Rundu City gradually regained its vitality.

Yan He's troops not only drove away the Wutuo people, but also brought food. The rice and food sent from Huayuan solved Rundu's urgent needs.

"General Feihong is not in Huayuan?" Li Kuang looked at Yan He in confusion, "He has already returned to Shuojing? How is that possible?"

"Are you suspecting that I'm lying?" Yan He frowned.

"No," Li Kuang said, "It's just... as early as when Rundu was besieged by the Wutuo people, I immediately asked General He to come to help. There were three groups of people in total, so it's impossible that there was no news at all. I thought he didn't come because the situation in Huayuan was not good, but... why would he return to Shuojing?"

"You should ask him about this," Yan He put his hands behind his head, leaned back in his chair and replied nonchalantly, "I'm not familiar with He Rufei."

Li Kuang said nothing.

While the two were silent, someone came in. It was Zhao Shiming. Zhao Shiming first glanced at Yan He, then said to Li Kuang cautiously: "General, that... Miss Qiluo is buried today, you..."

Li Kuang's expression turned ugly when he heard this. After a while, he stood up and said, "Let's go."

Qiluo was not actually from Rundu, but her biological parents died early, and now she has no other relatives. It was summer, and they could not take Qiluo's body back to Shuojing, so they had to bury her on the spot. They buried her in a deep forest in Rundu, with beautiful scenery. Not far away, there was a large grape forest. Qiluo loved eating grapes when she was alive, and she would probably be a little happier to be buried here after her death.

When they arrived at the place, they unexpectedly found Xiao Jue and He Yan there, and next to them stood a young man in white clothes holding a folding fan. Xiao Jue was fine, but when he saw He Yan, Li Kuang felt uncomfortable.

On that day, he and He Yan almost drew their swords against each other in the hall. In the end, everything stopped abruptly because of Xiao Jue's appearance. But after the dust settled and the night was quiet, He Yan's words always lingered in his ears, making him unable to sleep. On the bed beside him, it seemed that he could see Qi Luo's smiling face if he turned his head, but the sunlight shone through the window, and when he opened his eyes, it was empty, and he couldn't catch anything.

He failed to become Zhang Xun, but he lost Qi Luo forever.

This is like an irony, and will become a hurdle that he will never be able to overcome in his life. Every day from now on, whenever he thinks of Qiluo, he will be accompanied by countless guilt and pain.

He Yan didn't look at Li Kuang. In fact, she didn't want to look at him at all. She and Li Kuang had fought side by side before, and she knew that Li Kuang was loyal and upright. But perhaps because she was a woman, she always stood on Qi Luo's side in this matter, and therefore, she felt that women were innocent.

The coffin was buried, and everything was settled. He Yan watched as a small stone tablet was erected. It was absurd that Qi Luo died at the hands of Li Kuang, but the name on the tablet showed that she was Li Kuang's wife or concubine.

He Yan lowered her eyes, walked forward, and placed the small purple wreath in her hand in front of the stone tablet. This girl once told her that she hoped to still be Li Kuang's favorite concubine ten years later. Life is unpredictable. Before ten years had passed, she was no longer in the world. In a way, her wish seemed to have come true. Not only ten years, but Li Kuang would never forget Qi Luo for the rest of his life.

She didn't know whether it was sadness or sarcasm that surged in her heart, but the person was already buried, so it was useless to say anything.

People gradually dispersed. Perhaps Li Kuang couldn't face He Yan's gaze, so he left in a hurry without even saying hello to He Yan. He Yan and the other two walked behind. Lin Shuanghe secretly glanced at her and whispered, "Sister He, don't be sad."

He Yan is a woman, and women should be more docile. Lin Shuanghe also knew that He Yan was particularly disgusted with the injustice people treated women with. Li Kuang had no fault in wanting to defend the city, but he let his concubine shoulder the entire burden, and she even paid the price with her life. In his opinion, it was too cruel.

He had been busy with the medical officers of Rundu to treat the wounded these days, and had not had time to reminisce with He Yan. Today was the first time he saw He Yan in Rundu, and he noticed that He Yan had lost a lot of weight. He was originally thin, but now he looked so weak that he seemed to fall down if the wind blew. It seemed that there was no food in the city, and he was starving to death.

He Yan shook his head: "I just feel... a little helpless."

After all, in the world, most people think like Li Kuang, and few think like she does. Not to mention the injustice in the world, as it is now, she can't even save Qi Luo. Personal ability is really insignificant. It is difficult to change the views of the world.

"However," He Yan smiled, "I didn't expect that the governor would come in that day and stand on my side." She looked at Xiao Jue, "I still remember what the governor said."

Xiao Jue said: "That's not what I said."

He Yan was startled.

Of course she knew that those words were not said by Xiao Jue. Those were the words she said in response to her teacher at Xianchang Hall that year. She didn't expect Xiao Jue to still remember them, and she didn't expect that Xiao Jue would say them out loud under the circumstances at that time.

"Then... who said that?" she asked tentatively.

Xiao Jue looked ahead without saying a word, but what came to his mind was a spring afternoon at Xianchangguan in Shuoking many years ago.

At that time, he was still young, and he was studying in the academy with his classmates. The spring sun was very warm, and it made people have sweet dreams. He was dozing with his eyes closed, and he listened to the teacher's lecture carelessly. The hero of the previous dynasty killed his concubine and fed the three armies, winning the reputation of being righteous. The young people rushed to speak, and everyone thought they were "heroes". He did not participate in it. The world was like a chess game, and people were like ants. When time was long enough, whether it was a "hero" or a "concubine", it was just an insignificant drop of water in the torrent of history. Whether it could make a splash was actually not important.

This too shall pass.

He was only halfway through his beautiful dream when he heard his teacher say, "He Rufei, do you have a different opinion?"

He Rufei?

Xiao Jue remembered the young master He, who stood out among the many talented people in Xianchang Hall for his stupidity, but he also worked extremely hard. It would have been good if he had recognized himself early like Lin Shuanghe, but he had the lofty ambition of "changing his fate against the will of heaven". Such a person would probably be considered ridiculous in the secular world, but the pure enthusiasm of such a young man was not offensive.

Being called by the teacher, I guess I would have to agree with him and give some vague answer. Xiao Jue didn't blink and just listened calmly.

"Everyone says that Zhang Xun is a loyal and righteous man, which is true, but aren't those who were eaten innocent? I can understand his choice, but if it were me... I would never do that."

The young man closed his eyes and dozed off, his long eyelashes trembling slightly, like the wings of a butterfly perched on a flower, startled by the occasional breeze.

"Oh? What do you think?"

"I will lead the remaining remnants to fight the rebels to the death outside the city. The person holding the sword should know where the sword is pointing, whether it is aimed at the enemy in front of him or the weak behind him."

What childish, innocent, and righteous words. A hint of sarcasm appeared on the corner of the young man's mouth, and he slowly opened his eyes.

In an instant, sunlight broke through the window and woke him up from his beautiful dream. The golden light shone on the thin and short figure in front of him. The originally inconspicuous person, at some point, became as dazzling as a rainbow in the mountains.

"I will never draw my sword against the weak."

It seemed like he was taking a serious look at He Rufei's appearance for the first time. The mask covered his face. No matter what time it was, no matter how stupid this man was, his posture was always upright and forward.

The sarcasm on the boy's lips disappeared, and gradually, the corners of his mouth curled up. He looked out the window and felt that the spring was beautiful and romantic. Even the fools who were usually laughed at would look respectable.

Maybe he wasn't such a fool.

The forest came to an end, and Xiao Jue did not answer He Yan's question. When he reached this point, he stopped and said, "I have something to ask Li Kuang, so you don't have to follow me."

He Yan nodded and watched Xiao Jue leave first.

Her current relationship with Xiao Jue is indeed somewhat delicate. She cannot be said to be a subordinate. From the title bestowed by His Majesty, her official position is naturally not as high as Xiao Jue's, but she is not considered Xiao Jue's soldier. But if she is not a subordinate, Wu Anlang has no real power. If she does not follow Xiao Jue, she will not even be able to do anything.

Lin Shuanghe waved in front of her: "Sister He?"

He Yan came back to his senses, "Brother Lin."

"I was too busy a few days ago, and there were not enough doctors in Rundu, so I had no choice but to bite the bullet and do it." At this point, he complained a little, "My current title of 'White-robed Holy Hand' is too cheap, almost free, and those who don't know me would think I am a good person. Sister, when we return to Beijing, you must not tell others that I have treated women outside of Shuojing. The rules cannot be broken. If others know about it, everyone will come to me for treatment, and the door of our Lin family will be trampled down."

Lin Shuanghe is a person who always worries about things that he shouldn't worry about at any time. He Yan was speechless for a moment, then said, "I'll remember that."

Lin Shuanghe finally felt relieved and said, "I haven't asked you how you are doing here yet. You are amazing. You came to Rundu without even saying hello. Liangzhou Wei almost caused a big commotion. What were you thinking? Even if we want to make achievements, we should take it easy. Why do we have to come to such a dangerous place? Even if we want to be rich and powerful, we have to save our lives first and then plan for the aftermath."

Knowing that he was joking, He Yan just smiled.

"Sister He," Lin Shuanghe looked at her, stopped fanning himself, and thought for a moment, "Why do I feel like you've changed a lot after not seeing you for so many days?"

"Yes?"

"Yes." Lin Shuanghe answered affirmatively.

From the first time Liangzhou Wei saw He Yan, even though she was severely injured by Ridamuzi, this girl was still full of life, radiating warmth like the sun. There was always light in her eyes, full of vitality. Now, just over a month later, when he saw He Yan again, this girl seemed to have a lot more worries and seemed unusually quiet. It was as if something had robbed her of her happiness overnight and spawned another self.

There is something strange and gloomy about it, isolating itself from others and making it impossible to get close to it.

"What happened?" he asked.

He Yan shook her head and smiled, "Nothing." But she suddenly remembered another thing and asked Lin Shuanghe, "Brother Lin, what happened to Liangzhou Guards during the time I was away from them?"

"Why do you say that?" Lin Shuanghe stroked his chin, "You think something is wrong."

He Yan hesitated for a moment, but still spoke: "When I met the governor this time, he didn't ask me why I came to Rundu alone, nor did he scold me. He seemed very calm. Don't you think this is a bit strange? The governor was not like this before."

Lin Shuanghe's eyes moved and she smiled: "This is a very obvious thing. You came to Rundu to save the people of Rundu. Since it is to save people, Huai Jin will definitely not say anything. You have been busy and tired these days. Huai Jin is worried about you, so why would he scold you? Sister He, you may have some misunderstandings about Huai Jin. He is actually not such a ruthless person. He is very gentle, especially to the people he likes."

He Yan: “…”

Lin Shuanghe's answer was irrelevant, and He Yan didn't know what to say for a moment. After a moment of silence, she had to say, "Forget it. If he doesn't care about this matter, there is no need for me to worry about it." What's more important now is He Rufei. He Rufei has committed such a great evil, and she doesn't have much time to take revenge bit by bit. As long as He Rufei holds the title of "Flying Red General", it will be a disaster for the people of Wei.

"Don't think too much," Lin Shuanghe comforted her, "In a few days, we will return to Shuojing. When we get back to Shuojing, I will take you around to relax. By the way, your family is also from Shuojing, right? It will be a good thing for you to reunite with your father and brothers after you go back. However, your identity is a bit troublesome... but it's not a big deal. If we work together, we can always come up with a solution."

"Go back to Shuojing?" He Yan was stunned. She wanted to go back to Shuojing, but it was her own idea. Why did Lin Shuanghe say that Xiao Jue also wanted to go back?

"Not long after you left Liangzhou Guard, Huai Jin received an imperial decree from the capital to take some of the new soldiers of Liangzhou Guard and the soldiers of Nanfu back to Shuojing. But at that time we were all worried about the situation in Rundu. Huai Jin and I arrived first, and the soldiers followed. We all have to go back in the end. With the current situation of the Wutuo people, the world will never be as peaceful as before. It's better to go back earlier."

Lin Shuanghe looked at her and asked curiously, "Why, don't you want to go back?"

He Yan shook his head: "No. It's just a little unexpected."

If Xiao Jue also wanted to go back, wouldn't they have to travel together again? She had clearly made up her mind to stay away from him so as not to implicate others, but now it seemed that the bad fate was particularly stubborn. They had to live together again. But her feelings towards Xiao Jue were extremely complicated at the moment, because He Rufei's actions forced her to face some problems.

But bringing Xiao Jue into the picture would do more harm than good.

Forget it, now that things have come to this, it is useless to think more. It is really just like what Lin Shuanghe said, when the enemy comes, we will stop him with our generals and when the water comes, we will block it with earth. We will just wait and see.

She spoke to Lin Shuanghe for a few more words before leaving. Lin Shuanghe looked at He Yan's back, resting his chin on the handle of his fan, thinking for a moment before sighing to himself, "I didn't even scold him... It seems that once Mr. Xiao gets the hang of it, he's really amazing, really smart, worthy of being the best in Xianchang Hall."

He followed happily.

…

He Yan said goodbye to Lin Shuanghe and planned to go back to the house to write about the situation of the Wutuo people she met in Rundu. In every battle, some clues can be found. Knowing yourself and the enemy, you can fight a hundred battles without defeat. Before she walked into the house, she happened to see someone practicing martial arts in the backyard. The martial artist's movements were very big. The grass and trees in Rundu were originally plucked bare because of famine. His sword-wielding movements directly chopped off the branches, leaving only a bare tree trunk, which looked particularly pitiful.

Hearing someone coming, the man stopped what he was doing, put his halberd at his side, and looked back. The man in the silver robe, holding the halberd, with his long hair tied up high, and looking arrogant and proud, who else could it be but Yan He?

"General Yan." He Yan said.

"Oh, it's He Yan." Yan He walked to the side, and his subordinate handed him a wet towel. He wiped his hands casually and threw it aside. He walked to the steps and sat down, not forgetting to greet He Yan: "Sit down."

He Yan thought about it and sat down next to him.

"Were you spying on me practicing shooting?" Yan He asked, "What do you think? Have you never seen such superb shooting skills?"

He Yan was speechless for a moment, then smiled and said, "It is indeed brilliant. Looking around, in the entire Wei Dynasty, there is no one else who has such spear skills except General Yan."

Upon hearing this, Yan He's lips curled up in pride, and his gaze towards He Yan became much softer. He snorted, "You have good taste."

He Yan sighed in his heart. After so many years, Yan He's temperament really hasn't changed at all. As long as you stroke his fur, it's easy to please him.

When they were in Xianchang Hall, if Lin Shuanghe and He Yan were competing for the last place, Yan He and Xiao Jue were competing for the first place. However, there was no suspense in their competition, as Yan He always came in second and Xiao Jue first.

The young people who studied in the academy all had good family backgrounds and were all outstanding. It was normal for them to be competitive. However, Yan He's competitive spirit was particularly strong. He Yan still remembered that when they were in the academy, Yan He would challenge Xiao Jue every now and then, just like when Wei Wangba challenged her in Liangzhou.

Xiao Jue was too lazy to pay attention to such challenges most of the time, but when she was really annoyed by the entanglement, she had a competition with Yan He. They were good at both civil and martial arts, archery and horsemanship, and the result was the same every time, Yan He was defeated again and again. In fact, He Yan always felt that Yan He and she were somewhat similar in this regard, but unfortunately, although she had the intention of sympathizing with each other, Yan He did not appreciate it.

Yan He really dislikes He Yan.

He is naturally proud and arrogant, and generally thinks that trash is not worth a second glance. It would be fine if she had expertise like Lin Shuanghe, but He Yan is useless. In Xianchang Hall, being useless is a sin. When Yan He was young, he really did everything he could to tease He Yan, making He Yan embarrassed in front of everyone, setting traps for her secretly, and deliberately bumping into his horse during archery competitions. He really did all kinds of things.

Speaking of which person He Yan hated the most when he was studying at Xianchang Hall, Yan He would undoubtedly be the first one.

Later, she left Xianchang Hall and joined the army. Xiao Jue also joined the army. Not long after, Yan He also joined the army. However, Yan He was considered to be a son who inherited his father's business, so it was acceptable. Now he is young and doing well. When Rundu was in danger, He Yan wrote that letter to him for help, thinking that Yan He would come given his temperament.

Although I didn't expect that he came with Xiao Jue.

If it were a few years ago, He Yan would never have thought that there would be a day when she would sit down and talk with Yan He in peace. In fact, she didn't know how she had offended Yan He. Logically, she had never spoken to Yan He, let alone caused him any trouble. Why was it that no matter how careful she was, Yan He just couldn't stand her?

This question could be considered one of the ten unsolved mysteries of He Yan's youth. Now Yan He sat beside her. Although there was still a trace of his youth in his eyes and eyebrows, he was much calmer now. After so many years, he still hated "He Rufei". What kind of power was this?

He Yan spoke casually, "Of course. Everyone says that the two great generals of Wei are General Feihong and General Fengyun, but I don't think that's entirely true. I won't talk about Commander Xiao, he is indeed very powerful, but General Feihong is not as good as people say. Rundu and Huayuan are very close, but he didn't come to help the city. Moreover, in the previous battle of Huayuan, it was a disastrous victory. I don't think he can compare to General Yan? I really don't know how he became famous."

Generally speaking, cursing He Rufei to death can win Yan He's favor, and this is definitely true.

Sure enough, Yan He's eyes lit up when he heard that and he laughed, "I think you, Wu Anlang, are very different from others. Your vision alone is better than many others. Although I don't agree with you that Xiao Huaijin is amazing, but as for He Rufei, you are absolutely right! He is indeed not as good as me!"

He Yan rolled his eyes silently in his heart, and agreed: "Yeah, but General Yan, don't you like General Feihong either? I thought all generals liked him."

"Don't like him?" Yan He shook his head and said nonchalantly, "Not really, I just think he is unpromising and unworthy of this title."

He Yan was delighted. Was this going to reveal the ten unsolved mysteries of her youth? After so many years, she finally knew why Yan He always targeted her for this matter?

"What do you mean by unpromising?" He Yan tilted his head to look at him, his eyes full of genuine confusion.

Because they both disliked He Rufei, Yan He liked the young man in front of him a lot better. He said without thinking, "Of course he is not up to the standard. He got swordsmanship instruction from Xiao Huaijin, but he still practiced like that. If it were me, I could do it ten thousand times better than him. Xiao Huaijin is also a strange person. What kind of vision is that he would waste time teaching a fool instead of teaching the talented people in the academy. But he was reluctant to compete with me. Tell me, how can there be such a person in the world?"

"Swordsmanship... instruction?"

"Yes," Yan He glanced at her, "You never thought that the so-called Feihong General's unparalleled swordsmanship was actually taught by Xiao Huaijin. Do you think you are crazy?"