A grand procession of carriages surged toward the city gates, just as when they had entered, causing lively crowds of people to gather and point.

The Garrison Commander naturally had to accompany them, but since there were far too many officials of higher rank than him, he couldn’t find an opportunity to step forward.

“How is this Madam Qi the Prince’s wife?” he was still somewhat confused, pulling aside a clerk from the Commander-in-Chief’s office to ask quietly.

Dear mother’s uncle, this was truly fatal! A group of people were hunting like wolves for this Prince’s wife, and she had quietly entered the city as a physician! And what was this about competing with military doctors! And what about going to the battlefield!

And this Jiang Hai! Sigh, how did this boy not know either? Wasn’t he the Prince’s subordinate? He had the gall to court the Prince’s woman! Wasn’t this seeking death?

Oh, that’s right – he was sent to Liaodong by the Prince with just one sentence when he returned…

No wonder he suddenly dispatched him there – it turns out he brought this upon himself!

The Garrison Commander slapped his thigh hard again!

Dear mother’s uncle! Would he be next?

He had done plenty of wrong things too!

Tell me, tell me, what exactly was going on here!

What were this husband and wife playing at?

They were playing with a whole group of people’s lives!

“You don’t know?” the clerk said quietly. “The Prince and his young madam have actually already divorced.”

The Garrison Commander’s eyes widened.

Divorced?

Right, of course they were divorced!

He slapped his forehead!

This was truly fatal! They had been wrong from the very beginning!

A divorced young madam naturally couldn’t come with the pomp of a young madam! Naturally she couldn’t actively reveal her identity either!

“It’s a long story, but basically it was all confused and nobody knows how it happened. However, these two still care for each other in their hearts,” the clerk stroked his beard and said. “So they are husband and wife yet not husband and wife – no one can say for sure. They can only continue in this confused state.”

So that Madam Qi didn’t dare say she was the Prince Consort of Marquis Dingxi’s wife.

So that Prince didn’t dare publicly acknowledge this Madam Qi as his wife either.

So they had trapped themselves!

“The pastries were well made, having a good cook – of course there was a good cook! She was the Prince’s wife all along!” he muttered, raising his hand to hit himself again. “This troublesome woman has been the death of me!”

The Garrison Commander sat dejectedly, unable to sit still.

“Oh right, what’s the background of that master?” he thought of something else and asked quietly, looking at the carriage surrounded by a group of officials ahead.

“That one? Do you know about the Founding Empress?” the clerk asked.

Wasn’t this insulting?

The Garrison Commander glared at the clerk – was he being looked down upon like this? Did everyone now think he was an idiot?

The clerk also realized his question was somewhat ridiculous and laughed.

“This is the Imperial Physician who once saved the Founding Empress’s life,” he said quietly. “Back then, the Founding Empress married the Founding Emperor when they were young and suffered many hardships along the way, leaving hidden ailments in her body. She had several dangerous episodes, each time relying on this Imperial Physician’s miraculous healing. So what do you think his background is? Now in the palace, no more than five people can be granted a seat in the Emperor’s presence. He is one of them.”

Dear mother’s uncle!

The Garrison Commander swallowed hard.

“So his relationship with the Prince is really good – he came specifically to see the Prince?” he asked in a trembling voice.

Actually, he had already guessed the answer, but didn’t dare believe it.

The clerk looked at him with some sympathy.

No wonder he had only reached the position of Garrison Commander at such an age – his mind really wasn’t sharp.

“Master Zhou came bearing the Emperor’s oral decree, requesting Divine Physician Madam Qi to enter the capital,” he said.

Divine Physician…

The Garrison Commander covered his face with his hands.

A Prince’s wife, a divine physician whom the Emperor wanted to see – he had sent her to the military medical camp, and moreover to the war front…

Mother’s uncle, save me.

At this moment, he wasn’t the only one calling for help. Lü Baoshan was riding hard, taking advantage of his familiarity with the terrain to take shortcuts and race non-stop to reach Pengshan Fort before this large group arrived.

As soon as he dismounted, several officers who had stayed behind joyfully came to meet him.

“Sir, what did the Garrison Commander say?” they asked urgently.

Lü Baoshan had no time for this, shouting with a voice about to smoke: “Where are they?”

Several people’s minds turned quickly this time.

“Don’t worry, Sir, we’ve already sent her to Songshan Fort,” they laughed smugly with some pride. “She agreed to go immediately – very easy to fool. It seems she hasn’t lost her mind yet, throwing her weight around…”

Lü Baoshan cried out and slapped his thigh hard, then lifted his foot to kick the nearest person, not even bothering to say a word before mounting his horse again.

Very easy to fool, not throwing her weight around…

What did she have to throw her weight around about!

That was her own man!

Whether she threw her weight around or not, he was still her own man!

Lü Baoshan rode off in a cloud of dust, leaving a group of people staring at each other wide-eyed, not knowing what was happening. Before they could recover, another cavalry unit came galloping up.

Leading them was Chang Yuncheng.

“General!” everyone hurried to greet him.

Chang Yuncheng’s horse galloped past, stirring up a cloud of dust.

“What’s wrong?”

Everyone coughed loudly and asked.

Behind Chang Yuncheng’s personal guards were Lü Baoshan’s men, their faces gloomy.

“The General saw through it, we couldn’t… couldn’t keep it hidden…” they said dejectedly.

Unable to hide their emotions on a normal day, let alone deliberately act to deceive someone.

There was no urgent military business at all. After a few sentences, Chang Yuncheng saw through it and questioned them with just a few words.

Chang Yuncheng was trembling with rage – first anger, then fear.

This was the frontier, a place with not only regular enemy armies but also scattered enemy cavalry.

This was winter, approaching New Year, when the enemy was most desperate and thus most likely to raid.

She was a woman, a beautiful woman, the kind who would draw extra glances even in a place like the capital.

These bastards! These bastards!

No, he was the bastard!

Chang Yuncheng almost ground his teeth to powder!

If not for him, how would she have come here!

If not for him, how would they have reached this point of being husband and wife yet not husband and wife, meeting but not daring to acknowledge each other!

If not for him, she would now be married to Wang Qian, living a warm and prosperous life in Jiangnan, respected by everyone with everything going smoothly!

If not for him, how would she be running around so disheveled, how would she be so ridiculously mixed in among a group of men, subjected to cold mockery and pointing fingers!

Chang Yuncheng raised his whip and lashed himself hard.

The personal guards following behind were startled, watching the fine cloak instantly tear open.

Chang Yuncheng’s horse went faster and faster, soon overtaking the horse ahead.

“Hey? Prince! Listen to my explanation…” Lü Baoshan saw the person and horse whoosh past like a gust of wind and hurriedly shouted.

Chang Yuncheng was already far away.

My goodness, this time I’m definitely dead!

Lü Baoshan spurred his horse harder.

Qi Yue knew nothing of what was happening here. She had no suspicions at all and happily followed several military doctors, escorted by guards in a carriage to Songshan Fort.

This place wasn’t far from Pengshan Fort – half a day’s journey by carriage. It had the same layout as Pengshan Fort and had also endured the last great battle. Being further northwest, it had suffered greater impact. The city walls were more broken and still hadn’t been repaired.

There were more wounded soldiers here, and their conditions were more serious. But like at Pengshan Fort, Qi Yue had no good solutions at the moment. She could only clean wounds properly, hoping these people could escape blood poisoning, tetanus, and other infections.

Having a woman among the military doctors surprised everyone at Songshan Fort, especially such a beautiful woman.

“This is one of our own brothers’ woman,” the accompanying soldiers privately introduced to everyone.

Qi Yue heard this and smiled.

Chang Yuncheng, as an officer, was naturally one of their comrades.

This wasn’t wrong.

She continued her busy work.

It was at this moment that Chang Yuncheng charged in.

“Qi Yueniang!” he shouted loudly, his gaze sweeping over this broken, smelly room. Not seeing that woman at first glance, his heart panicked and he couldn’t stand still.

Qi Yue stood up from the ground, still holding scissors, looking surprised.

How did he come here too?

Before she could respond, Chang Yuncheng had already seen her.

He strode over and, right in front of everyone, embraced her tightly like a lost treasure found again.

People inside and outside all stared wide-eyed.

Qi Yue was also startled, the scissors in her hand nearly stabbing him. She quickly stretched her hand away and dropped the scissors.

“What’s wrong?” she asked hurriedly.

Chang Yuncheng held her tightly, neither speaking nor letting go.

Qi Yue looked at the stunned people around them, wanting to laugh a little.

Though this kind of thing was nothing to her, she had to consider the tolerance of ancient people.

“Hey, it hasn’t even been a day – no need to act like we’ve been separated for years,” she laughed quietly. “Mind your image as a general.”

Chang Yuncheng straightened up suddenly but didn’t release her, instead holding her close.

“Let me introduce – this is my woman, Chang Yuncheng’s woman. She is a physician, a divine physician,” he swept his gaze over everyone, speaking word by word. “Having her treat you, everyone can be at ease.”

Inside and outside, it seemed like the sound of jaws dropping could be heard.

This was their own brother’s woman…

But wasn’t this brother a bit too big…

Who Chang Yuncheng was – probably more than half the people in Gansu territory knew.

The General Wulüe stationed in Zhangye Garrison City!

General Wulüe’s woman was treating them…

Was it because the enemy had retreated and everyone had drunk too much at the victory feast and still hadn’t sobered up?

Noisy footsteps and horse hooves sounded outside.

“Sir, Sir!” Lü Baoshan stumbled in, “Madam, Madam, are you alright?”

He shouted as he rushed toward the man and woman standing together and dropped to his knees with a thud.

“General Sir, this subordinate was blind and didn’t know this was Madam!” he shouted, his voice hoarse. “This subordinate deserves death ten thousand times!”

Chang Yuncheng exhaled heavily.

He tightened his embrace of the woman before him again.

That’s right, she was his woman. Wherever he went, he would say this and dare to say this. This was decided for life and would never change.

“So that’s how it was.”

Qi Yue understood and couldn’t help laughing.

These people were really…

“That boy Jiang Hai actually dared to say such things!” she laughed again, shaking her head.

When she said this, they had already returned to Pengshan Fort. It was already midnight.

This trip back and forth had brought earth-shaking changes.

Qi Yue didn’t return to her own shabby little room but was in Chang Yuncheng’s spacious and bright official hall, with warm heated floors, soft red curtains hanging, and two pots of blooming narcissus.

Qi Yue looked at every corner one by one. She had often come here these past few days, but as a physician, it wasn’t proper to look around in someone else’s room. Besides, with limited time, she barely had enough time to examine people. Now it was good – she had plenty of time to look.

Chang Yuncheng reached out to pull her into his arms.

“Those who don’t know aren’t to blame. It’s also our fault for not explaining clearly to everyone,” Qi Yue laughed.

“These bastards!” Chang Yuncheng cursed angrily again, looking down to see Qi Yue’s somewhat teasing smile and thinking of something. “I don’t have any hobby of… other men’s women! Never have!”

Qi Yue laughed heartily.

“So is this protesting too much or something else?” she laughed, reaching out to pinch Chang Yuncheng’s face.

“Something else, something else,” Chang Yuncheng hurriedly said. To avoid this clever person saying something that would trip him up, he lowered his head and kissed the woman’s lips.

No need to worry about being discovered, no need to worry about insufficient time, no need to worry about anyone disturbing them.

This was his room. This was his woman, announced to everyone.

This was something he had every right to do.

This was a long kiss that went from passionate to tender and back to passionate.

When they separated, gasping for breath, Qi Yue could no longer stand, hanging limply like water against Chang Yuncheng.

“Well, well, rapid progress,” she didn’t forget to laugh, rubbing her face against Chang Yuncheng’s chest.

Chang Yuncheng’s laughter rumbled dully from his chest.

“Only this has rapid progress? Aren’t there other things?” he said, looking down, his hands already dishonestly slipping into Qi Yue’s clothes.

“Ah, what are you talking about? I don’t understand,” Qi Yue giggled, looking up at him with blinking eyes.

These words combined with this expression could drive someone mad.

Chang Yuncheng reached out to lift this woman horizontally.

“No need to understand by hearing, understanding by seeing is enough,” he laughed. “We have all night – enough time for you to understand.”

Qi Yue laughed heartily.

“Will the Prince still go running for exercise tomorrow morning?” she giggled.

“To hell with running – I just want to run enough on top of you,” Chang Yuncheng growled roughly in a low voice.

These crude words instantly ignited passion, both their breathing becoming rapid.

Qi Yue looked at him, reached out to embrace his neck, pressing her head against his chest, docile as a little white lamb.

Chang Yuncheng’s whole body was burning. Without further hesitation, he carried her and strode toward the inner room. Just as he was about to turn, he heard noisy sounds outside.

“Sir, Sir, this won’t do – better to meet tomorrow…”

“Prince, Prince, there’s a guest…”

The guard’s loud shout clearly indicated they couldn’t stop the visitor.

Chang Yuncheng was furious.

Who was so bold!

Who was so blind!

To disturb him at this moment!

“Get lost!” he roared toward the outside.

With these words, the door was also heavily knocked open.

A small figure rushed in.

Qi Yue was frightened and struggled to get down, dodging to the side. Chang Yuncheng was enraged and lifted his foot to kick the visitor out.

“Ha, ha.” The visitor made a strange laugh that was neither quite a laugh nor not a laugh, walking out from the dim lamplight.

Seeing who it was, Qi Yue stopped hiding and instead cried out in joyful surprise.

“Doctor Zhou! How did you come here?” she called out.

Zhou Maochun looked at her.

“How did I come here?” his voice trembled, seeming very excited, then he looked at Chang Yuncheng and spread his arms wide. “Chang Yuncheng! Prince! I really missed you to death!”