Xi Ying gazed at the sleeping Yan Ning, whose jet-black hair flowed like clouds and whose smooth skin was as white as snow. Though her eyes were closed, her delicate eyebrows and arched face exuded an icy aura, making her truly pitiful to behold. Even Aunt Lian, who was also a Han Chinese woman, paled in comparison to her in terms of beauty.

In her dream, Yan Ning dreamt that Fukang'an angered General Agui by trying to save her, and was stripped of his generalship and sentenced to be whipped. Fukang'an's back was already injured, and after several lashes, it was already a bloody mess.

"Fukang'an!" Yan Ning suddenly stood up, sweating profusely.

"My sister is awake?" Xi Ying heard Yan Ning calling her husband's name and recalled how she had been just as uninhibited when they first married.

"Who are you?" Yan Ning was still recovering from the dream she had just experienced.

"This is the General's wife," Xia'er said displeasedly, looking at Yan Ning who lacked manners.

Yan Ning looked at the woman before her. Her hair was styled in a Qing Dynasty updo, adorned with gold, silver, and jade ornaments. She wore a long, dark green satin cheongsam embroidered with peonies. Every smile and gesture, the gold tassels and plum blossom hairpins swayed gently. While not exceptionally beautiful, she was gentle and charming. Despite being only twenty, she possessed a dignified and graceful demeanor. Compared to her, Yan Ning felt like a mere child.

"Yan Ning greets Madam." Yan Ning nodded slightly.

“Sister, there’s no need for such formalities. We are all sisters. The General is currently at the front lines and cannot be by your side. He instructed me to take good care of you. Tomorrow is a day for family reunion, and we should invite you to our residence for a gathering. However, the General specifically instructed that you prefer quiet, and the matter of inviting you to our residence will be discussed when he returns.” Xi Ying smiled appropriately.

"Thank you, Madam." Xi Ying's generosity made Yan Ning feel even more guilty. "Actually, Fu Kang'an and I are not what Madam thinks. I am just staying here temporarily and will leave after a while."

"What nonsense are you talking about, sister? We women follow our husbands after we marry. You are in your husband's family now, where else can you go?" Xi Ying did not understand what Yan Ning was saying.

Seeing that she was getting more and more confused, Yan Ning quickly defended herself, saying, "My relationship with Fukang'an is completely innocent."

Xi Ying could tell from the blush on Yan Ning's face that she was inexperienced in such matters, and couldn't help but laugh at Yan Ning's shy appearance: "Sister, you are so beautiful that you would not want to be nameless and without status. I'm afraid the general would not want to wrong you either."

Yan Ning knew that it would be useless to argue with her any further, so she remained silent.

“Come here,” Xi Ying said, pulling Yan Ning towards the west room of the bedroom. “I hurriedly brought things from the manor. Sister, use them if you need them urgently. We’ll have Zhao Xing procure whatever you like later.”

Yan Ning saw more than a dozen bolts of silk and satin on the table, each a different color and pattern; there were also several boxes of gold and silver jewelry and cosmetics.

"Madam, I don't need any of these. Please take them back." Yan Ning was overwhelmed by the choices and dared not accept them.

Xi Ying smiled, "Bamboo fragrance, orchid fragrance, plum fragrance, chrysanthemum fragrance," and with Xi Ying's call, four young girls dressed as maids entered. Although she maintained a virtuous smile on the surface, Xi Ying's heart grew heavier and heavier. The general had been so meticulous in arranging even the smallest things for her, such as the maids; she must have already occupied a whole place in the general's heart.

"This servant greets Miss Yan Ning!" Yan Ning looked at the four women kneeling on the ground, all of whom were younger than her, and quickly helped them up. "You don't need to kneel before me, just call me Yan Ning."

“Listen up, you four. Miss Yan Ning is the General’s beloved. It is your blessing to serve her. You must serve Miss Yan Ning carefully, otherwise, when the General returns, he will not only be angry with you, but I will also not let you off easily.” Xi Ying sat in the main seat, and her hostess’s demeanor made Yan Ning admire her even more.

"I want to see what kind of sweetheart she is!" Xiang'er pushed aside Zhao Xing, who was blocking the door, and rushed in.

“Madam, this servant couldn’t stop Aunt Lian,” Zhao Xing said hesitantly.

"Alright, you can go now." Xi Ying pulled Xiang'er, who had just come in, and then pulled Yan Ning up, saying, "We already had a lovely girl like Xiang'er who was both talented and beautiful in the manor, and now we have another fairy-like sister, Yan Ning. It is truly a blessing for the Fucha family."

Xiang'er wore a lake-blue gauze embroidered cheongsam. Although her hair ornaments were the same as Xi Ying's, she had many more pearls and jade on her head. Her eyebrows were like willow leaves, her cheeks were rosy, and her gentle and charming demeanor was evident in her eyes.

Xiang'er flung Xi Ying's hand away and walked up to Yan Ning, scrutinizing her. Although Xiang'er's beauty was undeniable, she paled in comparison to Yan Ning.

"What are you going to do?" Yan Ning exclaimed, looking at her wrist which was being held in Xiang'er's hand.

"Aunt Lian, what are you doing?" Zhao Xing ran in after hearing Yan Ning's shout.

Xiang'er pulled Yan Ning out of the room and onto the roof. Yan Ning was already afraid of heights, and now, not knowing Aunt Lian's intentions, her expression became even colder. Xiang'er let go, and Yan Ning lost her balance and fell from the roof. Xiang'er caught her around the waist and brought her to the ground.

"I thought you were some kind of fairy? Turns out you're just all looks. Once the general gets tired of your face, let's see if you can still live in this mansion." Xiang'er threw Yan Ning to the ground.

Zhao Xing quickly helped Yan Ning up and said to Xiang'er, "Aunt Lian, the general has instructed that you are not allowed to set foot in the Fu residence until he returns."

Xiang'er was angry to see that Fukang'an was still so concerned about Yan Ning even though he was thousands of miles away.

"Sister Xiang'er has a capricious nature and is favored by the general, so she is sometimes rude. Don't take it to heart," Xi Ying comforted Yan Ning.

"The girl's hands are all swollen," Zhao Xing said with displeasure, looking at Yan Ning's wrists, which were red and white.

"Bring some medicine to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis!" Xi Ying helped Yan Ning into the room and personally applied the medicine for her.

"Madam, I'm fine." Although she had only met Xi Ying recently, she felt that Xi Ying was gentle, generous, and thoughtful, and Yan Ning felt closer to her as if she were an older sister.

“Delin is only two years old, so he can’t do anything without me, and I can’t come to see you often. Fortunately, the general’s words can keep Aunt Lian in check. If she causes any more trouble, just don’t take it to heart.” Xi Ying said casually as she helped Yan Ning apply the medicine.

"Delin?" Yan Ning vaguely guessed something.

“I’ve forgotten that when the general went on the expedition, Delin was still in my womb. The general had never seen Delin and probably never mentioned him to you.”

Yan gazed at the full moon outside the window and couldn't help but think of the line, "May we all live long and share the beauty of the moon, though separated by a thousand miles." If he weren't in the army, he would probably be surrounded by his wives and children, enjoying a blissful family life.

"Miss, a food box has been sent from Lord Heshen's residence," Zhuxiang reported.

Heshen? Food box? Yan Ning followed Zhu Xiang to the front yard with doubt in her eyes.