“How did you happen to come to the Gu residence?” Jun Heng asked Mu Wan only after stepping outside.
Raising his hand to summon a few attendants to follow, Mu Wan gave a helpless smile. “Actually, I came to see Yan Xiang. A few days ago, I accidentally damaged one of his folding fans. The calligraphy on it is quite precious. Across the entire court, only Yan Xiang’s work could compare.”
“A folding fan?” Gu Jiao’s mood had already eased when she learned Gu Qingxing wasn’t seriously hurt, but now she was surprised and hurriedly asked.
She had seen Mu Wan several times but never noticed him carrying a fan. And yet, he claimed the calligraphy was valuable…
The poems on Ning Fei’s folding fan had been inscribed by the late esteemed scholar Xuan Yang himself.
“You damaged Ning Fei’s fan?” she slowed her pace, lowering her voice to ask once Mu Wan drew near.
Jun Heng’s steps faltered as he saw her intentionally fall behind; his gaze briefly softened, yet he didn’t press for an answer.
Mu Wan gave a wry smile, tacitly confirming it.
Gu Jiao nodded knowingly. Ning Fei treasured that fan above all else, carrying it with him in every season, often taking it out to admire it.
“I’d advise you to abandon any idea of having Yan Xiang inscribe anything,” she reminded him kindly. “Ning Fei has always been proud of his own talent. Yan Xiang, after all, is of the same generation. Asking him to write… might not sit well.”
Was she subtly implying that his calligraphy couldn’t match Yan Chenyang’s?
Mu Wan considered her words and nodded thoughtfully. “I see… that was indeed my oversight.”
“The Yan residence is this way,” Jun Heng said suddenly.
Looking up, Gu Jiao saw him standing aside, a short distance from them. She realized that her whispered conversation with Mu Wan had not escaped his notice. She gave an embarrassed smile and quickened her pace to catch up.
Mu Wan observed them with a playful glint in his eyes.
Yan Chenyang wasn’t lying in bed; he stood outside, waiting for them. At first glance, he seemed normal, but his face was pale, and his left arm stiff.
“I should have stopped that messenger,” Gu Jiao murmured, feeling guilty. They had come to visit, yet he had to stand to greet them despite his injury.
Jun Heng, noting his condition, said softly, “If the wound is serious, you should rest properly. No need to exhaust yourself.”
Yan Chenyang smiled faintly, stepping aside to let them pass. “I am not seriously hurt, Your Majesty. There is no need for concern.”
Mu Wan entered last, and as he was about to help Yan Chenyang, someone had already gently held his arm.
Gu Jiao turned to see a girl standing behind Yan Chenyang. She had noticed her earlier from afar but only now realized she was perhaps sixteen, dressed in a lotus-colored silk robe, with star-like eyes and long, fair fingers. Her hair was simply tied up, yet it did not hide her delicate features.
“This is my younger sister, Chang Ning,” Yan Chenyang said kindly, noticing Gu Jiao’s gaze. He gently patted her wrist. “Chang Ning, you’ve stood watch long enough. Go rest.”
The girl hesitated for a moment, then met his gaze. Seeing his calm expression, she softly replied, “Yes.”
Still, she first served tea to the others, reminded Yan Chenyang to care for his wound, and only then left.
“Your sister and Yan Xiang are so close; I truly envy that,” Mu Wan remarked with a smile.
Yan Chenyang chuckled softly. “Chang Ning was a bit frightened earlier. Please forgive her, General Mu.”
“I haven’t yet thanked you for saving my father,” Gu Jiao said, rising to bow to him.
Yan Chenyang was slightly startled and reached out to help, but Jun Heng stood simultaneously.
His gaze, usually like misted water, rested briefly on her before turning back to Yan Chenyang as she raised her head.
Gu Jiao glanced at him in puzzlement. Why was he standing when she was thanking Yan Chenyang?
“If not for Yan Qing being present, who knows how chaotic things could have been. By reason and courtesy, I should be the one to thank you.”
Hearing this, Mu Wan, who had been casually fiddling with his sword, twitched slightly at the corner of his eye.
“Your Majesty, may I interject?” he asked. Without waiting for Jun Heng’s approval, he continued, “You truly came to visit Yan Xiang, not to frighten him, correct?”
Yan Chenyang and Gu Qingxing were both high-ranking ministers. If Jun Heng thanked one of them, the other would hardly be at ease.
Jun Heng paused, saw Yan Chenyang shake his head and smile, then lowered his gaze and returned to his seat.
As the chair scraped the floor, a soft, almost imperceptible laugh reached his ears.
Instinctively, he looked over. Gu Jiao, holding her tea, quietly skimmed the foam without looking at him, as if the sound had nothing to do with her.
Jun Heng drew back his gaze but still let a hint of lightness play on his face. His fingers curved naturally, brushing near his lips.
“Right. I heard General Mu came to the residence before. What was the purpose?” Yan Chenyang asked, turning to him.
“There was something at first, but it has already been resolved,” Mu Wan replied with a smile, not going into details since Yan Xiang would no longer need to write anything.
He suddenly remembered something, taking a porcelain bottle from his bosom. “Almost forgot. This is a medicine developed by our army physicians. It works well on external injuries. When Yan Xiang changes his bandage later, he can try it.”
“I’ve also left a portion for Chancellor Zuo. In the rush, I forgot to have the imperial physicians deliver it.”
Yan Chenyang accepted it without refusal and thanked Mu Wan warmly.
“General Mu is talented. Might there be someone he fancies?” Yan Chenyang asked after putting the bottle away.
At once, Gu Jiao set down her cup and looked at Mu Wan as if waiting for a performance.
Mu Wan coughed lightly. “Given my position, I might be cut down on the battlefield tomorrow. If I pursued romance, wouldn’t I just be wasting a young lady’s time?”
Gu Jiao covered her eyes with her hand, trying to hide a smile.
“This modesty is unnecessary—”
“Yan Xiang, were you sent to act as a matchmaker for General Mu?” Gu Jiao interrupted lightly, recalling that the Duke of Wei had once wished to marry his daughter to Mu Wan, only to be refused, and he had lamented it for some time.
Yan Chenyang paused, seeming aware of overstepping, and explained softly, “It is embarrassing to say, but Chang Ning has come of age. Seeing General Mu recently, some thoughts arose… though it may have been abrupt.”
“General Mu is a warrior. Thanks to your regard, there is no intention of marriage at present,” Mu Wan added with a sigh.
“A mere warrior…” Gu Jiao repeated in her mind, lowering her head, her shoulders trembling slightly.
He spoke so fluently; it seemed he had used this as an excuse many times.
“Am I correct that Yan Xiang is an only child?” Jun Heng asked suddenly.
At their first meeting with Chang Ning, he hadn’t considered it, but hearing Yan Chenyang now, it occurred to him.
“Chang Ning is a girl I rescued as a child. She had no surname. I asked her consent, then privately gave her a name,” Yan Chenyang replied with a faint smile, recalling the past.
“She has always stayed by my side. I have never regarded her as an outsider.”
After a brief pause, Yan Chenyang looked at Jun Heng. “May I ask one favor of Your Majesty?”
“Speak,” Jun Heng said calmly. Yan Chenyang seldom requested anything from him, and if it was important, he would never refuse.
“I wish Your Majesty would issue a decree, granting Chang Ning a place in the Yan family registry.”
“Yan Xiang has already adopted her?” Gu Jiao asked, confused. If Yan Chenyang considered Chang Ning family, why bother with formalities?
Jun Heng and Gu Jiao had reached an understanding in thought, so he didn’t answer immediately, instead waiting for Yan Chenyang’s next words.
Yan Chenyang spoke softly, “Chang Ning’s position has always been delicate. Though her presence is acknowledged, whispers of disapproval from the Yan family’s collateral branches have never ceased over the years.”
“I could punish them once or twice, but that would only address the symptoms, not the root cause.”
Gu Jiao, hearing this, couldn’t help recalling Xie Chongyu when she first entered the Gu residence.
Yan Chenyang’s current thoughts were not much different from hers at that time.
Jun Heng glanced at her expression, then turned to Yan Chenyang. “This is not a major matter. I will grant your request.”
Afterward, they lingered only briefly, leaving the Yan residence after Yan Chenyang could rest and recover.
“Yan Xiang is truly a man of deep affection,” Gu Jiao remarked, familiar with the Dragon Chapter Palace, pouring herself a cup of tea.
As head of the Yan household, the matter of granting a surname need not have involved Jun Heng, yet his intervention would provide Chang Ning with an official, legitimate identity. From that moment on, no one dared to question the young lady of the Yan household again.
If only, back then…
Gu Jiao suddenly snapped back to reality, her expression returning to normal as she turned to Mu Wan. “I suppose it was your refusal of marriage that made Yan Xiang suddenly think to give his sister a formal status.”
“That’s His Lordship’s sister. Could General Mu truly have been the cause?”
Mu Wan replied lazily, “Thank you, Your Ladyship, for thinking of it. But I fear such fortune is beyond me.”
“You two—” Watching their playful exchange, Jun Heng, who had been silent all along, finally couldn’t hold back.
Even at the Yan residence, he had been somewhat puzzled. Gu Jiao was friendly and easygoing, yet her behavior toward Mu Wan was far too casual.
Mu Wan had mentioned having met her once before and said…
Jun Heng’s expression darkened as he turned his gaze to Mu Wan.
Since he had known Mu Wan, he had never seen her dress differently—always in a striking black or red martial outfit, long hair tied back, her sword-like brows and eyes fully exposed.
Though a warrior, she always carried a serene, smiling demeanor. Her manner had a certain flair, reminiscent of a young swordsman from a novel.
Mu Wan shivered slightly. Why did she suddenly feel the Emperor’s gaze on her was… unusually friendly?
After a moment, she realized the source of her unease. Amused, she wanted to explain softly, but someone had already spoken before her.
“Your Ladyship and General Mu share an old friendship. Naturally, I might feel more at ease in his presence,” Gu Jiao said with deliberate composure. “Moreover, General Mu’s reputation is known throughout the capital. Even without prior acquaintance, it would be improper to act distant.”
Mu Wan: …
Though she knew Gu Jiao was carefully framing her words to prevent Jun Heng from asking too much and exposing her identity, she still cleared her throat and followed her lead. “I am humbled by Your Ladyship’s praise. I dare not take it lightly.”
Jun Heng’s gaze grew sharper.
“Your Majesty,” Huai An’s voice echoed in the hall, letting Mu Wan secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
Seeing both Mu Wan and Gu Jiao present, Huai An seemed hesitant, as though unsure how to begin.
Recalling why Huai An had left earlier, Gu Jiao’s smile softened. “Have you discovered who it was that acted?”
“Shall I step aside first?” Mu Wan whispered to Jun Heng, seeing Huai An’s hesitation.
“No need,” Jun Heng shook his head. “Speak freely.”
Huai An lowered his voice. “The one who used the arrow was indeed a young servant of the Gu residence. However… he has been in service there for six years.”
Jun Heng instinctively looked at Gu Jiao, but she merely lowered her gaze, as if she had anticipated it, showing none of the anger one might expect.
Huai An paused, then continued in an even lower tone, “The arrow intercepted by General Mu was made of Catalpa wood. The Feathered Guards checked— it was not crafted by any weaponsmith from the Imperial Capital.”
Most weapons in the capital were made of Sophora or Cypress. Catalpa was typically used in Nanning.
Gu Jiao rested her head on her hand, letting out a quiet, light laugh. Yet her eyes were cold.
Jun Heng had been watching her reactions closely and could clearly see the self-mockery and hurt in her eyes.
He clenched his fingers, let out a soft laugh, then rose and crossed the hall past Huai An.
Huai An glanced at Mu Wan, seeing her resigned expression, and silently followed.
In the hall, only Gu Jiao and Mu Wan remained.
“Actually… the attacker held back.”
“Even without Yan Xiang’s protection, that arrow would not have endangered Chancellor Zuo’s life,” Mu Wan finally revealed the truth she had kept hidden.
Before, she had said nothing because the storm had passed; revealing it would change nothing. Now, she had an inkling of who had acted and didn’t intend to excuse him. But seeing Gu Jiao like this, she hoped the confession might bring her some relief.
“I’m fine,” Gu Jiao said after a long pause, closing her tired eyes. “I just didn’t expect it to happen so soon.”
“Six years ago… it was planned that early?”
In Xie Chongyu’s first year at the Gu residence, the Xie family had already planted someone near him. If they had been preparing for today so long ago, what was Xie Chongyu thinking when she had noticed him back then?
He said he had never shown a hint of deceit.
Yet she had trusted him as completely as she once had.
“The Emperor has left,” Mu Wan suddenly said.
Gu Jiao sluggishly opened her eyes. “Hm?”
She naturally heard Jun Heng’s footsteps and knew he was pleased, yet truly, she was powerless.
“I mean, you don’t have to suppress yourself so much.”
Mu Wan looked toward the window. She had thought Jun Heng would leave because he disliked seeing Gu Jiao so heartbroken, but… perhaps even he understood whether it was his own sharp unease or worry for Gu Jiao’s lingering emotional turmoil.
On this matter, no one could empathize with Gu Jiao’s feelings better than he could.
“Actually, His Majesty is quite approachable.”
“I know,” Gu Jiao said, tugging at the corner of her mouth and nodding.
“Do you know why he left us alone like this?” Mu Wan smiled, casually changing the subject.
Gu Jiao froze briefly, then realized something. “Could it be…”
“The Mu family has always obeyed the Emperor. Everything they do has His Majesty’s approval.”
The implication was clear: Jun Heng had always known Mu Wan’s identity.
Recalling her clumsy attempt to cover it earlier, Gu Jiao’s head throbbed again.
Seeing Mu Wan still relaxed, she grew even more puzzled, finally daring to ask, “Then why did you switch to a male body?”
Now that Jun Heng’s consent had been secured, what did it matter if Mu Wan led troops in her female form?
Mu Wan’s long lashes lowered, casting a shadow across her eyes. “Ladyship once invited me to the hall for tea. Do you still recall?”