After several days and nights of marching, three thousand soldiers now stood in formation before the ferry crossing at the riverside outskirts, waiting for their new commander and awaiting their coming fate.

Ahead, wind howled and clouds hung low, winter fog locked the river.

The sun had not yet risen, and the river surface remained a gray expanse where nothing could be seen.

Transferred from the secure Palace Guard camp in Jiankang to here, they had transformed into soldiers about to cross north for battle.

They had naturally heard of the illustrious military reputation of Li Mu, who would command their river crossing campaign.

He had once single-handedly brought back Gao clan members from before Prince Linchuan’s rebel army.

In the great battle north of the river against Beixia, serving as vanguard, he achieved five victories in five battles. The emperor personally rewarded him with the title Tiger Guard.

As for the Double Ninth competition where he defeated Young Master Lu and won Lady Gao’s hand, this had become common knowledge.

He was the most rapidly rising outstanding general of humble birth in Dayu’s military to date—a fact known to everyone standing here today.

But this could not bring them much confidence or comfort.

With a mere few thousand against one hundred thousand Liangzhou troops, this expedition was no different from throwing eggs at rocks—a journey of no return.

From the lowest soldiers to squad leaders, platoon leaders, and centurions—three thousand gathered here. Though their armor gleamed and weapons bristled, the eyes gazing toward the north bank revealed undisguisable exhaustion and despair.

Suddenly, the sound of urgent hoofbeats, like war drums faintly beating in the army, approached from distant to near, entering everyone’s ears and breaking the deathly silent stillness before dawn at the riverside.

Following the sound, the soldiers saw a column of riders appear from Jingkou’s direction, hooves flying and banners unfurling.

As if in just a blink of an eye, this column pierced through the distant morning mist and galloped forth.

An armored figure astride a tall black horse appeared in everyone’s sight.

Controlling his vigorous warhorse beneath him, he quickly charged to the ferry crossing.

This was a young man of only twenty-some years. The dim morning light deeply shadowed his stern features, yet beneath his general’s helmet, his gaze was imposing and inviolable.

He stopped his horse but did not dismount, remaining seated high on his warhorse’s strong back, his stern gaze sweeping over the formation before him.

An aura of fierce battle immediately pressed forward.

Everyone was awed by the presence he emanated.

The ferry crossing with three thousand men suddenly became silent as death.

He surveyed the area. Wherever his gaze fell, soldiers straightened their chests.

His gaze finally settled on a standard bearer at the front.

That standard bearer had been holding his banner askew, but sensing the gaze upon him, he started and immediately straightened his body, his flagpole becoming perfectly upright.

The banner unfurled in the wind, wrapping around the river breeze with a fierce fluttering sound.

Only then did he raise his arm toward the three thousand soldiers, displaying the imperial credentials in his palm.

“I am Li Mu! Provincial Governor with imperial credentials for this campaign to pacify Shu! From today, you all follow my commands! When ordered, advance; when forbidden, stop! Anyone who dares violate my orders will face military justice!”

His voice carried far with the wind, reaching every person at the ferry crossing, filled with authority.

This was the supreme authority that only those tempered by blood could possess.

The ferry crossing fell silent, everyone holding their breath, slightly raising their heads to gaze at this young man who seemed to have descended from heaven.

“Did you all hear my words?”

He shouted once, like thunder exploding three feet above their heads.

“We heard!”

Involuntarily, everyone responded in unison with all their strength.

The response of three thousand instantly overwhelmed everything, thunderous as it shook a flock of gulls that had been foraging by the distant riverside into flight.

“Palace Guard soldiers have always been looked down upon by field armies. Coming here to fight, I expect you’ve already endured much mockery. But are you truly inferior to others? Not so! Each a seven-foot man, eating from the same military mess—why should you be born inferior? It’s only that you haven’t been given opportunities before! Jiangdong has always produced heroes! This northern crossing is an excellent opportunity for you! Though this battle is difficult, military success lies in strategy, not numbers! This battle is not without chance of victory!”

“I, Li Mu, fear nothing!”

“I declare here—any among you who are afraid may step forward, remove your armor, and I will let you leave without obstruction!”

After he finished speaking, the surroundings fell snow-silent.

Everyone’s eyes showed excited expressions; not one person moved.

Only then did Li Mu nod slightly, his expression softening somewhat, his gaze once again sweeping over the three thousand soldiers standing solemnly before him.

“Since no one steps forward, from today you are all Li Mu’s soldiers! Li Mu leads no cowardly soldiers, much less soldiers sent to die! I want you to firmly remember one more thing! This time I take you north of the river not to die, but to follow me, Li Mu, in achieving merit and establishing careers, spreading your names throughout the realm!”

“Achieve merit and establish careers!”

“Spread our names throughout the realm!”

Unable to suppress the excitement in their hearts, everyone raised their weapons high toward this young general who seemed a born war god, shouting in unison.

Amid the shouting, the dejected atmosphere that had filled the ferry crossing moments before was completely swept away. Even the boatmen who had plied these waters for years showed excitement on their faces, kneeling at their prows and bowing to heaven.

The deputy general stepped forward to call the roster, each man responding loudly.

When finished, daylight had brightened considerably, and the mist surrounding the distant river surface gradually dispersed.

The soldiers, spirits high, boarded ships in orderly formation.

Three thousand troops, along with their supplies, gradually departed toward the north of the river under the gaze of Jingkou residents watching expectantly from nearby.

…

Luoshen hastily washed and dressed, then hurried to the front hall, where she saw Lu Shi already sitting there, feeling her way as she slowly worked on a shoe sole, with A’Ting beside her threading needles. The surroundings were unusually quiet.

Hearing footsteps, A’Ting looked up: “Sister-in-law, you’re awake?”

Her “husband” had left home early to go to war, and by now who knew where he was, while she had just woken up.

Facing the ever-considerate Lu Shi, Luoshen felt inevitably embarrassed. She called out “Foster Mother” and said quietly: “It’s really my fault for sleeping so late that I couldn’t even see Langjun off when he departed this morning…”

Before Lu Shi could speak, A’Ting interjected: “Mother and I saw brother off this morning. Brother said himself that he had already bid farewell to sister-in-law last night, and since sister-in-law slept late and was tired, he told us not to wake you.”

Lu Shi nodded with a smile: “It was just seeing him to the door anyway. The sentiment matters—no need to be constrained by other things.”

Luoshen slowly exhaled and thought for a moment before saying: “Foster Mother, I’d like to go look at the ferry crossing.”

…

When Luoshen arrived at the ferry crossing with A’Ting, the last warship loaded with soldiers had already sailed toward the middle of the river.

Waves rolled like snow at the river’s edge, the waters rippling.

Many Jingkou people still immersed in the excitement from moments before gathered by the river, discussing animatedly.

Luoshen, her face covered by a veil, gazed toward the river’s center for a while under her escorts’ protection, suppressed a faint sense of loss, and called A’Ting to return home together. As she turned, she saw a high palanquin approaching from the opposite direction.

The palanquin was equipped with a canopy and carried by eight large men with yellow headbands. A woman sat inside. The woman’s face was covered with gauze, revealing only a pair of beautiful eyes. Her figure was hidden within the canopy, appearing and disappearing, with a sacred bearing that seemed inviolable. Behind her followed dozens of male and female believers, forming a procession as they approached.

The locals all knew this woman was a female Celestial Master of the Celestial Master religion. It was said she was as beautiful as a celestial being with profound magical powers. Seeing her pass by, believers bowed by the roadside, while non-believers also made way for her.

The Gao clan did not follow the currently favored Celestial Master religion, so Luoshen naturally wouldn’t pay special attention to this so-called “female Celestial Master.” Seeing her grand procession, she merely glanced once before getting into her carriage parked by the roadside and departing with her group.

The woman seated in the high palanquin gazed from behind her face veil toward the gradually departing carriage ahead, motionless. After a moment, she leaned down and quietly asked a young man closely guarding her: “Fengzhi, is she the Gao family woman who humiliated the Shen family that day, Xiao Yongjia’s daughter? Indeed, like that lowly woman, she’s a shrew!”

The man whispered: “Sister, don’t act rashly! Never mind that we can’t afford to provoke the Gao clan now—even Li Mu is no pushover. Though he left today, he surely made arrangements. The sect leader sent us here with the urgent task of developing believers. Don’t provoke him and ruin the sect leader’s great plans.”

A shadow of gloom flashed through the woman’s eyes. She said nothing more, but seeing believers bowing to her along the road, she continued to hold her head high, maintaining her proper noble appearance.

…

Lu Shi was someone who couldn’t stay idle. When she had nothing else to do, she would spend her free time spinning yarn.

It was the same now.

Luoshen’s daily routine, besides reading and painting for entertainment, was essentially idle. Having often sat beside Lu Shi watching her spin, she gradually developed an interest. Now with nothing else to do, she began learning.

It was quite difficult at first—she always failed to spin continuous thread, and even when she managed to twist some out, it was uneven in thickness and broke with a tug.

A’Ju saw her learning to spin and assumed she was just finding it amusing, expecting that after a few days when the novelty wore off, she would stop. So initially, A’Ju said nothing.

Later, discovering that Luoshen seemed determined to master the thread, not only practicing during the day but even lighting lamps to practice at night, then lying down complaining of back and waist pain, showing A’Ju her tender palms reddened by the thread—A’Ju became distressed and urged her to stop countless times.

But Luoshen was stubborn, refusing to believe she couldn’t spin usable thread, gritting her teeth and persisting.

Unable to dissuade her, A’Ju could only watch her bustling about, her own heart aching.

After five or six days, she actually managed to spin a long thread.

Luoshen was quite proud of herself, showing it to Lu Shi for inspection. Lu Shi praised her spinning as excellent. Luoshen was delighted and planned to strike while the iron was hot, spinning more thread by hand and eventually learning to weave cloth to make a garment.

On the tenth day after Li Mu’s departure, when Luoshen had decided to become a woman who could spin yarn and weave cloth, Jiang Tao came to visit her that day, suggesting she move to her own estate.

Besides the estate’s original guards, Li Mu had also arranged trusted guards before leaving. They would stay close to her whenever she went out to ensure her safety.

Additionally, people would take shifts standing guard at night.

But Jiang Tao said that with the increasing number of northern refugees moving south, for safety’s sake, she should move to the estate.

This was also something Li Mu had instructed Jiang Tao to watch for before leaving.

Luoshen knew her status was different from ordinary people. With Li Mu away from home and three women in the household, the estate with its high walls and deep courtyards was indeed more suitable for residence than the Li family home.

Presumably, he had made such arrangements out of caution, so she didn’t object. But she requested that Lu Shi and A’Ting accompany her to live there.

A’Ting was naturally willing.

Lu Shi initially had some concerns.

Besides being more accustomed to living at home, she also feared people would gossip about her benefiting from her daughter-in-law behind her back. But she also knew Luoshen’s invitation was sincere, and moreover, she was grateful that Luoshen hadn’t immediately returned to Jiankang when her son left for war. After slight hesitation, she agreed.

Luoshen was very pleased and had A’Ju send word ahead to prepare the rooms, planning to move there in the next couple of days.

The next day, as Luoshen had people pack luggage in preparation for the move, amid the bustle, an unexpected visitor arrived at Li Mu’s home.

Actually, she couldn’t be called an unexpected visitor.

Because when she appeared before Luoshen in magnificent clothing, leading a group of servants behind her, after a brief moment of astonishment, what remained was joy.

“Mother! How did you come here?”

Luoshen joyfully ran toward Xiao Yongjia.