General, you should rest now; the lady is even more ruthless.

The great battle ended with a resounding victory for the imperial court.

Inside the tent, everyone was reporting on the results of their respective tasks.

The bloodstains on Twelve's face were washed off, and she changed into a new set of armor.

"In this major battle, our side deployed more than 4,700 troops from the garrison of Beijing and the local garrison of Longcheng. More than 2,900 died or went missing, and more than 1,200 were wounded."

Thirteen thoroughly enjoyed the smell of blood on him, so he didn't wash his face or change his clothes.

"The enemy had a total of over 11,000 men, of whom over 5,200 were captured, and over 4,400 of them were incapacitated."

Commonly known as: being so weak from diarrhea.

Upon returning to camp, the sixteenth man immediately removed his armor, changing back into his flowing white robes, and even took the matching fan with him.

"Rebel generals Shi Hui and Luo Xingyuan were both killed in the battle, and their remains have been examined and confirmed to be their own."

Finally, Nineteen, who practically wanted to sleep in his armor, reported the results of their thorough search.

"We seized more than 6,000 weapons, more than 100 horses, and other supplies from the rebels throughout the cave. We also found a person in the cave."

With a wave of his hand, Nineteen sent a man inside.

Jiang Qiqi looked closely and exclaimed, "Oh, it's an old acquaintance!"

Cui Zhi, Prefect of Longcheng.

In just two short days, he was tortured to the point of being unrecognizable, almost beyond recognition.

Tsk tsk, looks like he's suffered a lot.

However, they don't deserve any sympathy.

Nineteen said, “Master, he was imprisoned in the rebels’ private dungeon. This is how we found him, but he is still alive.”

Actually, when Nineteen and his group first found him, he was in an even worse state than he is now.

Cui Zhi's arms were both cut off, and he was in great pain. To make matters worse, no one gave him food or water.

These past few days he's been in pain, thirsty, and hungry, and he can't even sleep because someone will splash water on him and wake him up as soon as he closes his eyes.

Fortunately, just when he was in a state of utter despair, Nineteen and the others descended upon him like gods.

Seeing that he was still alive, the gods dragged him out and gave him some water.

Cui Zhi finally closed his eyes in peace.

So, he wasn't actually unconscious when he was carried in; he was just asleep.

Shen Luo snorted coldly: "It's good that he's alive. He's done so many bad things, it would be too easy for him to die like this."

"Thirteen, this man is yours. See if there's anything useful left in his mouth, and make sure he spits it all out."

"Yes! I obey my orders!"

Cui Zhi is too complacent.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Some follow-up matters were left to the local government.

Shen Luojiang, Qiqi, and their group returned to Longcheng.

Now that the purpose of this trip has been achieved, it's time to pack up and prepare to return to Beijing.

"Miss!" Xiang'er circled around for a long time, making sure her young mistress was unharmed, and finally her heart was at ease.

"Thank God, thank Buddha, thank Madam for your protection!"

Jiang Qiqi sipped her tea as she watched Xiang'er walk around the table with three incense sticks, muttering incantations.

"Thank you all, gods and arhats, for blessing my young lady. Xiang'er will definitely make more offerings to you in the future!"

“Oh, right, Miss,” Xiang’er suddenly said, “a young man came looking for you the day after you left.”

"Huh?" Jiang Qiqi didn't react for a moment, but after thinking for a while, she realized what it meant.

"Is it Qi Yu?"

"Yes, Miss, he said his name is Qi Yu. Do you know him?"

“I know him,” Jiang Qiqi asked. “So what did you say?”

Xiang'er replied, "I told him as you instructed that you are busy these days and do not see outsiders, and asked him to come back in a couple of days."

"But he still comes every day, though he hasn't come this afternoon yet."

Jiang Qiqi nodded. This kid came over in less than ten days. Was he afraid she would abandon him?

“If he comes again today, bring him to see me,” she said.

“Yes, Miss,” Xiang’er replied.

After tidying up quickly, Shen Luo arrived.

"I promised the people of Longcheng that I would meet with them. So I've planned a trip for the 19th of tomorrow. Would you like to come with me?" Shen Luo asked, his tone carrying a hint of nervousness and anticipation that was not easily detected.

"A tour? You mean one of those kinds of exhibitions where you sit on a float?"

Shen Luo thought for a moment: "It seems about the same."

"Okay," Jiang Qiqi readily agreed. "Anyway, I don't have anything to do lately."

She just happened to want to see just how popular the national heartthrob, the General Who Guards the Nation, really was.

"Okay, see you first thing tomorrow morning." Shen Luo couldn't suppress his smile, his eyes full of laughter.

How can this not be considered a first date!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After lunch, Shen Luo went to his study. Although the matter was over, there were still many details that he needed to decide.

"Miss, Qi Yu has arrived."

A boy's head peeked out from behind Xiang'er.

"This humble citizen, Qi Yu, greets Madam!"

"Hmm?" Jiang Qiqi raised an eyebrow slightly. "Qi Yu, isn't that a bit odd? You're taking the money and then trying to deny it?"

The boy raised his head, the timidity in his eyes had faded considerably, and a smile had appeared in his eyes.

"No, no, your subordinate Qi Yu greets Your Majesty!"

Good, your voice is loud and clear.

Jiang Qiqi nodded in satisfaction: "Get up."

Qi Yu stood up, and Jiang Qiqi looked him over.

In just over ten days, the boy had changed completely.

Although he was still thin, he no longer looked sickly and appeared much healthier. His voice was also very loud and powerful.

"I didn't expect you to actually find me. Tell me, how did you find me?"

Qi Yu answered truthfully: "I heard that a big shot has recently come to Longcheng, so I dared to guess that you might be related to him. So I inquired about where the big shot was staying, and someone pointed me to this residence. When I came here, I found out that it was indeed you."

"What important person? Our young lady is the wife of the General Who Protects the Nation!" Xiang'er said proudly.

"What! It's actually the General's wife!" Qi Yu exclaimed in surprise, but the smile in his eyes betrayed him.

"Alright, stop pretending. You must have guessed it already." Jiang Qiqi could tell that he was just teasing Xiang'er.

Qi Yu scratched his head and chuckled.

Xiang'er scratched her head: "Huh?"

Jiang Qiqi asked him some basic questions: "I already know you've never been to school, so can you read?"

Qi Yu shook his head: "I know a few characters, but not many."

Do you know martial arts?

"Knows some martial arts."

Jiang Qiqi nodded, indicating that she understood.

"You'd better think this through. Working under me isn't as easy as working for a typical young lady or lady. I'm looking for talented people, and if you don't have a special skill, it'll be hard for you to catch my eye." She said this without any politeness.

Qi Yu was not intimidated by her words. Instead, she was full of confidence: "Please rest assured, Master. Since I have acknowledged you as my master, I will never regret it. Putting aside everything else, I am good at speaking and acting, and I have an excellent eye for people."

He offered a small compliment: "See, didn't I recognize you as an important person at a glance?"

Jiang Qiqi laughed upon hearing this: "You rascal, you certainly know how to talk."

She liked the child very much because he was clever in just the right way. Besides, she was short-staffed right now, and if she could train him well, she might be able to save herself a lot of trouble.

However, there are some things she still needs to explain clearly.

"We'll be returning to the capital in a few days, and you'll be coming with me. I'll arrange for you to work in my businesses afterward. My name is Mu Sijiu, but you can just call me Ninth Master."

"Yes," Qi Yu replied.

"Have you finished taking care of everything at home?" Jiang Qiqi asked casually.

Qi Yu nodded: "It's all taken care of."

After he got the money, he bought his parents some new clothes and some new items for the house.

They hired someone to repair the house, so at least we won't have to go outside to take shelter from the rain anymore.

"Is there enough money?" Jiang Qiqi asked, and before he could answer, she told Xiang'er, "Go get ten taels of silver and give it to Qi Yu so he can take it home."

Upon hearing this, Qi Yu couldn't help but widen her eyes. Was her master really that generous?

"No need, Master. That money is enough. You don't need to give me the rest now."

Jiang Qiqi ignored his words and directly had Xiang'er bring the silver and put it in his hand.

"Your parents are getting old. We should repair their house properly and buy them some good things so that you can feel at ease when you're away."

Qi Yu held the heavy silver in his hand, unsure of what to say.

She recognized the talent of the person she had only met once, and she also understood his predicament.

Despite being in a superior position, she was able to put herself in his shoes and consider his feelings.

It would be a lie to say I wasn't moved.

"As for the money, we'll sign a contract once we get back to the capital, and you'll find out the rest then. In short, this money is rightfully yours, so don't worry," Jiang Qiqi said.

Having said that, Qi Yu no longer refused.

“Thank you, Master,” he said.

"Okay." Jiang Qiqi nodded. "Let's go back. We'll set off for the capital early in three days."