While He Yan was lying awake pondering these doubts, back at the Xiao residence, Xiao Jue encountered Xiao Jing and his wife who were waiting at the main gate to question him.

Bai Rongwei hadn’t even had time to change her clothes before sitting with Xiao Jue in the main hall, anxiously waiting for his return. Xiao Jing immediately demanded, “Huaijin, what’s going on? How is Young Master He… a young lady?”

The Xiao household was in complete chaos.

It was shocking enough to learn at the banquet that the young master staying in their home was a girl. Then the Emperor went ahead and arranged their marriage. Even for a family as open-minded as theirs, it was difficult to process how Xiao Jue’s good friend had suddenly become his future wife. The only certainty was that Xiao Jue must truly care for Miss He, otherwise he wouldn’t have said such touching words in front of all the court officials. Looking back now, everything made sense – like having He Yan stay in his courtyard and his subtle protectiveness… it all had an explanation.

Having just finished explaining everything to He Sui at the He residence, now Xiao Jue had to explain it again to Xiao Jing. Since they were family, he didn’t go into as much detail, giving them just enough information to understand the general situation.

Xiao Jing and Bai Rongwei barely comprehended it all as they looked at each other in bewilderment.

Bai Rongwei carefully asked, “Huaijin, do you truly have feelings for Miss He?”

Xiao Jue replied coolly, “If it weren’t true, could the Xiao family defy an imperial decree?”

Bai Rongwei was left speechless – of course, they couldn’t.

The corner of his lips curved slightly, “If it weren’t true, this imperial marriage decree wouldn’t have happened in the first place.”

Everyone paused, realizing he had a point. While Xiao Jue appeared indifferent to court affairs, he wasn’t without influence and capabilities. This marriage was orchestrated by his maneuvering to achieve his goal. If he didn’t care for He Yan, not only would he not have gone to such lengths, but even if Emperor Wenxuan had such intentions, he could have found ways to prevent it.

“However,” Bai Rongwei complained, “child, even if you were fond of her, how could you directly bring a young lady to stay here? Though your brother and I didn’t mind, if others found out, they would certainly gossip, damaging Miss He’s reputation.”

“Her identity was unclear before, and it would have been inappropriate for her to return home. Bringing her to our residence kept it from public knowledge,” Xiao Jue explained. “It won’t happen again in the future.”

The couple finally relaxed. They had always worried that given Xiao Jue’s personality, he might never marry. Now that they knew he had feelings for a young lady, it was a good thing. They just feared that youthful passions might lead to indiscretions. Seeing that he understood proper boundaries, they felt somewhat relieved.

“Where is Miss He from? Where does she live? Does she have any other family?” Bai Rongwei asked. “Young Master Lin mentioned before leaving that Miss He’s father was a Colonel. Now that we’re to be in-laws, and since her parents are no longer here, your brother and I should pay a visit. We can’t let them think we don’t understand proper etiquette.”

“Indeed,” Xiao Jing added, “We should discuss the marriage details with Master He thoroughly. We also need to start preparing your betrothal gifts.”

The imperial marriage decree had come suddenly, and the family hadn’t prepared anything. Over the years, the Emperor had bestowed many rewards, but since Xiao Jue was too lazy to manage them, Bai Rongwei had stored everything carefully in the storehouse. She had thought it would be three to five years before they would be needed, but this pleasant surprise came unexpectedly.

The couple never once concerned themselves with He Yan’s family background. Even when inquiring about He Yan’s family, it was merely to understand the situation. With the elders all deceased, the eldest brother serves as the father and his wife as the mother. Xiao Jing and Bai Rongwei were never ones to chase vanity. When Xiao Jing married Bai Rongwei years ago, rumors flew throughout Shuo Capital, and the Xiao family’s relatives strongly opposed it. But in the end, Bai Rongwei, a concubine’s daughter, still became the Xiao family’s principal daughter-in-law. Therefore, regarding He Yan, they believed that as long as her family was respectable and her character was good, that was enough.

“What does Miss He like?” With something to do, Bai Rongwei felt the weight of responsibility. The Xiao household was simple, making it easy to manage, and she rarely had any disputes with Xiao Jing. Now that Xiao Jue’s marriage was finally settled, she felt determined to arrange everything perfectly. “Shall I buy some fine silk tomorrow? And some jewelry too, though nothing too precious as that would seem disrespectful. How old is Master He? Being a Colonel must have been hard on his health, we should buy some tonics…”

She discussed the details intently with Xiao Jing, so absorbed that they didn’t even notice when Xiao Jue slipped away. When they finally thought to ask his opinion, they realized the chair before them was already empty.

Xiao Jue returned to his room, removed his court robes, and placed them on a chair before sitting down on the edge of his bed.

The room was dimly lit, and from outside came the faint sounds of activity – presumably Bai Rongwei instructing servants to get keys to the storehouse. Everyone’s shock tonight was considerable; sleep would surely be elusive.

Still… there had been some gains.

Emperor Wenxuan’s marriage decree came at just the right moment, both eliminating the annoying Chu Zhao from the picture and settling matters between him and He Yan definitively. For all the Emperor’s muddled thinking these years, he had finally done something right.

Previously, he had thought He Yan had feelings for Chu Zhao. Despite his many thoughts on the matter, he didn’t want to speak of it to He Yan. While some in the world would take what they wanted regardless of feelings, he detested forcing things.

But… it wasn’t forced after all.

He lowered his gaze and pulled out a sachet from his robes. The sachet had been turned inside out, with the elaborate embroidery on the inside and the rough lining fabric now on the outside. On the lining, crooked and unevenly embroidered, the character for “moon” glowed faintly in the dim lamplight.

Though it was rather ugly…

There was even some gold thread worked into it.

The handsome young man lowered his head, unable to suppress a smile.

In the outer room, Chi Wu threw a punch that Fei Nu steadily caught and deflected. “Calm down.”

“Did you know about this all along?” Chi Wu was so angry his nose was crooked. “No wonder whenever I expressed my displeasure, you always had that look like you wanted to say something but held back. And when I was worried sick about Young Master’s marriage prospects, you remained so calm – it wasn’t because you weren’t concerned, it was because you already knew!”

“We’ve served Young Master together as brothers for so many years, yet you kept this from me. Doesn’t your conscience hurt?”

Fei Nu dodged another of his lunges and replied wearily, “I never deceived you. Back in Jiyang City, didn’t you see her in women’s clothing? How could you still think Miss He was a man?”

Chi Wu froze.

He had a point – He Yan had indeed worn women’s clothing before. When she wore dresses in Jiyang City, neither Cui Yuezhi and his concubine, Princess Mu Hongjin of Jiyang, the common people, nor the street vendors… not one person doubted He Yan’s female identity. With her beautiful features and graceful figure, how could she not have been discovered if she weren’t truly a woman?

“I thought she was just feminine-looking,” Chi Wu said dejectedly. “Besides, how could I believe a woman would go to Liangzhou Guard, throw twenty stone locks in succession, and defeat strong men in combat?”

And eat so much!

His failure to question He Yan’s gender wasn’t because she didn’t play a convincing woman, but because she played too convincing a man! What young lady could sit among a group of men, listening to their crude jokes without batting an eye?

She could even contribute a few of her own sometimes.

Fei Nu patted his friend’s shoulder, “Look on the bright side – weren’t you always worried about Young Master being criticized in Shuo Capital for being interested in men? Now that Miss He is a woman, what you feared won’t happen.”

“That’s true,” Chi Wu sat down gloomily, “but thinking back now, I feel like such a fool.”

“It’s not that you’re foolish,” Fei Nu spoke honestly, “it’s just that Miss He did many things better than men could.”

Fei Nu reflected that if Xiao Jue hadn’t had Luan Ying investigate He Yan’s background, accidentally discovering she was a woman, even if He Yan had stood before him in a dress, he probably would have had the same reaction as Chi Wu – thinking this person looked remarkably good in women’s clothing.

But there was no point dwelling on this now. Young Master had achieved his wish, and this young mistress was capable and brave. Once word of tonight’s events spread, tomorrow Shuo Capital would likely be in an uproar.

Indeed, Fei Nu’s prediction was correct. Before dawn, those who had previously interacted with He Yan and learned that not only was she a woman but had been imperially betrothed to Xiao Jue, could hardly believe their ears.

In the military camp, Hong Shan and his companions were lounging on their communal bed platform, chatting idly while picking at their feet.

Having returned to the capital, their troops were stationed at the foot of the mountains just outside the city. They still trained daily, but it was much better than in Liangzhou. At least there were fields below the mountain, and when not training, the soldiers would help the farmers and receive fresh vegetables and fruits in return. Shuo Capital also didn’t have Liangzhou’s heavy sandstorms, so after just a month back in the capital, everyone had visibly gained weight.

Those who lived in Shuo Capital could return home once a month to visit family. Jiang Jiao had just gone to arrange his upcoming home visit with the instructor when he saw a small figure rushing towards his room like a gust of wind.

Jiang Jiao remembered this small person – surnamed Bao, who was known for always gathering gossip and having reliable information. Everyone called him Bao Dating, and after using the nickname for so long, no one remembered his real name, only knowing him as Bao Dating.

Judging by his manner, he must have gotten some big news again. Jiang Jiao followed unhurriedly behind him. These days in Shuo Capital had been dull, and they rather missed He Yan, who now had an official position and didn’t stay here anymore.

Bao Dating ran into Hong Shan’s room where everyone was chatting. He jumped straight onto the table in the middle of the room, earning a chorus of curses from the others.

“Your feet are covered in mud, get down from there!”

“That’s where I eat, Bao Dating, are you trying to start a rebellion?”

“If you want to talk, talk – but keep your feet to yourself!”

The room contained Wang Ba, Huang Xiong, and other tough characters. Usually, hearing such warnings, Bao Dating would have jumped down immediately, but today was different. Not only did he stay put, he seemed even more excited, his face red and neck bulging, “Big news, big news! I just came back from the instructor, and it’s the biggest news ever!”

People passing by other rooms gathered around. It was rare to see him so incoherent, suggesting the news must truly be significant. Someone asked, “What is it? Is Commander Xiao getting married?”

This was said in jest, as there were ten impossibilities in Liangzhou Guard, such as Shen Han never showing mercy, Liang Ping never cursing, Ma Damei never gambling… and the greatest impossibility, one that everyone considered absolutely unshakeable was: Xiao Jue would never marry.

If this impossibility were broken, it would indeed be big news, but surely it couldn’t be.

As they were thinking this, Bao Dating nodded, “Yes, yes! That’s right, Commander Xiao is getting married!”

Everyone was stunned at first, then as it sank in, excitement erupted as they crowded around the table, questioning Bao Dating.

“Who? Who? Who is Commander Xiao marrying?”

“Are you sure it’s Commander Xiao getting married and not someone else? Bao Dating, how reliable is this information? It seems rather far-fetched.”

“Does Commander Xiao seem like someone who would marry? I think it’s false, let’s not waste time being fooled.”

Hearing this, Bao Dating became extremely agitated, veins bulging in his neck as he stamped his foot and clenched his fists, “How could I lie… I heard it clearly… even the instructors were shocked… it’s an imperial decree from His Majesty himself!”

At the words “imperial decree,” everyone inside and outside the room believed it halfway. Commander Xiao would never marry of his own accord, but an imperial marriage decree was different – how could he defy the Emperor’s golden words? Put that way, it wasn’t impossible.

Xiaomi asked, “Is it an imperial decree? Which family’s young lady has His Majesty betrothed to Commander Xiao?”

Someone peering through the window answered without hesitation, “Who else could it be but Miss Shen from Inspector Shen’s family!”

Shen Muxue had stayed in the Liangzhou Guard for so long, helping many wounded soldiers. The soldiers all liked this young lady who didn’t look down on them and provided them with medicine, and many spoke up for her.

“Right, Miss Shen and the Commander would make a perfect match!”

“They’re like jade and gold, a talented scholar and beautiful lady – they must be the most well-matched pair in Great Wei.”

But Bao Dating’s answer disappointed them, “No, it’s not Lady Doctor Shen!”

Everyone looked at each other in confusion.

It wasn’t Shen Muxue? If such a kind-hearted, divine young lady as Miss Shen couldn’t become Xiao Jue’s wife, which family’s daughter had His Majesty chosen?

“If not Lady Doctor Shen, then who?”

Bao Dating: “It’s He Yan!”

When the name “He Yan” was spoken, everyone inside and outside fell silent. Even Wang Ba, who had been dozing lazily, sat up straight. Jiang Jiao, who had just entered the room, heard this and thought his ears were playing tricks on him.

“Which He Yan?” Stone asked, keeping his composure.

“Our Liangzhou Guard’s He Yan!”

Someone laughed, “Bao Dating, are you drunk? Falsely spreading imperial decrees could land you in serious trouble. He Yan is a man, how could His Majesty arrange a marriage between two men? Are you mad? Or is this just someone with the same name?”

At this point, Bao Dating became calm.

He knew his words would be like a thunderbolt among the recruits of the Liangzhou Guard, no, even among the Southern Garrison troops. After all, his good ears had caught this massive news first.

“Who says His Majesty can’t arrange a marriage between two men?” His gaze swept across everyone in the room, taking in their expressions before continuing unhurriedly, “Besides, He Yan is a woman, so of course she can be Commander Xiao’s wife.”

“CRASH—”

Liang Ping’s foot slipped, and he fell face-first to the ground. However, he didn’t bother crying out in pain, instead looking at Shen Han with a life-questioning gaze, “What did you say?”

“He Yan is a woman,” Shen Han said with an icy face.

Despite his current calm appearance, heaven knows how incredulous he was when Vice Commander Tian Lang from the Southern Garrison came to inform him of this news.

He Yan is a woman?

How could this be possible?

How could there be a woman who could eat more than men, fight better than men, and adapt better than men to the Liangzhou Guard’s harsh climate and training? When the instructors first heard this news, they collectively fell into a doubtful silence. They couldn’t imagine that the person who had sweated on the training grounds, who was bright and cheerful, who had personally beheaded two of Ri Damuzi’s guards, was a woman.

This was a brilliantly talented youth – how could it be a woman? If a woman could achieve such feats, and they had been effortlessly outperformed by He Yan, with no one in Liangzhou Guard able to match her, didn’t that mean that they, as grown men, couldn’t even compare to a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl?

If they were merely shocked and struck by the revelation that He Yan was a woman, His Majesty’s decree to marry her to Xiao Jue made these instructors shiver in fear.

Before leaving, Tian Lang kindly and subtly reminded Shen Han, “The Commander values Miss He greatly.”

What a joke – it was far more than just valuing her. This iron tree that hadn’t bloomed in a thousand years finally blossomed, and it was in front of all the civil and military officials, before the Emperor and Empress. As soon as the celebration banquet ended, rumors spread everywhere about how the Right Army Commander had treated his “beloved” so tenderly.

So now came the question: if Commander Xiao was so considerate of his beloved, how would he feel about these devil instructors who had tortured and trained her, making the young lady carry heavy loads while running, standing for hours under the sun?

It was hard to say.

Ma Damei’s face turned pale, “During winter in Liangzhou, I once shared a hot spring with Miss He…”

Everyone’s faces turned ashen, especially the instructor who had been the most enthusiastic about it at the time – he was nearly in tears. Now they understood why He Yan had repeatedly refused to enter the water, claiming to have a hidden ailment – she was a girl! Fortunately, Xiao Jue had appeared in time, otherwise, if things had progressed further, who knows if this whole room of instructors might have ended up with their own “hidden ailments.”

“So… what should we do now?” someone asked tremblingly.

“What do you mean what should we do?” Shen Han said, “Just do your jobs, what does it have to do with you!”

Although it now seemed foolish how firmly he had believed in the romantic relationship between He Yan and Xiao Jue, Shen Han felt he had shown some foresight. At least he had noticed the unusual atmosphere between these two, hadn’t he? In supporting these two, Shen Han had never wavered. Now it was just a change from male to female – what was the problem?

After all, he had always firmly stood on Xiao Jue and He Yan’s side. He Yan was a person of integrity, surely… she wouldn’t repay kindness with enmity.

At Chu Linfeng’s residence, there was also great joy today.

The Shi Marquis in Shuo Capital, though nominally an official family, had lost much of its former glory over the years. Of Chu Linfeng’s three legitimate sons, only the eldest had secured a minor official position in Shuo Capital, and that was bought with Madam Chu’s money. The remaining two legitimate sons hadn’t entered officialdom at all. Instead, it was the illegitimate son brought back from outside who had become the most successful. Not only was he the current Prime Minister’s favorite student, but now he had also become the Prime Minister’s son-in-law. With this connection, how could the Chu family not prosper?

Thinking of this, Chu Linfeng was extremely pleased. After returning from the celebration banquet, he immediately ordered people to spread the news and prepare things, saying he wanted to renovate Chu Zhao’s courtyard so that Xu Pingting wouldn’t find the Chu family compound too shabby when she married.

Madam Chu watched Chu Linfeng’s undisguised joy with cold eyes, saying nothing. Her three sons, however, couldn’t contain their anger, and after Chu Linfeng left, they complained to Madam Chu, “Father’s favoritism has gone too far! He’s just the son of a courtesan, and just because he’s gained some influence, he acts like this. When we three brothers got married, Father was never this happy.”

This was true. Although Chu Linfeng hadn’t mistreated these three sons, he found them too mediocre, and compared to them, he preferred Chu Zhao who could make him look good in front of his colleagues. When Chu Zhao first arrived at the Chu family, the three brothers had bullied him considerably, and Madam Chu had also planned to eliminate him once he grew older – just like those in the concubines’ bellies. Unfortunately, this boy had somehow learned to be cunning, delighting Chu Linfeng who took him everywhere, leaving Madam Chu no opportunity to act. Later, he even secured a connection with Prime Minister Xu. Madam Chu didn’t dare act rashly against someone connected to Prime Minister Xu.

“His birth mother made her living with her looks, and her son is the same,” the Third Young Master Chu spoke particularly harshly, “Fourth Brother is even more capable than his mother – at least he sold himself to the Xu family of the capital for a good price.”

Madam Chu frowned.

Although she also disliked Chu Zhao and wished he would meet with disaster and be found dead on the outskirts tomorrow, she didn’t want her sons to become as sharp-tongued as women. Sometimes she thought that it was no wonder Chu Linfeng favored Chu Zhao – her three sons had probably been spoiled since childhood, and compared to Chu Zhao, they were indeed quite inferior.

“Are we just going to let that brat rise to power like this?” the Eldest Young Master Chu spoke resentfully, “If so, we’ll have even less say in the Chu family in the future!”

“There’s no need to worry,” Madam Chu laughed coldly, her tone sinister, “Do you think the Prime Minister’s daughter is so easy to marry? Don’t forget, Chu Zilan still has that femme fatale Ying Xiang by his side.”