Zhao Changhe originally thought that the intense atmosphere of war would mean a hurried return to the Capital, yet he ended up spending a good New Year with the women, along with cultivating, reflecting, and exploring.

At first, he felt overwhelmed with the need to attend to every woman's company, but by the second or third day, he seemed to return to simplicity.

Everyone had their own tasks to occupy them; no one needed to cling to him, and he did not need to seek anyone out deliberately. For Chichi, Wanzhuang, and others, the mere thought of him was enough to make them happy; in truth, the sentiment of "having him at home" was more meaningful than anything else, providing a sense of peace and reassurance.

Most of the time, Zhao Changhe was secluded with Yue Hongling beneath the Temple, both absorbed in their insights, rarely speaking. Occasionally, they would open their eyes, exchange a slight smile, and feel an indescribable tranquility.

Compared to Yue Hongling's immobility, Zhao Changhe would often go out, primarily to dine with everyone and to monitor the progress of certain affairs.

First, there were the storage boxes.

The boxes could be mass-produced by mold, but the arrays engraved on them couldn't be duplicated, requiring the monks to carve each one by hand, making the production fast but the finished storage boxes slow.

On the fifth of the first lunar month, the first batch of one hundred storage boxes was finally completed through Yuan Xing and others' overtime efforts.

These one hundred storage boxes could not be compared with the low-end rings previously provided by Sha Qi. The boxes, convenient for carving arrays, ultimately resulted in much larger capacity than those low-end rings. Each box was only twice the size of a cigarette box, yet the inside was as spacious as a small room. And a room, however small, was still a room. What is the concept of the transport capacity of one hundred rooms?

Zhao Changhe also attempted to see if he could use one box to nest other boxes inside, but ultimately found it impossible, seemingly due to spatial repulsion. So be it. Though spatial nesting was not possible, packing within the same space was; bundling up all the boxes to carry away was no issue at all, essentially the equivalent of twenty cartons of cigarettes... At most, he would split them into two or three packs.

This essentially meant that a single person on horseback could replace the transport capacity of what was previously a large convoy.

These past few days, Zhao Changhe had already taught the Control Crane Skill to all eligible military generals and elite Demon Suppression Department members at the Mystical Gate Ninth Layer, and now many could "open the box." On that day, Wu Weiyang of the Demon Suppression Department galloped with the storage boxes straight to Taihang, meeting the grain carts from Jinbei on the mountain roads, and returned the next morning.

Upon seeing grain fill the warehouse instantly, the commander of the three armies, Vermilion Bird, was at a loss for words for a long time, eyes wide with astonishment.

Seeing your methods, much of what I've learned about warfare could probably be thrown away.

Storage boxes continued to be produced, yet what brought shock to Commander Vermilion Bird extended beyond just this.

The manufacture of the cannons known as "Divine Punishment," although significantly slower than making a box, turned out to be not as slow as expected; by mid-January, ten cannons of Divine Punishment had secretly been lined up before Vermilion Bird.

Upon observing the thundering cannon fire, Vermilion Bird felt that more of their learned warfare knowledge could be discarded.

In the latter part of the month, the weather in the Northern Country gradually warmed, and the ice in the Northern Border melted, with green grass beginning to sprout.

...

After court assembly, the newly appointed Prime Minister, Tang Wanju, and the newly appointed Great General, Vermilion Bird, walked side by side on the long street outside the palace.

Some elderly citizens of the Capital watched the two walking together from afar, their expressions showing traces of distant memories.

The Capital of that year, the two young girls who once pulled each other along, rolling by the wall.

Time has flown; still, the familiar red and white attire, yet the once-tender buds have fully blossomed, like blooming roses and begonias—a literary and martial team holding up the Empire's beams.

Do they still fight?

"Your apprentice is most likely sneaking off to the Temple to feed again. Aren't you going to do something about it?" The Prime Minister said to the Great General.

"Yue Hongling is standing there; she won't be able to eat anything." Vermilion Bird responded with a cheerful smile.

He wouldn't tell you that, in fact, he stayed in the Empress Dowager's bedroom last night, tee-hee.

However, after these many days, one would have thought he would continue pondering about having the Empress Dowager and the Emperor serve together, but in the end, he wasn't as occupied with such thoughts as before. His warm company was quite comforting. On the contrary, it was his cheeky apprentice who shamelessly, under the guise of "paying respects to the Empress Dowager," came over at night and then did not leave.

Incidents like this tend to happen again, once they occur the first time. A few months ago, when he grabbed his master's disciple in the Imperial Study, stacking them, the shame was unbearable. By yesterday, there was no emotional disturbance, feeling quite listless, saying, "Since you are here, just stay."

Then holding the apprentice's hand, they played once.

Masterly love, apprentice filial duty.

But precisely because Xia Chichi was full from last night, she certainly wouldn't go sneaking food again now; she wasn't that hungry.

However, speaking of which, since he can instantaneously move to the Empress Dowager's bedroom, naturally, he can also move to the Tang family residence outside the palace. Presumably, the Tang family hooves have been well-fed these dozen days. Look how the cheerfulness bloomed across the corners of her eyes and eyebrows, no longer knowing where her former brooding graceful appearance disappeared to.

Seductress, her earlier demeanor was obviously just to entice men.

Of course, being on a public street, the Prime Minister and Great General, they're certainly not going to argue openly. Both kept a straight face, eyes on the road ahead, with Tang Wanju asking: "How familiar have you become with your troops?"

"I am fully aware." Vermilion Bird glanced sidelong at her: "Currently, grain and silver are sufficiently prepared. However, there are still shortages in military necessities such as weapons, crossbows, tents, bedding, and even ropes and water bottles. I must trouble the Prime Minister to ensure these are addressed."

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