The two arrived at the gate of the courtyard where Gao Qiao’s study was located and stopped in their tracks.

Summer trees stood dense within the courtyard, the light dim and shadowy. From the doors and windows came the reflection of a faint, powerless lamplight. The eaves and steps were dappled with tree shadows, emphasizing the deep night’s desolation.

Gao Qiao stood below the steps, his back turned to Li Mu and Luoshen, hands clasped behind him, head slightly raised, as if gazing at the mid-heaven moon above. His silhouette appeared thin and solitary.

“You’ve come?”

He turned his head, glanced at Li Mu and Luoshen standing outside the courtyard gate, nodded at the two, then turned and walked toward his study.

Luoshen and Li Mu exchanged a look and followed him inside.

Gao Qiao climbed onto the couch, sat behind his desk, and brightened the lamp flame.

The study’s originally dim lighting suddenly became much brighter.

Upon entering, Luoshen immediately noticed that her father’s study was somewhat different from usual.

These past days, her father had been ill and rarely attended court, yet at home, he refused to rest. Most of his time was spent alone, secluded in his study, buried in documents, never stepping outside. The lamp often burned until deep into the night, without a moment’s respite.

When Luoshen accompanied him in the study, she saw that he mostly dealt with old case files that had remained unresolved for years, involving all manner of affairs. Since they were old matters, presumably not urgent, she often advised him to set them aside and rest first. He would agree verbally but never stopped working.

Even today’s grand ceremony to reward the army, he had not appeared.

This evening when Luoshen came to deliver medicine to her father, she saw that this desk was still piled high with various documents and case files.

But now, everything was cleaned up neat and tidy, with nothing remaining. On the floor sat two large rattan boxes with their lids neatly arranged.

He settled into his seat and looked toward Li Mu and Luoshen. His complexion was somewhat pale, but his spirits seemed good. His expression gentle, he indicated that the two should also sit down.

Luoshen hesitated: “A’Ye, the matters you’ve been busy with these days, are they all finished?”

Gao Qiao smiled slightly and nodded: “Yes, all finished. I’ve just packed everything up – tomorrow I’ll have someone send them to the office.”

Luoshen glanced at the boxes, then looked back at her father, suddenly feeling a sense of unease in her heart.

Across from her, Gao Qiao had already turned to Li Mu, smiling as he said: “It’s nearly the third watch, yet you two are still awake, coming here to find me. What matter brings you?”

Li Mu turned to Gao Qiao, straightened his posture, and said respectfully: “To come disturb father-in-law so late at night is indeed presumptuous, but there is a matter I must inform father-in-law about.”

“What matter?”

“The position of Grand Marshal is elevated and powerful, requiring someone of both virtue and ability to fill it in order to command respect. I am of humble birth, shallow in virtue and thin in conduct, and dare not presume to occupy such a high position. I just discussed this with A’Mi, and at tomorrow’s court session, I wish to request resignation. Knowing that father-in-law was still in his study, I came specifically to inform you, so that father-in-law might know of this matter early.”

The smile gradually faded from Gao Qiao’s face. At first he said nothing, studying Li Mu intently.

The father and son-in-law looked at each other for a moment, then Gao Qiao suddenly spoke, word by word: “Jingchen, the position of Grand Marshal belongs to none other than you. Tomorrow is the ceremony of conferring the seal and bestowing the sash. I too will attend court, and all the civil and military officials eagerly await this moment. Such an important matter – you cannot make rash decisions based on momentary emotion.”

“It’s getting late, and there’s early court tomorrow. You two should go rest.”

Luoshen became anxious and immediately knelt beside her father: “A’Ye! Langjun’s decision is absolutely not born of momentary emotion. The position of Grand Marshal is lofty and glorious indeed, but precisely because of this glory, one who occupies it will have every move watched by all, with countless restrictions – this is not what Langjun desires! Why won’t father allow Langjun to resign?”

“A’Mi, A’Ye asks you – in your view, does Jingchen have the ability to competently fulfill the position of Grand Marshal?”

Luoshen hesitated.

This was a question that was very difficult for her to answer.

In her view, Li Mu could undoubtedly handle the position competently.

But being capable and being willing to do it were two different matters.

Before she could answer, Gao Qiao was already saying: “In your heart you know that Jingchen is capable of the position. A’Ye thinks so as well. The position of Grand Marshal oversees military affairs externally and participates in State Affairs Secretariat matters internally, controlling the pivot of power. Precisely because it is important, A’Ye has been cautious and careful, not daring to be careless in the slightest. Looking across the entire court, A’Ye truly cannot find anyone else besides him who could competently fill this position.”

“In this time of national crisis, if the capable do not take positions, do you still want to watch the court continue to be controlled by those incompetent people, tottering in the wind and rain, with the people unable to live in peace?”

Luoshen was momentarily at a loss for words.

Gao Qiao had already turned to Li Mu, his expression serious.

“Since the court’s southern migration, not to mention the northern expedition to recover the two capitals, even south of the great river has not seen peace. Over these years, those who occupy high positions in the court mostly rose through family background, each adorned with gold and purple, enjoying all glory and wealth – yet where can one see achievements that glorify the state? Some are mediocre and cowardly, others harbor wolfish ambitions. Trouble arose from small beginnings, accumulating day by day until it brewed today’s great disaster – to call it near extinction would not be excessive. The state nearly toppled because of it…”

Mentioning the great rebellion that had just ended and nearly engulfed half the Southern Dynasty, his emotions seemed to become agitated as well.

“Though the rebellion has now been quelled, the state’s internal troubles and external threats have not diminished by half! When you returned with your army to rescue the capital, the Murong clan attacked the Xia people, and the Central Plains were in constant warfare, like a slaughterhouse. You should have heard – just recently, the Murong clan has broken through Luoyang. After years of patient endurance, they seized this chaotic moment to rise, their momentum even fiercer than before. Moreover, given the Murong clan’s consistent ambitions and methods, how could they possibly be content with just the Central Plains? In the future, once they have the opportunity, they will certainly plot to move south.”

“The Jie people are like wolves, the Xianbei like tigers – I fear their future harm will be even greater!”

Gao Qiao suddenly began coughing.

Luoshen hurriedly rubbed and patted her father’s back.

Gao Qiao managed to suppress his coughing, waved at his daughter who was looking at him with concern, and continued: “External affairs are certainly troubled, but the nation still faces heavy internal worries as well. These past years the weather has been irregular, and before the great rebellion, granaries everywhere had little stored grain. The southeast has been an important source of court taxes, living year to year on borrowed time, barely supporting the national treasury. Now after the Celestial Master rebellion, Jiangnan lies barren for a thousand li, people’s livelihoods devastated, and the nation’s granaries cannot sustain this – without one or two years’ time, recovery will be difficult.”

He stared intently at Li Mu.

“The court was already struggling to maintain itself, and after this great rebellion, its vitality is severely damaged. If there is no capable person to stand up and take charge of the overall situation now, how can we respond to internal troubles and external threats?”

“When the late emperor originally appointed you as Grand Marshal, it seemed like his momentary impulse at the time, but now when I think carefully about it, wasn’t it perhaps the wisest move he made in his two years on the throne?”

He shook his head slightly, a bitter smile appearing at the corner of his lips.

Her father’s tone made Luoshen feel increasingly uneasy.

“A’Ye, what do you mean by this? Where are you going…”

She stopped abruptly.

Gao Qiao was silent for a long time, then slowly said: “A’Mi, A’Ye is incompetent. Decades of high office and generous salary, yet I accomplished nothing, and in the end nearly let the Southern Dynasty be destroyed by my hand. Even your A’Niang – A’Ye couldn’t even protect her properly…”

His voice trembled slightly and stopped abruptly.

After a moment, he steadied himself and continued: “Unable to recover lost territory externally, unable to bring peace and order to the people internally – henceforth I will entrust this nation and court to those who truly know how to handle affairs, and I will go seek your A’Niang.”

In Luoshen’s childhood memories, her father had eyebrows like painted strokes, eyes like careful drawings, graceful bearing, like a celestial immortal.

Later, gradually, his features became touched by wind and frost, and sometime between his brows, furrows appeared – because they could never be smoothed away, they never disappeared again.

Tonight, under the lamplight, in the father before her eyes, Luoshen could no longer see half of his former divine radiance.

When he mentioned her mother, in her father’s eyes, the only thing remaining was that deep self-reproach and sorrow so thick it could not be dissolved.

Luoshen finally understood why, after learning the news of quelling the Celestial Master rebellion and Jingzhou rebellion, her father had suddenly become so abnormal.

He had devoted his heart and blood to this court for decades, and now he wanted to leave, to go search for A’Niang’s whereabouts.

She could no longer contain herself, choking as she called “A’Ye,” her hands tightly grasping her father’s sleeves, tears glimmering in her eyes.

Gao Qiao gently patted his daughter’s hand in comfort, slowly turned his head, and looked at Li Mu, who had remained silent throughout.

“Jingchen, I too am a mediocre person. Whether this court has me or not makes no difference, but you are different. The Southern Dynasty is already riddled with holes and cannot withstand another Celestial Master rebellion or Xu Mi rebellion. The court needs you as this Grand Marshal, and the people are willing to see the court have you as such a Grand Marshal. If you don’t do it, whom else can I trust?”

Li Mu said: “If the nation has use for me, even from a thousand li away, I would not dare ignore the summons. But regarding the position of Grand Marshal, please do not make things difficult for me, father-in-law – I truly have no intention of taking it on.”

Gao Qiao shook his head.

“Your ascension today is not my choice, but the push of circumstances. After I leave, Feng Wei will replace my position. He is peaceful and moderate, capable of maintaining the situation, but tends toward the middle path. If the nation were at peace, he could serve as a peaceful prime minister, but in today’s Southern Dynasty, relying on him alone simply cannot hold things together!”

“Jingchen, besides you, no one else can lead today’s Southern Dynasty. When I speak these words to you, it’s not merely because this is your personal affair, but because it concerns state affairs and the people’s affairs – don’t you understand this?”

Li Mu’s brow furrowed slightly: “To serve the nation and people, I dare not refuse, but is the position of Grand Marshal truly indispensable?”

“Yes! Absolutely indispensable!”

Gao Qiao’s tone was decisive as steel.

“When our Great Yu founded the dynasty, Emperor Wu established the Grand Marshal as First Rank Superior Duke, above all officials. Since the founding, only five Grand Marshals have been appointed in total. The merits you have achieved surpass those five predecessors, if anything. The only shortcoming, as you yourself just said, is your limited birth. If you don’t have the office of Grand Marshal to your name, how can you intimidate all officials in the future, ensure government orders are carried out and implemented from top to bottom?”

“One cannot plan government affairs without holding the position. Conversely, to plan such affairs, one must have proper name and status! In just a few short years, you’ve achieved today’s accomplishments – you certainly understand this principle. Must I say more?”

Li Mu remained silent.

Gao Qiao stared at him, suddenly rose from behind his desk, straightened his robes and sleeves, and formally bowed toward Li Mu.

“I, Gao Qiao, on behalf of the Southern Dynasty, on behalf of the common people, humbly beseech you!”

Luoshen was shocked.

Li Mu was clearly also startled, hurriedly stepping aside and rushing forward to help Gao Qiao up.

Gao Qiao gripped his hand tightly.

“Jingchen, in extraordinary times, only you can support this court! Countless people of the Southern Dynasty already know you are the court’s Grand Marshal. The people’s respect for you – though I didn’t go to the eastern suburbs today, I still understand it somewhat. Do not disappoint the people’s earnest expectations of you!”

His tone was extremely solemn.

Li Mu knew that from the moment Gao Qiao was willing to kneel before him, he no longer had a choice.

Or rather, the time should be traced back even further.

In this lifetime, from the moment he schemed with all his heart and finally succeeded in marrying this man’s daughter as his wife, it was destined that there would be such a scene today.

His mind in turmoil, he slowly turned his face to look at Luoshen, meeting her gaze.

Finally, he withdrew his gaze and slowly said: “I hope that in the future, I will not disappoint father-in-law.”

…

The next day at the fifth watch, Luoshen rose early to help Li Mu dress for court.

She helped him put on his robes piece by piece, fastened his belt, placed his cap on his head, and when she was finally tying the cap’s binding ribbons, he suddenly opened his arms and pulled her into his embrace, holding her tightly.

After returning from her father’s study last night, he had not mentioned that matter again in front of her, and his expression had seemed quite relaxed, making this sudden gesture somewhat unexpected.

She hesitated slightly, then slowly lowered her hands to encircle his waist as well.

The two embraced like this, quietly holding each other for a moment. Li Mu lowered his head, kissed her forehead, released her, turned and opened the door to leave.