Even after leaving home, He Yunsheng’s mind kept replaying Hé Yan’s earlier words.

“Would you like to go to school, Yunsheng?”

Of course, he wanted to. The school had literature teachers and martial arts instructors. He could study alongside peers his age, and when the time came, whether for civil examinations or military trials, he could forge his path based on merit. Not like now, practicing aimlessly on his own, which was truly terrible.

Previously their family had no money, but now that they had silver, the suppressed yearning in He Yunsheng’s heart began to grow again.

He secretly glanced at the young woman walking beside him. Since Hé Yan had recovered from her illness, everything at home seemed to have improved. No longer was it stagnant like a dead pond—somehow the water had been stirred by the wind, creating ripples, sweeping away the stale air, bringing color and life.

It was spring indeed.

Hé Yan noticed his gaze and suddenly touched the veil on her face, warning him again: “Remember, we agreed not to reveal anything to Father, understand?”

“Alright,” He Yunsheng answered with difficulty.

The training ground was on a large field by the east city gate. Hé Yan had never been there. After she returned to the capital from military service, He Rufen replaced her, and she couldn’t participate in any subsequent “Flying Phoenix General” activities. She had only passed by once as Madam Xu during a spring outing, feeling quite nostalgic then.

The capital’s training ground was indeed vast. Flags flew from the flagpoles, and when officers held military reviews there, it was quite grand. However, in recent peaceful years, it had mostly become a place for wealthy young men to practice horsemanship and archery. Archery targets and tracks were set up everywhere, with weapon racks full of various arms.

As soon as Hé Yan arrived, she could hardly look away.

She once had a sword named Qing Lang, invincible and sharp enough to cut iron like mud. It had accompanied her through years of battlefield campaigns. When she married into the Xu family, she hadn’t taken it with her, though she had wanted to.

He Yuansheng had told her: “The Xu family is a scholarly household. If you bring a sword, your husband and mother-in-law might disapprove.”

Her birth father He Yuanliang had also advised with concern: “It’s inauspicious.”

So she left Qing Lang at home, asking family members to take good care of it. But when she first visited home after marriage, Qing Lang was already hanging at He Rufen’s waist.

When she questioned He Rufen, before he could answer, He Yuansheng said: “Rufen is the Flying Phoenix General now. People would be suspicious if he didn’t wear a sword!”

“That’s right, that’s right, you won’t need it anymore anyway,” He Yuanliang had chimed in.

Her joy at returning home had been doused with cold water, chilling her to the bone. It was then she suddenly realized what marriage meant, what giving up the title of Flying Phoenix General meant. It meant that from then on, she was Madam Xu, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Xu family, the legitimate daughter of the He family’s second branch, staying home to serve her husband and raise children, living in harmony with her spouse. The sword, war horse, comrades, and freedom—the military achievements and battle records won with blood—would all be handed over to another person.

And no one would know.

First her Qing Lang, then her war horse, then her subordinates, everything of hers. Decades of hard work, all to dress another’s bride.

She had nothing left.

“Hey, what’s wrong? You look terrible,” He Yunsheng asked.

Hé Yan startled, coming back to herself, and smiled, “Nothing.” She looked around, “Why don’t I see Father?”

“They seem to be over there,” He Yunsheng pointed to another track, “Probably training horses.”

The training ground often received new horses, some with fierce temperaments that wouldn’t submit to control, requiring time to be trained. The current city gate captain was of extremely low rank, and when not patrolling the city, had essentially become a training partner for noble young men who came to practice riding and archery.

“Let’s go over,” He Yunsheng said.

Hé Yan nodded, then suddenly stopped and picked up an iron-tipped staff from the top of the weapons rack.

“What are you taking that for?” He Yunsheng asked.

“Just to get a feel for it,” Hé Yan said. “Let’s go.”

He Yunsheng was speechless. As they walked toward the track by the stables, before getting close they heard a commotion. Looking up, they saw two horses galloping past—one carrying a young man in fine clothes, the other carrying someone as sturdy and dark as a black bear: none other than He Sui.

Who was He Sui racing against?

“Young Master is amazing!” A watching servant exclaimed excitedly, “Three rounds, and he’s won every time!”

Oh, three rounds already? Hé Yan looked up, and her brows immediately furrowed.

The horse under He Sui hadn’t been trained yet, obviously wild and difficult to control, with very rushed steps. He Sui was barely managing to ride it, and the finely-dressed young man deliberately used his horse to bump He Sui’s, Hé Yan even saw his horsewhip strike He Sui’s horse’s rump.

The wild horse bucked wildly, nearly throwing He Sui off. He Yunsheng cried out, “Father!” his heart clenching tight.

The finely-dressed young man just laughed loudly.

This round finally ended, and He Sui’s horse stopped, though barely, struggling in place for quite a while before calming down.

The young master had already been helped off his horse and spoke smugly, “Captain He’s skills are lacking, can’t even tame one horse. Still, this round was better than the last—at least you weren’t thrown off and kicked twice.”

Thrown off? Kicked twice?

Hé Yan looked at He Sui and saw the big man’s face was bruised, his clothes bearing a hoofprint. He had taken quite a fall. This fellow… she felt somewhat angry.

The young master tossed out a silver ingot with a grin, “Not bad, not bad, this young master is pleased. Here’s your reward.”

The silver fell to the ground, and He Sui, ignoring everyone’s stares, bent to pick it up and thanked him with a smile: “Thank you, Young Master Zhao.”

Never having seen his father so humble, He Yunsheng erupted in anger, shouting, “What are you thanking him for? Can’t you see he’s toying with you?”

“Yunsheng?” He Sui finally noticed Hé Yan and He Yunsheng, asking, “Yan’er, why are you here?”

“Who’s this?” Young Master Zhao asked.

“This is my son, Yunsheng,” He Sui said apologetically.

“Oh—” Young Master Zhao said, “Your son seems quite disrespectful toward me.”

“Not at all, he’s just a child who doesn’t know better.” He Sui pressed down on He Yunsheng’s head, “Quickly apologize to Young Master Zhao.”

“I won’t—” He Yunsheng struggled. This Young Master Zhao was humiliating He Sui, treating him like a servant for entertainment. But why? Though He Sui’s rank was low, he was still an official, not the Zhao family’s servant. Why should he endure such humiliation?

He Yunsheng held his head high, refusing stubbornly.

Young Master Zhao looked on with growing interest, “How about this—I was planning to have another round with your father, but I’ve changed my mind. You race with me, and this young master will reward you with another silver ingot.” He reached out, and a servant handed him a silver ingot.

“Impossible!” He Sui was startled, then immediately bowed with an ingratiating smile, “Yunsheng has never ridden before, let me continue practicing with Young Master instead.”

Though He Sui usually favored Hé Yan, it didn’t mean he didn’t love his son. This Young Master Zhao wasn’t a good person, but He Sui had endured plenty of such humiliation from wealthy young men and didn’t mind these occasional incidents. He Yunsheng was at an age where he should be finding a school. And Hé Yan needed a dowry—she couldn’t go to her future husband’s family empty-handed and face disdain. But he had no other skills; besides selling his labor, he could only please these young masters to earn silver.

He hadn’t expected his children to witness his humble, pathetic state today. He Sui felt both ashamed and distressed.

Yunsheng, being a hot-blooded youth, couldn’t bear such humiliation, but didn’t understand the treachery of human hearts. With his build, if he raced Young Master Zhao today, it would be strange if he didn’t lose half his life. This horse was a newly arrived, masterless, fierce beast that had never been trained. Forget racing—even mounting it would be difficult.

He couldn’t let his son get hurt.

“I’ll do it,” He Sui said with a smile.

“That won’t do,” Young Master Zhao shook his head, “I want him.”

He Sui’s smile froze.

In the deadlock, suddenly someone spoke up, a clear voice breaking the silence.

“How about I race with you instead?”

Everyone turned to look. The person who had been silent suddenly spoke, and they realized a young woman had been standing there. She wore a light vermilion short-sleeved outer garment with white floral trim over a long robe, with a crimson skirt, graceful and elegant. A white veil covered her face, revealing only a pair of beautiful eyes, curved in a smile.

“And who are you?” Young Master Zhao asked.

“Me?” the young woman nodded slightly, “Just a horse trainer.”