On a spring night in the third month, in a steam-filled bathing chamber, Jiang Zhiyi was like a wet fish, scooped from the bath, wrapped in a soft, thin quilt, and gently carried in arms.

Shen Yuance lowered his eyes to look at the person in his arms. Her face still flushed, her bare jade arms draped limply over his shoulders, her eyes squinted like a cat’s—she appeared quite content with the service.

Carried back to the bedchamber and placed on the bed, Jiang Zhiyi wrinkled her nose at the lingering scent within the bed curtains, complaining in a hoarse voice: “It all smells like you…”

“All mine?” Shen Yuance raised an eyebrow, glancing to the side. “You might want to reconsider.”

Jiang Zhiyi followed his gaze and saw the handkerchief lying on the bedding, still damp with traces.

Since Shen Yuance’s return home in February, they had changed the bedding every night for several consecutive days, making the maids blush. After reflection, they decided to spare the bedding and use handkerchiefs instead—at least those were easier to wash.

Jiang Zhiyi raised her hand to push him: “That’s still your fault.”

Shen Yuance knelt against the edge of the bed, bending down with a smile to dry the dripping person from head to toe. He lifted her undergarment, pulled her into a sitting position, letting her lean against his chest as he parted her cloud-like black hair.

Jiang Zhiyi tried to shift her position, but her legs trembled uncontrollably with the slightest movement.

When a general who once stood boldly on battlefields was idle at home with nowhere to apply his martial skills, his wife’s bed became his battlefield.

Jiang Zhiyi, supporting her aching body, turned to look at him: “Perhaps you should return to the military camp…”

Shen Yuance tied the fastening of her undergarment and pulled up the quilt: “Hmm?”

“I think it’s rather troublesome for General Mu to come report military matters to you every few days.”

“The western and northern fronts are both at peace. What military matters could there be? He’s just bored and talking nonsense.”

“Don’t peaceful days still require military training?”

“So?”

Jiang Zhiyi looked up at him tearfully: “Go train your troops, don’t train me anymore… With Jizhu’s prestige in the army, you’ll surely surpass your predecessors. That’s where my brother Shen should apply his skills.”

Shen Yuance laughed so hard his shoulders shook, and he held her close as he lowered his head: “Weren’t you the one who started it tonight?”

“You should have stopped me.”

“My treasure, I can’t even control myself, how could I stop you?”

Jiang Zhiyi wiped away tears of regret: “Tomorrow for sure, tomorrow I’ll resist touching you. We’ll both exercise strict self-discipline.”

“We really shouldn’t break our discipline tomorrow.”

Jiang Zhiyi was startled.

“Forgot what day tomorrow is?”

Jiang Zhiyi tried to recall with her muddled mind, then suddenly remembered and straightened up from his embrace.

The next day, at the Shen family cemetery outside Jiangzang city.

The sun shone brightly, illuminating the layered forest. Sunlight spilled over the newly erected tombstone. Jiang Zhiyi and Shen Yuance, both dressed in plain white mourning clothes, stood side by side before the grave, silently watching as Madam Shen meticulously traced each stroke of “Shen Yuance” engraved on the stone, filling them with black ink.

They stepped forward in turn to offer incense, bowing in worship.

Actually, after Shen Yuance had concluded everything in the first month, he had originally intended to immediately relocate Shen Yuance’s grave. But grave relocation was a major event with many customs to observe. Although Shen Yuance himself acted without taboos, he followed his stepmother’s arrangements regarding his brother’s affairs and chose the Qingming Festival for this day.

Looking at the sturdy, solid tomb before her that could shelter from wind and rain, Jiang Zhiyi once again envisioned that desolate, nameless grave.

Fortunately, the hero would no longer be buried in the wilderness but returned to the ancestral cemetery.

However, after receiving the handwritten letter from Heavenly Master Jianwei, she inevitably felt more regret. Whether in the previous life mentioned by Heavenly Master Jianwei or in their current life, Shen Yuance’s life had ended at eighteen.

Before everything was settled, Jiang Zhiyi had hesitated about whether to tell Shen Yuance the truth about the storybook, fearing he would resent Heavenly Master Jianwei for manipulating his life again.

When he returned home in February, she finally resolved to show him that handwritten letter.

Unexpectedly, after a long silence, Shen Yuance’s first words were that it was a pity Heavenly Master Jianwei’s glimpse into heaven’s secrets couldn’t save his brother.

Earlier at Taiqing Temple, Jiang Zhiyi had also asked Daoist Zhang: if Heavenly Master Jianwei could glimpse heaven’s secrets, why couldn’t he change more people’s fates?

Daoist Zhang said that everything arises from cause and effect; only the one who creates the cause can resolve the effect.

Only then did Jiang Zhiyi understand that Shen Yuance’s death as the only son of the Shen family had nothing to do with Heavenly Master Jianwei’s prophecy. His cause and effect did not lie with Heavenly Master Jianwei.

But Jiang Zhiyi couldn’t help wondering where Shen Yuance’s cause and effect truly lay. In his next life, perhaps he could also have a new possibility.

Jiang Zhiyi leaned against Shen Yuance’s shoulder and reflected: “If he were still here, he’d probably boast in front of me daily, saying, ‘Hey, Commandery Princess, after fighting with me for so long, you still have to call me brother because of my younger brother. Who do you think won between us?”

Shen Yuance glanced at her: “It’s a pity you have to lower your generational status because of me.”

“How could I feel wronged? Elder Sister Xueqing would take my side. With her speaking for me, wouldn’t he have to stay silent?” Jiang Zhiyi raised her chin. “In the end, I’m still the winner.”

“By that calculation, my brother holds the lowest status in our Shen family, and I even rank above him.” Shen Yuance folded his arms, looking at the tombstone before him, making a satisfied clicking sound.

They left the cemetery, helped Madam Shen into her carriage, and then decided to walk back to the city, enjoying the spring scenery.

Shen Yuance held Jiang Zhiyi’s hand as they walked through the sunny spring fields when suddenly he heard her ask: “Do you think if your brother knew you added this crime of regicide and treason to his name, he’d come after you in your dreams to settle accounts?”

“Didn’t I also add the achievement of being enfeoffed at a young age?” Shen Yuance raised an eyebrow. “Right or wrong, merits or faults, let future generations judge. Fame after death has no meaning anyway.”

“What about you?” Jiang Zhiyi swung his hand, tilting her head to look at him. “If even your name isn’t left behind, would you regret it?”

“Don’t you call my name eight hundred times a day?” Shen Yuance smiled back at her.

Perhaps once he would have felt discontented or unfair, but now—

The world might not know where he came from or his name, but when she called his name, it meant more than countless others in the world.

Jiang Zhiyi smiled, walking side by side with him, looking at the clear sky in the distance, the smiling spring mountains, the green meadows, and clusters of flowers all around—truly a beautiful scene of spring harmony and peace in all directions.

If war flames rose again, he would be the world’s war god.

If the world remained peaceful, he would be her Yuance alone.

## Epilogue

In the third year of Yongning, the Northern Jie, taking advantage of the Xuance Army’s lack of leadership, launched a comeback.

Having been defeated by the Shen family in the eleventh year of Xingwu, the Northern Jie had gathered strength for four years, seeking to avenge their previous humiliation. They mobilized their entire nation’s forces to invade Hexi.

When Great Ye’s borders were in crisis, a masked general with a helmet covering his face emerged from nowhere, leading the Xuance Army against the enemy. In the first battle, he slaughtered one hundred thousand Northern Jie cavalry, achieving divine status in a single battle and shocking the world.

The Northern Jie attacked again in anger, only to lose another battle and retreat steadily.

The Xuance Army pursued their victory, winning consecutive battles, sweeping everything before them like an unstoppable force, and advancing to the Northern Jie royal court.

The Northern Jie’s two hundred thousand archers were annihilated, nearly suffering tribal extinction, yet they never glimpsed the face of the Xuance Army’s new leader.

The entire Great Ye was also amazed that the dynasty had produced two exceptionally talented young generals within a few years, the likes of which were rarely seen in a century.

It was said that the general had joined the Xuance Army at the age of ten, becoming their top scout. For over ten years, he had never shown his true face, and the army only knew his code name “Jizhu,” not his name or origin.

Upon investigation, some were shocked to discover that this masked general’s build and voice were strikingly similar to the late Shen Yuance who had died in the first year of Yongning. Rumors spread, and opinions varied.

In the fourth year of Yongning, the world learned that Shen Yuance had a surviving twin brother who had been harmed by Heavenly Master Jianwei’s prophecy about twin sons bringing disaster to the country. He had lived his entire life in hiding, never seeing the light of day.

The entire court was shaken. The Yongning Emperor sighed that heaven-sent talent should not be buried in dust, nor should it be burdened by groundless prophecies. Considering that he had spent half his life in military service, established glorious military achievements, and now fearlessly rescued Hexi from disaster again, the Emperor pardoned him of the crime of deceiving the sovereign and exempted him from the guilt-by-association with his brother. He was enfeoffed as Marquis Pojun and given command of the Xuance Army, with the wish that loyal ministers and capable generals would forever guard the bright light.

It was rumored that after the Marquis Pojun’s identity was revealed, busybodies went to Yaoguang Garden in Jiangzang to suggest that if Commandery Princess Yongying harbored resentment toward Shen Yuance, she could take Marquis Pojun as a substitute to continue their former connection.

Unexpectedly, as soon as they finished speaking, Marquis Pojun emerged with a stern face and cold eyes.

The visitors hastily departed. As they left, they saw the three characters “Yaoguang Garden” on the plaque above the residence entrance and belatedly realized—

Yaoguang, the seventh star of the Big Dipper, is also known as the Star of Pojun. Commandery Princess Yongying and Marquis Pojun had likely long been married.

## —End of Main Text—