Visiting

Autumn belongs to the element of metal, which governs slaughter and warfare; the city of Xiapi had been embroiled in bloodshed for an entire night.

When dawn finally broke, Xu Shuang ordered the camp to prepare breakfast.

Lu Bu, who had been sitting listlessly in the Xianzhen Battalion for half the night, had just picked up his bowl when he suddenly heard a commotion outside the tent.

Lu Lingqi went out to look and saw Gao Shun covered in blood, with Cao Xing, a subordinate general under Hao Meng, walking beside him while carrying a severed head.

Gao Shun had finished suppressing the rebellion overnight; after Hao Meng was defeated, he had been beheaded by his own subordinate, Cao Xing.

Lu Bu was overjoyed at the sight. After offering the two men some words of encouragement, he ordered Gao Shun to lead the Xianzhen Battalion in taking charge of the defense of Xiapi, and allowed Cao Xing to temporarily take over Hao Meng's troops.

Upon returning to the government office within the city, Lu Bu suddenly realized that Lu Lingqi was nowhere to be found.

"Madam, where has Lingqi gone?" Lu Bu asked.

"She was just here a moment ago; perhaps she was exhausted from last night and has gone to sleep," Lady Yan replied.

"Hmm, let us also go and rest for a while," Lu Bu nodded.

Having seen Gan Family Village plundered, Lu Lingqi had no heart left for sleep. After sending her parents back to the government office, she hurried to Gao Shun's camp in the inner city. Since the Xianzhen Battalion had taken over the defense of Xiapi, Gao Shun's troops had moved from the outer city to the inner city.

"What is going on with Zhang Liao and Cheng Lian's men? What is the situation at Gan Family Village now? Is Lan Ziyu still alive?" The moment they met, Lu Lingqi fired off questions like a volley of cannonballs.

Gao Shun replied, "Before attacking Xiaopei, the Lord promised to use Liu Bei's wealth and grain to fund the army, which is why the soldiers fought so fiercely. Unfortunately, after Xiaopei City fell, there wasn't a single grain in the granaries. Left with no choice, they allowed the soldiers to seize some property. According to reports from Cheng Lian's unit, there shouldn't be many casualties at Gan Family Village."

"Gan Family Village is full of farmers, and Cheng Lian's men are not as well-disciplined as yours. What if something happens to Ziyu? No, I must rush to Xiaopei," Lu Lingqi said anxiously.

"The Lord was shaken last night and just specifically instructed me to strengthen the city's defenses. If you sneak out now, aren't you making things difficult for me?" Gao Shun said helplessly.

"It is precisely because you are in charge of the defenses that I am coming to you. Why didn't you go with Father to attack Xiaopei? He will likely sleep all day today; if I ride at full speed, I can be back by tomorrow at the latest," Lu Lingqi said.

Gao Shun was left speechless. A soldier's duty is to obey orders; if the Lord did not appoint him to the mission, he could hardly force his way along.

"But you didn't rest well last night either."

"It's fine. Just find me two good horses from your camp."

Knowing he could not stop this young woman, and to prevent her from falling off her horse due to fatigue on the road, Gao Shun assigned two of his personal guards to accompany her.

Lu Lingqi rode at full speed, arriving at the crossroads of Gan Family Village just as dusk approached.

At that moment, Lan Tian was in the fields by the roadside, instructing the villagers on how to clear away the trampled millet seedlings.

The sound of hoofbeats was like a death knell, and the villager couldn't help but startle upon hearing them.

Lan Tian looked up and saw three riders galloping under the setting sun.

"Why have you come?" Lan Tian asked in confusion.

That spirited figure on horseback was all too familiar; who else could it be but Lu Lingqi?

Seeing that Lan Tian was still in high spirits, the heart that had been hanging in her chest instantly settled. She vaulted off her horse and said, "I am on my way to deliver a message to General Zhang, and I stopped by to see you since I was passing through."

"You've come at the right time. My sister is making dinner at home; you're in for a treat." Lan Tian leaped onto the ridge of the field. After a long period of martial arts training, his physical condition was no longer what it used to be.

Lu Lingqi looked Lan Tian over; it had been a while since they last met, and he had grown even more handsome.

"That move just now was quite good. It seems you are still persisting with your martial arts training," Lu Lingqi affirmed.

"Of course, I can't let your painstaking efforts go to waste," Lan Tian said with a chuckle.

Lu Lingqi felt very gratified, but then she remembered the soldiers plundering the village and asked with concern, "Is everyone at your home alright?"

"They are all fine. Let's go back and eat." Lan Tian suddenly took hold of Lu Lingqi's hand, which instantly made the young woman feel a bit shy.

Lu Lingqi turned her head and said bashfully to the two accompanying soldiers, "You two go ahead and deliver the message to General Zhang; I will come find you later."

"Understood," the two replied in unison.

Gao Shun was a very cautious man. Lu Lingqi visiting a friend at Gan Family Village was not a problem in itself, but as the commander of Xiapi's defenses, he could not allow himself to neglect his duties. Thus, he used the excuse of having them deliver military intelligence to Zhang Liao.

Military intelligence such as Hao Meng's rebellion—especially since the rebellion had already been suppressed—was usually delivered by post-station scouts; there was no need for Lu Lingqi to do it herself.

Lan Tian and Lu Lingqi walked side by side through the countryside. The feeling was as natural as the bright moon shining over a great river. Although both harbored feelings for each other, neither had broken the silence; all they lacked now was someone to make the decision for them.

From afar, they could see smoke rising from Gan Ji's house. Lu Lingqi blushed and asked, "How does your sister's cooking compare to yours?"

"Naturally, it's a little worse, but it still beats many others. You've been traveling all day; you must be hungry, right?"

"Mm."

Lan Tian led the way, guiding Lu Lingqi into the small courtyard while calling out, "Sister, come quickly and see who is here!"

Lu Lingqi looked at everything around her; nothing seemed to have changed, yet she felt a strange sense of unfamiliarity.

Thinking it was Liu Bei who had returned, Gan Qian wiped her hands on her apron and ran out, only to find that it was the young lady of the Lu family.

"So it is Miss Lu. Please, come inside and sit," Gan Qian said, feeling a slight disappointment in her heart.

After entering the house, Gan Qian returned to the kitchen, while Lan Tian stayed in the main hall to talk with Lu Lingqi.

"Brother, go to the shelter and tell Father to come back for dinner," Gan Qian called out from the kitchen.

Lan Tian stood up and said, "Sit for a moment; I'll go out and call my foster father."

"Oh."

After Lan Tian left, Lu Lingqi felt bored sitting there, so she walked into the kitchen to help Gan Qian with the chores.

Seeing this, Gan Qian smiled and said, "Lady Lu, you are a guest from afar. How could you belong in a kitchen? Hurry out and rest."

"It is no trouble; I have helped Ziyu light the fire before," Lu Lingqi said, her face flushing red.

Having become a married woman herself, Gan Qian understood the little thoughts in Lu Lingqi's heart well, thinking to herself that this girl clearly had feelings for her younger brother.

"About what happened at Xiaopei... I am sorry." No sooner had Lu Lingqi sat down before the stove than she could not help but voice what was on her mind.

Gan Qian was startled for a moment, then shook her head and sighed, "What does that have to do with you? Let the men resolve the affairs of men. If it weren't for you and General Gao protecting us back then, I fear... there is no need to apologize to me today."

"In any case, I still feel a sense of guilt."

"Lady Lu, I truly wonder how the Mi Family sister is faring in Xiaopei."

"It should be fine. General Zhang Liao is capable of restraining his subordinates, and my father has already given orders for him to treat Liu Bei's family with kindness."

"That puts my mind at ease."

While the two women spoke in the kitchen, Lan Tian returned from outside with his foster father. Every day, Gan Ji went to the shelter to exchange supplies, bringing back the dry rations stored there to be steamed and eaten the following day.

The Gan Family Village was once again facing a food shortage. As the village head, Gan Ji had lent out much of his grain to the villagers, so they could no longer afford to eat freely from their own stores.

Lu Lingqi had been living in Xiapi for some time and had not tasted the delicacies of a farming household, especially the unique flavors of Lan Tian's home. Upon tasting it again, she found it even more delicious, and thus her table manners were not as refined as Gan Qian's.

After the meal, a villager came to request Lan Tian's presence. Lu Lingqi had intended to help Gan Qian wash the dishes, but she was stopped by both father and daughter.

Gan Ji said to Lu Lingqi, "Lady Lu, let us take a walk in the courtyard. This old man has a few words he would like to say to you."

"Oh."

Lu Lingqi felt a little nervous, then silently followed behind Gan Ji.