Qin Fang did not speak much with Master Yang.

Having been away from home for more than half a month, he was concerned about his family.

After greeting Master Yang, he returned to the General’s Mansion.

Upon returning to the mansion, he was eager to find his wife.

However, when he heard from the guards that Master Du was also present, he immediately went to see his mentor.

Master Du had arrived two days earlier.

After Tao Shan found him, he didn’t rush to come but instead took care of matters at hand and left them for Shen Lixian to handle before returning.

At that time, Tao Shan was anxious, but Master Du remained calm.

However, seeing Tao Shan so worried, Master Du told him, “This is a trial for Qin Fang in his career. If he cannot endure this trial, how can he face future ones?” Tao Shan immediately understood that Master Du was testing the General.

“Teacher…” As soon as Qin Fang entered the courtyard, he called out to the inside.

Du Ke was reading when he heard Qin Fang’s voice.

He paused, holding the book: “Come in.”

Though he was testing Qin Fang, Du Ke was naturally also anxious.

However, he understood better than anyone that Qin Fang would be fine.

Yunxiang County had minerals, and those minerals were needed to make medicinal materials.

Under such circumstances, the Emperor wouldn’t let anything happen to Qin Fang.

To put it simply, Qin Fang had just entered the court and wasn’t anyone’s pawn yet.

The medicinal materials were in his hands, which reassured the Emperor.

If it were someone else, who could guarantee that they hadn’t been bribed?

The moment Qin Fang saw Du Ke, he immediately bowed: “Disciple pays respects to Teacher.”

Seeing him looking worn and tired, Du Ke said, “Sit.”

Qin Fang sat down: “Disciple has worried Teacher.” Otherwise, Teacher wouldn’t have come all the way to Yunxiang County.

Du Ke said, “I am not worried.”

Qin Fang felt that his teacher was being modest.

If he wasn’t worried, why would he come to Yunxiang County?

But upon closely observing his teacher’s expression, it indeed didn’t seem like he was worried.

Qin Fang felt a little aggrieved.

To be honest, in front of the Qin family, Qin Fang had always been steady and mature.

However, in front of Du Ke, he occasionally revealed a more childish side.

Perhaps in Qin Fang’s heart, Du Ke was not just a teacher; he was also a powerful and omniscient figure, so in his presence, Qin Fang was willing to show his vulnerable side.

Du Ke asked, “Do you know why I am not worried about you?”

Qin Fang was puzzled: “Please enlighten me, Teacher. But I know that you are not worried because you believe I won’t encounter any issues. However, why are you so certain?”

Du Ke replied, “Because of the medicinal materials. The matter of medicinal materials cannot be known by too many people, and they can only be in the hands of someone trustworthy. Currently, while there are indeed trustworthy people in the court, in the Emperor’s heart, you are considered trustworthy. Even though you are my student, you are the student appointed to me by the Emperor, which carries a different meaning.”

Upon hearing this about medicinal materials, Qin Fang suddenly understood: “Teacher, are those people plotting against me because of the medicinal materials?”

Du Ke said, “I can only guess. However, Your wife surprised me. Qin Fang, you have a good wife.”

And a good wife is truly important for a man in the officialdom.

Using such a large sum of silver for road repairs, that kind of boldness is not something everyone possesses.

Even wealthy families, with hundreds of thousands of taels behind them, might hesitate to part with forty thousand taels.

Thus, Yang Haiyan had not only boldness but also vision.

However, Du Ke did not know that Yang Haiyan, being a modern person, truly did not value this money.

Of course, her lack of concern stemmed from her having money to spend.

When it came to discussing his wife, Qin Fang was also moved.

However, he said, “I must thank Brother Xingran greatly for this matter. If it weren’t for him, I would have been in trouble upon entering the city gate.”

Du Ke smiled: “That lad did do a good deed. However, your wife has already repaid his kindness. If I’m not mistaken, that boy should be starting work at the palace gate now.”

Yang Haiyan had already discussed Du Xingran’s matters with him.

He had arranged for Du Xingran to direct operations in the outskirts of the capital because it was less demanding.

He didn’t expect that he would encounter this matter with Qin Fang.

And now, after Yang Haiyan’s guidance, that lad had truly made a name for himself in front of the Emperor.

What would happen in the future was unknown, but at least for now, it was good.

Speaking of this, he had to admire Qin Fang’s wife; she was indeed exceptionally clever.

If she were a man…

Qin Fang asked, “Teacher, who do you think is behind this plot against me?”

Du Ke shook his head.

Even if he knew, he wouldn’t say anything.

Right now, Qin Fang was quite secure here, and there was no need for him to reveal the identity of the other party.

Moreover, Du Ke genuinely didn’t know: “Perhaps it’s someone from another country, worried that our Qiguo has developed weaponry that could lead to war with other nations.”

Of course, it could also be someone from the court, but if he had to guess an identity, Du Ke really couldn’t figure it out. “You don’t need to worry about who they are. As long as the Emperor likes you, no one will harm you.”

Qin Fang replied, “Rest assured, Teacher, I will be loyal to the Emperor.” He said this sincerely.

After meeting the Emperor, he felt that the Emperor was a good person, a good emperor, and he was completely devoted to him.

Du Ke said, “That’s good. You should go see your wife. Since you’ve returned, I must take my leave as well. The imperial grain plan is still not finished.”

Upon hearing this, Qin Fang felt a bit reluctant. “Teacher, are you leaving again? Why not stay a few more days?”

Du Ke waved his hand. “You will have plenty of opportunities when you come to the capital in the future.”

They both knew that Qin Fang would eventually visit the capital.

Du Ke waited for Qin Fang to return before departing.

Qin Fang escorted him to the door before going to find Yang Haiyan.

Yang Haiyan had already known he was back, but she hadn’t interrupted his meeting with Du Ke.

However, she had been standing in the courtyard, waiting for him.

When she saw him approaching, she couldn’t help but step forward. “Husband.”

At first, Qin Fang continued to walk briskly, but upon seeing her, he couldn’t help but run to her and embrace her tightly. “Yan Yan, I’m back. I’m safe!”

His voice was filled with suppressed excitement.

Yang Haiyan didn’t speak but tightly grasped his waist with both hands.

The two of them embraced in the courtyard for quite a while before gradually calming down.

Yang Haiyan took Qin Fang’s hand and led him inside. “I’ve prepared warm water for you, Husband. Go wash up; I’ll give you a massage.”

Qin Fang hurriedly replied, “You don’t need to massage me; you’re pregnant. You shouldn’t exert yourself!”

Yang Haiyan laughed. “Then I’ll wash your hair instead. Look at how dirty your hair is from the journey; our daughter will complain!”

Qin Fang shrugged it off. “If she complains, that’s fine; as long as you don’t mind.”

Even so, once inside, Qin Fang still took off his clothes.

After being husband and wife for so long, he wasn’t embarrassed to be naked in front of her.

After undressing, he sat in the bathtub, soaking and enjoying his wife washing his hair.

This was the first time Yan Yan had washed his hair for him. It felt great!

Yang Haiyan first wet his hair, then lathered it with soap before giving him a head massage while asking, “Husband, did you see the Emperor?”

When it came to this, Qin Fang became animated. “I did! The Emperor is a good person; he…”

He recounted everything that had happened during his stay in the palace.

Yang Haiyan listened with a faint smile as he spoke about his encounters with the Emperor.

Once he finished, she said, “Congratulations, Husband, for finally meeting the Emperor.”

“Ah…” Suddenly remembering something important, Qin Fang exclaimed, “Yan Yan, the Emperor promoted your title! You’re now the second-rank Madam Bingyun!”

Yang Haiyan wasn’t surprised to receive the Emperor’s reward.

For her, that was secondary; her husband’s safety was what mattered most. “Will you blame me for being presumptuous and using so much silver to repair the road?”

Qin Fang held her hand and looked up at her beautiful face. “I’m not a fool; how could I not know you did it for me? Besides… as long as we have enough money, that’s all that matters.”

Qin Fang felt that they had enough silver for their needs.

Yang Haiyan cupped his hands with hers. “Yes, as long as we have enough silver, it’s fine, as long as our family is safe and sound.”

They exchanged smiles.

After Qin Fang washed up and dried his hair, Yang Haiyan urged him to take a rest while she prepared food for him.

This man must not have slept well in the palace; only here at home could he get a good rest.

How could Qin Fang sleep well in the palace?

He worried about this and that, most of all about his family’s situation, so he often stayed awake until dawn.

Now, in this familiar place, with the comforting scent of home on the bed, he fell asleep quickly.

Unbeknownst to him, after he fell asleep, Yang Haiyan came in to pull the blanket over him and sat beside him for a while.

Qin Fang slept until the middle of the night. When he woke up, it was already dark outside.

As he moved, he noticed Yang Haiyan was also asleep beside him.

He hurriedly got up and carried Yang Haiyan to the bed.

He hadn’t slept well these past few days, and neither had she.

After placing her in bed, he stepped out of the room and saw Granny Lian still guarding the door. “Granny, let me know what has happened at home in the past few days.”

Granny Lian replied, “Ah, General, while you were away these past few days, the family has been…”

The Qin family wasn’t aware of what had happened in their absence.

They assumed Qin Fang was busy with important matters, so when he returned, they didn’t think much of it.

There wasn’t much going on in Yunxiang County, as the Beast Mountain Taoist Temple had someone overseeing it.

So, after a few days of rest, Qin Fang joined the road construction efforts.

However, it was only two days before Governor Liu from Hedong Prefecture arrived.

Governor Liu had known about the road repairs in Yunxiang County for some time, but he hadn’t come until today.

Seeing the bustling scene of road construction, he felt a mix of emotions.

He found Qin Fang among the crowd working on the road. “General Qin…”