In Hou Jian’s original plan, after breaking through the city, he would kill Hou Li in the chaos, then return to justify to their father that Li Mu had broken his word.

Even if his father had suspicions, with his elder brother dead and himself having the support of his mother’s clan and the Xianbei people behind him, their father wouldn’t dare cause trouble. If pressed further, it would be natural for him to take over.

What he hadn’t expected was that the gates of Yicheng, defended by a mere two thousand men, would prove as solid as metal and stone, impregnable.

After attacking the city for half the night with no results, Hou Li remained unharmed.

Seeing his soldiers were utterly exhausted, the wounded moaning continuously, and unable to continue the assault, he could only order a temporary retreat of several li, commanding them to first cook meals and rest briefly.

As daylight gradually brightened, he planned to organize another attack. If that failed, he would provoke Li Mu to angrily kill Hou Li, which would still achieve his purpose for this expedition.

Just as he was summoning several lieutenants for discussion, he suddenly noticed a commotion among nearby soldiers. Following their gaze, he couldn’t help being startled.

The city gates ahead had opened, and Hou Li was riding out from the city at full gallop, completely unharmed.

Hou Li quickly approached, stopped his horse, and loudly commanded the thousands of soldiers before him to immediately return with him.

This Yicheng fortress was truly a bone too tough to gnaw. Suddenly learning they didn’t need to fight anymore, who wouldn’t be happy?

The soldiers all showed joy on their faces, with a buzz of low discussions throughout.

Hou Li’s trusted followers in the ranks even responded immediately, rushing over to form ranks behind him, ready to depart.

Hou Jian gestured for silence behind him, walked over, and said with a fake smile: “Elder brother, you were captured by Li Mu first, not to mention why the Han suddenly released you. As soon as you emerge, you order me to retreat. This Li Mu—shouldn’t we take this opportunity to work together and destroy him? Allowing him to grow powerful near our Chouchi will create future trouble. Could it be Li Mu promised you benefits, and you’re willing to speak for him to save your life?”

Hou Li was furious: “When I was on the city wall, you actually ordered attacks and arrow volleys—what are your intentions?”

He turned to the soldiers and declared loudly: “Whether I, Hou Li, am the type who fears death, you all know perfectly well! The night before last, I was momentarily careless and fell into Li Mu’s hands. Originally, even facing death, I would never dishonor our Hou clan’s name. But Li Mu spoke, saying he doesn’t view our Chouchi as an enemy and wishes to turn swords into plowshares. Though the Southern Dynasty has now retreated to Jiangdong, it was originally the legitimate court. But what are these Xianbei children? Since Li Mu has no intention of being our Chouchi’s enemy, why should our Chouchi be driven by Xianbei children, willingly accepting a lower status?”

“Among you people, those willing to follow Hou Jian as Xianbei slaves, feel free to stay! Those willing to return with me, follow me!”

After speaking, he spurred his horse and left.

His trusted followers behind him were elated, whistling loudly as they pursued Hou Li, hoofbeats thundering as they rode away.

Common Jie people mostly had flat foreheads and narrow eyes, but among the Hou clan, only Hou Li, due to his mother’s bloodline, had a high nose and deep eyes with an imposing appearance. Though his scheming didn’t match his younger brother’s, his courage exceeded others’, and he had always been quite popular among the clan.

Now with such a rallying cry, not only his trusted followers, but even the remaining men under Hou Jian looked at the retreating figures with expressions of doubt.

Hou Jian watched the receding figures galloping away, his face extremely grim.

What he had thought was an excellent opportunity to eliminate Hou Li had been completely foiled by Li Mu’s actions, making his entire plan fall apart.

The unsuccessful siege had already lowered morale, and now with Hou Li’s disruption taking away nearly half the troops…

Hou Jian turned to gaze at the high fortress walls not far away.

Atop the city walls, rows of densely packed figures could faintly be seen, with glints of blinding light—the reflection of soldiers’ weapons in the sun.

He knew the opportunity was lost. Forcing another attack would not only bring self-inflicted humiliation but also cause more casualties among his men, making it impossible to explain upon return.

After hesitating briefly, he finally gritted his teeth and hatefully ordered retreat.

Atop Yicheng’s walls, soldiers watching the thousands of troops split into front and rear groups departing in chaos couldn’t help letting out thunderous cheers.

“The enemy’s been driven off—the enemy’s been driven off—”

In the empty field before the Governor’s residence gates, over ten children ran about excitedly, shouting joyfully while waving wooden sticks, imitating soldiers in battle and making “bang bang bang” sounds.

People came to repair the door, fill the mouse holes in the corners, and climbed onto the roof to replace leaking tiles at the eaves.

Luoshen temporarily took refuge in Gao Huan’s room.

When she arrived, she found him lying on the bed, listening to a returning attendant describe last night’s city defense battle and this morning’s scene when the Chouchi people retreated.

He also mentioned that Li Mu had personally led soldiers defending the city walls last night, and even Fan Cheng had joined the battle with those hundreds of guards.

Gao Huan beat his chest in frustration, extremely envious, only regretting his buttocks’ lack of cooperation—while others were busy repelling enemies alongside War God Li on the city walls, he could only lie here, still needing help even to stand and walk.

Luoshen stayed in Gao Huan’s room for most of the day until a servant woman came saying the room was repaired and Li Langjun had returned.

Luoshen suddenly became nervous.

She wanted to return but felt somewhat timid.

She still remembered how proud, even commanding she had been before him when she first married into the Li family in Jingkou.

Those scenes remained vivid in her memory.

Calculating, it had actually been only half a year.

Yet she didn’t know why she now felt so timid about being alone with him. Unfortunately, upon hearing Li Mu had returned, Gao Huan kept urging Luoshen to go back, also begging her to put in good words for him, saying after his injury healed, he wanted to stay and asking her to make sure Li Mu wouldn’t drive him away.

Luoshen had no choice but to return.

Walking halfway, remembering last night when he broke down the door and pressed her against the dim, damp wall corner for forced intimacy, she couldn’t help blushing again. A thin stream seemed to spread through her lower abdomen, warm and making her knees weak and heart tremble for no reason.

Lost in such thoughts, she dawdled along until finally reaching the courtyard entrance, stopping outside to peer in.

Inside was completely quiet, not a sound to be heard.

Unable to guess what he might be doing, she slowed her steps, finally completing the path that had been leveled considerably today, reaching the door.

The door had been repaired and rehung, with a new bolt installed, left slightly ajar with a crack open.

Luoshen didn’t immediately enter, stopping at the doorway to quietly peek inside.

With just one glance, she froze.

Li Mu was indeed inside.

He was sleeping.

But not on the bed—instead lying fully clothed on the desk she had dragged to block the door last night.

The desk was narrow and long, but his legs were even longer, completely unable to accommodate him properly.

The bed was right beside him, yet he lay on the desk like this, one arm behind his head as a pillow, one leg bent, the other hanging down from the desk’s edge to the floor.

Just like that, he had fallen asleep.

Luoshen immediately understood.

He must have gone several nights without sleep. Now with the siege lifted and matters temporarily concluded, returning exhausted, not wanting to dirty her clean, fragrant bed, he had simply lain on the desk and fallen asleep.

Luoshen told her maidservants not to follow, slowly entered alone, and stopped before that desk.

Having been married to him so long, this seemed the first time she had seen his sleeping face.

In their previous days sharing a bed, almost every morning when she woke, he had already risen and left.

She had never seen him asleep.

This position looked very uncomfortable to sleep in.

Yet he lay with eyes closed, breathing evenly, motionless.

Even his eyelashes didn’t flutter the slightest bit.

He slept deeply.

Luoshen watched silently for a moment, then shifted her gaze from that handsome face marked with weariness to look at the bed.

She wanted to wake him to sleep on the bed. She wouldn’t mind if he was dirty.

But seeing him sleeping so deeply, she couldn’t bear to wake him.

After hesitating briefly, she decided to let him continue sleeping.

She took a thin blanket from the bed, returned quietly on tiptoe, bent down, and covered his abdomen.

As she was about to straighten up, she suddenly noticed a grass blade of unknown origin caught in the folds of his sleeve.

She stared at it for a moment, then couldn’t help reaching over, fingertips gently picking up the grass.

Just as she was about to straighten up, the sleeping man’s eyelids suddenly moved slightly, his hand also stirring, instinctively seeming to follow and hook her little finger, then silently enveloping her withdrawing hand in his palm.

The man’s palm was rough, dry, and warm. He still kept his eyes closed, as if stroking in a dream, seeming to feel the incredible boneless softness of what lay in his palm.

Then he slowly tightened his five fingers, grasping her hand.

Luoshen froze again, looking at him.

He had awakened, slowly opening his eyes.

Those eyes still held faint bloodshot traces from extreme exhaustion that shallow sleep hadn’t completely dispelled, with slightly sunken eye sockets. His gaze contained a trace of just-awakened laziness. He lay there languidly under her gaze, silently watching her, one hand holding hers without releasing it.

Luoshen’s heart suddenly became completely soft.

For a moment, she even had an illusion.

She felt that as long as he spoke, whatever he asked her to do, she would definitely agree.

Such a man—who could be heartless enough to refuse him?

He gazed at her, gently shaking her captured hand like a child acting coquettish.

Luoshen’s knees went weak, and she knelt beside him.

They looked into each other’s eyes for a moment.

“Come closer.”

He commanded her softly, his voice hoarse.

As if bewitched, she leaned toward him, resting on his chest.

The room was extremely quiet. A patch of dusky sunset slanted through the west window, falling in the corner.

Luoshen slowly closed her eyes, quietly listening to the steady, rhythmic heartbeat from within his chest.