"Thank you, Your Majesty," she stuffed the moon talisman back into its place and patted it gently with her palm, her expression full of delight.

"I will keep it safe."

-

The two of them were headed to the Jieqiu Mountain military camp.

Wen Xingsu had arrived the day before yesterday and happened to be in the camp. He was surprised to suddenly learn that Pei Jue had arrived.

He didn’t ask any questions and stepped forward to offer a subordinate’s salute.

"I wasn’t aware of the Great General’s return to the camp and didn’t come to meet you from afar, my disrespect," he said.

He was always meticulous about such formalities.

Pei Jue returned the salute, "General Wen, you have worked hard."

Wen Xingsu smiled and invited him in, "Great General, please."

In the Northern Yong military camp, without Pei Jue, it was already a challenge for a general from Qi Country to gain the obedience of the soldiers, and Pei Jue did hesitate when he first decided to place such a heavy burden on Wen Xingsu.

But he did it anyway.

Without explaining to anyone why.

At that time, it had caused quite an uproar in the camp.

In terms of talent, Wen Xingsu was known to have the makings of a general, but there was certainly more than one or two amongst Pei Jue’s subordinates capable of leading troops, given how powerful the Northern Yong army had become.

In terms of closeness, Wen Xingsu was, after all, a surrendered general whose time with Pei Jue was far shorter than others’. Apart from his relationship with Feng Yun, it could be said that he was not particularly close to Pei Jue.

At that time, Shi Yin had approached Pei Jue to express the dissatisfaction of many brothers...

Pei Jue had only one response.

"If they are not convinced, they can fight it out," he said.

He didn’t treat everyone equally, promoting his wife’s brother and taking a great risk, but as it turned out, his judgment was not wrong.

Wen Xingsu’s leadership style was completely different from Pei Jue’s.

Pei Jue ruled with a combination of awe and benevolence; Wen Xingsu with kindness and integrity.

Wen Xingsu was erudite and capable, a gentleman of elegance. Such a person was truly unique in the Northern Yong army, where rogues abounded.

Initially, no one had high expectations for him, but in just a few months, Wen Xingsu had successfully integrated into the Northern Yong army, even winning over Shi Yin, the one most reluctant to accept him, calling each other brothers.

Once, after drinking, Shi Yin candidly admitted to Wen Xingsu that he had misjudged the Great General.

He thought the Great General was too easily swayed by others, favoring his sister-in-law’s opinion, but in reality, it was a demonstration of far-sighted wisdom.

If anyone but Wen Xingsu had been in charge, squabbles would have undoubtedly broken out at the first sign of trouble, and the Northern Yong army might have dissolved into a state of disarray.

Sure enough, Pei Jue was back in the camp.

Shi Yin, Yu Zhong, and others came to pay their respects.

After some polite conversation, Shi Yin stepped forward to apologize to Pei Jue for his previous misunderstandings.

Pei Jue didn’t say much.

But when leaving the camp, he told Wen Xingsu.

"The reason I appointed you as the deputy general of the Northern Yong army was actually a simple one," he said.

Wen Xingsu replied with a smile, "Because of my waist."

No matter how the situation changed, Wen Xingsu would not act against Feng Yun to appease the Great Jin Imperial Court, nor would he betray him for the court.

With the lessons learned from Deng Guang, Han Xu, and others, Pei Jue was even more cautious in using people.

These were Pei Jue’s considerations, and they were also the reasons why Wen Xingsu was willing to take on this hot potato, to bear the heavy shackles, endure the curses of the people of Qi, and remain silent.

The two men looked each other in the eye.

All was understood without words.

Feng Yun, not seeing Pei Jue boarding the carriage for a while, lifted the curtain to look out.

"What are you talking about? It’s terribly hot outside; please get in the carriage quickly, won’t you?" she said.

Pei Jue nodded to Wen Xingsu.

"I take my leave."

Wen Xingsu smiled and bowed, "Safe travels."

Feng Yun then said, "Big brother, when will you come home for a meal? We live so close, and you don’t visit; I might just get angry."

Her face was all smiles.

This demeanor was completely different from when she was with Pei Jue.

Pei Jue silently boarded the carriage without a word.

Wen Xingsu’s gaze swept over and he said warmly,

"Alright, I’ll find time to come over in the next few days."

Feng Yun then waved him off, "You better go back; it really is too hot."

The carriage left slowly.

Wen Xingsu stood in the blazing sun for a long while before turning to leave.

-

He Qia was waiting for Pei Jue at Yutangchun.

Wen Hui had sent someone to clean a private room early on and also prepared tea and refreshments. Once the guests were seated, she withdrew.

In the corridor, he came across He Chuandong. With a quick glance, they passed by each other.

Feng Yun observed this with a smile and entered the room.

She and Pei Jue dined at Yutangchun for lunch.

He Qia and his son kept them company.

The two had previously roamed the south and stormed the north with Pei Jue; they were like family, and thus there were fewer formalities at the table.

When the conversation touched on the Young Emperor’s convalescence in Huaxi, He Qia remarked with a laugh,

"It’s a pity the Princess is a woman. If she were a man, probably no one in this world could stand against her," he said.

Such high praise was something Feng Yun couldn’t accept.

Especially in front of Pei Jue, she was worried he might grow wary of her, so she was extremely modest.