He Yan’s sleep had stretched unusually long. She even had a dream where she was crossing swords with Ridamuji. The brutal commander raised his head while her sword was pointed at him, and suddenly revealed He Rufei’s face. He Yan’s sword fell with a clang.

When she opened her eyes, she saw the soft canopy above her. The bedding beneath was warm, and looking down, she found herself lying properly on the couch. She remembered that before losing consciousness, she had been at the training grounds where Xiao Jue had engaged in combat with Ridamuzi, while the Southern Provincial reinforcements had arrived in the distance. What was the current situation? Had everything concluded?

She slowly pushed herself up to sit, but the movement pulled at the wound on her waist, making her furrow her brows in pain. After pausing for a moment, she managed to sit up properly while holding onto the bedhead. Her wounds had been bandaged, and she was back in her room—the one adjacent to Xiao Jue’s. The room was empty, leaving her with no one to ask about the current situation.

Just then, the door opened, and a young man entered carrying medicine. After closing the door, he walked to He Yan’s couch. Seeing her sitting up, he smiled and said, “Awake? Seems you’re recovering well.”

This was an unfamiliar face—He Yan had never seen him before in the Liangzhou Guard, though his clothing suggested he wasn’t a new recruit. She stared at his face, her mind blank for a moment before suddenly realizing who he was, nearly blurting out his name.

Fortunately, she caught herself in time and swallowed her words. The man smiled at her and said, “My name is Lin Shuanghe. I’m a physician and Xiao Huaijin’s friend. I treated your wounds.”

Seeing He Yan just staring at him without speaking, Lin Shuanghe thought for a moment and added, “Don’t misunderstand—I didn’t remove your clothes, Xiao Huaijin did that. I only handled the medical treatment. Ahem… I also know your true identity now.” He lowered his voice and leaned closer to He Yan, “Sister, I truly admire you.”

He Yan: “…”

She struggled to nod at Lin Shuanghe in gratitude: “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Lin Shuanghe smiled, handing her the medicine. “Drink this. It’s cooled down enough now.”

He Yan took the medicine bowl and slowly drank, her heart full of shock. Lin Shuanghe—Lin Shuanghe had come to Liangzhou Guard!

He Yan was quite familiar with Lin Shuanghe. He had been her classmate. Among the youths studying at Xianchangguan, He Yan felt that her relationship with Lin Shuanghe had been closer than with Xiao Jue.

The reason was simple: in their academic assessments, the person who most often competed with He Yan for the last place was this fellow, eight times out of ten.

Yes, despite Lin Shuanghe’s intelligent appearance, he was terrible at both civil and military studies. Unlike He Yan, who ranked last despite her efforts, Lin Shuanghe hadn’t tried at all. He was inseparable from Xiao Jue and would copy his friend’s work. When teachers assigned calligraphy practice, he would pay others to do it for him.

The youths at Xianchangguan came from wealthy or noble families, and none lacked money. However, Lin Shuanghe always offered rare treasures as payment, which many coveted. Even He Yan couldn’t resist the temptation once, helping Lin Shuanghe copy texts for an entire night in exchange for a jade cricket.

Lin Shuanghe was extremely wealthy. The Lin family had been imperial physicians for generations, with his grandfather Lin Qingtan serving as the Imperial Physician-in-Chief at the Imperial Medical Academy. Lin Qingtan’s younger son, Lin Mu, was an Imperial Physician who excelled in women’s medicine and was highly favored by the palace concubines. Lin Mu enjoyed creating beauty formulations, which pleased the Empress Dowager, Empress, and Imperial Consorts, earning him frequent rewards. These rewards were then given to Lin Shuanghe.

Lin Mu had only one son, Lin Shuanghe, whom he doted on extremely. Lin Shuanghe took advantage of his family’s wealth to idle away his time at Xianchangguan.

The Lin family likely didn’t have high expectations for Lin Shuanghe, never expecting him to excel in civil or military pursuits for an official career. They didn’t care about his studies as long as he didn’t bring shame to the family. Without much pressure from home and only needing to deal with the teachers at Xianchangguan, Lin Shuanghe’s student life was filled with carefree days of playing with cats and dogs.

The prodigal son Lin Shuanghe’s negligence was one thing, but when he saw He Yan working so hard, he found it incomprehensible. Once, while He Yan was busy memorizing texts, he approached and asked, “Brother He, why do you work so hard every day when you still rank last? What’s the point?”

He Yan ignored him and continued struggling with her memorization. Finding no response, Lin Shuanghe walked away.

A few days later, when He Yan moved up from last place to second to last in the assessment, he came to find her again, asking, “Brother He, can we make a deal? For the next assessment, could you still take last place and let me be second to last?”

He Yan: “…Why?”

“The teacher complained to my grandfather, who scolded my father, and now my father demands I show improvement in the next assessment or he’ll cut off my allowance. I’m currently last, so if you take last place, wouldn’t that mean I’ve improved?”

He Yan: “…”

“Brother He, please,” the youth pleaded. “If you help me this time, I’ll give you the phoenix hairpin that Noble Consort Su awarded me.”

“No,” He Yan refused, “I’m not a woman, what would I do with a hairpin?”

“You could give it to your mother!” Lin Shuanghe waved his fan, continuing to negotiate. “Or tell me what you’d like, and I’ll give it to you, just help me this once.”

“Sorry,” little He Yan shook her head, “I really can’t help. Why don’t you ask Huai… Huaijin Brother to tutor you? His studies are so good, he could surely help you improve with just a few pointers.”

Hearing this, Lin Shuanghe rolled his eyes dramatically: “Spare me from that. Who wants his guidance? He spends all day sleeping and has no patience. Having him teach would be worse than studying on my own.” He sighed, “How can someone who sleeps all day still rank first? He must be some kind of demon!”

He Yan glanced at Xiao Jue, who was sleeping at his desk, and deeply agreed with Lin Shuanghe’s words. Heaven must be Xiao Jue’s father to favor him so much.

Looking at Lin Shuanghe’s dejected and pitiful state, He Yan felt some sympathy. She said to him, “Actually, you shouldn’t feel discouraged. I review lessons every day, and if you don’t mind, you could join me. You can look at my study notes too. It’s fine.” Then, feeling somewhat insecure, she added, “Though my notes aren’t very good…”

Lin Shuanghe stared at her until she felt uncomfortable, then suddenly snapped his fan shut: “Fine!”

“What?”

“If you’re offering to study together, then let’s study together. I’ll try it out and see what it feels like to ‘suspend my head by my hair and prick my thigh with an awl’ like those ancient scholars.”

Lin Shuanghe’s popularity at Xianchangguan was much better than He Yan’s. He didn’t wear masks or try to stand out, carried himself with grace, was generous and unpretentious, handled matters smoothly, and often treated everyone to good food. Moreover, every youth had mothers and sisters at home, and if anyone had headaches or fevers, they needed to request help from Imperial Physician Lin. Additionally, since his grandfather was on good terms with the nobles in the palace, no one dared to offend him. Therefore, everyone liked Lin Shuanghe.

However, liking him was one thing, helping him study was another. Theoretically, many would have been willing to help Lin Shuanghe if he asked. But his foundation was too poor, and most youths at Xianchangguan were naturally gifted, lacking the patience and time to help him start from the basics. Eventually, no one was willing to take on this difficult task.

He Yan was different—they were equally poor students, neither much better than the other.

So before the next assessment, He Yan spent every day studying with Lin Shuanghe.

Lin Shuanghe had given up on martial arts, so they mainly focused on literary subjects when studying together. Regardless of what others said, they maintained a semblance of proper studying. In the evenings after classes, while others went to eat, the two would remain in the classroom, reciting texts to each other.

However, this recitation usually consisted of Lin Shuanghe sitting sideways holding the book while He Yan recited with proper rhythm and emphasis.

She recited: “The way of great learning consists in manifesting one’s bright virtue, consists in loving the people, consists in stopping in perfect goodness. Only after knowing what to stop at can one be calm; only after being calm can one be tranquil; only after being tranquil can one be at peace… The ancients who wished to manifest their bright virtue to all in the world, first… first…”

At this point in her recitation, she forgot what came next, and He Yan looked toward Lin Shuanghe.

Lin Shuanghe deliberately teased her instead of providing a hint, eating dried fruits while asking: “First what?”

He Yan’s cheeks turned red with frustration, unable to recall what came next.

Yet Lin Shuanghe kept pressing: “First what? Say it quickly.”

“First down then up!” He Yan made up randomly.

“Cough cough cough—” Someone behind them choked on their tea. They turned to look and saw Xiao Jue lazily propping himself up from a table in the shadows.

“Huaijin, you haven’t left?” Lin Shuanghe was surprised, “I thought you’d gone long ago.”

The youth stood up from the table. Having just woken up, he was still somewhat drowsy. Walking over to He Yan and Lin Shuanghe, he casually asked Lin Shuanghe: “What are you doing?”

“I’m reviewing lessons!” Lin Shuanghe put his arm around He Yan’s shoulder, speaking as if they were very close: “I’ve decided to improve together with Brother He.”

“Reviewing lessons?” he asked.

“Yes, Brother He even shares his notes with me. Brother He is truly generous,” Lin Shuanghe said.

Xiao Jue glanced at He Yan and reached for the notes on the table. Before He Yan could stop him, he had already started flipping through them. These were He Yan’s daily summaries of the teacher’s lectures. The one Xiao Jue picked up appeared to be mathematics.

He was very tall, forcing He Yan to look up at him. The youth casually turned a page, paused, and his mouth twitched.

He Yan felt nervous.

After a moment, Xiao Jue put the notes back on the table and said expressionlessly: “One page, five problems, you got three wrong.”

He Yan: “Ah?”

Lin Shuanghe was also at a loss.

Xiao Jue swept his gaze over the two of them, curled his lips, and said with unmistakable mockery: “Improve together?”

Lin Shuanghe: “…”

He turned and left, while under her mask, He Yan’s face burned red.

He Yan still clearly remembered the results of that assessment—she and Lin Shuanghe tied for last place. No one knew how Lin Shuanghe explained this to his family, or whether it counted as improvement or not.

Now many years had passed, and she hadn’t expected to meet Lin Shuanghe again in such circumstances. Not in a study hall filled with the sound of reading, but on a battlefield that had just seen combat, thousands of miles from Shuojing. They were no longer unfortunate classmates studying together—one was now a recruit, the other a physician. How mysterious the workings of fate are.

He Yan finished the medicine and set aside the bowl, studying the person before her.

Compared to years ago, Lin Shuanghe’s features had matured considerably, losing some of his youthful innocence and appearing more composed. When silent, he looked like a refined gentleman, but as soon as he spoke, his dignified manner collapsed. He leaned close to He Yan and smiled: “Sister, tell me honestly, did you come to Liangzhou Guard for Xiao Huaijin?”

He Yan: “What?”

“You like him? So you followed him to Liangzhou Guard?” He said admiringly: “Admirable courage.”

He Yan was silent for a moment before explaining: “It’s not like that. I encountered some trouble in the capital and couldn’t stay. With nowhere else to go, I enlisted in the army.”

Xiao Jue and Lin Shuanghe had always been close friends. Since Lin Shuanghe knew about her female identity, Xiao Jue had likely told him about these matters.

“Then how did he discover your female identity?” Lin Shuanghe didn’t believe her: “Your relationship doesn’t seem ordinary to me.”

“He discovered my identity because Commander Xiao is incredibly perceptive and had suspicions about me. He had someone investigate my identity in the capital. Doctor Lin,” He Yan patiently conversed with him, “may I ask you for something?”

Lin Shuanghe became serious: “Please speak.”

“In Liangzhou Guard, could you not call me ‘sister’? There are many people here with loose tongues, and if my identity is exposed, it would cause trouble for the Commander. Usually, just calling me ‘Brother He’ is fine.”

“Sist… Brother He, that’s a small matter, of course, I can,” Lin Shuanghe looked at her, shaking his head and sighing: “You’re such a delicate beauty, why not stay safely at home instead of coming to this place to suffer? It pains my heart.”

He Yan: “…”

Here we go again. In this regard, Lin Shuanghe truly hadn’t changed at all.

Unlike Xiao Jue, who in his youth had admirers stretching from the east to the west of the city but never spared any of them a glance, Lin Shuanghe was the opposite extreme. As long as someone was female—no, as long as something was female, whether human or animal, he would respond with unlimited patience and tenderness.

He didn’t address young ladies properly, calling them all “sisters” with intimate affection, as if his family had that many siblings. In their youth, many young ladies had tried to get close to Lin Shuanghe to reach Xiao Jue. Unlike the unsociable Xiao Jue, Lin Shuanghe was friendly and warm, never angry about such matters, and even willingly ran errands. One day helping this “sister” deliver a love note, the next day helping that “sister” serve refreshments. He was naturally good-looking, and eventually, some of the young ladies who had originally aimed for Xiao Jue redirected their affections to Lin Shuanghe.

Of course, Lin Shuanghe had his principles—whether they liked him or not, they were all “sisters” to him.

In his youth, he had called He Yan “Brother He” with righteous vigor. Now he had switched to a gentle tone, affectionately calling her “sister,” which He Yan found unbearable, immediately breaking out in goosebumps.

“Your old wounds haven’t healed, and now you have new ones. Especially that knife blade—it went in deep. I’ve treated you, but it won’t heal in just a day or two. These days, you need bed rest and shouldn’t participate in daily training,” Lin Shuanghe looked at her. “As for the scars, don’t worry too much. Our Lin family has excellent methods for removing scars and regenerating tissue. Though it won’t restore completely to the original state, it can recover seventy to eighty percent, not too noticeable.”

He Yan nodded: “Thank you, Doctor Lin.”

“No need for thanks. Among all the women I’ve treated, you have the most severe injuries and the highest pain tolerance. You’ve broadened my horizons. Also, as Huaijin’s friend, you can consider me a friend too. If you have any difficulties, just let me know.”

At this point, He Yan remembered something and asked: “Doctor Lin… is the Commander here? I have important matters to tell him.”

“He’s outside, wait a moment.” Lin Shuanghe stood up, opened the door, and called to someone in the courtyard: “Xiao Huaijin, He Yan is looking for you.”

Xiao Jue was talking with Shen Han, and upon hearing this, he nodded to show he understood. After a moment, Shen Han left and walked over. Lin Shuanghe waited for him at the door, and as he entered, tried to follow him in.

Xiao Jue stopped and looked at him.

Lin Shuanghe was puzzled: “What?”

“Wait outside.”

“Why?” Lin Shuanghe said: “Is there something I can’t hear?”

Xiao Jue glanced at him and said coolly: “Military secrets.” He closed the door in Lin Shuanghe’s face.

He Yan: “…”

Well, with Lin Shuanghe here, there were indeed some things that shouldn’t be shared with him. Even though they were classmates, given the current situation in Liangzhou Guard, even she had become overly cautious.

Xiao Jue walked over.

He Yan looked up at him. Though it had only been half a month since they’d last met, it felt like much longer. He was still as aloof and languid as ever as if there hadn’t just been a battle. His clothes were still clean and pristine, like autumn water.

He Yan stared briefly, then came back to her senses and said: “Commander, Lei Hou is in the dungeon.”

“I know.” He sat down in the chair by her couch and looked at her, saying carelessly: “I’ve already had people guarding him.”

He Yan sighed in relief. With guards watching, there was no fear of Lei Hou committing suicide. Xiao Jue must have understood this better than she did.

Ever since their earlier encounter during the flag competition, He Yan had vaguely sensed something was off about Lei Hou. But the feeling was subtle, and she couldn’t pinpoint it until she was imprisoned in the dungeon. When He Yan confirmed there was a spy in the Liangzhou Guard working with Hu Yuanzhong, she reviewed everyone she knew repeatedly, and suspicions returned to Lei Hou.

Lei Hou was strange.

When she competed with Lei Hou for the flags, Lei Hou used a sword. He Yan remembered clearly that he used his left hand. This wasn’t particularly unusual—he might have been left-handed. But later, when Lei Hou joined the vanguard, He Yan observed their training out of curiosity, and then Lei Hou used a spear with his right hand.

If he were left-handed, there would be no need to deliberately use his right hand, unless he was trying to conceal something. Thinking back, He Yan felt Lei Hou’s sword movements during the flag competition had seemed somewhat awkward, as if he were more accustomed to using a saber. Sword techniques performed with saber-style movements weren’t quite natural.

The masked person who had led her to the mountain that day had been the same.

Later, when Ridamuzi led his troops, Lei Hou had tried to silence her in the dungeon but was subdued by He Yan instead. She had figured it out then—if Lei Hou had connections with the Qiang people, he likely used a curved saber. Perhaps fearing discovery, he had initially used a sword, but when He Yan’s keen mind noticed something amiss, Lei Hou might have felt unsafe and switched to using his right hand to make his movements harder to trace.

However… He Yan still had questions.

She asked: “Commander, you went to Zhangtai and returned so quickly?”

Even if everything had gone smoothly in Zhangtai, the round trip shouldn’t have allowed him to return by now. Moreover, he had brought back Southern Provincial troops.

“I didn’t go to Zhangtai,” Xiao Jue said.

He Yan looked at him.

“The distress call from Zhangtai was fake,” he continued. “I went to Qingnan and brought back some Southern Provincial troops.”

He Yan fell silent.

She had suspected this when she first began doubting Hu Yuanzhong. It was likely a trap, designed to lure away Xiao Jue so that Ridamuzi could lead the Qiang people against the Liangzhou Guard’s recruits. How could recruits with only half a year’s training match the Qiang warriors? The battle would have been impossible to win.

But Ridamuzi never dreamed that Xiao Jue hadn’t gone to Zhangtai at all.

He Yan asked: “Then was Lei Hou’s placement in the vanguard also deliberate? You suspected him early on?”

Xiao Jue’s lips curled: “Yes.”

He Yan was secretly amazed.

In the flag competition, she had been the one to capture all twenty flags, yet Xiao Jue had chosen Lei Hou, whom she had defeated, for the vanguard. He Yan couldn’t understand it at the time, but now everything has become clear. Xiao Jue must have suspected Lei Hou was a spy back then and deliberately set up this scheme to draw out the snake.

She hadn’t noticed at all.

This trap had been laid earlier than any of them realized. How could Ridamuzi have known that from the very beginning, he had stepped into a pit from which there was no return?

“Commander, you’re incredible,” He Yan said sincerely. Though they were both commanders, some of Xiao Jue’s abilities commanded admiration.

Xiao Jue gave her an ambiguous smile: “Not as incredible as you.”

He Yan: “Me?”

He crossed his arms and looked at He Yan leisurely: “Done with your questions? If so, it’s my turn.”

These words seemed strange, and He Yan didn’t understand, only saying: “What do you mean?”

He laughed softly and took something from his chest, tossing it in front of He Yan. She paused before picking it up.

It was a paper folded in half, with a rough map and text drawn on it. Looking carefully, it was a map of all four sides of the Liangzhou Guard with accompanying text.

On the night she was imprisoned in the dungeon, Song Taotao had come to visit her, and He Yan had asked for help with one thing—delivering this to Shen Han. At the time, He Yan didn’t know what Shen Han would do with it, but the situation had been urgent, and she couldn’t consider it too much. He Yan had prepared for the worst—if she truly couldn’t get out or stop events from unfolding, this paper would be her final card.

Now, that card was in Xiao Jue’s hands.

“Young Lady He,” he tilted his head, looking at He Yan with an ambiguous smile, his voice mild, “care to explain?”