After Lu Nianfu left, Zeng Weiyang opened the package. Inside were several of her favorite pastries and a small box.
Upon opening it, she found a 500-tael silver note and a letter lying neatly within. Madam Ban's handwriting was as delicate as ever. The four characters "Wei Yang, For Your Eyes Only" made her heart stir, her fingers trembling beneath her wide sleeves.
Yin Qiao held the silver note, "Miss, Madam still remembers you."
Yin Zhu pouted, "It's only five hundred taels, who are they trying to annoy?"
"Yin Zhu, don't talk nonsense. The last time I went out, I even ran into Madam at the pawnshop. This five hundred taels, perhaps..."
"Are you suggesting Madam pawned something to save up for Miss? Come on, if she truly cared for Miss, would her dowry be so meager?"
At this moment, Zeng Weiyang spoke, "For a concubine's daughter, the dowry Madam prepared wasn't actually that little."
"Miss..."
"You two may leave. I wish to be alone for a while."
During those months of disfavor, she had fully understood the fickleness of human relationships. But the path was her own choosing, and no matter how difficult, she had to walk it.
After the two maids left, Yin Qiao thoughtfully closed the door for her.
She picked up a piece of white lotus cake, inhaling the familiar aroma, and suddenly tears streamed down her face. It seemed she had truly made the wrong choice.
Life in a prominent family was either being trampled upon or endless strife. In comparison, her dream husband, though a bit of a good-for-nothing, had a home free of any bothersome affairs.
It felt, as if, that was where home truly was.
There was no moon tonight, only a sky full of stars. Situ Yan lay on a patch of grass he had finally found, a blade of grass in his mouth. The capital city of An Fu seemed to lack such a beautiful starry sky.
If he had the chance to be stationed in the Northern Frontier in the future, he would have to negotiate hard with the old man to bring his wife and children along.
Never mind, the North was harsh and cold. It was bearable in the middle of the year, but the beginning and end of the year were difficult. His wife was delicate and pampered; she was better suited to live in bustling, lively places, like Jiangnan. Alas, he wondered how the war in Fuchuan was progressing.
A horn sounded in the distance, and Song Ming's call, accompanied by the thunder of hooves, rang out: "Boss, Boss, where are you?"
Situ Yan casually picked up a small pebble and accurately flicked it at Song Ming's forehead. "What are you shouting about?"
The force was perfectly controlled; the pebble lost its momentum upon hitting Song Ming. Song Ming, unbothered by the slight sting, dismounted and jogged over. "Boss, we're about to depart. Why are you hiding here alone?"
"General Ren is leading the troops tonight."
"You're not going?"
"I am. We'll flank from the right wing later, but we need to change clothes."
Song Ming didn't quite understand, and Situ Yan didn't explain. With a flip of his body, his lean frame cut a perfect arc through the night sky before landing steadily.
Those shoulders, that waist, those legs...
Song Ming clicked his tongue twice. "Boss, in this darkness, who are you showing off to? Your wife isn't even here."
"Let's go."
When the two returned to camp, the army had not yet set off. Ren Tianyu jogged over. "Your Highness, why are you only arriving now?"
"Didn't I tell you to go ahead?"
"Are you truly not leading the troops today?"
"Go, proceed as planned. After this battle, we can rest for a while."
Fourteen years ago, in a battle in the Northern Frontier, the Ouyang family, at the cost of only one surviving descendant, had severely wounded the Northern Frontier, forcing them to retreat into their territory for over a decade. Although Ren Tianyu was ordered to defend the Northern Frontier, he had never actually engaged the legendary and formidable Northern Frontier cavalry.
Until a few months ago.
The people of the Northern Frontier were truly fierce, and they had come prepared. Within a month, they had almost breached the city. Fortunately, Prince Rui had led reinforcements. Otherwise, his death would be a minor matter, but the people beyond Dinghai Pass would likely suffer a catastrophe.
Prince Rui seemed born for the battlefield. Even his seemingly refined advisor, Military Advisor Meng, was far superior to him as a general in commanding operations. The soldiers in the Northern Frontier, who had been idle for too long, were becoming more skilled day by day under their leadership.
Especially Prince Rui, who not only understood military texts but was also invincible on the battlefield. Battles in which he participated rarely ended in defeat.
After several months, he had become the God of War of Dinghai Pass.
Tonight's surprise attack on the enemy camp was a plan made two days ago. Prince Rui had mentioned then that he would not be participating directly. Ren Tianyu had thought he was joking, but it turned out to be true. Ren Tianyu lowered his voice. "Your Highness, please reconsider. These lads see you as their God of War. With you here, they will have more confidence on the battlefield."
Situ Yan snorted, his voice now laced with internal energy. "What? Without me, can you not even lift a sword? I will be commanding from the rear tonight. Do you have any objections?"
"No."
The voices echoed, powerful enough to shake the heavens.
He raised an eyebrow at Ren Tianyu. "General Ren, please proceed."
Ren Tianyu: ...