On the way back to Liangzhou from Jiyang, the group was not as energetic as when they came. It should be because they had just experienced a fierce battle and everyone was a little tired. Lin Shuanghe also returned the indentures of the two little girls, Cui Jiao and Hong Qiao, and left a sum of money to their parents, teaching them not to sell their children in the future. Before leaving, in order to prevent the parents from pretending to obey but secretly disobeying, he also mentioned Cui Yuezhi's name.

The two little girls were reluctant to leave. After all, it was not easy to meet a master who was so easy to serve and did not scold the servants. Sometimes being a maid for such a kind-hearted lady was much easier than struggling in the difficult world.

When I left Liangzhouwei, it was not yet spring in Liangzhouwei. Now I was delayed on the road for some time, and when I returned, it was already early summer.

He Yan had already changed back into men's clothes. When they were on the road, it was more convenient to wear men's clothes. Lin Shuanghe would fan himself and sigh from time to time: "My sister He is so beautiful, but she has to dress like a man. What a waste."

He Yan just thought he was talking nonsense.

On the second day of May, Xiao Jue and He Yan arrived at Liangzhou Wei.

At the foot of Baiyue Mountain, the sound of soldiers' drills could be heard from afar. He Yan jumped off the carriage and looked towards the Wulu River and the martial arts arena. She suddenly felt a sense of familiarity. After all, she had been in Liangzhouwei for a year, but she seemed to have completely gotten used to the life here. When she first arrived here, she felt like a tired bird returning to the forest, and she felt indescribably relieved.

Shen Han, who had received the news, had already rushed over to help everyone unload the goods from the carriage. Seeing that He Yan, Xiao Jue and others were safe, he was relieved. It had been a long time since they received the news of the military in Jiyang. They knew that it was 20,000 Jiyang City troops against 150,000 Wutuo people, and they were scared just thinking about it. They were only worried about whether a few people were injured in the fierce battle. Now it seems that they are all alive and well, so they should be safe.

"The governor must be tired from the journey, let's go back to the house and rest for a while." Shen Han said, "The house has been cleaned."

Xiao Jue nodded, and while he was talking, another carriage arrived and stopped behind them. The curtain of the carriage was lifted, and Ying Xiang helped Chu Zhao get out.

Shen Han was stunned: "This..."

"The Fourth Young Master Chu will stay at Liangzhou Guard for the time being." Xiao Jue said calmly, "Find him a room." He then turned to look at Chu Zhao and said sarcastically, "The conditions in the guardhouse are difficult. Please forgive me, Fourth Young Master Chu."

Chu Zhao bowed and thanked her: "I dare not, Zilan is very grateful."

Xiao Jue didn't bother to pay attention to him, turned around and left first. He Yan followed quickly.

Cheng Lisu is no longer in Liangzhouwei, so the house where Cheng Lisu lived should be returned to its original owner. However, Xiao Jue seemed to have forgotten about it, and it was indeed much more convenient for her to bathe and wash herself here than when she lived in a dormitory with others. Since Xiao Jue didn't mention it, He Yan pretended not to know and took the luggage back to Cheng Lisu's house, which was next to Xiao Jue's.

Shen Han came in again, holding the military register in his hand, and said, "This is the content of the daily training in the past few days. I have sorted it out. The governor can review it slowly after he has rested. After the governor comes back, the Southern Army will still be handed over to him for training. In the past few months, the Liangzhou Guards' formation has also begun to show results."

Xiao Jue took the military book from him and flipped through it casually. Shen Han turned his head to look at the room behind the middle door and saw He Yan sitting on the bed with a bundle spread out in front of him, seemingly sorting out the things he brought back from Jiyang. At a glance, there were quite a lot of things, including food, clothes, and small toys, covering the entire bed.

Looking at Xiao Jue again, he had no intention of stopping him. Shen Han fell into deep thought. You know, the second son of Xiao was very particular about cleanliness, so even after he left, the house had to be cleaned every day. Forget about these men in the army. The coaches who had contact with Xiao Jue did not dare to act rashly in front of Xiao Jue. At least they had proper manners when sitting and standing, not as casual as He Yan.

And Xiao Jue did not stop him. Could it be that their relationship had improved after their trip to Jiyang?

He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't notice Xiao Jue calling his name. Seeing that he didn't move, Xiao Jue looked up and followed his gaze. He saw Shen Han staring at He Yan, who was sitting on the couch sorting her luggage, with a thoughtful look on his face. He frowned and called him again, "Shen Han."

Shen Han was startled, came back to his senses, and said: "Commander-in-chief!"

"I'm going to write a memorial. Find a few people to keep an eye on Chu Zilan." He said, "If there is any unusual movement, inform me immediately."

Shen Han nodded and left.

After Shen Han left, He Yan rolled over on the couch. Xiao Jue frowned unhappily: "Are you a dog?"

"After such a long journey, tossing and turning in the carriage every day, I can finally get a good night's sleep." He Yan grabbed a handful of dried fruits from the bundle and put them in his palm: "Commander-in-chief, this is a gift from Master Cui's aunt. Do you want to give me a handful?"

Xiao Jue: “No.”

"It's all out of my heart. You don't have to be so heartless." He Yan found a clean handkerchief to wrap the dried fruit, "I'll put it on your table later."

Xiao Jue didn't even turn his head, flipping through the military roster that Shen Han had just sent over. He Yan thought to herself that being a general also has its difficulties, and being a soldier also has its advantages. For example, now, she can roll around in bed, while Xiao Jue still has to deal with a pile of official business.

He Yan looked at Xiao Jue's back and suddenly thought of something, so he asked Xiao Jue, "Commander-in-chief, there is something I have always wanted to ask you."

Xiao Jue: "Speak."

He Yan hesitated for a moment, "Do you remember the day when we were in Jiyang City and the Wutuo people attacked the city? I set the fire with you, and we should have swam all the way to the shore, but I swallowed the water. You...did you drag me up?"

She actually hadn't said a word yet. In a daze, it seemed that someone gave her air. She could hardly open her eyes underwater, but she vaguely felt that the person was Xiao Jue. But it was too unbelievable to say this. First, was Xiao Jue the kind of person who would give someone air like this? Definitely not. Second, she actually had such a dream. If she told others about it, others would laugh at her for thinking about such inexplicable things at the critical moment of life and death.

Xiao Jue's eyes moved slightly, and after a pause, he said, "Yes."

Although it was a bit embarrassing, He Yan still asked bravely: "Commander, besides dragging me ashore, what else did you do?"

Xiao Jue: “No.”

He Yan was startled: "No?"

He looked sideways, slowly raised the corners of his lips, and said with a half-smile: "So what do you want me to do to you?"

He Yan couldn't respond to this.

She laughed and said, "No, I was just asking casually." Then she thought to herself that she was indeed having a wet dream. Fortunately, she didn't say it out loud, otherwise it would be too embarrassing.

Xiao Jue looked at the military register in front of him again, but his eyes were slightly disturbed. He glanced at the girl who was sitting on the bed and continuing to pack her bags. After a moment, he withdrew his gaze uncomfortably.

In the end, there was nothing more to say.

…

After packing up the luggage in the house, He Yan looked at the sky and estimated that the daily training at the martial arts arena would soon be over, so she went out and walked towards the martial arts arena. Starting tomorrow, she would also have to resume daily training, but today, she could chat with the brothers she hadn't seen for a long time.

As soon as I arrived at the gate of the martial arts arena, the daily training was over. I heard Xiao Mai's voice from a distance: "It's Brother He, Brother He is back!"

All of a sudden, everyone gathered around. Whether they knew him or not, He Yan was already famous in Liangzhou. Xiao Mai was pushed aside, and He Yan pulled him to stand beside him. Xiao Mai said, "Brother He, when did you come back without telling me? I heard from the coaches that you and the governor won another victory in Jiyang. Brother He, you are so awesome!"

How could this news spread so quickly? He Yan was still confused when someone else said, "I heard that the Jiyang City Army only had 20,000 soldiers, and the Wutuo soldiers had 150,000. Brother He, tell us, how did you win?"

"Yeah, tell the brothers!"

He Yan felt that every time she did something and returned to Liangzhou Guard, she became a storyteller, telling stories to everyone. However, she was surrounded in the middle and could not move forward or backward. She could only sit on the railing of the martial arts arena and stretched out her hand and said, "Everyone, please be quiet, this is a long story, let me drink some water first."

Someone immediately handed me a bottle of water: "I have some! Drink mine!"

"Would you like something else? Some dry biscuits?"

"Okay, okay, let me tell you. Actually, this battle is not that difficult to fight. It's all thanks to the governor's good command. Jiyang is a water city..."

Liang Ping looked at He Yan from a distance, who was surrounded by the crowd. He was speechless for a moment, and said, "This kid is so popular in Liangzhou Guard now? He is almost able to get everyone's support. What's going on?"

Ma Damei smiled mysteriously and said, "This is a good thing."

"What's good about it?"

"He Yan went to Jiyang with the governor," Ma Damei stroked his beard, "and when they came back, they rode in the same carriage, which shows that they were quite happy to be together. Since he went to Jiyang with the governor, it means that they had fought side by side. Do you think that when he goes to the emperor to report this time, will he be mentioned?"

"At least he has a share of the small merit. This young man has excellent skills and a straightforward and cheerful personality. As long as he follows the governor, he will definitely move up. I think his future will definitely not be limited to our Liangzhou Guard. Brother, it is not a bad thing for Liangzhou Guard to build a good relationship with him." Ma Damei patted his shoulder with a smile, "You have to look at the long-term."

"He is only a teenager." Liang Ping muttered, "How can he speak so powerfully?"

Ma Damei smiled but said nothing.

On the other side, the people who were listening to He Yan's storytelling exclaimed in amazement.

"It's actually a fire attack!"

"This is too dangerous. What if there is no gust of wind? Wouldn't we just sit there and wait to die?"

He Yan smiled and said, "If there is no wind, then we have to fight to the end. But war is complicated. There is no absolute victory of the strong over the weak. As long as the time and place are right, it is not difficult to defeat the majority with the few. So in every battle, you can't have the mentality of losing or winning. On the battlefield, things change rapidly, and the outcome is unknown until the last moment."

Everyone nodded, not quite understanding what was said.

After the lively talk, the crowd gradually dispersed. The few remaining were naturally Hong Shan and his friends. Wang Ba crossed his arms and looked at He Yan. He was very disgusted with her. "You're showing off as soon as you come back. Even Peacock is not as cocky as you."

"Then I have to be able to stand out." He Yan jumped down from the railing, "Long time no see, friends."

After staying in the vanguard camp for a while, the daily training was much harder than in the ordinary camp. Shitou, Jiang Jiao, Wang Ba and Huang Xiong all looked darker and thinner than before. But they were in better spirits than before. Jiang Jiao asked, "I didn't expect you to win such a victory in Jiyang. Ah He, you are amazing."

"It wasn't me who beat him." He Yan declined modestly, "It's still the commander-in-chief who gave the good command."

"So, I've made a contribution this time, can I get a promotion?" Huang Xiong has been thinking very seriously.

"I don't know whether I will be promoted or not, but the governor promised me that he would let me join the Southern Army." He Yan said, "Just for this, I am already very satisfied."

"Really?" Hong Shan's voice changed with excitement, "Ah He, you finally got what you wanted!"

Several people congratulated him, but Shitou was the only one who remained calm. He only asked He Yan, "Brother He, why did the Wutuo people suddenly attack Jiyang? They have also been to Liangzhou before?"

He Yan's smile gradually faded, and his expression became solemn. After a long while, he finally said, "The Great Wei...may have to go to war."

Now that the Utos have started, they will not give up easily. They have been lying in wait for this moment for so many years.

For a moment, everyone fell silent. War was not something to be happy about for the people of Wei.

…

The lights in the room were dim, and the young man at the table was still reading the scroll in his hand. The piles of military rolls were all piled up together, and the Liangzhou Guards had too much work to deal with.

Someone knocked softly at the door outside.

Xiao Jue didn't even raise his head, and just said, "Come in."

The person who came in was Shen Muxue. She walked in carefully with a basket of food in her hand, put the basket on a small table beside her, and said softly, "Commander-in-chief, you have been watching for a long time, eat something."

Xiao Jue responded but showed no intention of getting up. Shen Muxue sighed slightly.

When Xiao Jue came back, she was still staying up late in the clinic. In the season of spring and summer, the soldiers of Liangzhou Guard were most likely to catch cold or heat. Halfway through boiling the medicine, she heard that Xiao Jue had returned. She wanted to go see him, but she had not finished the work at hand, so she had to give up.

In addition, this time the journey from Jiyang to Liangzhou was longer, and I thought Xiao Jue also needed more rest. But I didn't expect that he was still reading official documents so late.

But Xiao Jue is just like that. He has been like that since she really got to know him, and it has never changed.

"There are local products sent by Jiyang on the ground. Take some back." Xiao Jue said as he read the official documents, "There's no more room in the house."

Shen Muxue nodded, put the food basket away, and went to sort out the bundles on the ground. There were indeed a lot of bundles and wooden boxes piled up. When they were opened, they were some fabrics, cakes, and dried fruits that were produced in Jiyang. Liangzhou Guards did not have these, and some food could be added to the daily meals, and the soldiers would be happy.

The top box looks very delicate, a round wooden box with a layer of paint on it. If you look closely, you can see that it is carved into a scene from the Jeyang Water Festival. When you open it, you can see that it is filled with ointment. When you put it to your nose, you can smell a faint floral scent.

This thing is not particularly expensive, but it is exquisite and cute, and most girls like it. The ointment boxes made in Liangzhou are not as special as those made in Jiyang. The ointment inside is used to apply to the hands. After soaking in water or making medicine all day long, the skin will occasionally crack. Although Shen Muxue takes great care of her skin and has prepared a lot of ointments, she is still very happy to see this.

She picked up the box, placed it in her palm, looked at Xiao Jue, a little shy, hesitated for a moment, and then said softly: "Thank you, Governor, I like this ointment very much."

Xiao Jue didn't seem to understand what she was talking about. He turned his head and paused for a moment on the box in her hand before saying calmly, "This is not for you."

Shen Muxue's face flushed instantly, and she quickly put the box down, and said in a panic: "I'm sorry, Governor, I... I thought it was for me."

Although Xiao Jue didn't say anything, she felt very weird, as if she was being too sentimental.

"Take the rest away, and don't touch the box." After Xiao Jue said this, he stopped looking at her.

Shen Muxue bit her lip, quickly put away the other bags on the ground, and went out with her things. As she went out, her eyes lingered on the box on the table for a moment.

The soldiers of Liangzhou Guards never cared about whether their skin was chapped or not. They had to do a lot of daily training every day, so they would not go out of their way to look for this kind of ointment to moisturize their hands and feet. Even if some of them were extremely particular, they probably would not use such a beautiful box that could be seen as a woman's.

Xiao Jue was even less able to use it, and when he said "this is not for you", he meant it was for someone else.

Who is he giving this to?

…

The night breeze was cool. After seeing the bustle of Jiyang City, Xiao Se was still a little uncomfortable returning to Liangzhou. There were no rivers and boats passing through the city. There was only the silent Baiyue Mountain and the vast Wulu River, as well as the empty martial arts field at night.

He Yan walked alone.

After meeting with her friends from Liangzhou Guards, she distributed the local products she brought back from Jiyang to Hongshan and his friends, and chatted with them until late at night before she went back to her house. She planned to ask Xiao Jue if she could go to daily training with the soldiers of the Southern Palace from tomorrow. But halfway through the journey, she met Chu Zhao.

Chu Zhao was alone without Ying Xiang. When he saw He Yan, he smiled and said hello, "Ah He."

"Brother Chu." He Yan looked around him, not seeing anyone else, and asked curiously, "Brother Chu, why are you out for a walk alone so late?" Even if it was a walk, there were no trees or flowers around, so it would be a bit pitiful for him to be just walking around.

Chu Zhao was stunned, then smiled and shook his head: "No, I just want to find someone to help me."

"What help?"

Chu Zhao opened his palm, and there was a stone in his palm. This stone seemed to be picked up from the Wulu River, and it was also very interesting. It was flat and looked like the shape of a white horse, but there was a circle of black edges at the tail. There was an extra piece for no apparent reason.

"Ah He, do you think this stone looks like a horse?" Chu Zhao said with a smile, "But from here -" he pointed at the tail, "there is an extra stone. I want to find someone to help cut off this stone. But now it's late at night, and everyone seems to have gone to bed."

It turned out that they were looking for someone who could use his strength. He Yan looked at Chu Zhao and thought that this man was so thin that he could be blown down by a gust of wind. He would definitely not be able to split the stone. It was just a matter of convenience, so he asked Chu Zhao, "Brother Chu, do you have a knife?"

Chu Zhao took out another dagger from his bosom. This dagger looked very thin, and the handle was made in the shape of a bamboo leaf. He Yan was speechless for a moment after picking it up. Scholars are really particular, but this dagger was made like this, more for decoration than for use. It was only good for cutting fruits, but it would be really laughable if it was really used for self-defense.

After weighing it with disdain, He Yan said, "Give me the stone."

Chu Zhao handed the stone to her.

He Yan placed the stone on the ground, held the horse's head with one hand, and chopped it down with the knife in the other hand. With a crisp sound, the extra piece of horse's tail was cut off. At the same time, a piece of the dagger's tip was also missing.

He Yan: “…”

"Ah He has great skills." Chu Zhao didn't care about this and said happily: "I'll polish this part a bit and it will look complete."

He Yan couldn't understand Chu Zhao's behavior at all. Craftsmen do this just to make a living. Chu Zhao seemed to really like it. It was said that there were princes and ministers who loved to farm in their own houses. They probably felt the same way. But He Yan was definitely not going to stay up late at night to carve a stone.

After all, she is a rough person with no elegance.

Chu Zhao reassembled the dagger, holding the stone in his hand, and looked at He Yan with a smile: "Come to think of it, I always bother you to do this for me, but there is nothing I can do for you. I am really ashamed."

"It's just a simple task, don't take it to heart, Brother Chu. Throwing stone chains is also a strenuous job for me on weekdays, so it doesn't take much effort to help you split a stone." He Yan shrugged, "Other than that, I haven't helped you with anything else."

Chu Zhao lowered his head and smiled: "Didn't Ah He give me his clothes when we were in Jiyang before?" At this point, he seemed to blush a little, and whispered: "Although I didn't use them... But thank you very much."

He Yan: "That's as it should be." After all, there was such a weak person in front of her, and she was busy doing other things, so it was normal for her to do it. If it wasn't Chu Zhao, she would have done the same if it was someone else.

"Brother Chu, what are your plans for the future?" He Yan asked, "Do you plan to stay in Liangzhouwei forever?"

Chu Zhao's identity was unique, and it seemed that there was no benefit for him to stay in Liangzhou. He Yan couldn't figure this out. Looking at Xiao Jue, he just looked at it coldly and had no intention of intervening.

"No." Chu Zhao shook his head. "Once the matter in Jiyang is settled, I will return to Beijing."

"Hasn't the war in Jiyang been settled? What are you referring to, Brother Chu?"

Chu Zhao looked at He Yan. In the night, he smiled slightly. His smile was as gentle as before, but it was also full of deep meaning. "Ah He will understand in the future."