Some soldiers noticed the commotion over here and came closer, asking the scouts a couple of questions. When they learned that these were the original residents who’d fled thinking the newcomers were barbarians, one soldier gave a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, you guys. The barbarians got their butts handed to them by General Wei ages ago. No way they’re bold enough to hit AnYuan Prefecture now.”

As he spoke, the soldier’s face lit up with pride. They’d always had confidence, but after Wei Xuan led them to smash through several major barbarian cities, that confidence was practically bursting.

“Sir…” Sister Zhao started eagerly, but before she could get a word out, a scout cut in, reporting in a low voice.

That’s when Jiang Huai figured out why the scouts looked so ticked off. For months, they’d been zipping around deep in barbarian territory, moving like the wind, completely cut off from news about AnYuan Prefecture. They had no clue the Wei family was in trouble.

When they ran into Sister Zhao and she realized who they were, she’d quickly spilled the beans about the mess in AnYuan Prefecture. If she hadn’t, the soldiers would’ve marched back blind, and who knows what kind of chaos they’d walk into.

Hearing the scout’s report, the soldier’s face darkened instantly. He told the men behind him to keep an eye on Jiang Huai ’s group, then turned and hurried off, probably to report to Wei Xuan.

Sister Zhao’s tents hadn’t been taken over, so after standing outside in the wind for a bit, everyone started drifting back to their own spots.

Jiang Huai ’s group, though, didn’t have anywhere to go. Sister Zhao noticed their situation and led Jiang Huai and the others to her tent.

“You guys can crash here for tonight. Bet you’ll be able to head back tomorrow,” Sister Zhao said, pulling out some freshly butchered mutton she’d prepared earlier, ready to roast it for them.

This had been the plan all along—since there was no danger now, business was back on. Gotta treat the guests right. Sister Zhao was already hoping Jiang Huai would eat well, drink well, and come back to their tribe to buy more wool next time.

But after all that chaos, Jiang Huai didn’t want to make a big fuss. He stopped Sister Zhao, saying, “Chief Zhao, you go handle your stuff. I’m sure other places need you more.”

Like the other women in the tribe who’d been spooked. That frantic escape earlier probably left them unprepared—hit by the cold wind and rattled by fear, the weaker ones might even get sick. Tonight wouldn’t be easy for them.

Sister Zhao froze at Jiang Huai ’s words, surprised he’d noticed such details. She hesitated, making sure he meant it, then apologized and left.

Jiang Huai lifted the tent flap, letting in a sliver of light, and skillfully set up the mutton to roast. The fire flickered, licking at the bright red meat, slowly changing its color.

He sprinkled on some spices he’d packed before leaving, and a faint aroma began to spread through the tent.

Glancing back, Jiang Huai saw Xiao Jingzhao staring blankly ahead, lost in thought.

“What’s on your mind?” Jiang Huai asked.

Xiao Jingzhao snapped out of it, realizing the tent was just the two of them now. “Where’s everyone else?”

“Madam He and Luo Yuan went to another tent. Luo Da and the others are checking on the wool we bought,” Jiang Huai said, flipping the roasting meat. Before Xiao Jingzhao could respond, he reached out. “Hand me the knife. This mutton’s too big. The outside’s cooked—gonna slice it off and roast the inside more.”

Xiao Jingzhao snatched the roasting mutton from Jiang Huai ’s hands. “I’ll do it.”

Jiang Huai was about to say he could handle it, but weighing the chunk of meat in his hand and picturing the hassle of holding it with one hand while slicing with the other, he stepped aside.

Xiao Jingzhao deftly carved off thin slices of cooked mutton. Jiang Huai grabbed one to taste, squinting happily. His knack for seasoning was spot-on as always, and Sister Zhao’s sheep were top-notch—no gamey smell, just the rich, fresh flavor of mutton, boosted by the spices. It hit Jiang Huai right in the gut, sparking his appetite again.

After that wild run outside, Jiang Huai ’s hunger had faded, and he’d worried he wouldn’t eat much. Now? No worries at all.

After a bite, Jiang Huai didn’t stop, picking up another slice and holding it to Xiao Jingzhao ’s mouth. He’d eaten—couldn’t leave the cook hanging.

Xiao Jingzhao tilted his head, biting the edge of the meat and swallowing it down.

They went back and forth, one bite for you, one for me. Jiang Huai realized this setup was great—the meat went straight from the cut to their mouths, still warm, making it way more enjoyable.

…

Outside, the sound of footsteps came and went, but it’d been like that from the start, so Jiang Huai didn’t pay it much mind. That is, until someone lifted the tent flap and stepped in. He thought it was Luo Da or the others, but looking up, he saw a stranger in armor.

The guy stood against the light, his face shadowed, but his eyes gleamed like cold stars in the night sky, sending a chill down Jiang Huai ’s spine.

“Is the general here to…” Jiang Huai started hesitantly, noting the armor. This guy clearly wasn’t your average soldier.

Wei Xuan had just come from Sister Zhao’s, where he’d gotten the lowdown on AnYuan Prefecture. But her tribe was pretty far out, so her info wasn’t the freshest. After telling him what she knew, Sister Zhao mentioned Jiang Huai, assuming he was a merchant from AnYuan Prefecture. In her mind, merchants always had better intel.

Wei Xuan picked up her hint and came straight to Jiang Huai for more details—like whether he knew what was up with the Wei family, or how the empress and crown prince were doing.

Lost in heavy thoughts, Wei Xuan was still distracted when he lifted the flap, only snapping back when he heard Jiang Huai ’s uncertain voice.

He was about to answer when, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the guy next to Jiang Huai. Even though the face looked older, a bit worn, Wei Xuan knew it instantly.

His whole body jolted, half-convinced he was dreaming. How else could he be seeing the crown prince, who was supposed to be dead? Unless… was this the prince’s ghost, here to haunt him with grievances?

Wei Xuan zoned out, and since Xiao Jingzhao and Jiang Huai were standing together, to Jiang Huai, it looked like Wei Xuan was staring right at him, like he was seeing an old friend.

Did this general know him?

“Does the general know me, maybe?” Jiang Huai asked, testing the waters.

Wei Xuan came back to himself, finally focusing on Jiang Huai. And with that look, he froze again—another familiar face.

The Wei and Jiang families were tight. When Wei Xuan was a kid, he’d been a handful and got sent to study under Grand Tutor Jiang for a bit. Their teacher-student bond was short, but Wei Xuan had met pretty much everyone in the Jiang family, including Jiang Huai.

“Jiang Huai, what’re you doing here?” Wei Xuan asked, floored. The shock wasn’t any less than seeing Xiao Jingzhao. As the only son of the Jiang family’s third branch, Jiang Huai had no business being in AnYuan Prefecture —especially not as a merchant, like Sister Zhao had said. That was just wild.

Wei Xuan stepped closer, and Jiang Huai finally got a clear look at his face. Digging through his memories, he matched it to a name and sucked in a small breath. It really was Wei Xuan.

“What the heck happened in the capital?” Wei Xuan glanced at Xiao Jingzhao beside him, realizing he couldn’t just blurt things out, and pressed Jiang Huai.

Jiang Huai took a deep breath and laid it all out—how the Wei family got framed, plus everything about the crown prince, the empress, and the Jiang family. Wei Xuan ’s face grew darker with every word, his fists clenching tight, clearly holding back a storm of anger.

He’d known something was off. His father and brothers had set up a solid strategy, but he’d been waiting forever for backup that never came.

When no one showed, Wei Xuan figured something went wrong along the way, but he couldn’t just turn back. So he kept fighting, sustaining the war with war. The more they fought, the smoother it went. The barbarians’ defenses were shaky, and not wanting to miss the chance, Wei Xuan tore through their heartland, leaving them crippled.

By the time he started heading back to Da Zhou, the slaves, cattle, and sheep he’d captured were beyond counting. Dragging all that loot slowed them down, but it was still pretty fast, all things considered.

Most of the barbarian tribes had been flattened by Wei Xuan ’s rampage. Even seeing his army pass by with their spoils, none dared make a move—otherwise, their return would’ve been even slower.

If it was just a strategy gone wrong, fine. But thinking about the Da Zhou weapons and armor he’d seen in barbarian hands—stuff that shouldn’t have been there— Wei Xuan ’s fists tightened more.

Back in barbarian territory, he’d been puzzled. A few weapons might get sold off by random folks, but that many? Someone was deliberately funneling them over. He’d had his suspicions, even planned how to deal with it once he got back. But hearing Jiang Huai, it was clear the blame was being dumped squarely on the Wei family.

Made sense, though. The Wei family had taken heavy losses in this war. With them down, no one would question the accusations. Let enough time pass, and that mud would stick forever.

The news about the empress, the crown prince, and the Jiang family made Wei Xuan realize something sharp—maybe the emperor was in on it too.

So Xiao Jingzhao being here meant…

“Brother Wei, this is Wei Xi. Used to be a lowly jail guard, but he’s been in AnYuan Prefecture looking out for me. Treats me real good,” Jiang Huai said, noticing Wei Xuan ’s gaze and assuming he was wary of Xiao Jingzhao ’s identity.

“General Wei,” Xiao Jingzhao said quietly.

Hearing the name Jiang Huai gave, Wei Xuan pieced together how Xiao Jingzhao had gone incognito to get to AnYuan Prefecture. He also understood why Xiao Jingzhao was acting like they didn’t know each other.

Once he returned to AnYuan Prefecture, all eyes would be on him. Even if the emperor thought Xiao Jingzhao was dead, the death was fishy enough that the emperor would keep tabs on anyone close to Wei Xuan. If Xiao Jingzhao stood out and someone sniffed out his identity, everything he’d done would be for nothing—and his life would be at risk.

Plus, they weren’t ready to take on the emperor head-on yet.

Knowing all this and seeing Xiao Jingzhao in AnYuan Prefecture, Wei Xuan could already guess what he might be planning next.