The war between Great Wei and Wuto finally ended in victory. After Wuto’s defeat, the Wuto king personally wrote a letter of surrender, sending his prince and envoys to plead for forgiveness. They promised that for the next hundred years, they would not initiate any military actions, would ally with Great Wei, and become its vassal state. The prince would remain in Great Wei as a hostage to demonstrate their submission.

Emperor Zhaokang was greatly pleased. All soldiers who fought at the frontier received rewards, and among them, He Yan was appointed as General with the third rank and given the title of Marquis Wu’an with the honorary name Guiyue. From then on, she became the first legitimate female general in Great Wei’s history.

In the courtyard, He Sui looked worriedly at the pile of congratulatory gifts at the entrance, saying, “The cloth and grain can be stored for a long time, but what about these fruits? We don’t have many people in the household, and I’m afraid they’ll spoil before we can finish them.”

He Yunsheng glanced at them and said, “Just send them to Brother-in-law’s house; they have more people there. But Father, worrying about whether we can finish the food is an insult to He Yan’s appetite.”

“How dare you talk about your sister like that!” He Sui smacked him and pushed him aside. “Quick, take the soup from the kitchen to Yan’er!”

He Yunsheng rolled his eyes and resigned himself to going to the kitchen.

He Yan was sitting in the room reviewing He Yunsheng’s recent schoolwork, with Commander Xiao sitting beside her. Her leg injury made walking extremely difficult and wouldn’t heal quickly, yet she wasn’t one to sit still, causing both Lady Bai and He Sui to nag her a hundred times daily.

Just then, He Yunsheng walked in from outside carrying a porcelain bowl, placed it before He Yan, and said irritably, “Father made bone soup especially for you. Drink up.”

“Bone soup again?” He Yan’s face soured at the news. She normally wasn’t picky about food, but having bone soup three times a day was too much. Looking at the bowl bigger than her face, she could almost feel the oil rising in her stomach.

“Didn’t you injure your leg? Father says you should eat what you need to heal. Better nourish yourself well,” He Yunsheng paused, then couldn’t help but lecture, “They say it takes a hundred days for tendons and bones to heal. Since your leg is injured, why can’t you just stay home and rest properly? Even the Emperor has granted you leave, yet you don’t take care of yourself…”

He rambled on endlessly, acting more like a father than He Sui himself. He Yan couldn’t bear it anymore and looked to Commander Xiao for help. Though he saw her predicament, he just sat there calmly drinking tea.

After He Yunsheng finished, he asked Commander Xiao, “Brother-in-law, don’t you agree with what I said?”

Commander Xiao replied leisurely, “Indeed.”

“You hear that, He Yan?” With someone backing him up, He Yunsheng grew even more confident. “You should know better!”

“I…”

“That’s all, I’m going to feed Xiangxiang.” He Yunsheng rattled off his piece, feeling satisfied, and left with a parting shot: “Finish the soup, Father made it himself, don’t leave a single drop.” Then he was gone.

Seeing him leave, He Yan glared at the bowl of soup and finally turned to Commander Xiao: “Xiao Jue…”

“No.” His answer was merciless.

He Yan looked at him, slightly headache: “Commander Xiao, you’re taking revenge for personal reasons. How long has it been, and you’re still angry?”

He raised his eyebrows: “I’m not angry.”

As He Yan gazed at him, she suddenly remembered the last time she thought about Commander Xiao being angry was in the military camp at Ji Prefecture.

It was the day she led two thousand soldiers in a false surrender. Someone in the Yan family army couldn’t withstand the Wuto people’s provocation and acted impulsively, causing their plans to change suddenly. She was in the city, fighting the Wuto soldiers with their own seized weapons. The troops outside couldn’t enter, and someone needed to open the city gates. She, Jiang Jiao, and Wang Ba fought their way toward the gate tower.

Soldiers are never fighting alone. Against superior numbers, they would be at a disadvantage. Running toward the gate tower would make them targets.

He Yan was wounded. A Wuto soldier’s blade had cut her leg, the wound deep enough to see bone. Each step pulled at muscle and sinew with heart-piercing pain. Wang Ba and Jiang Jiao feared she couldn’t hold out much longer, but somehow she persevered.

The city gates were finally opened, and the troops waiting outside entered the city. They won the battle.

When He Yan dismounted, her right leg had lost all feeling. The prolonged activity had soaked her pants in blood, the fabric stuck to the flesh. When it was pulled away, skin and flesh came with it, making observers’ scalps tingle just looking at it.

Lin Shuanghe’s face went white the moment he saw He Yan’s wound. He ordered people to help her to the tent. By then, He Yan had lost too much blood and could barely keep her eyes open after lying down on the bed. In her hazy state, she had only one thought: it’s over, she hadn’t survived to return, she’d broken her promise, and Xiao Jue would surely be angry again.

She wasn’t really afraid of Xiao Jue’s anger, because although he was a bit quicker to anger than her, he was still easy to appease.

But she was also afraid of him truly being angry because He Yan knew clearly that in the past, he had never really been angry with her.

Lin Shuanghe busied himself in her tent for a day and night. When He Yan woke up, the tent’s lamplight flickered faintly, and someone was dozing while sitting on the ground by her bed. As soon as she moved, he woke up.

“Hey, Brother Lin,” He Yan forced a smile, her voice somewhat hoarse, “A friend’s wife is off limits, yet here you are sleeping with me for a whole night?”

That she could still joke around made Lin Shuanghe just stare at her with a serious expression, saying, “He Yan, you must rest.”

Lin Shuanghe had saved her life in a dangerous situation. Though her life was preserved, if she didn’t rest properly and kept jumping around as before, there was a high chance she might lose this leg in the future.

He Yan’s face was pale as she smiled at him, “That won’t do, the battle isn’t over yet.”

Just as Yan He knew that intense activity would make the poison spread faster and become his death warrant, yet still insisted on fighting while injured, He Yan was the same. They had reached the crucial moment – if they didn’t seize the opportunity and allowed the Wuto forces a chance to counterattack, it would become very troublesome.

“Bind it tight for me,” He Yan said, “Try not to affect my performance on the battlefield.”

“Aren’t you afraid your right leg will…”

“At worst I’ll be a cripple,” He Yan smiled, “Besides, there’s still a chance it’ll be fine.”

She struggled to sit up and arrange the upcoming battle plans without any hesitation.

Lin Shuanghe had believed at one point that He Yan’s leg truly couldn’t be saved.

But He Yan was ultimately luckier than Yan He.

On the journey from Ji Prefecture to Shuo Capital, Lin Shuanghe used everything he had learned in his lifetime on He Yan. At first, her condition was truly terrible, so bad that Lin Shuanghe didn’t know how to write about it in his letters. Later, when He Yan improved somewhat, he detailed her condition in his reply, but something went wrong at the relay station, causing Xiao Jue to worry for many days.

But now this leg injury needed proper care.

He Yan looked at him: “You aren’t angry?”

Xiao Jue focused intently on his tea.

She suddenly clutched her chest: “Oh, my leg…”

In an instant, he looked anxiously toward her, but seeing her acting so dramatically, he paused and snorted, “Your leg is injured, why are you clutching your chest?”

“The leg is wounded, but the heartaches.” He Yan gazed at him dolefully, “I’m already quite hurt, yet you’re so cold…”

Though he knew the person before him could lie as easily as performing in a play, he still sighed and finally sat down before her, asking, “Does it hurt badly?”

He Yan said seriously, “Indeed, but if you said a few caring, comforting words, it might not hurt anymore.”

Xiao Jue: “…”

He couldn’t help but laugh again.

Seeing him laugh, He Yan propped her chin on her hand and watched him, tugging at his sleeve: “Alright, Commander Xiao, don’t be angry anymore. Next time I’ll take good care of myself and not joke with my life. I was wrong to make you worry for so long this time, but I didn’t know the relay station could make mistakes!”

She ended up taking the blame for this.

Xiao Jue’s gaze fell on her – this person’s face was full of smiles without a trace of dejection, yet he couldn’t help but remember his own fear when he couldn’t find her.

He wasn’t really angry; it was more about feeling helpless when the other person was in danger and he couldn’t help.

But he also knew clearly that if it happened again, He Yan would make the same choice, just as he would.

But she was still here, able to joke and play happily before him – that was already heaven’s greatest kindness, and it was enough.

After a while, he looked at He Yan and curved his lips, “Alright.”

He Yan was overjoyed: “That’s more like it, I…”

“But I won’t help you finish this bowl of soup.”

“…”

He Yan: “Xiao Jue, you’re petty.”

Two days later, He Yan and Xiao Jue went to visit Xia Chenxiu.

He Yan had originally thought she would see a grieving, melancholy young woman, but to her surprise, Xia Chenxiu looked quite well.

When He Yan saw her, she was shaking a small red lacquered drum, amusing the infant in the bamboo basket. The baby’s eyes followed the drum’s movement constantly, making unknown sounds. Xia Chenxiu was smiling at the baby’s reactions.

He Yan called out: “Lady Xia.” Only then did Xia Chenxiu notice her, showing momentary surprise before saying: “Lady He.”

Xia Chenxiu had lost a lot of weight, making her clothes appear very loose, but her complexion looked good. Perhaps it was because of becoming a mother, but she seemed even more gentle. He Yan had originally thought about how to comfort her to make her feel better, but seeing her now, she found that all the words she had prepared seemed unnecessary.

“Lady Xia, how have you been these days?” After thinking for a long while, He Yan only asked this.

“Quite well.” Xia Chenxiu smiled: “With Muxia here, the days aren’t so hard to bear.”

Hearing this, He Yan felt somewhat distressed, but Xia Chenxiu looked at her and instead smiled, “Lady He, there’s no need to feel sad for me. When I first heard the news about Yan He, I couldn’t accept it and even thought about following him. But now that I have Muxia, those previous obsessions have gradually disappeared.”

“When I married Yan He back then, I knew there might be such a day. I just didn’t expect it to come so soon.” She lowered her head and smiled, “But since I made the choice, there’s nothing more to say. Yan He is gone, and the living must live well.” She looked at Muxia in the basket, “I think heaven hasn’t been too cruel to me; at least, it left me Muxia.”

She had always lived with clarity, and some things didn’t need He Yan to say them – Xia Chenxiu understood them herself. However, He Yan thought that sometimes being too wise and understanding might make others feel even more heartache.

After chatting with Xia Chenxiu for a while longer, she rose to bid farewell.

Afterward, He Yan visited Hong Shan’s home.

Unlike Shi Tou and Huang Xiong, Hong Shan still had a young brother and an elderly mother. Hong Shan’s mother cried daily, so He Yan helped find a school for Hong Shan’s brother to study and provided financial assistance for his mother’s household expenses. As Xia Chenxiu said, the dead were gone, and the living must continue living well.

What she could do for Hong Shan was simply to care for his family in his stead.

…

In winter, at the riverside tavern, a flag bearing the character for “wine” fluttered in the wind. A strong man carrying a large sword approached the woman selling wine and gruffly asked, “Do you have any Xinghua wine?”

The woman looked up, saw the bandit-like man with a scar on his face, and felt somewhat afraid. She answered softly, “Sorry, sir, we don’t have Xinghua wine in winter, only yellow wine.”

She thought this fierce-looking man would surely be angry, but he merely said, “Three bowls of yellow wine then.” He placed the money on the table and walked inside.

The woman was stunned for a moment before hurriedly getting up to ladle wine from the jars.

Wang Ba looked around the small wine shop in silence.

Before coming here, he had visited the bandit stronghold, giving his earned rewards to his brothers and telling them to stop raiding, seeing how the stronghold was doing well now with farming and fishing. The life of living by the blade, he told them, should be left behind.

When going to Jiuchuan, Huang Xiong had told him about this riverside tavern’s especially sweet and fragrant Xinghua wine. He had promised to treat him here after the war. Wang Ba had gladly agreed, but now, he drank alone.

Time had passed swiftly, leaving no traces yet traces everywhere. He was no longer as fierce and combative as when he first entered the army. The children in the stronghold said he had become much gentler.

He didn’t know how it happened, but this wasn’t bad.

Being able to return alive was already heaven’s favor for them.

The three bowls of wine were quickly served. The home-brewed yellow wine looked cloudy, with an honest spiciness. He threw his head back and downed the first bowl. His throat to his belly immediately burned hot.

“Brother,” he wiped his mouth, breathing out wine-scented breath, speaking to no one in particular, “The wine’s good.”

No one answered.

A moment later, he picked up the remaining two bowls and walked to the window. A slender willow swayed in the wind outside, its branches bare in winter, but before long, spring would arrive, and new green would sprout.

He turned and poured the two bowls of wine into the soil before the willow, watching the liquid slowly seep in.

After watching silently for a while, he said softly, “Have a taste too.”

…

In the noodle shop in the east of the city, the busy young woman had changed into a light blue jacket and skirt, with rabbit fur trim embroidered around the edges. Her hair was adorned with matching fuzzy flowers, making her already pretty face even more charming.

Business at the noodle shop was best in winter. On cold winter mornings, a bowl of hot plain noodles could warm one from the inside out.

Sun Xiaolan was so busy her feet barely touched the ground. After serving the last bowl of noodles, she finally had a moment to rest. As she wiped the sweat from her brow, she unexpectedly spotted a familiar figure in the crowd.

It was a somewhat dark but handsome youth walking past on the street. Sun Xiaolan found him familiar and looked twice before remembering – she had seen this youth once in early spring, accompanied by a quiet, refined young man. After they left, they left a pot of mountain peach blossoms on the table.

The young woman’s heart suddenly filled with joy, and she was about to call out to him when someone behind her said, “Miss, another bowl of plain noodles here—”

Sun Xiaolan responded, but when she looked up again, the figure had disappeared into the coming and going crowd.

Where did he go?

The urgent calls behind her left no time to think more. She just thought, never mind, since these two youths were in Shuo Capital, there would surely be chances to meet again. Perhaps they would visit the noodle shop in a few days.

Thinking of this, she became cheerful again. Amidst the bustling crowd, only the pot of mountain peach blossoms on the wooden counter of the noodle shop stood lonely in winter, its painted flowers bright and beautiful like spring in full bloom.

…

Snow weighed heavily on the eaves.

When He Yan left the Military Affairs Bureau, it was already dark.

Though her leg was injured and Emperor Zhaokang had granted her sick leave, after the battle at Jiuchuan and Ji Prefecture, subsequent military affairs were busy, and she still had to go to the bureau to discuss matters with her colleagues and help. Since Qingmei was inconvenienced, Chiwu escorted her during the day. However, today she had stayed longer than usual, and it was already late when she left.

The bureau was empty except for her. He Yan walked out with her crutch, thinking about asking someone to find a carriage, when she saw a person standing on the steps, wearing moon-white brocade clothing with dark embroidery, standing in the snow as if illuminating the snowy ground.

“Xiao Jue!” He Yan waved at him.

He smiled slightly and walked forward.

“How do you have time today?” He Yan asked when he came near. If she was busy at the Military Affairs Bureau, Xiao Jue was even busier.

“Knew you hadn’t returned yet, so I came to pick you up,” he said.

He Yan quickly took his arm, holding her crutch with one hand, hopping forward on one leg.

She didn’t think much of it herself, and her leg injury had improved considerably, but Lin Shuanghe must have said something exaggerated to Xiao Jue… In any case, He Yan often felt she was living like an invalid these days.

She took two steps when Xiao Jue suddenly stopped. He Yan asked, “What’s wrong?”

His gaze fell on her crutch, and after thinking for a moment, he walked in front of He Yan, crouching slightly, and said, “Get on.”

“You… you want to carry me?” He Yan asked.

“Hurry up.”

“This isn’t appropriate,” He Yan hesitated, “This is the Military Affairs Bureau, I come here to work every day. If someone sees this, it will ruin my reputation. Everyone knows how invincible I was in Jiuchuan, but then they’ll see me unable to even walk without being carried, won’t that be embarrassing…”

“Are you getting on or not?”

He Yan said, “Yes, yes, yes!”

She lunged forward, wrapping her arms around Xiao Jue’s neck, and he lifted her effortlessly onto his back.

Xiao Jue continued walking with her on his back, and He Yan leaned close to his ear, whispering, “Even if we don’t care about my reputation, what about yours? Won’t people say that Great Wei’s jade-faced Commander, the living King Yama, looks impressive but is henpecked at home…”

“Lady He,” Xiao Jue’s voice was calm, “When you don’t want to talk, you can stay quiet.”

He Yan said, “So you admit you’re henpecked?”

At times like this, Xiao Jue usually couldn’t be bothered to respond to her.

The night wind gusted, making the path very cold, but his back was warm and broad as if it could support the entire future.

He Yan thought that Xiao Jue was truly more capable than He Yunsheng – if He Yunsheng had to carry her this far, he would probably be cursing by now and complaining about her weight.

“Commander Xiao,” He Yan’s voice was soft, her warm breath tickling his neck, “Is this the first time you’ve carried a young lady?”

Xiao Jue’s voice was cold, “Are you a young lady?”

No one saw his slightly curved lips and the tender indulgence in his eyes like flowing water.

“Am I not a young lady?” He Yan asked puzzled, “Then are you in love with a man?”

Xiao Jue fell silent.

Perhaps from spending too much time with him, He Yan’s ability to provoke people had grown daily. Sometimes Xiao Jue couldn’t argue with her, or perhaps he just couldn’t be bothered to argue.

Having won this round, she became smug.

The night was empty, snow and moon equally silver-white. This end was quiet, while the other end of the street connected to the night market, its lights dim and scattered.

They walked with their backs to the bustle. Along the way, remnant lamps hung under eaves lit up the snowy ground, and plum trees planted in someone’s backyard stretched a few branches through the fence, trembling beautifully.

Despite the random wind and snow, her mood was peaceful. On the way home, the night was beautiful.

She lay on Xiao Jue’s back, looking at the moon in the sky, and called to him: “Xiao Jue.”

He made a sound of acknowledgment, and heard He Yan say, “Tell me, how will the moon be different in ten years, twenty years, fifty years from now?”

Xiao Jue paused.

“I don’t know,” he answered after a while.

“I want to see how the moon decades from now differs from now.”

Xiao Jue raised his eyes to look, at the cool moon like an eyebrow, pear blossoms dotting the snow. The person on his back spoke softly and quietly, making one feel at ease when lying against him.

“I want to know too,” his eyes softened like autumn water as he spoke softly, “So… let’s watch together.”

Watch together… the moon ten years, twenty years, fifty years from now.

He Yan’s lips slowly curved upward.

What would the future… be like?

Perhaps the streets wouldn’t look the same in ten years, perhaps the wind and snow would be colder in twenty years, perhaps in fifty years both she and Xiao Jue would have gray hair.

But perhaps the moon would be no different from tonight.

Even if it was different, that would be fine.

Ten years, twenty years, fifty years later, through mountains and waters, through affairs and old friends, she didn’t know now, but she knew…

She would always love the moon.

A snowflake fell on the hair of the person before her, and He Yan gently brushed it away.

It felt so ordinary – the bright moon, the gentle wind, yet tonight was especially lovely.

“Let’s go home,” she urged with a smile.

“Alright.”

[End of Main Text]