The night deepened as the wind and rain subsided. Outside the Urgent Rain Forest, the Xuance Army set up camp to rest and reorganize after the battle.

Pei Xueqing, due to her status being inappropriate for the military camp, was taken by Pei Zisong to stay at a nearby courier station. Jiang Zhiyi, meanwhile, returned to the camp with Shen Yuance.

These past days, she had been following alongside the Xuance Army with the Pei siblings, advancing one city at a time as Shen Yuance captured each stronghold, until the day before yesterday when all the lost territories within the pass were recovered. They had temporarily settled at the border between the inner pass area and the capital region, not far from their current location.

Although the recovery of territories within the pass had been as unstoppable as a bamboo splitting through the ground, with victories in consecutive battles, after days of continuous fighting, the entire Xuance Army was exhausted. Jiang Zhiyi’s purpose for this journey wasn’t just to personally send Fan Denian to his execution; she had also ordered several thousand jin of mutton to be brought to comfort the soldiers.

In the camp, wisps of cooking smoke rose into the air, and campfires burned quietly. Finally, no more gunpowder smoke of turmoil or horns might sound at any moment.

Jiang Zhiyi followed beside Shen Yuance, watching as he tucked his battle helmet under his arm while listening to soldiers reporting military intelligence from the capital region. After the soldier left, she took out a handkerchief, intending to wipe the sweat, rain, and blood stains from his face.

Shen Yuance’s solemn expression from the report immediately dissolved as he grabbed her hand: “It’s filthy.”

Jiang Zhiyi paused her movement: “I don’t mind.”

“But I do. How could the blood of those people be worthy of touching my fiancée’s handkerchief?”

“…” You know how to distinguish between love and hate.

Just then, a soldier happened to pass by carrying a basin. Shen Yuance beckoned him over with a wave of his hand, then lowered his head and immersed his face in the basin of clear water.

The soldier swallowed the words “this water was meant for Military Doctor Li” that had been on the tip of his tongue.

Shen Yuance raised his face, water droplets streaming down, and bent his neck toward Jiang Zhiyi, jutting his chin forward: “Come, you can wipe now.”

Jiang Zhiyi was speechless as she went to wipe his face, tucking the handkerchief as she gently wiped his forehead, cheeks, and nose tip. Feeling countless gazes converging on them from around, she slowed her movements.

Shen Yuance swept a glance to the side: “Those with nothing to do, go wash your faces.”

The soldiers hurriedly averted their eyes and went to fetch their water.

“I was about to wash my face. Where did my water go?” Li Dafeng lifted the tent flap and strolled over with his hands in his sleeves. Seeing the basin beside Shen Yuance, he remarked, “So it was intercepted.”

“You’re complaining about a basin of water,” Shen Yuance looked up at him, “or are you jealous that I have someone to wipe my face and you don’t?”

Jiang Zhiyi had just reached Shen Yuance’s nose tip and gave it a light pinch: “Stop showing off. In Xingyang, Military Doctor Li personally wiped you down and took care of you.”

“Him wiping me down, what’s there to be happy about?”

Jiang Zhiyi contemplated as she blinked: “You’re happy when I wipe you? Then later, you can take off your armor and…”

Li Dafeng lightly coughed twice, indicating that he was still beside them.

Jiang Zhiyi cleared her throat and put away the handkerchief, turning toward Li Dafeng: “Military Doctor Li, I must apologize for not being able to return to the capital before Sister Bao Jia’s birthday. The birthday gift you gave her is still with me.”

“The war came suddenly. As long as the Princess is safe, such small matters are of no consequence. I imagine she hasn’t celebrated her birthday either.”

Indeed, in the sixth month, Chang’an had suddenly experienced a palace coup. Although the crisis was later resolved, the capital region had remained in a state of war.

Fortunately, the Emperor had harbored suspicions about his second son and personally drew his sword to fight the rebels on the day of the coup. The Fourth Prince led troops to rescue the palace, managing to protect important court officials and the relatives of various generals, including Shen Yuance’s stepmother, before the rebels could attempt to control them.

The Second Prince had been forced to withdraw from Chang’an to join with the outer rebel forces. With Fan Denian’s defeat tonight, the Second Prince should have been captured as well.

It was likely that Fan Denian’s rebel force had been handed over to the Xuance Army, while the Second Prince’s rebel army had been given to the Fourth Prince.

Just as she was thinking this, a soldier came running in hastily: “Report—!”

Jiang Zhiyi felt her scalp tighten at the sound of this shout, and almost instantaneously, her entire body straightened.

“Young General, the capital’s army is advancing toward our camp from twenty li southeast!”

Jiang Zhiyi anxiously looked at Shen Yuance: “The capital’s army—they’re friendly forces, right?”

Shen Yuance and Li Dafeng exchanged a glance. They were friendly forces, but perhaps not entirely friendly.

Two quarters of an hour later, the Xuance Army was mounted and in formation in front of the camp, facing the similarly mounted capital army on the opposite side.

On the flat ground, it was as if there was an invisible boundary like the Chu River or the Han border. The two armies in black-silver and gold colors stood on either side, not crossing into each other’s territory, silently watching each other.

In the night, the cavalry on both sides parted like flowing water to create a path. Two tall horses emerged from their respective formations, slowly walking toward each other. When they reached the invisible boundary, both riders simultaneously pulled their reins to halt their horses, looking directly at each other.

Standing to the side, Jiang Zhiyi could make out in the camp’s firelight the opposing commander in golden armor with thick eyebrows, a high nose, and phoenix eyes that exuded authority—the Fourth Prince, Qi Yan.

After exchanging a glance, Shen Yuance and Qi Yan both dismounted.

The cavalry on both sides followed suit.

At Qi Yan’s side, an imperial envoy raised high an imperial edict on bright yellow paper, breaking the silence first: “Young General Shen, thank you for your hard work in suppressing the rebellion. His Majesty’s edict has arrived. Please receive it.”

Shen Yuance lowered his eyelashes, his gaze falling on the bright yellow edict.

Qi Yan’s eyes swept over Shen Yuance and the Xuance Army behind him: “All the officers and soldiers are in armor and bearing wounds, making it inconvenient to kneel. Please receive the edict with a military salute.”

Shen Yuance nodded, clasped his hands, and bowed deeply. The Xuance Army behind him followed with the same salute.

The imperial envoy proclaimed: “By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Shen Yuance, son of the former Hexi Military Governor, has now led the Hexi Xuance Army to recover the inner territories, exterminate rebels, secure our mountains and rivers, and stabilize the state. Following in his father’s spirit, he has repelled external threats and brought internal peace. His Majesty is greatly comforted by this and hereby bestows upon Shen Yuance the title of Marquis Zhechong with three thousand households, and grants him the courtesy name—Rangzhi. By imperial decree!”

Shen Yuance’s eyes, which had been fixed on his boot tips, suddenly narrowed.

At the moment Jiang Zhiyi heard “Rangzhi” (meaning “to yield”), she abruptly raised her eyelids and looked toward Shen Yuance’s bowing figure. Yet she couldn’t discern what he was thinking at that moment.

“Congratulations, Young General Shen. Not yet twenty years of age and you have achieved such magnificent military exploits, becoming the youngest marquis general in our Great Ye’s history,” the imperial envoy smiled, offering the imperial edict with both hands. “His Majesty said that you have been fighting tirelessly these days, and now that the rebellion has been quelled, you may return west with peace of mind, reward your subordinates, and allow them to rest and recover from their wounds.”

Shen Yuance was silent for a moment, then accepted the edict with both hands: “This subject thanks His Majesty for his great grace.”

Qi Yan looked at Shen Yuance as he straightened up: “It’s late in the night, and my army also needs to rest. Would Young General Shen be willing to share half the territory of Urgent Rain Forest for my army to camp here tonight?”

“All under heaven belongs to the Emperor,” Shen Yuance slightly raised his hand. “Your Highness, please make yourself comfortable.”

The capital army set up camp opposite the Xuance Army, and in silence, each returned to their camp.

Jiang Zhiyi followed Shen Yuance into his tent, helped him remove his battle helmet, and, piece by piece, took off his armor. She wanted to say something to him, but hesitated.

Eliminating the Eastern River forces and killing his enemies was naturally satisfying, but with the Eastern River’s defeat, the balance of the triangle between the court, Eastern River, and Western River had been broken. The Emperor’s suspicious eyes had turned from the Eastern River to the Western River.

In this war, the Xuance Army’s force that swept through thousands of troops and terrified the rebels had also planted a thorn in the Emperor’s heart.

Even though the Emperor had guarded against the Eastern River in countless ways, he still suffered this calamity, proving the Eastern River’s strength. Yet the Western River, after three years of external warfare, had still decisively defeated the Eastern River.

The Emperor, having just experienced an attempted usurpation, feared that the Western River might use the pretext of coming to the Emperor’s aid to enter the capital region directly and threaten imperial authority. Therefore, he sent this gracious edict, giving Shen Yuance the special honor of being enfeoffed as a marquis at a young age and rewarding him with an estate, but more importantly, there was that one phrase: granting the courtesy name—Rangzhi.

At this moment, Jiang Zhiyi suddenly recalled something from a few months ago.

In March, she had just recovered her memories and was desperately trying to escape from the Western River, finding Pei Zisong as her lifeline. That day, Pei Zisong had asked her if Shen Yuance had confined her, and she had lied, saying no.

Later, Jing Zhe asked her why she hadn’t told the truth. If she had, the matter would no longer have been merely between two families’ children; His Majesty would certainly have intervened with an imperial edict, and they could have immediately returned to the capital.

At that time, she had casually answered that she feared Pei Zisong would be in danger if he knew too much.

But that wasn’t it.

When Pei Zisong had asked her, she had imagined the outcome of telling the truth, picturing an imperial edict being issued and Shen Yuance bowing to accept it just as he had done tonight—

She realized she didn’t like that image.

Even though at that time she and he still had misunderstandings and she was very afraid of him, for some reason, she strongly objected to that scene.

Until now, she understood why.

She didn’t want someone who had been oppressed by power since birth to bend his spine before that power.

His fate shouldn’t be like this.

“Rangzhi, Rangzhi” (to yield, to yield). If he were to yield anything, it should be his choice, not someone telling him he must yield.

“This courtesy name doesn’t sound good,” Jiang Zhiyi arranged Shen Yuance’s collar, frowning in dissatisfaction. “I don’t acknowledge it.”

Shen Yuance looked down at her with a smile: “Then what sounds good?”

Jiang Zhiyi glanced outside: “Can anyone hear us talking?”

“No one’s here right now, go ahead.”

“I think the name ‘Jizhu’ (Thorny Bamboo) suits you well, it’s like you.”

Shen Yuance wasn’t surprised that she knew about his past identity, and raised an eyebrow slightly: “Because you like to eat bamboo shoots?”

“…” She was talking about something serious, why was he making jokes?

Jiang Zhiyi glared at him resentfully: “Yes, I like to eat you, satisfied?”

“Then when will you come to eat?” Shen Yuance tilted his head.

Jiang Zhiyi’s brow twitched, suspecting that perhaps she had understood too much and was overthinking things. Her mind flashed with those colorful images that once seen could never be forgotten, and she stammered: “E-eat what?”

“Nothing then.” Shen Yuance blinked.

Jiang Zhiyi looked at him with inquiring eyes, wanting to say something more, when suddenly she saw him raise his hand in a gesture for silence.

Sure enough, a moment later, a soldier approached the tent: “Young General, the Fourth Prince has sent beef to reward the soldiers and is now outside the camp. Shall we invite him in?”

“If His Highness has personally come to our door, how could we not invite him in?” Shen Yuance answered outward. After the soldier left, he looked down at Jiang Zhiyi with narrowed eyes, “You send mutton, he sends beef. What a coincidence.”

Jiang Zhiyi glanced at him: “Isn’t meat always sent to reward soldiers? Is it a coincidence just because it’s not the same kind of meat? I sent mutton specifically because I know you don’t eat beef.”

“Then it seems that my old childhood friend and I are quite out of sync.”

Jiang Zhiyi lowered her voice: “He’s about to arrive, stop being so sarcastic!”

Shortly after she finished speaking, the soldier announced at the door that the Fourth Prince had arrived and led Qi Yan into the tent.

Like Shen Yuance, Qi Yan had changed out of his armor and wore only light everyday clothes. Similar in height to Shen Yuance, he nearly touched the top of the tent as he stood at the entrance. With his naturally imposing phoenix eyes, he exuded a heavy sense of pressure just standing there.

Jiang Zhiyi lowered her head and curtseyed: “Greetings, Your Highness.”

“No need for formalities,” Qi Yan’s gaze touched Jiang Zhiyi’s crown briefly before shifting to Shen Yuance. “I’d like to learn some details about suppressing the rebellion in the various states within the pass from Young General Shen. Would Young General have some time?”

Shen Yuance nodded: “If Your Highness is not in a hurry, perhaps we could discuss business after a meal. It doesn’t matter to me, but my wife is hungry.”

Jiang Zhiyi rolled her eyes slightly at Shen Yuance.

When had she ever said she was hungry?

Qi Yan nodded: “Let it be so.”

“Your Highness, please,” Shen Yuance extended his hand, inviting Qi Yan to the long table in the tent and asking him to be seated.

Jiang Zhiyi followed Shen Yuance to the opposite side of Qi Yan and sat down next to Shen Yuance.

Soon, soldiers came in with food, bringing three plates of mutton-filled dumplings, placing them before the three people.

Jiang Zhiyi’s gaze froze as she looked at the dumplings in front of her.

Since her mother’s passing, she had not eaten dumplings.

The reason was simple: on New Year’s Eve that year, as she was picking up a dumpling, she heard the news of her mother’s suicide from the family nanny.

From then on, dumplings never appeared on her dining table again, not even during New Year celebrations.

Seeing dumplings would remind her of that day, and would make her feel the suffocation of bad news arriving.

However, she had only spent one New Year with Shen Yuance, and that New Year’s Eve dinner had been prepared by her and Sister Bao Jia. Shen Yuance probably didn’t know about this food she avoided.

As Jiang Zhiyi hesitated, Qi Yan’s gaze also faltered. He noticed Jiang Zhiyi’s slightly changing expression across from him, then saw that Shen Yuance didn’t seem to care, and raised his head to ask the soldier: “Don’t you know the Princess doesn’t eat dumplings?”

Shen Yuance slowly raised his eyes to look at Qi Yan, then slowly turned his head to look at Jiang Zhiyi.