The scene from that day was vivid in her memory. She still remembered the cold wind on the city wall, the rough hands with powerful strength behind her, and the fierce smiles of the barbarians.

Yet now, sitting in the carriage slowly traveling north, hearing people mention that man again, she truly couldn’t summon any hatred.

The escort that had accompanied her to the Northern Territories seemed like just yesterday. On the road, they encountered scattered barbarian soldiers fleeing in defeat—just three to five men, their faces still bearing the dishevelment of flight, yet upon seeing traveling women, they still pounced like hungry wolves, their eyes glowing with terrifying green light.

The soldiers eliminated the barbarians and rescued two women who had been violated. One of them died not long after, while the other was covered in wounds and barely breathing.

She had been truly angry then, only then realizing that flourishing flowers and brocade existed only in the capital. Further north, or in the southern coastal regions, what met the eye was the real life of the common people.

The magnificent outer garment of the Celestial Empire had long been fragile, concealing Great Liang’s countless wounds.

Thus, she listened to the soldiers tell stories of General Shao.

They said General Shao first came to the Northern Territories when he was only fourteen. At that time, Old General Shao was gravely ill, and battle reports of Great Liang’s army’s successive defeats came to the capital one after another, presented before the imperial desk. The Son of Heaven was furious, and the Marquis Jing’an’s residence was in grave danger.

It was then that fourteen-year-old Shao Mingyuan, the second son of Marquis Jing’an, stepped forward, voluntarily requesting to go to the Northern Territories to fight in his father’s place.

General Shao’s first battle was against Northern Qi forces who were massacring a village.

That battle was General Shao’s famous victory. Afterward, countless people sang his praises, lauding him as young and accomplished, yet only the three to five soldiers who survived that battle remembered how General Shao led dozens of men against over a hundred Northern Qi soldiers.

The physical constitution of Great Liang’s army was already far inferior to the Northern Qi cavalry. Over the years, no matter which famous general was stationed in the north, they were in a passive defensive position. That battle was fought to the end, with General Shao nearly becoming a blood-soaked figure. His trusted aide urged him to flee first, but he only said one sentence: “I will not leave my fleeing back for the barbarians to see, letting them think all Great Liang men are spineless and can freely bully our Great Liang people.”

Later, “Wolves will not die, barbarians will not be destroyed, I will never return home” became General Shao’s creed. Even his wedding only happened because Old General Shao knelt and begged the Son of Heaven to issue an imperial edict summoning him back.

Qiao Zhao still remembered the vice-general’s careful words of persuasion: “Madam, please don’t be angry with the general. Though the general leading troops on his wedding day was unfair to you, you don’t know—if he had arrived one step later, countless innocent people would have died tragically, and there would be countless more women like those two today. Our general has the softest heart of all…”

Along the way, Qiao Zhao heard more stories about that man.

He had once lain in snow for a day and night to rescue children captured by barbarians as reserve food; he had once swum under ice across the Songjiang River to assassinate a barbarian leader who used Great Liang people’s severed heads as wine vessels; he had also spent all military pay to buy clothing and add cotton garments for women who had been violated by the barbarians.

The vice-general said with tears choking his voice: “The world only remembers the general’s infinite glory, but we remember the general’s body full of wounds. The general once said he would spare no effort, not failing the nation and people, only wronging you alone. When the Northern Territories are pacified…”

The vice-general didn’t continue, but Qiao Zhao understood.

How could she hate such a man who shed his last drop of blood and tears for the people of the Northern Territories?

She was just… somewhat annoyed.

After hearing his stories all along the way, why did his arrow have to be so swift?

The young lady rested her chin on her hand, gazing out the window. The warm sun illuminated her face until it was semi-transparent, making her appear fair and delicate, yet her temperament was very pure, making those who gazed at her feel peaceful.

Physician Li looked at her this way and felt that familiar feeling growing ever stronger.

After a long while, he spoke: “What is Miss Li thinking about?”

Qiao Zhao came back to her senses and answered very honestly: “Just daydreaming.”

Physician Li’s mouth twitched.

People who could speak of “daydreaming” so matter-of-factly were truly rare.

And increasingly… similar…

Miss Li and Miss Qiao were similar in every way. More importantly, when he first met Miss Li, he discovered she had symptoms of soul separation, while Miss Qiao wasn’t peacefully staying in the Northern Territories as he had thought, but had already died—

Physician Li’s palms broke out in sweat, his heartbeat rapid.

Could there be such a possibility?

He knew this speculation was shocking and unprecedented. If it were anyone else, he wouldn’t dare think in this direction, but he was different—this was exactly what he had been researching in recent years!

Physician Li cleared his throat and probed: “Miss Li, what family do you have?”

Qiao Zhao was somewhat surprised. Physician Li wasn’t someone interested in family matters.

She searched through the information Li Zhao had left her and answered: “Grandfather has long passed away. At home, there are grandmother, parents, brothers, and sisters.”

Physician Li touched his nose.

Wasn’t this saying nothing at all? Who didn’t have these family members? It’s not like she popped out of a rock crevice.

Looking at the young lady’s calm appearance, Physician Li became even more uncertain. Unwilling to give up, he probed again: “Has Miss Li heard of General Shao before?”

Qiao Zhao paused, thought from young Miss Li Zhao’s perspective, and said: “I’ve long heard of his fame.”

From the time Shao Mingyuan first went to war, he had become the most brilliant military star, shining in Great Liang’s sky for seven or eight years. Who hadn’t heard of him?

Physician Li sighed inwardly.

Perhaps he was overthinking?

Or perhaps he hoped too much that the intelligent and open-minded child was still alive.

Abandoning his probing thoughts, Physician Li grabbed an unripe fruit from the fruit plate and took a bite.

“Ptui, ptui, ptui, sour enough to make my teeth fall out!”

The bitten unripe fruit was thrown out the window, tracing a clean arc before a scream was heard.

“Stop the carriage, stop the carriage! Who’s the bastard throwing fruit out the window?”

Qiao Zhao lowered the carriage curtain and took a peek outside, seeing a burly man covering his forehead with one hand while frantically chasing the carriage, causing passersby to stop and watch. Then a guard jumped down from the carriage, went up to explain something, and the burly man walked away looking satisfied.

When the guard returned, a companion beside him asked quietly: “How much silver did it take to send him away this time?”

The guard replied numbly: “Don’t mention it, threw away another two taels of silver.”

The companions beside him all sighed, thinking the journey was difficult indeed. If they let that old ancestor in the carriage continue making trouble, they’d have to pawn their swords.

The lead guard said with a pained expression: “Speed up, we must reach the capital tomorrow!”

The next day, the spring light was beautiful.

A dressed carriage turned a corner and drove onto the widest official road outside the capital, but soon that carriage could no longer proceed.

Looking at the sea of people ahead, a guard requested instructions from Physician Li: “Old sir, we’ve happened upon General Shao entering the city. The carriage can’t get through. Should we retreat for now?”