A certain famous person once said: Children distinguish between right and wrong; adults only consider profit and loss.

Thus, while Shaoshang was still sulking in her room, Xiao Furen bid farewell to the Lou residence with a beaming face. The Lou second branch mother-in-law and daughter-in-law saw her off to the gate with smiles and conversation. The Second Young Madam even boarded the carriage to ‘escort’ Xiao Furen all the way home. After returning home, it still wasn’t enough—the Second Young Madam was invited into the residence to drink wine and chat. The two talked and laughed merrily, regretting they hadn’t met sooner.

Shaoshang hid at the inner courtyard entrance to observe, only to see Xiao Furen escort the Second Young Madam all the way out with intimate gestures—

“Your mother-in-law is gentle and amiable, Ayao is innocent and unpolished, and both Commandery Administrator Lou and the Second Young Master are away. Now your branch entirely depends on you to hold things together…”

“Today’s conversation with Madam surpasses ten years of reading. Looking at it now, my own perspective was shallow. I was entangled in petty household profits, not knowing the sky and sea outside are vast and boundless.”

The two walked and talked, kindred spirits, just short of performing the eighteen-mile farewell send-off. Shaoshang shrank behind the door, criticizing them endlessly in her mind. Unexpectedly, she was caught red-handed by Director Xiao on her return trip, who dragged her back to Jiuzhui Hall for a lecture: “…You must also remember, whether your marriage with Ayao succeeds or not in the future, you must not turn hostile with the Lou family.”

Shaoshang sneered: “Turn hostile if we turn hostile. At worst, we’ll never interact again for the rest of our lives.”

“Childish words.” Xiao Furen sat upright and motionless. “You often say you have bad luck. How do you know you won’t have bad fortune in the future and need to seek help from those you’ve offended?”

“Ayao’s aunt is a hypocritical scoundrel!”

“She is a hypocritical scoundrel, but don’t say it aloud—just know it in your heart.”

“I won’t swallow my anger. People live for their dignity!”

“Many people love to say ‘people live for their dignity,’ but often people can only live by swallowing their anger. If Yangyang outlives you in the future, I wouldn’t be surprised at all. ‘Taking a step back opens up a vast sky’ doesn’t mean swallowing your anger—it means stepping out of confinement to look up and see what’s outside and elsewhere.”

Shaoshang suddenly rose, her feet heavily stamping on the smooth, polished floor: “Mother, please forgive your daughter for taking her leave first!”

“Where are you going?” Xiao Furen asked.

“—To see what’s outside and elsewhere!” Shaoshang said. “To find if there’s a way to live longer!”

“Don’t go out today. I’ve arranged with the Second Young Madam—Ayao will come over this afternoon.”

Shaoshang turned back in disbelief and stared hard at Director Xiao: “…Ayao’s leg is still injured!”

“The Lou family doesn’t lack servants—they’ll carry him here. If your marriage doesn’t work out in the future, do you want the last time you saw him to be when you forcefully slapped his injured leg?”

“Who said that? My last words with Ayao were clearly ‘If you don’t go back on your word, I absolutely won’t retreat!'”

“You’d better forget those two sentences.” Xiao Furen, supported by the constantly smiling Qing Cong Furen, gracefully rose and walked inside from the side. “If you and Ayao succeed in the future, you young couple will have more vows of eternal love. If not, do you really want to recite these two sentences to your future actual husband?”

Watching Director Xiao’s graceful retreating figure, Shaoshang sat down weakly in frustration. She deeply felt this verbal battle wasn’t a contest of intelligence, but the result of a mature woman with rich life experience forcefully crushing a young girl—no fault in the battle strategy.

In the afternoon, Lou Yao was indeed carried over.

The young couple whose engagement was on shaky ground had a pleasant conversation. Past grievances dissolved, yet both were helpless before the current predicament. Although Shaoshang was somewhat reckless, she knew she couldn’t truly disregard everything—after all, in this era, she also had family baggage. As for Lou Yao, with his father far away in the easternmost commandery of Yan Province, a messenger going back and forth wouldn’t take just a few days—he was even more confused. Shaoshang could at least throw out a few distinctive harsh words, while his harsh words had no originality whatsoever.

Originally, public opinion about this gossip was growing increasingly fierce. Fortunately, after the great chaos, many matters needed attention—how to deal with traitorous ministers and surrendered generals, how to confiscate property and execute people, how to manage the currently power-vacant Feng Yi Commandery—these were real prizes of fame and profit, which somewhat eased everyone’s attention on the marriage entanglement of the Wan, Lou, and Cheng families.

On the morning of the third day, while the elders were still calmly competing in patience, Lou Yao suddenly heard some news. A ‘brilliant idea’ that for him nearly broke his intelligence ceiling suddenly burst forth, and he hurried to find his fiancée.

“…He Zhaojun’s party arrived in the capital yesterday.” Shaoshang initially didn’t understand. “We should take the initiative to persuade her?”

“Right! This is called removing the firewood from under the cauldron!” Lou Yao’s forehead broke out in excited sweat. “As long as she herself is unwilling to marry me, what can others say? That way, all troubles will be gone!”

“Will she agree?” Shaoshang was very doubtful. Just a few days ago, she’d heard Yuan Shen explain a whole bunch of reasoning and causes—it sounded like Lady He was clinging tightly to Lou Yao.

“She doesn’t like me either!” But Lou Yao felt quite confident. “I know her temper best. When the time comes, I’ll put on an appearance of extreme disgust and aversion toward her—she definitely won’t be able to take it!”

Shaoshang was half-believing, but still decided to treat a dead horse as if it were alive. Remembering Xiao Furen’s warning, she quickly added: “We must be polite. The Jun of Ancheng just lost her entire family. If we go too far, we’ll inevitably be accused of bullying her at her doorstep!”

The young couple whispered and plotted for quite a while, then led several household guards, hitched up Shaoshang’s golden-red small carriage, and left. The two sat side by side in relative silence, both anxious about the uncertain future ahead.

The carriage traveled less than an hour when they saw from afar the white mourning banners flying high above the He family’s mansion roof. The two cowards looked at each other and hesitated in place, not daring to go forward. Before long, they suddenly saw a heavily mourning-draped covered carriage emerge from the He residence gate, heading in their direction. Shaoshang quickly moved the small carriage aside to make way. Unexpectedly, when that covered carriage passed their group, it stopped.

Everyone was puzzled when a bloodless, emaciated face emerged from the covered carriage. Shaoshang and Lou Yao both shrank back—this person was none other than the long-unseen He Zhaojun!

“…So it’s you two.” He Zhaojun’s expression was calm. Her once baby-fat cheeks had thinned to hollowness, and her large, bright eyes emanated a cold, ghostly light.

The Lou and Cheng pair inexplicably felt guilty, as if they were thieves caught red-handed with stolen goods. Shaoshang awkwardly laughed dryly several times: “Hehe, this, this… Ayao and I were just coming to find you…”

“What are you looking for me for?”

The two were speechless. The words they’d rehearsed earlier couldn’t be spoken now.

Seeing their hesitant, difficult expressions, He Zhaojun seemed to understand something. She smiled coldly and said: “I’m about to go do something. I wonder if Miss Cheng would be willing to board my carriage and accompany me?”

Shaoshang immediately examined the He family’s covered carriage with vigilance. Lou Yao very loyally puffed out his chest to block in front, calling out loudly: “Accompany what? You and Shaoshang aren’t even close. If there’s anything, come at me!”

He Zhaojun glanced at the delicate and soft Shaoshang and smiled self-mockingly: “Ayao, didn’t you always want a fine horse with sweating blood lineage? Father got you one from a northwestern caravan, originally planning to have Fifth Brother bring it back, but who knew that incident would happen…” Her voice grew lower and lower. “I’ll have someone send it to you later.”

Lou Yao deflated like a balloon stuck with a nail.

He Zhaojun continued: “I won’t harm Miss Cheng. If you don’t believe me, I can swear on my late father’s name?”

Lou Yao continued to keep his mouth shut with nothing to say.

Shaoshang sneered inwardly—using the pitiful victim strategy, thinking she was inexperienced? She said sweetly: “Ayao, has she harmed anyone before?”

Lou Yao came back to life and immediately said: “Yes! Early last year, she pushed Third Sister-in-law’s cousin into a pond, and there was still thin ice on the water.”

Shaoshang paused. Hearing this technical level, she felt somewhat reassured instead.

He Zhaojun said: “Miss Cheng, you want to fight me for a husband but don’t dare board my carriage?”

Shaoshang stopped Lou Yao, who was about to speak, handed him the reins and bamboo whip for driving the horse, got down from the small carriage herself, looked up at He Zhaojun, and said: “You don’t need to provoke me. I was planning to talk with you anyway.”

Lou Yao anxiously tried to stop her. Shaoshang pretended she was about to slap his injured leg again, and Lou Yao was frightened into quickly retreating.

Shaoshang couldn’t help but laugh: “Don’t fuss. I have household guards with me. Besides, if something really happens to me, no one will force you to marry her—that would actually help you!”

Lou Yao thought about it: “How about this—I’ll take the sedan chair back, and you take the carriage. If the situation looks bad, quickly get in the carriage and run.”

Shaoshang glanced at He Zhaojun’s poor complexion and deliberately smiled: “Don’t worry, no matter how formidable the Jun of Ancheng is, she’s not a demon or monster. But giving me the carriage is good—I’ll need it to ride home afterward.” With that, she nimbly climbed onto the He family’s covered carriage. The Cheng household guards immediately gathered behind the carriage, carefully standing alert.

He Zhaojun still held the carriage window curtain, staring at Lou Yao being helped down from the carriage with difficulty by his own servants. She suddenly said: “Isn’t she more formidable than me? After picking and choosing, you chose someone like this.”

Lou Yao shook his head: “Shaoshang is different from you. Although she’s sometimes fierce too, she’s very reasonable. No matter how unwilling she is about something, as long as the reasoning stands, she’ll accept it. I can discuss anything with her. Some foolish ideas I wouldn’t dare tell my parents or siblings, but I’m willing to tell her.”

Seeing He Zhaojun’s pale face, her fingers holding the curtain trembling slightly, Lou Yao continued: “I hate cockfighting most, but that year, to compete with someone, you insisted I go. When I refused, you cried and made a fuss. I had no choice but to buy a rooster at great expense, but in the end, I still lost. You blamed me for embarrassing you and sarcastically scolded me as useless. How many such incidents have there been between us since childhood?” He looked up at He Zhaojun. “I don’t understand—if you look down on me so much, why do you still want to marry me?”

He Zhaojun’s whole body trembled: “…I did it for you. They said you couldn’t succeed in letters or martial arts, that you were the most useless one in the Lou family. I wanted you to improve, to gain fame! If you didn’t like cockfighting and dog racing, I specially hosted banquets for you to compete with others in archery, horse racing, swordsmanship, arrow throwing…”

“But I simply can’t rank at the top.” Lou Yao said calmly. “I’m just of mediocre talent. Yet whenever I failed to meet your expectations, you’d quarrel with me endlessly. This kind of ‘for my own good’—I don’t like it.”

He Zhaojun looked at the youth she’d grown up with. He had grown taller, his shoulders and back had become broad and strong, and his speech was no longer as impulsive and irritable as before, but rather logical and unhurried. They’d only been apart for a few short months, yet it felt like years.

She closed her eyes and let down the curtain, slumping backward in defeat.

Lou Yao looked at the closed carriage window with slight surprise. In the past, this former fiancée would have argued unreasonably and scolded for who knows how long, forcing him to admit fault. How come now…?!

The wheels rolled, and the He family’s covered carriage gradually drove away. Lou Yao still stood in the original spot watching from afar.

From the window crack, He Zhaojun glanced once, then turned to the passenger inside the carriage: “Ayao does care about you. You’ve only had a few months of affection, yet it surpasses my ten-plus years with him.”

“It’s not about how long you’ve known each other that determines affection—there’s also accumulated resentment over the years.” Shaoshang shook her head. This woman definitely didn’t know the universal truth that ‘childhood friends can never defeat what falls from the sky.’

He Zhaojun leaned against the carriage wall and said slowly: “But following you is indeed better for him than being with me. His words and actions now have propriety… he, he’s grown up.”

Shaoshang felt this point was most blood-boiling. The current Lou Yao was much better than when he quarreled with He Zhaojun in the Yin family’s back courtyard. This was all cultivated through her painstaking teaching and coaxing! But now someone wanted to come down the mountain to pick the peaches—where was heavenly justice?!

He Zhaojun seemed to have thought of the same thing. With a weary expression, she said: “When I first saw you, you happened to witness me quarreling with Ayao. At that time, I never imagined today would come.”

Shaoshang snorted, half-sarcastically saying: “The first time I saw the Jun of Ancheng, you were so imposing. You even said to me, ‘What are you looking at? Be careful or I’ll gouge out your eyes.'”

Hearing this sentence, He Zhaojun somehow suddenly laughed, laughing until tears came: “…Eyes, haha, eyes, I did love saying that… My nurse pushed my young brother and me into a secret room. The Xiao family’s rebel soldiers questioned her about our whereabouts. She refused to speak and had her eyes gouged out alive and her four limbs severed! I watched with wide eyes but didn’t dare move… Haha, I lost my mother in childhood and was raised carefully by my nurse, yet I watched her be tortured to death, haha… It’s truly retribution, retribution!”

Shaoshang didn’t dare speak anymore. She silently leaned back. When He Zhaojun had laughed enough, she asked in a low voice: “Where exactly are you taking me?”

He Zhaojun wiped her tears with a plain handkerchief and said coldly: “We’ve already arrived. Look outside yourself.”

At this moment, the covered carriage stopped. She rose and walked straight outside. Shaoshang followed and looked up in surprise. When her three older brothers had taken her around the entire capital, they’d come here—this was actually the Court of Judicial Review?!

Officials from the Court of Judicial Review were already waiting at the entrance. Upon seeing He Zhaojun, the person cupped his hands and said: “The Jun of Ancheng has arrived. General Wu gave instructions—everything inside has been prepared.”

He Zhaojun nodded and led the crowd inside. Shaoshang followed behind, shaking her head repeatedly. A young lady is still a young lady—if it were her, she would definitely slip some silver coins over and say a few words of gratitude like “thank you for your hard work.” The King of Hell is easy to deal with, but minor devils are difficult—establishing more good connections is always right.

Shaoshang originally thought they’d tour a dark, damp, terrifying prison, but unexpectedly they headed straight for the yellow sand-covered execution ground in the back courtyard. There already stood several execution officials wearing vermilion and black official robes. In the center of the execution ground was set a one-foot-high wooden execution platform, on which knelt a man wearing only a moon-white inner robe.

Upon seeing this person, Shaoshang immediately noticed He Zhaojun in front trembling slightly. When they got closer, she discovered it was a very handsome and imposing tall young man who, though currently in a miserable state, still maintained noble and proud bearing in his manner.

Seeing He Zhaojun, he smiled slightly: “You’ve come. Are you here to see me off?”

He Zhaojun smiled mockingly: “No, I’m here to collect your head and take it back to offer to my father and brothers.”

The young man’s expression darkened: “I’ve wronged you.”

He Zhaojun said: “The Prince is so polite—do you have another favor to ask of me?”

Shaoshang was lamenting inwardly ‘what a pity such a handsome man became a traitor’ when she heard these words and realized this couple about to conclude their story was somewhat strange.

Prince Xiao said gently: “If you still remember the affection of our brief marriage, please search for Shan Ji’s whereabouts and settle her properly…”

Before he finished speaking, He Zhaojun already laughed in grief and anger, calling out sharply: “Affection? What affection? The affection of impaling my eldest brother’s and fourth brother’s heads on spear tips to taunt my father in battle? Or the affection of trampling my fifth brother into meat paste under galloping horses?! Or perhaps the affection of stabbing my sister-in-law, who was six months pregnant, to death with one knife?!”

Prince Xiao’s lips trembled: “These… were not done by me.”

“I know,” He Zhaojun wiped away her tears and said mockingly, “You’ve always proclaimed yourself benevolent and magnanimous—naturally you wouldn’t do these things. It was your brothers competing to claim merit who did them, and your father tacitly approved. But since they all died in the chaos of battle, I can only collect the debt from you! I’ll tell you honestly—His Majesty was merciful and originally, considering the Xiao family’s generations of nobility, wanted to leave you a whole corpse. It was I who petitioned to have you beheaded!”

Prince Xiao’s face turned deathly pale. He said in disbelief: “You, you wretch, actually…”

“And those children born to your concubines—let’s see how many can survive the journey to exile.” He Zhaojun revealed a fierce expression. She looked up at the sky, bowed to the execution officials, and said: “The hour has arrived. Please proceed with the execution!”

The official in the vermilion robe in the center nodded and waved for the executioner to come forward—burning yellow paper, offering sacrifices to ghosts and spirits, two shamans danced beside them. Finally, wine was sprayed to consecrate the blade. The thick-backed large blade was raised high and forcefully swung down…

Shaoshang quickly closed her eyes and turned her head away. When she opened them again, she saw He Zhaojun personally step forward to pick up the head that had rolled off the execution platform trailing blood. Two servants helped her wrap the head in oilcloth.

He Zhaojun, dressed entirely in mourning, walked over like this, holding the head, her expression stubborn, her face full of tears. Blood dripping from the head spread along her snow-white mourning gown—deep red and eerie, sinister and strange.

Shaoshang felt she couldn’t breathe. Her heart beat violently, as if her chest would burst.

The other officials remained at the execution ground to clean up. Shaoshang followed He Zhaojun step by step outside in a daze. It wasn’t until they walked out of the Court of Judicial Review gates that she suddenly murmured: “I can’t leave Ayao to you. You always bullied and humiliated him…”

“Do you think I’d still dare in the future?” He Zhaojun suddenly turned back, her face seeming to both laugh and cry. “Before Father died, he called me to his side, kowtowed to me once, said he’d wronged me, then heavily slapped me twice—one slap for each sentence he told me. The first sentence: from now on, no one will shield me from wind and rain anymore. From now on, if there’s wind and rain, I can only bear it myself! The second sentence: in the future, the He family and my young brother will depend on me! Do you think I’d still dare bully or offend anyone in the future? Would I still dare?!”

Her eyes were awash with tears. In her blurred vision, she remembered that since childhood, no matter whom she offended or how much trouble she caused, her father and brothers would tirelessly clean up and handle everything for her. But in the future, she’d never see them again, never have anyone love her like that again. She shrieked: “Don’t think I must oppose you! If my father and brothers could come back to life, give me eighteen Lou families and I wouldn’t want them!”

He Zhaojun was young after all. She could no longer maintain her cold, fierce facade and squatted on the ground, crying loudly. The head in her hands rolled to the side. The oilcloth loosened slightly, revealing the hideous, terrifying dead face inside.

Shaoshang’s hands and feet were ice cold. She slowly stepped forward, about to pick up that head when a familiar, reassuring voice suddenly came from behind—”Shaoshang, what are you doing here? I saw your carriage!”

Shaoshang quickly turned around to see Ling Buyi galloping over on horseback. Against the backlight, he appeared like a young, handsome deity. She immediately felt tears welling up.

Seeing her pale and weak face, Ling Buyi immediately dismounted in one motion and took several large steps forward to grab her. Looking down and seeing the head on the ground, he picked it up along with the oilcloth and threw it to a nearby He family servant. “The Jun of Ancheng needn’t let her see this to frighten her. The Lou and Cheng families were already planning to break the engagement.”

He Zhaojun slowly wiped her tears and stood up, sneering: “I’ve never seen the Eleventh Lord cherish and protect a beauty like this. Miss Cheng, since you have such a person…”

“You just said you’d never dare offend anyone again,” Shaoshang abruptly interrupted. “So what are you doing now? A mountain may be moved but a person’s nature is hard to change. How can I trust that you’ll treat Ayao well in the future?” Having said this, she turned to leave but discovered Ling Buyi was still firmly holding her.

“You’re covered in cold sweat right now. You can’t be exposed to wind. Take my carriage home.” Ling Buyi’s long, strong palm gripped her slender, soft arm. Seemingly amiable but brooking no argument, he dragged the girl toward a nearby black covered carriage.

At this moment, Shaoshang’s mind was in chaos, full of the terrifying image of that dead person’s head. She nodded and agreed.

Who knew Ling Buyi’s carriage didn’t prepare a stepping stool? Shaoshang was just thinking she’d climb up using hands and feet when Ling Buyi behind her placed one hand on the carriage frame and with the other lightly supported her waist, lifting the girl up into the carriage.

Ling Buyi turned back and looked at He Zhaojun’s tense face, saying coldly: “Jun of Ancheng, when I escorted the rebel traitor and sent you back to the city, I already told you—don’t think the whole world owes your family. General He’s loyalty and bravery are commendable, that’s true, but his carelessness and negligence are also true. The Xiao father and son were cunning and deceitful, appearing weak and cowardly, deceiving your father into letting down his guard and being lax in precautions—don’t you understand?! Otherwise, even if disaster struck from close quarters, given His Majesty’s arrangements, it wouldn’t have been so tragic. Jun of Ancheng, now everyone pities you siblings as helpless orphans, but the future is long. Whether to be kind to others or make enemies everywhere is in your single thought. I hope you conduct yourself well.”

Having said this, he tossed the horse whip hanging at his waist to Liang Qiu Fei nearby and turned to board the carriage.

“Minister Ling…” Shaoshang sat inside the carriage with her head lowered, hands resting on her knees, her body still slightly trembling. Yet forcing herself, she said: “I won’t break the engagement. She can be as pitiful as she wants—what does it have to do with me! There are many pitiful people in the world—can I yield to them one by one? My mind is made up and will never change!”

Ling Buyi didn’t concern himself with the girl’s stubbornness. He smiled slightly and said something seemingly completely unrelated: “Don’t worry, Feng Yi wasn’t like Hua County.”

Shaoshang suddenly raised her head. Her pale face showed a sickly flush as she looked at him with both shock and doubt.

“Although General He bore responsibility for his carelessness, he bravely made amends, throwing in all five sons and all his trusted confidants, with no time even to think of his family. That night, he first used a small number of loyal followers to defend the city, while simultaneously mobilizing large forces. The next day, he surrounded the Xiao clan’s rebel army and completely annihilated the Xiao traitors in just three days.”

Shaoshang raised her head, her pale little face glistening—whether with sweat or tears, she didn’t know.

“Therefore, there were no large numbers of scattered rebel soldiers turning bandit. Even if there were small groups of chaotic soldiers, General He sent riders ahead to notify the rural counties and commanderies, making preparations early. Ling Buyi looked at the girl’s large eyes brimming with tears and said gently: “Don’t worry, everyone is fine. There’s no mass grave mound like outside Hua County. You don’t have to keep going to desolate hillsides to offer sacrifices to the dead…”

Before Shaoshang’s eyes appeared that little girl in the medical shelter who had suffered endless humiliation and was barely alive. She struggled and fought, but still died cold in her own arms. That little dimpled maid who loved to hear her play the flute, those groups of bereaved orphans and widows wailing in grief, and the roaring flames burning on the layers of corpses piled outside the hunting lodge… She could no longer hold back. Covering her face with both hands, she lowered her head and wept bitterly.

Ling Buyi sat perfectly still without moving, not even touching the girl’s hem, patiently waiting for her to cry to her heart’s content.

…

Shaoshang cried until her head was dizzy and swollen. In her daze, it seemed Ling Buyi carried her down from the carriage. Seeing her return, old steward Cheng Shun was so moved he seemed to stumble—she didn’t know if he fell hard or not.

She vaguely bid farewell to Ling Buyi, wiped away her tears, and walked step by step toward the main house. She bowed and kowtowed respectfully to Cheng Shi and Xiao Furen, then said resolutely: “Father, Mother, tomorrow we’ll go to the Lou family to break the engagement.”