The room was brightly lit and bustling with voices. Personal guards and servant women busily went in and out serving tea and water, making it even livelier than the busiest time of day.

“We just arrived and were planning to rest, intending to visit tomorrow, but Master Zhou was worried about Miss and couldn’t wait,” Liu Pucheng said somewhat embarrassedly.

After Zhou Maochun entered and shouted that greeting, he said nothing more. When told to sit, he sat; when told to drink tea, he drank tea. He just stared at Chang Yuncheng with a strange, mocking smile.

Chang Yuncheng remained calm in expression, acting as if he didn’t see his attitude at all.

Though Qi Yue found it strange, she couldn’t dwell on it. Seeing Liu Pucheng enter afterward, she cried out joyfully.

“That Hu San actually called you all here!” she said, both happy and worried. “Coming such a long way – I hope it doesn’t delay your important matters, Teacher.”

“What important matters do I have? Ever since learning you weren’t in the capital but had come this way, we all had the thought to follow. Halfway to the capital, we received Hu San’s letter saying you had some trouble here, so we were even more determined to come,” Liu Pucheng said.

“Teacher, I didn’t deliberately hide this from you all. I was afraid you’d worry,” Qi Yue laughed.

Hu San nodded vigorously beside them.

“Master, you came so quickly! I calculated it would take until after New Year at least,” he said.

“We have Master Zhou to thank for that,” Liu Pucheng smiled. “With him along, officials welcomed and escorted us all the way, fast horses cleared the road, we traveled day and night without stopping. Every post station had carriages prepared to take over in relay, with proper meals and lodging. It really saved a great deal of time.”

Everyone looked at Zhou Maochun, truly opening their eyes to see how official assistance could make an entire journey flow as smoothly and quickly as water, without exhaustion.

Zhou Maochun listened but continued staring at Chang Yuncheng.

“Don’t thank me. If you want to thank someone, thank the Prince,” he said with neither warmth nor coldness.

Qi Yue looked at Liu Pucheng, who shook his head.

“He’s been like this the whole way,” Zhang Tong said quietly.

Qi Yue looked at Zhou Maochun again, then at Chang Yuncheng, inquiring with her eyes.

Chang Yuncheng gave her a slight smile.

Flirting in public?

Qi Yue couldn’t help but give him a reproachful glance.

“It’s getting late. Whatever we have to say can wait until tomorrow,” Liu Pucheng said hurriedly.

Originally, this wasn’t the proper time to visit.

But who knew what was wrong with Zhou Maochun? After getting off the carriage, he wouldn’t listen to anyone and charged straight in. They thought he was urgent to announce an imperial edict, but after coming in for half the night, he just sat there without saying much.

What a strange person.

But thinking how this old man was sometimes so eccentric that even the Emperor couldn’t handle him, everyone felt relieved.

“Yes, the journey must have been tiring. You should rest quickly,” Qi Yue said, standing up.

Seeing them say this, the accompanying General and other officials also stood up hastily.

“Accommodations have all been arranged,” the Garrison Commander finally got a chance to show off and said hurriedly.

Since this was the case, everyone was about to leave, but Zhou Maochun remained seated without moving.

“Yes, yes, yes,” Lü Baoshan also hurried to show off, having a sudden inspiration to add a polite phrase. “It’s just that this small place is crude, with shabby accommodations. Please forgive us.”

“Well, since they’re shabby, I won’t go stay there,” Zhou Maochun picked up the conversation. Looking around, “This place is nice. I’ll stay here with the Prince.”

The lamps were withdrawn again, and the courtyard returned to nighttime tranquility.

Qi Yue watched A’Ru and A’Hao arrange bedding in this temporarily prepared room while looking at Chang Yuncheng.

“Did you offend him?” she asked.

“No,” Chang Yuncheng said without changing expression. “He’s just like that. Who knows what’s wrong.”

Qi Yue looked at him suspiciously.

“It’s ready,” A’Ru and A’Hao came over to say, hesitating somewhat as they glanced at Chang Yuncheng, wanting to speak but stopping.

“Your room was given to Master Zhou. Is your guest room ready?” Qi Yue asked.

Chang Yuncheng snorted, not answering, and strode toward the inner room.

A’Hao couldn’t help giggling.

A’Ru glared at her.

“Then we’ll go downstairs,” A’Ru said.

Qi Yue smiled and nodded.

Just as they were about to leave, Zhou Maochun’s voice came from outside.

“Chang Yuncheng, Chang Yuncheng,” he called. “Do you have chess here? I need to use it!”

Hearing this voice, Chang Yuncheng, who was already sitting on the bed in the inner room, looked grim.

He didn’t answer, so Zhou Maochun’s voice outside continued incessantly.

“Go quickly. If you don’t agree, I don’t think he plans to sleep,” Qi Yue laughed, walking over to push him.

Chang Yuncheng got up and went out.

“There’s no chess.”

“No chess? Then do you have books?”

“Go find them in the study yourself.”

“…I’m seventy or eighty years old. You want me to search alone in the dark? What if I die?”

“Sir really overthinks things. If I die, Sir will definitely die too.”

“Hehe, Prince, you’re really modest. With your abilities, everyone else could die but you never would.”

The back-and-forth conversation with its gunpowder smell gradually faded away.

Qi Yue shook her head and smiled helplessly.

“It seems Chang Yuncheng has formed a great enmity with Master Zhou,” she said thoughtfully, stroking her chin.

“Should Miss leave the door open?” A’Ru asked quietly.

“No need,” Qi Yue laughed, lowering the bed curtain herself and blowing out the lamp.

The east was already growing bright.

Though she’d slept late, Qi Yue woke early due to excitement over Liu Pucheng and the others’ arrival.

Before she could get up, Chang Yuncheng came in.

“It’s still early, sleep a bit more,” he sat on the bedside, his hands caressing as he spoke.

Qi Yue smiled and kissed his face.

Chang Yuncheng leaned over accordingly. Just as his exploring hand slipped under her soft undergarment and was about to grasp that soft fullness, Zhou Maochun’s shouts came from outside again.

This time he wasn’t calling Chang Yuncheng.

“Madam Qi, Madam Qi.”

Chang Yuncheng took a deep breath. Qi Yue laughed quietly and pushed him.

“I don’t believe he dares come in!” Chang Yuncheng said through gritted teeth in a low voice.

Qi Yue laughed and patted his head.

“He doesn’t dare come in, but do you think having accompaniment would make you happy?” she laughed quietly against his chest.

Chang Yuncheng!

This scene suddenly rang in Chang Yuncheng’s ears.

When he reached his peak, this woman calling out “Chang Yuncheng” made him feel like dying of ecstasy, but if another man were calling…

He shuddered, his desire instantly vanishing.

“Inviting me back to the capital?” Qi Yue was very surprised after hearing Zhou Maochun’s words. “The Emperor is inviting me?”

Chang Yuncheng was obviously hearing this for the first time too, looking at Zhou Maochun with some suspicion.

Falsifying imperial edicts was a grave crime that no one dared commit, but that didn’t mean this old man wouldn’t dare.

“It’s true. Originally the invitation came long ago,” Zhou Maochun said. Speaking of this, he felt full of grievance and bitterness, but since this missed opportunity was purely caused by his own actions, saying it would only invite ridicule without benefit, so he didn’t elaborate. “Later I was busy and didn’t get around to it.”

Qi Yue made a sound of acknowledgment.

“When I wasn’t busy anymore and thought to invite Madam Qi, I couldn’t find you again. Even more hateful…” Zhou Maochun continued, and this part had to be said. He looked at Chang Yuncheng angrily. “Some bastard actually deceived me!”

Qi Yue looked back and forth between him and Chang Yuncheng with sudden understanding.

So this was where the hatred lay.

“I didn’t deceive you,” Chang Yuncheng said flatly.

“You still dare to say that! Do you really think I’m stupid?” Zhou Maochun shouted.

After shouting, he became even angrier. Looking back, he really had been stupid…

Actually being fooled by this boy’s single sentence.

“How much I trusted you, Chang Yuncheng! Chang Yuncheng, treating me like this, don’t you feel guilty at all?”

Zhou Maochun beat his chest and stamped his feet, crying out in anguish.

Chang Yuncheng snorted.

Not guilty at all!

Wanting to take away his woman! Why should he feel guilty!

After letting Zhou Maochun vent his anger, Qi Yue personally poured him tea.

“We’ll leave now,” Zhou Maochun was also tired and said breathlessly. Chang Yuncheng was like a ball of cotton – no matter how he jumped and scolded, there was no reaction. It was truly infuriating.

“The thing is,” Qi Yue said, looking at Zhou Maochun, “I can’t go right now.”

Zhou Maochun was stunned, then became furious, looking at Chang Yuncheng.

“You little bastard! Are you actually teaching her to resist the imperial decree?” he shouted.

Chang Yuncheng frowned.

“It has nothing to do with him,” Qi Yue said with a laugh. “It’s my business.”

Zhou Maochun looked at her suspiciously.

“I have something here that I haven’t finished,” Qi Yue said. “Previously there was no way to do it, but now that Teacher and the others have come, it’s the perfect opportunity with favorable timing, location, and people.”

“What thing?” Zhou Maochun asked with great curiosity.

Qi Yue looked at him and smiled.

“Creating hope,” she said.

The news that Madam Qi was actually the Prince’s wife whom the garrison city officials had prepared to welcome, causing chaos while being unable to find her, quickly spread everywhere, including the military medical camp.

Although Chang Yuncheng and Qi Yue repeatedly said publicly that ignorance was no crime and no one should take past events to heart, no one believed such words.

After learning this, everyone’s only thought was to cry out “My dear mother!”

“I don’t think I was ever disrespectful to her…”

A group of military doctors gathered together, discussing quietly, recalling whether they had said anything inappropriate to that Madam Qi.

“You’re dead meat – you were always staring at her lecherously…”

“Don’t talk nonsense! My eyes are blurry and I can’t see clearly. I squint at everything. Look, aren’t I squinting at you right now?”

The noisy conversation here had no effect on Qiao Minghua nearby, who continued sorting and dispensing medicine.

“Speaking of bad luck, when the sky falls, the tall ones get crushed first.”

Someone gestured toward Qiao Minghua.

Everyone looked over with knowing expressions.

If Qiao Minghua hadn’t taken the lead back then, how would Madam Qi have come to the military medical camp?

So all of this was caused by Qiao Minghua.

“Looks like he can’t stay here anymore,” everyone shook their heads and sighed, feeling both pity and helplessness.

But they waited and waited without hearing news of Qiao Minghua leaving. Instead, Madam Qi and Chang Yuncheng left.

Yes, they should have left long ago.

Qiao Minghua stood on the earthen slope, watching the lively procession being seen off by crowds as it drove out the fort gates.

Coming and going – wasn’t life just this kind of repetition? No meaning, no hope. Whatever fate you were meant to have, that’s what you’d have.

He turned and walked toward the wounded soldiers’ camp, his figure stretched long by the setting sun.