In ancient times, she gave birth to seven daughters and was divorced by her husband's family.

"In July, I..."

Ximen Liuyun stood in front of her, at a loss for what to do.

He didn't sleep all night. His father's decision filled him with shame. He felt he had no face to face the girl he had vowed to protect since childhood.

"I know it all."

Bai Qiyue interrupted him, took out a hand-embroidered amulet from her sleeve, and handed it to him. "Brother Liuyun, Uncle Ximen is right."

Ximen Liuyun looked up abruptly, unable to believe his ears: "You...you don't blame me? You don't blame my father?"

Why should I blame you?

Bai Qiyue smiled slightly, a smile as warm as a spring breeze in the winter sun, "On the contrary, I am very grateful to Uncle Ximen."

"He showed me the responsibility of a father, and he also showed me... your future."

She looked at him, her eyes clear and earnest: "Brother Liuyun, you have never been the tagalong who just follows us around like others say."

"In my heart, you have always been the best brother who would climb a tall tree to pick flowers for me and run all over the city to find sugar figurines just because of a word I said."

"However, in the past, your brilliance was overshadowed by your status as the heir of a duke."

"Now, Uncle Simon just wants everyone to see just how dazzling your own light truly is."

She gently straightened his slightly disheveled collar.

“You go ahead.

Do what you want to do, do what you should do.

"To become a man that makes Uncle Simon proud, and that makes me proud too."

"I'm waiting for you."

"No matter how long it takes, I will wait for you to come back."

Ximen Liuyun looked at the girl in front of him, at the complete trust in her eyes... He gripped the amulet tightly in his hand.

"July......"

He choked up, and all his words, though many, ultimately boiled down to a solemn vow.

"Wait for me! I will definitely come back and marry you!"

The news quickly spread among the sisters.

At the dinner table, Bai Liuyue munched on a chicken leg while scrunching her round face in confusion: "Why? Brother Liuyun is such a good person, why does he insist on going to such a harsh place as the frontier?"

"I heard from my fifth sister that the wind and sand in the border region are very strong, and the food is not good either. Even the meat is dry and hard."

Bai Siyue rolled her eyes at her, annoyed, and tapped her bowl with her chopsticks: "Just eat yours! What do you know!"

She turned to Bai Qiyue, her face still bearing the same "men are such a hassle" expression, but what she said was completely different: "Seventh Sister, don't listen to Liuyue's nonsense."

“I think the Duke of Liang did the right thing! A man should have his own career.”

"We can't live in our parents' shadow forever."

"Besides, you are the daughter of the Marquis of Anguo's family. How can your husband be a commoner with no achievements?"

"If word gets out, people will think that our Bai family climbed up the social ladder through nepotism."

She paused, then added, "However, life on the frontier is indeed tough."

I've already sent a message to my caravan, instructing them to send some good goods to Ximen Liuyun along their way when they deliver goods north.

"The food, clothing, and daily necessities must all be of high quality."

“Our Bai family’s future son-in-law must not suffer any grievances outside.”

She spoke toughly, but her heart was softer than anyone else's.

Bai Qiyue felt a warm glow in her heart as she looked at her sisters who were so concerned for her.

She knew that no matter what lay ahead, she would never be alone.

After the New Year, Ximen Liuyun resigned from his position as heir apparent and, as an ordinary new recruit, packed his bags and embarked on a journey to the northern border.

Bai Qiyue did not attend the farewell ceremony.

She simply stood atop the highest corner tower of the Marquis's residence, watching from afar as that familiar figure merged into the departing army, gradually disappearing into the distance until it vanished at the end of the road.

Brother Liuyun, have a safe journey.

Days flowed by slowly as we waited.

Spring passes and autumn comes, cold comes and summer comes.

One year, two years... time flies.

Ximen Liuyun seemed to have vanished from everyone's memory in the capital.

Instead, a reckless soldier named Simon from the Northern Army took his place.

His only connection with Bai Qiyue was through those letters that traveled over mountains and through months of travel to reach their destination.

"In July, I received this letter as if we were meeting in person."

The wind in the North is harsh, like a knife scraping against your face.

The food here is really bad, but I learned to hunt for myself.

Last time I hunted a rabbit, roasted it, and it actually tasted pretty good.

The training was tough. I threw up on the first day, and my whole body felt like it was falling apart.

The veterans in the unit all laughed at me, this pampered soldier from Beijing.

But I didn't give up.

Now, I can carry fifty pounds of equipment and run twenty miles of mountain road...

"In July, today we fought our first battle. A group of bandits came to plunder the village."

The first time I killed someone, I vomited so badly I felt dizzy and disoriented.

I then realized that the battlefield was completely different from what I had imagined.

I was a little scared, but seeing the grateful looks in the eyes of the villagers we rescued, I felt it was all worth it...

"Brother Liuyun, it is as if we are meeting in person after reading this letter."

It's snowing again in the capital, and Sixth Sister has gained weight again. She says she wants to eat the rabbit meat you hunted.

Fourth Sister's business is booming. She said she'll give you a big red envelope when you come back.

Everything is fine at home, don't worry.

"Brother Liuyun, I've recently been reading 'The Art of War' by Sun Tzu, and I'm particularly moved by the chapter on 'The Art of War' which deals with deception."

Northern bandits are swift and elusive; in a direct confrontation, our army may not have the upper hand.

Perhaps we can lure the enemy deep into our territory and ambush them with a surprise attack... This is just theoretical; take it with a grain of salt and don't act rashly.

In all things, self-preservation is of paramount importance.

"..."

During the waiting period, Bai Qiyue was not idle.

She began to take the initiative to handle some of the household affairs.

Unlike her third and fourth sisters, she wasn't particularly good with numbers, but she possessed an amazing sense of order and patience.

She reorganized and categorized the documents, land deeds, and personnel files from previous years in the mansion, doing so in an orderly manner that even the usually picky Bai Siyue praised her work.

She also learned from her mother how to handle the various documents sent from the fiefdom.

She learns quickly and understands things very well, from people's livelihood to taxation to local security.

Bai Lu felt both gratified and proud as she watched her daughter grow up.

She knew that even without that marriage, July would eventually grow into a strong and independent person.

The third year has arrived.

That autumn, urgent news arrived from the North.

Japan, which has been constantly at odds with Da Wu, suddenly gathered 30,000 cavalry and marched south, its forces aimed directly at Yunzhou City, a key town in the north.

Caught off guard, the garrison commander of Yunzhou lost several passes and was besieged by the army in the city, his situation becoming increasingly precarious.

When the news reached the capital, it caused a stir in the court and among the people.

The Duke of Liang immediately requested permission to lead the expedition, and the emperor granted his request, appointing him as the commander-in-chief and ordering him to lead 100,000 troops to immediately reinforce the northern border.

Just before the army was about to set off, an urgent military report was delivered to the residences of the Duke of Liang and the Marquis of Anguo via express courier.

The news that arrived was something no one had expected.

When Yunzhou City was besieged, with no outside help available, and the people inside the city were filled with panic.

A centurion named Ximen Liuyun volunteered to lead his mere hundred men under cover of night down a secluded cliff to infiltrate the enemy camp.

Instead of assassinating the enemy commander, he set fire to the Japanese army's stockpiled grain and supplies camp.

That fire burned for an entire night.

The provisions for the 30,000-strong army were destroyed in an instant.

With morale plummeting, the Japanese army lost its will to fight and was forced to withdraw.

The siege of Yunzhou was thus lifted.

And the centurion Ximen Liuyun, who made an unparalleled contribution by launching a surprise attack with a hundred men, became famous overnight and was known throughout the world!

When the news arrived, the Duke of Liang, who was discussing matters in his mansion, crushed the teacup in his hand, unaware that the scalding tea had spilled all over his hand.

He was stunned for a moment, then burst into a wild, earth-shattering laugh.

"Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! You truly deserve to be the son of the Duke of Liang!"

As he smiled, two streams of hot tears flowed down his cheeks.

He immediately rushed into the palace and presented the military report to the emperor.

Upon reading the decree, the emperor was overjoyed and immediately issued an edict appointing Ximen Liuyun as General Weiyuan, a third-rank official, and awarding him a thousand taels of gold and a hundred bolts of brocade.

At the same time, inside the Marquis of Anguo's residence.

Bai Qiyue held the military report, her hands trembling slightly.

He... he really did it.

He not only did it, but he did it a million times better than she imagined.

She didn't cry; she simply walked to the window, looked north, and gave a radiant smile.

Soon, the Duke of Liang paid a personal visit.

This time, he was no longer the father filled with remorse.

Instead, he was a spirited duke who felt immense pride in his son.

"Marquis Anguo!"

His voice was loud and clear, and before he even arrived, his laughter preceded his arrival. "My good-for-nothing brat finally didn't let me down! He earned his own military merit!"

"Although he was only a minor third-rank general, he earned that title with his life!"

"Now, does he deserve it?"

"Isn't he qualified to marry your daughter?"

Bai Lu smiled and personally welcomed him in: "Brother Liang, congratulations."

"Liu Yun has not let you down, nor has he let down... July's wait."

She turned around and looked at Bai Qiyue, who had somehow appeared behind her.

"Now, we can start preparing and arranging their wedding."

A wedding that was three years overdue was finally officially put on the agenda.

The entire capital city was eagerly anticipating the triumphant return of this young hero and his grand wedding, which was destined to be a sensation throughout the city.

The snowstorms of the North did not ultimately disappoint the South's vigil.

That once gentle boy has finally been tempered into steel, and is about to return in glory to marry the girl he loves.

As winter faded and spring arrived, and the ice and snow on the moat of the capital began to melt, and the willows sprouted their first new buds, a piece of news ignited the entire capital.

General Weiyuan Ximen Liuyun is about to escort Japanese prisoners of war back to the capital in triumph!

On this day, the main road leading to the capital was deserted as everyone flocked to it.

People spontaneously flocked to the streets, eager to catch a glimpse of the young hero.

In a private room facing the street in the tallest restaurant in the city, Bai Siyue and Bai Liuyue were accompanying Bai Qiyue, gazing into the distance from the railing.

"I'm coming!"

Bai Liuyue, with her sharp eyes, pointed to the rising dust in the distance and shouted excitedly, still holding a handful of melon seeds in her hand.

Bai Siyue, on the other hand, appeared much calmer.

She held her teacup and glanced sideways at her younger sister, who sat upright beside her, seemingly calm as still water, but whose eyelashes were actually trembling slightly. She couldn't help but tease her.

"Look at our seventh sister, she hasn't even seen him yet, and her heart has already flown over."

"I don't know who it was, who said back then that there was no rush and we could wait patiently."

A blush rose on Bai Qiyue's cheeks.

Before long, the outline of the army became clear.

Leading the way was a group of knights clad in silver armor, exuding a composed and imposing aura.

They carried an aura of fierceness honed on the battlefield, inspiring awe in those who looked upon them.

The leading general immediately attracted everyone's attention.

He rode a magnificent black warhorse and wore a set of general's armor made of black iron, with marks from swords still remaining on it.

His posture was as upright as a pine tree, and the contours of his face were sculpted more clearly by the winds and frosts of the North, losing some of his former gentleness and gaining more of the coldness and fortitude of a soldier.

Those eyes, which once always held a gentle smile, are now as deep and unfathomable as a still pool.

He was no longer the gentle, smiling Brother Liuyun who followed behind them.

He was a true general.

A hero who fought his way out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood with his own blood and fire.

At that moment, Bai Qiyue's heart swelled with a mix of pride and heartache.

Three years of hardship and three years of waiting have all been worthwhile at this moment.

As if sensing her gaze, Ximen Liuyun, who was at the front of the group, suddenly reined in his horse.

He looked up and stared precisely at the restaurant where they were.

Across the bustling crowd, several meters apart, their eyes met.

Time seems to stand still at this moment.

He saw her.

She was still the same quiet and beautiful woman I remembered, only now her expression held a greater sense of calm and composure.

She saw him too.

He had changed, becoming unfamiliar and powerful, but the love and tenderness hidden deep within his eyes as he looked at her remained unchanged.

A slow smile crept onto Ximen Liuyun's lips.

It was a smile belonging to a soldier on the battlefield, weathered yet incredibly radiant.

He glanced at her only once before turning his horse around and leading the army onward toward the palace.

But that one glance was worth more than a thousand words.

Inside the private room, Bai Siyue and Bai Liuyue were both stunned.

"Oh My God......"

Bai Liuyue dropped all the melon seeds in her hand. "Brother Liuyun... no, General Weiyuan, you're so handsome!"

"I felt that the look he gave Seventh Sister just now was sweeter than the honey I was eating!"

Bai Siyue, unusually, put aside her usual shrewdness and said somewhat blankly, "A scholar should be looked at with new eyes after three days of separation."

"The Duke of Liang made a brilliant move."

"Now, let's see who in the capital dares to say that our Seventh Sister's husband is just a spoiled brat from a wealthy family."