Tong Huaqiong looked at the person in front of her.
The person standing before her at this moment was not the Mighty General, but Min Han Niu from Black Dragon Pond.
"Han Niu, from the moment you joined the army, I knew you were ambitious and would make something of yourself. Later, when I heard you became the Mighty General, I was proud of you. You were brave and passionate from a young age, achieving much on the battlefield. My peaceful life now relies on you protecting the country, thank you for your efforts on the battlefield." Tong Huaqiong said with a smile.
Min Han Niu looked at Tong Huaqiong, and Tong Huaqiong laughed, gazing calmly at Min Han Niu.
A block of ice in Min Han Niu’s heart slowly cracked, transforming into warm spring water.
Since joining the military, he had achieved many accomplishments on the battlefield, so many that he couldn’t even recount them all.
He received praise from enemy troops, the previous emperor and the current emperor extolled him in imperial decrees, and the citizens he protected praised him too; all these praises had become commonplace for him.
In his heart, these did not stir any ripples.
Only Tong Dajiao’s praise made him excited beyond measure.
At that moment, he felt all his blood-soaked battles were worthwhile.
He thought Tong Dajiao didn’t know of his achievements.
It turns out she knew everything.
All these years, he didn’t even realize his obsession, until today, he clearly understood that he wanted Tong Dajiao to know about his accomplishments on the battlefield.
He once thought, what would Tong Dajiao think if she knew he became the Mighty General?
"Do you know everything about me?" At this moment, Min Han Niu was rather shy.
"Yes, stories about how you killed enemies and became a general are spread among the people. Whenever I listen, I think Han Niu is amazing."
Tong Dajiao already knew, without him having to tell her himself,
Tong Dajiao said she was proud of him.
Beyond that, there were no other thoughts, no regret, no admiration, just like the reaction when close friends or family around her achieved something.
Min Han Niu thought, Tong Dajiao had already let go of him.
The Mighty General felt a sudden relief in Tong Huaqiong’s smile.
"Miss Tong, I was too forward. Chengmin is Baozhen’s only child, if Baozhen knew in the afterlife that you had become relatives, she would be so pleased. Rest assured, Taohua will not be wronged if she marries here; if the Su Family tries anything untoward, I will not stand for it." Min Han Niu reverted to being the Mighty General, his expression returned to normal, and he began discussing his nephew’s marriage with a smile.
Tong Huaqiong saw Min Han Niu’s expression and breathed a sigh of relief.
As Su Chengmin’s uncle, once Gu Taohua and Su Chengmin marry, Tong Huaqiong will inevitably have dealings with Min Han Niu.
If Min Han Niu kept dwelling in past memories, treating her like Tong Dajiao, she couldn’t bear it.
She had no intention of forming any emotional ties with any man in this world.
Moreover, as a modern soul in her twenties, she couldn’t bring herself to face middle-aged men, even if this middle-aged man was at the top tier of the uncle’s circle.
She couldn’t accept the age difference.
"Miss Tong, you have been smart and capable since childhood; seeing you thriving in business and life makes me very relieved. From now on, I will see you as a sister, nothing else, making sure not to put you in a difficult position, I hope you won’t mind or avoid me." Min Han Niu figured Tong Huaqiong hadn’t responded, so he bluntly brought up the topic.
This man could finally let go of his fanciful thoughts.
She didn’t hope Min Han Niu would continue to hold her as his first love, with the intention of rekindling old flames in his mind.
She is Tong Huaqiong, not Tong Dajiao.
Tong Huaqiong said with an unchanged smile: "Han Niu, I believe you, we are relatives from now on. Once Chengmin and Taohua marry, we will need you, the uncle, to put in extra effort."
The Mighty General said: "I will not fail this duty."
The two finally opened up about the matter.
Tong Huaqiong felt that such interactions in the future would be quite comfortable.
Min Han Niu also thought that joking naturally with Tong Dajiao was not as difficult as he imagined.
In the future, he would bury his feelings for Tong Dajiao deep within his heart, treating her just like a true sister.
"Han Niu, let’s head to the front."
Since things have been spoken openly, it might be awkward to stay in the backyard garden, it would be better to join the guests at the front.
Min Han Niu nodded, slowly walking, returning to the demeanor of the Mighty General.
Everyone saw Tong Huaqiong and the Mighty General coming from the backyard trellis, without feeling there was anything improper about a man and woman being alone together.
After all, Su Chengmin is like half a son to the Mighty General, and it’s normal for the Mighty General to discuss his nephew’s marriage with family.
"This nephew is betrothed while the uncle is still single." The daughter-in-law of the Duke of England couldn’t help but lament.
The third wife of Duke Ning took over the conversation: "The General is a man of deep feelings, claiming he is attached to his childhood sweethearts. To me, it’s just an excuse, what kind of childhood sweetheart can make a man remember for a lifetime."
The third wife’s sister was enamored with the Mighty General, and the Ning Family wanted to win a general over, thus they humbled themselves to propose marriage but were refused by the Mighty General. Her younger sister wasted many years for the Mighty General, delaying till twenty-five, unable to find a suitable young talent in the prominent Shengjing families, forced to marry a minor official assigned far away.
She always remembered this grievance.
In her opinion, the Mighty General preferred to stay single rather than enter an alliance through family marriage.
In doing so, he earned the Emperor’s trust, proving him to be a truly courageous figure.
"The Mighty General grew up in the Ningcheng Village, so naturally, his childhood sweetheart would be from the same village. Isn’t the common grandmother of the Crown Grandson, Sui Feng Village Lady, also from Ningcheng Village, so maybe she was the Mighty General’s childhood sweetheart?" The wife of Qin from the Ministry of Revenue glanced at the figures of Tong Huaqiong and the Mighty General with a gossipy expression.
"Now I see why Su Chengmin is betrothed to Gu Taohua, it’s because of these underlying connections."
Discussing the host’s affairs in front of the hosts, however curious everyone might be, no one dared to respond.
But that didn’t mean there were no thoughts about it.
Thus, everyone’s eyes fell on Tong Huaqiong and the Mighty General not far away.
Tong Huaqiong and the Mighty General were consulting with Mrs. Min at the time.
Mrs. Min held Tong Huaqiong’s hand, her smile radiant.
This scene convinced everyone that Tong Huaqiong and Mrs. Min were indeed old acquaintances.
The women on site speculated with an inquisitive heart whether Tong Huaqiong was indeed the Mighty General’s childhood sweetheart.
Huang Jingshan’s face turned cold when she heard Mrs. Qin disparaging Tong Huaqiong.
"Mrs. Lu, you’re from Ning City, have you heard of the Mighty General’s childhood sweetheart in the old home?" Before Huang Jingshan could speak, Mrs. Qin asked her.
Mr. Qin and Lu Zhaoyang were both in the Ministry of Revenue, back when Mo Bei invaded the border, one was for reconciliation, the other for war, thus they’ve always been archenemies until now. Consequently, their wives nearly never interacted at social events.
Tong Huaqiong hadn’t sent an invitation to the Qin Family, but Mr. Qin heard the Crown Grandson was at the Gu Family and took his wife along to drop by with congratulations.
Huang Jingshan’s face was calm, Mrs. Qin always indiscreetly sought information under the guise of her forthright personality, twisting and exaggerating before spreading it.
Many rumors about the female intimates of Shengjing originated from Mrs. Qin’s mouth.
Such behavior was despised by Huang Jingshan.
"Today is Aunt Tong’s daughter’s engagement banquet, even all the good wine and dishes can’t silence the ill-intentioned."