Chang Yuncheng came straight toward them. Upon entering the fort gate, he barely acknowledged the welcoming soldiers, instead pushing the task onto Jiang Hai while he himself headed directly for the medical tents to inquire after Qi Yuniang.

Jiang Hai happily agreed to take on this assignment, perhaps even more eagerly than Chang Yuncheng. "Where is Madam Qi?" he called out immediately upon facing the gathering of officers and men who were approaching.

The shout caught everyone off guard. "Madam Qi is just..." Jiang Hai started to explain, but someone else spoke first.

"Madam Qi just went to the rear slope," the man said. It was clear he was already quite familiar with the woman who had arrived with the army surgeons.

In fact, it wasn't just him; with a female doctor suddenly amongst the ranks of men in the medical camp, it was virtually impossible not to know who she was. Chang Yuncheng strained his ears, heard this, and immediately broke into a run toward that direction.

Jiang Hai was not about to be left behind, caring nothing for etiquette or responsibility. As they ran, their escorts naturally followed.

Only the contingent of welcoming officers remained standing frozen at the spot, looking at each other in utter confusion. The customary words, "Greetings, General, you must be tired," had not yet left their lips.

What in the world had happened? The distance from the fort gate to the rear slope was not far, but Chang Yuncheng felt as if he had been running for a lifetime, so much so that when he finally saw the silhouette of the woman, he almost couldn't believe his eyes.

Was it a dream again? In his dreams, every time he drew near, the woman would vanish...

The feeling of being ripped apart upon waking from such a dream was unbearable. He involuntarily stopped his steps.

The woman began walking toward them, drawing nearer and nearer, until the smile on her face was clearly visible. Chang Yuncheng only felt a sting in his eyes; the image was clearer than in any dream he’d ever had.

It was real; not a dream. He finally lifted his foot once more, but someone else shot past him, kicking up a gust of wind and a cloud of dust.

"Madam Qi!" Jiang Hai lunged forward, grabbed Qi Yue’s arm, and shouted. His voice was hoarse and trembling, seeming on the verge of tears.

"You scared me to death!" he yelled. "I'm so glad you're alright!" Qi Yue was deeply moved by the sight of Jiang Hai, usually so cheerful and sunny, wearing an expression of undisguised terror.

"I'm fine, I startled you, I'm truly sorry," she said sincerely, patting his arm reassuringly. "I'll go get vengeance for you right now!" Jiang Hai roared, turning to leave.

Qi Yue quickly reached out and pulled him back. "Vengeance for what?

They told me to die, so I went to die. That was my foolishness, not their fault," she laughed.

"I came here of my own accord; it has nothing to do with anyone else." Jiang Hai looked unconvinced and turned back to find the army surgeon. "Where is Qiao Minghua?

Where is that Qiao Minghua fellow?" he demanded. Qiao Minghua, who had been standing nearby, understood what was happening the moment Jiang Hai charged over, pursed his lips, turned, and walked away; he was no longer present.

Qi Yue explained with a smile, her gaze drifting towards Chang Yuncheng. Chang Yuncheng stood where he was, also watching her.

His expression seemed somewhat vacant. Qi Yue gave him a slight smile.

"Madam Qi, Madam Qi, are you really alright? Are you hurt anywhere?" Jiang Hai cried out frantically, pacing back and forth, standing directly in front of Qi Yue and blocking her view.

"I'm truly fine," Qi Yue said, looking at him. "It's a good thing this is a siege defense; with the city walls, you wouldn't be in danger.

If this were an open-field encounter, you must remember to run for your life, run as far away as possible," Jiang Hai lectured on endlessly. Meanwhile, Chang Yuncheng shifted his position to change his angle.

Qi Yue sensed his gaze, looked over, and smiled at him again. "Yes, don't worry, I will certainly take good care of myself," she said, her eyes fixed on Chang Yuncheng.

Chang Yuncheng couldn't help but lower his head to look at his toes, but then snapped back to attention and quickly looked up, only to find his sight met by Jiang Hai’s broad back. "Madam Qi, Madam Qi." Someone called out from a distance, filled with anxiety.

Qi Yue quickly looked over. "Miss A'ru asks you to come over for a moment," the person, clearly an auxiliary soldier, called out timidly.

There must be a difficult casualty, Qi Yue thought. She nodded and replied affirmatively.

"Thank you for... rushing over, and for making you all worry.

I’m fine, I need to get to work now," she said, looking at Jiang Hai, then glancing towards Chang Yuncheng. Jiang Hai watched her go with lingering reluctance.

"Don't overwork yourself. And the army surgeons, they aren't just taking up space," he called after her, reluctantly withdrawing his gaze to look at Chang Yuncheng, only to see the Prince also staring at the woman's retreating figure.

"My Lord," he immediately approached, looking toward the direction where her back had vanished with an expression of grievance mixed with pity. "Look how busy Madam Qi is, she doesn't even have time to speak with you.

How tired she must be..." The only reply was silence. Jiang Hai felt a chill on the side of his face and shivered involuntarily, rubbing the back of his head.

"Is it getting windy?" he muttered, turning his head to meet Chang Yuncheng's dark eyes. "Jiang Hai," Chang Yuncheng said, looking at him.

His voice was somewhat rough. "Yes?" Jiang Hai responded.

"My Lord, should I seek retribution for Madam Qi? We absolutely cannot let Xu Ningde go, my woman..." Chang Yuncheng coughed heavily, interrupting Jiang Hai, his facial muscles seeming stiff.

"Your woman?" he asked in a strange tone. Jiang Hai scratched his head and managed a sheepish laugh.

In the urgency of the moment, he had spoken his heart's desire aloud, forgetting to ask the most important thing. "...Well...

My Lord, you know, Madam Qi saved me back then, and, well, she saw everything on me..." he rushed to explain. "You know, a life debt must be repaid with the body..." Chang Yuncheng's expression grew stranger; this time, he didn't even speak, just continued staring at Jiang Hai.

Jiang Hai began to feel uneasy under the gaze. "Oh, right, My Lord, does Madam Qi actually have a man?" he asked in a low voice.

Chang Yuncheng swallowed hard. "She does," he said hoarsely.

Jiang Hai looked utterly shocked and disbelieving. He didn't...

"Is he not dead?" he asked, his voice trembling. Although Madam Qi was dressed as a woman, there had never been any man near her—not counting Hu San or Xiao Qu.

He had always harbored a faint, hopeful expectation that Madam Qi was a widow. Chang Yuncheng took a deep breath.

"He's not dead," he replied faintly. Jiang Hai felt like the sky was falling.

"But, but what kind of man lets a woman like Madam Qi run around here doing all this?" he cried out, grabbing Chang Yuncheng's arm as if clutching at the last thread of hope. "My Lord, you were Madam Qi's former master, you are like her family!

You must stand up for her and make her divorce that man!" Chang Yuncheng closed his eyes, feeling only a buzzing roar in his ears. He couldn't hear what Jiang Hai was rambling about anymore; he took a deep breath.

"Jiang Hai," he suddenly said. Jiang Hai stopped his chatter, looking at him with anticipation.

"I recall you were supposed to be at Ningxia Garrison, weren't you?" Chang Yuncheng asked. Jiang Hai blinked in surprise.

"Yes," he replied. "But..." "But why are you back?" Chang Yuncheng asked, frowning.

"How long have you been back?" Jiang Hai looked somewhat embarrassed. "N-not long..." he stammered.

Chang Yuncheng's face darkened as he stared at him. "My Lord, I came back for Old Wei's birthday and was supposed to leave immediately, but then I saw Madam Qi.

She's all alone here, unfamiliar with the place, and I..." Jiang Hai quickly explained. Chang Yuncheng looked at him, cold and silent.

Due to Chang Yuncheng’s strict military discipline, Jiang Hai finally hung his head. "I will return now to receive my military punishment," he said dejectedly.

Chang Yuncheng looked at him. "No need.

You don't have to go back to Ningxia," he said. Jiang Hai was instantly overjoyed.

He knew it! The Prince cared for him the most!

"Go to Liaodong Garrison instead," Chang Yuncheng stated. Jiang Hai froze in utter astonishment.

Chang Yuncheng finally dismissed Jiang Hai, whom he wanted to throttle just by looking at him, and walked quickly toward the field hospital area, suppressing his pounding heart. What should he say when he saw her?

She, she must have suffered... That was useless small talk.

Say, I missed you... Chang Yuncheng felt his ears burning as if they would melt.

He had to stop walking, lest he actually fall over from moving. No, no, this place is too dangerous, I must first ask if she was injured...

Countless thoughts tumbled through his mind. Chang Yuncheng walked a few steps quickly, then stopped a few steps, finally arriving at the field hospital area.

The noise here was a cacophony of groans, wails, and curses. Should he just walk in, or call her out?

Chang Yuncheng stopped. She must be very busy.

In that case, he should just stand to the side and watch her quietly, wait until she was done, and then... Chang Yuncheng's heart leaped into his throat.

...then they could speak alone... How long had it been since they last saw each other?

Not to mention being alone... Chang Yuncheng took a deep breath and stepped into the courtyard.

Qi Yue was just coming out after speaking with A'ru, and the two met face to face. "My Lord!" A'ru shouted, her face alight with surprise.

She had been busy inside and hadn't known Chang Yuncheng had arrived. Chang Yuncheng’s gaze locked onto Qi Yue and never moved away.

Qi Yue looked at him and smiled. The lines he had rehearsed—why couldn't they come out when he opened his mouth?

Chang Yuncheng opened his mouth, only to find his throat too dry to produce sound. "Oh my, My Lord, My Lord, it seems you rushed here to check on the wounded soldiers?

You must be exhausted; you’ve traveled so far without even a sip of water..." A commotion arose from behind, accompanied by the sound of hurried footsteps. Chang Yuncheng's face darkened.

The Garrison Commander was standing right behind him. "Oh, Madam Qi!" he exclaimed, turning to Qi Yue with an agitated yet solemn expression as he rushed over.

"You have truly worked too hard this time! I only just learned that you voluntarily accompanied the medical corps into battle!

This truly shows your deep patriotic heart and profound benevolence! You are indeed the epitome of a compassionate healer!

We are all ashamed!" The Garrison Commander had completely disregarded Chang Yuncheng and rushed forward, and those behind him naturally followed suit, swarming around her. "Indeed, indeed, Madam Qi is a paragon among women!" "No wonder everyone calls Madam Qi the 'Divine Doctor.' Such compassion is not something only gods and buddhas possess!" "Madam Qi, you have truly suffered!" "With Madam Qi here, the soldiers are blessed!" "So Madam Qi is My Lord's former associate!" "It's a classic case of fighting a battle among our own without realizing it!" "Yes, yes, why didn't Madam Qi say so sooner!" Qi Yue was somewhat bewildered by the flood of words; she didn't recognize a single one of these people!

Yet, they all acted as if they knew her intimately. Who were all these people?

She tried to look for Chang Yuncheng, but her view was entirely blocked by the crowd. Watching Qi Yue surrounded by the enthusiastic throng, listening to the varied compliments and praise, Chang Yuncheng, standing by the entrance, closed his eyes and forcibly swallowed a breath.

He tightly clenched the fists hanging at his sides, producing a faint, crisp grinding sound. This was the first time he realized that the high officials of Gansu Town possessed such eloquence!

It truly opened his eyes! That's wonderful!

Since they are so skilled with words, the scribes and clerks hired in the garrison city can be dismissed. There will be plenty of opportunities for them to speak their fill!

The Garrison Commander and the others, who were busy reciting the prepared flatteries to Qi Yue, suddenly felt a chill run down their backs. They couldn't help but glance back stealthily, seeing Chang Yuncheng standing rigidly at the doorway with a dark expression.

He was still... displeased?

It's over, it's over. It seems this doctor, this former household servant, holds quite a high position in the Prince's heart.

Looking at the woman’s beauty, perhaps... Ahem, romantic scandals are common among the nobility and powerful families; everyone understands.

The group exchanged glances and frantically dug deep into their minds, continuing to spew forth praise, determined not to stop until they had pleased the Prince!

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