Chapter 1

After lunch in the military camp, the soldiers stood at ease. Although Li Shuang was concerned about the approaching winter and the possibility of food shortages due to the Western Rong potentially raiding the Jin Dynasty’s border areas, there was nothing urgent to address at the moment. The severe winter was still more than a month away, and life in the camp was quiet.

With time on her hands, Li Shuang picked up a small storybook from a pile of military records. Raised as a boy by her father, she excelled in martial arts and weaponry, often neglecting typical feminine interests. Yet, she had a strong affinity for reading, indulging in various genres from erotic tales to heroic sagas and strange stories of the supernatural.

The northern frontier was desolate, and the storybooks she had brought from the capital were her only comfort. As she read, a heavy tread approached from outside.

Without knocking, Luo Teng burst into the tent, clearly agitated. "General! I told you bringing that brat back was a mistake! As soon as he woke up, someone came to complain about him!"

Li Shuang quickly hid the book under the table and looked up with concern. "What happened?"

"I didn't personally check on him," Luo Teng explained. "I assigned a sergeant to manage him. The sergeant sent two soldiers, but the boy overturned the food and attacked them, causing serious injuries. Normally, I'd have him executed on the spot, but you brought him in..."

Li Shuang nodded. "I'll go see him."

Entering the small tent, Li Shuang was taken aback. The child was bound with ropes, resembling a human bundle, and the food on the ground was a mess. The tent was crowded with people, all of whom were cautious, hinting at the child's previous troubles.

Amused, Li Shuang asked, "What's going on here?"

The sergeant, looking relieved, quickly made way for her. As Li Shuang approached, the child’s gaze was fixed on her, his eyes revealing a depth of emotion that suggested a complicated past.

Li Shuang glanced at the scattered food and asked, "Are you afraid someone poisoned it?"

The sergeant scratched his head. "General, this child seems mute. He hasn’t said a word."

"Yes," the child said clearly, as if to challenge the sergeant. The sergeant, visibly irritated, turned away and remained silent.

Li Shuang smiled. "Do I need to poison you? There are plenty of knives here. Which one can't kill you?" She then casually drew a knife from a soldier’s belt and, in a swift motion, cut the ropes binding the child. The knife was expertly returned to its scabbard without harming the child.

The sergeant, sweating with fear, was relieved that the child was unharmed. The child, however, stared at Li Shuang intently. His lack of reaction to the potentially dangerous knife revealed either a deep fearlessness or an understanding that she would not harm him.

Li Shuang, recognizing this, addressed the child. "I don’t know what you've been through, but here, no one owes you anything or wants to hurt you. I took you in out of moral obligation. Since you spilled your lunch, you’ll go without dinner tonight. Military rations are precious, and no compromises will be made."

Li Shuang then turned to leave, and the sergeant quickly followed her. From outside the tent, Li Shuang’s voice was heard, "You men, tying up a child like this—it's a disgrace to my Changfeng Camp."

The sergeant could only grumble, "General, you don’t know how difficult this child is."

"Forget it, go look for him outside the camp."

As the soldiers withdrew, the child remained seated on the bed, staring at the ropes Li Shuang had cut. He grabbed one, feeling as if it still carried her presence. The sensation was oddly comforting.

In the afternoon, Li Shuang trained soldiers on the drill ground. Returning to the camp in the evening, she passed the child’s tent and hesitated, contemplating whether to check on him. Her own experiences as a child made it hard not to empathize with him.

As she approached the tent, the curtain was suddenly lifted, and the child stood barefoot, looking up at her with the sunset reflecting in his eyes.

Li Shuang was momentarily taken aback before smiling. "You have good instincts. You knew someone was outside."

"I sensed it was you," the child replied.

Intrigued, Li Shuang crouched down. "How did you know? Can you actually smell me?"

"Yes, I can."

Li Shuang found it fascinating. "What do I smell like?"

"Special..."

The child glanced at her bandaged index finger, recalling the taste of her blood. He touched her hand gently, causing a strange sensation like an electric shock.

Li Shuang wasn’t offended but rather intrigued. "Special? Did you recognize me because of my blood?" She joked, but the child looked at her blankly, not understanding the jest.

Feeling a pang of compassion, Li Shuang rummaged in her sleeve for a piece of candy and handed it to the child. "Eat quietly. I’ve given orders not to provide you with food, so if anyone finds out, it will reflect poorly on me."

The child accepted the candy but did not eat it. Li Shuang was about to say more when she heard Qin Lan’s voice outside: "Have you seen the general?"

Li Shuang looked outside, then turned back to the child, patting his head. "Perhaps no one will explain things to you clearly today. This is Changfeng Camp of the Jin Dynasty. I’m Li Shuang, the garrison commander. If you trust me, share your background with me. If you have family, I will send you to them. If not, I can help you find a family in Lucheng. Think it over and come to me when you’re ready."

As Li Shuang prepared to leave, the child instinctively reached out to her, but she had already lifted the curtain, letting in the fading sunlight.

The light stung the child’s eyes, and his heartbeat quickened. He froze, missing the chance to grab Li Shuang's clothes. Li Shuang greeted Qin Lan and followed him.

In the tent, alone, the child knelt and clutched his heart, gasping. A red flame pattern began to emerge on his chest, spreading across his body. His form seemed to expand.

At the entrance of Changfeng Camp, the vermilion carriage came to a stop. The young man in fox fur jumped off, evading the servant’s help. Seeing Li Shuang, he smiled brightly. "Sister!"

Before he could move closer, Li Shuang approached and flicked his forehead with her middle finger, making a sharp sound. The young man winced, rubbing his forehead.

"Sister, you’ve become stronger," he said, though he was met with a cold snort from Li Shuang. "Want to test my strength?"

"No, no," he quickly replied, pretending to be pitiful. "Sister, I missed you. You haven’t been home for two or three years."

Li Shuang’s heart softened, though she remained firm. "Since you’re here, I won’t take care of you if anything happens."

"I know you won’t ignore me!" The young man’s bright smile warmed the cold frontier, making it hard for Li Shuang to stay angry.

"Alright," Qin Lan intervened. "General, it’s cold outside. Let the young master rest in the tent first."

Inside the main camp, dinner was served. The food was simple, and everyone had their own table. As they ate, Luo Teng entered, brushing off snow and saluting. "General, the boy you took in is missing."

Li Shuang was alarmed. "Missing? How did that happen?"

"Not long ago, soldiers heard a noise from his tent and found he was gone. We’ve been searching, but no sign of him."

Li Shuang frowned. The child might not withstand the cold if he had left the camp. "Send someone to search outside the camp as well."

Luo Teng was dismissive. "Why search? If he wants to run away, let him. It saves us food."

"Search diligently. If he’s truly gone, we’ll accept it."

Luo Teng complied and left.

Li Ting, sitting nearby, asked, "Sister, did you really pick up a child recently?"

"Yes," Li Shuang confirmed, though her mind was on the harsh winter. She worried about the Western Rong suffering from famine and potential conflict.

"Li Ting," she said, "you can stay here for only a month. After that, I’ll send a small team to take you back to Beijing."

Li Ting was shocked. "Why? I just arrived!"

"You’ll stay for a month," Li Shuang insisted.

Li Ting protested, "Father said I could stay until I want to leave! He’s the commander-in-chief, and you should listen to him."

"Generals must follow orders at their posts. This is Changfeng Camp, and I make the decisions here," Li Shuang said firmly. "If you argue, I’ll send you back tomorrow."

"You're unreasonable!"

"Yes, I am. What of it?"

Li Ting, silenced, sulked and picked at his food. Li Shuang, thinking he was just in a bad mood, continued eating contentedly.

After a while, Li Ting spoke again. "Sister, you want me to return because you think life here is tough and dangerous. But did you know Father and I worry about you too?"

Li Shuang remained unmoved. "There's no point in discussing this further. If you truly care about me, don’t come here and impede my duties. Go back home, help Father with his work, and assist him in securing his position. That way, I’ll be safer here."

Li Ting was taken aback, unable to retort. His anger grew as he struggled to counter her directness. "You haven’t even married yet, and you expect me to do so? I know why you avoid returning to Beijing—you’re trying to avoid the prince, aren't you? Because he’s married now, you plan to stay away forever!"

Li Shuang froze for a moment, remaining silent. Qin Lan, her longtime confidant, quietly lowered his eyes to his meal, pretending not to overhear.

Qin Lan then spoke with gravity. "Young Master, General Li is stationed here to protect the Jin Dynasty. It’s unacceptable to speak this way about the General."

Li Ting, realizing his mistake, fell silent, his face showing regret.

The tension was palpable until Li Shuang suddenly felt a breeze by her ears. Without hesitation, she threw her chopsticks behind her. It wasn’t until Qin Lan turned to look that he noticed a slit in the tent had been cut open from the outside, exposing them to potential eavesdroppers.

"Who’s there?" Qin Lan demanded as soldiers quickly rushed into the tent. Despite the commotion and the bright fire outside, no one was found nearby.

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