In the afternoon, around the time of the Hai hour (around 1 to 3 p.m.) the room in Jiaxiang House quieted down.

Xu Nian’an was so tired that she fell into a deep sleep.

Yin Furen instructed the maid to prepare hot water to clean her body, asking Chu Er Niang and the others to go next door for a light meal and rest. Afterward, they could return to keep an eye on Xu Nian’an, ensuring that she was well.

Only after attending to her daughter-in-law did she have time to glance at her newborn grandson in Nanny Su’s arms. The little one had red, wrinkled skin and thick, black hair.

“Congratulations, Taitai. You now have a legitimate grandson. Our San Yé has an heir,” Nanny Su carefully handed the swaddled child to Yin Furen.

Even though Yin Furen had had grandchildren, they were all her Wai grandchild, meaning that they are the children from her daughters. This is her first grandchild from her son.

Yin Furen gently took the child, her thoughts drifting to her son far away, who still didn’t know he had become a father. She couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness as her eyes reddened, murmuring, “Who could say otherwise?”

At Dunyi Hall, Xiang Zhong entered Guogong Yé’s study and reported, “Guogong Yé, Xi San Nainai has given birth to a son. Both mother and child are safe.”

Guogong Yé’s expression softened as he nodded, “That’s good, that’s good.”

Seeing Guogong Yé looking out the window, Xiang Zhong moved closer and gently guided him to the sunlight streaming through the window, saying, “Da Taitai has worked hard. In order to help Xi San Nainai focus on her delivery, she asked Laonu to accompany her, pretending that Xi San Yé had won a victory and would soon be returning to the capital.”

“Huanxi will return,” Guogong Yé said, looking up at the birds flying across the sky outside the window. “He will definitely return.”

✦

After Gudesiqin’s death, the Tiele troops were thrown into disarray, and the army was routed, scattering into chaos.

That night, Li Ying left his subordinates to clean up the battlefield and hurriedly rode back to Ruidong Fort. His armor was still stained with blood as he arrived at the barracks where Zhao Huanxi had been placed.

Inside the camp, the military physician, Yu Rongwei and Zhao Huanrong were already present.

“How is the situation?” He glanced at the pale young man on the bed, whose chest barely rose with each breath, and asked the physician.

The physician furrowed his brow deeply and replied, “ Though Yunhui Jiangjun’s abdominal wound is not fatal, he had many other cuts across his body. He’s lost too much blood, and I fear…”

Li Ying recognized the unsaid words and slowly removed his helmet. He looked at Zhao Huanxi and told the physician, “Do everything you can to save him. If you lack anything, take it from wherever it’s available, and say it’s my order.”

“Understood.”

Li Ying then called out Yu Rongwei and returned to his own quarters. He asked, “Who killed Gudesiqin?”

“It was Xiao Zhao Jiangjun,” Yu Rongwei replied.

Li Ying was taken aback. “What?”

Yu Rongwei repeated, “Gudesiqin was killed by Xiao Zhao Jiangjun. There was a surviving soldier who had been with him in Baishi Gorge, named Tong Xiaohu. He witnessed the entire confrontation between Xiao Zhao Jiangjun and Gudesiqin.” He then relayed the process that Tong Xiaohu had described to him.

Li Ying sat down on a chair, his expression frozen in surprise.

“Alone, risking his life to feign weakness, and only when the enemy had completely relaxed did he strike with all his might in a thunderous blow, exchanging his life for his enemy’s. I never expected that, despite his usually delicate and youthful appearance, Xiao Zhao Jiangjun would possess such blood and courage. Mo Jiang feels deeply ashamed,” Yu Rongwei said, his voice filled with self-reproach.

“Only he could have killed Gudesiqin in such a way,” Li Ying said.

Yu Rongwei understood. There was no other soldier on the battlefield like Zhao Huanxi. Moreover, for years, Gudesiqin’s obsession with the Zhao Family had become deeply ingrained. For Gudesiqin, dying at Zhao Huanxi’s hands was his fate.

Yu Rongwei sighed, then took out a list of the fallen soldiers from Baishi Gorge and presented it to Li Ying. “This was submitted by Tong Xiaohu. He says Xiao Zhao Jiangjun asked him to bring this list of the fallen soldiers from Baishi Gorge to you and ask for the credit on behalf of fallen brothers.”

Li Ying unfolded the white cloth, his gaze passing over the names, until it landed on the last three blood-stained characters: Zhao Huanxi.

He instructed Yu Rongwei to leave and carefully folded the list of the fallen soldiers.

“For duty, he has merely done what he was supposed to. But personally, if Zhao Huanxi doesn’t survive this, I can only go to Zhao Lao Jiangjun and apologize with my death.”

Perhaps because of his youth, or perhaps because his desire to live and return home was too strong, Zhao Huanxi woke up after five days of fever and a full half month of unconsciousness.

When he opened his eyes, he didn’t know where he was or whether he was alive or dead. He only felt an overwhelming weakness in his limbs, and even the slightest movement sent waves of pain through his body.

Zhao Huanrong leaned in, his face showing an expression Zhao Huanxi had never seen before, one of surprise and joy. “Huanxi, you’re finally awake!”

“I… didn’t die?” Zhao Huanxi croaked, his voice so hoarse it felt as though his throat was filled with gravel.

Zhao Huanrong quickly poured a cup of warm water and, using a spoon, fed it to Zhao Huanxi while saying, “You’ve been unconscious for half a month. Thankfully, you pulled through. Otherwise, I wouldn’t even know how to explain to the family about you.”

“Did we win the battle?” Zhao Huanxi asked in between sips of water.

“Yes. You killed Gudesiqin, and the Tiele army was defeated. The garrison commander says it will take at least ten years for the Tiele to recover from this crushing defeat, possibly even longer.”

“Then… what about the brothers who went with me into Baishi Gorge?” Zhao Huanxi asked.

“Tong Xiaohu is alive, and Cao Sandao is alive. Of the other two who were seriously wounded, one survived, and the other didn’t.”

Zhao Huanxi stared at the ceiling, silent.

Zhao Huanrong saw how much weight he had lost and persuaded him, “I heard Zhenshou Daren has already written a battle report to the court, reporting the outcome and asking for merit on their behalf. Don’t worry about it. Focus on recovering. Once you’re well, you can return to the capital. You’ve been away for nine months, don’t you miss Zufu, Da Taitai, and Di Mei?”

Thinking of the family waiting for him at home, Zhao Huanxi’s eyes gathered light again, and he nodded with difficulty.

He slowly reached for his chest and abdomen, but Zhao Huanrong hurriedly stopped him, “Don’t move around, you’re covered in knife wounds.”

“My mirror… where is it?” he asked.

Zhao Huanrong took a mirror from the table and handed it to him.

The glass surface of the mirror was completely shattered and fallen off, with a deep knife mark on the edge of the base, as if a sharp blade had pierced through.

“It looks like this mirror saved your life. After all, with Gudesiqin’s strength, it would have been impossible for him to miss such a vital point,” Zhao Huanrong said.

Zhao Huanxi nodded. “Killing him was never my achievement alone.”

It was those hundred brothers, charging forward one after another, who took down two waves of Tiele soldiers and lured Gudesiqin into Baishi Gorge. It was his Wu Shu, who sacrificed his life, causing Gudesiqin to underestimate him in favor of someone less capable. It was Zufu, who crippled Gudesiqin’s left leg, preventing him from dodging the final blow. It was Dong Jiejie’s mirror that protected his vital points, giving him the strength to endure until he could pierce Gudesiqin completely.

It was them, together, who killed Gudesiqin.

At Jing Guogong Residence, Guogong Yé received a letter from Li Ying.

Li Ying detailed the events of the battle thoroughly, including the plan to send Zhao Huanxi into Baishi Gorge to lure Gudesiqin, and how Zhao Huanxi used himself as bait to ultimately kill Gudesiqin. At the end of the letter, he wrote: “Congratulations, Jiangjun. There is such a successor.”

Enclosed with the letter was the list of the fallen soldiers, signed by Zhao Huanxi.

Moved to tears, Guogong Yé spent nearly an hour calming himself before carefully putting away the letter and the list. He then called for Xiang Zhong, saying, “Go inform Da Taitai. Huanxi really did win the battle and achieved great merit. Once things are settled in Liaodong, he will return to the capital.”

Xiang Zhong, overjoyed, replied, “Laonu will go at once.”

Yin Furen was in Xu Nian’an’s room playing with her grandson. After just over half a month of care, the little one was no longer red and wrinkled but had grown fair, chubby, and smooth. He spent his days eating and sleeping, crying very little as long as he was well-fed. When awake, he would gaze at people with his big, dark eyes framed by thick, long lashes. His delicate eyebrows already showed their shape, resembling his father’s. His tender little fingers were always clenched into fists, but if you slipped your finger in when he loosened them, the baby would grab your finger tightly with surprising strength.

Yin Furen was filled with joy, wishing she could stay in her daughter-in-law’s room all day to keep her grandson company.

When Xiang Zhong came to deliver Guogong Yé’s words to her, she couldn’t hold back her emotions and broke down in tears.

Ever since Huanxi left for Liaodong, it felt like a mountain was pressing down on Yin Furen’s heart, leaving her breathless day and night. Now, that mountain had finally crumbled.

After crying for a while, she composed herself, wiped her tears, and entered the room. Looking at Xu Nian’an, who was sitting on the bed, she said, “Huanxi is coming back. He’s really coming back.”

Xu Nian’an froze for a moment at Yin Furen’s expression, then quickly realized that the time she had mentioned Huanxi’s return on the day she gave birth must have been a lie. Otherwise, Yin Furen wouldn’t have cried like this now upon hearing the news again.

A surge of bittersweet emotion filled her heart, mingled with gratitude. She said, “If that’s the case, why don’t we give the child the nickname Hui Ge’er?”

"Hui" (回) means "return" or "come back”.

Yin Furen wiped her tears as she nodded, saying, “Good, this child is truly blessed. As soon as he is born, his father will be on his way back.”

Although Xu Nian’an had a somewhat difficult delivery, she didn’t suffer any lasting harm. She stayed in confinement for two months, hoping to wait for Zhao Huanxi’s return. However, midway through the second month, a letter came from Zhao Huanxi saying that his affairs in Liaodong were still unresolved, and it would be over a month before he could set out for the capital.

Yin Furen had no choice but to go ahead and celebrate the child’s double full-month celebration without him.

At the end of the Seventh Month, Zhao Huanxi, accompanied by Yu Rongwei, finally returned to the capital.

The family had received word early on, and all three elder sisters and their husbands were waiting at the Jing Guogong Residence. Even Xu Moxiu had taken special leave from the academy to join them.

In the late morning around the Si hour (around 9-10 am), Zhiyi, who had been sent to wait at the city gate, rushed back to the residence, his face brimming with excitement. He announced to the group gathered at Jiaxiang House, “Taitai, San Nainai, all Gu Yes and Gu Nainais, San Yé has entered the city! He’s wearing full armor, riding a tall steed, with banners leading the way. He looks so majestic! The streets are filled with cheering citizens!”

Everyone was delighted to hear the news. Yin Furen, overcome with emotion, eagerly asked, “When will he return home?”

Zhiyi replied, “San Yé headed along the imperial street toward the Imperial Palace. He should be able to return home after his audience there.”

With that, everyone continued to wait in anticipation.

Although Hui Ge’er was only a little over four months old, he could already stand while holding onto a low table. When held in someone’s arms, he would kick his little legs and grumble, eager to be put down on the ground.

By now, Hui Ge’er had grown into his features completely. His chubby little face, big, bright black eyes with a hint of blue in the whites, and his rosy, moist lips, constantly shiny from drool, made him irresistibly adorable. Oblivious to the fact that his father had narrowly escaped death and was on his way home, he happily sported a head of thick hair that had grown back after being shaved. Half-standing and half-leaning on the low table, he gripped a velvet fabric mouse made by his Si Gugu with his plump, dimpled hands. With drool dripping from his mouth, he stuffed the mouse’s ear into his toothless gums and gnawed on it.

Xu Nian’an couldn’t help but laugh at the sight. She scooped him onto her lap and pulled the cloth mouse from his mouth, and used a handkerchief to wipe the drool from his hands and face.

The little one puffed out his round belly and squirmed, refusing to lie still on his mother’s lap.

Zhao Jiashan watched from the side and remarked, “This little one is far more mischievous than Huanxi was at his age.”

Yin Furen sighed, “Isn’t he? We should just hope for the Wai nephew to take after his Xiao Jiu and grow up to be studious. Look at him (Hui Ge’er) now, he’s more likely to turn into a little monkey climbing the skies.”

What Yin Furen said was she hoped that Zhao Huanxi's future wai nephew (which is in Zhao Jiazhen’s belly) would take after him, since his son does not seem to take after his demeanour.

Zhao Jiazhen teased, “Even if he’s a little monkey, who could possibly not love him?”

Yin Furen glanced at Zhao Jiazhen’s rounded belly and replied in a leisurely tone, “Exactly. I’m hoping you’ll give birth to a little monkey too, so he can have a playmate. Two little monkeys running around together, creating chaos everywhere!”

Zhao Jiazhen’s face flushed red, and she cast Yin Furen a reproachful look. The room erupted in laughter at the lighthearted banter.