Wei Ang’s eyelids twitched violently as he quickly glanced toward Xiao Li beside him.

Before coming, he’d repeatedly emphasized that their purpose was to bring this physician skilled in treating women to examine Wen Yu’s pulse and stabilize her pregnancy. Who could have imagined Wei Pingjin would open with an interrogative attitude toward a criminal?

Wasn’t this plainly telling Xiao Li their true purpose here?

He hastily covered his mouth and coughed twice, helping smooth things over: “Last night this subordinate saw the lady’s facial hives—they are indeed somewhat unseemly. The lady wishing to conceal them is human nature.”

“The young master is probably just curious. How about… the lady removes her face veil so the young master can see?”

Wen Yu seemed to hesitate, lifting her eyes to sweep over the people present, her gaze carrying some timid sorrow. Understanding she was now a prisoner who could only suffer humiliation, she finally raised her hand to remove that veil. Yet she didn’t raise her head to show anyone, somewhat constrainedly keeping her head tilted and lowered to the side, using her hand similarly covered in hives to maintain the gesture of removing the veil, rather miserably providing some concealment.

The very picture of being forced into prostitution—sorrowful and weak.

Watching this, Wei Ang suddenly felt his face burning with embarrassment. This matter had become so awkward—even though they suspected the other party’s identity, it had inexplicably become strange, as if several grown men were making things difficult for a weak woman.

The two servants attending nearby were farm women who’d never served in wealthy households before and didn’t understand such elaborate etiquette. Though currently they didn’t dare speak out for fear of their status, the condemnation and disdain in their eyes was quite obvious.

Wei Ang quickly dry-coughed twice more, saying to Wei Pingjin: “Young master, you’ve looked now. Let the lady put her veil back on?”

Since birth, Wei Pingjin had always remained in the northern territories with Wei Qishan and had never been to Luodu, so naturally he’d never seen Wen Yu before.

Earlier he’d seen her covering her face and instinctively felt something was amiss. Now understanding the other party was merely concealing herself because as a young woman she had unseemly hives on her face, and seeing that forced, sorrowful appearance, his heart also felt uncomfortable. He could only say: “Fine, fine, put it back on.”

Only then did Wen Yu re-drape her veil.

That physician finally sat on the stool by the bedside, closing his eyes to concentrate as he examined her pulse.

Wei Pingjin seemed more anxious than anyone present. The moment the physician opened his eyes, he asked: “How is it?”

That physician cupped his hands: “The lady suffered fright and is weak, plus chest qi stagnation, which makes the pregnancy pulse somewhat unstable. She needs several doses of pregnancy-stabilizing medicine taken internally, plus proper rest and recuperation.”

This diagnosis differed little from what Physician Tao had said before. Wei Ang knew their true purpose this trip should have been discovered by Xiao Li. But people in the power game were best at playing dumb while knowing full well—currently he still smiled genially and sent someone to lead that physician away to write a prescription.

Wei Pingjin lacked such composure. Several traces of gloom almost immediately surfaced on his face, seemingly not expecting Wen Yu to truly be pregnant.

Watching them finish performing this grand show, Xiao Li somewhat lazily lowered his eyelids, saying: “Since the physician has completed the pulse examination, and Xiao has military affairs to attend to, I won’t keep you company.”

He turned to walk toward the tent exit.

Wei Pingjin felt as if someone had slapped him hard across the face. Full of resentment but with nowhere to vent this anger, for the sake of this trip’s second purpose, he could only suppress his temper and call out: “State Mentor Xiao, please wait.”

Xiao Li stopped his steps but didn’t turn back, only glancing slightly sideways.

Wei Pingjin immediately felt slighted again, the indignant expression on his face almost impossible to suppress.

Having just called someone to send the physician away, Wei Ang saw this and hastily said: “It’s like this—last night the young master’s wet nurse also heard of this matter. Fearing the military camp’s conditions are harsh and there are no servants experienced in caring for pregnant women, which wouldn’t benefit Lady Jiang’s pregnancy stabilization, she thought that since the young master has a separate residence in the city, why not bring Lady Jiang there for her care, thus also helping share the State Mentor’s burden.”

Xiao Li looked askance at the two, only saying: “The person is settled in my military camp. Before Southern Chen’s people negotiate terms with the Marquis and come to retrieve her, I will personally send her out myself.”

Wei Pingjin finally couldn’t suppress his temper, shouting: “Don’t use my father to pressure me! Even if this matter is reported to my father, my taking away Jiang Yu’s concubine is still justified!”

Xiao Li’s voice was coldly deep: “If the Second Young Master is confident that Chen and Liang camps’ people won’t abduct this woman like they abducted the Yang household members, by all means take her.”

“You!” Wei Pingjin was furious beyond measure. About to step forward, he was grabbed by Wei Ang, who knew their actions today had already offended Xiao Li—they absolutely couldn’t make things worse. He hastily said: “State Mentor Xiao speaks reasonably. Those Liang camp people appear and vanish like ghosts. Recently many small volunteer army groups have been coming to pledge allegiance—they’re truly difficult to guard against. Keeping the person in the military camp is most secure.”

Hearing Wei Ang say this, Wei Pingjin knew taking this woman today was already impossible. Feeling his dignity damaged, he fiercely flung his sleeve and stormed out.

Wei Ang knew his own shame and clasped his fists toward Xiao Li: “The Second Young Master is immature. This subordinate apologizes to the State Mentor on his behalf.”

Having spoken, he hastily lifted the curtain and chased out after him.

The charcoal in the basin had nearly gone out. Wen Yu dispatched one woman outside to fetch more charcoal, then sent the other woman to check on her brewing medicine. With only her and Xiao Li remaining in the tent, she rose and bowed to Xiao Li, saying: “Thank you.”

Xiao Li half-turned his head with a slight sneer: “Why would the Princess think Xiao did this to help you?”

Wen Yu froze.

Xiao Li looked at her calmly: “Xiao risked his life multiple times to save the Princess, yet for the power in your hands, the Princess could order Xiao killed.”

He smiled—unclear whether self-mockingly or with some mockery—looking at her with eyes so black and so deep: “Wen Yu, debts in this world—how can they be so easily settled? What makes you think I would let you go?”

When speaking that last sentence, that deep gaze could almost pierce completely through Wen Yu.

Wen Yu was shocked by his expression in that moment, momentarily forgetting to speak. Only when he turned to walk outside again did she call out demanding: “What do you mean?”

Xiao Li faced away from her, his back straight as a mountain: “Exactly what you think it means.”

Wen Yu shouted: “If ministers of Liang and Chen camps don’t see me, they will never let this rest with Northern Wei! Wei Qishan has treated you well—are you certain you want to repay his trust like this?”

Xiao Li said very calmly: “What your Liang and Chen camps are demanding is a concubine taken in by Jiang Yu midway. Even if I detain her, before the tragic deaths of twenty thousand Northern Wei soldiers at Majia Liang, what face do they have to challenge my Northern Wei over a mere concubine?”

Wen Yu was both shocked and angry, her brows and eyes growing cold: “You can’t confine me for a lifetime!”

But Xiao Li said: “Why not?”

After saying that, he turned around intending to continue walking outside, but suddenly halted his steps. With his back to her, he added: “Don’t misunderstand—I don’t lack for women. It’s just that I’ve always been one to exact vengeance for the smallest grievance. The Princess’s arrow—I must slowly collect that debt, mustn’t I?”

Shocked by his earlier words, Wen Yu had been steadying herself against the nearby tall stand. Now seeing him about to leave, she couldn’t bother addressing his final remark and hastily called out: “The entanglement between you and I can be settled slowly. Can you tell me whether Zhao Bai and Bronze Sparrow are still alive?”

Xiao Li didn’t turn back, only his voice carried some light mockery: “I thought the Princess would first be concerned about how Jiang Yu’s corpse was disposed of.”

Wen Yu had already received enough shocks this half day—she had no energy to ponder why he suddenly mentioned Jiang Yu. But recalling what Jiang Yu had said when leaping from horseback, and his bloody severed head later, she still felt her heart sink heavily in an instant, causing panic.

She suddenly felt so exhausted she didn’t even have the strength to continue arguing with him, only saying: “Whatever conditions you want, you can propose to Southern Chen. Sew Jiang Yu’s corpse back together and prepare it for burial in a coffin.”

Xiao Li was silent for a breath, then suddenly laughed coldly: “Southern Chen killed twenty thousand of our Northern Wei sons in a pit burial. Since this Jiang clan son fell into our Wei camp, tens of thousands of sons in camp probably only want to flog his corpse to vent their hatred!”

Having finished this sentence, he lifted the curtain and strode away in large steps.

As the curtain fell back, due to the extreme force, it kept swaying.

Wen Yu’s eyes showed anger, but she could only watch him depart.

—Two tiger guard soldiers had been guarding the tent outside. She couldn’t leave this place at will.

—

After leaving the tent, Xiao Li didn’t bring his personal guards, just walked sullenly through the cold wind for a while. Reaching the flagpole, he finally punched fiercely at that bowl-thick wooden post, closing his eyes to breathe heavily, his entire being seeming to emanate the aftermath of a volcanic eruption.

Initially, he’d thought her pregnancy was fake.

Only said like that to deceive Northern Wei’s people.

He knew her temperament—subordinates staked their lives to protect her, so in critical moments she would stake her own life to shelter them in return. Previously in Tongzhou she’d protected Bronze Sparrow like that, later protecting himself from the lackeys was the same.

So for her to fight desperately to reclaim Jiang Yu’s severed head—he found it completely unsurprising.

But he hadn’t expected she was truly pregnant.

So why would she still risk her life like that to seize a dead person’s severed head?

Did that person’s weight in her heart already exceed the child in her womb?

And how did Liang and Chen camps’ ministers allow her to go north?

Thinking of how when he’d just mentioned Jiang Yu, the other party had suddenly become grieved, Xiao Li only felt a nameless fire surge in his chest, burning until his organs all ached with hidden pain.

His five fingers scraped against the wooden post from that fierce punch, causing faint stinging pain. But Xiao Li seemed completely unaware. His hand against the post, he stood silently for several breaths before lifting his eyes again—they had already recovered their calm.

It didn’t matter anymore.

Who she held in her heart, whose child was in her womb—none of it mattered anymore.

He’d already captured her.

“State Mentor!”

An urgent call came from behind.

Xiao Li turned back to see Zhang Huai striding over quickly, presenting him with an urgent report just delivered to camp: “The barbarians have made a move. Border Second Camp north of Yanle Mountain was wiped out last night. This morning General Yuan Fang just led troops over.”

Xiao Li unfolded the report. Hearing Zhang Huai say this, his brow immediately furrowed: “The barbarians aren’t stupid enough to remain stationed at Border Second Camp waiting for our main force to arrive and deal with them.”

After hastily scanning the report, his expression grew increasingly grave. He slapped the report against Zhang Huai’s chest and strode back: “Summon all generals to the central command tent for discussion.”

After catching the report, Zhang Huai didn’t immediately follow Xiao Li’s steps, but glanced back with some puzzlement at that bloody fist print on the wooden post.

—

In the medical camp, Zheng Hu sat in a reclining chair with a handkerchief covering his forehead. Beside him, a row of medicine pots bubbled as they brewed.

He sighed miserably: “Night march through the snow two nights ago soaked most of my pant legs. Yesterday I was so dizzy I couldn’t climb out of bed. Endured until today and still had to come to Physician Tao for medicine.”

He removed the cloth from his forehead and handed it to Tao Kui, who was helping Physician Tao watch the fires: “Brother Aniu, the cloth’s cold. Help your Brother Hu soak it in hot water again.”

Tao Kui sat on a wooden stool like a small mountain. Having tended herbs with the Physician Tao couple since childhood, though he looked clumsy, he was quite skilled at detailed work like brewing and preparing medicine.

After Zheng Hu spoke, he took the cloth, picked up the kettle from the stove, poured some steaming hot water into a wooden basin, added half a ladle of cool water to temper it, then soaked the cloth before wringing it out and handing it back.

With the hot cloth reapplied to his forehead, Zheng Hu sighed comfortably.

Behind them, Physician Tao, who was changing dressings for wounded soldiers, estimated the time and called to Tao Kui: “Aniu, the typhoid medicine in the third pot has brewed enough. Pour a bowl for General Zheng.”

Tao Kui said “Oh,” used a cloth to pad the pot handle, lifted the medicine pot and poured out a bowl of deep brown medicinal liquid.

Zheng Hu had probably been tormented enough by this cold. After receiving the medicine bowl, without worrying about the heat, he blew while pouring it down his throat. After drinking, he sighed: “Yesterday I heard Physician Tao had run out of typhoid medicine. Didn’t expect I’d still catch a bowl today.”

Physician Tao said: “Last night the State Mentor braved the snow to buy some from a nearby town.”

Zheng Hu said cheerfully: “I wondered why drinking this bowl made my whole body comfortable—turns out Second Brother personally went to buy it!”

Physician Tao didn’t respond, smelling the medicine: “Aniu, the pregnancy-stabilizing medicine is ready. Give it to the woman waiting outside.”

Hearing this, Zheng Hu set down his bowl on the table, continuing to lie on the reclining chair with the cloth on his forehead, chatting idly with Physician Tao: “I didn’t go along yesterday, didn’t see what Jiang Yu’s concubine looks like. But I heard when she was brought back she broke out in hives all over. Hope it’s not some disease?”

Physician Tao answered: “Wind hives, not a serious illness.”

Zheng Hu complained: “Another one with wind hives? My second brother’s household originally had a maid who also broke out in hives all over her face. To this day I don’t know what she looks like. Later Second Brother’s household went through many changes—don’t know where that maid went…”

As he was talking, seeing Tao Kui finish pouring the pregnancy medicine and then find a small dish and a paper package, taking two candied fruits from the package to place on the dish, Zheng Hu exclaimed: “Yo, when was this candied fruit bought?”

Tao Kui mercilessly blocked his hand reaching for the candied fruit. Being inarticulate, after holding back for a long time, he only managed: “State Mentor said… it’s bought for that… elder sister.”

After saying this, he himself became unhappy. After taking the tray with medicine bowl and candied fruit outside to hand to the servant waiting there, he came back and crouched behind the medicine pots, picking up a small stick to sullenly draw circles on the ground.

Zheng Hu unexpectedly understood what this foolish boy was unhappy about and laughed: “Still thinking about your big sister?”

Tao Kui turned to crouch in another direction, unwilling to acknowledge him.

After laughing, Zheng Hu seemed to realize something, suddenly removing the cloth from his forehead and sitting up: “Hey… wait, you said the candied fruit was bought by Second Brother?”

The more he pondered, the more his expression looked like the sky was falling: “Second Brother went to buy medicine—why buy candied fruit for Jiang Yu’s concubine?”

“No, it was late at night—where did he buy candied fruit? After pounding on the medicine shop door he also pounded on a fruit confectionery shop?”

Tao Kui, seeing he also seemed unhappy, feared upsetting him further. After thinking about it, he still didn’t mention that the two servants attending that woman had also been found by Xiao Li pounding on farmhouse doors overnight.

But Zheng Hu grew increasingly unable to sit still. Others might not know Xiao Li’s thoughts, but he and Song Qin—how many years had they been brothers with Xiao Li?

Besides his mother and those few godmothers, when had Xiao Li ever been so attentive to anyone else?

Zheng Hu threw down the cloth and stood up urgently wanting to go outside: “No good, I need to see what kind of fox spirit Jiang Yu’s concubine is!”

Physician Tao, who’d been busy all along, seeing this and fearing he’d cause some trouble, finally spoke to stop him: “Come back!”

Just now there were no wounded soldiers here. After scanning left and right and seeing no one else around, Physician Tao lowered his voice: “That’s your State Mentor’s old flame.”

Zheng Hu was completely stunned, saying blankly: “How come I didn’t know when Second Brother had an old flame?”

After the shock, remembering another matter, Zheng Hu was so angry his eyes instantly reddened, nearly crying: “No… this is ridiculous… so my Second Brother’s old flame from who knows when was captured by that Chen camp fellow surnamed Jiang, and now she’s been found carrying the other guy’s child?”