Chapter 68: The New Governor

The wind howled loudly as the carriage approached.

“That’s me. May I ask who you are?” Qin Zhao observed the man’s attire and demeanor, already guessing his identity.

“I am Zhang Meng from the Luzhou City Military Headquarters.”

Zhang Meng raised his eyebrows slightly, his gaze scanning Qin Zhao. This was someone his grandfather had specifically mentioned, someone he was supposed to take care of. It was indeed his duty, especially since the person had dared come to this barbarian-infested region.

“I’ve heard of General Zhang,” Qin Zhao replied with a respectful nod.

Zhang Meng’s gaze shifted further, now resting on the carriage.

Qin Zhao explained, “Inside the carriage are my family members.”

Zhang Meng was surprised. The man was recently married, yet here he was with a young wife. This reminded Zhang Meng of his own mother, who had pressured him into marriage, almost breaking his leg to get him to comply.

Zhang Meng turned away and waved. “Don’t stand out here in the open. Follow me. I’ll take you to the governor’s office.”

The governor’s office had already been tidied up by Zhang Meng’s men, though a careful inspection revealed signs of ransacking.

The governor’s residence was a two-part compound. The main hall was where official matters were handled, while the inner courtyard was reserved for rest. It was quite convenient to have both in one place.

The carriage stopped at the entrance of the governor’s residence. As Qin Zhao helped Cao Xi down, she immediately noticed a tall, armored man. His striking figure nearly blinded her.

“We’ve arrived. This is Luzhou, and this is the governor’s residence,” Qin Zhao said.

Cao Xi glanced around, noting that the exterior was clean and tidy. However, it couldn’t hide the wear and tear from the recent unrest. The state of the governor’s residence was telling, and the people of Luzhou must have been struggling. Cao Xi sighed quietly.

“General Zhang Meng, from the Luzhou military,” Qin Zhao introduced Cao Xi to Zhang Meng, offering a brief greeting between the two.

Cao Xi nodded and curtsied. “General Zhang.”

Zhang Meng rarely interacted with others and was unaccustomed to such formalities. Seeing the delicate woman before him offering a greeting, he felt his ears turn red.

“No need for formalities. You must be tired. Let’s go inside and rest. Though the governor’s residence is modest, it’s safe. Everything here will be taken care of for you.”

“Tomorrow, I will return to brief you on the situation in Luzhou,” Zhang Meng added before bidding them farewell. With a quick motion, he mounted his horse and left in a brisk, confident manner.

Cao Xi, watching Zhang Meng’s graceful dismount, couldn’t help but marvel at his poise and elegance.

“Soldiers really do look handsome,” she murmured.

Before she knew it, she felt a pinch on her arm. Confused, she turned to Qin Zhao.

Qin Zhao was displeased. Jealousy bubbled up within him—was she comparing his physique to that of the soldier?

Qin Zhao pulled Cao Xi closer, and after they entered the courtyard, he confronted her.

“Soldiers are handsome? Hmm?”

Cao Xi, realizing her slip of the tongue, quickly closed the gap and whispered softly to Qin Zhao, “I didn’t mean it like that. I know you’re the best, no one compares to you.”

Before she could finish her sentence, she wrapped her arms around Qin Zhao’s waist, lifting herself to kiss him. Her small frame was dwarfed by his taller figure, and she smiled sweetly up at him, her eyes sparkling.

Sweet words flowed easily from Cao Xi’s mouth. Though Qin Zhao knew her personality well, it didn’t stop him from feeling a bit sweet and proud, especially as he watched her continue to speak with a playful tone, all while maintaining her regular habits of staying fit. Riding horses was still effortless for her. As for Zhang Meng, he was completely ignored by Cao Xi.

Cao Xi circled the courtyard wall, observing the few tall poplar trees and the empty spaces where things must have been moved or cleared away. The main house had new windows and doors, indicating it had been repaired, but it looked like a hodgepodge, a collection of mismatched materials that didn’t form a complete whole.

“This is where Huang Xinger must have lived,” Cao Xi remarked with a sigh.

Qin Zhao took her hand. “If you’re afraid, we can move elsewhere.”

“I’m not afraid, as long as you’re here, I’m not scared of anywhere,” Cao Xi replied with a smile.

Qin Zhao, seeing her face full of laughter, slowly pulled her into his embrace.

“Then, let’s see. Will this road be easy to travel?” Qin Zhao teased.

Cao Xi raised her face proudly. “Of course it will be. With you, Qin Zhao, nothing is impossible. There is no rough road we can’t walk.”

Qin Zhao smiled, pinching her cheek lightly and kissing her on the corner of her mouth.

“I will do my best, so my mother won’t be disappointed in me.”

Cao Xi quickly pushed him away, looking around to see if anyone was watching, then patted her chest as if to reassure him. “Don’t worry, it won’t affect your official reputation.”

Qin Zhao felt wronged, thinking about how the officials could get away with anything, but the common people were forbidden from doing anything.

He wasn’t pleased. Qin Zhao cupped her face with both hands, squeezing her chubby cheeks together until her lips formed an O shape.

Qin Zhao lowered his head and lightly kissed her. “Don’t worry, your mother-in-law won’t mind.” He kissed her again. “My official reputation is rushing over here, isn’t it?”

He kissed her several more times before he finally stopped, though his waist was probably sore from the way Cao Xi had been pinching him earlier.

That evening, Cao Xi prepared the bed.

“Let’s stay here for tonight. Tomorrow, we’ll go out to the market to see what’s missing and buy what we need.”

Qin Zhao pulled Cao Xi into his arms. “If we go out tomorrow, take some chestnuts with you. I won’t let you go alone.”

“I know,” Cao Xi said softly.

She snuggled into Qin Zhao’s embrace, soon falling into a deep sleep.

……

When Qin Zhao woke up, Cao Xi was still asleep. Seeing her face rosy with warmth, he couldn’t resist leaning down to kiss her on the cheek. Qin Zhao quickly dressed, faster than usual.

Zhang Meng had been waiting early at the governor’s office. The former governor had tragically passed away, and he had been temporarily managing Luzhou. Originally, the imperial court had planned to send an experienced official, but unexpectedly, they had sent a new graduate—an inexperienced scholar who had no clue how to govern.

“General Zhang, my apologies for keeping you waiting.”

Qin Zhao was dressed in a deep red official robe, which gave him an imposing presence, much different from the scholarly appearance he had the day before.

“Governor Qin, I’m here to hand over the duties,” Zhang Meng said, getting straight to the point and beginning to detail the current situation of Luzhou.

As Qin Zhao listened, his brows furrowed tighter. The situation in Luzhou was even worse than he had expected.

Meanwhile, Cao Xi woke up and noticed Qin Zhao was nowhere to be found. Just as she was wondering where he went, she came back with chestnuts and breakfast.

“Madam.”

“Did you find him?”

“I’m at the governor’s office, receiving General Zhang.”

It was only after the chestnuts reminded her that Cao Xi realized Qin Zhao had duties to attend to. She glanced at the courtyard, where he had been busy for quite some time.

“Leave me a portion of breakfast, and give the rest to me,” she said.

Cao Xi received the breakfast and arranged the dishes, waiting for Qin Zhao to return and eat.

As she continued to wait, someone gently pressed her head. “Why are you in a daze?”

The person was none other than Qin Zhao, who had just finished his conversation at the governor’s office.

“It’s done. Come, sit down and eat. The food’s getting cold.”

Cao Xi served Qin Zhao a bowl of porridge and picked up some food for him.

Qin Zhao took a bite of the food, thinking for a moment. “Let me accompany you to the market later.”

Cao Xi was pleasantly surprised. “Aren’t you busy?”

“Not for now,” Qin Zhao replied as he peeled an egg and placed it in her bowl.

Cao Xi quickly picked up the bun, but once it entered her mouth, a wave of nausea hit her, and she gagged a few times.

“Is your stomach not feeling well?” Qin Zhao asked, concerned, as he crouched beside her and gently rubbed her back.

Qin Zhao was puzzled. There was no unusual smell from the bun, so why did she feel nauseous?

“There’s no problem. It’s just that the smell of the bun made me feel nauseous,” Cao Xi said, gagging again before slowly calming down.

Qin Zhao insisted, “Let’s go to the doctor first.”

“Don’t worry, it’s not strange. It’s just a little gagging, I’ll be fine. I won’t eat the bun anymore.”

Cao Xi smiled, picking up the egg Qin Zhao had placed in her bowl and finishing it with a couple of bites.

Seeing that she was no longer distressed, Qin Zhao relaxed, and the two of them finished breakfast before heading out with the chestnuts.

Luzhou was managed well under Zhang Meng. The streets were clean and orderly, with soldiers helping the citizens repair their houses. There were porridge shops offering free rice porridge to the people.

In any dynasty, soldiers were always the first to charge to the frontlines.

“Luzhou is much better than I expected,” Qin Zhao remarked, though he couldn’t help but feel concerned as he saw the poor, emaciated people, their faces weary and exhausted.

Cao Xi responded, “They’ve endured so much, having survived the wars. There’s nothing that can truly break their spirits.”

The people of Luzhou had become soldiers themselves. When foreign invaders came, it wasn’t just the officers and soldiers who fought, but the people as well.

From a distance, Zhang Meng saw the couple and instructed his subordinates before heading over to them.

“Governor Qin.”

“General Zhang, you’ve worked hard,” Qin Zhao said, grateful for Zhang Meng’s help in restoring Luzhou so quickly.

“It’s not hard at all,” Zhang Meng said with a smile. Though Qin Zhao seemed like a weak scholar, he was far stronger than his outward appearance suggested.

Zhang Meng briefly introduced the current state of Luzhou, but since he had other urgent matters to attend to, he left Qin Zhao to get familiar with the surroundings while he would return later.

Cao Xi smiled and said, “So you’re here just to accompany me.”

Qin Zhao took her hand and laughed. “This is all in the name of public duty.”