Two years ago, when Xie Xixiao embarked on his first military campaign, he achieved an initial victory, breaking through enemy lines with unstoppable momentum. That year, he was only seventeen.
A young prodigy, a born general, his reputation resounded throughout the capital.
Thus, when he was ordered to lead troops once again a year ago, the situation seemed overwhelmingly favorable. Some military families sent their younger members to the army for experience, like Qi Kefeng, while others, like Yuan Shigong, who considered themselves talented generals yet unrecognized, sought to leverage the opportunity to leave their mark in history.
Before that expedition, Yuan Shigong’s wife was already pregnant. She urged him to be extremely cautious, but filled with fervor to earn merit, he reluctantly parted with her. During the march, he often received letters from home, each time reading them with tears in his eyes. His replies were equally sincere, filled with longing and lament.
Xie Xixiao, on the other hand, was the long-awaited only son of his family. While they celebrated his achievements and the honor he brought to their lineage, they also hoped he would marry early and continue the family line. Before his departure, his family pressured him into an engagement.
It was with the eldest daughter of the Ban family, a scholarly household known for gentleness and virtue. Her character was so pure that she would have been suitable even for the imperial family, and she was a perfect match for him—a predestined union.
Yet, in the end, a traitor emerged within the army, colluding with Beiwei from within. The Southern Liang suffered a devastating defeat with heavy losses. The commander was captured, and the deputy general defected to the enemy. For the dynasty, it was an utter disgrace, and in the annals of history, it became a grand joke.
A year passed, and the humiliation of captivity and the regret of defeat repeatedly wore them down. To survive, Yuan Shigong had defected to the enemy early on. The ambition he had before the expedition had long been consumed by an obsession with returning home.
Resentment festered in his heart—blaming heaven, blaming earth, blaming the times for not accommodating a man like Yuan Shigong, and above all, blaming Xie Xixiao for his youthful arrogance and incompetence, which had caused him to part from his beloved wife, a single misstep leading to lifelong regret.
What was once jealousy over Xie Xixiao’s effortless achievements had now turned into what he perceived as resentment for being implicated by him. Yuan Shigong wished he could trample him into the mud.
"General, you may have little news from the capital, but I heard that in the second month after your capture, the Ban family came to break off the engagement. Without delay, they submitted their name for palace selection, and now she is confirmed to be the Crown Princess. The date of her entry into the Eastern Palace is not far from the original wedding date with you, so the dowry prepared wasn’t wasted."
Xie Xixiao’s expression remained unchanged, though his long eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly.
If even the reputation-conscious Ban family acted this way, how much more so other prominent families in the capital? Those who would kick a man when he was down were likely countless.
He glanced sideways at Yuan Shigong, but out of the corner of his eye, he keenly noticed Hu Shen peeking from behind a nearby tent.
He withdrew his gaze, his demeanor showing not a ripple of emotion. "That’s just as well. She shouldn’t waste her youth because of me."
Yuan Shigong’s smile stiffened. He stared intently at the other man’s face, and upon realizing that Xie Xixiao truly didn’t care, the corners of his mouth gradually fell flat, his gaze revealing a trace of venom. "General Xie is truly magnanimous."
His tone was sinister, mingling with the cold wind like a snake feigning hibernation, lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
He cupped his hands toward Xie Xixiao. "May General Xie achieve swift victory. I hope you don’t die too soon."
Xie Xixiao regarded him indifferently. "I’ll take that as your blessing."
As soon as Yuan Shigong left, Hu Shen calmly emerged from behind the tent.
Xie Xixiao stared at her, noting her calm expression and clear eyes. There was no trace of embarrassment at being caught eavesdropping, nor any intention to explain.
She asked him as if nothing had happened, "Why did he leave so soon?"
"What else should we have done? Invite him to my tent for drinks and reminiscing?"
Xie Xixiao crossed his arms, thinking that with her wooden head, she might actually believe he and Yuan Shigong had a good relationship. After all, their exchange, at first listen, seemed filled with pleasantries.
But Hu Shen unexpectedly gave him a strange look. "You two don't get along, so what's there to drink over? Or is this just Zhongyuan people being hypocritically polite, exchanging veiled barbs without finding it troublesome? On the grasslands, we'd probably just settle it with our fists."
Xie Xixiao's temple twitched twice.
So she actually understood what veiled barbs and sarcasm meant?
When dealing with him before, had she genuinely not understood his words, or was she deliberately playing dumb?
The frustration of failing to provoke her last night resurfaced. A mocking smile curled at the corner of his lips. "Instead of meddling in my affairs, you should think about yourself. Why didn't your brother come out with you?"
He slightly lifted his chin, adopting a rather arrogant tone. "Oh, your brother abandoned you."
Hu Shen blinked, her bright eyes like grapes brought back from the Western Regions. "That's not true. Don't talk nonsense."
Xie Xixiao let out a meaningful, scornful laugh. "Denying reality."
He turned and walked back. Hu Shen immediately followed, walking side by side with him.
The wind was strong tonight, scattering the clouds overhead and making the moon appear exceptionally bright, illuminating the path back to the tents clearly.
Curiosity got the better of Hu Shen, and she couldn't help asking, "The girl you were engaged to—who did she marry? Is the Crown Prince the emperor's son? Is he your brother then?"
Uncertain how much she understood about kinship and lineage, Xie Xixiao replied gravely, "The Crown Prince and I share no blood relation."
Hu Shen shook her head disapprovingly. "He's not your brother, yet he still took your person while you were away. That's very bad."
Her words gave Xie Xixiao a headache, and his tone carried a hint of disdain. "Zhongyuan is not like your Xianbei, where a father's death means the son inherits, or a brother's end means the younger brother takes over. Such practices disregard propriety and violate human ethics. According to the law, they should be punished with court caning."
Hu Shen sighed softly. "What a pity."
Xie Xixiao didn't know what she found pitiful, but the next moment, he heard her ask, "Did you love her then?"
He couldn't help but frown, glancing sideways at her. Seeing nothing unusual in her gaze, he realized he had overthought it, actually influenced by her talk of "whose woman," imagining she might feel jealous like ordinary men and women when a husband's heart belongs to another.
He raised a hand to press his forehead, suppressing those chaotic thoughts, and replied impatiently, "It was arranged by the elders. Whether I loved her or not is unimportant. The concern was merely about continuing the lineage, fearing there would be no heir."
At this, Hu Shen grew interested. She moved closer to him and said with certainty, "Don't worry, we will have children. You won't be left without an heir."
Xie Xixiao didn't want to discuss this with her and quickened his pace, his long legs taking larger strides.
Yet Hu Shen still managed to keep pace at his side, seizing every opportunity to persuade him: "The Khan has promised you troops and horses. As long as you serve him well, he will not treat you unfairly. Once we invade Zhongyuan and unify the realm, you can seize that girl back. The crown prince took her by underhanded means—it was no true victory. On our grasslands, to claim the most beautiful maiden, one must—"
"Enough."
Xie Xixiao cut her off, his expression cold and unyielding.
He despised how lightly and matter-of-factly she spoke of invading Zhongyuan—his homeland. Did she truly believe he would willingly turn against his own sovereign?
Her talk of seizing things only made him recall, with barely suppressed irritation, how just days ago he had listened in his tent as three women absurdly fought over the right to possess him exclusively.
He glared at her coldly, yet realized there was little he could do to affect her.
She was as dense as wood; his words could not pierce her heart. He loathed her carefree indifference, how she seemed to hold nothing dear—not even the exploitation by her own elder brother.
Reason scattered like leaves in a cold wind, and in his desire to wound her, he blurted out something childish without restraint: "We will march soon. There will be no child-making these next few days."
As he expected, Hu Shen’s eyes widened, and her entire demeanor turned fierce: "How can that be!"
She stepped forward to block his path, urgently scolding and threatening him: "If you break your word, the Heavenly Maiden of the grasslands will punish you!"
A fraction of the stifling anger in Xie Xixiao’s heart finally dissipated, and a faint smile touched his lips. "Oh? Then let her come find me."
Hu Shen was about to say more when she suddenly noticed Xie Xixiao’s gaze shift to a spot not far away, the faint smile on his lips gradually fading.
She turned to look and saw Yelu Jian blocking the path ahead with his two burly, broad-shouldered lieutenants.
A chill ran down Hu Shen’s spine, and by now, hiding behind Xie Xixiao seemed almost instinctual.
Xie Xixiao watched as she darted swiftly behind him, her hand habitually gripping his arm as she used him for cover, peering out from his side to look ahead.
A vein throbbed at his temple, and he spoke with displeasure: "Did I not tell you not to touch me?"
Author's Note:
Xie Xixiao: Your brother doesn’t want you anymore~