When Ling He Yan was fourteen years old, she entered Xian Chang Academy. At fifteen, she hastily enlisted in the Fu Yue Army without anyone’s knowledge. The instructors at Xian Chang Academy were startled by her decision. Later, when she returned to the capital having earned military merits and received imperial honors, the He family didn’t pursue the matter of why she had joined the army.

Thinking about it now, if she hadn’t earned those merits and had returned to the He family as just an ordinary soldier after years of hardship, the outcome might have been very different.

He Yan still remembered Song Tao Tao.

At fifteen, He Yan studied at Xian Chang Academy under the identity of He Ru Fei. Her aptitude was ordinary, and being a girl, she naturally couldn’t match the physical strength of the male students. She truly couldn’t compare to the other young men at the academy. He Yuan Sheng gradually noticed this but didn’t rebuke her. He Yan thought she could continue living peacefully this way.

Until that day.

Xian Chang Academy allowed students to return home two days each month. However, due to the arrival of the rainy season, the rain knocked down the signboard at the academy’s entrance. The instructors let the students return home a day early, asking them to come back after three days.

He Yan rushed home without anyone’s knowledge. She first changed her clothes, then went to find He Yuan Sheng, as he would always ask about her life at the academy during her monthly visits home. These distant, almost surveillance-like conversations never made He Yan feel warm, and she felt nervous every time she spoke with He Yuan Sheng.

But that day, when she arrived, He Yuan Sheng hadn’t returned, and even the servants weren’t at the door. She decided to wait in He Yuan Sheng’s study, which had a folding screen. Finding nothing else to do, He Yan sat down at the small table behind the screen to read.

She had barely sat down when someone entered.

The voice belonged to He Yuan Liang, who asked, “Have you considered He Yan’s matter?”

He Yan, who was about to leave, froze at these words. Her movement to step around the screen halted. Instead of leaving, she drew back further.

He Yuan Liang was quite different from He Yuan Sheng in temperament. He Yuan Sheng appeared gentle but was actually strict, and after Madam He bore other children, he was equally harsh with them. He Yuan Liang, her birth father, was entirely different, always smiling. He doted excessively on his later-born children, except for her.

He Yan’s feelings toward He Yuan Liang were very complicated. If her feelings for He Yuan Sheng were the reverence one holds for a foster father or uncle, then her feelings for He Yuan Liang carried a barely noticeable dependence and hope. She hoped He Yuan Liang would treat her as warmly and intimately as he did her sisters, but he never did. Every time he looked at her, it was with the detached politeness one shows a niece, at most offering a few words of instruction.

After experiencing disappointment many times, He Yan stopped hoping.

But today, hearing her name from her birth father’s lips, He Yan didn’t even know why she chose to hide there instead of leaving.

“She’s doing well now, studying at Xian Chang Academy, and no one has discovered anything. Now that she’s fifteen… we must arrange her marriage before she turns eighteen.”

He Yan, crouched behind the screen, held her breath.

Marriage? She had never thought about this. She was using He Ru Fei’s identity, a male identity – how could she get engaged? Once engaged, what would happen to He Ru Fei? Who would take on this “He Ru Fei” role?

She naturally assumed, being a woman, she would be engaged to a man, as she had no interest in women. However, He Yuan Liang’s next words shocked her greatly.

“Brother, have you seen any suitable young ladies in the capital?”

Young ladies?

How could it be young ladies?

He Yan raised her head. The two men outside the screen had their backs to her, so she couldn’t see their expressions. From their tone alone, they seemed completely at ease, showing no awareness of how shocking their words were.

“Deputy Director Song Ci of the Imperial Household Department has two daughters. The elder daughter is already married, and the younger daughter is now eleven,” He Yuan Sheng said. “She’s a bit young, but by the time He Yan is eighteen, she will have come of age. After her coming-of-age ceremony, wait two years, and they can marry.”

“Song Ci’s daughter?” He Yuan Liang hesitated. “Is that the young lady called Song Tao Tao? I remember two years ago, Song Ci searched through every merchant in Chang Zhao when looking for her birthday gift.”

“Correct,” He Yuan Sheng stroked his beard and smiled. “The Song household has no young sons, only two daughters. Now that the elder daughter is married, they particularly dote on the younger one. If we can form a marriage alliance with the Song family, we’d gain their support. How could our family not prosper then?”

Hearing this, He Yuan Liang’s expression softened, and he said, “Brother, you make sense. Why don’t I host a banquet in a few days to entertain Song Ci at our manor? We can discuss the children’s matter then. At least, we should let him know we have this intention.”

They discussed it with such pleasure, speaking of this marriage as if it were merely a transaction. This would have been bad enough – after all, in noble households, daughters were often used as counterweights in marriage alliances. But using her as a counterweight was one thing – how could they disregard her gender?

She was a woman! How could a woman marry a woman? If they went through with this engagement, wouldn’t it ruin the young lady’s entire life?

As He Yan pondered this, she accidentally bumped the screen, making a noise. He Yuan Sheng turned and shouted, “Who’s there?”

Seeing she had been discovered, He Yan simply stepped out and said, “It’s me.”

“He Yan?” He Yuan Sheng sighed in relief, then frowned and asked, “Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be at Xian Chang Academy today?”

“The instructors let us leave a day early. I came to find Father.” He Yan paused here, secretly glancing at He Yuan Liang. He Yuan Liang showed his usual smile, his expression unchanged by her calling He Yuan Sheng “Father.”

It was just another disappointment, yet why did she still hold out hope? He Yan lowered her head, hiding the disappointment in her eyes.

“I’m discussing matters with your Second Uncle now. Come find me later,” He Yuan Sheng said. “Go see your mother first.”

He Yan didn’t move.

“He Yan?” He Yuan Sheng’s brows furrowed again.

“I heard what Father and Second Uncle were just discussing,” He Yan raised her head, her voice steady. “Father, I am a woman. How can I marry the Song family’s second daughter?”

Surprised by He Yan’s words, the He brothers were momentarily stunned.

“This is not for you to concern yourself with,” He Yuan Sheng finally answered. “I will arrange everything for you.”

“I will not marry the Song family’s second daughter. Being a woman myself, sacrificing myself alone is enough. There’s no need to involve an innocent person,” He Yan said.

Now fifteen years old, she had grown a bit taller than before. Dressed as a young man, her gaze clear and forthright, standing there she was as straight as a poplar tree, almost like a stranger.

He Yuan Sheng angrily said, “What do you mean by that? Are you harboring resentment against us? Are you blaming us for sacrificing your rights as a woman?”

He Yuan Liang smiled at her, “He Yan, how can you speak to your uncle this way? He’s only thinking of your best interests.”

He Yan thought, was this really in her best interests? At Xian Chang Academy, her teachers taught her “The feeling of compassion is the beginning of benevolence; the feeling of shame and dislike is the beginning of righteousness; the feeling of modesty and courtesy is the beginning of propriety; the feeling of right and wrong is the beginning of wisdom.” But what the He family wanted her to do now was to abandon benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom – how absurd!

He Yan responded fearlessly in a loud voice, “I refuse to become engaged to Young Lady Song! Moreover, I will never marry any woman in this life, ruining someone else’s entire existence!”

Both He Yuan Sheng and He Yuan Liang were stunned.

Everyone in the He family knew He Yan’s temperament. She was gentle, agreeable, and even somewhat timid and weak. In the He family, she did whatever she was told and avoided causing trouble. If not for the accidental identity swap back then, she would have been like all other ordinary noble young ladies in Chang Zhao – quiet, obedient, living her entire life like a puppet.

But what was she like now?

“He Yan, you dare speak to me this way?” He Yuan Sheng was truly angry now. When angered, his features turned fierce, and all the children in the He family’s main branch feared him.

He Yan looked at him, unmoved. “Father sent me to study at Xian Chang Academy to learn propriety and morality, not to become a deceiver for profit.”

The young person held their head high, proud, clear, and pure. Perhaps it was the contempt in her eyes that stung He Yuan Sheng, causing him to lose his temper in shame. He struck He Yan hard across the face.

That was the first time He Yan had ever been struck by He Yuan Sheng.

And her birth father stood watching, saying nothing except for that one line: “Your uncle is only thinking of your best interests.”

The argument between He Yuan Sheng and He Yan alarmed the entire He household. As the highest authority in the He family, no one questioned He Yuan Sheng’s decision. He Yan was confined in the ancestral hall for a day and night, only released on the evening of the second day.

During this day and night, not a single person came to visit her. Neither her adoptive parents nor her birth parents. During this time, looking at the various ancestral tablets in the hall, He Yan pondered only one question.

What kind of family was the He family? Did she truly want to stay with them? If her only purpose in this family was to be a replacement, used to secure benefits that didn’t belong to them, without any genuine care, then she had nothing worth staying for.

Even a puppet desires to break free from its strings and take control of its own life.

The next evening, she returned to her room, which was cold and empty. He Yan remembered that the Fu Yue Army was recruiting these days. Sitting on her bed, she thought that if just one person came to check on her tonight, to ask if she was alright, she would stay.

But no one came.

In the distance came the sound of the night watch. He Yan shouldered her bundle and slipped out under cover of darkness. For years, since she had started practicing martial arts on her own, she had become quite familiar with sneaking around. It was precisely because the He family paid her so little attention that even leaving was this easy.

Never mind, she thought. Although she couldn’t stay with the He family anymore, at least she had saved a young lady in Chang Zhao. With her gone, how could the He family arrange the engagement? That girl called Song Tao Tao would come of age one day and perhaps could spend her life with a young man she truly loved, rather than being entangled in this shameful scheme and sacrificed like a pawn.

The night was deep and endless, and the girl disguised as a boy had no idea what lay ahead. She looked back once at the He family’s gate, the mansion hidden in the darkness, merging with the past. Steeling her heart, she turned and walked forward, never looking back again.

The past unfolded before her eyes like dust being blown away from old memories, becoming as clear as if it had happened yesterday. Only He Yan herself knew that it was now a previous life she could never return to.

She had been young and hot-blooded then, angered by the absurdity of He Yuan Sheng and his brother’s decision. She hadn’t seriously considered that as a woman if she married the second Young Lady Song, the secret would eventually be exposed. How could the He family allow such a thing to happen?

Unless they had already known it would never come to that.

He Yan stared at the fragrance pouch hanging from the bed curtain.

He Yuan Sheng and He Yuan Liang had known all along that He Ru Fei would return someday. He Yan had no way of knowing He Ru Fei’s condition, but He Yuan Sheng must have known that He Ru Fei’s health was gradually improving, far from the dire state they had claimed.

Precisely because they knew He Ru Fei would eventually return, and He Yan and He Ru Fei would each return to their original positions, they spoke so freely about the engagement. They must have already decided that before He Ru Fei’s marriage, He Yan would remove her male clothing and return to being the Young Lady He.

The He Yan of that time hadn’t realized this. She thought she would continue being He Ru Fei indefinitely, perhaps sacrificing her entire life, never expecting that one day she might return to being herself. But this wasn’t a blessing – after being someone’s replacement for so long, one tends to forget who they are.

Moreover, when she left the He family that day with her bundle to join the Fu Yue Army, she had already disrupted the He family’s plans. The game was no longer under their control.

Who could have imagined?

Who could have imagined that after living one life, dying once, and awakening again, through all these twists and turns, she would meet here the young lady she had almost been “engaged” to in her previous life? The eleven-year-old girl had grown into a graceful lady, and the youth who had left home with a bundle had tasted all of life’s flavors. Fate was mysterious – without Song Tao Tao of those years, she wouldn’t have left home, wouldn’t have joined the army, and there would have been no Flying Swan General, no present-day He Yan.

In the darkness, He Yan smiled silently.

Fate had brought them together here, perhaps to tell her one thing.

She hadn’t been wrong – she had saved a young lady.

…

The next morning, when He Yan woke up, Fei Nu was no longer in the room.

She had stayed up late thinking last night and slept deeply, not even knowing when Fei Nu had left. After waking and freshening up, she went out, intending to knock on the next door to see if Xiao Jue was there.

As soon as she knocked, the door beside opened, and Song Tao Tao’s head peeked out. She said, “Are you looking for Second Young Master Xiao? They’re having breakfast downstairs.”

Are they eating without calling her? He Yan thought they didn’t consider her one of their own. He Yan asked, “Have you eaten? Let’s go down together.”

Song Tao Tao nodded.

The young lady went downstairs with her, and sure enough, they saw Xiao Jue and Fei Nu sitting by the window, with various dishes casually arranged on the table. Perhaps shocked by Xiao Jue’s identity last night, the innkeeper had prepared this morning’s breakfast with particular care and elegance. He Yan wanted to criticize such extravagance.

“Uncle, why didn’t you call me for breakfast?” He Yan mumbled. “Not calling me is one thing, but why not call Young Lady Song?”

“I wanted to sleep in a bit longer, it’s not Second Young Master Xiao’s fault,” Song Tao Tao quickly spoke up. For some reason, she seemed somewhat afraid of Xiao Jue. Though that was understandable – with Xiao Jue’s cold manner, what delicate young lady could handle it?

He Yan picked up a golden milk pastry and popped it in her mouth. The pastry was fragrant and sweet, freshly steamed and still warm, very appetizing. She smiled and said, “Uncle, what are we doing today?”

Xiao Jue looked at her with an ambiguous smile: “What do you want to do?”

“I…” Before He Yan could finish, Song Tao Tao spoke up.

“Young Master Cheng…” She knew He Yan wasn’t Cheng Li Su, but seeing that He Yan was currently playing the role of “Cheng Li Su,” she didn’t expose this and continued using the name. She said, “Could you accompany me somewhere?”

At these words, all three others at the table looked at Song Tao Tao.

“I… I don’t have any clothes left, and I’m not comfortable in these male clothes. I want to go buy some ready-made clothes to change into, but I don’t remember the way very well. Young Master Cheng, could you accompany me to buy some things?” She gathered her courage and said it all in one breath.

Among the three at the table, Fei Nu could go all night without saying a word, and Xiao Jue wasn’t someone who would accompany a young lady shopping. Only He Yan was both friendly and gentle. He Yan said, “Of course! However…” She looked toward Xiao Jue, “Uncle, do we have any plans today?”

“Nothing,” Xiao Jue lowered his eyes and said indifferently. “Go accompany Second Young Lady Song.”

“Thank you, Second Young Master Xiao!” Song Tao Tao was overjoyed.

After breakfast, He Yan left with Song Tao Tao. After they left, Fei Nu said, “Young Master, I’ll follow them now.”

“Don’t get too close,” Xiao Jue instructed, “He’s still with Song Tao Tao.”

Fei Nu acknowledged and was about to leave when he suddenly remembered something. After hesitating, he still spoke up: “Young Master, are we letting the matter with Sun Ling go?”

“Who said we’re letting it go?” Xiao Jue’s lips curved slightly. “Wait a while longer, the time isn’t right yet.”

…

He Yan followed Song Tao Tao out of the inn.

Once away from Second Young Master Xiao, Song Tao Tao became much more cheerful. She moved closer to He Yan and asked in a low voice, “Why do you call Second Young Master Xiao uncle? Why do you claim to be Cheng Li Su?”

“That’s a long story. Young Master Cheng has some matters to attend to and can’t come to Liang Zhou, for now, so I’m here in his place. Please don’t tell anyone about this.”

Song Tao Tao said, “Of course, I won’t tell anyone! That useless young master must be incapable of doing it himself, so he had you replace him, right? Such a person wants to be my husband – he might as well dream on!”

Second Young Lady Song had deep prejudices against Cheng Li Su.

“Then what’s your name?” Song Tao Tao asked.

“I can’t tell you right now, in case it slips out. I’ll tell you after we finish our business in the city,” He Yan smiled.

Song Tao Tao pouted, unhappy. He Yan pointed to a ready-made clothing shop, “Look, there are clothes there, shall we go in and take a look?”

Song Tao Tao’s attention finally shifted, and He Yan sighed in relief. However, this relief didn’t last long as she suddenly remembered something and thought, “This is bad.”

When He Yan left Liang Zhou Guard, Cheng Li Su had given her clothes and hair ornaments but forgot to give her money. He Yan didn’t dare ask Xiao Jue for money, so she only had one silver ingot from her flag-capturing prize. She had kept it with her, reluctant to spend it, preferring to trade Cheng Li Su’s clothing buttons for tea rather than touch it. Song Tao Tao had just left Wan Hua Pavilion, where all her money had been taken away, so she had nothing. Today’s purchases would likely have to come from He Yan’s pocket.

This was all her worldly wealth now!

Fortunately, Liang Zhou wasn’t Chang Zhao – there weren’t any tailor shops selling clothes for dozens or hundreds of silver taels. The ready-made clothes here were relatively cheap, so He Yan could still afford them. Song Tao Tao picked out an outfit, then casually selected a pair of shoes, a hairpin, and a pair of earrings. He Yan had no choice but to pay, leaving her with only one string of copper coins.

After choosing her clothes, Song Tao Tao changed into them before coming out. When she emerged, the previously delicate young gentleman instantly transformed into a dainty young lady. She had chosen a cherry-red immortal dress, her long hair arranged in twin buns with cherry-red ribbons. With bright eyes and white teeth, she was utterly charming.

He Yan’s eyes lit up. In that instant, any regret over spending the money vanished in the face of such an adorable young lady.

“You look beautiful,” she praised sincerely.

Song Tao Tao blushed and turned her head aside, mumbling, “The clothes here are too shabby, nothing special. The clothes made by the tailors in my Song household are much more beautiful!”

He Yan thought to herself, this is considered shabby? It just cost half a year’s savings!

After bundling up her original clothes, Song Tao Tao walked out of the shop. “Let’s go look around other places.”

He Yan: “…Alright.”

A young lady’s beauty and charm came at a price, especially for young ladies from wealthy families. He Yan just hoped there wouldn’t be anything else in Liang Zhou to catch Second Young Lady Song’s eye – she was out of money.

Heaven seemed to hear her plea, and along the way, Song Tao Tao didn’t want to buy anything else. However, she still explored Liang Zhou City with great enthusiasm. He Yan accompanied her wholeheartedly, showing no signs of boredom. Eventually, even this spoiled young lady felt somewhat embarrassed and asked He Yan, “You’ve been walking with me for so long – aren’t you bored?”

“Not at all,” He Yan smiled. “I wanted to look around too.”

Song Tao Tao looked at her for a while and said, “You’re a good person.”

He Yan was surprised by her words, but the young lady had already continued walking. She thought about it and shook her head with a smile.

Towards Song Tao Tao, He Yan’s feelings included not only care for a young lady but also an almost elder-like indulgence. After all, this girl had almost become her “fiancée.” She was also the person He Yan had wanted to protect even at the cost of leaving home, and in some ways, she had changed He Yan’s fate. In the years since then, Song Tao Tao hadn’t been caught up in those strange affairs and had grown up well.

He Yan felt fortunate. If she hadn’t acted as she did back then, perhaps Song Tao Tao wouldn’t have ended up marrying a woman, but the person she would have married would have been He Ru Fei. Was marrying into the He family a good thing? That family had no warmth, only interests – it wasn’t suitable for a young lady like Song Tao Tao.

However, He Yan watched the young lady’s bouncing figure ahead with some helplessness. Back then, her leaving home was essentially “fleeing marriage,” now Cheng Li Su was fleeing marriage, and Song Tao Tao was also fleeing marriage – had they all made escaping marriage their mission?

She needed to have a good talk with Cheng Li Su.

…

At the Sun mansion in Liang Zhou City, the entire household was in a gloomy state.

Sun Ling had been sent back to the Sun family last night, and Sun Xiang Fu had immediately summoned famous doctors to treat Sun Ling’s injuries. Although they were only flesh wounds, they were quite serious and would require several months of recovery.

The young master Sun had never suffered such a great loss in his life. Sun Xiang Fu was also in a bad mood, and early this morning, he had already punished several servants for minor mistakes.

The servants didn’t dare make any mistakes, and the mansion was eerily quiet. Sun Ling lay in bed while Madam Sun sat beside him wiping tears, angrily saying, “Your father is too much – he’s just a military officer, how could he beat you like this? My son has suffered, who knows how long these injuries will take to heal…”

Sun Xiang Fu had just entered and heard these words. He angrily said, “What ignorant women’s talk! What do you mean by ‘just a military officer’? Do you know he dared to kill even the eldest son of the Minister of Revenue without hesitation? The Minister took it to the Emperor, and what happened in the end? In the end, he had to accept his bad luck! If he had killed this unfilial son last night, what do you think you could have done? Nothing at all!”

Madam Sun was stunned by the scolding. After a while, she stammered, “He- he’s really that formidable? Then what should we do now? Should we apologize to him?”

“You may leave,” Sun Xiang Fu was irritated and waved his hand. “I will arrange these matters. I came here to ask Ling a few things.”

Madam Sun left with tears in her eyes. Sun Xiang Fu walked to Sun Ling’s side, looking at his pale face with both pain and anger, saying, “Of all people to provoke, why did you have to provoke that King of Hell?”

“I… didn’t provoke him, it was his nephew who was too outrageous.” When Sun Ling mentioned this, he became furious and related everything that had happened last night, finally adding, “How was I to know that Cheng Li Su would suddenly attack?”

“That servant boy, was he the girl you had your eye on?” Sun Xiang Fu asked.

Sun Ling shook his head: “I don’t know, I hadn’t gotten a clear look at the face before Master Xiao arrived.”

“If it’s just a misunderstanding, that’s fine, but if it is that girl since Cheng Li Su protected her, he’s bound to hold a grudge against you,” Sun Xiang Fu sighed. “It’s my fault for not informing you beforehand about Xiao Jue’s arrival in the city, otherwise things wouldn’t have gotten to this point.”

Sun Ling never paid attention to political matters, only knowing about eating, drinking, and gambling, so he didn’t know about Sun Xiang Fu sending an invitation to Xiao Jue.

“Father, we’ve already offended them – they won’t cause us trouble later, will they?” Sun Ling was anxious.

He was used to being lawless in Liang Zhou City, but that was only because he had a magistrate for a father. However, Sun Xiang Fu’s tearful appearance before Xiao Jue last night made Sun Ling understand that Xiao Jue was not someone the Sun family could afford to offend.

“Don’t worry,” Sun Xiang Fu said, “In a few days, Censorate Inspector Yuan will arrive. Inspector Yuan is Minister Xu’s man, and Minister Xu has always been at odds with Xiao Jue. Perhaps we can make something of this.”

So the question is, did Yan Yan give Jin Li the green hat, or did Jin Li give Yan Yan the green hat?