"You are not allowed to go."

He Yan was stunned.

After a moment, she asked, "Why?"

Xiao Jue looked at her, curled his lips, and said with the same mocking tone as always, "Chu Zilan is Xu Jingfu's man, and she has ulterior motives for staying in Liangzhouwei. You are too close to a spy, do you also want to surrender and become Xu Jingfu's man?"

This was a serious charge, and He Yan denied it repeatedly: "I didn't do that, I didn't!"

Xiao Jue snorted coldly and ignored her.

"Commander-in-chief, of course I know that the Fourth Young Master Chu has a special identity," He Yan said in a very sincere manner, "I guarantee that the things we talk about on a daily basis have absolutely nothing to do with the secrets of the Liangzhou Guards. Besides, I don't know what secrets the Liangzhou Guards have. If the Fourth Young Master Chu really wants to test my military power, I will avoid him." She was particularly sensitive in this regard in her previous life, so Xiao Jue really didn't need to worry about it.

"Besides," He Yan added, "if he really has ulterior motives in Liangzhou Guard, I might be able to get some information out of him by being so close to him, which would be beneficial to us."

Xiao Jue glanced at her and said, "You are so stupid. I'm afraid you will be exposed before you can get anything out of me."

He Yan: “…”

Maybe Jiang Jiao was wrong. It's not just women in the world. Men also have a period of time every month when they are extremely irritable and don't like everyone.

Anyway, Xiao Jue would not let him go today, He Yan sighed in his heart and could only say, "Okay, Commander, I won't go looking for him. But I'll still tell the maidservant beside the Fourth Master Chu, otherwise it would not be good to break the appointment for no reason."

Ying Xiang said it seriously when she came, don't tell me it's really urgent.

Xiao Jue said calmly: "No need, you won't have any contact in the future anyway."

He Yan: “…”

Xiao Jue is a very direct person.

…

As the night deepened, Ying Xiang came in from outside, closed the door, walked up to the man in front of the window, and whispered, "Fourth Master, the light in Miss He's room is off. She must have gone to bed."

Chu Zhao did not show any anger when he heard this. He just shook his head and smiled, "As expected."

"It should be Commander Xiao who didn't agree." Ying Xiang said, "But to break the appointment without even saying hello is really..."

"It's okay," Chu Zhao looked at the thrush in the bird cage hanging in front of the window. The bitter cold place actually became more colorful because of him, as if he had returned to the prosperous hometown of Shuojing. He teased the bird for a while before turning around and saying, "The more nervous Xiao Huaijin is, the more it proves one thing."

"He Yan is very different to him."

The lamp on the table flickered slightly, and disappeared into the shadows along with his voice.

"She will become Xiao Huaijin's soft spot."

…

On the second day, He Yan went to the martial arts arena for daily training as usual. Xiao Jue was also present at the daily training today. Because Xiao Jue's mood was very abnormal in the past few days, He Yan did not dare to be lazy and trained very hard. At noon, when it was almost time to rest, suddenly, Shen Han and his men hurriedly ran over from the Liangzhou Guards' new recruits, ran to Xiao Jue's side, and said, "Governor, Governor, someone from the capital is coming!"

The voice was a little loud, and the soldiers of the Southern Palace were all unmoved. However, He Yan was a little surprised. Why did the capital come to Liangzhou Guard for no reason? Since the Wutuo people led by Ridamuzi were driven away last time, Liangzhou Guard had lived in peace for more than half a year. Why did the capital come at this time? What big thing happened?

Xiao Jue asked Tian Lang to continue training the new soldiers, and he followed Shen Han to the other side. After a while, Shen Han and Xiao Jue reappeared, followed by a large group of people. The leader was a eunuch wearing palace robes, holding a dust whisk and smiling kindly. Xiao Jue signaled to Tian Lang, and Tian Lang immediately asked the Nanfu soldiers to stop the daily training.

The amiable-looking eunuch stepped forward and asked with a smile, "Which one is He Yan?"

He Yan was startled when his name was called, and he stood up and saluted, saying, "That's me, kid."

The father-in-law looked He Yan up and down, his gaze was a little frightening. He Yan was not unfamiliar with such scenes. She had experienced them before. She was immediately surprised. Could it be...

The next moment, the eunuch said, "His Majesty has issued an order. Master He, please accept it."

He Yan knelt down respectfully, and when he saw the person in front of him open the bright yellow scroll of the imperial edict, he said in a long voice: "The Emperor summoned He Yan, the Wei of Liangzhou, who is loyal, brave and good at fighting. He has made great achievements in the battle of Wutuo, which makes me very happy. I hereby confer the title of Wu'an Lang and give him a crown and clothes. I hereby announce this to the world, and I sincerely wish to -"

He Yan was stunned. Wu Anlang?

Seeing that she didn't move, the eunuch reminded her, "Master He? Why don't you accept the decree and thank the emperor?"

He Yan hurried forward to thank the emperor for his decree. She was still confused. Why would His Majesty reward her at this critical moment? On the surface, it was because of the Wutuo and Jiyangcheng military events of Liangzhou Guards last time. But how did the palace know about this? Xiao Jue would not tell anyone. Even if it was Mu Hongjin, she would only tell the whole story truthfully. It was impossible for the emperor to notice a minor character like her, especially since she was not the protagonist in these two battles.

Before the doubts in his heart were dispelled, the eunuch had already smiled and bowed to He Yan and said, "Congratulations, Mr. He is so promising at such a young age. He will definitely have a bright future."

He Yan smiled and returned the greeting, then looked at Xiao Jue on the side. Xiao Jue frowned slightly, as if he was not very pleased with the current situation. He Yan understood in his heart that this matter was beyond Xiao Jue's expectations.

The people from the capital certainly did not come to reward her alone. They mainly wanted to reward Xiao Jue, the commander, and carried boxes of rewards to Liangzhou Guard. The soldiers of the Southern Palace were trained strictly and did not dare to look sideways. The new recruits of Liangzhou Guard had never seen this formation before, and they immediately stretched their necks in the martial arts field, trying to listen to the movements on the other side.

When Xiao Jue followed the palace people to the guard post to talk, the new recruits of Liangzhou Guards all rushed over, surrounded He Yan in the middle, and complimented him.

"Congratulations, Brother He, you got promoted so quickly!"

"You won't be with Liangzhou Guards anymore. You have to go to Beijing! Go to Beijing! Hey, does anyone know what kind of official Wu Anlang is? Is he more powerful than the coach? If so, won't the coach have to call Brother He "Big Brother" in the future?"

"I have long said that Brother He is extraordinary. When I first saw Brother He, I knew that Brother He was definitely not an ordinary person and it would only be a matter of time before he became famous."

"Bah, don't talk hindsight!"

The crowd squeezed He Yan so tightly that she couldn't even finish a sentence. Hong Shan saw that the situation was not good, so he pulled her out of the crowd and ran away. When they reached the river, there were fewer people around, and Xiao Mai and the others caught up, so He Yan finally had some time.

"Ah He, congratulations," Hong Shan laughed, "Now you finally get what you wanted."

"You have completed half of your journey to success." Huang Xiong twisted the Buddhist beads around his neck, "You are already very fast."

"What kind of shitty luck is this?" Wang Ba was unwilling to accept it. "Did the higher-ups give you some kind of drug that can make you fall in love with someone?"

Jiang Jiao said with a smile: "This is what Brother He earned step by step. In a place like Jiyang, one could lose his life if he was not careful. Since he risked his life, he deserves the reward he has now."

"But," Xiao Mai looked at He Yan, "Why does Brother He not look very happy?"

Everyone looked at He Yan. When he was fighting for the flag in Liangzhou Guards, He Yan was eager to join the Nine Banners Camp and make achievements. Now that he was really given an official title, there was no joy on his face, and he even looked a little sad.

Stone asked, "What happened?"

He Yan forced a smile: "Nothing, just a little... I just can't believe it."

"Oh," Wang Ba sneered, "This is like a beggar getting money and going crazy with joy. Why should he be unhappy? You are so hypocritical!"

He Yan didn't say anything. In fact, she wasn't unhappy, but just a little strange. It was because when she was "He Rufei" in her previous life, she had earned her achievements step by step, so she knew how difficult it was to get promoted. Now she was suddenly given an official position for no apparent reason, which was really unreasonable. Moreover, it had to be an official position like Wu Anlang.

It's hard not to think about it.

Maybe she should ask Xiao Jue what is really going on.

…

After talking to Hong Shan and the others, He Yan planned to go back to Xiao Jue and find out what happened.

Before I reached my residence, I saw Shen Muxue and Xiao Jue in the yard in front of the house. They were standing under a tree, Shen Muxue was talking to Xiao Jue, and soon, Shen Muxue bent down and picked up a piece of satin from the box on the ground. The things that the emperor gave as a reward probably also included precious fabrics, but unfortunately Xiao Jue had no family, and there was only one girl, Shen Muxue, in Liangzhou Guard, so these fabrics were naturally given to Shen Muxue.

Shen Muxue seemed very happy, holding the silk ribbon and thanking Xiao Jue. Ever since He Yan met Shen Muxue, this girl had always been cold and aloof, as unapproachable as a fairy. But now, when she smiled at Xiao Jue, He Yan stopped in his tracks, as if his legs were weighed down by a thousand pounds, making it difficult for him to take a step forward.

She hesitated, intending to wait until the two of them finished talking before approaching, when suddenly a voice came to her ear: "Why don't you go over?"

He Yan turned around and saw Chu Zhao standing in front of her, looking at her with some confusion.

"It's not a very urgent matter. It's okay to go over later." He Yan said perfunctorily: "Why is Brother Chu here?"

"I came to see you." Chu Zhao glanced at the two people under the tree, then at He Yan, "Since Brother He is not in a hurry, why don't you just stick to me first."

He Yan thought about it and said, "That's fine."

She turned around and walked in the opposite direction of Xiao Jue with Chu Zhao, and asked, "Brother Chu, is there something urgent you want to talk to me about?"

"It seems that Brother He is really busy with his daily training. He was so busy that he forgot the appointment I made with you last night. I still don't remember it now."

He Yan suddenly realized that she had remembered it today, but who knew that once the imperial decree came down from the capital, she would forget about Chu Zhao. Hearing this, she apologized, "I'm sorry, I fell asleep last night without realizing it. I wanted to come and apologize to you today, but..."

"It's just a joke, don't take it seriously," Chu Zhao smiled, "You should be happy to be promoted today."

He Yan paused: "You know this too?"

"I knew it yesterday."

Seeing He Yan's puzzled face, Chu Zhaocai said, "The person from the capital sent me a letter yesterday, saying that he would arrive today. I came to you last night to talk about this matter. I thought that since you were suddenly promoted, I might as well give you a heads up so that you wouldn't be at a loss. I didn't expect you to fall asleep. However, seeing how Brother He is, he is still calm even after entering the government. It seems that I was worrying too much."

"You said someone in the capital sent you a letter yesterday?" He Yan looked at him, "Why did they tell you?"

I’m afraid Xiao Jue didn’t get the news in advance.

"Because," Chu Zhao looked into her eyes and smiled, "I was the one who asked His Majesty to confer an official title on Brother He."

It’s actually him?

Although He Yan had many guesses, he never thought of this possibility, so he just asked, "Brother Chu, why is this happening?"

Chu Zhao continued to walk forward and said softly, "When we were in Jiyang City, you and I both saw firsthand how ferocious the Wutuo soldiers were. By the canal, Brother He gave me clothes that could withstand fire and water, and I am very grateful. War is brutal, but Brother He is not afraid at all. I have seen Brother He's bravery. And before that, I also heard about Brother He's fierce battle with Ridamuzi. It is a blessing for the Great Wei to have a hero like Brother He."

"I don't know why Governor Xiao refused to promote you, but I think if I can help Brother He achieve success, I would be happy to do so."

These words sounded perfectly normal, but for some reason, He Yan still felt it was strange. After thinking for a while, she said, "But Brother Chu's move really surprised me."

"You don't look like you are happy about your promotion?" he asked.

"I just felt a little overwhelmed for a moment."

Chu Zhao looked at her, and after a moment, he smiled: "I thought you would be very happy. After all, after becoming an official, the distance between you and Governor Xiao has become closer. Since you like him, you don't have to worry about your status all the time."

He Yan was almost choked by his own saliva and looked at Chu Zhao fiercely: "What did you say?"

"Brother He, don't you like Commander Xiao very much?" Chu Zhao smiled gently and touched his nose. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have been so sad when you saw Doctor Shen and Commander Xiao together just now."

"I didn't." He Yan retorted instinctively.

Chu Zhao smiled but said nothing. He Yan didn't ask her any questions, but he didn't just go along with her words. For a moment, He Yan was very depressed, wondering if he had missed a lot of details in the past. How could one or two of them see it clearly, Liu Buwang, Lin Shuanghe, and even Chu Zhao.

Was she so obvious? She had been very restrained, polite, and careful.

Chu Zhao looked into the distance and said, "In fact, Commander Xiao may have you in his heart. After all, Commander Xiao has taken good care of Brother He."

He Yan asked: "Do you think so?"

"Brother He, if you want to know what Governor Xiao is thinking, it's actually very simple." Chu Zhao smiled and said, "I can help you test it."

"How to test?" He Yan was puzzled.

The man in front of her suddenly approached. He Yan leaned against a tree. He almost punched her subconsciously when he approached her so close. His face stopped in front of He Yan, his eyes smiling, especially intoxicating. "It's very simple. Brother He is a girl, and she doesn't understand the possessiveness of men. If I deliberately act very close to the girl, if Governor Xiao has the girl in his heart, he will definitely be very angry. If he is indifferent... the girl doesn't need to worry too much about him. So, this is a very simple way."

He Yan thought about his words in her mind, and finally understood what he meant. She wanted to recite the Thirty-Six Stratagems by heart when it came to military operations, but this was the first time she had heard of such a trick. She immediately asked, "...according to you, isn't this taking advantage of you?"

Chu Zhao still smiled and looked at her, his eyes were extremely gentle, "If it's Brother He, it's okay to use him."

These words are really touching.

only……

He Yan stood up straight and took a step to the side, avoiding his approaching chest. "Thank you for your kindness, Brother Chu, but I don't want to do this."

Chu Zhao's eyes flashed with surprise: "Why?"

"I roughly understand what you mean. But how can love be mixed with trickery? I like someone, whether I say it openly or never say it for the rest of my life, it is all open and aboveboard. If I still have to spend all my energy to test and guess, wouldn't it be very tiring? Even if I get such love, it is not what I want in my heart. Haven't you heard this, Brother Chu? Using lies to verify lies will only result in another lie. In the end, I don't know what is true and what is false."

He Yan hadn't said anything else. You have to know that Xiao Jue disliked Chu Zhao very much. Even if Xiao Jue didn't like her, he would be furious when he saw He Yan and Chu Zhao together. If she misunderstood because of this, wouldn't that be wishful thinking?

Chu Zhao was stunned for a moment: "Isn't Brother He curious about what position Brother He holds in Governor Xiao's heart?"

"Not curious."

He Yan answered straightforwardly, leaving Chu Zhao speechless for a moment.

"Mr. Chu Si, I have never thought of letting him know." He Yan said, "I don't plan to let him know in the future. So, I appreciate your kindness."

"You don't want to be with him?"

"Things in the world change rapidly. When it comes to the word 'together', what Mr. Chu can be sure of is only a temporary moment, not a lifetime. And what I can be sure of is only my own heart."

Chu Zhao looked at He Yan, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he said nothing. After a moment, he regained his smile and said, "Since it is Brother He's intention, I can't make my own decision. However, what I said just now still counts. If Brother He changes his mind one day and wants to 'use' me, I will not refuse at all."

He Yan also laughed, and said in an especially insistent tone: "That day will never come."

…

He Yan's figure gradually faded away. Ying Xiang walked out of the room and said softly, "Fourth Young Master."

Chu Zhao looked at his hands, empty. He said "tsk", "You actually refused."

"Miss He doesn't intend to let Governor Xiao know her feelings." Ying Xiang sighed, "She probably doesn't want to embarrass Governor Xiao."

Chu Zhao smiled faintly: "There are such stupid women in the world, who neither want to fight for nor stay together, but keep an invisible and intangible love, and think they are the purest thing in the world. Ridiculous."

This reminded him of Ye Runmei, who was also like this. Women who sacrificed themselves for love were all so stupid and despised.

Ying Xiang lowered her eyes and said nothing. After a while, she heard Chu Zhao say, "Let's go."

…

He Yan walked back slowly.

She never thought that it was Chu Zhao who asked Emperor Wenxuan to appoint her to an official position. The reasons Chu Zhao gave her sounded very reasonable. If He Yan was really a new recruit who knew nothing, she would be ecstatic to be appointed to an official position. Even if she had any prejudice or suspicion against Chu Zhao before, it would disappear in an instant, and she would blame herself in her heart for judging others by her own standards.

But she is not a soldier who knows nothing, but Feihong who is very familiar with the generals' military affairs. Therefore, He Yan knows better than anyone that Wu Anlang is just an official position without real power. It sounds like a fourth-rank official, surrounded by flowers and brilliance, but in fact, she cannot mobilize any soldiers. In her previous life, she could not rely on anyone and could only start as a recruit. She did not know how many merits she had to sell to her superiors before she could get a small official position. The small official position gradually rose until no one could cover up her merits, and finally she was valued by His Majesty. But now, she seems to have ascended to heaven in one step, but in fact, she is not as powerful as a centurion.

If Chu Zhao only asked His Majesty for a title, and it was His Majesty's own decision as to what title to be conferred, then this matter would be fine. But if the title of Wu'anlang was proposed by Chu Zhao himself, then the implications are profound.

He asked for a title for himself, but he asked for an official position with no real power at all. What was he trying to do?

…

In the room, Fei Nu and Lin Shuanghe stood and looked at the person standing in front of the window.

"My sister He has been promoted to an official?" Lin Shuanghe was confused. "Didn't you say that you would have to wait until you return to Shuojing before you could see His Majesty? What's going on?"

"Mr. Lin," Fei Nu couldn't help but say, "This time, it was Mr. Chu who asked His Majesty for the title."

"Chu Zilan?" Lin Shuanghe frowned. "What does it have to do with him whether my sister He becomes an official or not? What kind of courtesy is he showing?"

Xiao Jue had a calm expression, he just looked carefully, with a slight chill in his eyes.

Fei Nu sighed, "It's not a question of diligence or not. It's not a good thing to be promoted now."

Lin Shuanghe paused in fanning himself, looked at Fei Nu, then at Xiao Jue: "What do you mean? I don't quite understand."

"I originally thought that after returning to the capital, I would ask for a title for her as a woman." Xiao Jue said calmly, "Chu Zilan took the lead. It seems that she helped He Yan, but in fact, she laid a hidden danger."

"One day in the future, if He Yan's identity is exposed, it will be considered deceiving the emperor and his entire clan will be implicated."

Lin Shuanghe took a breath of cool air.

He stammered, "No, that wouldn't be the case. Didn't Chu Zilan already know about Sister He's identity as a woman? It's been so long, hasn't she kept it a secret? In the future... it shouldn't be exposed, right?"

"This is where Chu Zilan is so smart." Xiao Jue sneered, "Originally, he only wanted to deal with me."

He Yan was just a tool that could be used. Chu Zhao did keep He Yan's identity a secret and did not announce He Yan's identity to the world. He turned around and asked for a title for He Yan, successfully turning He Yan's identity into a trap. If this incident had not happened, He Yan's identity as a woman could have been used to deal with it one day when it was revealed. But after His Majesty commended her and promoted her to an official position, things were different.

He Yan will become the best knife, stabbing into Xiao Jue's heart.

This is Chu Zilan's plan.