Xia Zhu and Dongmei, the two maidservants, seemed to have already been waiting outside the room.

As Nangong Ru's words fell, Xia Zhu and Dongmei walked in from outside, each carrying a copper basin, with white towels placed on the edges, and clear warm water steaming inside.

Both Xia Zhu and Dongmei were orphans taken in by the Nangong Family; they were raised from a young age, taught knowledge and the ways to serve people, so the two women were very loyal to the Nangong Family.

There were many girls like Xia Zhu and Dongmei in the Nangong Family, but Xia and Dong stood out more.

Perhaps it's because they haven't had practical experience.

Xia Zhu and Dongmei walked into the inner room, with downcast eyes, an embarrassed blush warming their cheeks, and a shy sparkle in their eyes.

But they suppressed their shyness, carried the copper basin to the window, and placed it on the table beside it. Xia Zhu took the white towel, soaked it in warm water, wrung it dry, bent down to reach into the quilt, and wiped the sweat off Chen Mo and Nangong Ru's body, and... tidied up the scene.

Meanwhile, Dongmei removed her outerwear and undergarments, revealing a large red belly band beneath, depicting a scene of mandarin ducks playing in water. Then she climbed up onto the bed, her fair and delicate face displaying a cute and charming expression.

Nangong Ru shyly said, "Husband, if you're not fully satisfied, let Dongmei continue to serve you."

As she spoke, Nangong Ru glanced at Dongmei. The latter turned to the side, a blush unknowingly rising on her cheeks, removed the only remaining red belly band, exposing her delicate and soft little buns.

Dongmei was a year younger than Nangong Ru, only fifteen, naturally incomparable to Han Anniang and the others.

Xia Zhu was only a year older than Dongmei.

After a moment, Dongmei's breathing quickened slightly, clutching the sheets beneath her, she whispered, "Please be gentle with me, my lord."

Chen Mo's expression remained calm. To him, the three of them were all just little girls, far less alluring than Han Anniang, Ning Wan, and not even as appealing as the youthful Yi Shiyin.

The reason he took Nangong Ru was because she was his official concubine, and also to reassure the Nangong Family.

After all, if you take in a girl from the Nangong Family but don't touch her, how would the Nangong Family feel?

He gently caressed the little buns and said, "No, tonight is the joyous night for both of us. I only wish to be with you; Dongmei and Xia Zhu are too young, best to let them grow up a bit more."

He continued, so as not to make them feel rejected, Chen Mo teasingly said to Dongmei, "Don't worry, your lord is no monk. When the day comes that I'm inclined, there will be a time for you two to serve."

With these words, both Xia Zhu and Dongmei's pretty faces flushed with embarrassment, spring-filled eyes glistening with watery delight. Xia Zhu gazed at the well-proportioned physique and handsome face, wondered something silently, lowered her head, and busied herself with tasks.

Dongmei's face turned beet red, hurriedly picking up and putting on the red belly band set aside, yet there was no anger. Instead, Chen Mo's promise brought her a gradual sense of reassurance.

For maidservants raised closely by the Nangong Family since childhood, there were only three possible destinies for them.

One is to serve a lifetime in the lord's house, growing old alone.

Another is to win the lord's favor, escaping the fate of being a servant.

The last is the master showing mercy, granting them freedom while their beauty still lasts.

Nangong Ru was also full of shyness; although she had no choice in her marriage, she definitely hoped her husband would be someone considerate.

And Chen Mo, in terms of both appearance and demeanor, seemed quite good so far.

"Then, my husband, shall I have them retire for now?" Nangong Ru said softly.

"Hmm."

In the latter half of the night, Chen Mo didn't bother Nangong Ru further, but held her soft and tender body, spending the night together.

...

Three days later, Nangong Wen brought his wife, Ma Clan, to visit, ostensibly to extend their congratulations, while slyly inquiring about the Navy's situation, with the real intent being for his wife to obtain some insights from Nangong Ru.

Upon meeting Nangong Ru, Ma Clan understood from her vibrant complexion and conversation exactly how Chen Mo had treated Nangong Ru in the past few days.

These great clans are quite astute.

How Chen Mo treated Nangong Ru indirectly indicated his sentiments towards the Nangong Family.

If Nangong Ru, upon marrying, was left neglected on the wedding night, unaccompanied, and bullied in the rear house without Chen Mo's intervention.

This would mean Chen Mo only wanted to leverage the Nangong Family to establish the Navy. Afterwards, one would fear Chen Mo might burn bridges or cut ties to minimize losses.

On the contrary, the Nangong Family would be keen to wholeheartedly support Chen Mo, mutually achieving success.

After all, if you're unkind to women of the Nangong Family, can I expect you to treat the Nangong Family well?

Countless such examples have existed through the ages.

The rise of foreign relatives can partly manifest here too.

Ma Clan, as an experienced woman, could easily tell from Nangong Ru's plump and radiant complexion that she had been quite well-tended these past days.

"It seems Ru'Er is quite comfortable in Longmen County, and Marquis Chen should be fond of Ru'Er," Ma Clan looked at Nangong Ru and blinked, implying effortlessly.

Nangong Ru's delicate face blushed faintly, and she nodded gently: "My husband is a warm-hearted man; he truly cares for people."

"It seems that this marriage the marquis arranged for you is quite satisfactory to Ru'Er," the Ma Clan remarked as she noticed the love in Nangong Ru's eyes when she spoke, indicating genuine feelings rather than being coerced.

"Sister-in-law, please don't tease me," Nangong Ru said, appearing somewhat embarrassed.

Indeed, she was satisfied.

Her husband was young and promising, with both power and influence.

Additionally, her husband's parents had passed away, so there was no need to care for in-laws, and hence no mother-in-law disputes.

Her husband had no primary wife, so she didn't need to bow to anyone, just get along well with those elder sisters.

And in this, she excelled.

In just a few days, Nangong Ru got along with Han Anniang and others like real sisters, at least on the surface. She responded to everyone with a smile, deliberately humbling herself, unlike Liang Xue, who seemed reserved.

After a few more casual exchanges, Ma Clan had a rough idea of the situation, and after staying for a while longer, judging that the time was about right, she took her leave.

Meanwhile, Chen Mo and Nangong Wen were also chatting happily.

From their conversation, Nangong Wen understood that Chen Mo was ambitious and not content with mere stability, unwilling to be a mere preserver.

This kind of person was exactly what the Nangong Family needed.

Some people are wise initially, establishing rules and maintaining clear rewards and punishments, but once achieving some success, they reveal their true nature, indulge subordinates, and become obsessed with wine and women, causing panic among the people.

Some others are also initially wise and have grand visions, but after achieving some success, they fear losing it. Although he might have been a once victorious general, he now refrains from battles, fearing losing everything.

They become overly cautious, avoid conflicts with others, cling to past achievements, and as long as others don't provoke them, they won't provoke others either, comfortably being a preserver, forgetting the goals initially set.

Lastly, there are those who remain wise initially and have grand visions. Even after achieving some success, they neither indulge in enjoyment nor settle for it. Instead, they continue striving towards the grand visions initially set.

In Nangong Wen's eyes, Chen Mo was such a person.

…

After the spring rain, the mountains were lush with green.

Youzhou, the northern frontier of the Great Song Dynasty, bordered the Northern Land with Jin Xia.

Youzhou has always been a harsh land. To prevent the Northern Barbarians from coming back and invading the territory, since the time of the Grand Ancestor, tens of thousands of border troops have been stationed there.

Later, successive emperors felt the Northern Barbarians were no longer a threat, and the expenses for the Border Army were high, so they began reduction.

During the Grand Ancestor's era, there were seventy thousand border troops, but by Emperor Jing of Song's era, there were only fifty thousand left.

During Emperor Jing of Song's era, as the north remained stable with no war, his focus was on internal governance, economic development, and restoring people's livelihood, hence he didn't manage Border Army affairs.

However, he didn't realize the treatment of the Youzhou Border Army was worsening by the year.

With the decline of the Great Song Dynasty, the reduction of border troops accelerated, and their weapons were outdated, long unmaintained, nearly scrap; the spears in soldiers' hands were rusted.

By the time Emperor Xuanhe ascended the throne, the border army had fewer than twenty thousand, and the Court hadn't provided provisions to them for a long time.

This led to a mutiny in the border army, which was quickly suppressed, but the issues raised were not addressed.

Later, with a severe drought in the Northern Land, widespread rebellion erupted, prompting the Court to recall the border army to suppress the Celestial Master Army in the north.

An imperial decree ordered the border army to quash the rebellion.

But expecting the horse to run fast without feeding it grass, coupled with the long lack of border conflict, caused the border army's preparedness to slacken. In their first battle with the Celestial Master Army, they were utterly defeated, nearly wiped out, and eventually swallowed by the Celestial Master Army.

Hence, for the alien race, the Great Song Dynasty now presented an open gate.

In present-day Youzhou, there is no organized military force.

Ying City, a border pass in the Great Song Dynasty, is Youzhou's key defense against northern barbarians.

Yet, despite being such a critical pass, it has welcomed a new master.

Tie Muer couldn't have imagined that with less than three hundred men, he managed to seize this vital pass.

Originally following the Khan's order, he brought his men here after the spring to inspect the Great Song's current situation, to see if it was as the Song people described.

The outcome was even more favorable than he had imagined.

The people of Ying City, having enjoyed peace for too long, and due to its border location, increasingly interacted with people from the Jin Xia Grassland. When Jin Xia's cavalry arrived, they were momentarily startled and only realized after a while that the barbarians invaded.

As Tie Muer was on a mission, he did nothing to the citizens and led his men south from Ying City.

Traversing more than a dozen cities in the Great Song with no resistance, it was as if they were venturing into uncharted territory.

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