After Ling’ai left, Lu Shi arrived with one of his apprentices.

Murong had grown accustomed to the constant stream of visitors these past few days. With a war about to begin, there was much to attend to, and though Yan Qing would not be fighting on the front lines, people came to the Shi Mansion looking for her in an endless stream.

“Young Mistress, these are all the pharmacy’s recent account books — please look them over.” Lu Shi stood to one side with bowed hands while the apprentice stacked the thick ledgers on the table.

“Master Lu, there is no need for me to go through the accounts — I have reviewed them often before.” Yan Qing said. “I only want to know how much money can be raised from the shop right now.”

Lu Shi presented another box. “This is all the ready silver the shop can produce — I have gathered it together.”

Yan Qing opened the box. Inside were cheques and several deposit certificates. She used an abacus to tally the total and looked up in surprise. “This much?”

She reviewed the account books regularly, but because she trusted Lu Shi, she had never scrutinized them too carefully — she only had a general sense of how the business was going.

After Lu Shi took over the pharmacy, its revenue had grown several times over. It had to be said that Lu Shi was a rare commercial talent — his ideas were original and his thinking broad, and even the shop managers who had harbored some skepticism toward him before were now fully willing to follow his direction.

“I am not skilled enough, and this is less than I had hoped for.”

Yan Qing smiled. “Master Lu, you are too modest.”

“The truth.” Lu Shi said. “A small problem arose in the middle, otherwise it would be somewhat more than this.”

“This already exceeds what I had imagined.” Yan Qing was entirely satisfied with this figure.

When Father Yan had given her the pharmacy as a dowry, and she had carefully selected her staff and put her heart into managing it, it was not to make her own life richer — it was to prepare for a day like this one.

War was unavoidable. Eventually there would be fighting, and fighting required money. She had seen this coming and had run the pharmacy with that in mind. She only wanted to do something within her power for him — even if it was just a drop in the ocean.

“This is more than enough,” Yan Qing said. “Everyone has worked hard for a full year. The internal unrest in Shun Cheng also caused losses for many. Master Lu — take a portion of this money as a bonus for everyone. The exact amount, you and the shop managers may discuss.”

“Yes, Young Mistress.” Lu Shi cupped his hands respectfully. “Thank you, Young Mistress.”

After seeing Lu Shi off, Yan Qing took a sip of water. Though the sum was not small, it was still far from enough.

In the evening, Shi Ting came home.

These past few days, Shi Ting returned home late every night. That he should come back while there was still daylight today was quite surprising to Yan Qing.

“You’re back so early?” Yan Qing hurried out to meet him, and before she had even reached him, he was already striding toward her, taking her hand in his. His hand was still a little cold, and the chill clung to his clothing as well.

Though it was early spring, the cold outside was still not to be underestimated.

“I had an errand to run — and happened to be passing by the entrance, so I came in to see you.” He pulled her into his arms. “How was your eating today? Is there anything that’s been bothering you?”

He came home late every night, and not wanting to disturb her sleep, he had been resting in a separate room. So for several days in a row, they had not had a proper conversation.

“I just can’t stand the smell of anything fishy. Mother has already given the kitchen strict instructions.” Yan Qing said with a smile. “The whole Shi Mansion has stopped eating anything with a fishy smell — all because of me. I told Mother there was no need to go to such trouble, but she insisted. If you get the chance, go and persuade her.”

“In this season, avoiding fishy food is all to the good — it’s beneficial to one’s health in spring.”

“I asked you to go and persuade Mother, and you’ve gone and taken her side.”

Shi Ting laughed heartily. “The household answers to you now — even if I went to say something, it wouldn’t make a difference. I’ve heard that even the Old Madam has stepped in personally, telling Mother she must take good care of your diet and daily needs without the slightest carelessness.”

His hand rested gently on her abdomen, his eyes filled with tenderness. “Mother says that pregnancy is the most difficult thing — and the further along it gets, the harder it becomes.”

“Compared to those who vomit at even a sip of water, I have it easy.” Yan Qing knew what he was thinking, and tugged at his hand. “Go fight your battle with a clear mind. Mother will be looking after me, and I’ll be careful myself. And I’m a physician — if anything feels off, I’ll know sooner than anyone.”

Shi Ting felt deeply guilty. At the time when she needed him most, he could not be by her side.

“Qing Qing.” Shi Ting tightened his hold on her. “I promise you — when we have our second child, I will be with you the entire time. From your pregnancy to the birth.”

“Good.” Yan Qing’s nose tingled. “Then you must win the battle and come home safely. Otherwise, how would there be a second child?”

Shi Ting laughed. “I promise you — I will come home safe and sound.”

“Pinky swear.”

“Again with pinky swears?”

“Otherwise it’s just words — no proof.”

Shi Ting held out his finger with an indulgent smile. “All right, all right. Pinky swear.”

“Pinky swear, no going back, for one hundred years, without change.”

She made their pledge with great solemnity, while he looked at her clear and delicate features and felt a tide of emotion surge within him. “If only we really could live a hundred years — I want the time with you to be longer, still longer.”

“So do I.” Yan Qing held him tightly. “Ting, there is a story called The Old Man and His Lost Horse — a man’s horse ran away, and it seemed at first to be a terrible misfortune. But not long after, the horse returned bringing an entire herd with it. So: the old man lost his horse — who could say it wasn’t a blessing?”

“Why tell me this story?”

Yan Qing said: “Just telling it. Whatever happens in the future, there’s no need to see it as too grim.”

“Is my darling wife giving me a lesson?”

Yan Qing pressed her face against his chest, smiling without answering.

In truth, she had wanted to say: in that other time, she had been murdered, dying an unjust death — which was naturally a terrible thing. But by a twist of fate, she had arrived in this age called Xin Guo, and met the man who was truly meant for her. If she were given the choice again, she would still choose to meet him — and spend the rest of her days at his side.

Just then, the aide-de-camp’s voice came from outside: “Young Commander — it is time to leave.”

“You’re leaving now?” Yan Qing knew he was going out again. She had immediately asked someone to prepare supper when he arrived. “Jing Zhi’s dinner is almost ready.”

“I made an appointment with several merchants.” Shi Ting raised her hand to his lips. “The appointed time is almost here.”

“Is it about the matter of raising funds?”

Shi Ting didn’t want to burden her with these worries, but he knew that even if he said nothing, with her perceptive mind, she would already have guessed most of it.

“This battle will be a hard one. We have sufficient troops, but limited funds, so I have arranged for someone to contact certain wealthy merchants — to borrow money in the name of the administration. Once the war is over, the administration will repay with interest.”

“I only worry those wealthy merchants will find all manner of excuses to avoid committing.” Yan Qing frowned. “From their perspective, this money, once lent, is gone. Leaving aside whether the battle can be won — even if it is, if the administration holds on to the money and refuses to repay, they would have no recourse. And in the worst case, if the battle is lost and all of Bei Di falls entirely, no one will repay anyone.”

Shi Ting was troubled by the same thing — but in the present circumstances, the fastest way to raise a large sum of money was from local wealthy merchants.

“By the way, I have something to give you.” Yan Qing had Murong fetch a sandalwood box.

“What is this?” Shi Ting took it and lifted the lid. Inside were many silver notes and cheques. He looked up with some surprise. “All this money — you saved it yourself?”

“Silly — how could I possibly save this much?” Yan Qing laughed. “When we were married, you handed over everything you owned to me. So I had Di Huai and Jin Shan sell off all the properties. Everything has now been converted to ready silver. This also includes what Mother gave me — what she had set aside over the years. Even San Yitai sent over two silver notes. And separately, Ling’ai sold her mansion, and she and Zheng Yun agreed to donate the proceeds to the Bei Di army.”

Shi Ting looked at the silver notes, and felt the weight of the box in his hands grow heavy.

“And a large portion of the funds is the income from my pharmacy.” Yan Qing said. “Under Lu Shi’s management, the pharmacy’s profits have grown rapidly — far beyond what I originally anticipated.”

She placed her hand over his. The warmth from her palm reached all the way into his heart.

“Though it is just a drop in the ocean, I hope it can be of some help to you.”

Shi Ting held the box in one hand and, with the other, drew her into his arms. All the thousand words he might have said became, in the end, just three: “Thank you.”

“Thank me for what? I am your wife — isn’t this what I should do?”

“Thank you all the same.” Shi Ting said. “Thank Ling’ai for me — and Lu Shi as well.”

“I’ve already thanked them on your behalf.”

Shi Ting laughed. “Then I shall accept this without scruple.”

He handed the box to his aide-de-camp. “No dinner — you remember to eat properly. I’ll try to come back as early as I can.”

“There are so many people here — you don’t need to worry yourself about me at every turn.” Yan Qing walked him out to the courtyard.

Just as they stepped out of the gate, someone came walking toward them.

“Elder Brother?” Yan Qing was pleased. “Why have you come?”

Yan Qi strode over, first bowing his hands to Shi Ting: “Young Commander — you are here, which is just as well.”

He instructed his attending servant and said: “I once made a promise to Yan Qing — that if the day came when you had need, I, Yan Qi, would give everything I had to help. I know the Young Commander has arranged to meet several wealthy merchants today, and these men have always had a close personal friendship with the Yan family. I have already told them: as long as they agree to the loan, I, Yan Qi, am willing to pledge all of the Yan family’s fixed assets as collateral. If the administration cannot repay in the future, the Yan family will repay on the administration’s behalf.”

Hearing Yan Qi’s words, both Shi Ting and Yan Qing were stunned.

“Furthermore — this is half of the Yan family’s fortune. The Yan family has elderly above and young ones below, and so we cannot give everything — but this token of our sincerity has been approved by Father. We ask the Young Commander to accept it.”