Just the day before Guogong Yé summoned the clan members and opened the ancestral hall, Yin Furen and Xu Nian’an received a family letter sent from Guangning by Zhao Huanxi.

When the servant brought the letters, Yin Furen noticed that her letter was a thin envelope, while Xu Nian’an’s was a booklet-like item carefully wrapped in oil paper. Unable to resist her curiosity, she asked, “Is that a book or a family letter?”

Zhao Jiaxuan, noticing her eager gaze, deliberately teased, “Since Di Mei is still napping, why don’t we open it and take a look?”

Yin Furen hesitated for a moment before saying, “Better not. Just send it directly to her.”

After the servant delivered the family letter to Xu Nian’an, Yin Furen and Zhao Jiaxuan huddled together to read the letter Zhao Huanxi had written.

He detailed his life after arriving in Liaodong, describing his food, clothing, lodging, and daily routines. He mentioned that Li Ying treated him well, and the soldiers there were also kind to him. He had adapted quite well to life there, though the one thing he struggled with was only being able to bathe once a month.

Yin Furen laughed and cried as she read.

Zhao Jiaxuan wiped away tears as well and said to Yin Furen, “Since Huanxi is staying in the Guangning camp, he likely won’t have to go into battle unless Gudesiqin pushes all the way to Guangning.”

Yin Furen didn’t understand much about such matters, but she was happy to hear such words. She nodded and said, “May the soldiers in Liaodong be brave and invincible, swiftly defeating that scoundrel! Let the people of Liaodong live in peace again, and may Huanxi return home soon.”

Since becoming pregnant, Xu Nian’an hadn’t shown many symptoms apart from drowsiness. That afternoon, she slept until well past the middle of the Wei hour (around 2 p.m) before waking up.

After waking up and sitting in front of the dressing table, she let Mingli smooth her hair. It was then that she noticed a square package on the table.

“What’s that?” Xu Nian’an asked.

Mingli replied, “A family letter sent to you by Gu Yé.”

Xu Nian’an picked up the package, feeling the same curiosity as Yin Furen: with something this thick, was it a book or a family letter?

She unwrapped the waterproof oil paper and, upon closer inspection, found that it was indeed a family letter. The cover even had a title: “The First Family Letter to Dong Jiejie.”

However, the letter was bound like a booklet.

Curious about what he had written in such a thick family letter, Xu Nian’an opened the cover. To her surprise, the first page was a painting. It depicted her sitting by the window of their room in Shenhui Courtyard, holding a small… qilin?

A qilin (麒麟) is a mythical creature from Chinese folklore, often referred to as a "Chinese unicorn," though it is quite different in appearance and symbolism. It is a benevolent and auspicious creature associated with good fortune, prosperity, and serenity.

Below the painting, he had written: “Dong Jiejie, last night I dreamed of you. For some reason, in the dream, you were holding this strange little creature, so ugly yet so cute. Could it be a sign of something happening at home? How are things back there?”

“Ah, Gu Yé dreamed of Xiaojie holding a qilin from a thousand miles away! This child must be a Xiao Gongzi(meaning that it’s a boy).” Mingli said excitedly behind her.

Xu Nian’an blushed and said to Mingli, “Go to the kitchen and tell the cook to use less sugar in the bird’s nest soup today. The one they sent yesterday was too sweet.”

Mingli grinned and replied, “Yes!”

After Mingli left, Xu Nian’an continued reading the family letter.

The second page was another painting. This time, it depicted the farewell scene at the Ten-Mile Pavilion, with everyone gathered to see him off.

Every page that followed was a painting. Some depicted a solitary boat drifting at dusk by a quiet ferry crossing, others showed misty mountains shrouded in clouds at sunrise, village homes with small bridges and flowing streams, or distant temples with red tiles and yellow walls. These were all scenes he had encountered along his journey.

When he came across a vibrant maple tree adorned with autumn leaves, he painted it and included a dried maple leaf. For wildflowers of unknown names, he sketched them and tucked in a naturally dried blossom.

The dim lights of a post station at night, the bustling morning crowds of a market—each scene was vividly brought to life by his brush. It was as though he traveled the road, recording every moment with his eyes and brush, then sent these memories back to her.

Xu Nian’an gently caressed the leaves and flowers. His delicate strokes and thoughtful gestures filled her heart with a tender warmth.

As she turned further, the pages revealed his experiences at the Guangning camp.

He sketched Li Ying so she could see what he looked like.

He drew Ma Laoliu, the servant who attended to him, and explained that although he was young, he was called “Laoliu” (Old Six) because his parents had named all their sons by their birth order: Lao Da, Lao Er, Lao San, and so on. Since he was the sixth, he became Laoliu.

He also painted a rugged-looking middle-aged man, introducing him as a new friend he had made in the camp. The man’s name was Cao Sandao, a squad leader commanding fifty soldiers.

He even drew his tent, both inside and out. He wrote that at first, he found it hard to adjust since the tents had only curtains instead of doors, which made him feel unsafe. But after living there for a few days, he realized that in this place, one’s greatest protection came not from a door, but from the camaraderie and trust shared with fellow soldiers.

On the final page, he had drawn himself sitting at a table, gazing at the back of the handheld mirror she had given him. Below the drawing, he wrote: “Dong Jiejie, I miss you so much, so very much. I hope you don’t miss me this much. Because missing someone but not being able to see them is so heartbreaking.”

Xu Nian’an’s eyes brimmed with tears.

How could she not miss him who wrote such a family letter for her?

The next day, Guogong Yé, seated in a wooden wheelchair pushed by Xiang Zhong, convened a family assembly in the Zhao clan’s ancestral hall. In front of everyone, he removed Zhao Mingkun, Zhao Hanchao, and Zhao Hanyang from the family registry, charging them with the crime “unfilial conduct”.

This was a grave accusation that required no evidence. If the parents declared you unfilial, then unfilial you were. Therefore, no one could plead on their behalf. In truth, no one wanted to.

Guogong Yé, meticulous in his actions, had an official notice drafted after removing the three from the family registry. The notice stated that the three had been expelled from the Zhao clan and henceforth were forbidden from bearing the surname Zhao. They were no longer allowed to claim descent from Zhao Kaishuo or identify as relatives of Zhao Huanxi, the heir grandson to Jing Guogong. From that day on, all words and actions of these three were to have no connection with the Zhao Family.

After the notice was written, multiple copies were posted publicly, at the gates of Shuntian Prefecture, along the Imperial Street, and at the city gates, making the matter known to all.

Following this, Guogong Yé ordered clan members to send letters to the Zhao Family’s in-laws and close associates, informing them of the situation.

Guogong Yé’s resolute actions served as a wake-up call to the other Zhao descendants, warning them that if they failed to conduct themselves properly, they could truly be expelled from the family and become the rats crossing the street.

After the matter was settled, Yin Furen locked herself in her room and cried bitterly, letting out years of pent-up sorrow.

Thirty years, exactly thirty years, she had finally made it through.

That scoundrel could no longer use his position to bully her children. As long as Huanxi returned safely, she had no regrets in this life.

In the capital, Zhao Hanchao saw the notice posted on Imperial Street and felt as if struck by a bolt of lightning. Unable to go to the Guogong Residence to plead for mercy, he had no choice but to ride out of the city to find his father.

On the way, Zhao Mingkun, along with his concubine and shu son, was suddenly caught up by Zhao Hanchao, who informed him that he and his two sons had been expelled from the Zhao clan by Guogong Yé.

Zhao Mingkun, unable to bear the shock, fainted on the spot.

At the inn, Zhao Hanchao and Zhao Hanyang settled Zhao Mingkun onto the bed and had Concubine Du attend to him. The two brothers then moved to the next room to discuss the situation.

“Gē, is there really no way to turn this around? Is Zufu truly so cruel?” Zhao Hanyang still couldn’t believe that they had been expelled from the Zhao Family. The thought that they could no longer claim to be descendants of the Zhao Family weighed heavily on him.

Zhao Hanchao shook his head. “Now, the entire capital knows that Father and us have been expelled. There is no chance for reversal.”

“Then what should we do now?” Zhao Hanyang felt utterly lost. From being descendants of Jing Guogong Residence, they had suddenly fallen to the status of rootless, nameless individuals. This reality left him completely bewildered about his life.

Zhao Hanchao paced the room a few steps before turning to say, “We can’t continue to follow Father.”

Zhao Hanyang stared in disbelief. “What do you mean? Are you going to abandon Father?”

“Without the support of the family, Father can only survive on his meager salary as an eighth-rank official in Pingliang Prefecture. If we stay with him, everyone will know that we, the three of us, have been expelled from the Zhao Family. The charge of unfilial conduct will hang over us, ruining our futures forever. Father’s salary is barely enough to support himself and Yiniang. As for us brothers, we need to find a different path. Once we’ve made something of ourselves, we can go back and bring them both with us,” Zhao Hanchao explained.

Zhao Hanyang, who had always lacked decisiveness, easily agreed with his older brother’s reasoning. After just a few words, Zhao Hanchao had convinced him. That very night, the two brothers took the money Zhao Mingkun had borrowed from others, and left with Wei Shi and the two sons from the two branches (meaning they only took their sons), leaving behind the daughters, Concubine Du, and Zhao Mingkun at the inn.

The next day, when Zhao Mingkun woke up, he was surrounded by his two crying granddaughters. Concubine Du, holding a few pieces of broken silver, wept uncontrollably as she said to him, “Huanchao, Huanyang, and Wei Shi are all gone, and they’ve left only this. Laoyé, what should we do?”

Zhao Mingkun was so furious as he rolled his eyes and fainted again.

✦

At the Guangning camp, after finishing military affairs in the main tent, Li Ying stepped outside to check the weather. This year, the cold had come unusually early. It seemed like snow would fall before the Tenth Month even arrived. However, the soldiers’ winter uniforms had yet to be delivered.

With a heavy heart, he walked through the camp, and from a distance, he saw the soldiers practicing combat drills in the training field.

Among the soldiers, one person stood out especially-Zhao Huanxi, the heir grandson of the Old General Zhao.

He was wearing his fine light armor, his fair skin making him highly noticeable among the otherwise drab soldiers.

According to Ma Laoliu, after arriving at the camp, Zhao Huanxi had voluntarily joined the soldiers in morning endurance runs, and in the afternoons, he practiced combat drills with them. He had adapted to the camp’s conditions without complaint, living simply and humbly, and treating everyone kindly. He had never acted arrogantly because of his status as the heir grand of Jing Guogong.

This behavior had surprised Li Ying. It was rare for a young nobleman of his age and background to behave so maturely and humbly. Most of the time, young men from noble families were prone to youthful arrogance. It is rare to find someone so earnest and humble.

He stood there watching for a while, noticing that Zhao Huanxi’s swordsmanship was clearly taught by the Old General Zhao himself. Each move and technique was executed with great familiarity. However, the silent and orderly way Zhao Huanxi practiced, was he training or preparing for battle?

Li Ying walked over with large strides and called out to stop Cao Sandao, who had been practicing with Zhao Huanxi. He drew his own sword from his waist and said to Zhao Huanxi, “Come.”

Zhao Huanxi had been practicing for half an hour, and was already sweating profusely. At the command, he tightened his grip on his sword and swung it toward Li Ying.

Li Ying lightly parried the strike, sending Zhao Huanxi’s sword flying. The force was so strong that it nearly caused Zhao Huanxi’s hands to split from the impact. Before he could regain his senses, Li Ying’s sword was already pressed against his neck.

Zhao Huanxi stood there in shock, frozen.

Li Ying spoke coldly, “Is this all you’re capable of?” He raised his foot and kicked Zhao Huanxi out of the way, then sheathed his sword. Surveying the soldiers around him, who had stopped upon witnessing the commotion, he said, “I’ve told you countless times, not to treat training as just practice. Treat it as if you’re on the battlefield, fighting against the enemy. Don’t be afraid of injuring your comrades. If you hurt him now, it’s just a scar or a few days of bed rest. But on the battlefield, the instinctive reactions you develop in training can save his life! When facing a great enemy, there’s no time to play pretend like a child! Get yourselves together!”

With that, he turned and walked away.

Only then did Cao Sandao dare approach to help Zhao Huanxi up, his face filled with concern. “Xiao Zhao Jiangjun, are you alright?”

The nearby soldiers gathered around him. They had become familiar with each other over the past few days.

Zhao Huanxi, holding back the pain in his abdomen, shook his head. “I’m fine.”

Cao Sandao helped Zhao Huanxi to sit and rest by the side of the training field, while the other soldiers continued their drills.

Zhao Huanxi, leaning on his sword, sat on the ground, reflecting on Li Ying’s words.

“No time to play pretend like a child!”

Who was the child? Him?

Zhao Huanxi gritted his teeth.

He had been married for over a year now, he was no child! Who was Li Ying looking down on?

The next day, when Li Ying passed by the training field again, he saw Zhao Huanxi, just like the other soldiers, shouting and growling, giving his all in every move and strike. There was no longer a trace of the noble demeanor of an heir to a Guogong Residence.

He secretly nodded in his heart. Although this child is weak, being able to feel shame and grow stronger afterward is rare.