After dealing with the case of the Crown Prince's rebellion, life suddenly became very peaceful.

Gu Zhixing still remembers that on the day the emperor passed away, there was a heavy snowfall.

When the mother ascended the throne, there were many voices of opposition in the court at first, but those voices soon disappeared.

Gu Zhixing didn't delve into the methods his mother used. He simply quietly dealt with the mountain of case files at each court assembly, punishing those who deserved punishment and promoting those who deserved promotion.

Aside from his mother succeeding to the throne, his life didn't change much.

The only thing is that I see Shangguan Qingchen's face, which always wears a fake smile, every day.

However, once Shangguan Qingchen entered the court as an official, he was ruthless and adept at maneuvering.

He exposed corrupt officials one by one, creating an atmosphere of fear and unease throughout the court, yet people had to admit that he was indeed a man of great talent and ability.

Occasionally, he would disagree with Shangguan Qingchen on political views, but they always managed to reach a delicate balance in the end.

The courtiers privately remarked that he had become increasingly composed and no longer resembled the mischievous man he once was.

He didn't care about any of that, and just sent people to inquire about the military reports coming from Youzhou.

In the first month, a battle report came from Youzhou that Xie Zhaoran had led his army to repel the first attack by the Northern Di.

In the third month, a heavy snow fell in Youzhou. Taking advantage of the situation, the Northern Di launched a surprise attack. Xie Zhaoran personally led his troops in a night raid on the enemy camp and burned their supplies.

Six months later, the military situation in Youzhou stabilized, and Xie Zhaoran began his counterattack.

A year later, the Northern Di suffered repeated defeats, and Xie Zhaoran led his army deep into the northern desert.

Two years later, news of victory came from the northern desert—the Northern Di royal court had been breached, the Great Chanyu had committed suicide, and Xie Zhaoran returned to the capital in great triumph.

——

Colorful flags fluttered at the city gate, and drums and music filled the air.

All the civil and military officials went to welcome Xie Zhaoran's triumphant return. Even the street vendors crowded the roadside, eager to catch a glimpse of this female general who had swept through the Northern Barbarians.

Gu Zhixing stood by the window of his study, his fingertips unconsciously stroking a military treatise.

From early morning, the noise outside continued, but he never stepped out of the mansion.

"Master, are you really not going to go and greet them?" Chongyang asked cautiously as he brought in tea.

Gu Zhixing didn't even look up: "If she wants to see me, she will come."

Even so, he didn't turn a single page of the military treatise in his hand for a long time.

As the sun gradually set in the west, the noise outside the window slowly faded away.

Gu Zhixing sat at his desk, staring at the dimming oil lamp, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

"What time is it?" he suddenly asked.

"It's three-quarters past Xu hour," Chongyang replied.

Gu Zhixing suddenly stood up, causing the desk to wobble and the teacup to tip over, soaking the open memorial with tea.

Where is she?

Chongyang was startled by his sudden outburst of anger: "Thank you, Lord Xie, for being summoned to the palace by His Majesty..."

Before he could finish speaking, Gu Zhixing strode out.

He pushed open the door, and the night breeze rushed in, carrying the chill of early autumn.

Just as he rushed into the courtyard, a figure suddenly appeared in the moonlight.

With his black armor still on and his battle robe covered in dust, Xie Zhaoran stood under the old plum tree, a few withered leaves, brought from who-knows-where, still clinging to his shoulder.

Gu Zhixing abruptly stopped in his tracks.

Two years had passed, and she had lost a lot of weight, her features were sharper, and her brows bore the marks of the harshness of the northern desert.

Only those eyes remained as clear and bright as stars.

The two looked at each other from a few steps apart, neither of them speaking first.

The night breeze rustled Xie Zhaoran's clothes, making a soft rustling sound.

In the end, it was Gu Zhixing who made the first move.

He took two steps forward and pulled her into his arms, his arms holding her tightly as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones.

Xie Zhaoran was knocked back half a step by him, but she didn't push him away. Instead, she raised her hand to wrap around his waist and placed her palm on his back.

"...I miss you," Gu Zhixing said in a muffled voice, his voice a little hoarse.

Xie Zhaoran chuckled softly: "Not angry anymore?"

“How could I dare?” He tightened his arms around her, his nose brushing against her temple. “If I get angry, you leave, and then you’re gone for two years… I can’t bear to see you like that.”

Xie Zhaoran didn't say anything, but gently patted his back.

After hugging her for a while, Gu Zhixing finally loosened his grip slightly and asked with a frown, "What does my mother want with you?"

Xie Zhaoran sighed, his expression complicated: "This is a bit difficult... If things go wrong, I might lose my life."

Gu Zhixing's expression changed drastically, and he turned to leave, saying, "I'm going to find her—"

"Wait." Xie Zhaoran grabbed his wrist, a sly glint in her eyes. "Let me finish."

Gu Zhixing turned around and saw that she was staring at him with a slightly raised corner of her lips and an interesting look on her face.

His heart skipped a beat: "...Why are you looking at me? Does it have anything to do with me?"

"His Majesty said—" Xie Zhaoran said slowly, "Since ancient times, those who achieve great merit and threaten the emperor's position will be suspected by the emperor. She and I are no exception to this custom."

She gently tapped Gu Zhixing's chest with her fingertip. "She was wary of the military power I held, and I was also afraid of being discarded after handing over power... so, we were at an impasse."

Gu Zhixing frowned. Indeed, both sides had concerns, and neither dared to trust anyone easily.

Just as he was pondering a solution, Xie Zhaoran suddenly smiled.

"You're about to lose your life, and you still have the mind to laugh?" Gu Zhixing looked at Xie Zhaoran with a tense expression.

Seeing this, Xie Zhaoran laughed even more heartily.

Why are you still laughing?

Seeing Xie Zhaoran laughing like that, Gu Zhixing couldn't help but laugh too.

"Neither His Majesty nor I are willing to back down, so we can only suffer in silence..." As she said this, Xie Zhaoran's eyes slyly fell on Gu Zhixing.

"You're making me feel wronged?"

Gu Zhixing couldn't understand why he was being wronged.

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