Qi Shuo seemed oblivious to his mother’s agitation and repeated his words once more.

“Absolutely not!” The Princess Consort of Jing’s first reaction was refusal. “There is an imperial decree—your father has no choice, but why would you volunteer to go?”

“If I go, I can look after Father and ease your worries.”

The Princess Consort of Jing laughed bitterly. “How could I be at ease? I’d have to worry twice as much!”

Qi Shuo suddenly dropped to his knees.

The Princess Consort of Jing froze. “Shuo’er, what are you doing?”

“Father is going to the battlefield, yet I, his eldest son, remain in the capital enjoying comfort and wealth—this is truly unfilial. Please grant me permission to fulfill my filial duty, Mother.”

Before the Princess Consort of Jing could respond, Qi Huan dropped to his knees with a thud beside Qi Shuo. “I want to go too! I cannot let Father and Elder Brother go to battle while I stay in the capital living in comfort!”

Qi Qiong looked at her two brothers kneeling on the ground, then at her mother’s darkening expression. After a moment’s thought, she lifted her skirts and knelt as well.

“Qiong’er, you want to go too?” As the Princess Consort of Jing asked this, she was already thinking about where she had put the feather duster.

“Little Sister, you’re just making things more difficult.” Qi Huan nudged Qi Qiong with his elbow, expressing his dissatisfaction in a low voice.

Qi Shuo silently observed his younger brother.

This troublesome brat was the one truly causing chaos—by kneeling like this, he had made it even harder for Mother to agree.

Qi Qiong shot Qi Huan an eye roll, her slightly upturned face wearing a sweet smile. “Your daughter has no strength to truss a chicken—of course I wouldn’t run off to cause trouble.”

“Then why are you kneeling?” The Princess Consort of Jing asked with a stern face, her surging anger subsiding somewhat.

Qi Qiong blinked innocently. “Your daughter is kneeling for Father.”

Prince Jing, who sat beside the Princess Consort of Jing, started. “Why is Qiong’er kneeling to me?”

Qi Qiong smiled with curved lips. “Your daughter wishes to ask Father to rest assured—while you are away, I will keep Mother good company.”

Prince Jing was so moved he nearly shed tears. “Qiong’er is truly thoughtful.”

Unlike his two wretched sons—one presenting him with a difficult problem, the other causing chaos.

The troublemaker was naturally his younger son, while the one presenting difficulties was his eldest.

Unlike the Princess Consort of Jing who immediately and strongly opposed the idea, setting aside a father’s instinctive protectiveness toward his children, Prince Jing was actually moved by Qi Shuo’s request.

The world had suddenly descended into chaos—having one of his two sons accompany him north for tempering would not be a bad thing…

More importantly, he saw determination and resolve in his eldest son’s eyes.

“Shuo’er, have you thought this through?”

The Princess Consort of Jing sensed something amiss and called out, “Your Highness—”

Prince Jing withstood his wife’s angry gaze and looked at his eldest son kneeling on the ground.

“I have thought it through. Your son has already come of age and should bear his responsibilities, rather than always letting Father shield us from wind and rain.”

Fighting together as father and son was no empty phrase.

Now that the northern territories had become a sea of blood and his old father was about to march north with the army, how could he as a son remain unmoved?

“Since you have thought it through, then go.”

“Your Highness!” The Princess Consort of Jing stood up in agitation.

Qi Huan threw himself forward and grabbed Prince Jing’s leg. “Father, if only one of Elder Brother and I can go, let it be me! Elder Brother’s health is poor—”

A light cough sounded. “Has Second Brother forgotten the beatings he received before?”

Qi Huan’s body stiffened. He looked in disbelief at the brother who had just threatened him.

This could not be his refined and elegant elder brother—had that childhood demon returned?

“Where did you learn to grab people’s legs at every turn? You stay in the capital and cause less trouble, stay away from those disreputable places, or when I return you’ll face family discipline!” Prince Jing kicked his younger son aside with a stern face.

With this troublesome brat, at most he would cause minor chaos staying in the capital, but if he caused trouble on the battlefield, it would be catastrophic.

Under the joint suppression of father and brother, Qi Huan could only shut his mouth.

Though the Princess Consort of Jing was ten thousand times unwilling in her heart, once Prince Jing made a decision on major matters, she no longer opposed it—though getting angry in private was inevitable.

“Since your father has spoken thus, I will say no more. But have you thought about Second Miss Lin?”

Qi Shuo lowered his eyes, concealing the surge of emotion caused by the Princess Consort of Jing mentioning Lin Hao. “Your son will go speak with her.”

The Princess Consort of Jing sighed and couldn’t be bothered to look at her three worrisome children anymore.

The three siblings, knowing their parents still had things to discuss, tactfully took their leave.

Walking out of the main courtyard, Qi Huan still wouldn’t give up. “Elder Brother, if you go north with Father, who knows when you’ll return—it could be half a year, a year, or even three to five years. What about Second Miss Lin? I think it’s better for me to go—I’m not engaged, so I can go anywhere.”

Qi Shuo glanced at him with a bland tone. “You haven’t come of age yet.”

Qi Huan was immediately choked speechless and muttered resentfully, “Don’t come crying to me when Second Miss Lin is in tears and you regret it.”

“Mother is in poor spirits—spend more time with her, Sister.” After instructing Qi Qiong, Qi Shuo headed to the General’s Mansion.

“The Heir has come to see Second Miss? Please, come in.”

With Qi Shuo’s status as a prospective son-in-law, upon entering the General’s Mansion he was directly invited to the flower hall. Before long, Lin Hao arrived.

“If you had come any later, I would have gone out.”

“To the Lin residence?”

“Yes. This year is another harsh winter—those beggars are having a hard time.” Speaking of this, a trace of worry flashed in Lin Hao’s eyes.

Once war broke out, beggars would be the least of concerns—she feared a massive influx of refugees would flood toward the capital. What scene would that create?

“Is something the matter?” Lin Hao held the hot tea brought by a maidservant and asked in puzzlement.

Qi Shuo glanced at the servants standing in the hall.

Lin Hao signaled the maids to withdraw and leaned forward slightly. “What is it? Tell me quickly—has there been another development?”

With Great Zhou now under attack on three fronts, rumors came one after another, some true and some false, leaving people’s hearts unsettled.

“It’s my father—he’s received an imperial decree to go north to war.”

“Ah…” Lin Hao’s hand gripping the cup involuntarily tightened. After a while, she asked softly, “What about you?”

If A’Shuo wasn’t going, he should be at Prince Jing’s mansion at this moment accompanying his father who was about to march north and comforting his worried mother, rather than coming to the General’s Mansion to find her.

A hand with distinct knuckles reached over and landed on her hand holding the cup.

The cup body was hot, but his hand was even hotter.

“I’m going too. Ah Hao, I’m sorry.”

Those eyes, black and white distinctly separated, brimmed with apology.

“I—” Lin Hao wanted to say “I guessed as much,” but as soon as she opened her mouth, tears fell.

Qi Shuo thought of his brother’s words: Don’t come crying to me when Second Miss Lin is in tears and you regret it.

Ah Hao was truly crying.

He fumbled to pull a handkerchief from his robe and wiped away her tears.

“It’s my fault for only telling you after making the decision—”

The young woman’s eyes, washed by tears, appeared especially clear and transparent. “A’Shuo, I want to go too.”

Qi Shuo: ?

Lin Hao sighed heavily. “But I know it’s impossible.”

Because they couldn’t go together, once this person left, he would become her constant worry day and night.

Just thinking about the torturous days ahead made her want to cry.

“A’Shuo, you’ve come formally—do you need to see my grandmother and my mother?”

“Yes, for such a major matter, I should inform the two elders.”

“Let’s go then.” Lin Hao stood up.

Walking along the path to the main courtyard, Qi Shuo couldn’t help asking in a low voice, “Ah Hao, when your mother-in-law-to-be hits someone, does it hurt?”