Qi Yue unfolded the blood-written letter with trembling hands. It contained only a few words: "All is well, do not worry, take good care of the children."

She recognized the handwriting; it was indeed Xiao Suiyun's. Tears blurred her vision, but she quickly wiped them away.

"Yun'er, prepare the carriage," she calmly instructed. "I need to go to the border."

"Madam, you mustn't!" the steward hurriedly dissuaded her. "There's a war going on at the border; it's too dangerous!"

Qi Yue said firmly, "With the Marquis seriously injured, how can I sit idly in the capital? Prepare the carriage!"

She entrusted the children to her mother, Xin Xiyao, and set off for the border overnight with only Qin Sang and a few guards.

Along the way, they avoided war zones, traveling day and night. The closer they got to the border, the more shocking the scenes became: displaced people, villages destroyed by war…

Five days later, they finally arrived at the city where Xiao Suiyun was stationed. The city's general was taken aback when he saw Qi Yue: "Why has Madam come?"

"How is the Marquis now?" Qi Yue asked anxiously.

"The Marquis's condition is stable, but he still has a fever." The general led her to the marshal's mansion. "The military doctor said that if the fever can break tonight, there will be no major problems."

Inside the Marshal's Mansion, Xiao Suiyun lay on the bed, his face pale, his shoulders wrapped in thick bandages. Qi Yue gently held his hand, tears finally streaming down her face.

Seemingly sensing her touch, Xiao Suiyun slowly opened her eyes and smiled weakly: "Yue'er... am I dreaming?"

"It's not a dream, I'm here." Qi Yue choked up, "How could you be so careless..."

Xiao Suiyun wanted to raise his hand to touch her face, but frowned because it aggravated his wound: "I'm sorry to have worried you..."

Just then, the sound of war drums came from outside. The lieutenant rushed in: "My lord, the Western Rong have begun their attack on the city again!"

Xiao Suiyun struggled to get up, but Qi Yue held her down: "Your injuries..."

"Our soldiers are fighting a bloody battle, how can I lie still?" Xiao Suiyun said firmly. "Help me up."

Qi Yue knew she couldn't dissuade him, so she and Qin Sang helped him put on his armor.

On the city wall, the battle raged. Western Rong cavalry surged in like a tide, and arrows rained down from the walls. Although Xiao Suiyun was seriously wounded, he remained calm and composed, quickly stabilizing the morale of his troops.

Qi Yue was helping bandage the wounded soldiers at the wounded soldiers' camp below the city wall. Watching the young faces groaning in pain, she understood even more why Xiao Suiyun insisted on a steady and methodical tactic—he cherished the life of every soldier.

The battle continued into the night, and the Western Rong army finally retreated. Xiao Suiyun, due to his injuries and exhaustion, fainted again.

Qi Yue stayed by his bedside all night without sleeping. As dawn approached, his fever finally subsided.

"Thank you for coming." These were the first words Xiao Suiyun said after waking up.

Qi Yue fed him the medicine and said softly, "Husbands and wives should share joys and sorrows."

In the days that followed, Qi Yue stayed at the border to take care of Xiao Suiyun. She not only tended to his injuries but also assisted with military affairs and comforted the wounded, quickly earning the respect of the soldiers.

Xiao Suiyun's injuries gradually improved, and he began to redeploy his forces. On this day, he discussed military matters with his generals at the commander's mansion, while Qi Yue listened attentively.

"The Western Rong cavalry are brave, but their supply lines are their weakness," Xiao Suiyun said, pointing to the map. "If we could cut off their supply lines..."

"But the supply routes of the Western Rong are well hidden, and we have searched for them many times without success," a general said.

Qi Yue suddenly spoke up: "These past few days in the wounded soldiers' camp, I heard from several captured Western Rong soldiers that their provisions were all transported from Langya Valley."

The generals looked at her in surprise. Xiao Suiyun's eyes flashed with admiration: "Wolf Fang Valley... it really is a secluded place."

He immediately dispatched an elite squad, which indeed found the Western Rong's food reserves in Langya Valley. Overnight, the Western Rong army lost all its food supplies and had to retreat thirty miles.

This battle became a turning point in the war. The Qi army pressed their advantage, winning battle after battle.

When the good news reached the capital, the doubts in the court vanished instantly. The emperor issued a special decree praising Xiao Suiyun, calling him "both wise and brave, a pillar of the nation."

A month later, the Western Rong sent envoys to sue for peace. Xiao Suiyun, representing the Great Qi, signed a peace treaty with the Western Rong, and peace was restored to the border.

On the eve of their return to the capital, Xiao Suiyun and Qi Yue stood side by side on the city wall, gazing at the myriad lights of the city in the distance.

"We owe you a lot this time," Xiao Suiyun said softly. "If you hadn't discovered the secret of Wolf Fang Valley, the war would probably have continued for much longer."

Qi Yue leaned on his shoulder: "I only did my part. The ones who really worked hard are you and the soldiers."

Under the moonlight, the two looked at each other and smiled. Having gone through this life-or-death ordeal, their feelings for each other had deepened.

On the day she returned to the capital, the people of the border lined the streets to see her off. Many wounded soldiers who had been cared for by Qi Yue also came to see her off, calling her a "living bodhisattva".

Inside the carriage, Xiao Suiyun held Qi Yue's hand and solemnly said, "After we return to the capital, I will request His Majesty's decree to grant you a title."

Qi Yue shook her head: "What I did was just my duty, there's no need to ask for a title."

“No,” Xiao Suiyun gazed at her, “you deserve any honor.”

As they drew closer to the capital, Qi Yue's heart pounded with excitement. She missed her two children and everything at home.

When they finally saw the familiar city walls, they found the city gates packed with people. The crown prince, along with civil and military officials, personally came out to greet them, and the people also spontaneously came to welcome the victorious soldiers.

In the crowd, Qi Yue spotted Xin Xiyao holding the children. Mu Yue and Nian Yun could already call out "Daddy" and "Mommy," and they reached out their little arms for a hug.

Xiao Suiyun picked up his children, one in each arm, his eyes filled with happiness. Qi Yue stood beside him, watching this heartwarming scene, her heart overflowing with gratitude.

At this moment, all the hardships and dangers became worthwhile. Because they knew that as long as their families were reunited and relied on each other, that was the greatest happiness.