Chou Deyao left under the cover of night, his immense grievances choked in his throat, unable to be voiced. Xin Yi and the other three watched the Shangjin troops depart from in front of the tent. The night was thick, and he turned to look at Wu Yu.

"Just now, hearing Old Man Chou, Brother Wu still does business with Xuhang?"

Wu Yu, hands clasped behind his back, stepped on the short grass beneath his feet and just smiled. "Just making a living, you know."

Last autumn, a flood washed away Jiangtang's granaries. Prince of Tang bought three boatloads of grain from Xuhang. At the annual gathering, Jingdu exploded, and a Prince of Qin died. Now that this grain was traced back to its source in Xiajin, Xin Yi understood.

He also smiled. "Good thing."

Everyone tacitly let the matter pass.

Inside the tent, Ji Baiyue asked, "Heir, will you return to Lijin with me?" Although Prince of Yan's Manor was unoccupied, it was still Prince of Yan's Manor. It was naturally the most suitable place for Xin Yi to return to Beiyang.

However, Xin Yi shook his head and said, "Tomorrow, at first light, Uncle Meng and I will head to the border." He paused, then continued, "To see my Eldest Brother and Third Brother." When he left Beiyang, Xin Jing and Xin Li had just been buried, and he had already stayed in Prince of Ping's Manor. Now, four years had passed in a blink, and he hadn't even been able to visit their graves once.

Ji Baiyue nodded and added, "But this time, we returned under the guise of resolving disputes. If you rashly go to the border, how will you explain it to Jingdu?"

"With Shangjin and Xiajin unstable, the border is naturally the most crucial place," Xin Yi smiled. "General, rest assured, someone in Jingdu will provide the answer."

Ji Baiyue recalled Bai Jiu's narrow, long eyes and silently said no more.

Early the next day, Xin Yi and Meng Chen set off for the border. Ji Baiyue withdrew his camp and returned to Lijin, while Wu Yu also had to return to Xiajin to continue guarding. They traveled non-stop for three days from that place before reaching Rouhui, a place in Beiyang closest to Great Yuan. Originally just a post station, Prince of Yan had invested heavily to build a vital border town here. The rows of powerful crossbows on the battlements alone were a huge expense.

Xin Jing and Xin Li were both buried here.

At the city gate, Xin Yi reined in his horse. They hadn't revealed their identities along the way, traveling dusty and tired, looking no different from ordinary passersby. However, Meng Chen had been stationed here for several years, so as soon as they reached the city, an old friend emerged from the city gate.

The burly man was a full head taller than Meng Chen. In terms of physique alone, even Arslang, the Lion King, would have to concede defeat. This was Xu Hu, known as the "Rouhui Fierce Tiger."

"Old Brother Meng!" Xu Hu laughed heartily below the city, striding with powerful steps, quickly approaching and saying with a smile, "Which remote mountain corner did you sneak off to for leisure? Brother, it's been a long time!"

Meng Chen had already dismounted. The two embraced fiercely, bumping shoulders. Then they looked at each other and both burst into laughter again. Meng Chen said, "I figured you must have gotten the news, but I didn't expect you to be so quick!"

"Naturally. Vice General Ji Bai sent a flying letter, how could I not be quick?" Xu Hu, with his broad back and strong waist, stood by the horse, instantly making Meng Chen's horse tremble. He lightly tutted, first looked at the other motionless crimson steed, then shifted his gaze to Xin Yi, "Heir?"

Xin Yi smiled.

Xu Hu took a few steps closer, and this big man's eyes actually reddened within those few steps. He choked out, "Is it really the Heir?" After looking at Xin Yi, he raised his hand and rubbed his face repeatedly, "It truly is the Heir!"

Meng Chen led his horse and said, "Of course it's the Heir, why are you gaping? Let's talk inside."

Xu Hu quickly assented, and the three turned into the city. Even after entering the house, Xu Hu's excitement had not faded. As soon as the door closed, he actually knelt before Xin Yi, and seeing Xin Yi about to refuse, he immediately said, "Heir, you must accept this kneel from me!" He rubbed his eyes and continued, "Back then, before the Eldest Young Master left, he repeatedly urged me to keep the Heir in Beiyang, but I failed him. I still let the Heir fall into the hands of those damned scoundrels! If not for the duty of the Rouhui Army that the Young Master entrusted to me, I would deserve to die for this great sin!"

Xin Yi's retreating steps halted, and he said, "This is not the General's fault."

Xu Hu pounded the ground, saying hatefully, "Heir, you don't know, when the Princess Consort passed away in Jingdu, the Eldest Young Master was insistent on bringing her back, but at that time, the war was tight, and all of us brothers were tied up on the battlefield. Only I retreated and stayed put in Rouhui, I should have had the best chance to go and bring the Princess Consort home. Who knew that old dog Chou Deyao would go first, but then got cold feet in front of Jingdu! Now, leaving the Princess Consort in that sunless place is also a great sin of mine!"

If the former matter had some connection to him, then the latter matter should entirely be attributed to Chou Deyao. Xin Yi's only lingering concern with the old Beiyang guards was this incident. The contingent sent to retrieve Princess Consort of Yan's ashes had indeed reached Jingdu, but due to fear of calamity, they turned back without completing the task. Even now, Princess Consort of Yan's ashes remain in Jingdu.

Xin Yi's lips tightened slightly. "General, please get up quickly." He added, "The General has consistently guarded Rouhui without slackening, firmly carrying out my Eldest Brother's military orders. This is loyalty to the nation. As for other matters, that page has been turned. General, you need not blame yourself."

Xu Hu said, "This is the Heir's generosity, I, I—" The mighty and imposing man suddenly let out a wail and began wiping away tears, weeping uncontrollably.

Just then, footsteps approached from outside with a clear jingle of bells, and a woman outside called out spiritedly, "Tiger! Why are you crying again! Big men, aren't you ashamed! Shut up quickly!"

Xu Hu wiped his tears and choked to Xin Yi, "Heir, Heir, this is my wife."

Before the Heir could speak, the woman already kicked the door open with a bang, intending to scold Xu Hu. Unexpectedly, upon entering, she saw her fierce tiger kneeling beside a pale, frail youth, sobbing uncontrollably. The curses she was about to utter rolled away. The beautiful woman, still tugging at her skirt, with a jingle of bells, was momentarily stunned, asking, "What are you doing?"

Xu Hu sobbed like a child seeing his mother, "Wife!"

Xu Qingniang, who had pulled her skirt up to her calves, sheepishly let it down. Her face flushed, and seeing Xin Yi look over, she blurted out with a 'hey', "This boy is handsome..."

Meng Chen coughed softly.

Xu Hu, a tall and burly man, had married a spirited and pretty wife. For all his years in Rouhui, he relied entirely on his wife to manage everything, both inside and out, keeping him in line. Speaking of Xu Qingniang, she was another remarkable woman of Rouhui town. It was said that Xu Qingniang, originally named Qingniang, was a girl born in the Jiangtang water country. She lost her father young, and her grandfather was an itinerant doctor. She followed her grandfather all the way to Beiyang, and within a few years, her skills in diagnosing and prescribing medicine were so good that the old man retired. When the grandmother and grandchild first arrived in Rouhui, the Beiyang Army and Shanyin Army were jointly stationed there, locked in a stalemate, when a plague broke out. As a young girl, she mingled among the troops, scolding a group of big men into following her to save people.

Xu Hu was one of those men; he fell in love with this girl at first sight and relentlessly pursued her, enduring countless scoldings until they finally became a couple. It is said that when Xin Zhenxiao intended to take Xin Li's body away, it was Qingniang who blocked the city gate and scolded Prince of Ping for two full hours. She berated Prince of Ping until he was unable to move, standing stiffly at the city gate for two hours, only stopping when Xu Hu returned with his troops. Because of this, Xin Li's remains were left behind.

Knowing who Xin Yi was, Xu Qingniang showed no shyness. Her speech was informal and very candid, and because she was sharp-tongued and quick-witted, Xin Yi felt no awkwardness.

It was already dusk. This courtyard belonged to Xu Hu; there was already a place for Meng Chen to stay, and Xu Qingniang had prepared a room for Xin Yi early. In the evening, everyone had supper together in the hall, and after the meal, they bathed and rested early.

Despite the arduous journey and physical exhaustion, he just couldn't sleep. Xin Yi turned over, clutching the jade tablet pressed against his chest. As soon as he closed his eyes, he saw the faces of his elder brothers, and then a moment later, Bai Jiu's face, a chaotic jumble. He kept his eyes closed, in a state of confusion for over half an hour, before gradually falling asleep.

The next day, before dawn, Xu Hu and Meng Chen were already waiting for him. Xin Yi changed into clean, plain-colored clothes and left. The three did not ride horses; they walked out of the city and followed the undulating mountains alongside it, arriving at a high slope.

From a distance, a pavilion could be seen erected on the slope, with a monument to their achievements standing beneath it. A few steps behind it was where Xin Jing and Xin Li rested eternally.

Xin Yi brushed off all the dust accumulated from his journey before entering the pavilion. He first stopped in front of the monument, looking at the row of "Xin" characters carved at the top, followed by a dense list of heroes' names. But these heroes had all turned to ash; even if their names remained on stone, their bodies were lost to the soil.

Xin Yi read through them one by one. Meng Chen, standing by his side, said, "These are the Beiyang soldiers up to the Battle of Wan Ze. We were afraid that Rouhui's sandstorms and loneliness would erase the heroes' souls, so we simply erected a tablet for everyone here." He raised his hand and stroked the monument. "Brothers are a family; it's livelier when we're together."

The three offered wine together, and then Xin Yi moved to the back.

Offerings were placed on both grave mounds, showing that someone often came to clean and remember them. The headstones were wiped clean, and the inscribed characters were brightly colored. Yet, such cleanliness and brightness here could only pain their closest kin.

Meng Chen and Xu Hu both withdrew from the pavilion. Xin Yi sat cross-legged between his two brothers' headstones.

He only touched his Third Brother Xin Li's headstone; he dared not do so for his Eldest Brother Xin Jing. As he touched it, he thought, 'What should I say?', but the pain and longing of these years had, through churning and suppression, become a thin thread. He dared not easily touch it, nor dare he indulge it. Even in the presence of his brothers, he already wanted to maintain the calm demeanor of a man.

The wind stirred his hair, like his Eldest Brother's broad, gentle hand. For his Third Brother had always been a boisterous scoundrel and would never caress him so tenderly. Only his Eldest Brother, though often taciturn, solemn, and strict, always showed a subtle tenderness towards his younger brothers.

Xin Yi lowered his head, feeling a little sad.

"Second Brother isn't here," he said slowly after a long pause, speaking as if narrating a family anecdote. "Eldest Brother, don't be fooled by that rascal, Third Brother. He once traded my real gold and silver for some worthless crickets from the courtyard, claiming it was a favor-based business. Where is there such a favor-based business? He's always teasing people. Little Li, who cleans the outer courtyard, secretly hid several jars of wine in the outer courtyard. He not only replaced them with plain water but also wrote a poem mocking the person. He said he'd save some for me, but then said I was too young and drank it all himself."

He continued, "Father no longer leads troops. Eldest Brother keeps an eye on him, telling him to spend more time with Mother. When Mother passed away, he was so utterly useless; the dignified Prince of Yan cried like a yellow-haired child. But he wasn't at home, being tens of thousands of miles away. He wept heartbrokenly, as if he had forgotten he still had several sons, intent on following her. Yet, he ultimately remembered he was a prince and held on on the battlefield."

Xin Yi paused, wanting to smile, but the expression he managed was sadder than a cry. He said, "You are all reunited down there, watching me, lonely and desolate. I used to be pampered like a mascot, but later, it seems it was all to repay this debt of gratitude."

"Third Brother, I saw Sister Yan in Jingdu. To call her 'Sister' isn't as fitting as calling her 'Sister-in-law'." He touched the corner of his mouth and gave a bitter smile. "Now this is great. Originally, you were the one who could carry on the family line, but now it's fallen to me, and I'm no good at it either. Look at me, I've cleanly cut off my 'sleeves' (referring to being gay). Where am I supposed to get a child to continue our lineage? Besides, deep down, I don't want to continue it."

"From Father onwards, all five of us were destined to guard Beiyang with our lives. Now only I am left. Enduring this one lifetime is enough. New talents emerge in every generation for the nation; why should I take all the burden upon myself? The Prince of Yan's line has fulfilled the words 'loyalty and righteousness' for two generations. I don't want another generation to be crushed beneath this, unable to move, unable to act."

"Father would hit me if he heard this."

"Eldest Brother," Xin Yi leaned gently against Xin Jing's headstone, saying, "I kinda want to go home, but I'm afraid of entering the door and finding no one there. If it's just me alone, what kind of home would that be? When you see Second Brother, just tell him 'thank you' for me."

'Thank him for leaving a good karma, which protected him.'

"Though I've 'cut my sleeves', I don't have the guts to say so in front of Father. I've only pretended to be mute for a few years; I don't want to immediately become a cripple too."

"I wonder how much longer I can stay in Beiyang," Xin Yi sighed. "Just thinking about the title of Prince of Yan falling upon me, I fear that when I go down, Father will chase and beat me. I was never cut out for this, but fate plays tricks, making me bear this title. Luckily, there's someone willing to teach and guide me. Stumbling and fumbling, I still made it this far."

"I'll visit Second Brother again when I return." Xin Yi straightened up. "If there's anything you find hard to tell Second Brother in front of Father, just tell me, and I'll say it for you."

As he finished speaking, the wind swirled with a whoosh, as if playfully chiding his nonsense.

Xin Yi showed a hint of youthful shyness and quietly said,

" 'I know all of it.' "