to worry."

Xu Chen's form of address had changed! She was back to calling me 'Brother Zhao' from before. This spoke volumes. I no longer needed to worry about Zhang Guan. Xu Chen's true nature was traditional and pure; once she saw the intimate history we shared, how could she love anyone else? I had worried needlessly before.

Examining Xu Chen’s moving figure carefully, I murmured, "Chenchen, you seem to have lost some weight these last two days."

Cai Jingjing interjected from the side, "Isn't it because of you..." At this point, Cai Jingjing seemed to realize she had slipped up and quickly fell silent.

Xu Chen appeared to be masking her true feelings. "Brother Zhao, don't listen to Sister Jingjing’s nonsense. The weather has been hot these past two days, and I've been wearing less clothing, so I look thinner. In reality, I’ve gained quite a bit of weight."

Linglong knocked on the door from outside and called out, "Master, the assault on the city has begun. There is movement at Lin Gu's camp. They have sent out five teams of a hundred men each. Third Brother asked if we should eliminate them."

I smiled apologetically at Xu Chen, then turned to Linglong at the door. "No, let them go. This is casting a long line to catch a big fish. If we act now, we won't lure out the main force behind them. This Lin Gu is extremely cunning; those five hundred men are surely just a probe."

Linglong accepted her orders and departed. Xu Chen asked, "Brother Zhao, what's the situation now? From the sound of the conversation just now, are the enemies attacking the city? Is it very dangerous? Will everything be alright?"

Cai Jingjing also peeked her head over, saying, "Yes, the sword has no eyes; you must be careful. We don't want to hear news that you've been hurt."

These two girls had actually long ago acknowledged their status in their hearts, but the last live broadcast had severely damaged their pride. Coupled with the 'lewd' scenes they saw on the mobile phone, they were even more hesitant to face that man. Consequently, they had been suffering through this period. They knew clearly that the man was their husband, but they stubbornly refused to admit it, and only when forced to the bridgehead by Cheng Susu just now did everything naturally resolve itself.

This scene moved me to tears, and for a moment, I was so choked up I couldn't speak. This time, it was Xu Chen who proactively pulled Cai Jingjing over. Once a decision was made, Xu Chen’s resolve was definitely stronger than Cai Jingjing’s. She said, "Brother Zhao, you must be careful no matter what. We will wait for your return. Now, we should go give the phone to Zhou Ni and Sister Susu."

I nodded, "We'll talk more tonight. The phone is with you anyway."

Cai Jingjing wiped the corner of her moist eye, then added childishly, "Talk about what? We don't even know what we have to talk to you about. Who knows what you’ve done to us in the past."

I replied, "I will find topics for us to talk about."

The phone was handed over to Zhou Ni. The two girls hadn't seen me for quite some time, so they had come to Cai Jingjing’s place in the inner city today holding the waist token I had left them. Unexpectedly, this also facilitated this good event. Of course, Xu Chen and Cai Jingjing’s acceptance of me currently had certain limitations; everyone had only moved a step closer in their relationship. It would likely take some more time before they could be as ** intimate as Zhou Ni, Cheng Susu, and Yun Yao.

After only a few short sentences, they heard an imperial voice from the phone, "His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived."

Ma Xiaoda was not an outsider, so there was no need to keep him secret. Seeing us using such high-tech gadgets, he became extremely excited. He not only forcefully snatched the phone from Cheng Susu’s hand but also demanded that I find Ma Xiaorui so he could talk to her.

I replied with difficulty, "They don't live with me. We are currently in Pingyuan County. The 20,000 troops sent by Prince Shou under Lin Gu's command have just arrived, and we are trying to figure out how to annihilate them."

Ma Xiaoda said, "Father Emperor and I completely trust you with matters of war, but I’m worried you aren't taking good care of my two sisters. Hurry up and find Ma Xiaorui; I have something to ask her. What, you don't dare go? Have you been bullying them?"

I sighed, "Alright then, wait here while I go find someone for you at the General’s Residence. I’m logging off now."

Just as I reached the door, Yun Yao hurried up, "Brother Zhao, where are you going? Dinner is almost ready."

I pointed at the phone, "Ma Xiaoda insists on talking to Ma Xiaorui, so I have no choice but to go find her."

Yun Yao said, "Hurry back, okay? We’ll wait for you to eat."

The distance between the two residences was short; just a few steps outside the door. Shortly after a palace maid invited her into the backyard, Ma Xiaorui came skipping out. Earlier during the meeting, she had falsely claimed to feel unwell, but now she looked incredibly vibrant and lively.

Ma Xiaorui snatched the phone from my hand, saying, "Quick, quick, quick! Tell me how to use it. I think I learned it once in the inner city, but I’ve forgotten everything."

I unlocked it, connected, and handed it to Ma Xiaorui. When Ma Xiaoda appeared on the screen, the siblings were as overjoyed as if they hadn't seen each other in centuries, chattering nonstop.

I found it inappropriate to eavesdrop on their private conversation, so I walked into the courtyard and found a shady spot under a tree. The personal guard, Sun Chang, quickly walked up, "Sir, just as you predicted, Lin Gu sent five hundred men. Seeing no movement, he then dispatched five thousand more. They are rushing toward the Outer Family Army, which is feigning an attack on the city."

Bored, I said, "Let's go to the city wall to watch, and at the same time, boost the soldiers' morale."

Sun Chang laughed, "Sir's divine strategy has earned everyone’s deep admiration. Even if you don't go to the wall, our army would surely win this battle anyway."

Listening to Ma Xiaorui’s shouts from inside the house, I shook my head, "Let's go take a look anyway. It’s too awkward to stay here. I’ll only stay for a short while, then come back to get my phone and go home for dinner."

Sun Chang said, "Then I must hurry and make arrangements. Your safety must not be treated lightly."