Zhuge Yue had gone to Ye City on official business and had been away for half a month already. Three days ago, Chu Qiao received news that fighting had broken out again beyond Yanming Pass. It was merely thirty-some drunk soldiers who rushed out of the pass and went to provoke Yan Bei at Longyin Pass, firing a round of arrows. One Yan Bei soldier died and three were injured, but they didn’t retaliate.

By the time this news reached Zhenhang City, it was already ten days old. In the official memorial, the border commander requested the court issue an edict to attack Yan Bei, fervently claiming that according to reliable intelligence, Yan Bei was currently exhausted with depleted horses and insufficient provisions, and all kinds of military supplies were running low. There were also large-scale civilian uprisings in their country. It was the best time for a northern expedition, and once missed, future confrontations with Yan Bei would be immensely difficult.

Even before this, voices supporting the war in the court were already clamoring. This memorial now poured oil on fire, instantly stirring up Da Xia’s war spirit. From courts to commoners, everywhere echoed with enthusiasm for war. Da Xia’s subjects originated from beyond the past and were naturally a warlike people. Now, with the instigation of those with ulterior motives, the clamor was even more intense. At night, the sound of knife-sharpening could be heard from every household in Zhenhang City. The civil officials from the Censorate set up a war platform in Ziwei Square, specifically to enlist ordinary citizens who volunteered for military service. Long strings of names were densely written on the imperial notice and conspicuously posted in front of Ziwei Gate. Behind each name was a bloody fingerprint, creating a spine-chilling sight.

The public’s enthusiasm for war had reached unprecedented heights, yet the Sacred Golden Palace was still reluctant to issue an imperial decree. The Emperor had fallen ill again recently and hadn’t been able to attend court for seven or eight days. With the deliberate indulgence of the Council of Elders, various activities in the civilian sector were carried out with great fanfare. There were even self-organized guards from various regions, carrying war blades as they marched toward the capital.

Chu Qiao had sent four letters to Zhuge Yue, but before receiving his reply, the long-absent Zhuge Huai visited her, leaving her somewhat at a loss.

Zhuge Huai had specially come from the Zhuge family estate. Although Zhuge Mu Qing had once expelled this son from the family when Zhuge Yue was in trouble, after his glorious return, the entire Zhuge clan collectively chose selective amnesia, throwing this discordant past behind them. Zhuge Huai, who had repeatedly opposed Zhuge Yue, was abandoned by the family and sent far back to the estate. He had been away from the imperial capital for three years.

Yet his return this time was for Chu Qiao and Zhuge Yue’s grand wedding.

A month ago, Chu Qiao’s dowry had entered Zhenhang City gates in a grand procession, with carriages stretching endlessly, beyond sight. Zhenhang’s garrison soldiers roughly calculated that there were as many as four hundred carriages and fifty thousand escort personnel. Bian Tang’s ceremony officials wore deep robes and splendid attire, completely in imperial ceremonial style.

Joy and celebration filled the entire journey, with crimson silk brocade paving the way and golden silk flowers scattered everywhere. Red gauze and glorious canopies lined the route, with three thousand lavishly dressed palace attendants leading the way, twenty thousand beautifully armored Xiuli soldiers fully equipped, and twenty thousand Wolf Army soldiers guarding behind. The display was so majestic that even the Emperor taking a wife or the Empress being enthroned would not be so luxurious.

The citizens of Zhenhang City were collectively dumbfounded, and even the officials of Da Xia were stunned. Li Ce had prepared her dowry for two years, sparing no expense for extravagance, giving her supreme honor and glory. Even though he was no longer present, he still supported her in this way, ensuring that no one would look down on her.

The Zhuge family immediately rose in status due to their marital connection with Bian Tang. Zhuge Mu Qing, who had been suffering from prolonged illness, also returned from the estate, cordially exchanging greetings with Bian Tang’s escort officials. Li Ce had somehow managed to bring together some distant relatives of the Jing family. Although Chu Qiao had never met them before, these elderly lords and ladies burst into tears upon seeing her, deeply expressing their longing and thoughts for her over the years.

Some elderly ladies from the Jing clan moved into the Sima mansion. Although Chu Qiao didn’t have a good impression of them, Zhuge Yue still earnestly instructed the servants to treat them well. For several days, Chu Qiao didn’t need to go anywhere; she just sat properly in her room every day, listening to them teach her wedding customs, instruct her on the duties of a wife, and explain what she should and shouldn’t do.

With the wedding approaching, she became increasingly anxious, as if all the eyes in the world were focused on her. She alone couldn’t find peace, always feeling that beneath all this extravagant splendor, hidden sharp edges lurked unseen, making her restless.

Zhuge Yue comforted her, saying she was silly with happiness, and she could only comfort herself with the same thought, hoping it was just pre-wedding jitters rather than some unfortunate sixth sense.

However, after Zhuge Yue left, her unease became even more apparent. Following closely were the strange war reports from Yan Bei, and the intense warmongering in the court, all making her increasingly uncomfortable. Yet she knew nothing and could only carefully guard against potential threats, quietly waiting for Zhuge Yue’s return and their grand wedding.

She politely received Zhuge Huai, and they sat formally in the hall, making small talk about his journey, discussing the scenery along the way, and hearing stories about Zhuge Yue’s childhood, with him presenting a fatherly, benevolent image of an elder brother.

The day after Zhuge Huai arrived, the young ladies of the Zhuge family collectively came to visit. The third young lady of the Zhuge family, Zhuge Qing, was born to the first wife and had always held some status. She was now the wife of Liu Wen, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. The Liu family had been scholars for generations and held considerable status among Da Xia’s clans. Today, she led several unmarried younger sisters to invite Chu Qiao to return to the Zhuge mansion in the evening to meet with the sisters and aunts.

Chu Qiao had never imagined that one day she would return to the Zhuge family in such a capacity. Surrounded by Zhuge Qing and others, she stepped down from the sedan chair and saw the towering main gate of the Zhuge residence, solemn and severe. The various ladies and mistresses of the Zhuge family stood at the entrance in a neat row. Upon seeing her, they all bowed in unison.

After all, her current identity was not only Zhuge Yue’s bride-to-be but also the Xiuli Wang of Bian Tang, enjoying the treatment of a Prince of the First Rank, with her own fief and military authority, wealthy and powerful. In the eyes of outsiders, she was almost the second master of Da Tang. Throughout history, even if these aristocratic families had married imperial princesses, where had anyone ever brought home a foreign prince? No wonder the people of the Zhuge mansion were making such a grand show.

The women present were all adorned with pearls and jade, dressed in brocade and silk, smiling at her as if the past events were just a dream that had never happened.

The sun was bright, and the sky was clear and open. As the weather was gradually warming, Chu Qiao wore only a water-colored cloud-patterned wide-sleeved deep robe, with her hair in a low bun, adorned with a sapphire jade hairpin. She looked elegant and simple, yet not lacking in dignity.

Meeting, greeting, exchanging pleasantries, and banqueting—everything seemed like a pre-planned show. How to walk, what to say, what expressions to make—Chu Qiao performed it all perfectly. The banquet was lively, with several young ladies from the Jing family following Chu Qiao. Some of them didn’t even have the Jing surname; some were only called Jing because one of their relatives had a distant marital connection with someone from the Jing family. They accompanied Chu Qiao as her family members.

Most of the wine was intercepted by these maternal relatives. After the banquet, everyone went to the Flower Appreciation Chamber for tea. With many women gathered, the atmosphere became lively. These noble young ladies usually spent their leisure time appreciating flowers or embroidering. Now, sitting together, they inevitably felt somewhat dull. Someone suggested that each person compose a poem to match the day’s scenery.

Chu Qiao knew that this was the Zhuge family’s young ladies testing her. In others’ eyes, she was a woman of slave origin whose family had already fallen. She had only reached her current position through some coincidental encounters with important figures of the time. Now they were asking her, a lowly commoner of military background, to recite poetry, obviously intending to embarrass her.

Sure enough, most of the Jing family’s young ladies showed timidity. Except for one girl whose father was a minor county magistrate who managed to compose a verse, the rest mostly produced incoherent pieces. The young girls of the Zhuge family covered their mouths and laughed, their eyes full of schadenfreude.

If she had just arrived here, Chu Qiao might have had some desire to compete with them, but now, having experienced life and death many times, she found the methods of these noble ladies’ daughters tedious. However, since it was her first time coming to Zhuge Yue’s home in this capacity, she didn’t want to embarrass him too much, lest he tease her later. So she casually picked a few poems from her memory that weren’t too exquisite and recited them, merely going through the motions.

A young lady of the Zhuge family looked at Chu Qiao with a smile and said, “I’ve long heard that our future Fourth Sister-in-law is a talented woman skilled in both martial and literary arts. Indeed, seeing you today, you’re truly extraordinary.”

Chu Qiao lazily responded, “You flatter me.”

Another young lady of the Zhuge family turned her eyes and smiled, saying, “It’s just that our future Fourth Sister-in-law’s name is so difficult to address. We’ve deliberated for a long time and don’t know whether to call you Miss Jing or Miss Chu. Or perhaps, since you were once a retainer of Prince Yan of Yan Bei, and are now a prince of Bian Tang, should we call you by the surname Yan or Tang?”

As soon as these words were spoken, the young ladies from the Jing family beside them immediately looked displeased. The whole world now knew that after leaving the Zhuge mansion, she had changed her surname. She didn’t care, but for the Jing family’s main branch, it didn’t look good. This young lady, whatever her name in the Zhuge family, bringing up such matters on this occasion and mentioning that she was once Yan Xun’s servant, was trying to embarrass her.

She wasn’t angered, but just smiled quietly and slowly said, “If the young lady doesn’t know how to address me, you might as well call me ‘Your Highness, the Xiuli Wang.'”

The young lady’s pretty face immediately turned pale, her willow eyebrows raised, just as she was about to speak, she was immediately stopped by Zhuge Qing, who quickly said, “The wedding day is approaching, let’s call Her Highness ‘Fourth Sister-in-law,’ which sounds more intimate.”

At this moment, a maid came forward to refill the tea, easing some of the awkwardness. The group then chatted about some idle matters, such as how a certain family’s daughter had gotten engaged to a family earlier in the year, thinking it was a good match with a wealthy and noble family, only to find that within just two months, the man had already taken three concubines. Or how the daughter of some other family had lost her mind over a poor scholar, and when her parents disapproved, she shamelessly ran away with him, and their whereabouts were still unknown.

Chu Qiao had no interest in their topics but had to force herself to listen attentively. Suddenly, someone mentioned Zhao Che, saying he had taken a fancy to the daughter of the Eastern Hu clan chief, also a northern nomad.

The young ladies indignantly said that it must be that nomad girl who had used some fox-like seduction techniques to bewitch the Seventh Prince, but with her status, she was delusional to think she could marry into the royal family.

Zhao Che had experienced ups and downs over the years, and now he had finally gained power and had intricate connections with the Zhuge clan. Hence, these young ladies inevitably had some fantasies about him. Chu Qiao heard this but didn’t refute it. After all, in this era, prejudice about family status was indeed an iron rule, and she couldn’t be bothered to argue with them about such matters. However, the young lady who had been rebuked by Chu Qiao earlier sarcastically said, “The Seventh Prince is too brutal, contrary to the way of benevolence. I heard that he was once in the northern lands, eating raw meat and drinking blood, like a madman. His maternal clan has also committed crimes. I don’t understand why the sisters admire him so much.”

Zhuge Yue’s friendship with Zhao Che was well-known throughout Da Xia, and not everyone present had a good impression of Zhao Che. Saying this was clearly because Chu Qiao was present. Her jumping out to say such things again was looking for trouble.

Before Chu Qiao could speak, a young lady named Zhuge Xiu beside her chimed in, “Eighth Sister speaks rightly. Father often teaches us that one should harbor benevolent thoughts. No wonder during the Yan Bei military rebellion, our elder brother preferred to retreat to the estate rather than stain his hands with blood and engage in killing.”

“Exhausting the military and reveling in violence, fighting and killing, are ultimately the affairs of commoner warriors. The Seventh Prince, with such status, yet doing things contrary to the teachings of the sages, is truly disheartening.”

Chu Qiao listened with a slight frown, her gaze cold as she glanced sideways at this Eighth Young Lady, saying calmly, “Oh? I didn’t expect Eighth Young Lady to be so well-versed in the sage’s way of benevolence. I wonder, if everyone in the country thought as you do, and enemies charged into the capital, holding a war blade to your neck, how would you react?”

The Eighth Young Lady was slightly startled, her face changing subtly, and then she replied, “My Da Xia has a million strong soldiers and iron-like fortresses. How could bandits charge in?”

“Isn’t Eighth Young Lady advocating the way of benevolence? If the soldiers at the border all had the same realization as you, then the day of Da Xia’s demise would not be far off.”

The Eighth Young Lady’s eyes widened, and she angrily said, “Commoner children, how could they understand the teachings of the sages!”

“According to you, noble and prestigious clans who understand the teachings of the sages must rely on protection from these raw meat-eating and blood-drinking commoner children?” A cold voice suddenly sounded from the corner. Everyone turned to see it was the Jing family young lady whose father was a county magistrate. The woman’s face was cold, and she said with complete indifference, “What way of benevolence? The current situation is chaotic, the northwestern wars have not stopped for years, and border soldiers have suffered countless casualties. Once killing begins, where is the sage’s teaching? If it weren’t for the Seventh Prince’s stalwart defense of Zhenhang back then, how could we be enjoying this peaceful world today?”

The young girl was young, but her words were extremely sharp. With a few sentences, she silenced all the young ladies of the Zhuge family, and none dared to speak again.

Just then, a servant knocked on the door outside the flower chamber, saying, “Third Young Lady, the cousin Miss has arrived.”

Zhuge Qing was startled, her expression changing dramatically as she hurriedly stood up. Just as she was about to go out, she was stopped by the Eighth Young Lady. The Eighth Young Lady stood up proudly, took a few steps forward, and personally went to open the door, pulling a woman’s wrist as she walked in with measured steps.

The woman wore a moon-white ru dress, with an elegant and transcendent posture. Perhaps the wind outside was a bit strong, as it had blown her hair slightly disheveled. She brushed away the stray hair from her forehead, and bowed to each young lady one by one, respectfully but without any hint of humility.

Zhuge Qing’s face showed some displeasure. Seeing her finish her bow, she was about to send her away, but the Eighth Young Lady pulled her hand and walked to Chu Qiao’s side, smiling and saying, “Sister Su, you haven’t paid your respects to this lady yet. This is the renowned Xiuli General of Yan Bei, the Xiuli Prince of Bian Tang, the future Fourth Mistress of our Zhuge mansion, my Fourth Sister-in-law.”

The woman surnamed Su suddenly trembled, abruptly raising her head, her half-bent knee frozen there, unable to bend further.

The surrounding noble young ladies had unusual expressions—some worried, some fearful, and some gloating.

Chu Qiao didn’t know who this person was but sensed something was amiss, so she stood up to help her, saying, “No need for formalities.”

However, the woman instinctively stepped back, not letting Chu Qiao’s hand touch her. Her gaze gradually calmed down, and she softly said to Chu Qiao, “This commoner woman Su Wan Wan pays respects to Your Highness.”

“Sister Su, the Helian family has already fallen, and Fourth Brother has already redeemed you from the bureau of official servants. Why still say ‘commoner woman’? Who knows…” The Eighth Young Lady cast a sidelong glance at Chu Qiao and smiled, “Perhaps Sister Su will one day have the qualification to be addressed as a sister by Fourth Sister-in-law.”

“Qin’er, stop talking nonsense!”

Zhuge Qing raised her eyebrows and scolded angrily, “Our cousin rarely visits the mansion, and after such a long journey, she must be tired. Tao Shu, take our cousin to rest.”

“Wait!”

The Eighth Young Lady held Su Wan Wan’s hand and said sternly, “Third Sister, Sister Su grew up with us since childhood and has an especially deep friendship with Fourth Brother. Now that Fourth Brother is getting married, and we sisters are here to pay our respects to Fourth Sister-in-law, doesn’t Sister Su have the right to participate?”

Zhuge Qing looked annoyed, her slender white hand tightly gripping a clean handkerchief.

“Fourth Sister-in-law, you probably don’t know Sister Su yet. She is the Second Aunt’s niece and grew up with her Fourth Brother. If she hadn’t been betrothed to the Helian family, Fourth Brother wouldn’t have remained single for so many years. When Sister Su got married back then, Fourth Brother even led people to block the bridal sedan and beat up the groom. This incident has become a beautiful story in Zhenhang City, and everyone says Fourth Brother has been a romantic since childhood.”

“Eighth Young Lady, Third Young Lady, I have matters to attend to and won’t disturb you any longer.”

Su Wan Wan suddenly said loudly, turning to leave. Unexpectedly, the Eighth Young Lady grabbed her and angrily said, “I haven’t finished speaking. Did I say you could leave?”

Su Wan Wan bit her lower lip, tears welling in her eyes, pleading, “Eighth Young Lady—”

“So spineless, no wonder the Helian family fell so quickly!”

A crisp “slap” suddenly rang out, instantly shocking everyone present. The Eighth Young Lady’s cheek bore the red, swollen imprint of five fingers. She covered her face, looking at Chu Qiao in disbelief, pointing at her with a slender finger and shouting, “You dare to slap me?”

“Why wouldn’t I dare?”

After striking her, Chu Qiao calmly sat down, holding her teacup and stirring the tea leaves with the lid. She raised her eyebrows slightly and said quietly, “Officially, I am a prince of Da Tang and a guest of Da Xia. You’re shouting in my presence—punishing you for disrespect is perfectly reasonable. Privately, I am your future Fourth Sister-in-law, and you’re ordering around your cousin in front of all your sisters. Even if Master Zhuge himself were here, he would probably slap you as well.”

The Eighth Young Lady was furious, pointing at Chu Qiao and shouting, “Jing Yue’er! Don’t be too overbearing!”

“Do you believe I would dare to break your fingers?”

Chu Qiao turned her head, her voice extremely calm, but her gaze was like a sharp knife, silently cutting into the young lady’s face.

Zhuge Qing hurriedly ran forward, standing between them, repeatedly saying, “Your Highness, please don’t be angry. Qin’er is young and doesn’t know any better.”

Chu Qiao stood up, her gaze sweeping lightly over Zhuge Qin. Seeing that although her face was full of defiance, she no longer dared to speak, Chu Qiao turned to Zhuge Qing and said in a calm tone, “Since you know she doesn’t know any better, you shouldn’t let her out to embarrass herself, lest she damage the Zhuge family’s reputation.”

After saying this, she took Su Wan Wan’s hand and left the room with her entourage. The ladies of the Zhuge family had heard that Su Wan Wan had entered the mansion and already knew something was wrong. They hurriedly rushed over but only saw Chu Qiao’s back. A group of people followed out of the mansion, repeatedly apologizing. Chu Qiao had Su Wan Wan sit in a sedan chair while she mounted a horse, riding away under everyone’s varied gazes.

By the time they returned to the mansion, it was already dark. Chu Qiao sat by the candlestick, a halo of light shining on her face with a faint golden radiance.

Mei Xiang carefully walked in and said softly, “Miss, that Miss Su, how should we accommodate her?”

Chu Qiao didn’t say anything, as if she hadn’t heard, just quietly staring at the lamplight on the table, her eyes unfocused.

Mei Xiang knew she was in a bad mood but didn’t know if it was because of Miss Su. Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly heard Chu Qiao say, “Let her stay in the mansion tonight, and we’ll send her back to her residence tomorrow. Assign people to look after her, don’t let the people from the main mansion bully her.”

Mei Xiang nodded, “Yes, I’ll remember that.”

“Mei Xiang, do you think I’m meddling too much?”

Mei Xiang was startled and asked, “What do you mean, Miss?”

“This Miss Su is a very important person to him. I didn’t feel much when the Zhuge family was using words to provoke me, but I couldn’t bear to watch them bully her like that.”

The candlelight was golden, and aloeswood incense burned in the room, softly wafting out. She rested her chin on her wrist and said softly, “They brought her out just to make me jealous.”

Mei Xiang felt that Chu Qiao’s sentences were disconnected, so she asked, “Miss, did you get jealous?”

Chu Qiao raised an eyebrow and said, “Am I that kind of person?”

Mei Xiang hurriedly smiled, “No, I also think a person like Miss wouldn’t get angry over such a small matter.”

Chu Qiao looked at her, examining her carefully for a long time, making Mei Xiang’s scalp tingle. Finally, she said, “I’m tired. You can go rest.”

Mei Xiang hurriedly left, but Chu Qiao still sat by the window, showing no signs of going to bed.

Not jealous? How could that be possible?

But she couldn’t say she was heartbroken or upset either; she just felt a bit uncomfortable.

Seeing this gentle, elegant, delicate, pitiful woman standing there so frailly, not just men, even women would probably feel the desire to protect her.

Looking at her skin, so smooth and delicate, unlike her own—weathered by years of military campaigns, her skin had long since roughened. Then there were her hands, probably never having done any hard work in her life, as white and tender as freshly peeled lotus roots. And herself? A slave from childhood, training with spears and swords, how many calluses had she developed? And her chest…

Thinking of this, Chu Qiao suddenly stood up and ran to the full-length bronze mirror.

Well, her chest had grown over the years, and even if it wasn’t as impressive as in modern times, it was at least 34C. Her waist? Probably not as slim as hers; she seemed to have eaten too much lately and gained some weight. But her legs must be longer than hers. Chu Qiao nodded with satisfaction, feeling quite confident about this. Jing Yue’er had done well in this regard, leaving her with a pair of long legs, and after years of exercise, her figure should be quite fit.

She began to examine her face in the mirror. Her eyes weren’t very large, but they weren’t small either. Her nose was quite attractive, very straight. Her lips? A bit thin, not sensual enough. Her teeth were good—even and fairly white. Her face—passably oval. Overall, she’d rate herself at eighty points, which shouldn’t be a problem.

Just then, a faint sound came from outside the window. Chu Qiao frowned slightly, carefully walked to the window, and then pulled it open to see a young woman standing there—the county magistrate’s daughter who had spoken up for her at the Zhuge house earlier.

“What are you doing here?”

This Miss Jing was slightly startled, but she quickly recovered, dropping to her knees with a thud and saying, “Please save my father, sister. My father has been falsely accused of embezzling disaster relief grain by his superior officials and is now imprisoned in the imperial jail.”

Chu Qiao frowned and said gravely, “I can’t interfere with Da Xia’s political affairs. If what you say is true, when Zhuge Yue returns, I can help you speak to him about it.”

The young woman was immediately overjoyed and hurriedly said, “Thank you, sister.”

“Get up. What’s your name?”

“My name is Yu Xiao He.”

“Your surname is Yu? Then what relation do you have with the Jing family?”

Yu Xiao He quickly answered, “The second concubine of my grandfather’s elder brother was the cousin of the daughter-in-law of a distant clan brother of the former Mr. Jing.”

Chu Qiao’s scalp tingled as she heard this, thinking to herself, what kind of relationship is that? It couldn’t even be described as eighteen poles apart. She didn’t know where Li Ce had found them all or how much effort it had taken.

Thinking of this, she felt somewhat dejected. Only today did she fully understand the significance of everything Li Ce had done for her. Without this status, without this dowry, she wouldn’t have been able to walk into the Zhuge mansion with her head held high today. Even if she didn’t care, she couldn’t help but consider him. With all this, there was so much less pressure on both him and her.

Li Ce, that man who was always laughing and playing around.

“Go back first. I’ve noted this matter.”

“Thank you, sister.” Yu Xiao He bowed and ran off, her steps light and quick, like a fluttering swallow.

Just as she was about to close the window, she noticed a woman in plain clothes standing quietly under a tree not far away, silent, her gaze clear, like a faint moon.

Chu Qiao’s heart stirred, and she smiled slightly.

“Miss Su, the wind is strong outside. Would you like to come in and sit?”

Su Wan Wan sat on the other side of the small table, her demeanor quiet and gentle. Now, looking at her up close, she didn’t appear to be twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. Her features were beautiful, with just a few crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes, adding a touch of charm.

She sat there without speaking. Chu Qiao poured her a cup of tea and smiled as she sat in her place. Since Su Wan Wan didn’t speak, neither did she.

Su Wan Wan’s self-restraint was no match for Chu Qiao’s, and she finally spoke, “Your Highness, the Xiuli Wang…”

“Miss Su, just call me Chu Qiao. There’s no need to call me ‘Your Highness.'”

Su Wan Wan complied readily, nodding, “Miss Chu Qiao, regarding today’s matter, I hope you won’t take it to heart.”

Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows and asked, “What matters today?”

Su Wan Wan’s cheeks turned slightly red, and she said, “Just… just what the Eighth Young Lady said about Xiao Si and me.”

Chu Qiao smiled, shaking her head very lightly, “I haven’t taken it to heart.”

With Chu Qiao saying this, Su Wan Wan’s face reddened even more. She thought for a moment and then said, “Xiao Si and I grew up together. He’s a rare good man, born into nobility and valuing feelings. When I married into the Helian family, it was out of helplessness. He was young then and stubborn, so he inevitably did some inappropriate things. Over the years, I’ve heard about some of your affairs with him. That’s just how he is—always full of passion for those he values. When the Helian family fell, he redeemed me and arranged for me to live in his separate residence, which was just out of consideration for old feelings. Please don’t take it to heart.”

Chu Qiao suddenly smiled. She was somewhat surprised and raised her eyebrows, saying, “Miss Su, you’re a bit different from what I imagined. You just said you’re advising me not to take it to heart, but why do I feel like with every sentence, you hope I’ll remember more?”

Su Wan Wan was startled and hurriedly shook her head, denying, “No, no, that’s not it.”

“Enough, no need to say more,” Chu Qiao interrupted her. “You don’t need to explain anything to me. Zhuge Yue and I have been through many storms together for many years. If I didn’t trust him, I wouldn’t be sitting here talking with you today. I understand your feelings, so please understand mine. Our circumstances are inevitably somewhat awkward, but those are past matters and won’t affect our future. You don’t need to worry about me, but I do have one thing to say to you: an arrow, once shot, cannot return. Times change, and not everyone will always stand in the same place waiting for you.”

Su Wan Wan fell silent, and after a long while, she slowly nodded, “I understand.”

“Miss Su, forgive me for speaking so directly. I just think it’s better for you this way.”

Su Wan Wan nodded, “It’s alright. I understand everything, but occasionally I still have a bit of hope. Perhaps this is retribution—back then, I left him for power and status, and now I’m destined to end up with nothing.”

Chu Qiao smiled and said, “Life is like a chess game. Even if you make a wrong move and lose some territory, it doesn’t mean you won’t find the taste of victory elsewhere. I’ve had days when I was more disheartened than you, more desperate to die than you, but I still persevered and came through bit by bit. Miss Su, you’re still young. There’s no need to sentence yourself to a lifetime of punishment for one thing.”

Su Wan Wan stood up, smiling quietly, and said, “Thank you, but don’t worry about me. You and Xiao Si are about to have your grand wedding. Take good care of him in the future.”

Chu Qiao nodded, “I will.”

Then Su Wan Wan walked out of the room. Her figure was thin, illuminated by the lamplight, casting a faint shadow on the ground. Outside, a light spring rain had started falling at some point, drifting lightly onto her body. The willow branches throughout the garden were like frost-covered brushes, gradually obscuring her silhouette.

Chu Qiao suddenly remembered the portrait she had seen many years ago in Qingshan Court—a girl in a goose-yellow dress, her smile as radiant as a blooming peony.

She was talking about others, but wasn’t she also talking about herself?

Once an arrow is shot, there’s no turning back.

But along this journey, how many chances to turn back had Zhuge Yue given her?

Su Wan Wan was unfortunate, but she was so fortunate.

She leaned against the doorframe, looking at the eastern sky, a gloomy darkness with no sign of light.

When will you come back?

She sighed helplessly, and the night breeze blew, lifting the strands of hair at her temples, bringing a bit of dampness from the night.

Returning to her room, she took a bath, let down her hair, and bare-footed in a clean white nightgown, slipped into the bedding filled with his scent. Suddenly, she saw a letter on the pillow. It detailed her opinions on the Yan Bei military situation, a long and flowing piece.

This was to be sent to Zhuge Yue, but it wasn’t finished yet.

Yan Xun wasn’t one to show weakness. If he appeared very tough, then perhaps there were indeed internal problems. If he appeared weak, then one would need to consider whether he was planning something big.

Ah!

Chu Qiao frowned in thought, hoping he truly had no strength to fight and could wait until after Zhao Che’s ascension to confront Da Xia.

Thinking of the strange person she met that night and that terrifying dream, her head began to ache slightly.

Nothing will happen, right?

She thought this but felt her conviction becoming less and less certain.

Hopefully not.