The brothers all welcomed Feng Jiu’er with smiles, lifting her mood considerably.

Some ten or twenty people gathered together to eat grilled meat, the atmosphere lively.

Feng Jiu’er gradually shed her exhaustion, laughing and chatting with everyone.

Seeing her like this, Qiao Mu felt a measure of comfort.

As the meal was drawing to a close, Qiao Mu stood up and, while Feng Jiu’er wasn’t paying attention, led Jian Yi and Zhao Yusheng into the tent she shared with Feng Jiu’er.

“Qiao Mu, what exactly happened while we were away?” Zhao Yusheng asked anxiously the moment Qiao Mu entered.

Qiao Mu came in, lowered the tent flap, and stepped further inside.

“General Long is dead. He died at the hands of the Empress Dowager in the inner palace.”

“All the years of misunderstanding between General Long and Zhan Liyue—all of it was orchestrated by the Empress Dowager.”

“General Long… is dead?” Zhao Yusheng’s brow furrowed. “No wonder Jiu’er has been forcing herself to smile. So General Long was…”

“Not only General Long—Zhan Liyue and Yanu are dead too.” Qiao Mu let out a soft sigh.

“The whole thing started when the Di Family was massacred. The one who orchestrated that tragedy was also the Empress Dowager.”

“She wanted her own son—who later became the Eighth Prince—to take the throne, so she wiped out the Di Family and let Zhan Bufan ascend.”

“Besides the Di Family, she also went after the Long Family relentlessly. First Long Feiyan and the Long Family Army died, and later, she wiped out the entire Long Family.”

“She pointed the finger at Zhan Liyue for everything, so all along, General Long held deep hatred for Zhan Liyue.”

“Yanu was someone General Long had taken in and raised—he was actually Zhan Liyue’s third son, Di Wuyou. To get his revenge, General Long raised Yanu to be a killing tool.”

“In the end, Yanu killed Zhan Liyue. But once he learned his true identity, he took his own life.”

Qiao Mu glanced briefly out at the night moon through the window, her expression heavy.

“That day, on the city wall, the Ninth Prince and Mu Mu joined forces to bring General Long down. Jiu’er and I only arrived afterward.”

“Jiu’er wanted to avenge General Long, and she wounded the Ninth Prince—only to discover he had already been poisoned with a deadly toxin.”

“Just as both sides lay wounded, the Empress Dowager arrived with Zhan Lingtian, and that was when the truth of all those years finally came out.”

“General Long regretted everything that had happened. He exhausted the last of his life force escorting us to safety, and ultimately died beneath the Empress Dowager’s sword.”

“The Empress Dowager is the Ninth Prince’s adoptive mother—he has always regarded her as his birth mother. The poison in his body was also her doing.”

“Now you both know the full story. Don’t ask Jiu’er about it again—it’s painful enough for her as it is.”

The moment the words left her mouth, Qiao Mu turned to leave.

But just as she lifted the tent flap, she saw Feng Jiu’er, clad in silver armor, standing right outside.

Qiao Mu’s gaze met Feng Jiu’er’s. She froze for a moment, then said softly, “Jiu’er.”

A moment later, Jian Yi and Zhao Yusheng lifted the flap and stepped out of the tent.

“Jiu’er, have you… eaten your fill?” Qiao Mu gave a light cough and asked in a low voice.

“Mm.” Feng Jiu’er nodded.

“Why don’t you go in and rest a while?” Qiao Mu’s lips curved into a somewhat forced smile.

“Everything I was planning to say, you’ve already said for me. Of course I should go rest properly.”

Feng Jiu’er unfastened her silver armor and walked past the three of them into the tent.

She hung up the blood-stained silver armor in her hands and turned to face the others who had followed her in.

Of the three who looked at Feng Jiu’er, two immediately averted their eyes—only Jian Yi continued to watch her.

“What are you all doing?” Feng Jiu’er pressed her lips together and asked in a low voice.

“This didn’t happen yesterday—I came to terms with it long ago. We finally got to reunite; let’s be happy about it.”

“Whether I’m forcing a smile or not, I know it myself. But today, I truly am happy—the happiest I’ve been since all of this happened.”

“Go back now, all of you, and rest properly. The next battle isn’t far off.”

“Is that bastard dead yet?” Jian Yi asked Feng Jiu’er, his voice low and cold.

Feng Jiu’er met his gaze and frowned slightly.

“He’s not dead. Then why did they make you take command?” Jian Yi gave a cold snort.

Feng Jiu’er, pleased by his concern, looked at Jian Yi. “He’s not dead—he just hasn’t woken up.”

“Mu Mu is also wounded. If I don’t take command, and the enemy breaks through, it’ll be trouble for me too, won’t it?”

“Don’t forget—before you arrived, Qiao Mu and I were both relying on the Longwu Army for protection.”

“Jiu’er is right. These past days, we’ve both been protected by the Longwu Army,” Qiao Mu agreed with a nod.

Jian Yi was already this angry—how could she possibly tell him that Jiu’er had snuck into the imperial city alone to find medicine, just to save the Ninth Prince?

“Jian Yi, Zhao Yusheng, you two should head out. Jiu’er hasn’t had a proper rest in a long time. Whatever else there is to discuss, let her rest tonight first.”

“All right. I’ll have someone bring some bathwater over.” Zhao Yusheng nodded and turned to leave.

Everyone knew Feng Jiu’er loved cleanliness above all else—Zhao Yusheng was well aware of that.

Zhao Yusheng left, but Jian Yi still lingered there.

Qiao Mu glanced at Jian Yi from the corner of her eye, gave a light cough, and stepped further inside. “Jian Yi, I need to change. Are you staying?”

Before she even finished speaking, Qiao Mu had already begun loosening the ties of her robe.

Jian Yi looked once more at Feng Jiu’er, then turned and walked outside.

“You don’t need to keep watch over me tonight,” Feng Jiu’er said softly, watching his retreating back.

“I know you haven’t rested in a long time either. Go rest early. Tomorrow I want to see a handsome hero full of energy.”

Jian Yi didn’t respond, but once he left the tent, the presence that belonged to him gradually grew more distant.

It seemed he truly had left.

After Jian Yi departed, Zhao Yusheng returned with some of the brothers, bringing bathwater for Feng Jiu’er.

There was nothing more comfortable right now than shedding her battle armor and soaking in a good bath. Feng Jiu’er sat down in the wooden tub and closed her eyes.

Seeing that the figure inside hadn’t responded for quite a while, Qiao Mu grew worried, stood, and walked behind the makeshift screen of hung clothing.

That was when she discovered Feng Jiu’er had fallen asleep right there in the water, exhausted.

Qiao Mu shook her head, grabbed a blanket, and reached out to pull the sleeping figure up.

The instant Qiao Mu’s hand touched her, Feng Jiu’er’s eyes snapped open.

“What are you doing?” Feng Jiu’er asked, her voice hoarse, looking at Qiao Mu.

“Get up. Do you think I, the young miss here, want to peek at you?” Qiao Mu shot Feng Jiu’er a look and unfolded the blanket in her hands.

Feng Jiu’er smiled faintly, stood, stepped out of the tub, and lazily spread her arms wide, accepting Miss Qiao’s care.

Just as Qiao Mu wrapped the blanket around Feng Jiu’er, Feng Yandong’s voice came from outside. “Miss Jiu’er, may I come in?”

“No!” Qiao Mu answered sharply.

Feng Jiu’er turned to look at her and smiled faintly. “Thank you.”

The moment she said it, she lifted the clothing serving as a screen and walked out.

“Dong, what is it?”

“Miss Jiu’er.” Feng Yandong’s voice came through again. “Word has come from the Longwu Army—His Highness the Crown Prince has woken up.”