Chapter 2

My eyes grew a little misty as I looked at his lowered brow. His face had tanned considerably, yet he still did nothing but grin foolishly at me.

“Suniang, we won another battle! I killed five enemies, and one was even a minor leader. The General specifically asked for my name when he passed by.”

“Suniang, the frontier is too cold, and I figured the capital must be cold too. So, I’ve saved all the pay they gave me. Take it and buy yourself plenty of winter clothes. Don’t let yourself freeze.”

“Suniang, I killed fifteen enemies this time. The General said if I keep this up, he’ll definitely promote me to Centurion. Then my pay will increase, just enough to buy you a silver hairpin. It’ll be much prettier than the peach blossom one I carved.”

I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as I listened. “You only ever think of giving me things. You don’t even think to buy yourself a winter coat.”

“How could I! Suniang is my wife; of course the money I earn should be spent on her. It’s not much now, but I’ll work even harder. One day, I’ll make sure Suniang becomes a General’s wife!”

But I never would.

Because the following year, he died in that very city.

That final, blood-stained letter had a few crookedly written words:

[Suniang, my wife, I have failed you. But I am a soldier of Dasheng, a man of Dasheng. I will die before I surrender.]

I wailed until my voice was gone, coughing up blood incessantly.

Finally, I packed my bags, wanting to see the city he had been willing to die to protect. But I heard a boatman sigh:

“I’m afraid you can’t go there anymore. That place belongs to another country now. Our Emperor, for the sake of that celestial beauty, ceded it to them without a second thought.”

Amidst the chaos of the frontier, I found a girl who had died while fleeing. I dug a grave for her, took her name, and entered the Imperial Palace.

What allowed me to evade the head maid’s inspection was that very silver hairpin I handed over.

Snow fell in heavy drifts. After a brief moment of indulgence, the Emperor left in a hurry due to heavy official business. He brushed past me without sparing me a single glance.

I couldn’t hold on any longer and collapsed.

When I woke up, the older maid who shared a room with me sighed. “This is a blessing in disguise for you.”

In this small room, I was the one who washed feet, and she was the one who emptied the night pots. She often looked after me, but now she would likely be living here alone.

“The Noble Consort said that once you wake up, you are to go and serve by her side.”