The First Jasmine - Chapter 103

Chapter 103 - Meeting Han Mingxi Again

"Greetings, Your Highness."

In the reception hall, seeing the white-robed man strolling out from within, Qingshuang and the others hurriedly bowed and greeted him in unison. Mo Xiuyao's gaze swept calmly over the four of them, and he asked indifferently, "Is something the matter?" Glancing at the other three, Qingyu had no choice but to step forward and say, "Reporting to Your Highness, Young Master Han Mingxi, the new head of the Han family, requests an audience with the Princess Consort." None of them had ever followed the Princess Consort out before, so they did not know how the Princess Consort and that Young Master Han had become acquainted. However, Dark Two and Dark Three, who followed the Princess Consort, had said that Young Master Han was a friend of the Princess Consort. Thus, even knowing that the Prince would certainly be displeased with anyone disturbing him right now, the four of them still mustered the courage to come and report.

"Han Mingxi?" Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow, let out a faint, light huff, and said, "He arrives quite fast. Take him to the study, and I will go see him. A-Li is resting, so do not disturb her. Have someone prepare some extra food to keep on hand. Qingyu, accompany me."

The four of them exchanged quiet glances. It seemed the Prince's mood really was quite good right now.

"Understood, Your Highness."

Inside the study, Han Mingxi stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing in a silent trance at a piece of calligraphy hanging on the wall. The character "endure" (ren), seemingly restrained and gentle, yet upon closer inspection, one could clearly sense the bone-chilling murderous intent and biting sharpness hidden within it. He had spent half his life living under the protection of his parents and elder brother, and he could not imagine what kind of person could write a single character with such gentle serenity while concealing a murderous plot within. It was as dangerous and painful as wrapping a poisoned blade's edge inside the softest part of one's own heart. His gaze slowly moved away from the calligraphy, and he turned to look toward the doorway. Mo Xiuyao was already standing there, though he did not know when the man had arrived. Compared to their last meeting in Guangling City, the current Mo Xiuyao seemed somewhat more casual. Although Han Mingxi was not well acquainted with Mo Xiuyao, he could simply sense that the man was in a very good mood.

Han Mingxi gazed at the man before him—dressed in unadorned white robes, a single strand of jet-black hair casually slipping over his shoulder, the entire person looking somewhat languid and harmless. When Han Mingxi's gaze dropped to a faint red mark near his collar, his eyes suddenly constricted, and his hands hidden behind his back tightened involuntarily. "Your Highness." He was a romantic man, and one could fairly say he had waded through countless flowers. Therefore, even though Mo Xiuyao's deportment showed no breach of propriety, he could still tell what Mo Xiuyao had been doing before appearing in the study.

"Young Master Han, please sit." Mo Xiuyao stepped into the study and nodded indifferently. "A-Li is somewhat unwell and I'm afraid cannot receive Young Master Han today; I ask for your understanding."

Han Mingxi took his seat in silence and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness is too polite. Since the Han family has already chosen to pledge loyalty to Your Highness and the Princess Consort, it is only natural to wait until the Princess Consort has leisure."

Mo Xiuyao cast a somewhat surprised glance at Han Mingxi. Mo Xiuyao naturally knew very well what kind of person Han Mingxi was—spoiled rotten by Han Mingming since childhood, which had also fostered Han Mingxi's flamboyant and uninhibited personality. Yet at this moment, the Han Mingxi sitting across from him was unusually composed and forbearing. It seemed Han Mingming's departure had been a massive blow, both to the Han family and to Han Mingxi himself. Pondering for a moment, Mo Xiuyao spoke, "Since I have already stated that the Han family answers to A-Li's commands, I will not say much more to Young Master Han. Young Master Han may as well go rest in the guest quarters first; if you need anything, you can ask Chief Steward Mo or Dark Two and Dark Three—they must be somewhat familiar to Young Master Han, right?"

Han Mingxi nodded faintly. "Thank you, Your Highness. This Han will take his leave."

Watching Han Mingxi depart, Qingyu, who had remained outside the door, cautiously walked inside. "Your Highness."

Mo Xiuyao nodded. "Has that cup of tea been investigated?" Qingyu nodded and said, "This servant has inspected it. The tea contains musk, safflower, and some other cold-natured medicinal herbs. After returning, I also consulted Physician Shen, who said that the tea indeed possesses... the effect of inducing sterility, though that refers specifically to the imperial concubines in the palace. Many female members of the imperial family use spices like musk and borneol year-round, which already has some impact on their constitutions. If they additionally ingest large amounts of cold-natured substances, it is indeed very likely to cause sterility. However, the Princess Consort never uses those spices, and furthermore, her physical constitution is exceptionally good. Therefore, Physician Shen said that unless taken long-term, the Princess Consort would suffer no major ill effects even if she drank that cup of tea. Additionally, the scent of musk is extremely heavy, and the aroma of tea leaves could never cover it up. It is very easily discovered, so Physician Shen believes the person who poisoned the tea perhaps never intended for the Princess Consort to actually drink it... it should merely have been a test."

"A test?" Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow indifferently.

Qingyu nodded hurriedly. "Substances like musk pose very little danger to ordinary people, and once or twice would definitely not achieve the effect of sterility. However, they are extremely dangerous to someone who is pregnant. Physician Shen also said, after examining the tea leaves I brought back, that if the Princess Consort were pregnant, a single sip of such tea would be more than enough to cause... a miscarriage."

Silence reigned in the study for a long moment before Mo Xiuyao waved his hand. "You may withdraw. Among A-Li's attendants, only you understand pharmacology and medical arts; be extra vigilant in the future."

"This servant takes her leave." Qingyu let out a quiet sigh of relief, curtsied, and hurried out. When the Prince grew angry, even if he didn't show it outwardly at all, the sheer oppressive atmospheric pressure alone was more than little servant girls like them could bear.

With Qingyu's departure, the study returned to its quiet state. Mo Xiuyao's usually gentle and profound eyes were filled with gloom. Mo Jingqi certainly knew how to provide for a rainy day; the moment his physical health recovered, he couldn't wait to test A-Li. Perhaps he also wanted to test whether he had truly made a full recovery. Or was he genuinely so confident, believing that he wouldn't dare touch him?

"Someone come."

"Your Highness." A grey-robed figure materialized inside the study. "Your Highness, it has been thoroughly investigated. It was Consort Zhao who had someone slip the poison into the tea. It is said that previously, while favoring Consort Zhao, the Emperor casually dropped a remark regarding the issue of the Princess Consort's offspring. Consort Zhao wanted to use this to curry favor, which is why she slipped the medicine into the tea." Mo Xiuyao let out a cold laugh. "A mere Consort, her people have the skill to slip poison into the tea within the Empress's palace?" The grey-robed figure naturally did not dare to answer, understanding well that the Prince was not looking for a reply. He merely asked, "Consort Zhao intended to harm the Prince of Ding's estate's bloodline. Your Highness, should we..." Mo Xiuyao shook his head, a smile cold to the bone. "No, since she likes adding things to tea so much, have Qingyu match the prescription of that cup of tea upon our return, and make sure she drinks it continuously for three months under your watch!"

"Your Highness... Consort Zhao may already be with child."

"Did you not understand my words?"

A chill gripped the grey-robed figure's heart, and he hurriedly lowered his head. "Subordinate obeys!"

In the bedchamber, Ye Li slowly opened her eyes, the lingering physical discomfort causing her to furrow her brows. Recalling the events that had transpired earlier—those passionate, lingering scenes of boundless intimacy flashing through her mind—a wave of crimson immediately rushed across her face, which had grown even more captivatingly radiant after recently receiving full affection. Reaching out with a helpless slap to her face, which felt hot enough to fry an egg, Ye Li wrapped herself tightly in the quilt and shook her head fiercely, trying to banish those blush-inducing images from her mind. The physical discomfort forced a soft moan past her lips. Ye Li, you really are utterly useless and utterly disgraceful...

Tossing and turning inside the quilt, Ye Li began gnashing her teeth at the thought of that scoundrel of a man who had disappeared somewhere. If she still hadn't figured out by now that he had done it on purpose, she would have been an absolute idiot. Yet, idiot that she was, she had taken him seriously at the time, losing her composure the moment she saw his desolate expression. After failing in all her various attempts at making amends, apologizing, and comforting him, she had ended up selling herself out in the process. Even though she didn't know what kind of sudden impulse had seized her later on, she hadn't opposed it either...

"A-Li, are you awake?"

Even footsteps drifted from beyond the screen, and Ye Li looked up to see Mo Xiuyao standing at the bedside, smiling down at her. Seeing Mo Xiuyao standing before her, fully dressed and proper, Ye Li shot him a vicious glare and demanded, "Where did you go?" Mo Xiuyao's sword-like brows arched slightly as he walked over to the table, poured a cup of warm water, and brought it over to feed her. Ye Li hurriedly reached out, took it, and drank it herself. Mo Xiuyao didn't mind, smiling faintly as he sat down on the edge of the bed. "I was afraid of waking you if I stayed inside, so I went over some paperwork outside. By the way... Han Mingxi arrived this afternoon, and I had him settle into the guest courtyard first."

Ye Li choked slightly, swallowing the water in her mouth before saying, "Han Mingxi is here? Why so fast. I'll go see—"

Warm lips pressed against hers, swallowing the rest of her words back into her mouth. After his lips tenderly grazed and lingered against hers for a moment, Mo Xiuyao took the teacup from her hand, set it aside, and laughed softly, "A-Li, it won't be too late to see him tomorrow."

"But..." Ye Li frowned slightly, but Mo Xiuyao gave her no room for refusal, gently pressing his index finger against her delicate vermilion lips. "A-Li, if you care too much about other men, I will get jealous."

Ye Li's clear eyes flashed, her gaze shifting as she looked at him. "And what if you do get jealous?"

"If this Prince gets jealous... I might just want to silence him permanently," Mo Xiuyao said with a faint smile. Ye Li raised an eyebrow. "So you did it on purpose today? Hm?" Mo Xiuyao did not deny it; his A-Li was far too smart, so denial was useless. "I simply thought today was a fine day." Leaning gently into his embrace, Ye Li sighed softly, "As long as you do not fail me, I will certainly not fail you."

"Even if Mo Xiuyao fails the entire world, he will never fail A-Li."

In the end, Ye Li still couldn't win against Mo Xiuyao. Someone once said that when you begin to get used to making concessions to someone, you have most likely already fallen in love with them. Ye Li was not someone who liked to bury her head in the sand; Mo Xiuyao was her husband, the closest person to her in this world besides her blood relatives. She had no wish to deny the fact that she might have fallen in love with Mo Xiuyao. Because even amidst their intimacy, hearing Mo Xiuyao's deep declarations of love had filled her with a genuine, heartfelt joy and delight. In an era like this, what could possibly feel more blissful for a woman than marrying someone who loved you and whom you also loved in return?

"Young Master Han." When Ye Li stepped into the guest courtyard, Han Mingxi was sitting in a trance beneath a white magnolia tree. The purplish-red petals drifting gently on the breeze fell upon his moon-white robes, weaving together into a bizarre sense of luxury. Accustomed as she was to Han Mingxi wearing flamboyant red silk robes wherever he went, seeing him now brought a strange, unfamiliar sense of detachment. Han Mingxi snapped out of his trance, watching the gentle, graceful woman walking slowly toward him, and was momentarily dazed, though he quickly recovered. "Junwei... Princess Consort."

Ye Li smiled helplessly and said, "Hearing you address me like that still feels rather unfamiliar."

Han Mingxi raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Although the Princess Consort has always called me Young Master Han, to be honest, I'm not entirely used to it either. Besides, from now on Han Mingxi is the Princess Consort's subordinate; if the Princess Consort keeps addressing me thus, wouldn't it feel rather strange to others?" Ye Li turned her head with a smile. "In that case, I will call you Mingxi, and you... suit yourself. How is the Han family?" Han Mingxi nodded. "Han Mingming now has no further ties to the Han family; even if something happens in the future, it will not implicate the family. Right, I've already organized the Han family's ledger books. Would you... like to take a look?" In the end, he was still unwilling to call her by a title as distant and estranged as Princess Consort.

Ye Li cast a somewhat surprised glance at him and shook her head. "The Prince and I have no intention of swallowing up the Han family."

Han Mingxi raised an eyebrow with a smile. "I naturally understand that the Prince of Ding's Estate possesses wealth rivaling a nation and would look down upon a small Han family. However, since we have already sworn allegiance, it is only proper to show some sincerity." Ye Li smiled. "Even if the Han family truly pledged allegiance to the Prince of Ding's Estate, there is no reason to hollow it out. The Han family remains the Han family, and its enterprises naturally still bear the surname Han. Those ledgers give me a headache just looking at them, so Mingxi should take them back and peruse them slowly yourself. Hmm... perhaps you can exchange notes with Dark Two and Dark Three—that is, Lin Han and Zhuojing; they've been looking at ledgers lately as well." After pondering for a moment, Han Mingxi nodded with a smile. "Understood. If there is anything you or the Han family need in the future, just give the order." Ye Li nodded. "Very well. Coincidentally, I have some new cooperative ventures in mind. If you've finished breakfast, we can head to the study to discuss it shortly; if not, you're welcome to join me for breakfast."

"I would have thought you already had breakfast accompanying the Prince?"

Ye Li said indifferently, "The Prince's internal energy is profound; missing a single meal won't make him hungry." Recalling a certain man who always pushed his luck, Ye Li let out a quiet huff inwardly; not being angry did not mean she didn't hold grudges. Han Mingxi turned back, looking at the lingering, unfamiliar allure that had unconsciously emerged between the brows of the woman before him. A dark shadow crossed his heart as he turned and walked toward the room. "Then this one is honored to invite the Princess Consort to share a morning meal."

The matter of selecting candidates for the matrimonial alliance had been pushed back by Ye Li. The Prince of Ding's Estate continued to close its doors to visitors, which spared them from the anticipated clamor and commotion. However, the daily stream of calling cards and banquet invitations delivered to the estate remained endless. Ye Li simply glanced through them casually before setting them aside for Chief Steward Mo and Mama Sun to handle. Under the joint tutelage of Chief Steward Mo and Han Mingxi, Dark Two and Dark Three were making rapid progress. Although Han Mingxi had never managed affairs in the past, he hailed from a mercantile family and was naturally clever; even what he had absorbed just through everyday exposure made him far superior to ordinary people. Otherwise, Han Mingming probably wouldn't have dared to hand the Han family over to him with such peace of mind. Ye Li's so-called cooperation with the Han family mostly consisted of her providing ideas and a portion of the capital, while the specific execution would be operated entirely by Han Mingxi. By the time her discussions with Han Mingxi were more or less concluded, several days had already passed. Ye Li thought of the elite troops of the Prince of Ding's Estate whom she had tossed into the valley to be tormented into goodness knows what state, checked the time, and decided to go check on them first.

Although Qin Feng hadn't remained behind in the valley with his comrades over the past few days, his life hadn't been easy either. After all, the Princess Consort had stated that the ultimate unit trained would be under his command. Naturally, as the commander, he couldn't afford to perform worse than his subordinates. Therefore, the moment he returned to the estate that day, he went to consult Dark Two and Dark Three. Coincidentally, Dark Three was being driven dizzy and half-mad by a roomful of ledgers, and with Qin Feng delivering himself to the door as a punching bag, Dark Three held back no politeness whatsoever. The heavy and bizarrely varied training routines put Qin Feng—a commander of the Black Cloud Cavalry who had once been full of pride and secretly looked down upon dark guards—through the wringer until not a shred of his temper remained.

Following Ye Li back down to the valley beneath Black Cloud Peak once again, Qin Feng had to admit he was genuinely curious about what state those elites had been reduced to. Once they descended to the canyon floor and truly beheld their comrades and fellow soldiers rolling and wrestling in the dust across the vast training grounds, even Qin Feng couldn't help breaking out in a cold sweat. This state... was simply too disgraceful to the Black Cloud Cavalry and the Mo Family Army.

Ye Li remained seated on the rooftop, patiently waiting for those running laps to finish. It wasn't until the lot of them returned to the courtyard looking like dirt-covered ghosts that she hopped down from the roof and asked with a beaming smile, "Elites, how does it feel these past few days?"

The elites wore ashen expressions, every single one of them completely blank-faced. Could they say they were so tired they wanted to die? If anyone had told them previously that merely running laps and doing some weird exercises could exhaust them to the point of collapse, they would never have believed it if beaten to death. What kind of people were they? The finest dark guards and soldiers in all of Great Chu. How could they possibly be tripped up by such trivial matters? Now they understood: the reason they had previously thought running wasn't difficult was because they had never run properly in their lives. In fact, on the very first day, the unluckiest dark guard had been so exhausted by the running alone that he couldn't even crawl. Surveying the complexions of the elites, Ye Li nodded in satisfaction and smiled, "I've said it before: being skilled in martial arts doesn't mean your physical health is good; good physical health doesn't necessarily mean your stamina is great; and even great stamina doesn't mean your endurance is strong. Through these past few days of training, I believe every single one of you has undoubtedly made immense progress in both stamina and endurance. I hope you will maintain it. Furthermore, add another five li to the daily run, and increase all other movements by one hundred each." As soon as those words left her lips, a chorus of wailing finally erupted from the ranks below. Unfazed, Ye Li continued, "I don't need how many of you to train into supreme martial arts experts; I only need you to become the strongest soldiers. You will be the elite among the elites of the Mo Family Army, and even of all Great Chu."

"Young Master, does this mean we will still return to the army and remain members of the Mo Family Army?" someone below couldn't help asking. This was likewise the doubt plaguing everyone present; most of them had leaned toward the idea that the Prince was preparing to train them into yet another covert unit even more secretive and formidable than the dark guards. They hadn't expected that they would still remain soldiers, and judging by Young Master Chu's words, they would eventually return to the Mo Family Army. Ye Li smiled faintly and said, "I cannot tell you just yet, but I can guarantee that in the end, you will possess an open and honorable designation. All your rank promotions will match those of the Black Cloud Cavalry and the Mo Family Army, or even surpass them. When you reach the age where you are no longer fit to remain, or if you suffer accidental injuries, you will be laterally transferred to positions within the Mo Family Army or the Prince of Ding's Estate wherever capabilities permit."

An uproar broke out among the men. Such treatment was unheard of, even within the Black Cloud Cavalry. This only made everyone all the more curious as to what kind of army they were going to turn into.

"However, the premise to all of this is that you successfully manage to stay. Although I was somewhat surprised that not a single one of you dropped out over these past seven days... this is only the beginning. Qin Feng, here is the training schedule for the next half month."

The look on Qin Feng's face as he stared at that roll of white paper covered in black ink was as though he were gazing at a death warrant. Slowly unrolling and reading through it, Qin Feng's brows knotted into a tight ball. "Young Master, this... subordinate can't quite make sense of all of this." Ye Li smiled. "It's fine if you don't understand. Starting tomorrow, Zhuojing and Lin Han will take turns coming over to oversee them. Before they arrive, you can study and figure out those contraptions on the training ground yourselves. In truth, the first month is entirely physical conditioning, and I won't be managing you too strictly. Tomorrow, those eight experts watching over you will also be withdrawing, so everyone relies entirely on self-discipline. Additionally, in your spare time, read the books I brought over—read as much as you can. It will make the next two months easier for you."

Qin Feng passed the scroll down the line so everyone could appreciate it for themselves and mentally prepare. The soldiers, already tortured to their limits over the past few days, mentally vomited blood. With the newly introduced contents added on, the training volume was at least fifty percent higher than before. Was this Young Master Chu actually trying to work them to death? What made it even more lethal was that previously they were only required to complete tasks, but this sheet now mandated that even running had to be completed within a specific timeframe. Through these days of grinding, everyone had gained a rough baseline in their hearts, and the demands on this paper were far too harsh, even for elite soldiers like them.

"Young Master Chu, this is simply impossible to complete!" a soldier in the front row protested in dissent.

Ye Li cast a sideways glance at him, raised an eyebrow, and smiled. "Impossible?"

"That's right! Without using qinggong, it is utterly impossible to complete so many tasks in such a short amount of time!"

The smile on Ye Li's face deepened. "From the Black Cloud Cavalry? I didn't realize you guys relied so heavily on martial arts. Those who love studying martial arts should be dark guards instead. If someone manages to do it, what do you plan to do?" The soldier retorted proudly, "If someone can genuinely pull it off, naturally we can too." Ye Li nodded in satisfaction. "Very well, assemble at the training ground." Watching the soldiers march out in formation, Qin Feng looked at Ye Li with some worry and asked in a low voice, "Princess Consort... you don't mean you, do you?" He believed someone could do it, and he knew the Princess Consort wouldn't deliberately toy with them using an impossible task. But how could it possibly be the delicate-looking Princess Consort herself? Although he knew the Princess Consort was formidable, just as she had said, being good at martial arts and having great stamina were two completely different things, and what was written on that paper clearly required stamina rather than martial arts. If anything happened to the Princess Consort, the Prince would definitely hack him to pieces!

Ye Li looked down at her clothes; to cope with unexpected situations like this, she had specifically dressed in suitable attire. Having had plenty of past training experience, she could essentially anticipate the reactions of these elites based on what she had lived through herself when training others or being trained. She could guess quite accurately.

The artisans responsible for constructing the valley were thoroughly professional; the training ground outside the courtyard fully met Ye Li's specifications. A group of unconvinced soldiers stood on the training ground, dumbfounded as they watched the Young Master Chu—who was a whole head shorter than them and looked extremely slender—carry dozens of pounds of weighted gear and run with absolute calm and ease. At first, no one paid much attention, but once she had run five or six laps around the training field without her breathing even turning slightly ragged, the crowd finally realized this Young Master Chu was truly extraordinary. After ten laps, Young Master Chu did not stop to rest; instead, she charged straight toward the pile of bizarre contraptions in the middle of the training field. She crawled through the low-slung cargo net woven with caltrops and sharp objects, scaled a rope net over two zhang high, vaulted over a mud wall exceeding one zhang, swung across a distance of two zhang hanging onto a rope, and landed precisely on a narrow wooden beam less than half a foot wide but five feet high. Amidst the stunned gazes of the onlookers, she sprinted across it as if walking on flat ground. Finally charging to the finish line, she found a set of bows and arrows already laid out. Ye Li picked up the longbow, nocked an arrow, drew the bowstring, and loosed a casual shot straight into the bullseye. Meanwhile, a tiny trickle of sand was still slowly flowing out from the hourglass set to the side.

Ye Li turned back, raising an eyebrow at the group of dazed people before her. Inwardly, she let out a long breath of relief; to be honest, executing this series of movements was still a bit of a stretch for her current self. Although she had never stopped training herself over the years—and her first year married to the Prince of Ding's Estate had allowed her to train without obstruction—and even made considerable progress in ancient martial arts thanks to Mo Xiuyao's occasional pointers, it had been many years since she had performed such a complete sequence of movements. Fortunately, she had pulled it off successfully; if she had tripped up in front of these fellows, it would have been hard to discipline them in the future. Secretly moving her slightly stiff and fatigued limbs, Ye Li maintained a smiling, calm facade on the outside. "How is it?"

"Good!" The crowd remained silent for a moment before an explosion of cheers erupted. Regardless of what they had thought beforehand, this Young Master Chu before their eyes had easily accomplished what they could not, making her superior to them. And they naturally, without a doubt, admired the strong.

"Then... will you all properly heed the guidance of the instructors hereafter, and show me your results half a month from now?"

"Yes, Young Master!" the crowd roared in unison.

Dismissing the men, Ye Li's previously poised and carefree expression instantly collapsed. Leaning against the balance beam to one side, she grimaced and sighed repeatedly. Seeing this, Qin Feng raised an eyebrow and said, "This subordinate thought the Princess Consort found it quite effortless?"

Ye Li waved her hand helplessly. "No matter how effortless, it can't withstand being out of practice for too long—my hands are rusty... I almost fell off just now. I was indeed being too arrogant, and having been so busy since returning, I didn't even have a chance to get familiar with the course. But no matter... on a real battlefield, who gives you time to familiarize yourself with the terrain?"

Qin Feng frowned, perplexed. "The Princess Consort doesn't need to push herself so hard."

Ye Li smiled. "It's not really pushing. Compared to back in the capital with all that mutual probing and plotting, I'd rather stay here. If I didn't go all out, would those arrogant fellows be convinced in their hearts? This is just the beginning; I'll have to scare them a bit more often later on, lest they all start walking around thinking they're invincible."

Qin Feng couldn't help rubbing his forehead. You've already dealt enough of a blow to them today, and you still want to scare them?

"Will do. I'm exhausted to death; I need to rest a bit before heading back to the estate." Ye Li massaged her arms and turned to walk toward the small courtyard. "Right, I don't need to remind you what confidentiality means, do I? If the Prince finds out about today's events, all your tasks will be doubled."

"Understood, Princess Consort."