That day, Qiao Ping sprang into action. He first conferred with his advisors, arranging for them to meet privately with some of the Qiao family’s military officers. The Yanzhou troops were under Qiao Ping’s command, and all agreed to his plans.

Qiao Ping then went to meet Qiao Yue alone, proposing to strengthen the Yanzhou forces as a precautionary measure. Initially, Qiao Yue showed little interest. Qiao Ping spoke with him at length, analyzing the current political situation.

Qiao Yue, born into a military family, had led troops in battle in his youth. He wasn’t completely ignorant of worldly affairs, but his weak character and complacency had made him passive. As Qiao Ping’s persuasion left him wavering, over a dozen military officers rushed in, kneeling and pleading tearfully in unison. Under this collective pressure, Qiao Yue had no choice but to nod and entrust the matter to Qiao Ping. Qiao Ping then summoned the Qiao family’s military officers for a meeting. The main hall was brightly lit, with discussions lasting late into the night.

Younger brother Qiao Ci had also gone to attend the meeting and hadn’t yet returned to rest.

Xiao Qiao lay in bed, her thoughts tumultuous, unable to calm down for a long time.

She thought about various events from her past life, about Bi Zhi and Da Qiao in this life, and about her father finally beginning to take action.

Since Madam Xu’s fate could be changed, as long as the Qiao family took action, at least they wouldn’t be sitting ducks waiting for their doom in the future.

She increasingly felt that her return this time was absolutely necessary.

Her father had finally heeded her advice and begun to act.

Xiao Qiao’s mind was racing, thinking about this and that, a multitude of things. As midnight approached and she began to feel drowsy, just before falling asleep, a man’s face suddenly appeared in her mind.

It seemed to be Wei Shao’s face… he should be returning soon…

Xiao Qiao also remembered that morning several months ago when she saw him off to battle. She had promised Madam Xu that she would always see him off and welcome him back…

Now that she was in Yanzhou, there was no way she could make it back in time.

She had broken her promise so quickly…

Xiao Qiao suddenly felt ashamed. For Madam Xu’s sake.

Next time, she would definitely keep her word. For Madam Xu…

Feeling extremely tired, Xiao Qiao closed her eyes and fell asleep.

…

In his last letter to Madam Xu, Wei Shao had said he would return to Yuyang at the end of this month.

In reality, he arrived more than ten days early.

The victorious army was still behind him, marching back at a pace of a hundred li per day. They were divided into two routes.

One group was taken to Jinyang to spend the winter. Come spring, Wei Shao himself would go to Jinyang to regroup with the main force.

The other group returned with him to Youzhou.

But when the army reached Gaoyang, Wei Shao handed over the daily command to his generals and broke away from the main force. Leading a small cavalry unit, he rode ahead to Yuyang.

He arrived early.

The day he reached Yuyang, snow had just begun to fall in the morning. By midnight, the accumulated snow on the ground was deep enough to cover the horses’ hooves.

The guards at the South Gate heard knocking and someone shouting “The Marquis has returned” below the gate.

The guards thought they had misheard.

Just that day, the gate captain had told them that the victorious army would arrive at the earliest by the end of the month. They were to remain vigilant, ensuring nothing went wrong with the city’s defenses before the Marquis’s return.

Yet now, in the deep of night on this snowy day, someone was announcing the Marquis’s return at the city gate.

The guards rushed to the top of the wall to look down. By the light of blazing torches, they saw a dozen war horses stopped in the snow outside the city gate. These were Ferghana horses capable of covering hundreds of li in a day. But now, these horses seemed utterly exhausted, constantly swishing their tails, their heavy breathing rising and falling.

In the swirling snow, the guards looked at the man sitting on the lead horse.

He wore battle armor, with a thin layer of snow accumulated on his head and shoulders.

He held his head slightly raised. The guards could see a layer of frost on his sword-like eyebrows. Below them was a handsome, youthful face.

“The Marquis has returned!” the guards called out joyfully, rushing down from the wall.

Shortly after, the two heavy gates creaked open slowly to the left and right.

Wei Shao, carrying the frost and chill of battle, galloped through the city gate towards the Wei manor in the north of the city.

The doorkeeper, awakened from sleep by the knocking, opened the door. Too shocked to remember to bow, he stared dumbfounded as the long-absent Marquis, covered in snow, strode in, his figure quickly disappearing at the end of the corridor.

Wei Shao’s return home didn’t disturb many servants. Nor did he intend to wake his grandmother or startle his mother at this hour.

He went straight to the western quarters, pushing open the courtyard gate.

The gatekeeper, who had just crawled out of her warm bed, shivered as she rubbed her eyes. Realizing it was the young master returning, she opened her mouth, but before she could say that the young mistress wasn’t here, he had already stridden far into the courtyard, leaving a trail of footprints in the snow behind him.

Wei Shao entered the inner courtyard directly.

The courtyard was a sea of white. Trees, paths, steps, and roofs were all covered in a layer of snow.

All around was silent. In the night sky, snow continued to fall noiselessly. A few flakes landed on his brow and face, quickly melting from his feverish body heat.

It was bitterly cold, but Wei Shao didn’t feel it. On the contrary, he felt hot.

Perhaps his battle armor was too heavy. He felt a wave of damp heat rising from his back.

He walked quickly, not noticing that the lanterns hanging every few steps along the corridor roof were all dark.

He climbed the steps, taking them two or three at a time, finally stopping at the door. He raised his arm, gently pushing the door as if testing it.

She hadn’t bolted it.

The door opened easily.

The room was pitch black. There was none of the warm, faintly fragrant air that Wei Shao had imagined.

Wei Shao hesitated for a moment, then continued inside. Finally, he stopped at the bed, his figure becoming still.

The snow’s dim light from outside was enough for him to see the scene before him clearly.

The bed curtains were drawn to both sides, the bedding neatly folded, but she wasn’t there.

It was empty.

Wei Shao’s eyes widened slightly. He bent down, reaching out to touch the empty, cold bed. Suddenly straightening up, he turned and strode out, his footsteps heavy and deliberate. Reaching the door, he yanked it open, and wind carrying snow rushed in.

“Where is everyone? Where have you all gone?” he shouted at the empty courtyard.

Soon, lights blazed throughout the western quarters.

Wei Shao lowered his head, removing his armor himself. Maid Lin carefully said, “My lord, the young mistress left over a month ago. She said she was returning to Dongjun to visit her aunt who was ill. The Old Madam herself gave permission.”

“Who escorted her?”

Maid Lin answered.

“Did she say when she would return?”

“That, this servant doesn’t know.”

“Where’s Chun Niang?”

Wei Shao looked around at the maids and servants who had been startled awake by his shout and were now lined up before him.

“Chun Niang went back with the young mistress,” Maid Lin said.

Wei Shao frowned slightly. He seemed lost in thought for a moment, then waved his hand and said flatly, “Prepare a bath.”

Maid Lin hurriedly agreed, signaling with her eyes for everyone to withdraw and prepare to serve the young master’s bath. She herself was the last to leave.

She had already noticed that the young master, who had suddenly returned home in the dead of night from his distant expedition, was in a bad mood. She guessed it probably had to do with the young mistress’s return south. So even if she had ten times the courage, she wouldn’t dare mention to the young master what had happened in the north and east quarters recently.

…

Wei Shao came out of the bathhouse, not even bothering to put on his undergarments. Bare-chested, he fell heavily face-up onto the bed.

The sturdy sandalwood bed creaked slightly under the force of his fall.

Wei Shao closed his eyes, feeling a deep sense of disappointment, followed by irritation.

He remembered clearly that the night before he left for this expedition, when she heard he was leaving, her little face immediately changed color, as if she was about to cry. She threw herself at him, pinning him down, shaking his shoulders and pouting, refusing to let him go.

It left him weak-legged the next morning. He almost considered changing commanders at the last minute, letting them go on the expedition while he stayed to watch over Youzhou.

In the end, it was Public Grandson Yang’s expression, as if he was about to cough up blood, that made Wei Shao barely close his mouth.

The military advisor’s old ailment had been acting up recently, making him cough so painfully, yet he still insisted on accompanying the army.

If his troops found out that their physically fit Marquis couldn’t withstand a woman’s shoulder-shaking and pouting, how could he ever face them again?

So when he returned the next evening, he resolutely refused her, not even looking at her reproachful gaze. Later, seeing her lying in bed looking gloomy, he softened for a moment and went over to comfort her. But she turned away, pulling the covers over her head, giving him the back of her head.

It was this sight of the back of her head that made Wei Shao resolve. After an internal struggle, he decided to let things be and stop coaxing her.

He couldn’t let this woman lead him by the nose anymore. If this continued, he might make a grave mistake one day.

King You of Zhou lit the beacon towers to amuse his favored concubine, nearly leading to such an absurd scenario playing out in his own life.

The thought was inconceivable!

So for the next few days, they coexisted in a state of cool indifference.

He didn’t touch her. Not even with a single finger.

Then he left for the expedition.

He had rolled in piles of corpses for months.

Now he was back.

And the woman who had begged him to stay, nearly causing him to err, was gone? Returned to the Qiao family in Dongjun?

For a moment, an evil thought flashed through Wei Shao’s mind. He wanted nothing more than to immediately go and destroy that damned Qiao family.

To make her come back!