“But this… this…” Xiao’an was momentarily speechless, only gazing at this son who had grown so strong that he felt both familiar and strange to her, with shock and hesitation.

General Liu stroked his beard and smiled. Yan Da and Gao Chaoyi looked at each other. Finally, Yan Da’s furrowed brow slowly relaxed. Suddenly the young general raised his sword and gave a long howl. Startled, he heard the young man say in a deep voice: “I, Ajin, swear today that wherever Master’s heart points, there my sword shall follow! Whether defending Zhou or becoming king!”

“Where your heart points, there our swords shall follow.”

The Lian brothers, the soldiers, the common people lining the road – one person knelt, then two… finally, not a single civilian or warrior remained standing.

Xiao’an knew there was no longer any place for her words here, but this time, she wasn’t sad. At Lian Yu’s signal, she was helped to her feet by Hong Gu and Murong Jin.

Lian Yu also slowly rose. Sunlight made the fine beads of sweat on his forehead glisten brilliantly. The killing intent and heroic spirit in his eyes made people dare not look directly at him.

Suzhen was lost in the crowd, yet felt the surge of passion in her chest about to burst forth.

The letter she left him was merely a suggestion – she couldn’t control his final decision.

But he had made a choice that filled her with pride.

The brutality of war wasn’t just the heroic elegance of feather fans and silk scarves, laughing as enemy ships turned to ash. It wasn’t just the tragic beauty of one general’s success built on ten thousand bones. Those who haven’t experienced it wouldn’t understand – it meant wives separated from husbands, children from parents; rivers of blood; cold crows feeding on corpses; the rise and fall of nations.

Such a person, wherever he was, would be the people’s king – her uncrowned king.

Suddenly she remembered the incident years ago when she disguised herself to study at the private school.

The teacher asked: “You young scholars, once you’ve completed your studies, what do you wish to become?”

Become legendary.

That was her answer.

Because Li Zhaoting said he wanted to become legendary.

At that time, she never imagined that one day she would truly brave fire and water for a belief, for a person – and that person wouldn’t be Li Zhaoting.

However, her heroic feelings didn’t last long. That rough fellow called Ajin waved his hand, and his lieutenant lifted the curtain of a carriage behind them. Four or five people stepped down.

Two were women in their forties or fifties, while the other three were young, beautiful girls. Unlike Great Zhou women, they wore bright, jingling ornaments with a distinctive exotic charm. Ajin smiled: “Master, these are the beauties they’ve offered to Master.”

“Jade King, beauties! Jade King, beauties!”

The people also shouted loudly, very festively.

After all, in common people’s hearts, beauties matched with heroes was both mighty and romantic.

Suzhen stared wide-eyed, though she knew Lian Yu definitely wouldn’t— Lian Yu raised his hand and pointed at one of them: “Send her to my room.”

The other two women showed considerable resentment, glaring hatefully at the one chosen.

The selected one showed neither arrogance nor anxiety, but stole a glance at Lian Yu, a blush clearly visible on her cheeks.

Suzhen’s heart felt like it had been stabbed. This young woman was delicate and beautiful, exactly the type Lian Yu liked – wasn’t Gu Xiluo this type! She didn’t know what else happened after that. Lian Xin was shocked and angry and wanted to go out, but she stopped her. She’d give him this face, but after returning, he was dead meat!

Back at the palace, before her stool had even warmed, Lian Qin came running with his head in his hands: “Huaisu, disaster, disaster! Sixth Brother has taken another woman.”

“Another? He has other women?” Suzhen shot up from her stool.

“Can’t you speak properly?” Lian Jie also came along, interrupting him from the side. “Sixth Brother did take several women before, but definitely not to be Lotus Seed’s stepmothers. Those were all beauties captured by barbarian tribes, including some good girls from their tribes. Sixth Brother took them to set them free for independent lives.”

Although Suzhen absolutely didn’t believe Lian Yu had women, being a woman herself, she inevitably felt somewhat nervous.

If she were dead, that would be different, but since she wasn’t dead, how could she tolerate him having other women?

Alright, to be honest, she wouldn’t want it even if she were dead.

“But this time is a bit different. Sixth Brother didn’t send the person back. He used to turn around and handle it immediately, but this time he actually had her sent to his room.” Lian Qin was always a straightforward man who said whatever came to mind.

Hearing this, Suzhen exploded: “I know he’s angry about my leaving without a word, but this time he’s gone too far. Go tell him – if he dares use that woman to anger me, I’ll never speak to him again! Tell him to come see me immediately!”

The two were the type who feared the world wasn’t chaotic enough. They immediately rushed off eagerly to carry out the mission, but returned saying Sixth Brother wouldn’t see them.

Suzhen stamped her feet in anger and had Xuanwu relay a message to his guards that she wanted to break all ties with him.

By evening when everyone was having late-night snacks, Suzhen didn’t wait for Lian Yu, but Xuanwu came instead.

“Master, Master kept that girl overnight.”

Everyone was stunned. Would this escalate too far? Lian Jie said: “Huaisu, Sixth Brother is just still angry. When you returned, he was so happy he nearly died. How could he act recklessly? You don’t know how he’s lived these years – he’s even forgotten how to smile—”

But Suzhen could no longer listen. She threw down her chopsticks and left.

A group of people followed to watch the excitement, except for Leng Xue, who didn’t go. There was something about Little Zhou that he didn’t know how to tell Suzhen.

Lian Xin also returned to her room. She had been trying to avoid Wuqing. If not for Suzhen being here, she would never eat with him.

Her heart turned over and over, pondering when to leave. As she entered the courtyard and looked up, she saw the person she least wanted to see, arms crossed, leaning against the door, quietly watching her.

Lian Jie’s courtyard was brightly lit.

Seeing Suzhen, Qinglong and Baihu were somewhat surprised yet understanding, but both quickly paid their respects: “Judge Li.”

After all these years, they had long grown accustomed to this form of address.

“Is your master inside?” Suzhen asked.

Both nodded.

“I’m going in. Whoever dares stop me today, I guarantee they’ll regret it.”

The two exchanged glances and stepped aside without hesitation.

“You two and Xuanwu clear out Seventh Master, Tieshou and the others. I want to fight with your master. Keep all idle people away from me.” she added.

Behind her came a commotion – Lian Jie and others making noise – but she ignored it, walking straight to the room door and kicking it open.

Inside, Lian Yu was reading at his desk. Behind him, the woman seen during the day was massaging his back. She had changed into Zhou clothing. Seeing Suzhen enter, she smiled slightly and curtsied.

“Get out,” Suzhen said slowly.

The woman met her gaze without fear: “Madam, this servant belongs to Master and takes orders only from him.”

Her voice was soft, her gaze clear and proper, showing no impropriety yet no intention of complying either – neither servile nor arrogant, making her seem even more formidable.

Suzhen was momentarily speechless. She paused, then addressed Lian Yu: “I know you’re unhappy, but cold violence isn’t the way to solve problems. You shouldn’t use her to anger me. Even knowing you wouldn’t really want someone else, it still hurts.”

Lian Yu’s slightly lowered gaze finally moved. He raised his head, his slightly curved lips forming a mocking smile: “Hurts? So you know what hurting feels like. I thought you didn’t.”

“You’re hurt? Do you know what I thought when I received that mutilated female corpse? Do you know what I thought these five years when I personally led troops into battle, deliberately fighting until severely wounded, wanting to die on the battlefield to follow you, yet having to grit my teeth and endure for our daughter’s sake? Since you dared choose to leave me without a word, how dare you be certain I wouldn’t take other women?”

Suzhen suddenly realized he had changed so much. Even after experiencing the upheaval of the throne, that humble, receptive quality about him had always remained. Unlike now – lean and pale, cold as frost, dark and harsh.

He was just like someone close to her.

Her brother Shaoying, who later became the Wuqing version of Shaoying.

But he was now obviously much darker than Wuqing.

She also suddenly remembered what Lian Jie said – he had forgotten how to smile.

These past few days, occasionally seeing him, he never smiled. Even today, when the army returned triumphant, he hadn’t smiled once.

Just like that day when Wei Chenghui choked her throat, unable to breathe at all, she said quietly: “Lian Yu, I’m sorry. I’ll never do it again—”

“Leave. I want to sleep,” he said coldly, cutting her off and standing up.

“This servant will attend Master’s rest.”

That woman had been silent until now. She followed him to the bedside, helping him change clothes.

Suzhen felt stifled inside. She walked several steps to the bed and said sternly to the woman: “Get out. Don’t force me to have someone escort you.”

She sat down on the bed, glaring fiercely: “You can’t sleep with her. If you want to sleep with someone, sleep with me.”

“You get out,” he said.

“I won’t—”

She scooted inward, crossed her legs, and looked up grinding her teeth fiercely.

“Fine, then I’ll sleep with you.”

The bed curtains suddenly dropped, hitting her eyelids. Suzhen was stunned, only then realizing the woman was gone. That last “get out” wasn’t directed at her?