That night at Xiao's house, He Yan slept very late.

This is not Liangzhou Guard, there is a middle door between the rooms. Probably knowing that Xiao Jue is next door, He Yan is even more nervous. I don't know if it's her illusion, but I always feel that Xiao Jue treats her much more gently now. For Xiao Jue, it may be a trivial matter, but for her, it can always easily stir up the most secret emotions deep in her heart.

He Yan turned over, but her current status was special. Once she returned to Shuojing, all the things about Xu Zhiheng and He Rufei were in front of her. No matter who she was with, she would be a burden. Xiao Jue already had a deep hatred for the Xiao family. If she implicated him again... He Yan took a deep breath and looked at the tent above her head. It was really not a good idea.

Her mind was filled with all kinds of chaotic thoughts, and she didn't fall asleep until midnight. When she woke up the next day, it was already noon.

She was stunned for a moment, then turned over and sat up. She changed her clothes and opened the door. On the steps facing the courtyard, there sat a chubby little maid about eight or nine years old. She was holding her face and looking at the ants in the corner seriously. When she heard the noise, she raised her head, revealing a round face that looked like a doll in a New Year painting. Her eyes narrowed into a slit with a smile: "Master He is awake!"

She brushed off the dust on her clothes, stood up, and trotted towards He Yan. The child was still too young, and her short legs made He Yan afraid that she would fall.

He Yan asked: "You are..."

"My name is Baiguo," the little girl answered obediently, "The Second Young Master asked me to take care of you, but I can't go into the Young Master's room unless he calls me. The Young Master has woken up, and I'll go to the kitchen to bring breakfast over."

Her voice was also soft and sticky. He Yan couldn't help but touch her head and asked, "Where is your Second Young Master?"

"The Second Young Master left early in the morning," Bai Guo replied with a smile, "Before he left, the Second Young Master said that you don't have to feel constrained. If you don't want to stay in the house, you can go out to do things on your own and come back early in the evening." She thought of something and added, "There are banknotes in the wooden stool on the table in the Young Master's room. The Second Young Master said that you can use it. If you need anything else, just tell me directly and I will report to the Grand Madam."

This little girl still had an irrepressible childishness in her body, but she spoke very logically. He Yan laughed, "You are so young, why would your Second Young Master let you serve me?"

"My father is the manager of the mansion," Bai Guo puffed out her chest proudly, "Second Young Master, please order me to come over. I will definitely be able to take care of this good young master."

"Thank you very much." He Yan said with a smile.

Baiguo was very excited, as if it was the first time she had received such an important task. She replied, "Young Master is the Second Young Master's friend. You don't have to thank me. I will go to the kitchen now. Young Master, please wait a moment. The hot water is in the silver kettle. It is right at the entrance of the courtyard. You can pour it directly if you want to wash your face. The Second Young Master said that Young Master does not like to be contacted by people. I don't need to do these small things like pouring water and serving." She stuck out her tongue and ran away.

He Yan looked at her back and thought, Xiao Jue was very thoughtful. He asked a little girl to come over. She was simple and innocent. Even if she saw something wrong with her, she would not think about it in other ways. If a smart girl came over, what if she accidentally discovered her identity?

She lowered her head and laughed, then went to the place Baiguo mentioned to fetch some water, went back to the house, and started to wash up.

Just after she finished washing up, Bai Guo came in with a food basket. She stepped over the threshold and put the food basket on the table. "Sir, when you finish eating, just put the food basket here. I will clean it up. If you need anything, come in again." Without waiting for He Yan to say anything, she immediately left.

He Yan: “…”

I really don’t know how Xiao Jue talked to her.

The meals were all light porridge and small dishes, just like last night, not luxurious, but full of exquisiteness and care. After He Yan finished his meal, he put the empty bowls and plates into the food basket. He tidied his clothes and walked to the table. He thought of what Bai Guo had said just now, and opened the wooden curtain. Sure enough, he saw a thick stack of banknotes inside.

I thought that the silver notes that Bai Guo mentioned were only one or two at most, but I never thought that Xiao Jue would be so generous. This small amount of money was enough to give the girl's family a betrothal gift. He Yan thought angrily, a son of an evil aristocrat. No wonder Xiao Jue went shopping for clothes in Jiyang and settled on a hundred taels of silk gauze without blinking.

If you have money you can do whatever you want.

He Yan did not touch the banknotes in the room. He closed the wooden stool again and walked out of the room.

She had a good memory and knew how to get from this courtyard to the gate of the Xiao Mansion. She did not meet Bai Rongwei and Xiao Jing along the way. As for the other servants, no one paid attention to her, as if Xiao Jue had given them a heads-up in advance. They just focused on their own work. It was as if He Yan's appearance in the Xiao family was a very natural thing, as if she had lived in the Xiao family for a long time and was a member of the Xiao family.

He Yan walked out of the Xiao Mansion without much effort.

As soon as he walked out of the door, he noticed the bright sunlight. He Yan squinted his eyes and walked in one direction.

Before she left Beijing to join the army, she had won a large sum of money in Letong Village and sent He Yunsheng to school. Now a year and a half has passed, and I don’t know if He Yunsheng is still studying in that school. She can’t go directly to the He family, after all, the neighbors have watched Miss He grow up, and even if she dresses up as a man, she may not be recognized. He Yunsheng’s classmates in the school have never seen He Yan, so it is safer.

At this moment, the time was just right, and He Yan arrived at the gate of "Helu Academy" without much effort. Helu Academy was not as good as Xianchang Academy, but it was also a good academy in the homes of ordinary people. In the Wei Dynasty, which valued literature over martial arts, Yuelu Academy not only taught literature, but also had teachers to teach martial arts, which was what He Yan valued the most. He Yunsheng was a little late in learning, and he himself was not interested in this, but his boxing skills were not bad. If he wanted to be a martial artist in the future, it would not be impossible.

It was early morning, the best time to study, and the sound of reading could be heard from Yuelu Academy. He Yan was not from the academy, so it was not easy for him to go in directly. So he ordered a cup of tea in the teahouse outside and sat there for about half an hour. When school was over, he took advantage of the teachers leaving one after another to climb over the wall and enter the academy.

Students were leaving the academy from time to time. He Yan was just looking for a boy to ask where He Yunsheng was. Before he knew it, he had walked to the window of the academy. From inside, the boys laughed and teased him maliciously, "Brother Yunsheng, are you really not going with me today? Today is Brother Wang's birthday!"

Another person said, "How can Brother Yunsheng look down on us? You see, we are playing together, but when have you ever seen Brother Yunsheng come with us? Brother Yunsheng is so good at martial arts, and he has a handsome face. If he is so popular with girls, he may be able to get married well in the future and become very successful. Why does he hang out with us?"

There was another round of booing, and He Yan frowned slightly. This kind of teasing was really too hurtful. He Yunsheng was arrogant and impatient, how could he stand this? They were probably going to fight.

She was worried and secretly looked inside. She saw a young man in blue standing in front of the table where the young men were gathered. He lowered his head to tidy up the books on the table. She didn't hear him say a word from beginning to end.

He actually endured such humiliation.

Perhaps they felt like a punch on cotton, without any sound. After making a fuss for a while, the teenagers felt bored and left the school in twos and threes. At the same time, He Yunsheng packed up his books, got up and went out.

He Yan followed He Yunsheng from a distance.

He Yunsheng entered an empty alley and took only a few steps when he suddenly felt a strong wind coming from behind. He turned around subconsciously and slapped back, but the palm did not hit anyone. Instead, it met with another soft yet strong palm, which silently blocked his palm wind and easily made him take a few steps back.

"Who!" he shouted vigilantly.

The next moment, a familiar voice with a smile sounded, "Good boy, it seems that more than a year of training in school has not been in vain, and your strength has increased a lot."

He Yunsheng was stunned when he heard the voice. He could not believe his ears. The palm in front of him was removed, revealing a face. A face that looked somewhat similar to his, a face that appeared in his mind every now and then, a beautiful face that was familiar yet strange.

His sister... He Yan.

"You..." He Yunsheng's voice trembled.

He Yan slapped him on the head and rubbed it, "What are you talking about? Call me sister!"

"How did you come back!" He Yunsheng seemed to finally come to his senses and rubbed his eyes. It was at this moment that the young man began to resemble the man He Yan had seen in the past. He took a step forward and grabbed He Yan's elbows, as if to confirm whether he was dreaming or in reality. "Are you really back? He Yan! When did you come back? Do you know that Dad and I have been worried to death this year?" His eyes turned red and his voice choked.

He Yan looked at the boy in front of him and couldn't help sighing. Young people grow fast. After a year or so, He Yunsheng has grown much taller than before. Now, to see him, you have to look up. He is also much thinner than before, looking tall and straight, as if he is already an adult.

He Yan grabbed him and walked out, "This is not the place to talk, come with me."

…

In the teahouse, the exquisite cakes were placed in front of him, but He Yunsheng had no intention of eating them. The person in front of him pushed the plate towards him, "Don't you like this? Eat more."

He Yunsheng stiffened his neck and said, "I don't like sweets."

He Yan rolled her eyes in her heart. She didn't know who was the one who drooled over the cakes He Sui gave her when they went up the mountain to chop firewood. She looked at the boy in front of her. The child had grown up and knew how to maintain his self-esteem.

Strangely enough, she had met Cheng Lisu and Song Taotao, both of whom were younger than her, but she always had an inexplicable concern for He Yunsheng. This concern was well hidden in Liangzhou, but once she saw He Yunsheng in person, she couldn't help it. She just wanted to give the best to this child and hoped that he would be well in the future. Perhaps it was because this body was Miss He's fate, and the wonder of blood relationship was here.

"You haven't told me yet, why did you come back?" He Yunsheng stared at He Yan and hesitated for a moment, "And why are you like this now?"

He Yan looked at him with a smile, "This look...isn't this look good?"

He Yunsheng didn't say it was bad, nor did he say it was good. He just felt it was weird. He was used to seeing He Yan wearing a skirt, and he had seen her wearing men's clothes once before, but even then, it wasn't as natural as it was now. If He Yan wasn't his sister, if he saw someone like this on the street, He Yunsheng would definitely not believe that this person was a woman.

He Yan was born pretty. Even when He Yunsheng and her relationship was at its worst, He Yunsheng had to admit this fact. But her beauty always seemed a little frivolous and cheap, especially when she tried every means to extort He Sui's money to buy herself clothes and accessories. He Yan is a little darker now than she was then, and she is almost without makeup. Rather than being beautiful, she is more heroic now. That bit of cheerfulness and radiance makes her eyes as bright as stars.

Actually...it's still beautiful, even more attractive than before.

However, this is not the point at all. He Yunsheng came to his senses and said, "Are you still in the barracks now? No, if you are still in the barracks, how can you escape?"

"I, your sister, am very capable and quite appreciated by my superiors," He Yan picked up the tea and took a sip, "When I joined the army, I was fortunate enough to be appointed a minor official. Now, I am not as good as the best, but I am better than the worst."

"How can you be an official?" He Yunsheng was shocked. "Don't you know that you are a woman? Even if you can hide it for a while, you can't hide it forever! If someone finds out your identity in the future, you'll be finished! No, no," He Yunsheng was anxious, "You must resign immediately, resign tomorrow!"

He Yan tilted his head and looked at him, "Why don't you ask what official position I was given?"

"No matter what position you hold, you can't stay!" He Yunsheng said impatiently, "Even if you are the prime minister, you can't stay. Besides, the higher your position, the more dangerous it is. Even for a little glory and wealth, you can't risk your life. You must resign!"

He Yan was stunned and a little dazed for a moment.

How could the two officials of the He family not understand the truth that a child like He Yunsheng could understand? Using someone else as a substitute for someone else was obviously an extremely dangerous thing. Once discovered, she would be dead. But the He family still let her do it, and they have been doing it for so many years.

It turns out that it was just... human greed, and they were reluctant to part with that little bit of glory and wealth. Or maybe, in their eyes, He Yan's life was just a weight, and was worthless compared to the future glory that could be gained.

"Hey, are you listening to me?" He Yunsheng waved in front of her.

He Yan raised his head and smiled, "Of course I know what you said. I must resign, but now is not the right time. I still have some things to do. I will resign after I finish my work."

He Yunsheng was about to ask her what was going on when He Yan suddenly spoke again. She asked, "Let's not talk about me. What about you? How was Dad during the time I was away from Shuojing? Did anyone from the Fan family come to cause trouble?"

He Yunsheng frowned and said, "How could those bastards not pick a fight?"

It turns out that after He Yan joined the army, the murderer of Fan Cheng was never found, so the Fan family took out their anger on the He family. Although He Yan was also a "victim", there was no evidence because He Yan's body was not found. Fan Cheng's family often found trouble with He Sui in the school lieutenant field, slandering He Sui for doing things improperly, causing He Sui to lose his job as a lieutenant.

Fortunately, not long after that, a merchant in Shuojing City wanted to hire a guard in his mansion. He learned that He Sui had been a lieutenant and had good skills, so he invited He Sui to work in his mansion. Although it sounded not as respectable as being a lieutenant, the merchant was generous and gave a lot of money.

He Yan was a little skeptical, "You have plenty of money, but aren't the clothes you're wearing all old? It's clear from what your classmates said that they disliked you for not spending money with them."

He Yunsheng looked at her incredulously, "You actually eavesdropped..."

"Tsk," He Yan smiled, "I was just passing by and happened to hear it. You guys are keeping the money, aren't you saving it for you as a betrothal gift?"

He Yunsheng didn't say anything. He couldn't tell He Yan that although the family was much better off, he had discussed with He Sui that it was unknown when He Yan would return after joining the army. A girl had to endure so much hardship outside, it was good enough to be alive. If she was too old when she came back, or was rejected by others, she would not marry and save more money. In the future, He Yan wanted to live alone in Shuojing. With more money, she would always live a good life.

Seeing that He Yunsheng didn't say anything, He Yan thought she had guessed it right, and smiled, "Don't be so frugal. I am now a salaried person after all." She took out two banknotes from her pocket and whispered, "We won a battle before, and these are the spoils of war, the award from His Majesty. Take this money and go back to make two new clothes for Dad and yourself. Be nice to yourself, clothes make the man, and the saddle makes the horse. If you dress up nicely, the girl you like will be interested in you, right? Girls like handsome guys. Although you have a handsome face, your personality is not pleasing. You need to use clothes to dress up."

He Yunsheng held the two banknotes in his hand for a moment before asking, "Did you win the battle? Did you go to the battlefield? Which one? The Battle of Jiyang River, the Battle of Liangzhou Guard Station, or the Battle of Rundu?"

He Yan didn't expect that he was still paying attention to these things. He scratched his head and said, "Actually... I have been in all these games."

He Yunsheng took a breath of cold air.

He Yan left in a hurry, leaving only a letter. He Yunsheng later asked someone to find out that the batch of soldiers recruited in Shuojing at that time all went to Liangzhou Guard. After that, he kept an eye on the news of Liangzhou Guard. He heard that the journey was long and many weak people died on the way. He prayed every day, hoping that his mother in heaven would bless He Yan to be safe. He also heard that the weather in Liangzhou Guard was bitter and cold, and the training was hard, so he just hoped that He Yan could be a team soldier. When Ridamuzi led the troops to Liangzhou Guard, he and He Sui did not sleep all night. Later, they comforted each other, saying that He Yan must be fine, she couldn't even carry a knife, and she was smart, so she might not see the enemy.

The Jiyang Water Battle... The Rundu City Defense... In short, He Sui and He Yunsheng have had an extremely difficult life since He Yan joined the army. If they were not afraid that the Fan family would find out He Yan's whereabouts, they would have to pack up and rush to Liangzhou in person.

"Didn't I send someone to give you a message?" He Yan asked.

He Yunsheng frowned and thought for a while, then said, "There were two times, but the conversations were very brief, and they were both written on notes and thrown into the room. We never met, so I don't know what the situation was like on your end." At this point, He Yunsheng became angry and anxious, "What were you thinking at the time? Why did you want to join the army? You, a girl..."

"No one said that women can't join the army." He Yan was afraid of his chattering and interrupted him, "Besides, look, I'm safe now, right? By the way, Dad is no longer a captain, are the Fan family still harassing me?"

He Yunsheng shook his head. "The Fan family stopped coming a few months ago." He said sarcastically, "We accepted their beatings and scoldings. They probably knew it was meaningless. I heard that the old man of the Fan family had another son, so he didn't care about the previous one anymore."

He Yan couldn't help but gasp in amazement. Mr. Fan was already so old, yet he still had a child in his old age. It really made people at a loss for words.

"Come back with me." He Yunsheng looked at He Yan, "Dad will be home in the evening. I don't know how happy he will be to see you when you come back."

He Yan shook his head, "I can't go back now."

"Why?"

"Yunsheng," He Yan looked at him patiently, "My current identity is very delicate. The neighbors have all seen my face. If I am recognized... there will be trouble. Even if I want to meet my father, it is not at home. Besides, now is not a good time." She stuffed the banknote into He Yunsheng's hand, "I came here today just to see you. I feel relieved to see that you are doing well. Tell Dad that I am fine. We will find a place to meet in a few days."

He Yunsheng felt a little aggrieved. He finally saw her, but she had to hide again, as if she couldn't see anyone. But he knew in his heart that what He Yan said was right.

"Then what are you going to do?" He stuffed the banknote into He Yan's hand, "Don't you need money yourself? Take it yourself. And where are you living now? An inn? Inns are not safe. I heard there are many shady shops..."

He Yan was too lazy to push him around, so he stuffed the banknotes into his arms and said, "I still have a lot of them there, in a thick stack. You can use them whenever you want. Don't bother your little kid. I'm not staying in an inn now. I've asked someone to find a house to rent. Before that, I'll stay at a friend's house."

"Friend?" He Yunsheng's ears perked up, he looked at her warily, and couldn't wait to ask: "What friend? The one you met in Liangzhouwei? How old is he? Male or female?"

He Yan: “…”

How come it was like a father asking his daughter to stay overnight outside? She thought that if she told him Xiao Jue's name, He Yunsheng would probably follow her back to the Xiao Mansion tonight - after all, He Yan still remembered what He Yunsheng said.

"If I were a woman, I would only love him!"

The corners of He Yan's mouth twitched. For a moment, he couldn't imagine the scene of He Yunsheng and Xiao Jue standing together. After a while, he said, "Why does a child care so much? After all, he is an important person."