The remaining journey toward the Prosperous Silk Isle passed far more peacefully than anyone expected.
After the massacre within the forest and the complete collapse of the Crown Prince's pursuit force, no second army dared continue chasing them immediately.
Rumors about the "King of Hell" had already begun spreading faster than horses themselves. So for nearly four days, the convoy traveled without major interruption.
Though according to Luo He his suffering during the journey was still immense.
"two entire nights," he complained dramatically while sitting near the campfire on the third evening.
"Two nights without proper sleep." He remorsed Fei looked at him flatly from the opposite side of the fire. "Master you slept for six hours this afternoon beneath a tree." He said dramaticly.
"That was casual resting, not sleep." Luo He said coldly. "Isn't resting and sleep the same thing?" Fei asked if confiused. Luo He ignored him for some time. "You won't get it." He said coldly, after sometime.
The true issue," he continued solemnly. "Is balance within the household." Bing immediately covered part of her face, already understanding where this conversation was going.
Ning Jia narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
Jin Mulan simply looked annoyed in advance. Luo He sighed heavily afterward.
"If I slept beside Mulan." He explained seriously. "The Princess might misunderstand." He said solumly. Ning Jia folded her arms. "I would not." She said coldly. "You absolutely would." Luo He said.
Then Luo He pointed toward Jin Mulan.
"And if I stayed beside the Princess…" Before he could finish Jin Mulan immediately spoke in his place. "You would die in your sleep." She said calmly.
"See? Only one woman is honest with her self." Luo He said proudly toward everyone else. "Exactly the problem." Luo He followed up.
Fei looked genuinely confused. "Then why not simply sleep alone?" He said as if considering him self a genius. Luo He stared blankly at him with visible disappointment.
"You truly understand nothing about emotional and women." Luo He said coldly afterwards.
Eventually, Luo He declared himself a tragic victim of circumstance and claimed he would remain awake personally guarding the convoy at night.
Everyone respected Luo He's decision greatly. At least until Bing quietly informed Jin Mulan that Luo He had secretly been sleeping beneath tree roots while Fei handled the actual patrols alone.
Naturally, Jin Mulan immediately went searching for him the following morning.
She eventually found Luo He sitting lazily atop a broken roadside stone beneath the pale morning sunlight.
Holding an unfolded travel map with an expression so overly serious it became suspicious instantly. Jin Mulan crossed her arms. "You lied to me." She said.
Her expression looked annoyed.
Or at least she was trying very hard to make it look annoyed. Luo He slowly looked up toward her calmly.
"I strategically concealed information," he replied without even blinking.
"You were sleeping." She added. "I was resting my mind while remaining spiritually vigilant." Luo He said shamelessly.
"You were sleeping beneath a tree." She said with both anger and regret. "That sounds exaggerated." Luo He responded. Jin Mulan stared at him silently for several long seconds.
Meanwhile Luo He remained perfectly composed, as though he genuinely believed his explanation sounded reasonable.
Finally she stepped closer. "You told everyone you stayed awake protecting us." She said, her tone softened slightly now, despite herself.
"And technically," Luo He replied proudly. "Nothing attacked us." He said. "That was because of Fei." She said. "That," Luo He corrected smoothly. "Was teamwork, honey." He said confidently.
He placed one hand dramatically against his chest afterward. "I always give my utmost to protect my family. Have I ever slacked off before? If so, punish me right here and now."
Even Bing immediately covered her mouth nearby to stop herself from laughing out loud. Jin Mulan looked genuinely annoyed for a few moments longer.
Then finally she sighed softly and reached down, brushing several dry leaves from Luo He's hair herself. "You're impossible," she muttered quietly.
Luo He blinked slightly at the gesture.
The old Jin Mulan would probably have thrown him into the nearest river first before speaking. But now despite still acting fierce her movements carried obvious affection.
Luo He smiled faintly afterward and lightly caught her wrist before she could pull away. Jin Mulan immediately narrowed her eyes again.
"Don't forget," she warned calmly, though there was unmistakable venom hidden beneath the words. "You no longer allowed to belong to only one of us anymore. There are two of us now, remember?"
The way she said it almost sounded like she and Ning Jia had secretly formed an alliance specifically to torment him whenever possible. As both didn't like his decision of bringing two women under the same roof.
Luo He only looked more amused afterward. "You were worried about me?" he asked teasingly.
Jin Mulan immediately looked away. "Yes," she answered coldly. "You are my only husband. Who else should I worry about?"
"You came looking for me personally. Is there something else you wanted to tell me honey. Because I feel like you do." Luo He said calmly. "I came here to catch you." She said coldly.
"You checked my breathing while I slept. So it could not be that you found out just now." Luo He said passionately. "That was to check whether you were dead." She said with a smirk.
But unfortunately for her the faint blush on her face betrayed everything. It had all been an act from the beginning any way.
She already knew Luo He slept outside.
And despite pretending to be annoyed afterward, she had still quietly checked on him repeatedly throughout the night while he slept beneath the tree roots.
Luo He burst into laughter immediately after seeing her expression. Jin Mulan's face warmed slightly afterward, though she still stubbornly maintained her cold expression as long as possible.
Then finally her voice lowered a little.
"Just don't wander off alone like that again, without telling me first." This time there was no annoyance hidden beneath the words. Only concern.
Then after quickly glancing around to ensure nobody important was watching Jin Mulan leaned down slightly and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before immediately turning away as if nothing happened.
The teasing in Luo He's eyes softened instantly afterward. For all her pride, temper, and sharp tongue she truly had begun treating him as family now.
Not merely as a political husband. Not simply as the father of her child. But as someone she genuinely feared losing.
Luo He slowly stood afterward, before leaning slightly closer toward her again.
"Understood, honey." He said teasingly. Jin Mulan immediately shoved him lightly in the chest. "Stop calling me that in front of everyone." She said.
"Like what?" Luo He asked innocently.
"That." She replied while blushing. "You mean honey?" Luo He asked loudly on purpose.
Several nearby servants immediately looked away pretending not to hear anything while Bing nearly lost control laughing again. Jin Mulan glared at him instantly.
Yet despite the glare she still stayed beside him afterward while the convoy continued moving slowly through the morning roads together beneath the cold rising sunlight.
The journey eventually ended peacefully.
And after nearly four exhausting days, the convoy finally reached the Prosperous Silk Isle. The atmosphere changed immediately upon arrival.
The land itself remained lively and prosperous as always, filled with merchants, nobles, servants, and distant trade caravans. But beneath that normal appearance, tension already lingered heavily in the air.
Because the wedding day was approaching rapidly. And everyone now understood the truth. This wedding was no longer simply a marriage alliance.
It was becoming the center point of an approaching war.
Luo He rested only a days before beginning preparations again. Xu Mun still remained absent in the Northern Isles with his forces, and Luo He needed him back protecting the family estate before the imperial situation fully exploded into chaos.
Originally Luo He intended to take Ning Jia with him northward. But that plan collapsed almost immediately after arriving at the manor. Because absolutely everyone kept bowing to her.
Constantly.
Servants bowed. Guards bowed. Officials bowed. Merchants bowed.
Even random attendants nearly threw themselves onto the ground greeting her.
Luo He eventually became deeply uncomfortable watching it happen.
"She receives more respect than I do in my own house," he complained bitterly during dinner. "That is because she is an imperial princess," Jin Quan replied calmly. "That sounds biased." Luo He said.
"It is reality." Jin Mulan answered. Even Su Kim laughed softly at that. Ning Jia herself seemed entirely unbothered by the attention, which somehow annoyed Luo He even more.
Finally he called a full family meeting that same night. Everyone gathered within the central hall except Xu Mun and Jin Sang, who still remained absent.