At the break of dawn, galloping horses and riders wove through the capital garrison.

Horses and riders had been constantly galloping through the capital garrison. The noisy chaos hadn’t stopped since that night when the upheaval began.

Compared to the upheaval in the capital city, the capital garrison’s upheaval had started even earlier. In the middle of the night, troops were suddenly mobilized, and suddenly fighting broke out—

Recalling the events of that day, Zhang Gu still broke out in waves of cold sweat. Formerly familiar comrades-in-arms slaughtered each other, then were killed by soldiers who came from outside. Later, strange imperial troops came to surround the capital garrison, and many more were killed—

Zhang Gu stood outside the camp, watching the pale light at the horizon’s edge. He didn’t know about other camps, but in his courier soldier camp, half of the familiar faces were now gone.

His superior had been cut down with a single blade on the night of the upheaval. The superior had been the Crown Prince’s man, and with his death, the courier soldier camp was classified as part of the Third Prince’s faction.

They were fortunate not to have been beheaded immediately. Now detained awaiting judgment, they didn’t know if they would even be allowed to continue serving as soldiers in the future.

“Zhang Tou’er.”

A voice called softly from behind.

Zhang Gu turned around and saw a courier soldier shuffling over.

At least all the men in his squad were still alive.

“Here.” His comrade pressed a pot of hot tea into his hands.

Zhang Gu took it and drank a large mouthful, dispelling the cold from his body. He said, “Don’t worry. I can see things have settled down. Those who needed to be dealt with have been dealt with. We should be fine. As long as we’re alive, even if we can’t be soldiers anymore, we can count ourselves fortunate.”

He was trying to comfort his brother, but his comrade’s expression showed no fear or anxiety. Instead, his eyes were excited. “Boss, Boss, do you know who’s in charge now? The court’s man, the Emperor’s man—do you know who it is?”

With all the killing that had gone on in the capital garrison, the one now controlling it was said to be the Emperor’s personal guards, or perhaps the Shadow Guard Army. Naturally, the leader was the Emperor’s man, though lowly people like them weren’t qualified to meet him.

Zhang Gu didn’t care either. Whoever it was, what did it have to do with them?

“Boss, it’s someone we know.” His comrade said excitedly.

Someone they knew? Zhang Gu was somewhat puzzled. How could insignificant courier soldiers like them know someone from the Emperor’s inner circle?

“Not the Emperor’s man—someone from General Chu’s people.” His comrade said in a low voice. “That Vice General Zhong.”

Zhang Gu didn’t immediately understand who he was talking about.

His comrade gestured on his face. “Scar-face, Miss Chu, A’Fu. We met on the road journey to the capital. At that time, A’Fu—”

A’Fu, scar-face, General Chu. In an instant, Zhang Gu had a sudden revelation as memories flooded back—actually, this matter hadn’t happened that long ago.

“Him?” He was somewhat surprised. “It’s actually him?”

Though it wasn’t so strange. Chu Ling had once been the person the Emperor trusted most. Perhaps the Emperor had been prepared for this incident all along and had General Chu send people back—

Zhang Gu’s thoughts wandered as he heard his comrade speak another sentence in a low voice.

“I also heard that General Chu’s daughter is now the Empress.”

General Chu’s daughter—that would be A’Fu! Zhang Gu snapped back to attention with another start. A’Fu had become Empress? Then—

Suddenly a sharp call interrupted the two men huddled together.

“Zhang Gu!” The newcomer shouted sternly. “Come out.”

Zhang Gu and his comrade trembled slightly at the shout. Was it his turn now—

Zhang Gu raised his head and saw several military officers standing not far away in the dim morning light. His gaze involuntarily fell on one of them. The young officer wore iron armor, arrows on his back, and a blade at his waist. He was tall and thin—

Both familiar and dazzlingly unapproachable.

He stood there stupidly without moving.

It was the young officer who spoke first.

“Zhang Tou’er,” he said. “It’s been a long time.”

……

……

The new recruit in the courier soldier camp sat on the ground secretly wiping away tears. Life was truly unpredictable. Originally, he had thought that leaving the countryside and entering the capital garrison meant a bright future ahead, establishing merit and making his name. But what happened? Never mind making his name—his head was about to roll.

How unlucky to encounter an imperial prince’s rebellion!

Even more unlucky was that he hadn’t done anything at all—

The new recruit grieved silently, but was soon interrupted. First, a comrade ran over, grabbing others and whispering something. The others immediately boiled over like water coming to a boil, bubbling excitedly.

“It’s really A’Jiu?”

“A’Jiu became an official?”

“He still remembers us!”

“He does! He called Zhang Tou’er over. Don’t know what they’re saying. Only the two of them.”

Seeing these men’s animated expressions, the new recruit couldn’t cry anymore and couldn’t help asking, “Is there more bad news?”

Those men turned to look at him. “Kid, you’re in luck.”

The new recruit was astonished. What good luck? Being detained waiting to be executed?

Zhang Gu returned at this moment. Seeing him, everyone crowded around, excitedly asking, “Boss, what did A’Jiu come to do?”

Zhang Gu looked at everyone. “Get ready. We’ve got a mission.”

A mission! Everyone was shocked, even the new recruit jumped up. A mission meant they were in the clear, things were back to normal.

“Really?” Everyone asked, excited again. “Did A’Jiu let us go?”

Zhang Gu looked at everyone and nodded. “You could say that. This mission was given to us by him.” But then he shook his head. “But also not.”

Was it or wasn’t it? His comrades didn’t understand.

Zhang Gu’s hand pressed against his waist. He didn’t explain further, only saying, “Alright, don’t ask. Get your own equipment. We leave immediately. These are troubled times. The court is busy with military and political affairs. We can’t delay—”

Actually, he didn’t need to explain. His comrades didn’t find it too hasty at all. At this moment, they all wished they could set out on the mission immediately and return life to normal. They responded in unison and went to pack up.

The new recruit was also stumbling along in confusion, being dragged along. Was this real?

But soon the new recruit believed it was real. They were quickly equipped with horses and gear that were much better than before. Everyone who saw them was extremely respectful, giving them whatever they asked for, even offering things before they could ask.

The men examined the fine horses they had never used before, their expressions excited.

“A’Jiu really became a high official.” One comrade said, then sighed. “A’Jiu became a high official and didn’t forget us.”

“A’Jiu is truly a good brother,” another also sighed.

The new recruit couldn’t help asking, “Who exactly is A’Jiu?”

The others looked at him with sympathy. “Kid, your luck was bad. You missed the time when we were together with A’Jiu.”

Everyone laughed and joked, nothing like the gloomy, worried, and bewildered atmosphere of the past few days. Everyone had come back to life. Zhang Gu stood to the side watching and couldn’t help smiling, though actually it wasn’t just A’Jiu who hadn’t forgotten them—there was also A’Fu.

……

……

“It was she who asked you to help,” the youth had said indifferently. “She really trusts you all.”

Zhang Gu couldn’t help but laugh at the time. “A’Fu is really too polite—”

“What’s polite about it?” The youth’s phoenix eyes lifted in that roguish manner again. “Because you’re all too easy to deceive, of course she can trust you.”

This was naturally referring to that time on the road journey. Zhang Gu couldn’t help but smile even more broadly, looking at the youth before him. “Meeting you and traveling together was truly good fortune.”

The youth said irritably, “What good fortune! Zhang Tou’er, you need to break that good-natured habit of yours quickly.”

Zhang Gu laughed heartily. Back then when this youth had first arrived, rebellious and unruly, he hadn’t felt afraid. Now this youth wore cold iron armor and generals attended him respectfully, yet he still didn’t feel afraid.

……

……

“Boss, what are you smiling about?” A comrade saw him. At this moment, unburdened, they dared to joke around. He teased, “Did A’Jiu give us some other benefit?”

Zhang Gu laughed heartily and grabbed the reins to mount his horse.

“Boss,” that comrade ran over and asked in a low voice. “Did A’Fu really become Empress?”

Zhang Gu’s hand paused on the reins.

……

……

“She’s not some A’Fu anymore.” A’Jiu gripped the reins and turned back. “The Emperor has passed the throne to the Imperial Grand Grandson and issued an edict making the daughter of the Chu family, Chu Zhao, Empress.”

The youth swung onto his horse with a slight smile.

“She is now the Empress.”

With that, he spurred his horse and galloped away, followed closely by a crowd of officers and soldiers.

Empress was the Emperor’s wife. The Emperor was the Imperial Eldest Grandson.

A’Fu had become the Imperial Eldest Grandson’s wife.

Then A’Fu and A’Jiu could never be husband and wife.

Unexpectedly, it wasn’t the elders of the two families who had separated the loving couple, but a bolt from the blue—

Zhang Gu raised his head to look ahead. The dawn light was already bright, and that youth’s figure had long since disappeared from view.

A’Jiu must be very sad inside, right?