At the break of dawn, galloping horses and men darted through the Capital Garrison.
The garrison had been a constant flurry of activity, the clamor and chaos unceasing since the turmoil began that night.
Compared to the unrest in the capital, the garrison had erupted earlier—sudden troop movements in the night, abrupt clashes breaking out—
Recalling that day’s events, Zhang Gu still felt a chill run down his spine. Comrades once familiar had turned on each other, only to be slaughtered by external forces. Then, strange imperial troops surrounded the garrison, and many more were killed—
Zhang Gu stood outside the camp, gazing at the pale light on the horizon. While other camps might be unaware, his own Courier Soldier Camp had lost half its familiar faces.
His superior had been cut down with a single blade the night the chaos erupted. The superior was a follower of the Crown Prince; with his death, the Courier Soldier Camp was branded as remnants of the Third Prince’s faction.
They were fortunate not to have been executed immediately, now held captive awaiting trial, uncertain if they would ever serve as soldiers again.
“Head Zhang.”
A voice called softly from behind.
Zhang Gu turned to see a courier soldier shuffling over.
Thankfully, everyone in his squad was still alive.
“Here.” His companion pressed a flask of hot tea into his hands.
Zhang Gu took a large gulp, dispelling the cold within. “Don’t worry,” he said. “It seems things have settled down. Those who needed to be dealt with have been. We should be fine. As long as we’re alive, even if we’re no longer soldiers, it’s still a blessing.”
He meant to comfort his brother-in-arms, but instead of fear or anxiety, his companion’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Head, head, do you know who’s in charge now? The one from the court, the Emperor’s man—do you know who it is?”
Amid the slaughter in the garrison, the one now in command was rumored to be the Emperor’s personal guard or perhaps the shadow army. Their leader was undoubtedly the Emperor’s man, but lowly figures like them had no chance to meet him.
Zhang Gu didn’t care. Whoever it was had nothing to do with them.
“Head, it’s someone we know,” the companion said excitedly.
Someone they knew? Zhang Gu was puzzled. How could lowly courier soldiers know the Emperor’s man?
“Not the Emperor’s man—General Chu’s man,” the companion whispered. “That Deputy General Zhong.”
Zhang Gu didn’t immediately grasp who he meant.
The companion gestured across his face. “The scarred face, Miss Chu, A Fu—the ones we met on the road back then. A Fu at that time—”
A Fu, the scarred face, General Chu—in an instant, it all clicked for Zhang Gu, memories flooding back. It hadn’t even been that long ago.
“Him?” he exclaimed in surprise. “It’s actually him?”
But it wasn’t entirely unexpected. Chu Ling had once been the Emperor’s most trusted confidant. Perhaps the Emperor had been prepared for this all along, sending General Chu’s men back in advance—
Zhang Gu’s thoughts raced, but his companion’s next whisper cut through them.
“I also heard that General Chu’s daughter is now the Empress.”
General Chu’s daughter—wasn’t that A Fu? Zhang Gu jolted back to attention. A Fu had become the Empress? Then—
Suddenly, shouts interrupted their huddle.
“Zhang Gu!” a voice barked sharply. “Step out.”
Zhang Gu and his companion flinched. Was it his turn now—
Zhang Gu looked up and saw several soldiers standing not far away in the dim morning light. His gaze involuntarily fixed on one among them—a young general clad in iron armor, a quiver on his back, a sword at his waist, tall and lean—
Familiar, yet too dazzling to look at directly.
He stood frozen, unable to move.It was the young officer who spoke first.
"Boss Zhang," he said. "Long time no see."
......
......
The new recruit of the Courier Soldier Camp sat on the ground, secretly wiping away tears. How unpredictable life was—he had thought that leaving the countryside and joining the Capital Garrison would lead to fame and achievements. Yet, not long after, far from making a name for himself, his head was about to be severed.
How unlucky was he to have encountered a prince’s rebellion?
Even worse, he had done absolutely nothing—
The new recruit was lost in his sorrow, but he was soon interrupted. First, a companion ran over, grabbing the others and whispering something. Immediately, the group began to bubble and boil like a pot of boiling water.
"Is it really A Jiu?"
"A Jiu became an official?"
"He still remembers us!"
"He does—he called Boss Zhang over. No one knows what they talked about; it was just the two of them."
Watching their animated expressions, the new recruit couldn’t continue crying and couldn’t help but ask, "Is there more bad news?"
The others turned to look at him. "You, kid, are actually quite lucky."
The new recruit was stunned. What luck? Being imprisoned and waiting for execution?
Just then, Zhang Gu returned. Seeing him, everyone crowded around, eagerly asking, "Boss, what did A Jiu come for?"
Zhang Gu looked at them all. "Pack up. We have a mission."
A mission! Everyone was astonished, and even the new recruit jumped to his feet. A mission meant they were safe, that things were back to normal.
"Really?" they asked, excited. "Did A Jiu get us released?"
Zhang Gu looked at them and nodded. "You could say that. This mission came from him." But then he shook his head. "But not exactly."
So, was it or wasn’t it? His companions were confused.
Zhang Gu rested a hand on his waist and said no more. "Alright, no more questions. Get your gear. We leave immediately. These are troubled times—the court, military, and government affairs are all busy. We can’t afford delays—"
Truthfully, he didn’t need to explain. None of his companions felt it was too rushed; at that moment, they all wished to embark on the mission right away, to return to normalcy. They responded in unison and went to pack.
The new recruit, bewildered and stumbling, was pulled along. Was this real?
But soon, he believed it. They were quickly outfitted with horses and equipment—far better than before. Everyone they encountered treated them with utmost respect, granting whatever they asked for, even offering things without being asked.
The group examined the fine horses they had never ridden before, their faces alight with excitement.
"A Jiu really has become a high official," one companion remarked, sighing with emotion. "And he hasn’t forgotten us."
"A Jiu is truly a good brother," another added with equal feeling.
The new recruit couldn’t resist asking, "Who exactly is A Jiu?"
The others looked at him with pity. "You’re unlucky, kid. You missed the time when A Jiu was with us."
They laughed and joked, the gloom and despair of the past few days completely gone. Everyone had come back to life. Zhang Gu stood to the side, watching, and couldn’t help but smile. But in truth, it wasn’t just A Jiu who hadn’t forgotten them—there was also A Fu.
......
......
"It was her who asked for your help," the young man said indifferently. "She has great faith in you."
Zhang Gu couldn’t help but laugh at that moment. "A Fu, really—she’s too polite—""Why the formalities?" The young man raised his phoenix eyes with that same roguish expression. "Because you're all too easy to fool, of course I can trust you."
This naturally referred to their initial encounter on the road. Zhang Gu couldn't help smiling more broadly as he looked at the youth before him: "Meeting you and traveling together was truly good fortune."
The young man retorted irritably: "What good fortune? Boss Zhang, you should quickly change your habit of being too nice."
Zhang Gu laughed heartily. When this young man first arrived, arrogant and untamed, he hadn't felt afraid. Now, with the youth clad in cold armor and all generals bowing in respect, he still felt no fear.
...
"Boss, what are you laughing at?" A companion noticed, and feeling carefree in this moment, dared to joke: "What other benefits did A Jiu give us?"
Zhang Gu laughed loudly, grabbing the reins to mount his horse.
"Boss." The companion came running over and asked in a low voice: "Did A Fu really become the Empress?"
Zhang Gu's hand holding the reins stilled.
...
"She's not A Fu anymore." A Jiu grasped his reins, looking back. "The Emperor has passed the throne to the Imperial Grandson, and decreed that Lady Chu Zhao of the Chu family shall be Empress."
The young man swung onto his horse, smiling faintly.
"She is now the Empress."
With that, he urged his horse into a gallop, followed closely by a crowd of officers and soldiers.
The Empress is the Emperor's wife. The Emperor is the Imperial Grandson.
A Fu had become the Imperial Grandson's wife.
Then, A Fu and A Jiu could never be husband and wife anymore.
Who would have thought - while their families hadn't tried to separate them, fate itself had struck them apart—
Zhang Gu looked up toward the front. The sky had already brightened, and the young man's figure was long gone.
A Jiu... must be feeling very sad in his heart, right?
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