"Master, how did you end up looking like this?"

Upon seeing Lan Yingwu with a bruised and swollen face, Lady Lan was both angry and amused.

"Hmph, do you think that old rascal Hong Fang is any better than me? I knocked his nose crooked," Lan Yingwu said indignantly.

Every time he recalled the scene in the court today, where Hong Fang led a group of Noble Marquises, spewing slander to falsely accuse Ye Lingyue of misdeeds and impropriety, Lan Yingwu got furious.

Both of them had gotten into a fight then; since they were both experts at the Reincarnation Realm, logically, they should not have resorted to such vulgar brawling like shrews cursing on the streets.

But because Emperor Xia was there, neither dared to use their Power of Reincarnation and simply resorted to exchanging punches and kicks.

In terms of cultivation, Hong Fang was a bit more advanced, but when it comes to fighting and being ruthless and shameless, Lan Yingwu, who had risen from the very bottom of the military, was far more skilled than Grand Protector Hong Fang.

By this time, Hong Fang's nosebleed had already spread all over the Golden Throne Hall.

Lady Lan ordered someone to bring some Trauma Wine, and began to dress Lan Yingwu's wounds, while he continued to grumble spitefully.

If Ye Lingyue had been a man with military achievements, even if the Four Great Noble Marquises had submitted a joint memorial to death, they wouldn't have been able to stop Ye Lingyue's meteoric rise.

"Alas, how can there be someone as heartless as Grand Protector Hong in this world? Sister Huanyu, such a good wife, he could ruthlessly divorce; Ling Yue, such a good daughter, he disregards and abandons," Lady Lan sighed.

"Speaking of Ling Yue's mother, I actually have some news. I heard from Marquis Wu that Ye Huangyu has enlisted in the military," Lan Yingwu said contemplatively.

"Enlisted? What's going on? Isn't Sister Huanyu always by Marquis Wu's side?" Lady Lan was shocked by this news, which Ye Lingyue knew nothing about.

"You know Marquis Wu's temperament. When I studied Military Books and martial arts with him, I also started from the military camp. Ye Huangyu's cultivation is strong, and she is determined to seek revenge against Hong Fang. Marquis Wu allowed her to join the Northwest Tiger Wolf Army, starting as a soldier." Lan Yingwu enlisted at the age of thirteen, rising from an unknown soldier to the present-day Grand Marshal of the military.

He was particularly aware of the hardships of the military camp.

According to Marquis Wu, Ye Huangyu herself had requested to go to the Tiger Wolf Army in Daxia, which had the hardest conditions.

"But Daxia does not allow women to enlist in the military, how can Miss Ye go to such a place?" Lady Lan got along well with Ye Huangyu and had long treated her as her own sister.

"Strictly speaking, Daxia does not explicitly prohibit women from enlisting, it's just that most military camps don't have female soldiers. However, some camps do have Female Alchemists accompanying the army. This time Ye Huangyu went to the Tiger Wolf Army in disguise. With her temperament and cultivation, it's likely she'll make a name for herself." Lan Yingwu was being realistic.

Speaking of temperament, Ye Lingyue's character was very similar to her mother's; both mother and daughter were equally resilient, unyielding despite being suppressed.

The northwest of Daxia, close to the Wilderness Region of the Central Plains, harbored a myriad of spirits and demons and was a tangled mix of various forces, extremely dangerous.

But where there is danger, there is opportunity.

For decades in Daxia, all rising Civilian Generals had emerged from the northwest.

In turbulent times, heroes rise. If Ye Huangyu shows tenacity, perhaps she will become the first Civilian Female General in Daxia's history.

"One more thing, Marquis Wu said before Ye Huangyu left, she repeatedly emphasized that her joining the Northwest Tiger Wolf Army should not be disclosed to Ling Yue for now. When the time is ripe, she will write to inform her," Lan Yingwu instructed Lady Lan.

Lady Lan's face grew even more worried upon hearing the news.

"Don't be too anxious. Knowing Ling Yue as I do, this time, with Hong Fang suppressing her, she definitely won't let it go easily. The calmer she is, the more earth-shattering her counterattack will be. We, as her husband and wife, just need to be her most solid support before her counterattack," Lan Yingwu consoled Lady Lan.

Lady Lan nodded with mixed feelings of relief and worry after listening.

On the other hand, Ye Lingyue had taken Lan Cai'er out of the General Mansion.

"Sister, how many times have I told you, don't joke about me and Feng Xun in the future," Ye Lingyue half-angrily and half-amusedly swung her fist at Lan Cai'er.

"Hey, hey, Ling Yue, I haven't even said who it was, how do you know I was talking about Prince Feng? Or is it that the first person you think about when it comes to marriage is Prince Feng?" Lan Cai'er wasn't intimidated by Ye Lingyue's threats at all; she chuckled and revealed a sly smile.

"Please, sister, stop joking about me and Prince Feng. He has never said he would marry me, and I don't want to think about romance for now," Ye Lingyue pleaded.

"Why not? Is it because of revenge? But Ling Yue, someday you will have taken your revenge, then what do you plan to do?" Lan Lingyue had seen countless young ladies of Ye Lingyue's age.

Thirteen or fourteen years old, the exact age when the heart begins to awaken to love. When she herself was thirteen or fourteen, she too had a crush.

Lan Cai'er's eyes flashed with a hint of obscure sorrow as she reminisced about her younger self, yet she did not reveal this in front of Ye Lingyue.

"Revenge... how easy it is to speak of revenge." Lan Cai'er's offhand remark struck a chord with Ye Lingyue.

Ye Lingyue always felt that even if she were to take revenge, there were more important things to do, an indescribable feeling that had lingered since the moment she was reborn.

Sometimes, when she woke up from a dream at midnight, Ye Lingyue felt as if she had forgotten something very important, something more crucial than life itself.

Unfortunately, every time she forced herself to think about it, her mind went blank. After many attempts, she even gave up trying to remember.

"I'll say it once more, Feng Xun and I truly only have a sibling-like relationship, and I've already told him that," Ye Lingyue, wanting Lan Cai'er to give up on the idea, flatly shared the encounter they had in the Imperial Palace.

That's it? Prince Feng didn't react in any other way?

Lan Cai'er was dumbfounded. Could it be that she was mistaken?

However, it was clear to everyone how well Prince Feng treated Ye Lingyue.

Or was there some secret struggle he faced? But if the delay continued, Ling Yue might be pursued by someone else.

Lan Cai'er was starting to worry for Prince Feng, among the many who fancied Ye Lingyue, she saw Prince Feng as a promising future brother-in-law.

"He probably thinks of me as a sister, and let's leave it at that," Ye Lingyue said irritably. As they talked, they had arrived in front of a fabric store.

A large sign hung at the entrance of the store, which read: "This store sells the finest Beiqing Cloud Silk."

~Phew phew, all extra chapters owed for July's monthly votes are done, including an additional chapter for August's 20 monthly votes. Good night, you troublesome little fairies, remember to cast your votes~