While A’Bao was fast asleep, Zhao Song, Bitao, and the others escorted her back to the capital.

Wei Rao remained in Ganzhou City.

She knew it wouldn’t be easy for Lu Zhuo to resist Western Qiang’s two hundred fifty thousand cavalry with his two hundred thousand troops. She worried that Lu Zhuo might be injured, but the more critical the moment, the less Wei Rao could act rashly. She had to stay in Ganzhou to wait for Lu Zhuo, not run to the battlefield to cause him trouble or distract him. With only five hundred household soldiers under her command, she couldn’t influence anything anyway.

Fortunately, Lu Zhuo didn’t disappoint her. He was indeed Lu Zhuo – the future head of Duke Ying’s mansion and the next generation commander of the Shenwu Army.

Despite the overall military strength of Ganzhou forces being inferior to Western Qiang’s cavalry, Lu Zhuo still defended the strategic Jiayuguan Pass and dealt a heavy blow to Western Qiang’s army using Jiayuguan’s natural defenses, finally blocking Western Qiang’s flood-like offensive. While he openly defended Jiayuguan Pass, Meng Kuo led fifty thousand troops over mountains and around to the Western Qiang’s rear. When Western Qiang’s rear fell into chaos, Lu Zhuo immediately led troops out of the city to attack from front and back with Meng Kuo, causing tens of thousands of Western Qiang cavalry casualties and forcing them to retreat in embarrassment.

Lu Zhuo and Meng Kuo pursued relentlessly. When Duke Ying and Marquis Xiting arrived, leading the Shenwu Army and Longxiang Army, Ganzhou forces had already driven Western Qiang cavalry out of Guazhou, leaving them stationed on the grasslands, hesitant to advance.

After several fierce battles, with gains and losses on both sides, Ganzhou forces now totaled nearly three hundred thousand with reinforcements, while Western Qiang’s cavalry numbered less than two hundred thousand.

Duke Ying and Marquis Xiting hadn’t led troops for many years and were both advanced in age. This might be the last time these two veteran generals would command armies. They discussed and decided to have Lu Zhuo, Lu Ya, Han Liao, and other young juniors remain at the main camp while they led one hundred thousand troops each in a mighty assault on Western Qiang’s main camp.

Both sides fought for a day and a night. Western Qiang cavalry had been traveling for days and were already exhausted, while the troops led by Duke Ying and Marquis Xiting had been resting and waiting for work. The two veteran generals joined forces and slaughtered until Western Qiang soldiers abandoned their helmets and armor. After holding out for only two months, they betrayed their alliance with Wuda and retreated to Western Qiang.

When victory reports reached the capital, Emperor Yuanjia was overjoyed. He ordered Duke Ying to garrison Ganzhou while Marquis Xiting and his son, Lu Zhuo and Lu Ya brothers, and others would take one hundred thousand troops to reinforce the northern army. This time, the goal wasn’t to defeat Wuda, but to destroy Wuda as a nation!

During the brief interval waiting for the imperial edict’s reply, Lu Zhuo galloped back to Ganzhou City at full speed!

Wei Rao didn’t know Lu Zhuo would return. She only knew that the Ganzhou forces had won victories. Wei Rao was very happy, and with no way to express it, she wrote several family letters to the capital. All the news to her natal family was good. Wei Rao wrote the longest letter to her mother-in-law, He Shi. She missed her daughter terribly – she wondered if the little one had made a fuss looking for her parents after returning to the Duke’s mansion.

While in the study, she suddenly heard commotion from the front courtyard, as if someone was shouting “Your Lordship!”

Wei Rao immediately put down her brush. As she rushed out of the study, she saw that Lu Zhuo had already appeared at the corridor corner. He wore silver armor with his battle helmet nowhere to be seen, revealing a face tanned slightly dark. He was thinner, but his heroic bearing was undiminished, and his phoenix eyes immediately filled with laughter upon seeing her.

The little maids had already withdrawn. With no more concerns, Wei Rao ran toward him along the corridor.

Lu Zhuo stood still, watching her in her long dress rush toward him like a flying bird. For the first time, this woman so obviously displayed her affection for him.

Lu Zhuo reached out and lifted Wei Rao high. She was so light that he easily raised her above his head.

He looked up high while Wei Rao looked down, her hands already caressing Lu Zhuo’s face. From far away, it wasn’t obvious, but up close, she discovered his chin was covered with stubble.

“If I had known you were such a good fighter, I wouldn’t have sent A’Bao back,” Wei Rao said resentfully, her gaze like silk clinging to his face. Having to worry about her husband on the battlefield while also worrying about her young daughter, these two months had been torturous for Wei Rao, as if her heart had been split in half.

Lu Zhuo only took these words as praise. Six years ago, when he was wounded on the battlefield, Wei Rao had seen him at his most disheveled. Now, he had finally let Wei Rao know that her man wasn’t some weak general but could completely ensure border peace.

He had to return to the military camp before dark, leaving Lu Zhuo little time. He had much to say to Wei Rao, wanting to tell her how much he missed her, but Lu Zhuo didn’t want to waste words – how much he missed her, Wei Rao could naturally feel.

Lu Zhuo continued holding Wei Rao as he carried her into the inner room.

He was as urgently passionate as a newlywed. Wei Rao both missed him and felt vaguely uneasy: “Why such urgency?”

Lu Zhuo’s movements paused, his gaze carrying a hint of guilt: “I have to leave again later. The Emperor has ordered us to attack Wuda, leaving Ganzhou to Grandfather’s garrison.”

Wei Rao had thought that with Western Qiang’s retreat, Lu Zhuo would be out of danger, not expecting that he still had to fight Wuda.

Although Wuda had deployed fewer troops than Western Qiang this time, Wuda had always been a fierce wolf to Great Qi’s north. Those Wuda cavalry were ruthless killers, far more ferocious than the fence-sitting Western Qiang.

Worry, reluctance, and heartache – Wei Rao bit down on Lu Zhuo’s shoulder.

Lu Zhuo’s breathing grew heavy. Not caring about anything else, he buried himself again.

After venting enough, Lu Zhuo held Wei Rao in his arms to talk: “I’m leaving Ganzhou. There’s no point in you staying here either. Return to the capital – A’Bao is still so young, we can’t both be away from her. You go back first. When the warfare ends, I should return directly to the capital, too. This year, I was supposed to be reassigned anyway.”

Wei Rao weakly hummed in agreement. With neither father nor daughter in Ganzhou, what would she be doing staying there?

“Is going to Wuda dangerous?” Wei Rao touched his face, still worried.

Lu Zhuo said, “The northern border has two hundred thousand troops total. This time, our four armies are fully deployed, and the Emperor has ordered us to destroy Wuda as a nation. What is there to fear from Wuda?”

The four armies…

Wei Rao frowned: “Han Liao is no good. Be careful around him and try not to combine forces with him for attacks.”

Lu Zhuo understood. Ever since the battlefield intelligence leak six years ago and the assassins encountered after returning from the traveling palace, Lu Zhuo had always considered the Han family among his suspects – and the most suspicious ones at that. He just lacked evidence. Based on his suspicions alone, he couldn’t convict the Han family.

“Take care of A’Bao and don’t worry about me.” Lu Zhuo kissed her.

Time wouldn’t wait. No matter how reluctant Lu Zhuo was, he still left hastily.

Wei Rao saw him off to the entrance.

Lu Zhuo mounted Fei Mo and looked at Wei Rao, beautiful as a painting, standing below the stone steps. Lu Zhuo smiled and gripped the reins: “Wait for me to return.”

Before his words finished, Lu Zhuo had already spurred his horse away.

Wei Rao watched his retreating figure until Lu Zhuo disappeared at the end of the alley, then let out a barely audible bitter laugh.

“Don’t worry” – easier said than done. Once that person’s shadow entered one’s heart, how could it be so easily released?

After Lu Zhuo left, Wei Rao stayed at the General’s Mansion for two more days. After bidding farewell to several friendly wives in the city, Wei Rao finally boarded her carriage. Zhao Bai guarded beside the carriage while five hundred household soldiers followed behind.

Wei Rao’s five hundred household soldiers were configured as cavalry, each riding a majestic warhorse.

On the second day of travel, everyone rested in the countryside. After setting up camp, Wei Rao entered her tent. Though it was already dark, she had no mind for sleep, thinking sometimes of Lu Zhuo, sometimes of A’Bao, and sometimes of the refugee border civilians she had seen along the way. When warfare erupted, even if the court was confident, common people feared death and would rather abandon their homes temporarily, returning only after the warfare subsided.

Insects chirped continuously in the wild. Wei Rao lay on the crude wooden plank bed, not knowing when she finally fell asleep.

Wei Rao rarely dreamed, but tonight she had a dream.

In the dream, she returned to the battlefield six years ago. Wei Rao hadn’t personally experienced that war, but when Lu Zhuo was unconscious, Wei Rao had heard how he was wounded. He was shot by an arrow in his back near the heart. His life was spared by luck, but he refused to properly recuperate, continuing to fight while wounded, so his wound kept reopening repeatedly.

In Wei Rao’s dream, all these scenes appeared. She saw Lu Zhuo shot by arrows and vomiting blood, saw his wound tear open again, saw him insist on returning to the capital, then collapse from his horse, saw him lying on the bed, thin as a skeleton. In the dream, Wei Rao was still married to bring him luck, but she was no longer indifferent. She guarded Lu Zhuo’s bedside day and night, hoping he would wake up quickly, but Lu Zhuo just wouldn’t wake until he drew his last breath.

The Wei Rao in the dream wailed in grief. When Wei Rao woke from her sorrow, she discovered there were real tears on her face.

Wei Rao sat up and just sat there dazedly, completely unaware of mosquitoes buzzing nearby.

Why would she have such a dream?

They say relatives share telepathic connections. Could Lu Zhuo be in danger on the battlefield?

She and Lu Zhuo weren’t blood relatives, but they had been husband and wife for three or four years and had raised a daughter together. She and Lu Zhuo had long surpassed blood relations.

Putting on her outer garment, Wei Rao quietly walked out of the tent.

“Princess?” Zhao Bai, standing guard outside, immediately noticed her.

Wei Rao shook her head and walked to the open space between tents, gazing north.

She wasn’t far from the grasslands. Ganzhou was due west of the capital, and as she traveled east, she was only half a day’s horse ride from the grasslands.

The stars were brilliant, with several particularly bright ones.

“Is the Princess worried about His Lordship?” Zhao Bai asked quietly.

Wei Rao smiled and said to the night sky: “Yes. Tell me, if I went to find him, would he be angry?”

Zhao Bai’s heart jumped, and he immediately said: “With the Princess showing such deep affection, how could His Lordship be angry? It’s just that if the Princess went, His Lordship would inevitably be distracted.”

Wei Rao nodded.

What she least wanted to see was Lu Zhuo becoming distracted because of her, then losing his composure and affecting the overall situation.

“Delay returning to the capital. Head to Yucheng first,” Wei Rao decided.

Lu Zhuo had said they would go to Yucheng to unite with Yucheng’s imperial guards. Presumably, they had already combined forces and gone to battle. So Wei Rao would go to Yucheng to wait for him. No matter what, she had to know Lu Zhuo’s news as soon as possible.

Zhao Bai tried to dissuade her once, but seeing the Princess’s mind was made up, he no longer opposed.

The next morning, after breakfast and assembly, Zhao Bai announced on Wei Rao’s behalf that they were changing course to Yucheng.

The five hundred household soldiers perked up. Someone excitedly asked: “Is the Princess taking us to the battlefield?”

Having learned skills for so long, with Western Qiang now retreated and court forces superior to Wuda cavalry, this was a perfect opportunity for hot-blooded men to achieve merit and establish careers.

Zhao Bai said coldly: “If going to battle, the Princess would have orders. Since the Princess said nothing, don’t think otherwise.”

The five hundred household soldiers obeyed Wei Rao completely. Hearing this, they quickly stopped their discussions.

Wei Rao sat in her carriage, listening to everyone’s aspirations about going to battle to kill enemies. Even the household soldiers she trained were devoted to serving the country and achieving merit. Duke Ying’s mansion had received imperial favor for generations – as the Duke’s heir, how could Lu Zhuo not give his all?

He was a military general and should indeed be loyal to his duties, but Wei Rao was afraid – afraid he wouldn’t cherish himself and would be severely wounded again.