After finally perfunctorily dealing with He Yunsheng, He Yan finally stuffed two banknotes into his hands and warned He Yunsheng in detail not to tell anyone except He Sui about his meeting with him.

He Yunsheng said impatiently: "Of course I know, but you..." He looked at He Yan, "You won't disappear again, right?"

That day when they were on the boat, Fan Cheng got into trouble, and when He Yan left disguised as an assassin, she also said to He Yunsheng: We will definitely meet again. But not long after, she joined the army.

He Yan sighed in her heart, this child, she almost tricked him into revealing her shadow. She stood on tiptoe and touched He Yunsheng's head, but He Yunsheng turned his head away and smiled, "Don't worry, I'm an official now, and I'm in Shuojing. Don't worry, I'll come to see you in a few days. Just study hard, as a younger brother, you can't be less successful than me in the future."

He Yunsheng's face darkened and he asked, "How is that possible?"

I thought He Yan was going to laugh at him, but the girl in front of him, who was dressed as a teenager, looked at him with a smile and said in a gentle voice, "I know, our Yunsheng is the best."

He Yunsheng blushed and muttered softly, "I still want you to say it."

After sending He Yunsheng to the alley they had just come from, He Yan lowered the veil on his head, turned around and walked out. It never hurts to be more cautious about everything.

After parting, He Yan walked on the street, thinking about what happened to He Yunsheng just now. After that, Fan Cheng was still looking for trouble with He Sui. Although he has been quiet for a while now, who knows if he will do it again in the future. Although her official position can put pressure on the Fan family, but in the past, Miss He went to the door of the Fan Mansion to cry every now and then. The Fan family recognized her face, and it would be inappropriate to expose herself rashly.

We still have to think about it in the long run, but the good news is that He Yunsheng has really grown up. Thinking of this, He Yan also smiled. This young man has now become a man, and when faced with people's ridicule and mockery, he no longer immediately fights back angrily like before. He has learned to be patient, which is a growth that makes people feel distressed and relieved.

While thinking, she had unknowingly walked to the door of the Xiao family. It was already afternoon. The servant at the door saw He Yan, smiled and greeted him "Mr. He", and then opened the door. He Yan felt a little warm in her heart. The people of the Xiao family treated her very kindly.

After entering the house, He Yan walked to the courtyard. She didn't know if Xiao Jue had come back yet. If he had, she wanted to talk to him about what happened next. But when she walked to the corridor, she ran into Bai Rongwei who was instructing the servants to do something.

He Yan had a good impression of this Grandma Xiao. She was gentle and considerate, and was very good at taking care of other people's feelings. Seeing He Yan, Bai Rong was also stunned for a moment, and then smiled and said, "Mr. He."

He Yan nodded at her: "Madam."

"Huai Jin hasn't returned home yet." Bai Rongwei asked He Yan, "Mr. He, have you had your meal yet? If not, what would you like to eat? I'll ask the kitchen to make something and send it to your room."

"Don't bother," He Yan replied quickly, "I just ate outside."

She took the silver she had won earlier and gave He Yunsheng some snacks in the teahouse. Although the food was not as exquisite as that in the restaurant, it was still good. He Yunsheng seldom ate out, so he was a little hesitant at first, but he enjoyed the meal later.

Bai Rong smiled and said, "Well, let's do it later." She looked at He Yan, "Mr. He is the first friend Huai Jin brought back. It seems that he took good care of Huai Jin when he was in Liangzhou."

"No, no, it's the governor who takes care of me." He Yan blushed.

"Huai Jin rarely opens up to others. He treats you like this because Master He deserves his true friendship." Bai Rong sighed, "He doesn't like to show himself on a daily basis. If there is anything he does not do well, Master He, please bear with me. This kid has a good heart, but he always acts like he is unkind."

"The governor is a very good person," He Yan smiled, "Everyone knows it."

Bai Rongwei was relieved to see that she didn't seem to be perfunctory, "That's good. He has always been alone, and there is no girl around him who understands his feelings..." At this point, Bai Rongwei seemed to remember something and asked He Yan, "By the way, Mr. He, you are close to Huai Jin, do you know why he and Miss Shen are angry?"

"Miss Shen?" He Yan asked, "Shen Muxue?"

Bai Rong nodded slightly.

"What happened to them?"

"Miss Shen did not come with you when you returned to Beijing this time. I heard that it was because Huai Jin had to hurry to Rundu and did not want Miss Shen to travel too long. However... Miss Shen has already returned to Beijing a few days ago, but the two of them did not meet. If it were usual, Miss Shen would come to the mansion."

Seeing that He Yan was absorbed in listening, Bai Rongwei explained, "Mr. He may have already known about the relationship between the Shen family and our family. When my father was in trouble, Uncle Shen was the only one in the court who was willing to speak for the Xiao family. Miss Shen liked Huai Jin when she was young. A friend in need is a friend indeed. Even though Huai Jin used to treat Miss Shen coldly, he had to take care of her because of Uncle Shen. Later, Miss Shen secretly went to the place where Huai Jin led the troops without Uncle Shen's knowledge. At that time, there was chaos and it was not safe to send her back, so Miss Shen stayed on the battlefield and learned medical skills, and has been helping Huai Jin."

"Uncle Shen couldn't do anything with his daughter, so he had to ask Huai Jin to help take care of her. Huai Jin, in return for Uncle Shen's favor, also protected Miss Shen's safety on the battlefield."

He Yan had known that Shen Muxue went to the battlefield for Xiao Jue, but he didn't know the details. After hearing Bai Rongwei's story, he couldn't help but feel a little sad. Shen Muxue's action was very brave and loyal. Just as Liang Ping and the others said on the martial arts field that day, any man would be moved and pity her.

She heard her own voice and asked softly, hiding all her emotions: "Madam, do you want them to be together?"

"How could it be?" Bai Rong was slightly surprised, then laughed, "Rubi and I had this idea earlier, but later we saw that Huai Jin really had no interest in Miss Shen, so we gave up. Mr. He, you are close to Huai Jin, you should know that with Huai Jin's personality, no one can force him to do anything, let alone marry. Since he has no interest, we naturally cannot force him, otherwise it will not only harm Huai Jin, but also the girl."

He Yan was a little suspicious when he heard this, and asked Bai Rongwei, "I don't quite understand what Madam means."

"Even if we can't be husband and wife, we are still friends. Miss Shen refused to come to visit, which shows that they had a conflict over something. But Huai Jin is not a stingy person, and Miss Shen is not a girl who makes trouble for no reason. After thinking about it, there is only one possibility..." She looked at He Yan, her eyes sparkling, and her usually gentle expression was filled with a hint of expectation.

He Yan looked at her in confusion.

"Does Huaijin have a girl he likes?"

He Yan: "Ah?"

Bai Rongwei spoke to himself, "If Huai Jin has a girl he likes, then everything makes sense. Only this would really hurt Miss Shen's heart and she wouldn't even want to visit him. Mr. He, have you seen that Huai Jin has a crush on someone?"

He Yan: "...No."

"How could there be none?" Bai Rong was slightly disappointed, but soon continued to ask, "In the Liangzhou Guards, are there any girls who are close to Huai Jin?"

"In Liangzhou Guards, there are no other girls except Miss Shen..." He Yan stopped talking suddenly. In fact, there is a girl in Liangzhou Guards who is close to Xiao Jue, isn't she?

But Xiao Jue likes me, and he has a conflict with Shen Muxue because of me... This sounds unbelievable.

Bai Rong sighed, "This is... really worrying."

Seeing He Yan looking at him, Bai Rong smiled bitterly and said, "At Huai Jin's age, he should have gotten married a long time ago. But let alone getting married, he doesn't even have a girl he likes. Ru Bi and I are both very worried. Even though his classmates in Xian Chang Hall are still unmarried, they all have engaged families. Although Master Lin is also unengaged, Master Lin has connections with girls, so it shouldn't be difficult for him to get married. Huai Jin..."

He Yan couldn't help but speak for Xiao Jue, "If the governor wants to get married, it won't be difficult."

Bai Rongwei glanced at her and smiled, "It's not difficult indeed. Others marry girls, and the matchmakers knock down the doorstep. Our family wants to marry a wife, and the matchmakers have piled up the gifts in the yard. But what's the use? No matter how many girls like him, he won't look at them no matter how good they are. If he didn't hold a banquet at home every time he returned to Beijing, I'm afraid he would just walk away when he saw them."

He Yan: "..." She didn't know what to say, so she just forced a smile.

"Come to think of it, it's almost time for the banquet." Bai Rongwei looked at He Yan and smiled, "Young Master He should come along. I heard that he is a few years younger than Huai Jin, young and promising, and has an extraordinary appearance. If there is a girl he likes at the banquet... it can also lead to a good marriage."

She was thinking about He Yan wholeheartedly, and He Yan almost cried when she heard it. She thought to herself, why was it that she was so worried in Liangzhou, but she couldn't avoid it after returning to Shuojing. How come her heart was so tempered that it was not afraid of fire?

He Yan forced a smile and said, "We'll talk about it later... I've been a bit busy these days."

Bai Rong nodded slightly, "Master He, just focus on your own business and don't take it to heart. I just said it casually."

He Yan was afraid that if he continued to talk to Bai Rongwei, she would say something hurtful, so he quickly found an excuse to go back to the yard, hurriedly greeted her, and returned to his room.

After returning to the house and closing the door, He Yan sat down at the table, looking out the window at the flowers and plants in the yard. He punched the table and said in feigned anger, "How can this be possible!"

If anyone came and asked her to see Xiao Jue's affairs with other women again, she would simply tell the world that she was a traitor and had improper thoughts about Xiao Jue, and see if they would still let her do such a good deed to help others.

…

At the same time, someone was sitting in an elegant room of a restaurant somewhere in Shuojing.

Fei Nu and Chi Wu stood at the door. Soon, someone walked in from outside.

This was a woman in guard clothes, about 30 years old, very beautiful, but her long hair was tied into a high bun, her eyebrows were cold, and she seemed a little unkind. She strode into the elegant room, without looking at Chiwu and Feinu, and only saluted to Xiao Jue and said, "Young Master."

"Luanying." Xiao Jue looked at her, "Any news about He Rufei?"

The woman named Luanying spoke respectfully, "I have already written a letter to Chiwu about He Rufei's deeds and sent it to you. We have made new discoveries in the past few days. Since He Rufei was appointed as a general, he has never left the capital except for the battle of Huayuan. And most of the officials he has good relations with in the court are civil servants."

"Civil servant," Xiao Jue bent his fingers, tapped the teacup in front of him, and said calmly, "Does he have any women he knows?"

Luanying was stunned for a moment, then replied, "No. He Rufei is now of marriageable age, and I heard that Madam He is looking for a suitable wife for him. However, He Rufei himself does not seem to be interested in women. Apart from his second cousin, he rarely interacts with women."

"Second cousin?"

"He Yuanliang's second daughter is now He Xinying, the new wife of Hanlin scholar Xu Zhiheng." Luanying replied.

Xiao Jue lowered his eyebrows and looked at the teacup in front of him. After a while, he asked, "What is the relationship between He Rufei and the former Grandma Xu?"

"The former Grandma Xu?" Luanying was confused for a moment, then said, "It seems that she is not bad. The former Grandma Xu was in poor health and had been recuperating on the farm before she got married. Although there is no evidence to prove that they had a close relationship, after Grandma Xu died, He Rufei personally took care of her funeral, which lasted for three days and three nights. This shows the deep love between the brother and sister."

Xiao Jue curled his lips and said, "Not necessarily." What a deep brother-sister love. He Rufei should have stopped He Xinying from marrying Xu Zhiheng as a continuation, because for his sister who died young, this was definitely not a comfort, but an insult.

However, he is not surprised at what He Rufei does now, because the current General Feihong is not "He Rufei" at all.

The real He Rufei may have died before he was appointed as a general, or may not be dead yet, but the He family would never allow a woman to possess the wealth and glory prepared for "He Rufei", so the current "He Rufei" appeared.

But what he didn't understand was that in this matter, He Rufei became the vested interest, and the He family became a community of interests, but what about that woman "He Rufei"? What made her willingly put on the mask and fight for merit in the name of He Rufei? Was she in love with He Rufei? That was possible, but even if it was love, she persisted for too long.

The real "He Rufei" was silly and stubborn, but the current "He Rufei" is a smart man who can let all his former confidants "die in battle" in order to prevent the news from leaking out. It can be imagined that the original "He Rufei" is already in a dangerous situation.

"Go spread the word," Xiao Jue said, "In the battle at Huayuan, He Rufei's ability to defeat the enemy was so great that he retreated thousands of miles overnight. He is completely different from before."

"From now on, you must keep a close eye on He Rufei. Don't miss a single detail of who he met and what he did."

Luanying: “Yes.”

Xiao Jue picked up the teacup and took a sip before looking at her. "Another thing, how is your investigation going?"

Luanying's expression froze. "I was just about to report this to the young master, but I found soldiers who were lucky enough to survive the Mingshui battle on a farm outside the city. But they hid very well, and Prime Minister Xu's men were also looking for them. We found one earlier, but he refused to believe us and committed suicide by jumping into a well before he could see us."

Xiao Jue paused in his motion of holding the teacup, put it down, lowered his eyes and said, "You continue to search for the remaining people, and be careful not to be discovered by Xu Jingfu's people. When you find them, let me know immediately." He tilted his head, his expression very calm, "I will go to see them in person."

…

It's late at night.

There was a sound of a door opening next door. He Yan, who was sitting at the table, was startled. She stood up and opened the door. Sure enough, she saw Xiao Jue walking in. She called out "Commander-in-chief" and trotted over.

Xiao Jue looked down at her and asked, "Why aren't you asleep yet?"

He Yan blurted out: "I'm waiting for you."

Xiao Jue raised his eyebrows slightly and said, "I'm not Yan He." After saying that, he walked in slowly.

He Yan followed him like a tail, and took two steps before coming to his senses. He wondered what he meant by what he said, and his face suddenly became hot.

Chi Wu and Fei Nu did not follow him in. He Yan closed the door for him. Xiao Jue was not used to being served by others, and there was no servant in the room. At this moment, he leaned against the wall, poured two cups of tea, and handed one to He Yan.

"Thank you." He Yan took the tea, but didn't want to drink it. He held the tea and asked him, "Commander-in-chief, I came here to ask you something. When will you take me to the palace?"

Xiao Jue unbuttoned the top two buttons of her brocade gown and asked casually, "What do you want to do in the palace?"

"We have won battles in Rundu, Jiyang, and also in Liangzhou Weili. His Majesty will certainly reward us in person, and it is almost Mid-Autumn Festival, so there will be no shortage of rewards. After all, I have followed the governor for so long. When His Majesty plans to reward me at the banquet, I can buy some clothes in advance and dress up." He Yan said confidently.

Xiao Jue stared at her for a while, then curled his lips and said, "Achieve great success?"

If he hadn't said it, He Yan would have almost forgotten that he had said this before, but now that he was using it to tease him, He Yan didn't feel anything at all. She nodded shamelessly, "That's right. It's already halfway built. The governor will help me build it up. If I am awarded a high official position, we can help each other when we become officials in the same court in the future."

Xiao Jue laughed, "Nonsense."

He Yan was a little anxious. She was in a hurry to enter the palace because only in this way could she meet Xu Zhiheng and He Rufei first. According to the past, when a victorious general returned to the capital, there would be a banquet in the palace with all the officials. This was a good opportunity for her to appear. Now she could also go directly to the door of Xu's and He's houses and wait, but in this case, the effect would not be as good as the other method.

Moreover, once she enters the palace, it will be the best opportunity for her and Xiao Jue to clear up their differences.

Thinking of this, He Yan couldn't help feeling a little sad. Thinking about what Bai Rongwei said during the day, he felt even more depressed.

Xiao Jue was already very sensitive. When he saw He Yan's sudden depressed look, Xiao Jue paused and asked, "What's wrong?"

He Yan raised his head and changed the subject, "Captain, did you have a fight with Miss Shen?"

Xiao Jue was stunned and looked away, "Why do you ask that?"

"I met Madam Xiao in the mansion today. She asked me if I knew why you quarreled with Miss Shen." He Yan said in a dull voice, "When I left Liangzhou for Rundu earlier, you were all fine. Later, when I met the governor in Rundu, Miss Shen did not come with me. Brother Lin said that he did not want Miss Shen to travel too much... Now it seems that you did not travel together because of the quarrel?"

"It's not a quarrel." Xiao Jue interrupted her, "It's just that there's no need."

He Yan: "What do you mean... unnecessary?"

Xiao Jue lowered his head and stared into her eyes. The emotions surging in his eyes were something she couldn't understand. His voice was still calm, as steady as if nothing had happened. "She is not someone I have. Why should I take her with me?"

He Yan blinked.

This atmosphere, this posture, this tone, it's really easy to misunderstand. How can a normal little girl withstand this? Even she, who has lived two lifetimes, was stirred by this, and she took a few deep breaths in her heart before she calmed down.

"You can't say that. Miss Shen has always been by your side, and you two are friends. If there really is any misunderstanding, it would be better to talk it out..."

"You came into my room just to say this?" Xiao Jue said calmly.

"Ah, that's not the case." He Yan looked at him, "I just want to say that if His Majesty wants to hold a banquet before the Mid-Autumn Festival, the governor must bring me along." Her eyes were filled with undisguised eagerness, "I've never met His Majesty before. If I can meet him, I can show off in front of my brother the next time I see him."

Xiao Jue raised his eyebrows, "Did you go to see He Yunsheng today?"

"Yes." He Yan did not hide it, "I have been away from home for a long time, and my family is worried about me. Now that I am back in Shuojing, I should let them know that I am safe."

Xiao Jue looked at her with a meaningful look in his eyes, "You told them that you live in my house?"

He Yan was startled and immediately denied it, "No, no! I would never do something that would tarnish the governor's reputation. I only said that I was staying at a friend's house, but I didn't say who it was. I don't think they could guess that I was living in the Xiao Mansion."

Xiao Jue heard this, not knowing what it meant, and nodded, "Actually, it doesn't matter if I tell you." He glanced at the stunned He Yan and said calmly, "You are my 'capable subordinate'. Sooner or later, they will know about our relationship."

He Yan: “…”

What's wrong with Xiao Jue now? He made the upright relationship between superiors and subordinates sound like a shameful relationship between men and women. It makes me blush and feel embarrassed.

He Yan cleared his throat twice, "Anyway... the governor should remember to bring me along with him to the palace banquet. If the governor brings me along, I will definitely repay you in the future."

Xiao Jue looked her up and down and asked lazily, "How do you repay me?"

He Yan: “…I haven’t thought about it yet.”

He sneered, turned around to put down the teapot on the table, and said casually, "Okay, Miss He can go with me to the next palace banquet."

He Yan was delighted and narrowed his eyes, "Thank you very much!"

－－－－－－－A side note－－－－－－－

Player Xiao is flirting with girls like crazy