Qin Sheng and Xie Huan’s wedding arrangements were quickly settled.

Qin’s Mother didn’t know which young master from the Xie family Qin Sheng had set his heart on.

However, upon meeting Xie Huan, she found him gentle and courteous.

Seeing his willingness to stay in the capital, she had no more worries.

The Marquis of Lianqin, now titled as the Duke of Zhengguo, had many affairs to attend to in Beiting and couldn’t rush back to Bianjing for his son’s wedding.

Mrs. Xie, escorted by Xie Chi, returned to the capital and personally visited the Qin residence.

Qin’s mother and Mrs. Xie instantly hit it off, further solidifying their approval of the union.

The Xie family already had a mansion in the capital, sparing them the trouble of arranging a grand wedding residence.

However, Qin Jian had yet to marry.

The wedding between Qin Sheng and Xie Huan was set for the third month of the following year.

Now, both families were in Bianjing.

The Xie family sent gifts to the Qin residence more frequently than before, ranging from jewelry to snacks.

Almost anything nice would find its way to the Qin residence.

In return, the Qin family also sent many gifts to the Xie residence, strengthening the bond between the two families.

According to the customs of Great Chu, once a couple was engaged, they were not allowed to meet privately before the wedding.

Xie Huan never requested Qin Sheng to meet outside, but whenever Qin Sheng went to the military office of the Nujun, he would “accidentally” encounter Xie Huan on the way.

Both carriages traveled very slowly.

Even though Qin Sheng was mindful of the etiquette and couldn’t talk much with Xie Huan, whenever she lifted the curtain and saw Xie Huan’s carriage leisurely following behind, a smile would inevitably appear on her lips.

The Xu family was caught in a mistake by Qin Jian and was severely reprimanded.

Mrs. Xu personally visited to apologize.

As expected, they shifted the blame onto the matchmaker who came to propose.

Qin’s mother didn’t make it too difficult for Mrs. Xu.

However, Mrs. Xu tried to excuse herself, blaming the matchmaker for spreading rumors, which eventually got out.

The matchmaker hired by the Xu family was Lady Ningyuanhou.

Although the Ningyuan Marquis’s residence still bore the title, it had been declining since the previous generation.

This generation had few accomplishments; inheriting the title was difficult.

In the capital, they were always in an awkward position, unable to get close to the top-tier nobles but being courted by lower-ranking officials.

But as they say, even a camel’s hair can outweigh a horse’s.

Lady Ningyuanhou was good at networking.

Among the elite of Bianjing, she still had some prestige.

To protect themselves, the Xu family criticized Lady Ningyuanhou to the Qin family.

Lady Ningyuanhou couldn’t stand this.

Indeed, she had received benefits from the Xu family.

She had inadvertently mentioned Qin’s family while playing cards with others, vaguely suggesting that the Qin family might be interested in marrying their eldest son.

Compared to offending the Qin family, falling out with the Xu family was nothing.

Lady Ningyuanhou was quite cunning.

At the card table, she insinuated and criticized, asking if she needed to please her own son by offending the Qin family.

Those who tried to fish for benefits while remaining silent now found themselves in an interesting situation.

Those discerning could tell she was mocking the Xu family.

But as Lady Ningyuanhou said, she risked offending the Qin family to help the Xu family.

If the Xu family remained oblivious to this fact, who would believe it?

In the elite circles of Bianjing, the Xu family was now completely embarrassed.

They decided to claim illness and declined all invitations to gatherings.

When Qin Sheng heard about this, knowing his mother’s forgiving nature, she realized that the Xu family’s current situation might not have been caused by his mother intentionally leaking the information to Lady Ningyuanhou.

One day, while she was at the temple praying, she “accidentally” bumped into Xie Huan again.

Unable to restrain herself, she asked him, “Was it you who dealt with the Xu family’s matter?”

Xie Huan showed no hesitation. “Yes.”

Qin Sheng fidgeted with the handkerchief in her hand and said, “Forgive and forget. You’ve just returned to Bianjing. Don’t make enemies so soon.”

Xie Huan looked at her and said, “The Xu family attempted to force you into marriage using such methods. Not only did they refuse to admit their mistakes, but they also blamed others. They wanted to make this conflict between your Qin family and the Ningyuan Marquis’s residence. I simply ordered someone to expose the Xu family’s deeds.”

He half-lowered his eyes, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. “Are you worried about me offending the Xu family?”

Qin Sheng’s face gradually turned red.

She murmured softly, “No, not at all.”

Xie Huan didn’t expose her hidden thoughts. “I’ve already decided to marry you. Are you still afraid I can’t handle the Xu family?”

Qin Sheng blushed completely.

Xie Huan pushed further, saying, “My younger brother got a silk cord from Princess Pei. Would you like to give me something too?”

For a moment, Qin Sheng forgot her shyness and looked confused. “Did Wenyan give Young Lord Xie a silk cord?”

She had gotten used to calling him Young Lord when they were in Beiting, and for a moment, she couldn’t switch back.

Xie Huan nodded, looking at Qin Sheng with a meaningful gaze. “He’s been wearing it around his waist these days, almost showing it off to the heavens.”

How could Qin Sheng not see that he wanted her to give him something to show off?

This seemingly serious person actually had a childish side.

Qin Sheng suppressed her smile and said, “Then I’ll embroider a purse for you.”

After worshipping at the temple, Qin Sheng went straight to the military office of the Nujun, where she coincidentally met Pei Wenyan and Lin Zhao.

The Women’s Army had passed the selection process and was officially being transferred to the imperial palace.

Lin Zhao, who had been busy for months, finally had some free time.

The three of them always spoke candidly with each other, and Qin Sheng didn’t hesitate to ask Lin Zhao, “Wenyan, I heard you gave Young Lord Xie… I mean, we should call him Young Duke Xie now…”

Qin Sheng was eager to know the whole story, forgetting to address Wenyan properly. “You gave him a silk cord. What’s going on?”

Wenyan, who was busy copying documents with Lin Zhao, frowned and glanced at Lin Zhao, saying, “You’d better ask Ah Zhao about this.”

Qin Sheng could only turn her puzzled gaze to Lin Zhao.

Lin Zhao, who looked as lifeless as a lump of mud, lay sprawled in a circle chair, a book covering her face.

From head to toe, she seemed to exude an aura of desolation.

The whole incident began when Lin Zhao, in search of a convenient place to drink, often went to the theater to watch performances.

The theater’s delicate male leads were favored by the noblewomen and young ladies of Bianjing.

But despite their popularity, they were just actors.

The noblewomen were married, and the young ladies were looking for ideal husbands.

The most they could do was to reward them with some money.

Lin Zhao was different.

She was a fourth-ranked military officer in the court, with only one older brother above her.

People often joked that she might end up marrying beneath her.

The actor was quite clever.

He focused all his attention on pleasing Lin Zhao.

After performing on stage, he would remove his makeup and sing a few more songs.

When Wenyan heard about it, she eagerly went with Lin Zhao to the theater.

They wanted to see, among themselves, who the actor was trying to please.

Now that Qin Sheng’s engagement was settled, they naturally excluded her from the matter.

If news of this got out, it would tarnish Qin Sheng’s reputation.

Unfortunately, on that day, while the actor was playing the zither and singing in the private room, the entire theater was surrounded by government soldiers.

It was said that the officials had caught a thief and spotted him hiding in the theater.

To catch the thief, the soldiers began searching each private room one by one.

Coincidentally, it was Cabinet Scholar Cen Daoxi who personally came to capture the thief.

Although the customs of Great Chu had become more liberal, the court was promoting integrity.

Officials were not allowed to privately host events with music performances, especially considering that Lin Zhao was the first female general in the court.

Lin Zhao and Pei Wenyan fled together.

The high wall behind the theater couldn’t stop Lin Zhao, but Pei Wen Yan couldn’t fight.

By the time Lin Zhao helped Pei Wenyan climb onto her shoulders to climb over the wall, the soldiers searching the area had already arrived.

Pei Wenyan was afraid that Lin Zhao would be caught and accused at the Golden Luang Palace the next morning, so she urged Lin Zhao to leave first.

Coincidentally, Xie Chi happened to pass by and called out, “Sister, you go ahead. I’ll help Princess Pei down.”

Lin Zhao and Pei Wen Yan had both served in Beiting before, so they knew Xie Chi quite well.

Moreover, Lin Zhao had saved Duke Lianqin and had since been adopted as his foster daughter.

With the relationship between Qin Sheng, Xie Huan, and them, Lin Zhao trusted Xie Chi.

After thanking him, she jumped down from the wall and ran away like a scared dog.

Only Pei Wen Yan was left sitting on the wall.

She gritted her teeth and said to Xie Chi, “Could you please ask someone to bring a ladder?”

Xie Chi lazily lifted his eyes from his notes and arms. “Princess Pei was just listening to some music. Why climb the wall?”

Despite Pei Wen Yan’s usual composure, Xie Chi’s pretending to be ignorant caught her off guard for a moment.

They were still in the theater late at night.

It wouldn’t sound good if it got out.

Pei Wenyan tried to control her facial expression and said seriously, “General Lin helped catch a thief, and I followed along. Unfortunately, I’m not skilled in martial arts and couldn’t be of any help.”

Xie Chi’s lips twitched slightly. “Since it’s to catch a thief, when Master Cen brings people here, it won’t be improper for me to help you down the wall.”

Pei Wen Yan ground her teeth slowly and forced a kind smile on her face. “It’s still a bit improper.”

Xie Chi nodded. “Oh, in that case, how long will it take for the promise Princess made to me earlier to be fulfilled?”

Pei Wenyan watched as the torches in the distance approached the backyard.

Her spine stiffened, and it took her a while to remember that he had praised her embroidery work earlier.

She quickly said, “Once I return home, I’ll have someone deliver it to Young Lord Xie.”

Xie Chi’s gaze fell on the sachet at her waist. “I’m afraid Princess Pei might forget, so why not give it to me now?”

Perhaps it was because of the dreams she had had about him, Pei Wenyan was too familiar with him.

For a moment, she didn’t feel angry at his ambiguous words.

After a brief hesitation, she took off the sachet at her waist and threw it to him. “Here you go.”

Xie Chi’s eyesight was excellent, and he caught it easily.

As he smelled the familiar scent coming from the sachet, his eyes deepened.

After removing the cord from the sachet, he handed the light purple sachet back to Pei Wenyan.

In the bewildered gaze of Pei Wenyan, he lifted the red rope in his hand. “I said I only wanted the cord, so I won’t ask you for anything else.”

Under the clear moonlight, Xie Chi’s face still carried a hint of youthfulness and sophistication.

Pei Wenyan was momentarily stunned.

Before Pei Wenyan could recover, Xie Chi looked up and shouted to her, “Jump down, and I’ll catch you.”

Pei Wenyan’s delicate brows furrowed. “Men and women should not get too close. Young Lord, could you find a ladder for me instead?”

Xie Chi asked, “Do you think you’ll have time to find a ladder and come back?”

Some soldiers searching the theater had spotted someone sitting on the wall and shouted, “There’s someone on the wall. It’s probably the thief. Catch him!”

Pei Wenyan gritted her teeth and leaped off the wall.

She didn’t fall to the ground, but when her body collided with the person’s arms, Pei Wen Yan’s heart seemed to skip a beat.

She didn’t dare to look up at Xie Chi, but she heard a voice from above her head. “Does Princess Pei like scholarly-looking men?”

With one hand still gripping his clothes, Pei Wenyan was in a horizontal position, and when Xie Chi lowered his head slightly, his breath became clearer.

Pei Wenyan felt like her heart was about to leap out of her chest.

What she didn’t know was that Xie Chi, who had always been aloof and only focused on military matters, had been having strange dreams after picking up her sachet in Beiting and smelling its familiar scent.

In those dreams, the person he entrusted his life to was her.

Now, with the living person in his arms, Xie Chi felt like he was holding a hot potato.

His throat went dry, and before Pei Wenyan could respond, he let her go and stepped back.

Later, when he escorted Pei Wenyan home, he was unusually courteous, even volunteering to act as a stable boy.

Because of the dreams, Pei Wenyan didn’t dare to reveal everything between her and Xie Chi.

When she talked to Qin Sheng and Lin Zhao, she only briefly mentioned Xie Chi asking for the cord.

Qin Sheng, who seemed naive but was actually quite sharp, propped her chin on her hands and stared at Pei Wenyan. “Why did Young Lord Xie ask you for the cord?”

“Young Lord Xie has always been unconventional. Perhaps he just liked the pattern on the cord and thought I hadn’t kept my promise.” Pei Wenyan quickly changed the subject. “Ah Zhao, why do I feel like Minister Cen treats you differently?”

Qin Sheng found it suspicious that Minister Cen personally went to the theater to catch a thief.

When Pei Wenyan asked about it, Qin Sheng’s mind raced, and her round, black eyes stared at Lin Zhao.

Lin Zhao took off the military book covering her face and tossed it onto the table nonchalantly. “A stuffy scholar who keeps talking about repaying favors. Nothing special.”

Pei Wenyan and Qin Sheng perked up their ears. “Repaying favors? What favor?”

Lin Zhao rubbed her forehead. “When His Majesty led the army back to Zijing Pass, my brother had already gone to the desert to scout the route. With Brother’s army, His Majesty launched an attack on the Northern Barbarian’s camp deep in the desert. I escorted the supplies afterward. Unfortunately, we encountered a raid by a group of Northern Barbarian’s cavalry and a sandstorm.

Minister Cen, as the strategist, was the brains of the entire army. In a desperate situation, I took Minister Cen and escaped.”

Lin Zhao’s explanation was concise, but the situation at the time was much more dangerous than she described.

With a sandstorm raging and the supplies abandoned, the Northern Barbarian’s people took advantage of the chaos to shoot arrows at them.

Lin Zhao knew she couldn’t let Cen Daoxi die in the desert and was willing to risk her life to save him.

She was hit by an arrow, blood flowing continuously, but she didn’t flinch when fighting the Northern Barbarian’s cavalry.

With her hair disheveled and her face covered in blood, her eyes gleamed like a wild beast’s.

It wasn’t until the last Northern Barbarian’s cavalry fell that Lin Zhao collapsed to the ground, exhausted.

Before, she had led Cen Daoxi to escape, but now it was Cen Daoxi’s turn to lead her.

They became completely separated from the army in the sandstorm.

Cen Daoxi searched the bodies of the Northern Barbarian’s cavalry’s horses for dry rations and water and helped her bandage her wounds.

Lin Zhao had many scars on her body, the most prominent being the one inflicted by Kadan, stretching from her left shoulder to half of her chest.

Even after the wounds had scabbed over, it left behind a grim scar.

Besides that, there were countless arrow holes and cuts from swords and axes.

When Cen Daoxi, a man, saw the wounds on her body, he remained silent for a long time.

Perhaps only the scars on her body knew how she had survived all this way, just like countless Fierce Generals.

When Cen Daoxi bandaged her arrow wounds, his movements were extremely gentle.

Lin Zhao seemed to sense something but smiled carelessly. “These wounds are nothing. Minister, you don’t have to worry.”

To bandage her wounds, Lin Zhao exposed half of her shoulder, wrapping it tightly with plain silk, making her figure appear even more slender.

As darkness fell, Cen Daoxi refused to take back his heavy cloak from her. “If Captain Lin falls ill or dies in this desert because of this cloak, then the few cuts I suffered to protect the Commandant earlier would be in vain.”

“If Captain Lin is injured and weak, and if anything were to happen to you, I wouldn’t be able to explain it to General Lin.”

Faced with Cen Daoxi’s refusal, Lin Zhao only remained silent for a second before saying, “Come here.”

She hugged Cen Daoxi, wrapped them both in the cloak, and snuggled up to each other for warmth, but she still spoke in her usual tone.

“Since the day I stepped onto the battlefield, I haven’t considered myself a delicate girl. Minister, there’s no need to worry about propriety between us. ‘Though our clothes be torn and ragged, we’re of one heart and mind.’ I am a soldier of Great Chu. Until the Northern Barbarian’s are defeated, I won’t let myself die here.”

Cen Daoxi didn’t say anything.

As Lin Zhao drifted off to sleep, she felt him hold her a little tighter.

Then, in a low and solemn voice, he said, “I will marry you.”

It wasn’t because he had seen her body or because of their intimacy.

He just suddenly felt a sharp pain in his heart.

Lin Zhao pretended to be asleep, but in the darkness, two tears slipped into her clothes without a trace.