Xue Cheng felt like he was in a dream these past few days; he never imagined that Lan Hua would come back to his side.

Even going to the battlefield with her would be good; the blood splattered from the fighting around him tasted sweet to him.

"Brother Cheng, you looked at me a little strangely this time."

The silver-armored female general's use of the local dialect caught Xue Cheng off guard, but the accent also sounded quite friendly.

Back then in the border town, all the girls in the brothels spoke like that.

"I just miss you."

Although these two were military officers, they always kept their feelings within the bounds of propriety, and at most, they reached the point of expressing their affection for each other.

When they go out for a stroll or horseback riding, the most outrageous thing they do is hold hands.

Xiao Lanhua smiled with relief.

She reached out, hugged the man in front of her, and whispered...

I miss you too, I miss you so much.

If he had been braver back then, would their children be grown up now? Xue Cheng thought about this question every time he saw Xiao Lanhua in the middle of the night. Today, he finally had the chance to ask her.

The man reached out and tidied a stray hair at her temple before asking a question.

"If only I had... if only I had gotten engaged to you sooner, would you...?"

Xiao Lanhua shook her head, interrupting him.

"Won't."

"Even if we get married, the Emperor won't let me go. The best way to control my brother is through me, isn't it?"

"Perhaps, even you can't be saved."

If a woman cannot enter the palace, then what about a widow?

Xue Cheng was a military general; it wouldn't be too easy for him to die on the battlefield.

"What? General Xue is looking down on me now?" Xiao Lanhua teased.

"How could I dare?"

The man held the woman tightly. His Lan Hua never felt inferior, nor did she ever feel that she would be disliked because of this. She was the best at teasing him.

Xiao Lanyi, standing beside the commander's tent, grimaced as he watched, and the Night Scout Captain next to him also grimaced at his expression.

"Now I finally understand why those three men from the Huo family disliked Lan Tingche so much," General Xiao said to his subordinates.

"But General, your eyebrows are all knotted up. If I hadn't followed you for so many years, I would have thought you were going to kill Xue Cheng."

"Wouldn't you be angry if it were your sister?" Xiao Lanyi retorted.

"I don't know, I don't have a sister."

Unlike the Emperor, Xiao Lanyi simply wanted to kill the Emperor, but Xue Cheng's attitude was, "You can't do anything to me even if you don't like me."

A few days later, Fuzhong had almost recovered and was able to walk around on his own.

The man furtively pulled Qingsong aside and said...

"General Xiao came to see me today, saying that I have extraordinary courage and that he wants to keep me in the army."

"Then what?"

"Then I refused. We have to get the Empress back to the palace. How could I possibly endure the hardships of the military camp?"

Xiao Lanhua couldn't fake her death, but if a eunuch died, no one would investigate.

"Sure, why did you call me over?"

Fu Zhong, mimicking Eunuch Wang, pointed at Qing Song with his pinky finger raised and said...

"Look at you, woman, you're not gentle at all!"

"I must have something important to say to you."

"What's wrong? Tell me quickly."

After Dongyu was recovered, Qingsong went crazy having fun, spending money every day, mainly spending money to buy happiness.

"It seems I really can't go back to the palace."

"Stop talking nonsense, okay? Why can't we go back?"

"Oh dear, your accent is influenced by Madam Xiao."

Fu Zhong looked around and whispered something in Qing Song's ear. Upon hearing it, the woman's eyes widened in disbelief.

"real?"

"Really! Could you please go and talk to the Empress for me?"

"How am I supposed to explain this?" Qing Song asked, her fingers twisting together in confusion.

"You've been with Her Majesty for so long, what can't you say?"

"Why don't you go and tell the Empress yourself?"

"Wouldn't I be committing insubordination?"

"I'm not going anyway. You can find someone else to speak on your behalf."

Fu Zhong watched Qing Song run away faster than a rabbit and let out a soft snort.

"Completely destroyed! It's nothing at all."

Behind him, the woman who had been rescued glanced at Fu Zhong, then turned and left.

As expected, my ability to accept things is still lacking.

Fu Zhong was getting anxious. He estimated that he would be returning to the palace in about half a month. Xiao Lanhua's only trusted confidants were himself and Qing Song, but given the current situation, he knew he would never be able to go back.

"Is something bothering you?" the woman asked, sitting down next to Fu Zhong.

Her previously round cheeks have now disappeared; she's been lying in bed for so long, and the illness has taken a toll on her health.

"I can't go back to the palace."

"oh"

The woman remained cold, but seeing Fu Zhong's worried expression, she hesitated for a long time before finally managing to squeeze out a sentence.

"Is there anything I can do to help you? I could even go to the palace in your place."

Fu Zhong suddenly opened his eyes wide, turned to look at her, then shook his head and said...

"Forget it, the palace is full of intrigue and backstabbing, it's not much better than the battlefield."

"Do you need help the Imperial Concubine win the Emperor's favor?" the woman asked.

The man answered

"No need, our lady is the one in the palace."

He gave a thumbs up.

"Your job is to find out whoever is trying to frame our lady and send them to her so she can have some fun."

The woman pondered for a moment, then said...

“I can do that. I’ve helped with the investigations at my father’s house before, and I know a bit about autopsies. Those stabs that day weren’t random.”

"..."

Fu Zhong: Sister, if you say that, I'm even less likely to let you go, okay?

"I'll go to the palace in your place, it's settled then."

"Hey, no..."

The woman had already stood up. Hearing Fu Zhong's somewhat hesitant application, she turned back and said...

"Consider it my way of repaying a debt of gratitude. Don't worry, with me here, no one will bully your lady in the slightest."

Sister, even if you weren't here, I doubt anyone could bully her. I'm just worried that my lady might get hurt by a sneak attack.

The matter of not being able to return to the palace still needs to be addressed. The next day, Fu Zhong found Xiao Lanyi, who said it was the most convenient way to handle the matter.

"General, could you please tell the Empress that I don't want to go back to the palace?"

"What? You've changed your mind?"

Fu Zhong shook his head and asked softly beside him.

"Who exactly did you and Your Majesty ask to treat my illness?"

"What's wrong?"

"That's a miracle doctor! He can heal severed limbs!"

"You didn't lose a limb..."

As Xiao Lanyi was speaking, his eyes gradually drifted to Fu Zhong's lower body.

Before leaving, Huo Xiaolong gave me a medicine specially made from Thousand Red Fruit; it takes a hundred fruits to make just one.

The only ones who actually tried the medicine were You Sheng and Ping'er, who were seriously injured during the defense of the city.

The regeneration of severed limbs is something that is beyond everyone's expectations.

Fu Zhong nodded, indicating that Xiao Lanyi's guess was correct.

"Please tell the Empress that I will be working under you from now on. Please give me an easy job."