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Princess Jinyang led the way and returned to Ganzhou City at the hour of Hai. Many soldiers were still cleaning up the battlefield, amidst the chaos and noise. Upon seeing the return of Princess Jinyang and her entourage, they paused their work, staring at her as if she were a strange creature.
Qibi Helix and Li Jing received word and hurried out to greet her. Others were unaware that these two generals were not merely welcoming Princess Jinyang, but rather, they were welcoming Princess Jinyang of the Tang Dynasty!
Gao Zhensheng had long painted Princess Jinyang as a coward who released the enemy out of fear. Many soldiers were already resentful in their hearts, and seeing the Commander come out to welcome her only deepened their hatred for Princess Jinyang. They had forgotten that without the Divine Fire Camp, Ganzhou City would have been razed by Asena Lier's army by now!
After the guards reported in, Gao Zhensheng also emerged from the camp. Although he acted with reason, Li Jing's keen insight allowed him to determine that this general was deliberately delaying action and was not permitted to enter the city to station his troops. Once everything was settled, he would report back to the court.
Gao Zhensheng was not a coward waiting for others to take charge. Knowing Li Mingda's identity, he stepped out of the barracks and approached Princess Jinyang without hesitation, accusing her harshly: "Princess Jinyang, you secretly communicated with the enemy's leader and engaged in great treachery by letting them go free. How dare you return now!"
With Li Jing backing her up, Princess Jinyang was not intimidated by this general. She straightened her back and stared directly at Gao Zhensheng, retorting sharply: "General, what great authority you have! If you had shown this attitude when receiving the rescue letter earlier, how could Ganzhou have suffered so many casualties? If the Governor can return, why can't I, Princess Jinyang?"
Gao Zhensheng's face turned pale with anger. His confidants had already secretly stirred up sentiments among the troops. Seeing Princess Jinyang's sharp tongue and lack of shame incited a wave of anger among them, causing them to forget entirely about the significant contributions made by the Divine Fire Camp in breaking through.
As the commander-in-chief, Li Jing could not allow his subordinates to run amok. He immediately coldly admonished them: " Commander Xu has worked hard and is the chief contributor in this battle. Who dares to question him? Disrupting military morale will not be tolerated!"
Although the Old General managed his troops strictly and rarely showed emotion, tonight he raised his voice in anger on behalf of Princess Jinyang.
Seeing that Gao Zhensheng was unwilling to relent and eager to escalate matters, Li Jing countered firmly: "If you have any doubts, High Commander, feel free to report them to the court. If you deliberately spread rumors, do not blame me for being cold-hearted!"
The Old War God had considerable prestige; after this reprimand, many dark-minded generals quieted down. Each returned to settle their troops without further discussion.
Princess Jinyang's main group entered the city to rest. Li Mingda and Li Wushuang were placed under Li Jing's protection within the city’s courtyard, heavily guarded day and night by soldiers to prevent any incidents. They awaited correspondence from Chang'an before returning home.
The young girl had not seen Princess Jinyang for a long time and was worried sick. Now that she saw Princess Jinyang safe and sound, she couldn't help but summon her for a chat filled with comforting words. Xu Zhenxin felt warm inside and joined in with some teasing remarks, creating a lighthearted atmosphere. However, Li Wushuang nearby noticed Princess Jinyang's impolite behavior and felt displeased but could not voice it openly; instead, she resorted to sarcastic remarks while Princess Jinyang remained magnanimous and indifferent.
After three or five days, Princess Jinyang practiced diligently according to the Enhanced I Ching Cleansing Inner Power Manual every day while also refining her physique with the Seven Sacred Blade Secret Technique from Saint Teasvid. She revisited hidden Yoga Techniques with Caesar that enhanced flexibility and resilience; her vitality recovered rapidly. During the day, she engaged in playful sparring with Zhou Cang and other brothers, benefiting greatly from it.
Xie Anting’s exceptional skills with a silver spear drew admiration from Yin Zong and other young men who followed him daily for training. The six hundred men under her command became fierce warriors; each one mastered their weapons skillfully and displayed an elite demeanor capable of taking on hundreds.
Li Jing summoned Princess Jinyang again to discuss plans after their return home. Sending Li Mingda back to Chang'an would inevitably involve many entanglements; court struggles were far more subtle than battles fought with real swords—while visible arrows could be dodged easily, hidden daggers were much harder to defend against. It was essential for him to thoroughly instruct Princess Jinyang on these matters.
Princess Jinyang had always idolized Li Jing; receiving guidance from her hero meant she would spare no effort in learning from him. Her high comprehension allowed her to grasp concepts quickly; she often made connections between different subjects which endeared her even more to Li Jing.
One day while reviewing the principles of I Ching cleansing techniques, Princess Jinyang found herself able to regulate her breathing freely—her movements flowed like a dragon or elephant inhaling and exhaling deeply during exercise while at rest she resembled a mountain spring flowing gently; she had unknowingly reached an advanced level of mastery.
Li Jing was unable to contain his excitement but sighed softly instead. Not understanding why he sighed, Princess Jinyang asked him about it. Li Jing had already regarded her as an inner disciple; he generously shared military strategies and techniques without reservation as if pouring water into a vessel—he did not shy away from discussing past events with her now either.
Earlier, the current Sage had asked Li Jing to teach Hou Junji, performing the rites of a master and disciple. They engaged in daily discussions, and Li Jing was quite enthusiastic. However, Hou Junji felt dissatisfied and reported to the Sage, claiming that Li Jing was withholding knowledge. Upon hearing this, the Sage summoned Li Jing and reprimanded him a few times.
At that moment, Li Jing felt unjustly treated and responded to the Sage that the current era was peaceful, with songs and dances in abundance. What he taught was sufficient to maintain order among the various tribes, yet Hou Junji sought to extract all of Li Jing's skills. Wasn't that an unusual ambition?
Ultimately, the matter was left unresolved. However, Li Jing noticed the rebellious spirit behind Hou Junji. Now, during the campaign against the Tuguhun, Li Jing served as Commander, while Hou Junji led Li Daozong on a long-distance raid, capturing the city of Fushi but leaving his own troops to suffer at Ganzhou. Furthermore, he acted insincerely with Gao Zhensheng and others, even showing disrespect towards Your Highness, which deeply disappointed Li Jing.
The Xu Zhen, being somewhat petty, did not dare to speak ill of anyone in front of the Old War God. Instead, she offered a few words of comfort without mentioning any internal conflicts. She spoke instead of trivial matters for a peaceful old age and spent leisure time playing strategy games with Li Jing. The two shared a close bond.
In the battle at Ganzhou, they killed tens of thousands of enemies and acquired countless weapons and horses, along with an uncountable number of cattle and sheep. It was considered a great victory. The Divine Fire Camp deserved the most credit for this success. Additionally, with the Xu Zhen rescuing Shandan and alleviating troubles in Zhangye through clever strategies and bravery, her achievements were astonishing.
With Li Jing overseeing matters, all documents were submitted without needing immediate rewards. All rewards and punishments would be decided upon their return by the Sage to strengthen national prestige, encourage soldiers, and intimidate others.
After several days, news finally arrived from Chang'an. The military officers were eager to return home and had already packed their belongings for their imminent return.
The Eight Gates True Martial General guarded the divine artifact and demonstrated immense power; half would be transported back for the Sage's inspection while allowing the Ministry of Works to conduct further research and improvements. The other four gates would remain at the Ganzhou City Wall to guard the national borders permanently.
The soldiers saw this divine cannon daily and recalled the Xu Zhen's contributions. Although there were many instigators within the army who insulted Xu Zhenzhi's name, the soldiers were clear about their likes and dislikes. They respected Xu Zhenzhi's talents but despised his character; opinions varied widely.
Li Chunfeng and Yan Lide organized the Craft Workshop while the Xu Zhen taught them something significant. Eager for knowledge, they collaborated with her within just a few days to create something astonishing!
On this day, as snow ceased falling and clear skies emerged over thousands of miles, Li Jing commanded his grand army to set out. Flags waved like a forest while horse sounds roared like waves; everyone rejoiced as they celebrated their return.
Li Mingda was accompanied by Li Wushuang along the way with many brave soldiers protecting them. Caesar enjoyed a leisurely journey but missed seeing the Xu Zhen after a long time; he couldn't help but feel melancholy in such vast lands that felt foreign rather than home.
That night brought a chilly wind; she did not gather around a campfire but instead rested inside her tent after hastily satisfying her hunger. Reflecting on her advancing age without any attachments weighed heavily on her heart—after all, she was a woman—and as she thought more about it, loneliness crept in like falling pear blossoms; she sighed lightly about her beauty fading.
Just then, while she was lost in sorrowful thoughts, Xu Zhen entered uninvited. Normally alert and sharp-eyed, Caesar would have noticed her presence immediately; however, he was currently immersed in feelings of spring sadness and autumn lamentation.
Xu Zhen gazed at Caesar's graceful silhouette from behind with tears welling up in her eyes; she looked enchanting. Her heart fluttered as she recalled Caesar's unwavering loyalty throughout their journey together—they had entrusted each other with their lives—and she couldn't help but feel affection for this sisterly bond. In that moment of emotion, disregarding societal norms, she embraced Caesar from behind.
Caesar stiffened at first, thinking it was an attack or humiliation; however, without his weapon at hand and preparing to retaliate, he caught a whiff of Xu Zhen's familiar scent which made his cheeks flush like pink peach blossoms in spring.
In their usual banter, he had perceived Xu Zhen as frivolous and often took advantage of her beauty; yet now that they were both moved by emotion, he realized how genuine her feelings were. With trembling eyelashes and slightly closed beautiful eyes, she seemed lost in a fragrant dreamscape wishing this moment could last forever.
As they immersed themselves in warmth together with an unspoken connection between them— Xu Zhen still holding onto Caesar from behind—she extended her right hand before him holding something delicately while whispering near his ear: "Beautiful sister, open your eyes; I have something special for you."
Caesar's heart leaped with joy as he opened his eyes only to be startled by what Xu Zhen held—a unique mirror unlike any ordinary bronze mirror; it gleamed silver-bright reflecting every detail perfectly—even showing fine pores on his face clearly! The craftsmanship was truly extraordinary!
Xu Zhen was enjoying her time with Caesar, whispering intimate words in his ear, their bodies close together, completely lost in the moment, igniting a youthful passion that made their hearts race.
As Xu Zhen wrapped her arms around his waist, her hands began to wander restlessly. Just as things were getting heated, a sudden shout from outside the camp caught their attention—it was the voices of Li Mingda and Li Wushuang!
Although Caesar was no longer guarding Li Mingda, he instinctively rushed out towards her tent. Xu Zhen felt a pang of anxiety but suddenly recalled the reason for the commotion and quickly called out to Caesar: "Sister, it’s nothing serious. There’s no need to check!"
However, it was too late; Caesar had already reached the tent and lifted the curtain to find Li Mingda and Li Wushuang each holding a Silver Mirror, admiring their reflections and joyfully exclaiming over their beauty. The scene was filled with laughter!
Caesar's expression darkened immediately. He had thought this token of love was unique in the world, only to discover that others possessed similar items. It was one thing for Li Mingda, but even Li Wushuang, who usually despised Xu Zhen, had one!
Fuming, he stepped out of the tent, ready to confront Xu Zhen. Just then, he encountered Moya, the old master, who said, "Daughter of Caesar, Xu Shaojun has gifted you a rare item. I wanted to show it to you!"
Looking at the Silver Mirror in Moya's hand, Caesar felt his anger clouding his reason. Seeing Xu Zhen giggling behind him only fueled his frustration. He kicked out in anger, but she quickly dodged, and soon they were playfully chasing each other.
Xu Zhen, being clever, worried about being scolded outside and darted into Caesar's tent. When he followed inside and looked around, he found no sign of her. Just as he turned to search outside, Xu Zhen suddenly appeared from behind and embraced him tightly, pushing him onto the bedroll and pinning him down. Just as he was about to vent his anger, her warm lips silenced him, extinguishing his fury while igniting another kind of fire deep within him.
In their youthful exuberance, who would willingly choose loneliness? Having entrusted their lives to each other, why let worldly matters cause unnecessary strife? Instead of letting their prime years slip away in vain, they chose to embrace each other fully for a moment of bliss that could burn their souls and bind them with promises for a lifetime—together they would face whatever lay ahead…
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