He Yan entered Xianchang Hall when she was fourteen, and joined the Vietnamese army when she was fifteen. She joined the army in a hurry and no one knew about it. The teachers and guardians in Xianchang Hall were all shocked. Later, when she returned to Beijing, she had already won merits and received titles and gifts, so the He family did not pursue why she joined the army.

Now think about it, if she had not received any merit at that time, and was just an ordinary soldier, and returned to the He family after a few years of wandering, the result might not be what it is now.

He Yan still remembers Song Taotao.

Fifteen-year-old He Yan studied in Xianchang Hall under the identity of He Rufei. She was mediocre in qualifications, and as a girl, she was not as strong as a man, so she could not be compared with the young men in Xianchang Hall. He Yuansheng gradually saw through it, but he did not blame her. He Yan thought that she could live a peaceful life like this forever.

Until that day.

Xianchang Hall had two days every month when students could go home. But because the rainy season was coming, the rain washed down the plaque at the entrance of Xianchang Hall. The teachers and guardians asked the students to go home one day in advance and come back three days later.

He Yan returned in a hurry, and no one knew about it. She changed her clothes first, and then went to find He Yuansheng. Every month when she returned to the He family, He Yuansheng would ask her about her life in Xianchang Hall. This kind of distant, almost surveillance-like questioning did not make He Yan feel warm. Every time she talked to He Yuansheng, she was actually a little nervous.

But that day, when she went there, He Yuansheng hadn't come back yet, and even the servant was not at the door. So she sat in He Yuansheng's study and waited. There was a screen in the study, and He Yan thought that since there was nothing to do, she might as well sit down in front of the small table behind the screen and read a book.

She had only sat down for a moment when someone came in.

The voice that spoke was He Yuanliang. He asked, "What do you think about He Yan's matter?"

He Yan, who was about to leave, was stunned when she heard this. She stopped trying to go around the screen. She didn't leave, but shrank back.

He Yuanliang and He Yuansheng have different temperaments. He Yuansheng looks gentle, but he is actually very strict. When Mrs. He gave birth to other children, he was also very harsh to them. He Yuanliang, her biological father, has a completely different temperament. He is always smiling. He also dotes on his children, except for her.

He Yan's feelings towards He Yuanliang were very complicated. If her feelings towards He Yuansheng were the same respect she had towards her adoptive father and uncle, then towards He Yuanliang, she had a subtle sense of dependence and expectation. She hoped that He Yuanliang would be as kind and intimate to her as he was to his sisters, but He Yuanliang was not like that. Every time he looked at her, his eyes were like those of a nephew, polite and at most a few words of lecture.

After so many disappointments, He Yan stopped forcing it.

But today, when he heard his biological father's name, He Yan didn't know why he had to hide here and not go out.

"She is doing well now. She is studying in Xianchang Hall and no one has noticed her. She is fifteen now... She must be married before she is eighteen at the latest."

He Yan, hiding behind the screen, even held his breath for a moment.

Marriage? She had never thought about this. She was now He Rufei, a man, so how could she get engaged? Once engaged, what would He Rufei do? Who would be this "He Rufei"?

She thought it was natural, she was a woman, it was natural for her to be engaged to a man, after all, she was not good at grinding mirrors. However, what He Yuanliang said next surprised her.

"Brother, have you seen a suitable girl in the capital?"

girl?

How could it be a girl?

He Yan raised her head. The two people outside the screen had their backs to her. She couldn't see their expressions clearly, but from their tone, she could tell that they were calm and didn't realize at all how shocking what she said was.

"Song Ci, the deputy director of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, has two daughters. The elder one is already married, and the younger one is now eleven years old." He Yuansheng said, "They are a little young, but when He Yan is eighteen, she will be of age. After two years, they can get married."

"Song Ci's daughter?" He Yuanliang hesitated. "Is it the little girl named Song Taotao? I remember that Song Ci went to look for a birthday gift for her daughter two years ago and searched all the merchants in Shuojing."

"That's right," He Yuansheng stroked his beard and smiled, "Song Ci has no young sons yet, only two daughters. Now that the eldest daughter is married, he dotes on the youngest daughter. If we can marry into the Song family, we will get the support of the Song family. Why worry about our family not prospering?"

He Yuanliang also relaxed his expression after hearing this, and said, "Brother, what you said makes sense. Why don't I host a banquet in a few days to invite Song Ci to come to my house and talk about the children. At least, we need to let him know that we have this idea first."

The two of them were talking happily, as if this marriage was just a deal, and that was all. Nowadays, in the houses of the rich and powerful, women are mostly used as bargaining chips to balance marriages. But using her as a bargaining chip is fine, why not take her identity into consideration?

She is a woman! How can a woman marry a woman? If they really get married, wouldn't it ruin the girl's life?

He Yan was thinking this in his heart, when he bumped into the screen unexpectedly, making a sound. He Yuansheng turned around and shouted, "Who?"

When He Yan saw that he had been discovered, he simply stood up and said, "It's me."

"He Yan?" He Yuansheng breathed a sigh of relief, then frowned and said, "Why are you here? Aren't we supposed to be at Xianchang Hall today?"

"The teacher asked us to leave school a day early, so I came here to look for my father." He Yan paused and glanced at He Yuanliang secretly. He Yuanliang smiled as usual, and his expression did not change at all because he called He Yuansheng "father".

It's just another disappointment, why would you still not give up? He Yan lowered his head, hiding the disappointment in his eyes.

"I have something to discuss with your second uncle now. Please come back to see me later." He Yuansheng said, "Go see your mother first."

He Yan didn't move.

"He Yan?" He Yuansheng frowned again.

"I have heard what father and second uncle just said." He Yan raised his head and said calmly, "Father, I am a woman, how can I marry the second daughter of the Song family?"

The two brothers were stunned for a moment as they did not expect He Yan to speak like this.

"These are not your business," He Yuansheng replied after a long while, "I will arrange everything for you."

"I will not marry the second daughter of the Song family. As a woman, sacrificing me alone is enough. There is no need to involve irrelevant people." He Yan said.

She is fifteen years old now, a little taller than before, and dressed like a teenager. She has a clear and open gaze, and standing here, as tall as a poplar tree, she looks like a stranger.

He Yuan was furious and asked, "What do you mean by that? Are you resentful of us? Are you blaming us for sacrificing your rights as a woman?"

He Yuanliang looked at her with a smile, "He Yan, how can you talk to big brother like this? Big brother is doing this for your own good."

He Yan thought, is this really for her own good? She was studying in Xianchang Hall, and her teacher taught her that "compassion is the beginning of benevolence; shame and remorse is the beginning of righteousness; courtesy is the beginning of propriety; and the sense of right and wrong is the beginning of wisdom." But now the He family wants her to be unkind, unrighteous, unpropriety, and unwise. How absurd is that?

He Yan was not afraid at all, and answered loudly: "I will never agree to get engaged to Miss Song! Not only that, I will never marry any woman in my life and ruin other people's lives!"

He Yuansheng and He Yuanliang were both stunned.

Everyone in the He family knew what kind of personality He Yan had. She was gentle and easy to talk to, even a little timid and cowardly. In the He family, she would do whatever she was told to do, and she didn't like to cause trouble. If it weren't for the accidental exchange of identities, she would be like all the mediocre young ladies from official families in Shuojing, taciturn, well-behaved, and lived her life like a puppet.

But what does she look like now?

"He Yan, how dare you talk to me like that?" He Yuansheng was really angry. When he was angry, his facial features were very fierce. The children from the He family's eldest wife were very afraid of him.

He Yan looked at him, unmoved, "My father sent me to Xianchang Hall to study so that I could learn etiquette and morality, not to be a liar for profit."

The young man held his head high, proud, clear-headed, and clean. Perhaps it was the contempt in her eyes that hurt He Yuansheng. He Yuansheng became angry and slapped He Yan hard in the face.

That was the first time He Yan was beaten by He Yuansheng.

Her biological father just watched from the side without saying anything. The only thing he said from beginning to end was, "Brother is doing this for your own good."

The quarrel between He Yuansheng and He Yan shocked the entire He family. As the highest authority in the He family, no one would doubt He Yuansheng's decision. He Yan was locked up in the ancestral hall for a day and a night, and was not released until the next night.

During this day and night, no one came to visit her. No matter her adoptive parents or her biological parents. During this day and night, He Yan looked at the tablets of all sizes in the ancestral hall, and only thought of one question.

What kind of family is the He family? Does she really want to stay in the He family? If the meaning of her existence in this family is to be a substitute, to bind interests that do not belong to them, and if she has no sincerity at all, then there is really no place for her to stay here.

A puppet also wants to break free from the strings and take control of its own life.

The next night, she returned to her room, which was cold and deserted. He Yan remembered that the Vietnamese army was recruiting soldiers on the street these days. She sat on the couch and thought, if someone came to see her tonight and asked her if she was okay, she would not leave.

But it never happened.

The sound of night watchmen came from afar. He Yan put her bag on her back and sneaked out of the door in the night. She had been doing this for many years, ever since she started practicing martial arts on her own. She was already familiar with the route. It was precisely because the He family did not value her that she was so relaxed when she left.

Forget it, she thought, although she could not continue to stay in the He family, she saved a little girl in Shuojing. If she was not there, how could the He family arrange a marriage? The girl named Song Taotao, when she reached the age of marriage, might be able to live with a young man who shared the same feelings with her for the rest of her life, instead of being involved in this shameful plot and becoming a sacrificial pawn.

The night was dark and there was no end in sight. The girl disguised as a boy had no idea what the road ahead held. She turned her head to look at the gate of the He family. The house was hidden in the night, blending into the past. She hardened her heart, turned around, and just kept walking forward, never looking back.

The past lay before his eyes, as if the dust had been blown away, and it became clearer and clearer as if it had just happened yesterday. Only He Yan himself knew that it was a past life that he could never go back to.

She was young and hot-headed at that time, and was angry at the absurdity of the decision made by the He Yuansheng brothers. She did not even think about it seriously. As a woman, if she really married the Second Miss Song, the secret would be exposed sooner or later. How could the He family allow this to happen?

Unless, they had already expected that this would never happen.

He Yan stared at the sachet hanging on the bed curtain.

He Yuansheng and He Yuanliang knew from the beginning that He Rufei would return one day sooner or later. He Yan had no way of knowing He Rufei's condition, but it seemed that He Yuansheng himself had known that He Rufei's health had gradually improved, and was definitely not dying as they said.

It was because they knew that He Rufei would return sooner or later, and that He Yan and He Rufei would return to their original places sooner or later, that they talked about the engagement so unreservedly. They must have already made up their minds that before He Rufei got married, He Yan would take off her manly clothes and become the young lady of the He family again.

At that time, He Yan didn't realize this. She thought she would be He Rufei for a long time, maybe even sacrifice her whole life for it. She didn't expect that one day she would be herself again. But this is not a gift. If you are a substitute for someone for a long time, you will inevitably forget who you are.

Moreover, she left the He family with her bag on that day and joined the Yue Army. From that time on, the He family's layout had been disrupted and the game was out of control.

Who could have thought of that?

Who would have thought that she would live a lifetime, die once, and wake up again, and after many twists and turns, she would actually meet the girl she almost "engaged" in her previous life. The eleven-year-old girl has grown into a graceful lady, and the boy who left home with a bag on his back has tasted all the flavors of the world. Fate is mysterious. If there hadn't been Song Taotao back then, she wouldn't have left home, wouldn't have joined the army, and there wouldn't have been General Feihong later, or He Yan today.

In the darkness, He Yan smiled silently.

Fate brought them together here, perhaps just to explain something to her.

She did nothing wrong, she saved a girl.

…

The next morning, when He Yan woke up, Fei Nu was no longer in the room.

She was thinking late last night and slept soundly, so she didn't even know when Fei Nu left. After she woke up and washed up, she went out, thinking of knocking on the next door to see if Xiao Jue was there.

As a result, the door next to it opened after a knock, and Song Taotao's head appeared from behind the door. She said, "Are you looking for Mr. Xiao Er? They are having dinner downstairs."

Didn't even invite her to dinner? He Yan thought, this guy really doesn't treat her as his own. He Yan asked, "Have you eaten yet? Let's go downstairs and eat together."

Song Taotao nodded.

The girl went downstairs with her, and sure enough, she saw Xiao Jue and Fei Nu sitting by the window downstairs, with some side dishes casually placed on the table. Perhaps because he was shocked by Xiao Jue's identity last night, the inn owner prepared this breakfast with extra care and delicacy, and He Yan wanted to curse at him for being extravagant when he saw it.

"Uncle, why didn't you call me for dinner?" He Yan muttered, "It's ok if you didn't call me, but why didn't you call Miss Song?"

"I just want to sleep a little longer. It has nothing to do with Mr. Xiao." Song Taotao spoke quickly. For some reason, she seemed a little afraid of Xiao Jue. But it made sense. Xiao Jue was always cold and sarcastic. Who could stand such a delicate girl?

He Yan picked up a golden milk puff and stuffed it into her mouth. The milk puff was fragrant and sweet. It had just come out of the basket and was hot and very appetizing. She smiled and said, "Uncle, what are we going to do today?"

Xiao Jue looked at her with a half-smile: "What do you want to do?"

"I..." Song Taotao spoke before He Yan finished speaking.

"Mr. Cheng...Mr. Cheng." She already knew that He Yan was not Cheng Lisu, but she also saw that He Yan was currently playing the role of "Cheng Lisu", so she did not expose him and followed him in calling Cheng Lisu's name. She said, "Can you go out with me?"

After saying this, the other three people at the table looked at Song Taotao.

"I...I have no more clothes. I am not used to this set of men's clothes. I want to go out and buy two ready-made clothes to change into, but I can't remember the way very well. Mr. Cheng, can you accompany me to buy some things?" She mustered up her courage and said it in one breath.

Of the three people at the table, Fei Nu didn't say a word the whole night, and Xiao Jue was obviously not the kind of person who could accompany a girl to buy things. Only He Yan was kind and gentle. He Yan said, "Of course! But..." She looked at Xiao Jue, "Uncle, what do we have to do today?"

"Nothing." Xiao Jue lowered his eyes and said calmly, "You can go with Miss Song Er."

"Thank you, Mr. Xiao!" Song Taotao was overjoyed.

After dinner, He Yan went out with Song Taotao. After they left, Fei Nu said, "Master, I will follow them now."

"Don't get too close." Xiao Jue ordered, "He's also bringing Song Taotao with him."

Fei Nu agreed and was about to leave when he suddenly remembered something. After hesitating for a moment, he finally spoke: "Master, are we going to let Sun Ling's matter go?"

"Who said forget it?" Xiao Jue curled his lips, "Wait a little longer, now is not the time."

…

He Yan followed Song Taotao out of the inn.

As soon as she left the Second Young Master Xiao, Song Taotao became much more cheerful. She approached He Yan and whispered, "Why do you call the Second Young Master Xiao uncle? Why do you call yourself Cheng Lisu?"

"This is a long story. Young Master Cheng has something to do and cannot come to Liangzhou for the time being, so I came here for him. Please don't tell anyone else about this."

Song Taotao said: "Of course I won't tell anyone! That useless young man must be unable to do it himself, so he asked you to take his place, right? This kind of person still wants to be my husband, why doesn't he just dream!"

Miss Song's prejudice against Cheng Lisu was indeed deep.

"What's your name?" Song Taotao asked.

"I can't tell you now, to avoid letting it slip. I'll tell you after I'm done with the things in the city." He Yan said with a smile.

Song Taotao pouted, not very happy. He Yan pointed to a clothing store and said, "Look, there are clothes there. Why don't you go in and pick some?"

Song Taotao finally changed his mind, and He Yan breathed a sigh of relief. However, the sigh of relief didn't last long, as he suddenly thought of something and thought to himself, "This is bad."

When He Yan came out of Liangzhou Guard, Cheng Lisu gave her clothes and hairpins, but forgot to give her silver. He Yan didn't dare to ask Xiao Jue for it, so she only had a piece of silver from the prize money she won when she competed for the flag. She kept it with her and was reluctant to use it. She would rather tear Cheng Lisu's clothes buttons to exchange for tea than touch it. Song Taotao just came out of Wanhua Pavilion. Everything on her body had been plundered. How could she have any money? I'm afraid that everything she bought today will have to be paid by He Yan.

This is all she has now!

Fortunately, Liangzhou City is not Shuojing, and there are no tailor shops that charge tens or hundreds of taels of silver for a piece of clothing. The ready-made clothes here are considered cheap, and He Yan can afford them. Song Taotao picked out a piece of clothing, and also picked out a pair of shoes, a hairpin, and a pair of earrings. He Yan had to pay for them, and this set of clothes only had one copper coin.

After Song Taotao had picked out her clothes, she changed inside before coming out. When she came out, the delicate young man had suddenly become a cute little girl. She picked out a cherry red dress, tied her long hair into a double bun, and had a cherry red headband. She had bright eyes and white teeth, and was very cute.

He Yan's eyes lit up when he saw this. In an instant, the pain he felt for spending money disappeared in front of the lovely little girl.

"It's really beautiful." She praised sincerely.

Song Taotao blushed, turned her head aside, and muttered, "The clothes here are too shabby. There are no good clothes. The clothes made by the tailors in my Song Mansion are much better looking than these!"

He Yan thought, this is still called shabby? This has already cost her six months of savings!

After wrapping up the clothes, Song Taotao walked out of the clothing store and said, "Let's go shopping somewhere else."

He Yan: "...Okay."

The beauty and cuteness of the little girl also cost money, especially for a little girl raised in a wealthy family. He Yan just hoped that Liangzhou would not have anything that could attract the attention of Miss Song Er, because she no longer had any money.

It seemed that the heavens heard her voice. During this journey, Song Taotao did not want to buy anything else. But she was still very excited to visit Liangzhou City. He Yan had been doing his best to accompany her without showing any boredom. In the end, the arrogant girl felt a little embarrassed and asked He Yan, "You have been walking with me for so long? Are you bored?"

"No." He Yan smiled and said, "I just want to go shopping."

Song Taotao looked at her for a long while and said, "You are such a good person."

He Yan was a little surprised that she said this, and the little girl continued to walk forward. She thought about it, shook her head and smiled.

In addition to caring for a little girl, He Yan also doted on Song Taotao like an elder. After all, this girl almost became her "fiancée". She was also the one she had left home to support, which in a way changed her fate. In the years that followed, Song Taotao did not get involved in those inexplicable things and grew up well.

He Yan felt very lucky. If she hadn't done that, maybe Song Taotao wouldn't have married a girl later, but the person she married would have become He Rufei. Is marrying into the He family really a good thing? This family has no warmth, only interests, and is really not suitable for a girl like Song Taotao.

However, He Yan felt helpless as he watched the little girl jumping in front of him. When she left home, it was considered "escaping marriage". Now Cheng Lisu also escaped marriage, and Song Taotao also escaped marriage. Is this a conflict with escaping marriage?

She needs to have a good talk with Cheng Lisu.

…

The Sun Mansion in Liangzhou City was in a state of misery from head to toe.

Sun Ling was sent back to his family last night, and Sun Xiangfu invited famous doctors to treat Sun Ling's injuries overnight. Although they were only minor injuries, they were serious and he needed to be well taken care of for a few months.

Young Master Sun had never suffered such a great loss since he was a child. Sun Xiangfu was also in a bad mood. This morning, he punished several servants for their mistakes.

The servants dared not make a single mistake, and the house was in complete silence. Sun Ling lay on the bed, and Madam Sun sat beside him, wiping away tears and angrily scolding him: "Your father is really too much. He is just a military commander, how could he beat you like this? My son has suffered so much, and I don't know how long it will take for this injury to heal..."

Sun Xiangfu heard this as soon as he came in, and said angrily: "Women's opinions! What do you mean by 'he is just a military commander'? Do you know that he dared to kill the eldest son of the Minister of Revenue? The Minister of Revenue reported it to the emperor, but what happened in the end? In the end, he could only blame himself! If he had killed this unfilial son last night, what do you think you could do? Nothing!"

Madam Sun was stunned by the scolding. After a long while, she said in a panic: "Is he really that powerful? What should we do now? Should we give him a gift and apologize?"

"You can go out now." Sun Xiangfu was upset and waved his hand, "I will take care of these. I came here to ask Ling'er a few questions."

Madam Sun left with tears in her eyes. Sun Xiangfu walked to Sun Ling's side, looked at his pale face, felt distressed and angry, and said, "Why did you pick on Prince Yan when you could pick on anyone else?"

"I...didn't provoke him. It was his nephew who went too far." Sun Ling was furious when he mentioned this. He told the whole story of what happened last night, and finally asked, "How did I know that Cheng Lisu would suddenly attack?"

"Is that book boy the woman you like?" Sun Xiangfu asked.

Sun Ling shook his head: "I don't know. Before I could see his face clearly, Xiao arrived."

"If it was just a misunderstanding, it would be fine. If it was really this girl, since Cheng Lisu protected her, he would inevitably have a prejudice against you." Sun Xiangfu sighed, "It's my fault for not informing you in advance that Xiao Jue and the others were coming to the city. Otherwise, it wouldn't have turned into such a mess."

Sun Ling never cared about state affairs and only knew how to eat, drink, gamble and whore. Therefore, he had no idea that Sun Xiangfu had sent an invitation to Xiao Jue.

"Dad, we have already offended them. I hope they won't cause us trouble in the future." Sun Ling was a little worried.

He was used to being lawless in Liangzhou City, but he relied on his father, the county magistrate. But last night, Sun Xiangfu burst into tears in front of Xiao Jue, which made Sun Ling understand that Xiao Jue was not someone the Sun family could afford to offend.

"Don't be afraid," Sun Xiangfu said, "In a few days, the Supervisory Secretary Yuan will arrive. Yuan is Xu Xiang's man. Xu Xiang and Xiao Jue have always been at odds. Perhaps we can do something about this."

——Digression——

So the question is, did Yanyan cheat on Jinli, or did Jinli cheat on Yanyan?