Two days after Qu Lingjun’s departure, the Second Imperial Concubine finally returned from visiting the sick. At the same time, the campaign to suppress the rebels at Shouchun was officially put on the agenda. The provisions, grain, weapons, and even troops had been prepared months ago. With the Emperor’s single command, the war machine that had long been ready sprang into orderly motion as if possessed of its own life.

The Second Prince watched with burning eyes, craning his neck trying to squeeze into the military camp, but was caught by the Emperor for a minor error and severely reprimanded. The next day, the Second Imperial Concubine requested leave from the Empress, stating that she and her husband wished to temporarily leave the capital to attend their good friend Qu Lingjun’s wedding. The Empress granted permission. Upon hearing this, Ling Buyi remarked that the Second Prince had married his Imperial Concubine well.

Shaoshang immediately guessed: “You mean the Second Imperial Concubine had long heard about Lady Qu’s matter but hid outside refusing to return to the capital?”

“She considers herself Qu Lingjun’s good friend. When a good friend commits the grave crime of murdering her husband, should she intervene or not? If she doesn’t intervene, it seems cold and heartless. If she does, she probably can’t be certain whether Qu Lingjun actually killed anyone. Rather than invite unnecessary suspicion, better to stay out of it.”

Shaoshang looked disappointed: “The people in this palace—not one of them is simple. The Second Imperial Concubine seems very straightforward, yet she’s this calculating too.”

Ling Buyi said: “Speaking purely of scheming, the Crown Princess isn’t worthy of carrying the Second Imperial Concubine’s shoes. All these years, if not for the Empress and me protecting her many times, the Crown Princess would have countless weaknesses seized by her.”

“Acting like this, won’t Her Majesty reprimand her?”

“Reprimand her for what? She didn’t frame or falsely accuse anyone. It truly was the Crown Princess’s people who acted improperly. The Second Imperial Concubine merely investigated secretly and then exposed it.”

Shaoshang sighed, then thought of something and nervously grabbed Ling Buyi’s sleeve: “Then, then, then the other day when you secretly slipped out of Panqing Great Camp to go play with me at Tugao Mountain, those palace officials at the hot spring villa must have told His Majesty! Now the entire court is busy preparing for the Shouchun campaign, and you’re one of the expeditionary army—yet you actually… what should we do?!”

Ling Buyi smiled brightly, rubbing the girl’s little face: “You only just thought of this!” After having his hand swatted away, he said, “Early this morning, I was already reprimanded by His Majesty.”

Shaoshang breathed a sigh of relief, patting her chest: “If His Majesty reprimands you, there won’t be serious trouble.”

Ling Buyi maintained complete composure: “This campaign isn’t serious trouble to begin with.”

That’s right. The Battle of Shouchun was only a minor military engagement—using a nation’s full strength to suppress a regional rebellion, like a thousand-pound hammer crushing a crisp cake. All the court officials knew the rebel Peng Zhen would inevitably be ground to powder—and so, the schemes began.

Those veteran generals and senior ministers who had once commanded the realm alongside the Emperor all showed great magnanimity this time. Those who declined declined, those who recommended worthies recommended them, showing not the slightest intention of competing for glory or power. Instead, they all expressed that their generation had aged and should yield opportunities to shine to the young people.

So which young people? The officials smiled on their faces while understanding perfectly in their hearts—naturally the sons and nephews of each family’s clan!

Thus, even the famously forthright and stern General Wu shrank back in his home this time, unwilling to emerge and command the entire army. For he understood that the trouble this time wasn’t the fighting, but how to control this herd of wild young nobles like untamed calves! Not only must he manage them well and firmly, but under the premise of ensuring the campaign’s success, he must also give these young men opportunities to distinguish themselves and earn merit. At the same time, he must be even more careful about propriety—minor injuries and scrapes with whimpering were acceptable, but severed limbs or lost heads were not.

The Emperor understood this situation perfectly well but couldn’t very well reprimand anyone, because he himself was the first to do exactly this.

No help for it—his adopted son fought with fierce courage, utterly heedless of his own safety. If not watched carefully, he’d charge into any dangerous situation. The Emperor had already been frightened many times before, gaining several more wrinkles on his dragon countenance. He couldn’t bear to throw Ling Buyi into truly bloody, brutal major campaigns, so minor engagements of Shouchun’s difficulty were perfect.

He estimated those old brothers had the same idea as himself. The Emperor could hardly say “I’m the true dragon so I can do this, but you’re all small fry so you cannot.” The Emperor couldn’t help but miss his ancestor, the High Emperor’s shameless rogue qualities—how come such excellent traits weren’t inherited even a bit by his descendants?

Despite being reasonable, the Emperor was ultimately a founding monarch who had built his realm from nothing. He deeply understood that military matters must not be taken lightly, so necessary preparations still had to be made. Noble sons could join the army, but their proportion couldn’t exceed thirty percent, and they must be strictly managed. After layers of consideration, Cui You, who had originally only planned to back up Ling Buyi, was directly promoted to supreme commander of the army.

When this imperial decree came down, the officials (especially those with sons in the army) immediately acclaimed the Emperor’s brilliance and martial prowess with various flowery praises and eulogies. Cui You stood aside, his face ashen, the world spinning—since the Emperor had confidently entrusted his fifteen-year-old adopted son to him back then, naturally the officials also felt confident tossing their sons and nephews to this gold-medal nanny. Everyone’s thinking was exactly, exactly the same.

Cui You had one of the best reputations among the senior officials.

The officials liked him because he neither loved competing for power nor enjoyed seizing influence. Many disputes he’d just smile and let pass.

The Emperor liked him. Whenever he smiled and asked what reward he wanted for his latest merit, Cui You would always gaze back with meaningful bright eyes, staring until the Emperor got goosebumps—the Emperor could guess with his toes what Cui You wanted, nothing more than eventually arranging a marriage between him and Huo Junhua once she recovered.

Though Cui You’s appearance was unremarkable, his old brothers from decades of friendship all knew he was resourceful and cautious in conduct. If not for hanging himself on Huo Junhua’s tree for decades as one, families wanting to arrange remarriage for him would have worn down the Cui family’s doorstep. Thus the originally hesitant Ban family also brought out their sole seedling, Young Marquis Ban, while the righteously moral Colonel Yu also bashfully inserted three of his sons… and so forth.

As the schedule tightened, everyone grew increasingly busy, Shaoshang no exception.

These days she worked through the nights to rush-make a set of undergarments and a pair of thick wool socks for Ling Buyi. She even deliberately took the final stitches to Changqiu Palace to complete, finishing them in front of Imperial Uncle’s face. Looking at Shaoshang’s fingers pricked full of holes like a sky full of stars, even though the finished product wasn’t particularly good, the Emperor still snorted twice from his nose, indicating he was fairly satisfied.

Ling Buyi pulled Shaoshang out with a stern face, repeatedly examining her small hands, saying with displeasure: “Making them like this, better not to have made them at all.”

Shaoshang smiled and poked his cheek: “You’re so heartless. Who do you think I made my fingers like this for?”

“Naturally to avoid being reprimanded by His Majesty.” Ling Buyi efficiently exposed her.

Shaoshang blushed slightly, saying awkwardly: “You’re right… but my Nurse Fu said needlework still must be learned a little, so in the future I can make some intimate items for husband and children.”

“Last time when your sleeve tore, I was the one who mended it for you. When have I ever counted on your needlework?”

Shaoshang said helplessly: “Can’t you just not mention this? After I returned that day, Nurse Fu asked who sewed the sleeve. I said it was you, then was scolded by her for a full two hours, two hours! Nurse Fu said if this matter got out it would absolutely be an unprecedented scandal through the ages, and the Cheng family daughters would never need to show their faces again!”

Ling Buyi laughed. He looked at the girl’s small upturned nose tip turning slightly red in the cold air and couldn’t help lowering his head to bite it.

Shaoshang covered her nose with a red face, retreating several large steps, pointing at the man with trembling fingers: “You, you, you…”

Ling Buyi stepped forward several paces, his tall, slender figure leaning over like a jade mountain toppling, saying in a low voice by her ear: “Don’t be angry, I’ll let you bite back.”

Shaoshang looked at his slightly moving Adam’s apple, his handsome high-bridged nose, and somehow her face turned even redder.

On the last day before departure, Ling Yi quietly went to Ling Buyi’s residence. At that time, Shaoshang happened to be there too. Seeing Shaoshang, he smiled gently: “His Majesty doesn’t like me coming to see Zicheng. Don’t tell anyone.”

Shaoshang respectfully bowed in greeting without answering.

Ling Yi gave his son a precious golden silk soft armor, repeatedly instructing: “You must return whole and intact. Bodily preservation is more important than anything. Don’t act rashly in the heat of the moment, don’t… don’t be like your uncle… staying alive is most important. Only by living can you do what you want to do!”

Ling Buyi lowered his head and listened, agreeing to everything. Father and son faced each other wordlessly. After a long while, Ling Buyi finally said: “When I return this time, I’ll go to the Chengyang Marquis estate. Perhaps I can’t make it for New Year’s, but maybe by the Lantern Festival…”

Ling Yi’s face lit up with joy, repeatedly saying good, then turning: “Shaoshang, you come too then!” He paused. “Chunyu Shi won’t come out, but if anyone else is rude to you, you can say whatever you want, don’t be afraid!”

When Ling Yi was about to leave, Tutor Ouyang suddenly came to deliver an urgent report. Shaoshang stood up to see Ling Yi out on Ling Buyi’s behalf. Walking to the front courtyard, Ling Yi suddenly sighed: “Zicheng is stubborn by nature. You should advise him more, not to let others’ praise of him as a peerless hero make him reckless. You haven’t seen Zicheng’s uncle—he truly was a godlike figure, yet still dust returns to dust, earth to earth, vanished into smoke.”

Shaoshang suddenly stopped walking: “Everyone will return to dust, to earth, everyone will vanish into smoke! But the things they’ve done won’t vanish, and the achievements they’ve left won’t vanish either!”

Ling Yi was somewhat startled, then smiled: “So, do you hope Zicheng will be the same?”

Shaoshang was struck speechless.

Watching Ling Yi depart, she slowly paced to the rear garden, standing blankly under an old plum tree. After a long while, Ling Buyi came to find her, asking with a smile what was wrong. Shaoshang looked at his handsome face for a very long time, then sighed: “Why don’t you just resign from office? I’ll support you.”

Ling Buyi was first stunned, then laughed: “Don’t listen to my father. Life and death are fated—I haven’t lived enough yet.”

Shaoshang nodded, sighing sincerely: “Right, life and death are fated, so I’ll definitely remarry.”

Ling Buyi’s face darkened: “…Rest assured, I’ll definitely return alive.”

On the day the great army departed, Old Man Cheng wore the displeased expression of someone whose debts had gone unpaid. This time he was assigned by the Emperor to the south-central region of Yangzhou, stationed alongside General Han on several essential routes south from Shouchun to prevent fleeing rebels after their defeat.

Days earlier he’d seen his daughter laboring away at needlework, and despite Zhu keeping a close eye on her, a bloody incident was nearly caused. Originally Cheng Shi thought this was made for him, but after his wife’s tactful reminder that their daughter was now betrothed, he very self-awarely thought that even if the garments were for Ling Buyi, surely the wool socks were for him. Who knew—there was nothing for him at all.

Even with departure imminent, his daughter standing beside the Empress kept secretly watching Ling Buyi below the reviewing platform, not sparing even a single glance for her old father. Cheng Shi couldn’t help but shed old man’s tears.

The army slowly moved, passing below the reviewing platform and through the city gates. The sun stood at its zenith. Ling Buyi reined in his fine horse, riding at the very front. The warm golden winter sunlight spilled across his black armor, his vigorous bearing carrying a trace of battlefield bloodshed.

Shaoshang kept watching him. Ling Buyi seemed to sense it too and suddenly turned his horse’s head, riding back. In an instant he rode to the high platform where the Empress’s entourage stood beside the reviewing platform. Shaoshang still didn’t understand what was happening when she saw Ling Buyi’s arms stretch out like an ape’s. Under everyone’s gaze, his left hand lightly flicked upward, and a small object traced a gentle arc through the air, landing precisely in Shaoshang’s arms.

The Emperor, who was leaving the reviewing platform, also saw this. His face stern, he wanted both to laugh and to scold. Yuan Shen standing behind him struggled not to roll his eyes, though others didn’t have such good self-control. At this moment catcalls had already risen around them. The officers and soldiers riding past in the latter half saw this scene and all laughed—”Young General Ling can do this too, people can’t be judged by appearances,” “It’s only March next year, no need to be anxious,” “A beautiful companion, we’re all so envious”…

Shaoshang’s face burned red as the Empress shook her head with a smile. Even the eunuchs and palace maids around them all laughed softly. Shaoshang held that small cloth bundle, too preoccupied to feel shy, doing her utmost to raise her head and look—she saw that beneath the black iron qilin helmet, the young man showed only the lower half of his fair face, seeming to smile faintly at her before spurring his horse to gallop away.

The teasing voices around her hadn’t yet subsided. Shaoshang lowered her head pretending shyness while her hands hurriedly unwrapped the cloth bundle. Inside was a palm-sized golden seal, with a small fierce tiger crouching on the small square base in cold solemn dignity, its body bound with a crimson brocade cord.

“…What is this?” she asked, puzzled.

The Empress smiled: “This is Zicheng’s private seal. Well, he’s entrusting his entire household to you.”

Now even Shaoshang’s neck flushed red. Under everyone’s either mocking or teasing gazes, she strained her eyes to look far into the distance, as if even the magnificent city gate through which he departed radiated flowing brilliant light that moved the heart.

…

After the great army’s departure, the capital once again returned to tranquility. Time passed idly with nothing particular to do, so the next day Shaoshang went to Apricot Flower Villa to visit Lady Huo, only to encounter the Cui brothers again.

Marquis Cui wasn’t good with words, but his two sons seemed to have undergone genetic mutation, using every trick to coax Huo Junhua to endless delight. One moment they vividly enacted the amusing incident of a country farmwife beating her husband, the next moment they climbed a low tree to perform the family’s inherited secret technique “Swallow’s Spiral”—watching Cui the Elder nimbly flying and spinning among the branches, Shaoshang loudly cheered.

Matron A was both alarmed and amused, casually remarking: “Marquis Cui’s courage is truly great. If it were our Lady, the world would be turned upside down. When the Young Master was small, forget climbing trees—Lady wouldn’t even let him go anywhere slightly high.”

Shaoshang recalled that Ling Buyi too had once had a beautiful childhood, and felt somewhat sad in her heart.

After Cui the Elder finished showing off, Cui the Younger quickly sought credit from the pretty elder sister: “Impressive, right? Very impressive, right? My father learned this from a wandering knight for two thousand coins!”

Shaoshang: …

After Huo Junhua took her afternoon rest, Cui the Elder wiped his sweat while offering Shaoshang terrible advice: “Elder Sister Shaoshang, I have an idea for you to hear… cough cough, fine fine fine, the idea was from both of us together, don’t poke me, get away…”

Forcefully pushing aside his brother, Cui the Elder continued: “Elder Sister Shaoshang, we brothers have an idea for you to hear. See, Father and Lady Huo are both getting on in years. What a waste to drag this out. We two have long discussed it—if Lady Huo can recover, that’s best best. If she can’t recover, it doesn’t matter either. We’ll just treat Lady Huo as if she’s still Miss Huo, have Father earnestly court her, and we’ll help out too. Who knows, perhaps sincere devotion will move even metal and stone, and ‘Miss Huo’ will agree to marry the neighbor ‘Ape Boy’!”

Shaoshang listened and actually found it quite reasonable: “I hadn’t thought of this. It seems… not entirely impossible… But then what about you two? Where would Neighbor Ape Boy get sons from?!”

Cui the Elder blurted out: “No problem, my brother and I can keep pretending to be nephews!”

Shaoshang: Uh…

Cui the Younger was especially happy: “If Father isn’t Father anymore, maybe he won’t be able to force us to study anymore!”

Cui the Elder gave his brother a look: “Stop dreaming. Uncles can discipline nephews too!”

Watching this pair of clever, likable treasures of brothers, Shaoshang nearly laughed until her stomach hurt. After a moment, she couldn’t help asking why they didn’t mind their birth father being so attentive to another woman—weren’t they really afraid of having a stepmother?

Cui the Elder was first startled, then laughed completely unbothered, looking entirely like an adult.

He said: “Actually, years ago bastards often asked us this… they meant ill. Elder Sister Shaoshang, speaking unfilially, my brother and I have long forgotten what Mother looked like, but since we became aware, it’s been us three father and sons depending on each other.”

“When I injured my arm, Father would rather yield his merit to others than take me to find a miracle physician to set the bone. My brother was weak and sickly when young. Once when he burned with fever and became delirious, Father held him without sleep for days and nights. Our family isn’t without nurses and servants, but Father insisted on keeping us both close by his side, personally caring for us. Among ordinary great noble families, how many fathers would be this hands-on? If they can remember their children’s birthdays, that’s already good.”

“When Mother was alive, Father never wronged her. After Mother passed away, we brothers should prioritize Father’s wishes.”

Shaoshang lowered her head, several droplets dampening her dress, her heart like warm sunlight pouring down.

“Also, also…” The small-sized Cui the Younger squeezed forward, his face excited. “If Father and Sister Junhua… ah no, if Father and Lady Huo really succeed, then, then, then wouldn’t we become true brothers with Elder Brother Zicheng?!”

Cui the Elder slapped his thigh: “Exactly! When Elder Brother Zicheng becomes our true brother… hehehe, I’ll watch those bastards not die of envy! From now on every single one will have to revere me as boss, obediently kowtowing and offering toasts!”

Shaoshang burst out laughing through her tears.

After returning to the palace, Shaoshang recounted the Cui brothers’ words to the Emperor and Empress. The Empress too was deeply moved: “Marquis Cui and his two sons are all people of utmost sincerity and truth. To have such family members is truly priceless fortune.”

The Emperor gazed far out the window, his thoughts wandering. After a very long while, he murmured: “…That year when Ape hung on the cliff face unable to come down, we had to lower ropes to rescue him. On the return journey, Ape lay on Elder Brother Huo Chong’s back, crying until he hiccupped—these all seem like yesterday’s events. Alas, in the blink of an eye several decades have passed, everything has changed. Ape is doing very well as a father.”

After the Emperor left, the Empress sat in melancholy silence for a long while. She said to Shaoshang: “I saw General Huo Chong several times. Actually he and Lady Huo looked quite alike—handsome and brave, warm and gentle. That year when he came to bid farewell to His Majesty, I remember every word he said that day.”

“He said, now heaven and earth are like a sea of blood, all the people suffer. He asked His Majesty to just charge forward in battle—there would come a day when the jade heavens would be clear, the four seas tranquil. He would guard that city for His Majesty. As long as he was there, His Majesty would absolutely never be attacked from both front and rear.”

“…Then, he never returned.”