The room was ablaze with light and clamor, the personal guards and maids bustling in and out, carrying tea and pouring water, making it even livelier than the busiest time of day.

"We only just arrived. We were planning to rest and come to see you tomorrow, but Governor Zhou was so worried about the Lady, anxious and restless..." Liu Pucheng said, a touch sheepishly.

After entering and letting out that loud shout, Zhou Maochun fell silent. He sat where he was told, drank the tea offered, but kept staring at Chang Yunsheng with a pointed, sarcastic smile.

Chang Yunsheng, however, remained entirely composed, as if he hadn't noticed the other man's demeanor.

Although Qi Yue found it strange, she couldn't dwell on it, letting out an excited cry as Liu Pucheng, who followed behind, entered.

"Hu San actually called you over!" she exclaimed, a mix of joy and worry in her voice. "To travel all this way, I hope it doesn't interfere with your work, Teacher."

"What work do I have? As soon as we learned you weren't in the capital and had headed this way, all of us started making plans. We were halfway to the capital when we received Hu San's letter saying you were in some trouble here, which made us even more determined to come," Liu Pucheng explained.

"Teacher, I didn't intentionally keep it from you; I was afraid you'd worry," Qi Yue chuckled.

Hu San nodded hurriedly beside them.

"Master, you arrived so quickly! I figured it would take until after the New Year," he remarked.

"That, we owe entirely to Governor Zhou," Liu Pucheng said with a smile. "With him arranging official escorts at every stage, fast horses clearing the path, traveling day and night, carriages ready at every post station to take over—meals and lodging perfectly arranged—it truly saved an immense amount of time."

Everyone turned to look at Zhou Maochun. It was an eye-opener; seeing how smoothly and swiftly the journey progressed, like flowing water, purely through official effort, and without tiring them out.

Zhou Maochun listened with his ears, but his eyes remained fixed on Chang Yunsheng.

"Don't thank me; thank the Crown Prince," he drawled in that dry, meaningful tone.

Qi Yue looked at Liu Pucheng, who shook his head.

"He’s been like this the entire way," Zhang Tong whispered.

Qi Yue glanced at Zhou Maochun again, then at Chang Yunsheng, questioning them with her eyes.

Chang Yunsheng offered her a slight smile.

Public display of affection?

Qi Yue couldn't help but send him a look of playful reproof.

"It's getting late; we can discuss everything tomorrow," Liu Pucheng interjected quickly.

They shouldn't have come at this hour anyway.

But what was wrong with Zhou Maochun? He hadn't listened to anyone after getting out of the carriage, barging straight in. They had thought perhaps he was eager to deliver an Imperial Edict, yet for half a day, he’d only sat there, barely speaking a word.

Truly an odd person.

But remembering that sometimes this elder’s eccentricities confounded even the Emperor, they let it go.

"Yes, you must be exhausted from the journey. Please rest quickly," Qi Yue said, rising to her feet.

Seeing their cue, the accompanying Colonel and other officials also stood up.

"The accommodations have all been arranged," the Garrison Commander finally seized a chance to show his capability, saying eagerly.

With that settled, everyone prepared to leave, but Zhou Maochun remained seated.

"Yes, yes, yes," Lü Baoshan quickly chimed in to make himself useful, cleverly adding a polite sentence, "It's just a small place, rather rustic, so please forgive the humble lodgings."

"If it’s that humble, then I won't stay," Zhou Maochun intercepted, looking around. "This place is fine; I'll stay right here with the Crown Prince."

The lights were extinguished, and the courtyard slowly returned to the quietude of the night.

Qi Yue watched A’ru and A’hao setting up the bedding in the makeshift room, glancing over at Chang Yunsheng.

"Did you provoke him?" she asked.

"No," Chang Yunsheng replied smoothly. "He’s always been like this. Who knows what's gotten into him."

Qi Yue eyed him with suspicion.

"It's all set up," A’ru and A’hao reported, casting a hesitant glance at Chang Yunsheng, stopping short of saying something more.

"You gave your room to Governor Zhou; is your guest room ready?" Qi Yue inquired.

Chang Yunsheng snorted in response, not answering, and strode toward the inner chamber.

A’hao couldn't help but giggle.

A’ru shot her a glare.

"Then we'll take our leave," A’ru said.

Qi Yue smiled, nodding lightly.

Just as they were about to go, Zhou Maochun’s voice called from outside the door.

"Chang Yunsheng, Chang Yunsheng!" he shouted. "Do you have any Go boards here? I need one!"

Hearing this voice, Chang Yunsheng, already settled in the inner room, darkened perceptibly.

He didn't answer, but Zhou Maochun's calls continued outside.

"Hurry up and go. If you don't comply, I don't think he plans on sleeping," Qi Yue said with a smile, walking over and nudging him.

Chang Yunsheng rose and walked out.

"...No board..."

"...No board? Then do you have books..."

"...Go look in the study yourself..."

"...I'm seventy or eighty years old; you want me to search in the dark by myself? What if I die?"

"...Your Excellency is overthinking things... If I died, you would certainly die too..."

"...Heh, Crown Prince, you are truly humble. With your abilities, you wouldn't die even if everyone else did..."

Listening to the exchange, thick with antagonism, slowly recede, Qi Yue shook her head and smiled helplessly.

"It seems Chang Yunsheng and Governor Zhou have a serious feud," she murmured, stroking her chin thoughtfully.

"Then, my Lady... should we still leave a door open?" A’ru whispered.

"No need," Qi Yue replied with a smile, drawing her own curtains and extinguishing the lamp.

Dawn was beginning to break in the east.

Though she had gone to bed late, Qi Yue awoke early, energized by the arrival of Liu Pucheng and the others.

Before she could even get up, Chang Yunsheng entered.

"It's still early; sleep a little longer," he said, sitting on the edge of the bed, rubbing his hands.

Qi Yue smiled and kissed his cheek.

Chang Yunsheng leaned down, and just as his hand reached beneath the soft inner lining, before grasping the soft, generous curve, Zhou Maochun’s voice rang out from outside again.

This time, he wasn't calling for Chang Yunsheng.

"Lady Qi, Lady Qi."

Chang Yunsheng took a deep breath; Qi Yue stifled a laugh and pushed him.

"I don't believe he dares to enter!" Chang Yunsheng muttered through gritted teeth.

Qi Yue patted his head, laughing.

"He won't dare to come in, but do you think you’ll enjoy the accompaniment?" she chuckled, nestling against his chest.

Chang Yunsheng!

The scene suddenly flashed through his mind as Zhou Maochun called out that name.

When he had reached the peak of pleasure, the woman calling "Chang Yunsheng" had sent him into ecstasy. But if another man were calling it...

He shuddered, and his desire vanished instantly.

"You've come to summon me back to the capital?" Qi Yue sounded quite surprised after hearing Zhou Maochun's words. "Is it the Emperor who has summoned me?"

Chang Yunsheng clearly heard this for the first time as well, looking at Zhou Maochun with a hint of suspicion.

Faking an Imperial Edict was a grave offense, one no one dared commit, but that didn't rule out this old man attempting it.

"It's true. I should have asked you long ago," Zhou Maochun said. Speaking of this filled him with a deep sense of grievance and bitterness, but this postponement was entirely his own fault, and explaining it now would only invite ridicule, so he kept silent. "Later, I was busy and didn't get around to it..."

Qi Yue murmured an acknowledgment.

"When I wasn't busy and finally remembered to invite Lady Qi, I couldn't find you. What’s more infuriating is..." Zhou Maochun continued, this part he absolutely had to voice, glaring resentfully at Chang Yunsheng, "—some scoundrel actually lied to me!"

Qi Yue looked from him to Chang Yunsheng in sudden realization.

So this was the root of the hatred.

"I didn't lie to you," Chang Yunsheng stated flatly.

"You dare say that! Do you really think I'm a fool!" Zhou Maochun shouted.

After shouting, he grew even angrier. Thinking back, perhaps he was foolish... to have been coaxed away by this young man’s single sentence.

"How much I trusted you, Chang Yunsheng! Chang Yunsheng, don't you feel guilty for treating me this way?"

Zhou Maochun beat his chest, stamping his foot, crying out in heartbroken anguish.

Chang Yunsheng merely snorted.

No guilt! To try and take away his woman! Why should he feel guilty!

After letting Zhou Maochun vent his fury, Qi Yue personally poured him some tea.

"We leave right now," Zhou Maochun said, breathless from exhaustion. Chang Yunsheng remained like a sack of cotton, provoking no reaction no matter how much the elder raged, which infuriated him even more.

"That is the situation," Qi Yue said, looking at Zhou Maochun. "I cannot leave yet."

Zhou Maochun froze, then flared up, turning to glare at Chang Yunsheng.

"You little rascal, you’re instigating her to defy an edict?" he yelled.

Chang Yunsheng frowned.

"It has nothing to do with him," Qi Yue quickly interjected with a smile. "It's my decision."

Zhou Maochun looked at her suspiciously.

"I still have something unfinished here," Qi Yue explained. "I couldn't manage it before, but now that Teacher and the others have arrived, it is the perfect confluence of timing, opportunity, and people."

"What is it?" Zhou Maochun asked, very curious.

Qi Yue smiled at him.

"To create hope," she declared.

The news that Lady Qi was actually the Crown Prince's wife—the one the officials of Wei City had caused such a ruckus trying to welcome but couldn't find—quickly spread, not excluding the Military Medical Camp.

Even though Chang Yunsheng and Qi Yue repeatedly told everyone that ignorance was understandable and no one should dwell on past interactions, no one believed such reassurances.

The singular thought in everyone’s mind upon learning the truth was a collective, "Oh, my mother!"

"I hope I never disrespected her..."

The group of military doctors huddled together, murmuring, mentally retracing whether they had ever said anything inappropriate to that Lady Qi.

"You're finished! You were always staring at her with lecherous eyes..."

"Don't talk nonsense! My eyes are blurry; I can't see people clearly. I squint at everything. Look at me now, squinting at you..."

The noisy chatter had little effect on Qiao Minghua beside them; he continued sorting and dispensing herbs.

"If anyone's going to be unlucky, the taller ones take the fall when the sky caves in..."

Someone gestured toward Qiao Minghua.

Everyone looked over, comprehension dawning in their expressions.

If Qiao Minghua hadn't taken the lead initially, how would Lady Qi have ever come to the Military Medical Camp?

Therefore, Qiao Minghua was the cause of all this.

"Looks like he won't be able to stay here," they sighed, shaking their heads, pity mixing with resignation.

But they waited and waited, and the news they finally received wasn't about Qiao Minghua leaving, but about Lady Qi and Chang Yunsheng departing.

Yes, they should have left long ago.

Qiao Minghua stood on the earthen slope, watching the lively procession being sent off by the crowd drive out of the fort gates.

Coming and going, wasn't life just this endless repetition—meaningless, and hopeless? Whatever fate one was destined for, that was what one got.

He turned and walked back toward the wounded soldiers' ward, his silhouette stretching long in the setting sun.