Everyone could relate to Yan Ling’s words.

After all, the reason they had gathered in this princess’s residence was precisely because of this.

The autumn wind howled through the night.

The sound of the wind rustling through the trees filled the air.

Yan Ling’s words were loaded with meaning. They referred not just to the army, but to the entire court.

But everyone was smart enough not to say it outright, and silently, they all gave it more thought.

After the feast, Yan Ling and Wen Yuesheng left together.

As they walked, his hands rested on his abdomen.

Wen Yuesheng, her voice calm, asked, “Master Yan, do you not like sitting with others?”

This man seemed to have a cleanliness obsession, perhaps even worse than hers.

She had her own, mostly due to having killed so many people. Every time she had the intention to kill, or after having killed, she always felt that her hands were dirty.

But he was different.

Sitting with so many people seemed to make him uncomfortable.

Yan Ling’s eyes flickered slightly. “It’s not that I can’t,” he said quietly.

At least the faint scent of sandalwood drifting through the air made him feel at ease.

Wen Yue Sheng responded indifferently, “Gu Yu, give Master Yan a bottle of the green medicine Zhou Man Niang made.”

“Yes.”

It was already late, and Gu Yu delivered the medicine.

Di Zhu took the small bottle and glanced at his master’s face.

After waiting all night, this was the reward?

But then, he noticed that Yan Ling had put his hand down.

Di Zhu:…

Well, considering his master could endure even perfumed incense, what was this little bottle of medicine to him?

Yan Ling stood in the cold wind, looking at the lamps around the side courtyard, which slowly began to extinguish.

He heard Di Zhu, eager to speak, ask, “Master, should we move in here as well?”

Though there was a distinction between men and women, since Lu Qing Huai was already living in the princess’s residence, why couldn’t their master?

Yan Ling came to his senses and replied coldly, “No.”

His position was different from Lu Qing Huai’s. He couldn’t put her in danger just because he wanted to be close.

He glanced at the green medicine bottle, his eyes lowering. “Let’s go back to the estate.”

Back at the Yan estate, he did not touch the bottle but placed it on his desk in the study, where he usually spent the most time.

He had suffered countless injuries in the past, his body nearly shattered.

In recent years, his health had improved.

But it was the first time he had ever received medicine from another.

Yan Ling placed the green porcelain bottle in a spot where he would see it whenever he looked up.

A few days later.

Wen Yue Sheng was still meditating in the quiet pavilion when Jiang Lu arrived.

“Princess,” Jiang Lu said softly, “Ye Qiuyun says she wants to see you.”

The woman named Ye Qiuyun, whom she spoke of, was the one whom Wen Yue Sheng saved from Liang Can’s hands at the royal hunting grounds. Later, she also struck the “Dengwen Drum,” bringing Liang Wenhao’s wrongdoings before the emperor.

When she entered the palace to file a complaint, she was beaten dozens of times.

Wen Yue Sheng had Zhan Yulin protect her life.

After the fall of the Liang family, she, along with the women from Liang Wenhao’s rear courtyard, had nowhere to go.

They banded together and wrote a blood letter, most of them women who had been persecuted by the Liang family, with their families already gone.

After Jiang Lu took Ye Qiuyun and the others in, Wen Yue Sheng arranged for them to work for Jiang Lu, thus giving them a means of livelihood.

Ye Qiuyun’s health gradually improved after receiving treatment from Zhou Manniang.

Her right leg had been severely injured, and even now she still walked with some difficulty, but the rest of her injuries had healed.

When she came to see Wen Yuesheng, she wore a clean dress and appeared neat, but her eyes were particularly deep and sorrowful.

Zhou Manniang had said that Ye Qiuyun had lost her will to live, and being alive was a torment to her.

After arriving at Jiang Lu’s side, she became slightly better, likely because she was no longer alone.

Upon meeting Wen Yue Sheng, she silently knelt down in front of her.

“Miss Ye,” Jiang Lu said in surprise, trying to help her up.

But Ye Qiuyun’s voice was firm and serious as she said, “Princess, I want to join the army.”

Jiang Lu was momentarily stunned.

Ye Qiuyun’s eyes were resolute, her words heavy: “Not just me, but also those women from Liang Wenhao’s inner courtyard.”

“Please, Princess, give us a chance.”

Jiang Lu was skilled in business and had people she could rely on.

Although they claimed they were helping Jiang Lu, in reality, they were being taken care of by her.

Ye Qiuyun had contemplated suicide multiple times, especially after the fall of the Liang family, during those bleak days.

Her family had been destroyed by Liang Wenhao, and now she was left to live alone. Every moment of life felt like agony to her.

But because she had many sisters like her around, she endured.

She didn’t want to leave, knowing that her departure might take away the hope for many others, leading them to despair.

It wasn’t until yesterday, when she was copying account books in a tavern, that she overheard a storyteller talking about events at the city’s eastern training grounds.

“…Although the princess is a woman, how could she tolerate such evil happening under her very eyes? She immediately sent her people to capture the treacherous Lord Zhongqin, and personally examined his crimes before the military…”

When Ye Qiuyun heard those words, especially the phrase “Great Hui soldiers should protect the home and the country,” her eyes suddenly filled with tears.

She thought, if she were a man, she would have joined the army without hesitation. Though she had lost her small family, she could still defend others’ homes.

This thought burned in her chest, growing stronger.

It became most intense when she saw Jiang Lu the day before.

Both the princess and Jiang Lu were women, and the princess practiced martial arts herself.

Ye Qiuyun wanted to join the army, to ignite that last spark of hope.

Though she was small, she wanted to have some power, to protect those she cared about.

When she voiced this request, her heart was anxious. She knew she had no remarkable talents, and she wasn’t as bright as the princess or Jiang Lu.

She knew that if she spoke these words outside, they would be ridiculed by many.

But when she made the request, the person in front of her showed no emotion and simply asked, “Are you sure?”

Ye Qiuyun nodded firmly. “Yes.”

“Then from today on, you will stay by my side,” Wen Yuesheng’s voice remained cold, but the simple sentence filled Ye Qiuyun with immense joy.

Jiang Lu, realizing what had just happened, also felt her heart burn with warmth.

---

Meanwhile, Wen Yuesheng had executed Duke Zhongqin and displayed his head at the city gate, which caused a great stir in the capital.

Marshal Wu’an, furious, spat blood and had to seek medical treatment through the royal doctors.

For several days, he couldn’t attend the morning court.

During this time, rumors spread through the capital’s taverns and teahouses about Wen Yuesheng’s execution of the traitor.

The citizens cheered at the news.

Though there were some who questioned the truth of the matter, the evidence was undeniable. Those soldiers who had suffered, along with their families, were living witnesses.

Some bold storytellers even turned the story into a performance, claiming that the princess and the generals in the story were all fictional, but everyone could tell the truth by hearing it.

The uproar caused many in the court to hesitate in their attempts to accuse Wen Yue Sheng, remembering how the last batch of censors had met their fate.

Those who had once been friendly with Marshal Wu’an or were preparing petitions had suddenly grown cautious in the past few days.

The pressure made Marshal Wu’an furious, and he broke several objects in his residence out of frustration.

Fortunately, among the aristocracy, unlike the common people in the court, most were focused on protecting their own titles and were unified in their resistance.

Wen Yuesheng had offended many powerful families, not just one or two.

The royal family, especially the maternal family of the Crown Prince, now fallen into disgrace, was also part of the aristocracy.

After a series of meetings with various people, Marshal Wu’an finally calmed down.

The military review was approaching, and Wen Yue Sheng had acted decisively to stabilize the soldiers’ morale.

Her actions had reached the emperor’s ears, but they had no legal basis.

Moreover, Wen Yuesheng had undeniable proof of Duke Zhongqin’s crimes.

If those charges were brought to light, even if Lord Zhongqin had eight heads, it wouldn’t be enough to satisfy her thirst for justice.

But even if a lawsuit didn’t work, other measures could be taken.

Wen Yue Sheng’s actions were already notorious. Her ruthless methods were enough to instill fear in others.

The court was in turmoil.

---

Marshal Wu’an, together with some influential families, was preparing to submit a joint petition against Wen Yuesheng.

The petition did not accuse her of killing Lord Zhongqin, but of her violent methods, including the killing of nearly ten generals and displaying Duke Zhongqin’s head at the city gate.

These actions were seen as reckless and dangerous.

They hoped the emperor would act, as they feared that Wen Yue Sheng’s unchecked violence would bring chaos.

---

The emperor, however, had been preoccupied with a flood disaster and was in a bad mood.

As he processed the affairs of the state, Marshal Wu’an seized the opportunity.

Before the morning court began, he was ready to present the petition.

When everything settled, the emperor would be faced with this joint petition accusing Wen Yuesheng of her brutal actions.

The emperor, however, was cold and silent, showing no sign of emotion when he heard the reports of the flood.

Just as Marshal Wu’an was about to present his petition, news arrived: “Your Majesty, Princess Sinning is at the gate asking for an audience.”

This caused a stir in the court.

Many recalled that it was the princess who had once made a report that caused the powerful Heng Guang Wang to lose his position as the crown prince.

Now, she had returned.

Some of the aristocrats who had prepared to submit the petition exchanged glances.

They hadn’t yet submitted their petition when Wen Yue Sheng appeared, almost as if she had already known about their plan.