As soon as the words came out, no one in the room said anything. Even Lin Shuanghe, who had always been idle and uninterested in state affairs, looked puzzled when he heard the words.

After all, the enemy invaded and was defeated, but their own emperor still considered them in every way. This sounded like a joke.

"Now in the court, the Crown Prince, Prime Minister Xu, and the civil officials are mostly in favor of peace, but the military officials have not yet expressed their views." Yang Mingzhi looked at Xiao Jue, "I want to ask you, what will you do?"

"Need I say more?" Yan He said, "We are not soft bones. If someone slaps us once, we should extend our faces to let him slap us again. I must drive the Wutuo people back to their hometown, so that they will never dare to set foot in Wei again in the future!"

"Then I feel relieved." Yang Mingzhi said in a deep voice: "But... I don't know if your words can make His Majesty change his mind."

After talking about the recent unusual movements of Wutuo people, everyone stood up and left their seats. Because of the news sent by Yang Mingzhi, Xiao Jue and his friends did not plan to stay in Jinling for two more days. Since the Wutuo envoy was already on the way to Shuojing, they must speed up their pace and return to Shuojing to meet the emperor. Now most of the people in Shuojing are Xu Xiang's people. Even if they are not Xu Xiang's people, they are suppressed and dare not speak. If they really agree to Wutuo's request for peace, or even open a battlefield in Wei, it will do more harm than good to the people of Wei.

After regrouping the troops, everyone had lunch and was about to set off. Xiao Jue and Yan He rode in front of the troops, He Yan and Lin Shuanghe sat in a carriage, and Chu Zhao and Ying Xiang's carriage was at the end.

As the two horses rode side by side, Xiao Jue asked, "Have you met He Rufei since Xianchang Pavilion?"

Yan He was stunned for a moment before he said, "I'm not familiar with him. I've only seen him a few times since he was appointed general, and I only looked at him from a distance. But since he was appointed general, have you ever seen him lead troops except for the battle of Huayuan? I think he has been living an easy life for too long, which is why he was so unsuccessful in the battle of Huayuan. Why are you asking him? Do you want to reminisce with him?"

Xiao Jue did not answer his question, but continued to ask: "What is the difference between the He Rufei you met later and the one you met before?"

"What's the difference?" Yan He frowned, "How should I know? I haven't been following him all the time. But he has grown taller these years, taller than before. He also seems to be more eloquent than before. Before I went to Ling County, I heard that the He family intended to find a wife for him, Xiao Huaijin," he glanced at his companion beside him, "If He Rufei gets married before you... you won't be unable to beat He Rufei, right?"

Xiao Jue was too lazy to pay attention to him and rode forward.

He Yan in the carriage didn't know that Xiao Jue and Yan He had just had such a conversation. The further they went to Shuojing, the more worried she became. Lin Shuanghe also noticed it, sat opposite her, and asked: "Sister He, what's wrong with you? From the moment I saw you in Rundu, I felt something was wrong, as if you were worried about something. You haven't said much these days, but you must have encountered some troubles. If you have any difficulties, just tell me and I will help you find a solution."

He Yan smiled bitterly.

She was just thinking about how to expose He Rufei after returning to Shuojing. Now that she has become Wu'an Lang, her identity allows her to be closer to the He and Xu families than the daughter of the former lieutenant. However, the position of "Wu'an Lang" has many restrictions. And the confidant who can prove the true and false He Rufei was silenced by He Rufei. It is really difficult to get human evidence, so she can only start from others. And the one who keeps this common secret is the Xu family.

If we can start from the Xu family, and the Xu family drags out the He family to protect themselves... they will be in chaos. An alliance formed for profit will never be too stable.

He Yan was lost in thought when Lin Shuanghe suddenly stretched out his hand in front of him: "Sister He?"

He Yan looked at him and said, "I was thinking about what to do after returning to the capital." She counted on her fingers, "Brother Lin also knows that I escaped from Shuojing City and was involved in a lawsuit. The neighbors all know that I am a woman, and it is not time for me to go back in a big way. I am afraid that I can only meet my father and brother in secret." She thought for a while, "The last time His Majesty bestowed the title, I left some silver. It is enough money to rent a small house, but it is inconvenient for me to show up. If Brother Lin has a wide network of connections, can you help me? The money will naturally be given to you without a penny less."

After hearing what she said, Lin Shuanghe slapped his thigh and said, "I thought it was some trouble. It's just a small matter. I'll take care of it." He lifted the carriage curtain and shouted, "Huai Jin, Huai Jin!"

Xiao Jue paused, slowed down his pace, rode back to the carriage, and asked him, "What's the matter?"

Lin Shuanghe smiled at him, "I just promised Brother He that I would rent a house for him in the city when we return to Shuojing. But you also know that renting a house is not something that can be done overnight. Before finding a house, can Brother He live in your house? Your Xiao family's yard is large and spacious, it shouldn't be difficult to give Brother He a room, right?"

He Yan never expected Lin Shuanghe to say this, and hurriedly said, "Brother Lin, that's not what you just said. Commander, it's okay, I can just find an inn outside..."

"It costs a lot of money to stay in a hotel." Lin Shuanghe said, "You are so young, how can you be so wasteful and not understand the benefits of thriftiness? Listen to me and live in Huaijin's house. Huaijin, can you give me a promise?"

Xiao Jue glanced at He Yan, and He Yan's body stiffened. He then nodded very lightly, "Okay."

He Yan: “…”

After saying this, Xiao Jue drove forward. Lin Shuanghe lowered the carriage curtain and looked at He Yan proudly: "Look, now we have the best of both worlds."

He Yan leaned weakly on the carriage, thinking, this is really a bad fate. Not only did they not keep their distance, but they got closer and closer and even moved into Xiao Jue's house.

Although living in Xiao Jue's house does have its advantages. The more occasions Xiao Jue is around, the greater the chance of seeing Xu Zhiheng and He Rufei, and who knows, you might find some useful clues.

She suppressed the almost imperceptible joy in her heart, coughed lightly, and said to herself secretly in her heart, this must be the case.

…

In the capital city of Shuo, at the Xu family's study, a servant was guarding the door while people were talking inside.

There were two people sitting in front of the small table. One was dressed in a green shirt and was well-mannered. The other was also a handsome young man, but his eyes were more reserved and deep. They were pondering over the chessboard in front of them. The black and white pieces on the chessboard were scattered all over the place. It looked like a mess.

One of these two people is the eldest master of the Xu family, the current Hanlin scholar Xu Zhiheng, and the other is He Rufei, who had just returned to Beijing and won a tragic victory over Wutuo in the battle of Huayuan.

"Second Master Xiao is about to return to the capital." Xu Zhiheng left a child behind, "After General Gui De and Second Master Xiao return to the capital, they will certainly make suggestions to Your Majesty and strongly advocate driving the Wutuo people out of the Wei Dynasty."

He Rufei didn't say anything, just looked at the chessboard in silence.

"Brother He, are you still thinking about Huayuan?" Xu Zhiheng smiled faintly, "All the people who knew about it are no longer alive. Brother He, don't worry, no one else in the world will know this secret. Even if someone knows it, there is no evidence, so it can't be reversed."

He Rufei glanced at him and said, "Mr. Xu seems to be a little too confident. Don't forget that when we were studying at Xianchang Hall, Xiao Huaijin, Yan Nanguang and Lin Shuanghe all met He Rufei."

"So what?" Xu Zhiheng said disapprovingly, "When he was young, He Rufei was not very close to his classmates. If he really was close, his identity would not have remained unknown for so many years. I think Brother He is worrying too much. Even if Xiao Huaijin and Yan Nanguang return to Shuojing, you will not have much contact with them."

He Rufei followed suit and placed a piece, "I hope so."

He suddenly recalled the nightmare of last night. In the dream, he was leading his troops in a battle on the Huayuan battlefield, and suddenly a sword stabbed him from behind. He was unable to dodge and was stabbed in the heart. When he fell, he saw someone walking up to him and squatting down.

It was a young man wearing a mask and armor. When he slowly reached out and took off the mask, revealing a familiar, handsome and heroic face, He Yan just smiled at him and said softly: "Big Brother——"

He Rufei suddenly woke up and touched his forehead, which was covered in cold sweat.

He Yan had been dead for more than a year, and her name had been gradually forgotten by the world, or rather, she had never been remembered by the world. The days had passed peacefully for such a long time, but at such a critical moment, she would still appear in his dreams, keeping him awake at night.

"Your concubine..." he said.

Xu Zhiheng's face turned cold, "He's dead."

He Yan died at the hands of He Wanru. One month after He Yan's death, he found a random excuse to have He Wanru beaten to death. The body was dragged to the mass grave, and it was probably eaten by wolves and dogs. Even if...if anything was found out in the future, it could be blamed on He Wanru. All the thugs and servants who participated in the incident were dealt with together, and the entire Xu family was replaced.

He Yan was a general before his death, and after his death, he sent so many servants to accompany her, which could be considered as a way to preserve the friendship between them.

"Very good." He Rufei said coldly, "Don't make any mistakes."

As they were talking, someone knocked on the door outside the study. Xu Zhiheng stood up and opened the door, and a young woman walked in. This woman was also in her prime. Looking closely, her features were somewhat similar to He Yan's, but she lacked the heroic spirit and determination that a female general had on the battlefield. Instead, she was more delicate and sweet, like the delicate spring flowers in the capital city of Shuo. Her every move was that of a well-behaved and lovely girl.

This is Xu Zhiheng’s new wife, now Grandma Xu He Xinying, who is also He Yuansheng’s second daughter, He Rufei’s cousin, and He Yan’s biological sister.

"Brother, husband, while you two are talking inside, Xinying asked someone to make some snacks in the kitchen." He Xinying smiled and put a few plates of pastries on the small table, "You can fill your stomach if you are tired."

"Thank you for your hard work." Xu Zhiheng spoke in a gentle voice, pulling her to sit next to him, "You can sit down too."

He Xinying sat down beside Xu Zhiheng as he was told, looked at He Rufei, and said with a smile: "Brother, I haven't been to the Xu family for a while. Are parents doing well?"

He Rufei nodded slightly: "It's all good, you don't need to worry."

He Xinying didn't know what to say. She and this cousin were not close in the past. He Rufei was very withdrawn when he was young, and he often wore a mask. Everyone in the He family knew that He Rufei wore a mask to cover his face because he was ugly. When He Xinying was a child, she saw He Rufei hiding alone in the corner during the big banquets in the He family every day, and she felt sorry for him. But after trying to get close to him a few times, He Rufei avoided her as if he were avoiding the plague. After a while, He Xinying no longer cared about him.

Later, He Rufei joined the army without telling the He family, and he actually won some military merits. As a result, all the young ladies in the He family became wealthy, including her elder sister, the notoriously sickly girl in the second branch of the He family.

When He Yan returned to the He family, He Xinying was already a grown-up. And at that time, because of He Rufei, the He family arranged a good marriage for He Yan. The eldest master of the Xu family, Xu Zhiheng, was already a Hanlin scholar at a young age, and was also handsome and gentle. He Xinying was once jealous of her sister. She was obviously in such a bad health and had not returned to Beijing for many years. The noble ladies in Beijing didn't even know that she was such a person. But she could become the grandmother of Xu as soon as she came back. What a blessing.

But this jealousy disappeared after He Yan died. He Xinying felt sad for He Yan. Even though she had no feelings for this sister, blood was thicker than water. She had just found a good marriage and was about to enjoy happiness, but she was so unlucky.

What was strange was that after He Yan died, the He family and the Xu family held a grand funeral for her. The whole of Shuojing knew that the He family valued this young daughter of the second wife who died young. However, only He Xinying understood that in the He family, except for her own mother, everyone, including her own father, did not look as sad as others saw.

After the funeral, except for occasionally wiping a few tears when He Yan was mentioned in public, on weekdays, no one in the mansion even mentioned He Yan. It was as if there had never been a legitimate daughter of the second branch of the He family.

He Xinying always felt something was wrong, but before she could figure out why her family was so cold to her sister, He Yuansheng took the lead and arranged her marriage with Xu Zhiheng, asking her to continue his marriage with Xu Zhiheng.

Even though Xu Zhiheng became a widower, he was still considered a good husband candidate in the eyes of others in Shuojing. Especially after He Yan's death, his deep affection made many girls admire him. Although He Xinying knew that Xu Zhiheng was outstanding, she was extremely reluctant to marry into the Xu family. It was not uncommon for sisters to share a husband in Shuojing. But most of the time, the legitimate daughter became the main wife, and the illegitimate daughter became the concubine, taking care of each other. There was no such thing as two legitimate daughters marrying the same person one after another, and the girls of the He family were not unmarried. She was so young and beautiful, and had a good family background. Wouldn't it be better to find a young master of equal status as the main wife than to be the grandmother of Xu?

But He Yuanliang, who always doted on her, was very determined on this matter. Although her mother, Madam He Er, wanted to fight for her, she was powerless - in the He family, women's words were never counted.

He Xinying married into the Xu family unwillingly.

After marrying into the Xu family, He Xinying discovered that Xu Zhiheng was even more considerate and gentle than she had imagined. It was easy to fall for a handsome and outstanding husband who took care of her in everything, and Xu Zhiheng was indeed very popular with women. His occasional regrets and thoughts for his deceased wife would make people think that he was a man who valued friendship and was worthy of entrusting one's life.

After He Xinying married into the Xu family, her cousin He Rufei came to see her from time to time. He Xinying was somewhat spoiled. She should be the best married lady in the He family now. She enjoyed all the blessings that He Yan could not enjoy.

It just doesn't seem real sometimes.

"Oh, brother, husband," He Xinying said, "every autumn I used to go up to the mountain with my mother to the temple to burn incense and pray. Although I'm not at home this year, I still want to go with my mother."

Xu Zhiheng smiled and said, "Of course you can. If I have nothing to do that day, I will go with you."

He Xinying said happily: "That's great."

After sitting for a while, she got up and left, leaving Xu Zhiheng and He Rufei to talk inside. When she was out, her personal maid Xiao Liu asked, "Grandma, are you going back to the courtyard?"

He Xinying shook her head and said, "Let's go for a walk."

In the yard, the pond in summer was lush green, and the water was as calm as a mirror. The He family's pond was always planted with many lotus flowers, and at this time of year, the fragrance floated in the air, but the Xu family's pond had no lotus flowers, not even a rockery.

Xu Zhiheng was an elegant person, but this pond seemed like a pool of stagnant water. After looking at it for a long time, it felt like a bottomless abyss that could pull people in at any time. Her sister He Yan fell and drowned here. Perhaps it was because of this, or perhaps it was because of the blood relationship, that every time she walked here, she always felt that the wind was particularly cold and the water was especially cold, which made her feel uncomfortable.

He Xinying looked away.

Xiao Liu, the maidservant who came with her as a dowry, asked her, "Grandma, why didn't you stay in the room longer just now? The longer you stay... the better the Xu family will treat you."

He Xinying also understood that the reason why the old lady of the Xu family was so kind to her daughter-in-law was probably because of He Rufei's face. The closer she was to the eldest brother of this "Flying General", the more the Xu family dared not to treat her badly.

He Xinying shook her head and laughed at herself, "Brother didn't come to see me in the first place. It doesn't matter how long I stay in there."

If someone who knows He Yan is here, they will find that the insight and brightness in her eyes on this soft, sweet face are very similar to those of the former "Grandma Xu".

It's just deceiving yourself.

…

In less than a month, they traveled from Nanjing to Shuojing. After taking some rest along the way and hurrying on, they finally arrived at the city gate before the beginning of autumn.

In front of the Shuojing city gate, the guards who had received the news had already opened the city gate and the soldiers entered the city. The people along the street were all pointing at the troops.

He Yan and Lin Shuanghe hid in the carriage and did not accept these instructions. Lin Shuanghe was itching to say to He Yan, "If I had known it would be so majestic, I should have asked Huai Jin to give me a horse. When I sit on the horse, the girls can see my face more clearly."

"...Even if you're not sitting on the horse, Brother Lin, the girls in Shuojing City are very familiar with your face." He Yanan stroked him.

"That's true." After hearing her say this, Lin Shuanghe thought about it carefully and was no longer bothered.

He Yan herself didn't think much about being in the limelight. When she led the victorious Yue army back to Beijing, it was just as lively as it is today, but she was wearing a mask at that time, and she felt very uncomfortable, fearing that someone would find out. After returning to the He family, the next day, the real "He Rufei" accepted all the glory or burdens on her behalf.

She has never used her own face to face everything that "General Feihong" has brought.

The carriage creaked to a stop, and Yan He's voice came from outside: "How long are you going to sit in here? We are almost at the palace gate."

He Yan was startled, and dismounted with Lin Shuanghe.

Chu Zhao had already parted ways with their carriage after entering the city, and only a servant came to say a word. He Yan didn't care. They were not on the same path, so it was natural for them to split up. It was impossible for her to live in the Xiao Mansion and Chu Zhao would also move in with her, right?

"Commander-in-chief, what are we going to do..." He Yan asked.

"I need to go to the palace." Xiao Jue glanced at her, "You wait in the carriage first."

"Wait," Yan He looked at him in confusion, "Why don't you bring this kid with you? You must see the emperor when you enter the palace. Take this opportunity to let His Majesty get to know this kid. It will be beneficial to his career in the future. Since you are someone else's boss, you should find every opportunity to promote your subordinates. Or are you afraid that He will achieve more than you in the future, so you deliberately don't let him stand out?"

He Yan was truly convinced by Yan He. No matter how many possibilities there were, he could always think of the most boring one.

"Now is not the time." Xiao Jue was too lazy to explain to Yan He. He looked at He Yan and asked her patiently, "Are you okay here alone?"

He Yan smiled and said, "What problem can I have? Governor, just go ahead and I'll just take a nap in the carriage."

Lin Shuanghe sensed something was going on and poked his head out, "Huai Jin, do you mean that I have to enter the palace too?"

Xiao Jue looked at him coldly.

Lin Shuanghe coughed lightly and said, "Excuse me, can I not go?"

"No." Xiao Jue sneered, "Although I wrote to invite you to Liangzhou, you didn't tell anyone in the Lin family before you left. Doctor Lin has sent a lot of urgent letters to my account looking for people. Do you want to take a look now?"

Lin Shuanghe smiled awkwardly, "I wasn't... I thought you must be in a critical situation when you came to me. When people are in a hurry, their brains don't work well. I forgot, yes, I forgot to tell my family."

Yan He stood by and watched, fearing that the world would not be in chaos, and said coldly, "Aren't you his good friend? It won't kill you to take the blame for him."

Lin Shuanghe was deeply moved: "Brother Nanguang, I have known you for so many years, and finally I heard some human words from you."

"Shut up." Xiao Jue frowned slightly in impatience, and Lin Shuanghe immediately fell silent. After he got off the carriage, Xiao Jue was about to leave with him and the others, but suddenly he remembered something and walked to the carriage.

He Yan opened the carriage curtain and looked at him.

"Stay here, don't run around. There are too many people outside the palace and it's hard to see anyone around," Xiao Jue warned her. He paused and said in a softer tone, "I'll take you home when I leave the palace."