Xiao Qiao set out southward.

Except for stopping at post stations to change horses and for necessary rest, she spent almost all her time on the road, regardless of day or night.

The journey spanned a thousand li, yet in just seven or eight days, she had already crossed the Yellow River, heading straight for Yanzhou.

On this day, she finally approached Yanzhou. Along the way, she heard that the Yan Marquis’s army had passed through several days ago and must have already reached East Commandery by now. Anxious and worried, she finally arrived in one final push.

The day she reached East Commandery was a clear early summer evening.

The sun was setting in the west, its golden afterglow bathing the endless plains outside East Commandery.

It also fell upon the seemingly endless rows of military tents and the fluttering banners emblazoned with battle dragons outside the city walls.

Xiao Qiao didn’t immediately enter the camp. Instead, she stopped far away outside the northern campsite and first sent Qiao Ci to seek out Bi Zhi and gather information.

When Qiao Ci returned at nightfall, his expression seemed slightly more relaxed than before.

He told Xiao Qiao that their father had regained control and killed Ding Qu. He hoped to clarify the misunderstanding with Wei Shao, but Wei Shao didn’t seem to accept it.

Bi Zhi, fearing Wei Shao might attack the city in his fury, had led troops here as a precaution.

Fortunately, although Wei Shao refused to see any envoys, he also didn’t launch an attack on the city.

This standoff had been going on for several days.

…

On her way here, Xiao Qiao had imagined many possibilities.

The most terrifying was that Wei Shao, in his rage, would breach East Commandery and kill her father.

If such a thing had truly happened, Xiao Qiao couldn’t imagine what meaning her rushed journey here would have.

Thankfully, her worst fear hadn’t come to pass.

The moment she learned this news, the tightly wound string inside her body finally relaxed.

In that moment of relief, she felt dizzy, her body swaying slightly, and was steadied by Qiao Ci.

“Sister!”

“I’m fine. Stay here, you don’t need to come with me.”

…

“My Lady, please follow me,” said Lei Ze as he led Xiao Qiao inside.

On the way, he seemed to want to say something but ultimately remained silent, finally leading her to the main command tent and softly saying, “The Lord is inside.”

As he raised his hand to lift the tent flap, Xiao Qiao suddenly felt nervous again, and her movement hesitated for a moment.

She steadied herself, lifted the flap, and entered.

The tent was brightly lit with candles.

She saw Wei Shao standing in front of the weapon rack, his back to her.

Motionless, like a rock frozen in place for a long time.

She stopped at the tent entrance, staring at that familiar back, and after a long while, finally said softly, “My Lord, I’m sorry.”

A gust of wind crept in through the gap in the tent flap behind her, making the candlelight flicker.

Wei Shao’s enlarged shadow on the tent wall also wavered.

He slowly turned around, his gaze falling on Xiao Qiao’s face.

Their eyes met.

It had been almost half a year since they’d last seen each other. He had become thinner and darker.

His expression didn’t show the fury Xiao Qiao had anticipated.

He looked surprisingly calm.

Unnaturally calm.

Xiao Qiao’s heart suddenly felt as if it had been silently scraped by a blunt knife, causing a dull pain in her chest.

“Thank you for not attacking East Commandery—”

“Go back and take good care of Fei Fei. After all, you’ve given me a daughter, and in return, I’ll spare Yanzhou. I’ll withdraw my troops tomorrow.”

He interrupted her words.

His tone, like his expression, was unnaturally calm.

Xiao Qiao stared at him, stunned.

After speaking, Wei Shao walked to the desk behind him, sat down, and casually opened a scroll, lowering his head to read.

Xiao Qiao stood still, not moving.

At first, Wei Shao was very calm, continuously flipping through the scroll in his hand.

The soft sound of bamboo slips colliding could be heard from time to time.

Gradually, he flipped faster and faster, and the veins on the back of the hand holding the scroll became increasingly prominent.

Suddenly, with a loud “bang,” he slammed the scroll heavily onto the desk.

The sound was so loud that it startled the candle flames, making them jump.

“Why haven’t you left? What more do I need to do to satisfy you?” he raised his head, staring at Xiao Qiao, gritting his teeth and enunciating each word.

Xiao Qiao slowly walked to his side and knelt near him.

“My Lord, you already know, don’t you?” she asked softly, looking at his strong, chiseled profile.

Wei Shao closed his eyes briefly and slowly turned his head.

The candlelight reflected in his eyes, giving his pupils an almost translucent, cold glaze.

“On my way here, I was very worried that you had already attacked the city. When I arrived this evening and found that you hadn’t, I knew it couldn’t be because of Bi Zhi. If you truly wanted to take Yanzhou, you wouldn’t have stopped because of Bi Zhi. You must have realized there was a misunderstanding, right?”

…

Wei Shao remained silent.

Xiao Qiao looked into his eyes: “Before I came, when I bid farewell to Grandmother, I told her that I wanted to see you not to absolve the Qiao family of responsibility. General Wei Liang’s life hangs in the balance, and the innocent soldiers who accompanied him lost their lives—all of this is inextricably linked to my Qiao family. Even if Qiao family members paid with their lives, it wouldn’t be enough to soothe the pain of their loved ones. These are not empty words. So when I arrived earlier and learned that you hadn’t attacked the city, I felt nothing but gratitude. After this incident, I also understand that it’s the lack of virtue and ability of my Qiao family that has led to these repeated troubles. I will have my father hand over Yanzhou. I know this compensation is insignificant compared to the wrongs already committed, and you may not even care about it. But for the harm that has been done, both I and my father will do our utmost to make amends, as far as we are able. Even if it seems trivial.”

Wei Shao’s expression remained cold as he slowly shook his head.

“Of all you’ve said, one thing you got right. The reason I haven’t attacked Yanzhou is not because of Bi Zhi’s obstruction.”

“Do you know why I decided to spare Yanzhou?”

Xiao Qiao held her breath, her heart suddenly racing.

Wei Shao turned his gaze towards the tent entrance and shouted, “Bring him in!”

Xiao Qiao looked up to see a man in hemp clothing being pushed in, falling to his knees with a thud.

It was Zhang Pu, Qiao Yue’s advisor.

His face was ashen, and he trembled violently.

Xiao Qiao was startled and quickly turned to look at Wei Shao, seeing his cold gaze fixed on her. “You should recognize this person, right?”

Xiao Qiao’s heart suddenly began to race wildly, and she looked at Wei Shao somewhat bewildered.

From the first words Wei Shao had spoken to her after she entered, she had sensed something was amiss.

Such a major incident had occurred. From Wei Shao’s perspective, the Qiao family’s actions this time were tantamount to the entire clan betraying their word once again.

Yet he only told her to go back, saying that as a reward for bearing him a daughter, he would spare Yanzhou.

When he said those words, he was unusually calm.

But her instinct told her that this couldn’t possibly be a true expression of his emotions at that moment.

The more seemingly rational calm, the greater the anger that might be hiding behind it.

She just didn’t know why he hadn’t erupted in anger at her then, but instead chose to conceal his fury in this even more unsettling manner.

Now she seemed to vaguely understand.

Perhaps it had something to do with this Zhang Pu.

But what exactly had Zhang Pu said?

Wei Shao rose from behind the desk, grabbed the sword lying on the table, unsheathed it, and walked towards Zhang Pu.

Zhang Pu fell back, crawling backward, pleading incessantly.

“My Lord, spare me— My Lord, spare—”

A flash of the sword and the head that had been attached to the neck a moment ago suddenly flew off, rolling into a corner before coming to a stop.

A fountain of blood spurted into the air.

It splashed onto Wei Shao’s clothes and his face.

Xiao Qiao cried out in shock, watching in horror as Wei Shao turned, holding the still-dripping sword, and walked back towards her step by step.

The long-forgotten memory of that final scene from her past life’s dream suddenly came flooding back to her like an avalanche at this moment.

She had to clench her jaw tightly to keep her teeth from chattering.

Wei Shao came close to her, his blood-spattered face lowering slightly as he looked down at her for a moment. Suddenly, with a “clang,” he tossed away the sword.

“This man brought me Qiao Yue’s head to curry favor. You Qiao family can keep Yanzhou. You may go now.”

He said coldly.

Xiao Qiao forced herself to stand on legs that had turned to cotton.

“What’s wrong with you? What did Zhang Pu say?”

Wei Shao remained silent.

“My Lord—”

“Someone, escort her out for me!”

Wei Shao suddenly seemed to explode, turning his head to roar outwards, then with one sweep of his hand, he sent everything on the table between them crashing to the ground.

Scrolls, documents, writing brushes, and ink, along with command tallies and tiger seals, fell to the floor in a chaotic mess.

Lei Ze hurriedly entered, quickly glancing at Zhang Pu’s headless corpse on the ground, and hastily moved to drag it out.

“Take her away for me!” Wei Shao roared again.

Lei Ze was stunned for a moment, finally understanding, and looked at Wei Shao in shock.

His expression was gloomy.

Lei Ze hesitated, “My Lady—”

“Please, General Lei, step outside first. I still have words for the Lord,” said Xiao Qiao.

Lei Ze hurriedly bowed, removing Zhang Pu’s body along with the head.

“My Lord—”

“Don’t call me ‘My Lord’!”

Xiao Qiao paused for a moment: “What exactly did Zhang Pu tell you…”

His lips remained tightly sealed.

Xiao Qiao’s mind was in chaos, her back drenched in cold sweat.

She could sense that Wei Shao’s anger towards her seemed to stem from more than just this Yanzhou incident.

There seemed to be something else mixed in.

What could it be?

She closed her eyes, trying desperately to recall in her mind.

Suddenly, it was as if she had been struck by something heavy.

Her eyes snapped open.

“In the year after I married you when I returned to Yanzhou, I advised my father to strengthen his forces, to recruit soldiers, and to buy horses.”

She looked into Wei Shao’s eyes, dark with anger.

“At that time, one of the reasons I persuaded my father was to guard against you.”

She said slowly.

When her father was trying to persuade Qiao Yue at the time, he naturally couldn’t say it was her suggestion.

But Yanzhou’s actions had begun right after she left.

It must have been Zhang Pu, in an attempt to prove his loyalty to Wei Shao, who revealed that the purpose of Yanzhou’s military buildup back then was to guard against his revenge.

Zhang Pu might not have mentioned her specifically.

But Wei Shao couldn’t possibly fail to make this connection.

Her face slowly turned pale, her lips losing their color.

She looked at him silently.

She didn’t want to cry.

From the day she bid farewell to Lady Xu and set out, until just now, she hadn’t shed a single tear.

She didn’t want to cry.

She had only been hoping that things hadn’t developed in the worst direction, hoping that there might still be room for reconciliation.

Until this moment.

Her eyes suddenly felt hot.

She struggled to hold back, finally forcing that feeling to retreat.

“I know what you’re hating me for. You hate that I married you to scheme against you. But our union was originally a marriage of convenience, each with our motives, like sleeping in the same bed but dreaming different dreams. At that time, I feared you and didn’t dare trust you, which is why I advised my father so. I can’t say I wasn’t wrong, but I also can’t sincerely say that my decision then was entirely mistaken. After all, neither of us could foresee the future, nor could we see what the other truly thought, could we? My mistake was in only urging my father to strengthen his forces without giving enough consideration to guarding against the hidden dangers within the Qiao family. This led to today’s disastrous outcome, causing innocent harm to Wei Liang and others, and betraying the pressure you bore and the promises you made for me…”

Wei Shao suddenly let out a cold laugh, his smile somewhat eerie.

“I remember clearly how I chased after you southward at that time, eager to bring you back sooner. At Wuchao Ferry, you were all lovey-dovey with me, but in your heart…”

He suddenly stopped, his gaze filled with disgust.

“You need not say anymore! From now on, don’t ever mention anything about your Qiao family to me again! The Qiao family schemed to marry you off to me, and you endured serving me for three long years, even bearing a child. I’ll satisfy you by sparing your Qiao family. Tell your Qiao family members not to cross me again, or next time, it won’t be like this. Don’t think I’ll keep tolerating for the sake of my reputation. If I want to kill, I will kill. What does it matter to me what others say?”

Wei Shao roughly wiped away the blood drops on his face with his palm.

But it left a dark red streak, making his face appear even more ferocious.

He turned and left.