When Heyan went to the Changmao Iron Shop to look for someone, she left early. As for the chaos that ensued after her departure, she thought Chihu would calm Qingmei down. Having made the journey once before, she found the way much easier this time.

However, she hadn’t anticipated visitors coming to their home today.

When Xiao Jue arrived at the He residence, no one was there. Qingmei was gone, Chihu was absent, and Heyan was away as well. The main gate was tightly shut, and the already dilapidated house looked like an abandoned old mansion.

Previously, when Xiao Jing and Bai Rongwei visited, upon returning home, Bai Rongwei had gently suggested finding another residence for the He family. Xiao Jue refused, although it wouldn’t have been a difficult matter. Given Heyan’s personality, she would likely spout nonsense about “not accepting rewards without merit.” Emperor Wenxuan was also a ruler disconnected from common hardships – conferring a marquis title without granting a mansion and even withholding salary for a year. However, back in the Liangzhou Guard, Heyan had received some silver as a reward, which should have been enough to temporarily exchange for a residence.

The street where Heyan and her family lived was surrounded by ordinary households, with people who had to go out to work during the day. Unlike the night they first arrived, there weren’t crowds gathering to watch. Finding no one at home, Xiao Jue pondered briefly and was about to leave when he bumped into someone.

The person was startled to see Xiao Jue. “Commander Xiao, why are you here?”

It was Jiang Jiao.

Jiang Jiao wasn’t wearing the recruits’ tight-fitting uniform today, but rather a blue-green brocade robe. For a moment, Xiao Jue hadn’t recognized him. As soon as Jiang Jiao spoke, he silently cursed himself for being muddle-headed – since Heyan was now Xiao Jue’s fiancée, it was perfectly natural for Xiao Jue to visit her. What was there to be surprised about?

“Commander Xiao came to see Brother He… I mean, Lady He, right?” Jiang Jiao tried to recover from his earlier slip, then looked at the closed gate behind him. “I just passed by here and asked a fruit vendor, who said this was the He residence… How come no one’s home today?”

Xiao Jue shook his head and looked back at him: “What brings you here?”

“Oh, I came to deliver a sword to Lady He.” Jiang Jiao scratched his head. “Soldiers from Shuojing in our camp get one day each month to visit family. I went home yesterday and should return to camp today. Before going back, I wanted to give this sword to Lady He.”

Xiao Jue raised his eyebrows slightly. Jiang Jiao came to his senses, worried Xiao Jue might misunderstand, and explained: “It’s because of the assassination attempt on Lady He in Shuojing recently – everyone in Liangzhou Guard heard about it. The brothers were worried about her safety. My family runs a martial arts school, so I wrote to my father to find a sword for Lady He.” He weighed the cloth-wrapped long sword in his hand, appearing somewhat embarrassed. “It’s not a precious sword, but it’s light and sharp. If Lady He has a sword at her side when she goes out in the future, even if more foolish assassins attack, she won’t be without a handy weapon.”

“A sword?” Xiao Jue frowned. “Why did you think to give a sword?”

“Huh?” Jiang Jiao seemed surprised by Xiao Jue’s question. “Lady He’s swordsmanship is exquisite. If giving a weapon, naturally it should be a sword. Though her whip and knife skills are good, I think her swordsmanship is even better, so I took the liberty of choosing this.”

Xiao Jue stared into his eyes. “How do you know Heyan’s swordsmanship is exquisite?”

“From back in Rundu.” Jiang Jiao suddenly realized. “Oh right, Commander Xiao hadn’t arrived in Rundu when Lady He used her sword, so you didn’t see it. Wang Ba and I all saw it then. That day, Lady He led us in a night raid on the Wutuo enemy camp. We all wore demon masks, but Lady He’s mask was different. Lord Li said it was identical to the one General Feiong once wore. That day, Lady He wore that mask, pretending to be General Feiong, and routed those Wutuo people until they fled in disorder. She used a sword then. Though I’ve never seen how General Feiong used his sword, I feel Lady He’s swordsmanship is no worse than his.”

After speaking in one breath, Jiang Jiao suddenly realized he had said too much. Though he and Heyan were friends with no romantic involvement, now that Heyan had become Xiao Jue’s fiancée, he should avoid any appearance of impropriety. So he coughed lightly, “I came today just to deliver the sword. Since Lady He isn’t home, and I’ve met Commander Xiao here, perhaps it would be better for Commander Xiao to give her the sword.”

He handed the wrapped package to Xiao Jue. “It’s getting late, and I need to hurry back to camp. I’ll trouble Commander Xiao with this matter, thank you.” He cupped his hands in salute to Xiao Jue, then picked up his bundle from home and walked toward the street’s end.

After Jiang Jiao’s figure disappeared at the end of the long street, Xiao Jue looked down at the cloth-wrapped sword in his hand. The sword was very light, appearing slender and delicate. He lowered his eyes, lost in thought for a while, then turned and left in another direction.

……

On this day, Heyan returned without success.

The old master at Changmao Iron Shop told Heyan that Blacksmith Niu hadn’t appeared in the past few days, and even the ten iron sickles ordered last month hadn’t been delivered. The old master had some friendship with Blacksmith Niu, and though the sickles were important, if nothing was wrong, Blacksmith Niu wouldn’t have failed to keep his appointment.

Heyan asked the old master if he knew where Blacksmith Niu lived, but he shook his head, saying Blacksmith Niu lived in the mountains, and no one knew the exact location. Blacksmith Niu usually didn’t like telling others about his personal affairs, and others didn’t feel it appropriate to inquire too much.

The situation was almost completely clear – Blacksmith Niu and Matron Qin had likely been found by Xu Zhiheng’s people before she could reach them.

It was indeed a disappointing matter.

When she returned home, because she had left early, He Sui and He Yunsheng hadn’t returned yet, so they hadn’t discovered her sneaking out. Qingmei was sitting on the doorstep waiting, and as soon as she saw Heyan leading the horse to the gate, she immediately stood up happily, “Miss, you’ve finally returned!”

“I just went out for a stroll and lost track of time,” Heyan continued to make excuses.

“Lady He left before dawn – may I ask which market you were strolling through?” Chihu walked out from behind the door, speaking in an unfriendly tone. He and Qingmei had just arrived home not long ago. To be honest, Chihu didn’t think going out to search would yield any results. If Heyan was determined to hide from them, who could find her? But whenever he showed the slightest hint that it wasn’t necessary to go out searching, the little maid in front of him would immediately start crying. Chihu almost suspected that Qingmei just wanted to go out and play herself, which was why she was so insistent on looking for Heyan all day.

Poor man, being dragged through the streets by a little girl all day. The Xiao family had quite a few secret guards in Shuojing city – who knew how this would be gossiped about in the Nine Banners Camp tomorrow? What made him feel even more defeated was that Heyan not only left by herself but also took a horse, right under his nose, and he hadn’t noticed anything. He was even mocked by Qingmei for his poor skills.

Who knew how Heyan had managed to run away?

However, today’s Heyan was even more defeated than Chihu. Going out early and returning late, she had nothing to show for it. What was even more heartbreaking was the silver she had used to tip Fu Wang – finally getting a lead, and now it had all gone to waste. It was truly a loss of both effort and money.

She listlessly made a few excuses, then said, “After walking all day, I’m quite tired. I’ll go back to my room to rest.” Without waiting for Qingmei’s response, she threw herself into her room.

Qingmei stood outside the door, blinking her eyes, and said to Chihu, “Guard Chihu, today you must not sleep too deeply. Pay attention to any sounds from Miss’s room at night.”

Chihu: “…”

Now she wasn’t even calling him Young Master Chihu anymore, directly addressing him as Guard Chihu, and what did those words mean – was she telling him not to sleep at all tonight?

Hah, ridiculous.

……

At night, as the lanterns were first lit, songs of drunk revelers could be heard from the distant market.

Shuojing city finally welcomed its first snow of this winter.

The snowflakes were like salt flakes, with the wind blowing in from outside the city, scattering the flakes. On the pomegranate tree by the window, the pomegranates were fully ripe, hanging heavily on the branches, seeming as if they would fall with just a light touch, dropping onto the snow-covered earth.

Inside the room, clear tea was warming on the brazier, and the square window perfectly framed a snow scene. Someone stood by the window, gazing absent-mindedly at the snow outside.

“Though I’ve never seen how General Feiong used his sword, I feel Lady He’s swordsmanship is no worse than his.” Jiang Jiao’s words echoed in his ears again. He turned around, walked to the table, and picked up the sword lying there.

The silk cloth wrapping the sword had been pulled away, revealing the weapon’s complete appearance. The blade was very narrow, presumably to make it easier for a woman to handle. It was entirely black, with fine patterns carved on the scabbard, and very light.

Everyone knew that in Great Wei, the two famous generals – General Fengyun’s Yinqiu sword and General Feiong’s Qinglang sword – were supreme weapons that could cut through metal like mud. More precious than their valuable swords was their swordsmanship, with blade work so sharp it had reached the highest realm.

In his youth when he met He Rufei, He Rufei’s swordsmanship could hardly be called beautiful. Later, after receiving his secret guidance and instruction, it did improve somewhat. However, since He Rufei joined the army, he hadn’t had the chance to see He Rufei use a sword, so regarding He Rufei’s swordsmanship, he only knew it by hearsay.

There was a thick stack of letters on the table. Xiao Jue casually picked them up and flipped through them, his gaze focusing.

He Rufei and Madam Xu were born on the same Spring Equinox day. At fourteen, He Rufei entered Xianchangguan; at fifteen, He Rufei joined the Fuyue Army. When He Rufei’s military achievements became increasingly prominent, shortly before returning to the capital to receive rewards, the He family’s Second Young Lady “Heyan,” who had been recuperating on their estate, also returned to the capital.

He Rufei received his rewards and was granted the title “General Feiong,” while the matter of Second Young Lady He’s engagement to Xu Zhiheng happened almost simultaneously.

The Second Young Lady He became Madam Xu and three months after marrying into the Xu family, Madam Xu went blind. A year later, she drowned after falling into the water.

Regarding this deceased Madam Xu, pitifully little could be found about her life. Apart from marrying Xu Zhiheng, she had nothing noteworthy in the He family, as if she were an unremarkable speck of dust that few noticed. The only vibrant color in her life was returning to the capital and securing an enviable marriage. Unfortunately, this small fortune seemed to exhaust her luck – afterward came blindness and death, returning to nothingness like a speck of dust.

Her birth and demise, overshadowed by her brother He Rufei, were like tiny pebbles thrown into the sea, barely causing a ripple. People who heard of it would, at most, only sigh.

A pitiful, humble, unnoticed woman.

He picked up another letter, which, unlike Madam Xu’s case, was densely filled with accounts of every interesting event in the life of another girl with the same name.

City Gate Captain He Sui’s daughter Heyan, though losing her mother young and growing up in poverty, was still pampered under her father’s protection. She was as vivacious as any ordinary girl growing up in the marketplace, loving rouge and powder, beautiful clothes, unable to lift or carry heavy things. Her greatest wish was to marry into a wealthy family – if that family held an official position and the husband was handsome, it would be truly heaven-sent.

Her entanglement with Fan Cheng was known to all neighbors. For a girl who grew up on their street, learning about her past was as simple as asking each household. This was precisely why the “First Young Lady He” in the neighbors’ accounts seemed like a completely different person from the current Marquis of Wu’an, “Heyan.”

First Young Lady He loved beauty and prettiness; Heyan wore only men’s clothes daily. First Young Lady He was particular about living conditions; Heyan didn’t mind sharing a large plank bed with over ten men. First Young Lady He was delicate and weak, breathless after walking a few steps; Heyan ran regularly at Liangzhou Guard and could easily toss hundred-jin stone locks.

Same face, but entirely different personalities.

She could recite “Wu Zi’s Art of War,” was thoroughly familiar with military formations, could spot the Wutuo army’s weaknesses at a glance, and face enemy blades without changing expression. Such genius couldn’t exist in the world, especially not at Liangzhou Guard. But if this person wasn’t a genius but rather a fierce general grown from treacherous battlefields, then all those inexplicable things suddenly had reasonable explanations.

Xiao Jue fell silent, returned all the letters to the drawer, and walked out.

His courtyard was large with many empty rooms. Xiao Jue walked directly to the innermost room, where guards stood at the door, making way as he approached.

Xiao Jue entered.

Inside, Matron Qin and Blacksmith Niu sat by the couch, discussing something. Upon seeing Xiao Jue, Matron Qin immediately stood up frightened, saying, “My Lord.”

Now that Xu Zhiheng was searching everywhere for Matron Qin’s whereabouts, and with the two brothers brought back from outside the city still at that villa, it would be troublesome for Matron Qin to stay there. So Xiao Jue had ordered them brought to his compound. No matter how bold Xu Zhiheng might be, he wouldn’t dare come looking at the Xiao residence. With guards at the door, Matron Qin couldn’t escape either.

After entering, Xiao Jue didn’t speak, only fixing his gaze on Matron Qin.

Matron Qin trembled slightly. Even now, she knew nothing about this handsome young man, but every time she saw his eyes, she couldn’t help but feel chills down her spine.

“How did Madam Xu die?” Xiao Jue asked.

Matron Qin was stunned, instinctively answering, “She was killed by Concubine He.”

“I’m asking how she died.”

Matron Qin finally understood, swallowed, and said, “That day’s events aren’t too clear to this servant. I only know that Madam’s maid first gave her a cup of tea with something in it. Madam had martial arts skills, quite good ones too. Perhaps… they feared she would escape. Later, Madam couldn’t move. Those servants beat her with clubs, dragged her to the pond’s edge, and pushed her head under…”

Seeming to recall that day’s horrific scene, Matron Qin felt herself growing cold as she spoke.

Madam Xu died too tragically. She didn’t struggle, didn’t scream, didn’t beg for mercy, didn’t break down like those facing death. She only stubbornly resisted fate. Though blind, unable to see anything, her eyes held a fire – resolute, tenacious, striving to resist. Because of this, when that body was pushed into the pond water, gradually stopping its movement and losing breath, it was especially heart-stopping.

Matron Qin closed her eyes. “Madam died by drowning, but not from accidentally falling in. She was forcibly pushed into the pond water and drowned alive.”

Xiao Jue’s fingertips trembled.

Memories gradually surfaced – on the Grand Canal filled with thick smoke and fire. The spring river water still carried coldness. The girl underwater wasn’t as lively as usual; though she could swim, her body gradually stiffened. Her expression was painful, her long hair spreading underwater like fragile glass, seeming as if she might vanish beneath the water at any moment.

Those burned by fire later avoid it; those injured falling from horses never mount again. Then for a woman who died in cold pond water, whenever she entered water again, just remembering that moment before death – the coldness of the pond water and the despair of daylight being just out of reach – she could never find peace.

So that was it.

Matron Qin didn’t know the deeper meaning behind his question and continued pleading: “My Lord, I truly didn’t participate! It was all Concubine He’s doing, no, it was all the Young Master’s orders. I just stood among those servants, I did nothing…”

Before she finished speaking, she saw the young man had already pushed open the door and walked out.

The door closed behind him. Xiao Jue walked a few steps forward. On a snowy night, the wind was especially cold, somewhat dispersing the earlier suffocating feeling from the room.

He walked slowly along the corridor. Tonight was moonless. In the flickering lonely lamp, the past flashed by like a lantern show. Those familiar scenes finally pierced his heart like a sharp sword, gradually spreading an acute pain.

Time and space overlapped. Under the moonlight, the girl in tight clothes laboriously drew a longbow, repeatedly and tirelessly, in Liangzhou Guard’s wilderness, slowly blurring into a familiar figure – the masked youth clumsily swinging a long sword, falling and getting bruised.

He sneered, “How can someone try so hard yet still be so weak?”

But that girl, reeking of alcohol, angrily demanded, “Why would you rather like Thunder Marquis than me? Whether in looks, skills, or our past relationship – I’m so disappointed!”

The youth who stumbled through reciting “The Great Learning” at Xianchangguan could now effortlessly recite an entire passage while drunk, yet still held his waist, stammering for Father’s praise.

She watched the recruits training in the drill ground, answering his questions fluently, and when praised, grinned and boasted, “Sometimes I even feel like I was a female general in my past life.”

The highest level of deception is perhaps hiding the truth within seemingly casual lies.

Hua Youxian asked him with a smile, “Is this young lady by your side that little girl from back then?”

Was she that little girl from back then?

Was she that little girl who was terrible at archery and swordsmanship, yet serious and stubborn, hardworking and solitary?

Was she that little girl who said, “One who holds a sword should know where its point is directed – at the enemy before them, or at the weak behind them? I will never draw my sword against the weak”?

Was she that little girl who, forgotten by classmates at the farm, refused to betray and reveal her friends’ whereabouts even when beaten black and blue?

Or was she that Madam Xu who, behind Yuhua Temple on Snow Lotus Mountain, failed at suicide once and came back a second time, crying to him, fierce yet somehow pitiful?

He had once held an umbrella for her, given her a candy, gifted her a nonexistent moonlight, but didn’t know she lived so tragically – so tragic that she couldn’t even own her true name, hiding behind a mask on moonless nights, spending many lonely, humble years.

He had saved her once but couldn’t save her a second time.

At the Water God Festival in Jiyang, Heyan’s face hidden behind the legendary fox-lie mask that punished liars, told ten secrets, ten truths.

“The Commander and I had a connection in our past life.”

“In my previous life, I was a female general!”

So that was it, so that was it.

He raised his head. The vast sky was pitch black – tonight there was no frost-like bright moon, no good wind like water, no endless clear scenery. Tonight was so cold. He had deceived her only once, but she had deceived him for many years, making the revelation of the lies especially painful.

Xiao Jue walked very slowly, reaching the corridor’s end, before the study, under the pomegranate tree by the flower wall. There seemed to be a girl with a flowering smile, trying to reach for that still-green pomegranate, again and again, her silhouette gradually overlapping with a certain spring day many years ago.

He was in the tree, she below it, the mask firmly covering the little girl’s face, showing only a pair of bright eyes and the comical posture of trying to grab that golden-yellow loquat. The youth in white robes landed gracefully, looking at the thin, small girl before him, his lips curling slightly.

That day the spring breeze was warm, the sky blue and the waters clear, just like their first meeting.

A voice rose, in the vast sky, over the plains, by the spring, carrying ineffable melancholy, scattering in the night wind with countless fireflies from deep in the forest.

“Sometimes when you’ve been someone’s substitute for too long, you tend to forget who you are.”

“Commander, you must remember my name.”

“My name is…”

In the young man’s beautiful, clear eyes, darkness gradually spread. He lowered his gaze to the sachet clutched tightly in his hand, softly uttering two words.

“He Yan.”