Back in his room, He Yan lay on the bed, tossing and turning.

The window was open, and a little wind came in, making her particularly sober. The previous conversation with Xiao Jue seemed to still be ringing in her ears.

It turned out that on the night she left the He family to join the army, Xiao Jue actually came to keep the appointment. It was just that fate had changed, and they missed each other. Once you miss it, you will never have the chance again. Just like He Yan didn't know that the person who secretly taught him swordsmanship was Xiao Jue, Xiao Jue now couldn't know that the person he secretly helped back then had changed.

The harder she tried to hide her identity, the more she wanted to say thank you to him as a former classmate. It turned out that Xiao Jue and she had had so many strange connections in their past and present lives, but they were only temporary, and now...

He Yan sat up, thought for a while, and then made up her mind to get off the bed. She walked to the table and lit the oil lamp with a tinder. Zhao Shiming was a scholar, and there were study tools everywhere in the room. She ground the ink, found the paper, sat down at the table, picked up the pen and slowly wrote.

…

All matters in Rundu were settled in three days. It was time for Xiao Jue and his party to leave.

Before leaving, He Yan found Zhao Shiming.

After the Qiluo incident, He Yan never spoke to Li Kuang again. Every time she saw Li Kuang, she would think of the sweet girl with dimples on her cheeks when she smiled. Li Kuang was probably the same. Whenever he bumped into He Yan, he would always avoid her gaze.

So there were some things that she didn't intend to mention to Li Kuang.

Zhao Shiming was sitting in the room reading official documents. During the days when Rundu was besieged by Wutuo, merchants in the city had closed down and everything was in chaos. Now that Wutuo had been defeated and Rundu had returned to peace, it would take time to restore the peaceful days of the past.

"Master Zhao." He Yan walked into the room and called him.

Zhao Shiming raised his head from the official documents and saw that it was He Yan. He was stunned for a moment, then stood up and said with a warm smile: "Master Xiao He, how come you have time to come and sit with me today?"

Zhao Shiming liked He Yan very much. He was a scholar, and he could not get along with a rough and uncouth man like Li Kuang. Xiao Jue and Yan He were cold and arrogant, and he was afraid of them. He Yan was different. He was young, smart and brave, kind and loyal, and handsome. He looked gentle and likable. If his granddaughter was not too young, Zhao Shiming would have wanted to recruit this young man as his grandson-in-law.

He Yan smiled and said, "Master Zhao, you are too polite. I came here to say goodbye to you. Tomorrow I will return to Shuojing with the governor. I will be in Rundu these days. Thank you for your care, Master Zhao."

Zhao Shiming liked this young man even more. Look, he even came to say goodbye to him. He was very polite. He smiled and replied, "Master Xiaohe, please don't say that. You are the benefactor who saved Rundu. This time when you came to Rundu, there was nothing to entertain you. On the contrary, you suffered a lot of grievances. If you come to Rundu again in the future, Zhao will definitely treat you well. I hope you will not mind my impoliteness this time."

He Yan lifted up Zhao Shiming's hand as he was about to salute, and said, "I dare not."

Calling him a junior? Zhao Shiming was stunned. Before he could come to his senses, he saw the young man in front of him looking at him, his expression became serious: "Actually, I came here today because I have something I want to ask you, Lord Zhao, for help."

Zhao Shiming was not unfamiliar with this expression. When He Yan asked his people to help pass a message to Yan He, they were like this. Is this another request from him? Zhao Shiming was very happy. He Yan went to him instead of Li Kuang, which showed that he treated him as his own. The things that Wu Anlang asked for were usually easy. It was an honor for him to be able to help. Thinking of this, Zhao Shiming smiled and said, "Master Xiao He, please tell me. I will do my best."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Shiming saw the man in front of him lift up the corner of his robe and kneel down in front of him.

"You..." He was startled.

"Then thank you very much, Master Zhao."

…

The servants outside didn't know what the people inside were talking about. After a while, when He Yan walked out the door, the servants went in to serve tea, and only then did they see Zhao Shiming slumped over at the table, looking dazed and with a distracted look.

"Master?" the servant called him.

Zhao Shiming came back to his senses, swallowed his saliva, and said, "Nothing, nothing."

He clenched the letter in his hand.

On the other side, He Yan walked out the door and breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't know whether her decision was right or wrong, but at the moment, this was the best way to get rid of Xiao Jue.

A person walked towards them, as beautiful as a flower, it was Ying Xiang. Ying Xiang saw He Yan and bowed to him: "Master He."

Now, she no longer called He Yan "Mr. He", but "Master He".

"Miss Ying Xiang." He Yan replied. Seeing that she was holding something that looked like clothing in her hands, he couldn't help but take a few more glances.

Ying Xiang noticed her gaze and smiled, "The Fourth Young Master asked me to pack my clothes and we will leave for Shuojing tomorrow. The sun in Rundu is very good, and the clothes will dry quickly."

"Returning to Shuojing?" He Yan frowned slightly, "You guys are leaving tomorrow too?"

Chu Zhao was originally on his way back to Shuojing when he was trapped in the city by the Wutuo people. Now that the Wutuo people have left, it is natural for them to leave as well. But he did not expect that he would be traveling with Xiao Jue on the same day.

"Yes," Ying Xiang replied with a smile, "The Fourth Young Master is traveling with us, and Commander Xiao is aware of this. There are bound to be other Wutuo people along the way, so it's better to have more people together to take care of them."

Xiao Jue was not someone who wanted to take care of Chu Zhao, but since Xiao Jue already knew about this, it was useless for her to say anything. When Li Kuang wanted to kill the captured women, Chu Zhao had also stood up and spoken. No matter what his purpose was, He Yan should thank him on the surface.

"Thank you for me for standing on the side of those captured women in front of the general that day." He Yan said.

Ying Xiang smiled and said, "Okay, Master He."

After He Yan left, Ying Xiang returned to the house with the clothes in her hands. Chu Zhao was standing in front of the window. Ying Xiang put the clothes into the bag. She moved quickly and in a moment, she had packed everything.

"Fourth Master," Ying Xiang walked to Chu Zhao's side and whispered, "Just now on the road, I met Miss He. Miss He asked me to say something for her. Thank you, Fourth Master, for standing up and speaking for those captured women in front of Lord Li."

Chu Zhao smiled and said nothing.

After a moment of silence, Ying Xiang spoke up, "Fourth Young Master shouldn't have done that."

Chu Zhao: “Oh?”

"Perhaps there are people of the Prime Minister in the city. The Prime Minister will be unhappy to see the Fourth Young Master acting like this..."

Xu Jingfu was a person who hated others making decisions on their own. Since the matter of Rundu had nothing to do with him, Chu Zhao not only spoke up but also mentioned Xu Jingfu. Once Xu Jingfu knew about it, he would definitely be displeased with Chu Zhao.

"It's done, no need to worry." Chu Zhao smiled slightly, "As for the Prime Minister, I will explain it myself."

"Why would you do that, sir?" Ying Xiang asked softly, "Even if you don't do anything, with Miss He's ability, no one can embarrass her."

Chu Zhao did not answer, but just looked at the sky outside the window.

Why?

It was probably the way she stood in front of those women that reminded him of the time when he was a child in a brothel and someone bullied him and Ye Runmei stood in front of him. In the rare moments in his life when he was protected, besides Ye Runmei, the only one was He Yan.

She protected those women just as she protected him in Jiyang. One person protects another, without selfish motives, blood ties, or even a close relationship, just because she thinks it is the right thing to do.

Zhang Yang was enviable and open-minded, like a ray of light that illuminated everyone who came close. So when he stood out, he thought he was also an upright and brave hero.

only……

After all, he is not light, but just a shadow.

…

The day to leave Rundu has come.

Li Kuang and Zhao Shiming went out of the city to see them off. The soldiers of the Southern Palace and Liangzhou Guards did not follow Xiao Jue. They hurried back to the capital, taking away only Yan He's soldiers.

The city was desolate. Although there was sunlight, it seemed to be covered with a layer of light gray. He Yan felt nostalgic. The last time she left Rundu, she was still "Deputy General He" and she and Li Kuang talked and laughed. Now that they left Rundu this time, they were no longer the same.

Time passed quickly, and the grapevines in Rundu City had already grown new bushes. The group stood at the city gate, and He Yan was about to mount his horse. At this moment, he suddenly heard a voice coming from behind: "Master Xiao He!"

He Yan turned his head to look.

Then I saw that many people had gathered in front of the city gate of Rundu. They didn't dare to go forward, but just stood on both sides of the street, watching them silently. A group of women came out from the end of the crowd, and the one who called her just now was the leader.

They were dressed neatly, with scars on their faces. They were the captives that He Yan had rescued from the Wutuo people on the night raid on the enemy camp, and they were also the women that He Yan had saved from Li Kuang's sword. The woman who was speaking, He Yan, still remembered that it was she who had persuaded him with tears in her eyes not to conflict with Li Kuang, and she had sacrificed herself voluntarily.

However, He Yan later learned from Zhao Shiming that the woman originally lived in a manor outside the city. After the Wutuo people came, they killed her husband and son, leaving her alone in the family. She already thought that she had been abused by the Wutuo people, and was afraid of the strange looks from outside. And because her family was not around, she had already made up her mind to commit suicide. So when Li Kuang came to find her, she was the first to accept it.

That day, if He Yan had not stepped forward, if Xiao Jue had not rushed over, perhaps these women would have died under Li Kuang's sword.

Li Kuang looked a little uncomfortable. There were many things that he didn't notice in the current environment, but after the things were over, looking back, he would find out how crazy he was.

The women walked up to He Yan, knelt down one after another, and kowtowed to He Yan several times without saying a word.

He Yan was stunned: "You guys..."

"Thank you, Master Xiaohe." they said.

The women were in much better spirits than they had been in the past few days. Perhaps it was because the food Yan He brought made them feel fuller, or perhaps it was what He Yan said that day that gave them the courage to live.

Zhao Shiming walked up to He Yan and whispered, "Master Xiao He, those women who still have families have already gone home. Those who have no home to return to have now been settled together by the government. They will work on the farm, and in the future... the situation that Master Xiao He is worried about will not happen."

He solemnly assured He Yan: "Zhao will take good care of them."

He Yan felt a little relieved and bowed to Zhao Shiming: "Thank you, Mr. Zhao."

Zhao Shiming stroked his beard and smiled, "It's my duty. Since I am from Rundu and as the father and mother of Rundu, I should take good care of them."

He Yan also smiled. Many things in the world will eventually get better little by little. As long as someone does something, changes will eventually happen, no matter how small the changes are.

She helped the leading woman up and said softly, "Let them get up too. Live a good life in the future. Remember, I saved your lives. No matter what time, don't give up your life at will."

The woman nodded.

Yan He stood at the gate, hugging his chest and said, "How come this boy surnamed He is more popular than you?" He glanced at Xiao Jue and said, "Isn't he your subordinate? How come you are not as good as him?"

Lin Shuanghe smiled and said, "Brother He is gentle and kind, of course everyone likes him. There are not many people in the world who can think of others, and there are even fewer who can draw their swords for the safety of others."

Yan He couldn't stand the way Lin Shuanghe was not doing his job, and sneered, "Brother He, what's wrong? Is everything in your Liangzhou Guard so chaotic?"

"Chaos?" Lin Shuanghe nodded. "There are even more chaotic things, but you just don't know about them."

Ying Xiang stood beside Chu Zhao, quietly watching the girl bid farewell to the women she had rescued and board the carriage. The people in Rundu and the soldiers in the city did not say anything, but their eyes followed He Yan, full of gratitude.

She is indeed a likable girl, whether in Jiyang or in Rundu.

"Let's go." Chu Zhao turned around and got on his carriage.

The city gates are open, soldiers are marching, and the sunlight shines far away at the end of the long road, like a bright avenue leading to the future.

…

It takes ten days to reach Nanjing from Rundu. After passing Nanjing, we go straight to Shuojing.

In the bushes, the soldiers who were rushing to the road temporarily sat down to rest. Lin Shuanghe was watching He Yan roasting bird eggs. He was a young master who had never touched water in the world and was used to being pampered, so naturally he couldn't do such rough work. Although Yan He could do it, but He Yan had seen him roast fish meat before, and it was so burnt that it was hard to eat, so he just did it himself.

Xiao Jue was talking to Chi Wu on the other end. He Yan and Lin Shuanghe were sitting together. Lin Shuanghe looked at her skilled movements and exclaimed, "Brother He, you are really good at both cooking and climbing over walls, and you can beat up hooligans. I've seen so many -" He lowered his voice, "women, none of them can compare to you, really, sister, even when you arrive in Shuojing, you are still number one in my heart."

He Yan threw the roasted bird eggs into his arms, "...Thank you."

Lin Shuanghe was busy peeling the shell, and asked her, "What do you want to do when you get to Shuojing? Liangzhou has nothing, but Shuojing is prosperous. If you have time, I will take you to the market every day."

It was already so late, and this guy was still thinking about playing. He Yan was speechless for a moment, but then she remembered another thing. She asked Lin Shuanghe, "By the way, why didn't Doctor Shen come with you when you came to Rundu this time? She... should also be going back to Shuojing, right?"

When He Yan left Liangzhou Guard, he pressed Shen Muxue's acupoints. Although it was to protect her, he was not sure what happened to Shen Muxue later. This time, Xiao Jue and Yan He came, and Lin Shuanghe also came, but they did not see Shen Muxue. But Xiao Jue was going back to Shuojing, so there was no reason for Shen Muxue to stay alone in Liangzhou Guard.

"Doctor Shen?" Lin Shuanghe answered as a matter of course, "She is a girl. When Huaijin and I rushed to Rundu, we had to work day and night. How could she bear this? Bringing her along would only slow down our progress. So we decided not to bring her along. As for the medical officer, I am enough. Huaijin asked Shen Han and the others to bring Doctor Shen along later."

He Yan nodded. The next moment, Lin Shuanghe's face suddenly moved closer and looked at her anxiously: "Why did you mention Doctor Shen alone? Are you jealous?"

"Why are you jealous?" He Yan was so scared that she almost hit him on the head with a tree fork. Hearing this, she just sat up straight and calmed down, "I pressed her acupoints before I left. I just feel guilty."

"Is that really the case?" Lin Shuanghe deliberately dragged out his voice, "If so, all of Huai Jin's efforts would have been in vain..."

He Yan: "What's the painstaking effort?"

Lin Shuanghe stuffed a bird egg into his mouth and said slowly, "You won't care even if I tell you, so it's better not to tell you."

He Yan was so anxious that she wanted to grab Lin Shuanghe's head and shake it hard to see what came out. However, Lin Shuanghe was very cunning when it came to matters between men and women, and he was close to Xiao Jue. If he really got some confirmed news and told Xiao Jue, they would not even be able to be friends anymore, which would be extremely embarrassing.

She had no choice but to sit there reservedly. Even though she was furious, she looked calm and composed: "Then I really don't care. Just don't say anything."

Lin Shuanghe looked at her pretending and tried his best to hold back his laughter, thinking to himself, let's see how long you can endure it.

Young people...ah, young people!

…

Thousands of miles away in Liangzhou, the guard post is busy at this moment.

Liang Ping was helping to check if there was anything missing in the house. They were about to set off for Shuojing. Some soldiers were left in Liangzhouwei, and some were going to Beijing. Shen Han was going to leave with them, while Liang Ping, Ma Damei and other coaches had to stay in Liangzhouwei.

Shen Muxue naturally had to leave as well.

Many days ago, when Xiao Jue and Lin Shuanghe were about to leave for Rundu, Shen Muxue proposed to go with them, but was rejected by Xiao Jue. He refused bluntly and did not say why. Lin Shuanghe saw Shen Muxue's unhappy face and smiled to smooth things over: "Miss Shen, the situation in Rundu is critical. Huai Jin and I are going all the way there, sleeping in the open air, traveling day and night. How can you, a girl, go with us? If you are stumbling, even if you don't care, I will not bear it."

"Anyway, Coach Shen and his men will be leaving soon. You can come back together then, and Coach Shen will take good care of you. The soldiers move slowly and have a large number of people, so Huai Jin and I will be assured of your safety. Isn't that right?"

Shen Muxue didn't say anything, and Lin Shuanghe just took it as tacit agreement. He turned around and was about to leave with a smile. Shen Muxue looked at his back and asked, "Mr. Lin, the second young master Xiao went to Rundu because of He Yan, right?"

Lin Shuanghe paused and looked at her with genuine confusion in his eyes: "Why do you think so?"

Shen Muxue pursed her lips and said nothing. She knew it was ridiculous to say this, Xiao Jue was definitely not someone who would easily change for someone, but...but, she always felt uneasy.

The sound outside was about to interrupt her recollection. Liang Ping was calling her, "Doctor Shen, is there anything else you want to load onto the carriage?"

Shen Muxue came to her senses and walked out while answering. Liang Ping stood outside, his face red and sweaty from the sun, holding a pile of boxes in his hands, and staggering towards the carriage. Xiao Jue left in a hurry and didn't pack up anything in the house. Before leaving, he told Shen Han to take all the things in his room away if he returned to Shuo Jing.

Fortunately, Xiao Jue didn't have much stuff of his own. Apart from some books and clothes, there was nothing else.

Seeing Liang Ping staggering, Shen Muxue stepped forward and said, "Let me help you."

Liang Ping's face turned even redder. "No need, no need. The head coach told me that these are the governor's things and asked me to sort them out myself. How can I trouble Doctor Shen?"

He sighed in his heart, Miss Shen is really kind-hearted and not arrogant. As a lady from a wealthy family, she doesn't despise these warriors.

Shen Muxue didn't know what Liang Ping was thinking at the moment. She just heard that it was Xiao Jue's things, so she said, "You take so much at once, it's inevitable that some will fall. Don't worry, I'll help you."

As he spoke, he helped to pick up the top box, which was not very big, and walked forward with Liang Ping.

Liang Ping wanted to stop her but it was too late. Seeing that Shen Muxue didn't seem to be struggling, he relaxed a little. He smiled and said, "Thank you very much, Doctor Shen."

The two walked to the carriage together. Liang Ping asked Shen Muxue to get on the carriage first, and he would go to move the things. It was hot outside, and Shen Muxue nodded in agreement. She sat quietly holding the box in her hands, looking at the soldiers running in the distance, and her eyes fell on the box in her arms.

This box looks ordinary, and I don't know what's inside. Xiao Jue didn't bring much stuff with her, and since she wanted Shen Han to take it back to Shuojing, it must be very important. However, she picked up the box and weighed it. The box was too light, as if there was nothing in it. Could it be empty?

She felt unusually curious. It shouldn't be Xiao Jue's official documents or letters. He would only carry these things with him. If she opened them and read them...it shouldn't be a problem, right?

Shen Muxue put her fingers on the box and looked outside the carriage. The soldiers were far away from here and no one saw her movements.

With a "click", the box was opened.

There were some pens, inkstones, paper weights, and other small things inside. Just as she was about to close the book, her eyes suddenly froze, and after a while, she reached out and took out two things.

One was a dough figurine, the dough had dried up and was grey in colour, it looked like a woman, with a charming smile and a moving look. The other was a wood carving, in which a warship capsized, a fire was raging, and the general standing on the bow looked heroic and familiar.

That was a female general.