The fact that the fifth prince was located in the Western border instead of the Southern border where he earned his glory tells just how vigilant the Emperor towards him.

The neighboring Southern country already made peace with the Empire, their army was devastated after the war. The Empire should take advantage of this moment to conquer them, however, Zhu Deming's throne is still unstable, he has to wait for a year at most before launching a massive campaign against the Southern Country and Western nomads.

Nomads are divided in different tribes so there's no unity with them, they constantly harassed the Empire's Western border in small groups and sometimes in huge number that's why there must be someone formidable there to guard the border and it so happens that Zhu Mingli asked to become a border prince, he just recently won a war and ripped off a lot of spoils of war, making a name for himself. Zhu Deming couldn't guard the Western border anymore since he became an Emperor, Mingli is the best candidate for it.

But being located in the Western border didn't seat well with the fifth prince. The Western border is located in a land of desert, the territory might be wide, stretching from the West to the Eastern territory of the Empire but it was almost desolate. There is only a few plot of land in the East to farm, it was very hot in the West especially during Summer season and when Winter came, it was also especially cold and long compared to other places.

To prevent Mingli from rebelling after gaining a lot of military forces, the Emperor also placed a thousand of his loyal elite soldiers there, they must report anything suspicious about the fifth prince's action.

Western border is a military fortress, there are ten thousands of soldiers who yearly arrived there from different parts of the Empire to train before getting their respective posts. It was definitely not a place for a noble lady like the fifth prince's princess consort, Wei Zhilan. This made Zhu Mingli greatly dissatisfied, how can he let his wife live in such a barbaric place.

What more, he couldn't see his mother, Consort Su, who is now Lady Dowager. His wife couldn't also see her beloved mother.

"Western border isn't that bad, atleast you'll have a huge territory, one fourth of the Empire, no? Besides, the flow of money in your pocket will be in great wave, generals are the most high paid employees in the Empire right now. Merchants also use the Western border as a trade route because it's safe, that's another additional money for you"

Yan Gen tried to lighten the mood as they travelled, he has no qualms about it, really. Well, aside from being cut off from his relatives and friends. No more worrywart Wei Furen, fun cousins, mischievous nephews and nieces, and beautiful friend Li Hua.

"Employees?" Zhu Mingli asked with a frown "Ugh, I mean officials"

"The climate there isn't good, you have such a frail body, won't you fell ill?" He added worriedly to which Yan Gen immediately answered, waving a hand "That won't be a problem. I mean--I'll probably be sick every now and then at the beginning because of the sudden change in climate but my body will adjust eventually"

Actually, Yan Gen was a bit excited, with Zhu Mingli around, he can freely go around in the Western part of the Empire. Of course, not without guards towing around him as always but it won't be as boring as before. There are also Merchants there, though starting a business sounds impossible for them because the Emperor might suspect them of creating a secret organization or something in preparation of their rebellion.

Still, the flow of money in their territory will go smoothly, no doubt. As long as they don't do anything that will make the Emperor suspect them of rebellion, they'll be fine.

Travelling there on the other hand, is definitely not smooth. It took two months for them to arrive there. There was no built road connecting the Western Empire territories to the capital. This is to prevent a rebellion from the previous border prince, Zhu Deming. The old Emperor was so wary of him that he ignored the other proposals of the civil officials near the Western border, be it of construction of the roads, temples, bridges, anything that will advance those territories were rejected by the old Emperor.

No doubt, Zhu Deming will also do the same to his youngest brother.

Yan Gen feels uncomfortable from travelling for so long, riding a carriage that bumps and sways a lot, it was at this moment that he missed riding a car so much, or train even. Anything that are modern transportations. He also missed the modern toilets ah, things that he took for granted.

He feels even more sorry to his son. This little guy who has to suffer along with his parents on the road, but it's better than being constantly be tragetted by the Emperor in the capital, they might lose their lives on the process.

∞

Living in the Western border was indeed hard for Yan Gen at first, the climate there was harsh. His body doesn't have a very good health in the first place, it was hard to adapt.

It was a year later when his body finally get used to it. Although the Western part of the Empire was said to be barbaric, Yan Gen fell inlove with the place despite its lack of splendor compare to the capital.

It wasn't prosperous but the people in there made up for it, they're honest and hospitable. Well... probably except for those merchants taking this route and those barbarians outside, not that he's generalizing them, some of them are actually doing trades in the West.

Raids from them are still common though. For Yan Gen who has been cramp in the Wei estate and later in the wangfu, it was very fun. It's safe for him to wander around with few guards trailing behind him as long as he doesn't wander near the defensive wall.

Their estate in here was bigger too. Because many merchants use the Western border as their route, it also has a lively markets. There are foreigners too, one with a pass from the officials doing businesses, thus there are so many interesting things in here that can't be found in the capital.

Most of these foreign things didn't make it to the capital because for one, they get robbed once they're out of the Western territories or they get rejected at an entrance of the city states surrounding the capital because it's considered a barbaric things. Of course, not all of them were rejected, there are a selected few. They only rejected those things that portray violence, weapons, exotic animals, and things like a bear or lion head as head wear or hood.

Sometimes, Yan Gen would mingle with the madames who are the wives of local officials as the prince's wangfei. They aren't as sensitive as the women in the capital, they're often quite frank, for good or for worse.

The things they would always ask him was how did he tame the prince? how to make a man head over heels inlove with you? Is there any tips he can give to them. They would also ask for some beauty tips, Yan Gen has to ask his personal maids about how do they take care of him, what did they put on his hair and his other body parts just to answer their questions.

The most vulgar thing they would talk about was their husband's performance in bed. It surprised Yan Gen at first, by all means, he wasn't innocent, he had a worse talk with his bros. He just find it weird, he who's now a woman talking to women about his husband's performance in bed. He wouldn't be embarrassed if he's as valiant as Gao Furen who liked holding the reigns (on top), or as tough as Wen Furen who didn't fell short from her husband's capabilities.

Compared to them, he's just a sissy who would frequently beg Zhu Mingli to stop because he couldn't bear his burning desire, the latter was rearing to go every time they do it. When Yan Gen was still breastfeeding Xiao Jin, it was Mingli who sucked him dry. He can't produce much milk so he was really distressed for Xiao Jin. He reprimanded Zhu Mingli for it and the bastard just laughed it off, saying that the nanny can breastfeed him, while the fifth prince's wangfei can only look after her husband.

Yan Gen was so mad at him, he ignored him for the whole day and when he remembered that he has to ask permission from Mingli to go outside the following morning, only then did he paid attention to him.

On their third year year at the Western border, Yan Gen gave birth to their second child. Both of them were hoping for a lovely daugher this time.

It wasn't a daughter but a son though and he's as beautiful as his mother. He's the spitting image of her. An extremely beautiful man, he can be mistaken for a girl. Despite his beautiful appearance, he has a fiery temper. Yaozu is a polar opposite to his calm and quite elder brother.

On the fifth year, he finally gave birth to a daughter, she looks a bit heroic though because most of her features resembled Mingli, her name is Lihua.

When Mingli joked with Yaozu how his second son would be mistaken as young miss and his daugher as young master in the future, Yaozu didn't hesitate to throw a punch at his father's laughing face before running to his mother, crying. He hate those jokes the most, Yaozu is very sensitive when it comes to his looks. He hates being called pretty or beautiful, meanwhile, Lihua would envy her second brother's looks and Yaozu would also sometimes envy his sister's heroic looks.

Lihua was true to her heroic face, she was a little tomboy, raised in the Western border who was spoiled rotten by her father. She would always follow Mingli around and became fond of weapons and when her father practice Martial arts in their courtyard, she would imitate his moves.

Yan Gen predicts she'll be the next Mulan.

It wasn't easy raising three children and one childish husband. Yan Gen doesn't have anything to complain however... he's very happy with his own family. Regardless if this happiness would last for they're tied in the imperial family. What matters now is the present and he'll do everything in his power to protect his family, his happiness.