News spread throughout the streets, teahouses, and taverns of Shuo City overnight: Second Young Master Xiao had a fiancée, bestowed by His Majesty himself. The fiancée was a woman who had dressed as a man and fought alongside Xiao Jue on the battlefield, achieving remarkable military merit. She had become the first female marquis since the founding of Great Wei – the Marquis of Wu’an.
Throughout the city, people discussed this single topic. Some said Second Young Master Xiao was truly extraordinary, with a fiancée who was a formidable woman who could match any man. Others questioned why he wouldn’t marry the young lady of the Shen family, instead choosing a common woman without a family background, one who brazenly showed her face in public. They couldn’t understand his thinking.
Regardless of outside opinion, the Xiao household remained immersed in joy. Early the next morning, Bai Rongwei and Xiao Jing brought hastily prepared engagement gifts and took Xiao Jue to visit the He family.
Unsurprisingly, this drew another crowd of onlooking neighbors.
He Sui was internally dismayed, thinking the Xiao family had come too quickly – they hadn’t even had time to send Qingmei out to buy tea. Qingmei had no choice but to serve hot water, as the family sat awkwardly in the room watching their guests.
He Yan had just finished practicing martial arts in the back courtyard. The Xiao family’s sudden arrival left her no time to change clothes. After Xiao Jing and the others were seated, they saw a young woman in work clothes with her hair in a bun, wiping sweat from her brow as she walked in.
He Yan had thought only Xiao Jue would come today. When she saw Bai Rongwei and Xiao Jing were also present, she became flustered and looked toward Xiao Jue. Before he could speak, Xiao Jing said, “Master He, Miss He, please forgive our rudeness in visiting so suddenly today.”
“It’s no problem at all,” He Sui smiled. He hadn’t slept all night, spending several hours sitting in the courtyard just looking at the sky. He Yan’s marriage had come too suddenly; it all felt unreal. Even though it was an imperial decree, he wasn’t entirely confident. Everyone said Xiao Jue was an excellent match, but such families had never been part of their world.
Last night, his time with Xiao Jue had been too brief, though he vaguely felt that this General Feng Yun didn’t have the airs of a young master, much better than Fan Cheng. But He Sui had heard some things about Xiao Jue’s family situation. Now Xiao Jue had no elders above him, only his brother and sister-in-law. While Xiao Jing was known in the capital as a true gentleman, He Sui didn’t know much about Bai Rongwei. However, when it came to his daughter marrying into another family, he worried about her being mistreated. Moreover, He Yan had been spoiled by him – what if her new family didn’t dote on her the same way?
He Sui didn’t hope for He Yan to marry into a noble family. As the saying goes, there’s wisdom in marrying within one’s social class. Rather than reaching above their station and being looked down upon, it would be better to marry into an ordinary family where she would be cherished.
He Sui was troubled.
However, the attitude of Xiao Jue’s brother and sister-in-law surprised him.
Bai Rongwei and Xiao Jing weren’t people who cared for vanity. They were simply grateful that Xiao Jue finally had someone he cared for, and were afraid of frightening the young lady away, so they naturally showed the utmost consideration. Regarding the marriage arrangements, Bai Rongwei discussed every detail with He Sui. Seeing the Xiao family taking things so seriously, He Sui felt somewhat relieved.
Being respected was always a good thing.
He Yan sat to the side, unable to find a way to join the conversation. Fortunately, He Yunsheng had gone to school early; otherwise, if he were here, who knows how he might have challenged the Xiao family.
He Sui was also observing Xiao Jue. While the elder Xiao couple seemed reliable, and He Sui didn’t doubt Xiao Jue’s excellence, people said Xiao Jue was cold toward women and emotionless. He wondered about his feelings toward He Yan. So he occasionally asked Xiao Jue questions about He Yan – what she liked to eat, what she did, how she performed in Liangzhou…
Xiao Jue answered everything.
He Yan: “…”
She felt like a complete outsider. When this cordial meeting finally ended, He Sui tried to invite them to stay for a meal.
“No need to trouble yourself, Master He,” Bai Rongwei smiled. “We need to return to the manor first to inform the various Xiao family relatives. The imperial decree came so suddenly last night, we haven’t had time to notify everyone. Today we should share the joy with all our relatives and friends.”
“Then… you must come another day,” He Sui said heartily.
He Yan: “…”
They barely had enough rice in their bin for one meal, and with only Qingmei as their servant, if they kept guests for dinner, they would probably be hungry before a simple meal of congee and small dishes could be served. He Yan looked at the jubilant He Sui, quite speechless.
As He Sui saw Bai Rongwei and the others out, the watching neighbors called out good-naturedly: “Congratulations, Old He, you’ve found excellent in-laws!”
“Old He has such good fortune, raising such a good daughter. Why don’t we have such luck?”
“When you make it big later, Old He, don’t forget about us. I even held He Yan when she was born!”
He Yan thought that if the real Miss He were here, hearing such teasing, she would probably be blushing bright red. Even someone as tough as herself felt a bit uncomfortable hearing these words.
Xiao Jue walked with her behind the others, as if Bai Rongwei and Xiao Jing deliberately left space for them to talk. He Yan asked, “Governor, what are you doing tomorrow?”
Xiao Jue looked at her: “Why?”
“I plan to visit Yu Hua Temple on Mount Lianxue tomorrow to pray to Buddha,” He Yan said with a smile. “It’s the Mid-Autumn Festival, and I’ve heard the Buddha at Yu Hua Temple is very efficacious. Many people go up the mountain to pray for blessings at this time. Yunsheng has school, and Father has worked, so I’m going alone. If you’re free, you could come with me. There’s no harm in paying respects to Buddha.”
She always thought that her nighttime meeting with Xiao Jue years ago had truly changed her life. Although fate inevitably led to a tragic ending, before that end, it had given her more courage. This courage continued to the present, creating this fate with Xiao Jue. Fate was long and flowing, like a red silk ribbon hanging from an ancient tree – though discarded and trampled, it would still be picked up by another, cherished, and hung again where wind and rain couldn’t reach it.
How fortunate.
“I have nothing tomorrow,” Xiao Jue’s lips curved slightly. “I can go with you.”
“Great!” He Yan said, “Then tomorrow at Chen time, I’ll wait for you at the Xiao manor gate.”
As soon as she finished speaking, she heard Xiao Jue laugh. He Yan asked curiously, “What are you laughing at?”
“Miss He has forgotten again that she’s a woman,” Xiao Jue said slowly, his gaze seeming to tease.
He Yan understood and coughed lightly, “Between us, we needn’t be bound by worldly views.”
“You sleep,” he laughed softly, “Tomorrow at Chen time, I’ll come to get you.”
He Yan nodded.
While this He family in the capital was full of joy and laughter, another He family was tense, with an atmosphere of gathering storms.
He Rufe smashed his cup against the wall with a “bang.”
The peony-decorated porcelain cup shattered against the corner, and the servants in the room didn’t dare breathe, standing silently with lowered heads.
People outside said Flying Swan General was generous and unrestrained – this was true, but occasionally at home, He Rufe would show a dark and violent side. Even the He family servants sometimes fell into confusion, wondering why the general who was confident and radiant like the sun in public would sometimes be as gloomy as a poisonous snake in the gutter at home, with depression in every feature.
“All of you, leave,” He Yuansheng stepped through the door, kicking the fragments aside with his shoe, and dismissed the servants.
After the door closed, He Yuansheng sat down before He Rufe.
“Now everyone outside is saying that in the Battle of Huayuan, your strategy of retreating a thousand li at night was completely different from before, unlike your usual self,” He Yuansheng poured himself a cup of tea and took a sip. “I think you should claim illness and temporarily stop attending court for now.”
“Why go to such lengths?” He Rufe laughed coldly, unconcerned. “Victory and defeat are common in war. It was just one battle, nothing significant.”
“Is that so?” He Yuansheng looked at him. “Then why have you been anxious and restless since returning to the manor last night? Is it because of that woman called He Yan?”
He Rufe suddenly raised his head to look at him.
“She’s not He Yan,” He Yuansheng said unhurriedly. “We’ve already inquired – she’s just the daughter of a city gate captain, with no previous connection to our family. Who knows what methods she used to catch Xiao Jue’s attention and even become a marquis? Just showed her face in the palace once, and it scared you to this state? Don’t forget, you are the Flying Swan General.”
The speaker meant nothing by it, but to one who knew better, it sounded like mockery.
He Rufe’s gaze darkened slightly. “Of course, I know it’s just trickery, but at this moment, just as someone outside is widely spreading rumors that I’m different from before, this woman called He Yan appears. Such a coincidence – also cross-dressing as a man, receiving titles and promotions. Father, don’t you think it’s too convenient?”
“What are you trying to say?”
“This He Yan woman’s background shows no problems. As a mere woman, she presumably wouldn’t dare scheme against the He family. Moreover, all those who knew about the past incident were silenced, except for the Xu family… Xu Zhiheng is a coward and wouldn’t speak up voluntarily. Father, this He Yan woman is Xiao Huaijin’s fiancée, and last night in the palace, Xiao Huaijin strongly defended her.”
“Are you saying this was all orchestrated by Xiao Huaijin?” He Yuansheng frowned slightly. “The He family and Xiao family had no past grudges, why would he do this?” If possible, he didn’t wish to make an enemy of Xiao Huaijin. Even Minister Xu, who wielded great power in court, couldn’t handle Xiao Huaijin. Moreover, Governor Xiao would behead officials’ sons without hesitation if provoked – what wouldn’t he do?
“Back when He Yan was studying at Xianchang Academy, she was Xiao Jue’s classmate,” He Rufe’s gaze was deep. “Perhaps he discovered the secret of He Yan’s identity early on. Now that we’ve aligned with Minister Xu, and since Xiao Huaijin doesn’t get along with Minister Xu, he naturally wants to deal with our family.”
“We were very discreet…”
“Father,” before He Yuansheng could finish, He Rufe interrupted, “There are no walls that are completely sealed. The capital is full of spies. Since we’ve been drawn into the feud between the Xiao and Xu families, we can’t stay uninvolved.”
He Yuansheng sighed softly.
He preferred to act with caution, ideally taking all the benefits while letting others bear the risks. Aligning with Xu Jingfu brought countless advantages, but similarly, they had caught Xiao Huaijin’s attention – a truly unpleasant situation.
“We’re already Minister Xu’s people, Xiao Huaijin won’t let us go. Since that’s the case,” murderous intent filled He Rufe’s eyes, “we should strike first.”
He Yuansheng frowned, “We can’t act rashly against Xiao Huaijin.”
“Who said I was going after Xiao Huaijin?”
“You mean…”
“Didn’t they find a woman to play tricks?” He Rufe spoke slowly, his gaze flickering with endless malice, “Let’s start with that woman first.”
…
He Yan hadn’t expected that the Xiao family’s visit would give He Sui the idea to renovate the house, though he hadn’t thought about moving to a different residence. Of He Yan’s previous silver, part went to He Yunsheng, part went to taking care of the Xu family’s Fu Wang, and she kept some for future use. Besides this, although she was now a marquis, she had no imperially bestowed residence or land, and her salary had been suspended for a year. Even as an official, she was one with empty sleeves.
She had wanted to visit Wang Ba and the others at the garrison outside the city. The Hongshan group would surely be shocked to learn she was a woman. But she felt that going suddenly without a proper reason wasn’t right – better to wait a few more days.
For now, she would just go pray at Yu Hua Temple on Mount Lianxue.
Early the next morning, He Yan got up and changed into a crab-shell green silk dress with dark embroidered patterns. Thank heavens, although the He family wasn’t wealthy, He Sui was still willing to buy dresses for Miss He. Over the past year, He Yan had grown slightly taller, and though still slender, she was no longer as frail as before when a breeze might knock her over – she looked much healthier. Qingmei pulled back some of her hair in a bun at the back, leaving the rest loose. Looking at herself in the mirror, He Yan felt quite unaccustomed to the sight. Qingmei smiled with delight, “Young Miss looks so beautiful like this. When you first came back, this servant almost didn’t recognize you.”
He Yan thought that now, in this appearance, she was truly unrecognizable.
The previous accessories had all been sold to the pawnshop at He Yan’s request. Now they couldn’t even find a hairpin. After searching through drawers for a while, Qingmei finally found a wooden hairpin, probably carved by He Sui himself. It wasn’t worth much money, which was why it hadn’t been pawned with the others.
“Young Miss looks good with this pin. Governor Xiao will be pleased,” Qingmei muttered.
He Yunsheng and He Sui had left early, but they were quite at ease about Xiao Jue, not asking many questions when they learned He Yan was going to Mount Lianxue with him. Though perhaps it wasn’t Xiao Jue they trusted, He Yan – after all since learning that He Yan had beheaded two Wutuo men in Liangzhou, father and son had begun looking at her very differently from before.
“Alright, alright,” He Yan touched her head, “This is fine.” She grabbed her bundle from the table and smiled, “I’m going now!”
She didn’t ask Qingmei to accompany her, as Qingmei walked too slowly.
They had agreed on Chen’s time. Not knowing when Xiao Jue would arrive, He Yan opened the main gate to check if anyone was outside. As soon as she opened it, she saw a carriage stopped in front of her gate. Fei Nu was driving, and the carriage curtain was half-open, showing Xiao Jue sitting inside reading a book.
He Yan was startled and ran over to ask, “When did you arrive? Why didn’t you come in?”
“Just arrived,” Xiao Jue put down his book. “Thought you might not be awake yet, so I waited.”
He Yan climbed into the carriage with practiced ease. As Chi Wu began driving, He Yan sat down and rubbed her hands, asking, “Have you eaten breakfast?”
Xiao Jue glanced at her without saying anything, then took out a red wooden box from under the small table in the carriage. When he opened it, a delicious aroma wafted out – it was steaming hot pastries and a cup of sweet soup.
“How did you know I hadn’t eaten?” He Yan was deeply touched. To go up the mountain, with Qingmei doing her hair, she had already risen quite early. He Yan couldn’t bear to make her wake even earlier to cook, so she had planned to buy a few steamed buns from the street before Xiao Jue arrived. She hadn’t expected him to be so thoughtful in his preparations.
Xiao Jue raised an eyebrow, “The temple’s vegetarian fare is limited. Afraid you won’t get enough to eat.”
Considering he had prepared breakfast, He Yan didn’t mind his teasing about her appetite. While eating, she chatted with Xiao Jue, “Governor, I heard Yu Hua Temple on Mount Lianxue is very efficacious. There was once a very poor man, so poor his family could barely eat. One day while cutting firewood on the mountain, it suddenly started thundering and raining, so he took shelter in Yu Hua Temple. At that time, Yu Hua Temple was just a run-down shrine. This beggar looked at the Buddha statue and said: ‘Buddha, please show me a way to survive, the elderly at home are starving.’ Then while he was sleeping in the temple, he had a dream where Buddha told him to go home and dig a hole beside the well in his courtyard.”
At this point, He Yan specifically looked at Xiao Jue’s expression. However, he just looked at her with an ambiguous smile, neither eager for the conclusion nor urging her on, as if listening to an inconsequential story.
He Yan almost doubted whether she wasn’t telling it well. If Wang Ba were here, he would surely be anxiously asking: What happened next? What happened then?
But once a story begins, it naturally must continue to its end.
“This man remembered what happened in the dream after he woke up. When he got home, at night he carried a hoe to dig beside the well, and as he dug, he found a bag of gold in the ground.”
“After this poor man got the gold, he used it to do business, and things got better and better until he became a local tycoon. After he had money, he visited Yu Hua Temple again, gave the abbot a generous donation, and helped renovate the temple. The Buddha statue was even gilded. Afterward, Yu Hua Temple became increasingly efficacious, and people said the more donations you make, the more likely your wishes will come true.”
When the story was finished, He Yan drank the last sip of sweet soup, “How about it, Governor, isn’t the legend impressive?”
Xiao Jue was noncommittal, “Miss He tells quite a good story.”
He Yan: “…”
Indeed, the story was her invention, and she had forgotten from whose mouth she had heard it. It wasn’t even about Yu Hua Temple, but some other temple. Though it was enough to fool people, Xiao Jue had directly called her out. He Yan seriously doubted whether her ability to deceive had regressed a thousand li.
Seeming to notice her disappointment, Xiao Jue said, “The abbot of Yu Hua Temple is very familiar with my elder brother.”
He Yan: “Ah?”
“So your story was too unbelievable.”
He Yan fell silent.
Trying to deceive someone about people they knew was indeed awkward. However… she looked at Xiao Jue, “Alright, this story wasn’t about Yu Hua Temple, but it’s true. Governor, do you believe that sometimes things that happen in dreams might be real?”
Xiao Jue: “Dreams?”
“Have you ever thought that perhaps everything happening to us now – whether in Liangzhou, Jiyang, or Rundu – might just be a dream? When you wake up from the dream, you become a different person, and everything you had before becomes nothing.”
Her voice was clear and seemed to carry additional meaning, causing Xiao Jue to glance at her.
He pondered for a while before saying, “Even if it’s a dream, it doesn’t matter.”
He Yan looked at him.
“When the dream ends, we can start over again.”
He Yan was stunned, then couldn’t help but lower her head and smile.
That was true – when the dream ends, starting over is fine. Just like in her previous life when she met Xiao Jue, then she died; in that life, she became a general and made wedding clothes for others. But when the dream ended and everything started anew, she still met Xiao Jue and became He Yan on the battlefield once again.
What is meant to be yours will return in another way, even if temporarily lost.
The moon and her sword were the same.
…
It was a fine day with many pilgrims.
At the entrance of Yu Hua Temple, a carriage stopped, and a young woman helped a lady down from it. The lady was quite beautiful and graceful, though she looked pale and sickly. The young woman at her side had similar features – they were mother and daughter.
“Mother, walk slowly, watch your step,” He Xinying said softly.
The Second Madam He nodded gently.
He Xinying sighed inwardly. When she had left home to marry, Second Madam He’s health was already poor, and now it had only gotten worse. This morning when she went to the He family to help her mother into the carriage, holding her arm, she felt Second Madam He’s arm was so thin she could easily wrap her fingers around it – alarmingly frail.
“How has Father been taking care of you? Are all those doctors in the manor just eating idle rice?” He Xinying was dissatisfied. “Why don’t I have my husband request an imperial physician from the palace to examine you? Mother, how can I not worry when you’re like this?”
Second Madam He waved her hand, “I’m fine. No need to trouble anyone.”
He Xinying felt both heartache and helplessness as she supported Second Madam He walking slowly inside. The He family didn’t like going up the mountain to pray to Buddha; today, only mother and daughter had come. The guards waited outside the temple while He Xinying first took Second Madam He to see the temple abbot and presented the promised donation.
She hadn’t intended to come pray to Buddha today – it was just an excuse to see her mother and talk about what she had discovered about the Xu family. But seeing Second Madam He so weak, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything.
Never mind, better not worry mother with these things. As for the doubts about Xu Zhiheng, she would investigate them herself.
After all, there was plenty of time ahead – no need to rush.