Thin mist dispersed, clear sunlight spreading across Ni Su’s shoulders and back. Almost the instant her words fell, Xu Hexue turned his face to look at her.

“Stop speaking such nonsense!”

The eldest son of the old Qin clan head could not restrain himself. “Jixun, where exactly does this woman from outside come from? You actually allow her to dress like this and mingle in the military camp?!”

“What is improper about it?”

“She is a woman, naturally she cannot…”

The master of the Qin family’s main branch stopped mid-sentence, only then realizing that the one who had spoken was not Qin Jixun, but the young man with his face covered by a long cloth beside that woman.

“She is my medical orderly, doing the work of saving people, maintaining an upright person. What concern is it of yours?” Xu Hexue’s pair of cold, deathly still eyes lifted slightly, looking down at him.

“Medical orderly?”

The Wei clan head laughed once, his gaze lightly falling on their tightly clasped hands. “If only a medical orderly, why such intimacy?”

His words had just fallen when Xu Hexue immediately sensed the hand of the person beside him gripping his tighten a bit more, as if afraid he would suddenly let go.

He looked toward the woman beside him.

Here before everyone’s eyes, not a single person understood what was truly buried beneath her interrogation just now directed at the old Qin clan head.

But he suddenly understood her anger.

After death, apart from the thirty thousand wronged souls in the Netherworld’s pagoda, he actually should not care about anything. His name dirtied, punishment inflicted upon his body, nailed to death in history books by knife-like writing—all these things, he could not attend to.

He remembered his teacher’s teachings: honor lies not in others’ words, but in one’s own heart.

But,

she had taken his hand and walked before these people.

Xu Hexue should have released her hand to avoid those various unfathomable gazes cast upon their clasped hands, but he sensed her tightening fingers, felt the warmth of her palm. His originally loosening finger joints stilled, obediently allowing her to grip them tight.

“What are you all doing?”

Suddenly, a voice came from not far away. The crowd blocking the city gate could not help but turn back, only to see Magistrate Shen Tongchuan in official robes and wearing a long-winged cap, lifting his robe hem as he emerged from a sedan chair. Then bailiffs came forward, opening a path through the crowd.

Shen Tongchuan walked to the front, nodding toward the two clan heads of Qin and Wei. “Both clan heads are advanced in years, especially Old Clan Head Qin. Why suffer this hardship here?”

“In the mountain hollow battle, I was present. Danqiu’s Prince Su Qile killed Supervisor Song. I too nearly lost my life. General Qin is a military general, not skilled with words, so these words should properly be told to you all by me, the Yongzhou magistrate.”

Shen Tongchuan surveyed the densely packed crowd once and raised his voice. “Danqiu’s wild ambition to take Yongzhou is clear as day! Their killing of Supervisor Song already shows their intention to tear up the alliance. And now, with Su Qile’s death, the barbarian general Shi Monu at Juhan Pass is leading tens of thousands of elite troops straight toward Yongzhou!”

He swept his sleeve, pointing toward Yang Tianzhe outside the city gate. “This person was guilty in the past, but has merit in this battle. Whether his merits and faults can offset each other is not for this official to say, nor for you all to say. This matter—this official has already written requesting the Emperor’s holy judgment!”

“Everyone, this is truly a critical moment of survival or destruction!”

Shen Tongchuan’s expression was grave. “Our Yongzhou military and civilians should be of one heart! With great battle imminent, if we first throw our own ranks into confusion, wouldn’t that boost the barbarians’ morale and diminish our own威风? Could it be that you all still want to watch helplessly as the tragedy of sixteen years ago repeats?!”

Everyone looked at each other, momentarily silent as crows.

“Old Clan Head Qin,”

Shen Tongchuan cupped his hands toward the old Qin clan head, then called to the Wei clan head beside him before continuing. “Both of you are highly virtuous and prestigious in Yongzhou. This official is more than clear about your past righteous deeds. This official can also understand your concerns in your hearts about Yang Tianzhe. His agreement to temporarily not enter the city is already willingly taking an enormous risk. I ask both of you to help this official persuade everyone to return. Battle is about to begin—Yongzhou city absolutely must not fall into chaos…”

Everyone could not help but look toward the two clan heads. The old Qin clan head, both hands propped on his cane, his slack eyelids lightly lowered, said, “If the magistrate has words, how could we not listen?”

“Magistrate, we Yongzhou people are the least afraid of going to war with Danqiu. Now with battle imminent, we naturally cannot add chaos. If funds and grain cannot be raised in time, we will also contribute what effort we should.” The Wei clan head also spoke.

“Excellent!”

Shen Tongchuan clapped his hands, nodding to the two clan heads. “This official thanks you both!”

With the two clan heads yielding before Magistrate Shen, the common people gathered here also began to slowly disperse. The old Qin clan head, supported by his eldest son, had walked back a few steps when he suddenly stopped.

“Father, what is it?”

The eldest daughter-in-law of the Qin family asked carefully.

The old Qin clan head did not acknowledge her. That pair of eyes stared at the upright back of that young man with his face covered by a long cloth. A sense of nameless strangeness shrouded his heart. His gaze shifted again to that woman. He said nothing, his expression calm as he turned his face and stepped forward.

“Miss Ni, I heard you were injured?”

Shen Tongchuan was speaking with Ni Su.

“Some injury to my shoulder, nothing serious.”

“It’s my fault.”

Shen Tongchuan sighed. “I love horses. That white horse is a rare good horse. Hearing its neigh, my heart could not bear it, so I rushed forward… I heard that horse is now with you?”

“He and I are raising it together.”

Ni Su looked toward the person beside her.

Shen Tongchuan’s gaze moved back and forth between the two of them, then he stroked his chin, smiled, and nodded. “That’s good. I see it has an extremely fierce temperament yet is willing to submit to you two. I suppose this is the fate between you.”

If that white horse had no connection to Xu Hexue, Shen Tongchuan would say anything to claim it for himself. Unfortunately, with people’s words being fearful things, no matter how reluctant he was, he could not take such a horse.

“Song Song’s personal soldiers, seeing he was already dead, immediately came to curry favor with me. That’s why on the battlefield that day, they only attended to me and did not attend to you, Miss Ni.”

“I understand.”

Ni Su had seen the situation very clearly that day.

“Young Master Ni?”

Shen Tongchuan looked toward Xu Hexue beside them. Seeing him with lowered eyelids, not knowing what he was thinking, he called out once.

Xu Hexue raised his eyes.

“Although the unexpected development of Su Qile’s suicide occurred, thanks to you, my official hat remains, and General Qin and Commander Wei’s military authority also remains.”

Shen Tongchuan bowed to him.

“Magistrate Shen need not do this.”

Just then Qin Jixun walked over. Xu Hexue then said, “I only have one matter I wish to ask Magistrate Shen and General Qin.”

“What matter?”

Qin Jixun came over just hearing these words.

Xu Hexue turned his face, looking toward that person outside Yongzhou’s city gate who was reassuring the rebel army soldiers. “You two, truly do not plan to let him enter the city?”

“Didn’t he say himself that he’s willing to temporarily remain outside the city?”

Wei Dechang also walked over.

“I understand Young Master Ni’s meaning.”

Shen Tongchuan looked deeply at Yang Tianzhe’s back. “Though he says this, it cannot prevent those rebel army soldiers under his command from growing anxious and fearful. Most of them are impoverished common people. If they weren’t forced by the barbarians until they could no longer survive, they would not use farming hands to take up killing blades. Now if we refuse them outside the city, they will inevitably feel that our Yongzhou does not sincerely accept them, but wants to use them as targets to block the barbarians.”

“Continuing like this will very easily breed chaos.”

Qin Jixun’s expression was grave, stating his greatest current concern.

He had always trusted those he employed and not employed those he doubted, but helplessly, the two major clans of Qin and Wei were deeply rooted here. If the two clan heads did not relent, Yongzhou’s common people would also not easily accept the rebel army outside.

He could not very well point weapons at his own clan and common people. Moreover, within the army there were also many Yongzhou people.

“Why not have Magistrate Shen and General Qin allow them to garrison just outside the city gate, then let me stay with them.”

Xu Hexue said.

With these words spoken, Ni Su, who had been quietly listening at the side, immediately raised her head to look at him.

“Young Master Ni intends…”

Shen Tongchuan had to admit this was a good method to temporarily reassure the rebel army—sending someone they trusted to stay with the rebel army could both calm hearts and sound out the truth.

However, this was also no different from sending himself as a hostage into the rebel army’s hands.

“Let this old man go instead!”

Wei Dechang spoke in his rough voice. When his words fell, seeing only Xu Hexue look toward him, his expression became somewhat awkward. “You’re so sickly and weak. With me staying outside together with Yang Tianzhe and his people, which of them wouldn’t feel reassured?”

“Does Commander Wei not need to deploy defenses?”

Xu Hexue asked lightly.

“I…”

Wei Dechang was at a loss for words.

“This entire area near the city gate must be arranged for common people to relocate and withdraw. Magistrate Shen is the local parent official. If you are not here, how can you stabilize people’s hearts?”

Shen Tongchuan was deliberating and about to speak when he heard this young master ask.

“I am General Qin’s advisor. In the mountain hollow battle, it was also thanks to Commander Wei spreading my name among the rebel army. For me to go now could not be better.”

“Who spread your name?” Wei Dechang protested with a stiff neck. “I just drank a few bowls of wine with Yang Tianzhe and them. Drunken words, that’s all!”

“Thank you.”

Xu Hexue nodded to him.

He was always cool and detached, yet polite and proper, looking like a refined and elegant gentleman. If Wei Dechang had not seen in the mountain hollow battle how he bound Su Qile beneath his horse and dragged him, he would probably never believe no matter what that such a person could possess such exceptional skills and extraordinary courage.

“I’ll have Duan Rong accompany you.”

Qin Jixun was silent for a moment before speaking.

Xu Hexue shook his head in refusal. “No need. I’ll only keep Qingqiong.”

With this matter settled, Qin Jixun and Wei Dechang, busy with military affairs, quickly left. Shen Tongchuan also did not linger long. Ni Su suddenly released Xu Hexue’s hand.

He realized belatedly, only after a long while spreading his palm.

“Do you know that I cannot stay outside with you?” She rolled up her sleeves, instructing the ladies beside her to prepare hot water, then turned back to say to him.

Among the old, weak, women, and children brought back by the rebel army, it was not only that one woman who had illnesses.

“I know.”

He said.

“Knowing that, you still…” Ni Su’s tone was a bit urgent, also a bit angry, but when she had said half her words, she saw that beneath this bright sunlight, the person before her who had covered most of his face with a long cloth—that pair of glass-like translucent eyes seemed to curve very slightly.

“What are you smiling at?”

She swallowed the words she was about to say and asked him.

He said nothing, only looked at her.

Sixteen years ago, he suffered punishment in this Yongzhou city. At that time his eyes were injured by the barbarians’ golden blade. He could not see the many faces beneath the execution platform, only endless furious clamor drowning him.

People stripped off his silver scale armor, pulled open his robes, and in the most wretched and humiliating state, he endured cut after cut of slicing.

At that time, those two clan heads must have been beneath the execution platform.

Perhaps today, among the common people behind them, there were also many who had watched him suffer punishment beneath the bright sunlight.

But today,

Ni Su had led him to stand before all those people. His clothing and cap were complete. He was not blood-red, formless mist. He felt very peaceful in his heart.

The words she had not spoken aloud—he had already heard them all.

“I’ll only be outside the city gate, going nowhere else. This is actually also very close to you. I won’t be injured because of restrictions. Don’t worry.”

Xu Hexue saw that soldiers had already erected felt tents, and that woman had also been carried inside. He said, “Go. I know you want to save her, want to save many people.”

Ni Su looked back once, understanding she could not delay. She walked forward several steps, then suddenly turned back. “I’ll have Qingqiong bring you lamps. Remember—you must not go too far from me!”

Xu Hexue stood in place, both hands drawn into his sleeves, nodding to her. “Alright.”

For almost the entire day, Duan Rong was busy in the city having nearby common people evacuate, while the rebel army set up felt tents on the spot outside the city.

Yang Tianzhe was so busy his feet did not touch the ground. Only at dusk did he lift the felt flap to see inside a young master in round-collared brocade robes sitting upright. Before the table were two bowls of tea emitting hot steam.

“Young Master Ni?”

Yang Tianzhe removed the wrist guards from his wrists. While walking closer, he secretly observed this young man. He looked nothing at all like the person Wei Dechang had described who could single-handedly subdue Su Qile.

So sickly and thin—Yang Tianzhe even suspected whether he could lift a sword.

“Sit, Minister Yang.”

Xu Hexue lifted his chin slightly.

Yang Tianzhe placed his wrist guards to the side, swept his robe hem, and sat down across from him. “Commander Wei and I have cleared up our misunderstanding. He told me several things about you. If not for you, I’m afraid the people I brought would truly have become an isolated army at Ru Mountain.”

He lifted the tea bowl. “I substitute tea for wine to toast you.”

Having said this, he immediately raised his head and drained the bowl of tea.

Xu Hexue said nothing, lifting his tea bowl for a sip.

“I heard from General Qin that you have questions for me?”

Yang Tianzhe asked proactively.

Xu Hexue hummed in acknowledgment. “But I want to first ask Minister Yang—why did you return?”

“You may have heard of the foolish thing I did sixteen years ago.” Yang Tianzhe’s hands pressed on his knees. He was now about thirty-some years old; the years had not yet left too many traces on him. “My father died with grievances. I was young then and felt deep despair, so in a fit of anger, I turned to serve the Danqiu royal court.”

“Danqiu needed Qi officials to teach them the Qi people’s language, tell them about Qi people’s livelihoods, which Qi lands were fertile and which barren… In earlier years when Danqiu’s previous king still lived, he promoted many Qi officials. But later the previous king passed away. The current king, in order to subdue the twenty-nine tribes and make Danqiu unified, listened to his ministers’ suggestions and dismissed many Qi officials. When Qi officials had hard days in Danqiu, Qi common people had even harder days. I became a small official in the Nanyan tribe, petty and opportunistic, getting by day to day. But as time went on, seeing Qi common people under Danqiu rule living deaths worse than death, my heart grew increasingly uncomfortable. I began to doubt my original decision.”

Yang Tianzhe’s throat was dry. Speaking to this point, he simply poured himself a bowl of tea. Not minding the heat, he took a sip. “The leader of the Nanyan tribe is Prince Fufou. He is Duoling’s son. When I was in his tribe, I often had to translate documents written in Qi script into Danqiu characters. I could enter the places where they stored military reports and correspondence. It was because of this that I discovered a military report about Yongzhou.”

“That was a military report from sixteen years ago.”

Yang Tianzhe raised his eyes and said.

“Concerning your father?”

Xu Hexue’s fingers pressed against the tea bowl’s wall.

Yang Tianzhe nodded. “Back then I firmly believed father had no intention to abandon the city and flee, but actually in my heart I was also afraid, because at that time almost the entire city was shouting to slowly slice the traitorous general Xu Hexue. I too feared suffering this punishment, so…”

His face showed shame. “That military report clearly stated that when the barbarians reached Yongzhou’s city gates, Miao Tianning did not have enough troops under his command. Later from another military report I found that back then a Qi army heading from Yongzhou toward Jianchi was annihilated by them. And those people—only Miao Tianning could have deployed them. This proves from the side that my father very likely had no intention to abandon the city—it was Miao Tianning!”

Yang Tianzhe clenched his teeth tightly.

After a long while he said, “It was Miao Tianning who, disregarding my father’s obstruction, privately increased troops at Jianchi, causing Yongzhou’s defenses to be empty! Thus giving Danqiu barbarians an opportunity to exploit!”

Miao Tianning.

The younger brother of current Grand Marshal Miao Tianzhao, the Commander Miao who back then defended Yongzhou to the death and died in battle atop the city tower.

Xu Hexue was silent for a moment. “So, Minister Yang returned to seek vindication for your father?”

“If it were possible.”

Yang Tianzhe turned his face. Through the felt flap, a few rays of sunset occasionally shone in. “Actually, I was also thinking—my father from beginning to end did nothing wrong, so as his son, my living on beneath the barbarian tents—wouldn’t that shame him?”

The city gate closed before nightfall. Ni Su was busy until the sky turned pitch black. Her hair temples were soaked with sweat beads as she personally taught Lady Zhong and the others how to decoct medicine and treat the women and children’s external injuries.

That woman tattooed by the barbarians had an unstable fetal position. Due to the hardships of the journey, she already showed signs of miscarriage. The child could not be saved, but she grasped Ni Su’s sleeve, sobbing incoherently. “Thank you, thank you…”

Ni Su held her ice-cold hand. “Rest well. Your body still needs medicine to recover. I will make you better.”

“Losing a child really hurts very much.”

As soon as Ni Su emerged from the felt tent, she heard Lady Zhong say to another lady beside her decocting medicine, “But in her belly is a barbarian’s child. She suffered so much—keeping barbarian flesh and blood would surely be more painful than killing her, wouldn’t it?”

“Miss Ni, look—if I use these cloths to bind their wounds, will that work?” Seeing Ni Su emerge, Lady Zhong brought the cloth strips she had cut to show her.

“Yes.”

Ni Su nodded, then said to her, “You yourself only recently had a miscarriage. Later, I’ll decoct another dose of medicine for you.”

Lady Zhong was the one whose abdomen was struck heavily by Song Song’s personal soldiers, causing her to miscarry.

“Thank you, Miss Ni.”

Lady Zhong was stunned, then solemnly bent to bow.

“It should be me thanking you all for being willing to help me.” Ni Su smiled at her, using her sleeve to wipe the sweat beads from her nose.

Among these old, weak, women, and children, there were not only military prostitutes from barbarian tents but also many common people who had lost their fields and could hardly survive. Among the women, many also had some bodily ailments. In the past they found it very difficult to tell others, and could not attend to it. Some conditions had been dragged out quite seriously.

Sparse stars dotted the night sky. A full, round moon was divided in half by the towering city wall. Ni Su’s shoulder injury hurt until her left arm was almost numb. She leaned against the city gate, drinking a bowl of hot soup Lady Zhong brought her.

The city gate was very heavy. She tilted her head and looked through the door crack for a moment but could not see the situation outside. She could not even hear the sounds from outside clearly.

“Xu Ziling?”

She tried calling.

Mindful of the crowd behind her, her voice was very low.

Outside the heavy city gate came no reply. The miscellaneous sounds around were many—patrolling soldiers’ footsteps came and went frequently, refugees cooking meals also talked.

Her back pressed against the city gate, feeling a bit lost.

Lady Zhong brought her another meat bun. “Miss Ni, this is for you. Just out of the pot, still a bit hot. Be careful eating.”

“Thank you.”

Ni Su received it. She had just taken one bite when she felt some subtle light and shadow lightly flicker. She turned her face to see a particle of luminous dust floating.

She immediately lowered her head. Beneath the city gate, particle after particle of luminous dust flickered, coming from the other side to before her eyes, lightly touching her sleeve, dancing in clear and bright chaos before her eyes.

She slowly raised her head following their upward floating.

The half-bitten bun forgotten, she looked at this floating light before her eyes—a secret only she could discover.

Lady Zhong beside her ate her bun, talking with others, completely unaware of anything unusual.

Ni Su extended one finger, lightly touching one of the particles.

It trembled, falling to her palm.

She smiled, her eyes curving.

Separated by one gate, Xu Hexue in pale blue robes also leaned against the city gate. Beside him was the lamp Ni Su had personally lit, brought by Qingqiong before the city gate closed.

Xu Hexue lowered his eyes, clearly seeing his own luminous dust floating through the crack below.

Lamplight illuminated his pale, flawless profile.