Lu Chao recounted Xiao Zheng’s troubled past in detail, his words causing Lady Lu’s eyes to redden as she gently wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye. She hadn’t realized the two shared such a winding and bittersweet fate.
"She lost her mother at a young age, unlike me, who was blessed with good fortune. Her stepmother treated her harshly, and her birth father turned a blind eye. After finally escaping that misery and moving to Shuozhou, the Tatar war took the lives of all her elders, leaving only a ten-year-old cousin behind."
Lu Chao’s voice carried deep sympathy.
"Her coming-of-age ceremony, which should have been held last year, was postponed. Now, with the imperial decree ordering us to marry within six months, time is tight. We’ll have to keep things simple and hastily arrange the ceremony."
Lady Lu nodded softly, her tone warm. "Since your feelings for her are genuine, I can rest easy. I’ve always worried that if the two of you had no affection for each other, it would turn into a miserable union—making life unbearable for both of you."
"Now that she has no family left, if you truly care for her, you must cherish her all the more. Don’t start off passionately only to later use her past against her and break her heart."
Lu Chao’s eyes sparkled with joy, his smile radiant. "Mother, I knew you’d understand. You’ve always been the most reasonable."
After a brief pause, Lady Lu continued, "I’ll send her an invitation in the coming days to visit our estate. Your father has already submitted a request for an audience with the Emperor. Since you’re earnest about this marriage, our family must show our stance. The engagement has become the talk of the town, with many waiting to see us falter. By making our position clear, we’ll not only please His Majesty but also secure a brighter future for you."
Lu Chao’s eyes widened in exaggerated admiration as he raised a thumb in praise. "Mother, you truly are wise beyond measure!"
Lady Lu patted his arm, laughing as she scolded him.
"Enough of your nonsense! You rascal, you’ve barely arrived, and already you’re piling work on me. I’ll have to consult Shishu and the other maids to arrange the banquet properly—rest assured, it’ll be flawless."
"Oh, and your father is a rigid man, obsessed with the Lu family’s reputation. Whatever he says, don’t take it to heart."
"I understand, Mother. Thank you!" Lu Chao bowed deeply to Lady Lu with utmost respect.
Meanwhile, in the military camp, Xiao Zheng received Lu Chao’s letter, her heart fluttering with unease. This return would not only require her to face the Grand Princess but also meet Lu Chao’s family. Though they had crossed paths briefly in her childhood, given her current awkward status, she feared his family might hold resentment toward her.
Lost in thought, she sighed to Li Tie beside her. "Li Tie, wouldn’t it be great if some troublemakers suddenly stirred up trouble at the border right now?"
Li Tie’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head in shock. Was the general privy to some insider information?
"General, have you lost your mind? War is never a good thing! Should I fetch the medic to check your pulse? No wonder you’ve been poring over medical books late at night—you must be unwell!"
"Enough, enough. All of you, dismissed."
Xiao Zheng waved him off irritably.
"General, there’s no shame in admitting you’re unwell. You need medicine! Don’t listen to nonsense like ‘eating a stewed chicken will cure you.’ Don’t be foolish."
Li Tie scratched his head and turned back reluctantly, muttering a final remark.
"Get lost, you idiot Li Tie! You can barely read a word—stop spouting nonsense! It's called 'concealing illness to avoid treatment,' not 'stewed chicken can cure you'! If those young masters heard you, they'd laugh for days!"
Wang Qing grabbed Li Tie by the collar and dragged him out, continuing to mock him along the way.
Xiao Zheng frowned, her irritation mounting as she glared at the open copy of Treatise on Cold Damage and Miscellaneous Diseases on the table. The characters seemed to squirm like annoying little bugs before her eyes, making it impossible to focus.
"Hey! General Xiao!" A sudden voice shattered the silence in the room.
Already seething, Xiao Zheng exploded like a lit powder keg. "Didn’t I order everyone to leave?!" she snapped.
"What’s got you so worked up?" The voice carried a teasing lilt, drifting lazily toward her.
Xiao Zheng turned with a scowl, her gaze sweeping the room until it landed on a long, slanting shadow on the floor. When she finally recognized the visitor, her anger instantly melted into delight.
"Zhang Hu! You’re back?!"
Zhang Hu’s face was rough with stubble, his hair a tangled mess—clearly, he had rushed back without pause.
"Did something happen?" Xiao Zheng asked, urgency creeping into her voice.
After receiving his compensation, Zhang Hu had set out to visit the families of his fallen comrades. With no ties of his own, he had planned to take his time returning, treating the trip as a chance to explore and experience the local customs along the way.
But then, he had stumbled upon unsettling news in Mingxiang County. Without hesitation, he abandoned his leisurely plans and hurried back to camp.
"I ran into an old comrade in Mingxiang County—Deng Qingshan. Remember him?"
Xiao Zheng gave a slight nod. Deng Qingshan had been Lao Shu’s fellow villager. Back in the barracks, they’d crossed paths a few times. Lao Shu had always fretted over his younger sister, pestering Deng Qingshan every month for letters from home, desperate to know if she was doing well.
As he spoke, Zhang Hu’s brow furrowed deeper.
"Qingshan told me Xiao Huan’s been digging around about what happened on the battlefield. At first, he thought Xiao Huan was just grieving, wanting to understand the circumstances of his father’s death. But then he realized something was off. Xiao Huan kept asking where you were that day—why you didn’t lead the reinforcements in time."
"That bastard!"
Zhang Hu slammed a fist onto the table, his face dark with fury, veins bulging on his forehead.
"What the hell is he implying? That you’re not trustworthy? That you deliberately sabotaged the rescue? Does he even know how desperate things were? If you hadn’t risked your life charging into enemy lines alone, his father’s body would’ve been trampled beyond recognition! After all you did to preserve his father’s honor, this is how he repays you?!"
Zhang Hu expected Xiao Zheng to erupt in rage or collapse in anguish. Instead, she merely gave a calm nod.
"A straight foot isn’t afraid of a crooked shoe. Let him investigate."
Then he casually changed the subject.
"By the way, how is Lao Shu’s sister doing these days?"
Zhang Hu furrowed his brows, his face clouded with pity and worry as he spoke slowly.
"That child’s life is truly difficult. When I last saw her, she was so thin her bones showed—it broke my heart just looking at her. Though her grandmother raised her all these years, the old woman still favors boys over girls, doting more on her own grandsons. After the compensation money was issued, I thought it over and only gave a small portion to the grandmother. The rest, I slipped quietly to the girl. As a grown man, it’s inconvenient for me to take a young girl under my wing, or else I’d have taken her away from that miserable place right then and there."
Before leaving, Zhang Hu specifically asked Deng Qingshan to keep an eye on her. If anything happened, he was to send word to their comrades in Shuozhou—they couldn’t let Lao Shu worry from beyond the grave.
"General, let’s not dwell on these trivial matters for now. What exactly is going on with Xiao Huan?" Zhang Hu pressed, agitation creeping into his voice.
"Really, it’s nothing. The boy is still young, likely misled by others. Just leave it be." Xiao Zheng poured Zhang Hu a cup of tea, his tone calm.
In the days to come, Xiao Huan might unearth even more so-called "evidence," each fabricated piece pointing squarely at her.
When that time came, Xiao Huan, fueled by grief and rage, would confront her with hoarse accusations, ultimately becoming the sharp blade in the hands of those in power—a weapon honed to strike down his "mortal enemy."
Xiao Zheng smiled. If so, then she, the "whetstone," would have to be tough enough. Otherwise, how else could she grind Xiao Huan into a razor-sharp blade?
