Still several li away, their convoy was stopped by sentries.

On the hilltops flanking the road, taking advantage of the terrain, two rows of archers suddenly appeared, each with heavy bows drawn, positioned high above and ready to strike.

A scout appeared on the hilltop and shouted sternly downward: “Restricted area ahead! Entry without permission forbidden! Who are you? State your names!”

Gao Huan shouted back: “Is that Yi Cheng city ahead? Is Governor Li there? He’s my brother-in-law!”

The scout was startled, his gaze shifting from Gao Huan to the horse carriage on the road, scanning it before saying “Wait a moment” and waving flag signals down the hill.

From somewhere a horse and rider appeared, the rider spurring his mount toward the city gate at full speed.

In no time, the city gate opened and several riders emerged, quickly approaching.

Luoshen recognized the person in blue robes at the front—it was Jiang Tao.

Knowing Jiang Tao didn’t recognize Gao Huan, she stuck her head out the carriage window and said: “Second Brother Jiang, it’s me who has come!”

Li Mu had come here with fewer than two thousand men.

Besides the soldiers from the Ba Commandery battle who had willingly followed, there were also three hundred attendants from Jingkou.

When they first arrived, the city was like wilderness, walls collapsed, roads nearly buried by wild grass. In such a large city, the remaining residents totaled only about a hundred households—all elderly or those with nowhere else to go.

After arrival, the first priority, besides clearing roads and opening wasteland, was defensive works—the most crucial of all.

To strengthen the city walls’ defensive capability, when rebuilding fortifications, they didn’t simply restore the walls. Instead, based on individual bow and crossbow range, they built rectangular high towers protruding from the walls at arrow-shot intervals on both sides of the four gates, constructing double barbican gates.

Thus, when facing attack, they could simultaneously form crossfire from three directions against invading enemies, greatly enhancing defensive capability.

These days, Jiang Tao had led engineers in building city walls, working day and night tirelessly, finally seeing initial results.

Also, having received reports that recently barbarian Jie and Xianbei scouts had come upon hearing news, hiding and spying in the vicinity, he had been arranging increased nighttime patrols near the city gate when he suddenly heard reports of someone claiming to be Governor Li’s brother-in-law being stopped in the mountain pass several li away. Extremely surprised, he immediately rushed over and indeed saw Luoshen’s face emerge from the horse carriage. Amazed, he dismounted and ran over to pay respects.

Luoshen said: “I know my arrival is abrupt. If there’s any disturbance, please forgive me.”

Jiang Tao hurriedly replied: “How can Madam say such words? Madam traveling thousands of li, enduring hardships to come here personally, is a tremendous surprise and great encouragement to the soldiers. Please enter the city, Madam.”

Luoshen smiled and thanked him, then introduced Gao Huan and Captain Fan Cheng.

Originally it was because of this Gao family young master that there later came the marriage between Li Mu and the Gao family young lady—how could Jiang Tao not know Gao Huan’s name?

Meeting him for the first time today, he saw his handsome features and refined appearance. The skin behind his ears and at his neck collar, places the scorching sun couldn’t reach, still showed clearly white undertones, while his face and arms had darkened. At his neck especially, the black and white contrast was distinct, making him look somewhat comical.

But he himself obviously didn’t care at all. His eyes were bright as he greeted Jiang Tao, then kept staring ahead with an impatient expression.

Jiang Tao also exchanged greetings with Fan Cheng, then led them into the city.

Li Mu had left early to survey terrain. Once inside the city gate, Jiang Tao immediately sent someone to notify Governor Li quickly, informed Luoshen, then personally guided her to the Governor’s mansion in the north of the city.

Upon entering the city gate, the imposing feeling that had struck her when first seeing the city walls from outside completely vanished.

The road from the city gate to the Governor’s mansion had been cleaned up, but the surface remained uneven. When wind blew, yellow dust swirled.

Seven or eight out of ten civilian houses along the roadside showed damage—missing doors and windows, collapsed eaves and walls. Everywhere showed traces of war and fire. Corners of houses, eaves, roadsides were overgrown with weeds not yet cleared away. Some wild grass grew densely, climbing wildly, almost burying entire ruins.

The scene was one of complete desolation.

Near the city gate was completely empty, with not a single resident in sight. Only when approaching the Governor’s mansion did they see some women and children around the roads, all in ragged clothes with disheveled hair and dirty faces. Women were hanging laundry while several thin, yellow-faced children gathered by the roadside playing stone-catching games, their loud laughter ringing out. Suddenly hearing commotion behind them, they turned to see an unfamiliar horse carriage approaching with jingling sounds. They quickly scattered, each hiding behind doors and windows, peeking out with half their heads, timidly watching, not daring to approach.

They reached the Governor’s mansion at the end of the road ahead.

Over ten years ago, before this place was swept by war and the city was broken and damaged, residents had numbered over a hundred thousand. This Governor’s mansion used as the military and administrative center of the entire city had naturally been grand with high halls and impressive courtyards.

But now this place was also in ruins. The surrounding walls had half collapsed, the gate stones still bore black scorch marks from fire, and even the main gate was only temporarily patched up with bamboo fencing.

Luoshen alighted from the carriage and was led inside by Jiang Tao.

All the way in, she saw collapsed houses, broken galleries, and dried pools. Only one large hall in front had been cleaned up, apparently used as Li Mu’s daily council chamber.

Past the front hall, they came to the rear residence, which looked even more broken down.

Through what seemed to be a hanging flower gate whose door had been burned away, Jiang Tao pointed inside, saying that was Li Mu’s quarters.

This courtyard must have once been elegant, but now weeds grew everywhere in the yard, debris scattered about. At the southwestern wall corner stood a ruined stone pavilion overgrown with tile moss, beside it a cluster of half-withered bamboo. The ground showed traces left by wild insects and beasts, while eaves and house corners were covered with cobwebs everywhere.

From a cluster of weeds at the wall corner, something black and oily like a weasel or fox suddenly darted out with a squeak, flying past A’Ju’s feet as she stood beside Luoshen, quickly burrowing into a hole in the wall corner and disappearing in an instant, startling A’Ju.

Jiang Tao quickly stepped forward, ran to that door, sweeping away cobwebs clinging to the upper doorframe with his sleeve while turning back to Luoshen with an apologetic smile: “After we arrived, Governor Li only focused on other matters, and these past months he hasn’t slept here many nights. When building fortifications earlier, he camped outside with the soldiers, so things got messy. It’s also my oversight—I didn’t think of these things and didn’t have the place cleaned up. Please don’t blame me, Madam. Watch your step.”

While speaking, he loudly called for someone to bring a broom, took it himself, and busily swept away rubble and debris from the small path.

Luoshen told him not to trouble himself. She walked to the door and gently pushed open that dust-covered door.

With a creaking sound, the door opened.

The room was quite spacious but completely empty inside. Besides a bed, a clothes chest, and a desk and couch against the wall, there was nothing else.

The bed and furniture were all old. The floor was better than dirt—originally laid with square bricks. But now the brick surface was cracked and covered with dust, with moss growing darkly between the brick gaps.

On the southwestern wall corner, yellowed rain stains spread across the surface, covered with moldy spots and mushrooms growing in clusters.

Standing at the doorway, there was hardly anywhere to step, and the air carried a faint musty smell.

Jiang Tao was very uneasy and repeatedly apologized to Luoshen.

Luoshen withdrew her examining gaze and smiled: “No matter. If Second Brother Jiang has business, please attend to it. I can tidy up here myself.”

She lifted her skirt and stepped inside.

A’Ju then directed the attendants to move the accompanying trunks and cases inside.

No matter how this place was cleaned, it couldn’t be made decent immediately.

Jiang Tao knew staying would be useless—at this moment he only wanted to quickly summon Li Mu back to handle things. After pointing out directions to the kitchen and other places to A’Ju, he hurried off.

How could Gao Huan stay put? Having someone randomly find an empty room to put his things, he immediately followed along.

Once Jiang Tao left, A’Ju looked around the room again, sighed, but said nothing and immediately directed the accompanying people to their tasks.

Boiling water, cooking, sweeping floors, pulling weeds, dusting, opening windows for fresh air, lighting wormwood incense in the four corners to repel insects and odors.

Together with Qiongshu, she rolled up the original bedding on the bed and replaced it with sleeping materials and bedding brought from home.

After much bustling about, by nightfall they had finally managed to make the room somewhat habitable.

The kitchen had also prepared food and boiled hot water.

When Jiang Tao left earlier, he had someone send rice, vegetables, fruits, and flour—already the best provisions he could provide here.

In A’Ju’s view, this was extremely crude, but knowing the limited conditions here, she dared not complain. Fortunately, they still had some dried mountain delicacies brought from Jiankang. She had the accompanying cook use them together to prepare a meal, which she personally delivered.

Having traveled hard during the day, Luoshen was already famished. After eating casually, washing herself, and changing into clean clothes, feeling somewhat refreshed, she told everyone to rest and began waiting for Li Mu’s return.

Night gradually deepened.

She seemed to hear snoring from next door—servant women exhausted from the day’s work now sleeping.

Luoshen was also very tired, but lying on this unfamiliar bed, she felt no sleepiness.

She finally rose, put on clothes, opened the door, and came to the courtyard.

Tonight the moon was visible, its light like water, but the distant parts of the city were pitch black without a trace of lamplight.

The surroundings were quiet as a ghost realm.

Fortunately, from some unknown corner among the stone pavilion and withered bamboo, occasional light cricket chirping could be heard, giving a sense of living reality.

The night grew deeper and quieter. Even the cricket sounds gradually fell silent, leaving only the rustling sound of night wind passing through bamboo groves in her ears.

Luoshen leaned against the broken stone railing in the pavilion, hugging her knees and looking up at the bright moon in the sky.

As the moon reached mid-heaven and she lost herself in thought, her figure merging with the pavilion’s shadow, suddenly hurried footsteps came from outside that hanging flower gate she had passed through earlier.

Luoshen turned her face and saw a human figure appear in the moonlight.

Li Mu had returned.

He entered the courtyard without pausing for a moment, heading straight toward the door with lamplight, almost running, taking several steps at once up the stairs. He raised his hand to push the door open but stopped.

He seemed to sense something.

Suddenly turning back, his gaze swept accurately toward Luoshen’s direction.

At first glance, he captured her figure.

Li Mu’s form froze as he turned back toward her direction.

Luoshen slowly stood up from the stone steps.

As soon as she moved, he suddenly turned around, stepped down the stairs in one stride, and walked quickly toward her.

Moonlight illuminated his face.

His eyes sparkled.

Luoshen saw him grin at her.

Suddenly a dark shadow before her eyes.

Luoshen was embraced by him.

He encircled her body with his arms, pulling her tightly into his chest.

Through their clothes, her cool, clean skin clearly felt the moisture and heat from his body.

In her nostrils filled the familiar masculine scent mixed with salty sweat rushing toward her.

Her mind briefly dazed, she felt warmth on her forehead.

He lowered his head and pressed his lips heavily against her brow.

“A’Mi! How did you suddenly come here! When they told me, I couldn’t believe it…”

His words suddenly ceased.

Before Luoshen could answer, her lips were captured by his.

Luoshen began struggling in his arms.

Whether her strength was too weak or his emotions too wildly joyful was unclear.

Her struggles under his iron arms seemed so insignificant—merely futile.

Forced to exchange a deep kiss with him between lips and tongues, gradually becoming dizzy and breathless, feeling as if her feet had left the ground as he lifted and carried her into the room.

Feeling solidity beneath her, she realized he had placed her on the bed.

Opening her eyes, she saw that dark shadow by the bed about to press down on her. Suddenly alert, she quickly scrambled up.

“Don’t—”

Before finishing her words, he gently pushed her back down onto the bed.

All beginnings are difficult.

Having come here only months ago, Li Mu spent his days busy with building city wall fortifications, surveying terrain, training soldiers, beginning land clearing, comforting nearby residents who were like startled birds…

Affairs were countless and arduous. During the day he had no time to think of her, but at night, even when camping in the wilderness with soldiers, he was often awakened by dreams of her.

No matter how exhausted his limbs, thinking of that girl’s flower-scented long hair, her smooth skin that hands couldn’t leave alone, the warm breath from her fragrant lips and pearl teeth, could easily make his hair stand on end and blood surge.

In dreams, he had repeatedly relived that night’s physical intimacy with her.

But he had never dreamed, never dared hope, that after earning the displeasure of both Gao Qiao and the Eldest Princess, she would still want him and could come to his side.

Tonight, something more impossible than dreams had occurred.

With his beloved in his arms, how could he possibly restrain himself?

Li Mu got on the bed, kneeling on either side of her legs, pressing down.

“Don’t!”

“Stay away from me!”

Luoshen was fully awake now, using hands and feet together, struggling with all her might.

This time she truly used all her strength, her tone carrying anger.

His body, rapidly engorged from excitement and urgently needing release, finally felt her resistance.

He hesitated, stopped, and looked up at her.

Seeing her lying on the bedding, breathing rapidly, her chest rising and falling accordingly, yet frowning as she stared at him, he suddenly seemed to understand something.

“Do you find me dirty?”

He smiled, his gaze immediately becoming infinitely tender.

He knew his A’Mi loved cleanliness most.

He looked around this room that had become much cleaner since her arrival, leaned down to kiss her nose tip lightly, immediately released her, and rolled off the bed.

“Ran around all day outside. Learning you had come, I only wanted to return quickly—I’m covered in sweat.”

He explained with a smile, casually removing his outer garment and turning to leave.

“Wait for me. I’ll go bathe and be right back!”

Luoshen caught her breath, got up, knelt on the bed, and shouted at the man’s retreating back: “Li Mu, you’ve misunderstood! I came here to speak with you face to face about something!”

Li Mu stopped and turned his head, still smiling.

Luoshen steadied herself, quickly climbed down from the bed, turned away to straighten her clothes, then turned back, avoiding his half-naked muscular back and pointing at the dirty clothes he had just removed.

“Put your clothes back on!”

The smile on Li Mu’s face gradually disappeared. He looked at her, returned, picked up the clothes and put them back on, then stepped toward her.

“A’Mi…”

“Don’t come closer—just stand there!”

Luoshen pointed at his feet and shouted.

She took another step backward.

Li Mu looked helpless and stopped, gazing at her in the lamplight, saying gently: “A’Mi, if you don’t want me to touch you, I won’t touch you. Don’t be afraid. On this journey, you must have suffered considerably. Coming here—what did you want to ask me?”

Luoshen raised her eyes to meet his gaze.

“My father says you chose this distant posting over easier ones because you harbor disloyal intentions. That you might become a rebel against our Dayu in the future. Is this true or not?”

The trace of tender affection remaining in Li Mu’s eyes gradually vanished.

“My mother says that on the night before you left, you went to Bailu Zhou and she met with you, advising you to abandon your schemes. Yet you would rather abandon me than give up your treacherous intentions. Is this true or not?”

Luoshen finally voiced the words that had been tormenting her heart day and night throughout this journey, asking them directly to this man’s face.

Her eyes burned, but she knew that at this moment, she couldn’t cry before him.

She kept her eyes wide open, habitually raising her small chin, looking at him, waiting for his answer.

But he only gazed at her, not speaking for a long while.

“Li Mu, answer me!”

Luoshen’s eyes began reddening at the corners, but her chin raised even higher.

“Do you think I traveled all the way from Jiankang to here to reconcile with you?”

“I must hear your answer with my own ears!”

Li Mu’s shoulders and figure moved slightly, as if to approach her.

“Answer me!”

Li Mu stopped and finally spoke.

“A’Mi, the Northern Expedition to retake the Central Plains and restore the two capitals has been my lifelong primary aspiration. Your father once shared this same aspiration with me—he nearly captured Luoyang at one point. You know how that ended. When he launched the Northern Expedition, it was during Dayu’s most prosperous period since moving south. Twice he sent armies with overwhelming momentum—why did he fail at the crucial moment? Northern resistance was definitely not the reason for your father’s withdrawal. It was the court behind him—from the emperor down to the aristocratic clans—who didn’t want your father to achieve great merit and become too powerful. They would rather hide in the Southern Dynasty with a divided realm than let your father threaten their positions through this eternally glorious achievement. Because of factional interests, they united to force your father to withdraw and cease fighting. Dayu thus lost this precious opportunity and has never again had the strength for the Northern Expedition!”

“I don’t know if you can understand. I want you to know that I now have the same grand ambition your father had then, but how does my position, Li Mu’s, compare to your father’s? Like clouds and mud! If I follow conventional paths and die of old age in bed, I probably could never achieve my heart’s desire in this lifetime!”

“A’Mi, this is the source of my treacherous intentions. If only through disloyalty can I achieve my goal, even if the world brands me a traitor, what is there to fear?”

Luoshen stared at him steadily for a moment.

“Li Mu, I know the court has chronic ailments and my father deeply detests them, but isn’t he trying his best now? He sacrifices everything, exhausts his mental and physical strength—isn’t this also to help govern the world? Before I left, father told me to tell you that he originally had great hopes for you, hoping to gain your support so you could help him uphold the court and benefit the common people in the future…”

She paused.

“Even considering me, couldn’t you think about it a little?”

When she spoke this sentence, her voice trembled slightly.

After her words fell, the room became silent.

Her ears were completely quiet.

Luoshen only heard her own heartbeat, beating faster and faster, seeming to float in mid-air.

Crystalline tears finally began welling in her eyes.

“You needn’t say more. I understand now.”

Tears could no longer be held back and spilled from her eyes.

“Li Mu, you would rather give me up than become Dayu’s rebel, wouldn’t you?”

“You clearly know my mother is the Eldest Princess and my father is head of the Gao family. No matter how glorious your reasons, they would never allow me to marry a rebel. Since you harbored such intentions from the start, why did you go to such lengths to marry me?”

“In your heart, am I, Gao Luoshen, your enemy?”

“Why exactly do you treat me this way?”

Li Mu gazed at Luoshen weeping before him and froze.

For the first time in his life, he finally felt the selfishness and darkness hidden deep in his heart that even he had never noticed.

He had always only told himself that in the previous life, she was innocent, used by others, which made her the knife that killed him and completely buried his ambitions and great achievements.

He loved her, couldn’t forget her, and remembered her saying that night, “This concubine’s remaining life is entrusted to you, husband.”

So in this lifetime, he wanted to marry her early, protect her under his wing, and never let her experience the painful life of losing her husband and parents, being controlled by her family, and forced into another marriage.

He had planned his future path. For her sake, he abandoned his original path of advancement and chose this more direct but obviously much more difficult route.

The purpose of everything was only to let himself rise to power quickly—not only for the great Northern Expedition cause but also so he could soon hold enough power to protect her.

He had even considered that when he took the Western Capital—which would mean he controlled Longxi—he could use this enormous bargaining chip to negotiate with Gao Qiao. By then, even if Gao Qiao detected his ambitions, he would have to consider Longxi’s importance to the Southern Dynasty, and correspondingly, the pressure she faced could be resolved by him on her behalf.

He had considered everything for her with such deep affection.

But at this moment, Li Mu suddenly understood.

Because Gao Qiao had detected his intentions ahead of time, disrupting his plans and causing that tender, affectionate web he had constructed to shatter.

He had nowhere to hide either.

He finally knew that he actually still blamed her.

Driven by obsession, he had married her not only to deepen the divisions between the three aristocratic families but also to keep her by his side.

She was Li Mu’s woman.

In this lifetime, even though his current status was humble and he no longer held the high position and power of Grand Marshal from his previous life, he still wouldn’t let her marry another man.

He wanted this noble woman to personally witness how Li Mu would step by step rise to power again, retake the divine land, shatter that world of hers again, and trample all those people underfoot.

In his private heart, he had even considered that if he and the people behind her came into conflict again, if that wedding night scene from his previous life were repeated, when she was no longer an innocent person kept in the dark but someone who knew she held poisoned wine in her hands, then in this lifetime, as his wife, how would she choose?

He was such a greedy and dark person.

Now he had finally married her.

Faced with her tearful questioning, Li Mu discovered he was actually speechless.

He couldn’t say a single word.