A long time had passed. Chu Qiao, who was now a wife and a mother, suddenly understood what Yan Xun did back then, as she stood there. In her previous life, she had no kith nor kin. She had not witnessed the people that she loved die in front of her eyes. Hence, she was unable to comprehend what kind of hatred he felt at that point. However, if anyone harmed Zhuge Yue, Yunzhou, or Zhenzhu now, her thirst for revenge would not lose out to Yan Xun.

　　She was unable to empathize with him back then as his family was not the people that she loved.

　　This moment, she finally understood him.

　　As night fell, Yan Xun’s shadow disappeared over the horizon. Chu Qiao looked towards him, suddenly feeling that she had been brought back in time to that afternoon many years ago. The young man’s eyes glowed brightly as he smiled proudly with the determination of a teenager. He released an arrow from his bow as it brushed past her neck, giving her a lifeline. Then, he raised his eyebrows and looked at her with curiosity.

　　It seemed like an eternity since that had happened. Suddenly, she saw the young man’s innocent face in front of her again.

　　Then, another scene flashed in front of her eyes. This time, the young man sat on a tree, picked up a pine fruit, and knocked it lightly against the girl’s hairpin. The girl looked up angrily and raised her middle finger. However, the young man interpreted it as a gesture of apology.

　　Time had forced them to go on their separate ways. In her occasional dream, she would remember the young man whose face was no longer distinguishable. She only remembered the words which rang in her ear clearly, “If I help you one more time, my surname is not Yan!”

　　Ultimately, he forgot his promise which was made in spite. Just like subsequent promises, they were not honored either.

　　She remembered his messy hair and defined eyebrows. The scene was old but vivid. She suddenly realized that a long time had passed. The memories had been tossed to the back of her head. Everything was no longer reversible.

　　A big gust of wind hit her, but she did not feel cold. Compared to this cold world, she had attained much more than she had expected. The times of sorrow when she was younger started to fade away into the abyss of time, never to return.

　　Sounds of horse steps echoed from behind her, but she did not turn around. Thereafter, an arm forcefully wrapped itself around her waist. A man’s jealous voice sounded out, “What’s the matter? Finished reminiscing with your old flame?”

　　Chu Qiao turned around and looked at Zhuge Yue’s face, which had visibly thinned. She reached out her hand and hugged Zhuge Yue, leaning against his chest and remaining silent. Zhuge Yue was caught off guard as he started to panic. Normally, Chu Qiao would have bickered with him. However, the way she reacted was too bizarre.

　　“What’s wrong?” Zhuge Yue nudged her shoulder and frowned, saying in a deep tone, “Did that Yan fellow bully you?”

　　Chu Qiao did not say anything as she leaned in his embrace. The cold wind made her already frail figure appear even frailer.

　　The man flew into a fit of rage as he thought to himself Yan Xun, how audacious of you. I lent my wife to you for a while, yet you dared to bully her?

　　Zhuge Yue pushed Chu Qiao aside and took large strides towards his horse as he shouted, “I’ll teach him a lesson right away!”

　　“Don’t go.” Chu Qiao pulled him back and hugged him from behind, planting her face onto his cold body armor.

　　The wind blew from afar, scattering the snow about. Zhuge Yue turned around helplessly and hugged his wife as he said softly, “Xing’er, what’s wrong?”

　　“I’m alright.” Chu Qiao shook her head as she continued, “I just miss you.”

　　Under the dim moonlight, the man broke out in a large grin. Zhuge Yue tried hard to contain his joy, not wanting to show it too obviously. He cleared his throat and replied, “I’ve only been gone for a few days. Why are you behaving more like a child?”

　　“A few days?” Chu Qiao leaned in his embrace and continued in a frustrated manner, “Why do I feel like a long time has passed?”

　　Zhuge Yue was on cloud nine by now. He lowered his head and kissed Chu Qiao’s forehead as he remarked, “Alright, it’s cold here. Let’s head back.”

　　“Okay.” Chu Qiao obediently got onto his horse. They wandered towards the camp slowly, not controlling the reins of the horse. “Yue, don’t fight at the frontline recklessly next time. I’ll be worried.”

　　Having heard this salutation for the first time, Zhuge Yue was overwhelmed with joy. He nodded and agreed, “Alright, I’ll listen to you.”

　　“If something happens to you, what will Yunzhou, Zhenzhu and I do? Without you, how will I live on?”

　　Words like this were scarce from a thick-skinned person like Chu Qiao. The manner in which she behaved caused Zhuge Yue to forget everything else and live in this moment.

　　“Okay, I understand.”

　　“You are more important to me, compared to 10,000 Yan Beis, 10,000 Qinghais or 10,000 West Mengs. No matter what you do in the future, you must think of me first. If something happens to you, I won’t be able to live alone.” Chu Qiao continued to chip at his line of defense with her mushy words.

　　Finally, her words touched him as he apologized for the first time in his life. “Xing’er, I know I was wrong to cause you to worry.”

　　“Glad that you know it.”

　　“I’ll remember this.”

　　“Okay. Let’s go back, I’m hungry.”

　　“Okay.”

　　…

　　Since they loved each other, it was only right of them to express it boldly. Chu Qiao, who had just understood this point, demonstrated it to perfection. Furthermore, these words could allow him to forget about some unpleasant topics. Why not?

　　The solo travelers wandered around in solitude, while those that traveled together relied on each other. In this world, power, status, and wealth were coveted by those who were willing to entangle themselves in an endless struggle. However, as for love, only the sincerest of people were able to obtain it.

　　Under Luori Mountains, Zhao Che and Zhao Yang stood under the flag of Xia as they looked at the flags of Yan Bei and Qinghai, who had just returned in unity. Momentarily, they were stunned.

　　After a long while, Zhao Che smiled. The established leader of the northern regions said to Zhao Yang, “There are many miracles in this world. Even the three of them can join forces. Why are the two of us still fighting each other?”

　　Zhao Yang turned around in disdain. “I didn’t fight with you. You chased after me all along.”

　　Zhao Che frowned. “If you didn’t attack me during the civil war, would I have been expelled from West Meng by Yan Xun? Attacking you would only be letting you off.”

　　Zhao Yang retorted, “I was tricked by Yan Xun. If you were in my shoes, having the chance to eliminate me, wouldn’t you take it?”

　　Zhao Che said in a fit of rage, “Rascal. You’ve been like that since young. We’re brothers, what would I kill you for?”

　　Zhao Yang pouted. “Brothers? Hmph.”

　　“I can’t stand this expression of yours!”

　　“Likewise, I can’t stand your hypocrisy!”

　　“Say that again? I’ll beat you up!”

　　“Bring it on! Who’s afraid of who?”

　　…

　　Wei Shuye stood behind the two men and sighed helplessly.

　　“Sigh, they are no longer young. Yet, they still can’t let go of their egos. Who was the one that disguised themselves as a bandit from the eastern regions to help Zhao Che back then? Who was the one that purposely allowed 200 carriages of rations to be robbed when Zhao Yang’s ration supply was running low? Although they don’t have the same mother, they have the same temper.”

　　The eagles cried out loud as they circled the sky above. Finally, the war with Quanrong was about to come to a close. Although the Quanrong people put up a strong fight, they did not last half a year under the siege of the various powers. Three months later, they exited the political scene of West Meng. The small groups of bandits who did not manage to escape hid in the mountains, to be devoured by beasts or killed by the anguished civilians of Yan Bei. It was unknown what had happened to Zhao Chun’er, also known as Princess Jingan.

　　Although what happened to her was met with indignity by the civilians, they could not help but feel relieved too. After all, the Xia army was part of the unified force in this war. If they were to capture her, they would not know how to deal with her.

　　Yan Xun, along with Zhuge Yue, chased the Quanrong people out of Meilin Pass, condemning them to start a rebuilding process that would last for many decades.

　　In the tenth month of that year, the armies in charge of pursuing the Quanrong people returned with over 100,000 captives. Their glory days had indeed passed.

　　On the third day of the 11th month, the highlands of Yan Bei were blanketed by snow; it was a picture of desolation everywhere.

　　Officials from all territories gathered at Minxi Mountains’ Goddess Peak. The various armies formed a trail that stretched across countless kilometers.

　　The double-faced goddess stood on a stone platform in a tall temple near the peak, watching over the mortals below. Her tummy was round on one side, while she held a sharp ax on her other side. This symbolized the coexistence of guardianship and massacre.

　　Yan Xun, Zhuge Yue, Zhao Che, Zhao Yang, Chu Qiao, and Sun Di—key political figures in their respective empires—signed the famous “Goddess Peak Treaty” here. The treaty consisted of 28 conditions, which discussed the areas pertaining to the military, business, political rule and diplomatic relations. Tang, Xia, and Qinghai also publicly acknowledged Yan’s rule over the 18 states of Hongchuan and Song for the first time. Furthermore, all of them agreed not to go to war for the next 30 years, in order to grant the civilians of West Meng an extended period of peace.

　　This treaty held true for 70 odd years after that, all the way till the year 852 of the Baicang calendar, when Nalan Tianhe of Song rebelled and was exterminated by the second emperor of Yan, Emperor Zhaowu. Tang took the opportunity to attack Xia, which signaled the start of the battle of Tanghu along the borders. This was the first major conflict since the Goddess Peak Treaty was established.

　　In these 70 years, West Meng made rapid improvements economically. With a more liberal approach, trade flourished and political leaders were met with general approval. Under the leadership of Qinghai and the queen of Xiuli, in the year 796, Tang made a major reform to its society by abolishing slavery, adopting a feudal system instead.

　　Five years later, Yan shocked the world by following suit. According to the wishes of its civilians, the emperor of Yan abolished slavery and adopted a feudal system. Yan Xun, as a result, was held in high regard by his people, earning himself the nickname of “The Great, Benevolent Emperor of the North”. He diminished the influence of the noble aristocrats, opting to place more emphasis on nurturing officials who were relatively uneducated. He assumed full control of the military, consolidating his political position firmly. The cavalry forces of Yan Bei would continue to be an unstoppable force for the next 300 years.

　　Xia, under the leadership of Zhao Che, conquered the royal capitals of Beiros and Maluo, extending its sphere of influence by tens of thousands of kilometers, establishing a new dynasty. Even the territory of Yan could not compare to that of Xia in terms of size. However, 100 years after Zhao Che’s rule, his descendants were not able to maintain their rule over such a vast empire, leading to the collapse of Xia once again. Luckily, due to Zhao Yang’s efforts at the northern borders over tens of years, they managed to take over Zhao Che’s assets and preserve the Zhao family’s rule over the northern regions.

　　Qinghai declared its independence in the year 791, becoming known as the state of Qing. The flag was made up of stars and a moon, while its capital was recognized as Haiqing. Zhuge Yue was declared as the Baiyuan Emperor, with that year becoming known as the first year of the Baiyuan calendar in Qinghai. After he ascended the throne, he abolished the system of concubines, introducing a “one wife policy”. The ruler of Xiuli, Chu Qiao, was recognized as the mother of Qinghai, participating and assisting the king of Qinghai in state matters, and playing a part in the establishment of every political order.

　　Due to the similarities of the one wife policy in Qinghai and the system in the western regions, the ruler of Xiuli was also known as the queen of Qinghai.

　　As they were politically liberal, Qinghai became the continent’s wealthiest state in 30 years, with a prosperous economy and world-leading technology. In the year 321 of the Baiyuan calendar, Qinghai pioneered the Industrial Revolution, making groundbreaking scientific advancements in West Meng.

　　50 years later, under the vehement protests of democratic parties in Qinghai, the monarchy had no choice but to refer to the document that Zhuge Yue and Chu Qiao had left behind 400 years ago. After the document was revealed, the political system in Qinghai was revamped, signaling its transformation towards a democratic society. They had achieved this almost 1,800 years earlier than the western countries.

　　Time flew past. In the third year after the conflict of West Meng ceased, Chu Qiao gave birth to her third child, Zhuge Yunye. Qinghai held a nationwide celebration to commemorate this event. The atmosphere was particularly joyous in Xingyue Palace.

　　Within the inner palace, Chu Qiao’s hair had been messed up as she panted heavily. Her nails brushed against Zhuge Yue’s back muscles as her sweat trickled down her shoulders, and onto the red satin cloth below.

　　“Yue… Didn’t Mister Gao say… my… my body…”

　　“Whoosh… He said it was okay…”

　　The bed creaked and the room heated up. It wasn’t until the banquet at the front palace had ended that Zhuge Yue was finally able to unleash his desires, which he had accumulated for a long time. After everything was done, the two of them collapsed on the bed and embraced each other. Chu Qiao leaned in his embrace and shut her eyes slowly, subconsciously drawing circles on his chest.

　　Suddenly, she looked up seductively, bit her red lips, and asked, “Zhuge Yue, I’ve given birth three times. Am I old yet? Will you despise me?”

　　Zhuge Yue looked at her from the side of his eyes. As he saw her messed up hair, sweat, and her enlarged breasts due to childbirth, he could not help but reignite his feelings of lust.

　　“I can tell you through my actions right now, whether I will despise you or not.” As his sinister voice sounded out, the second round commenced.

　　After two major romps, Chu Qiao could no longer open her eyes due to fatigue. She leaned in Zhuge Yue’s embrace and drifted off to sleep.

　　Zhuge Yue wiped the sweat off her forehead, draped a blanket over her, hugged her and asked softly, “Xing’er?”

　　“Umm…” Chu Qiao answered dreamily with her eyes shut.

　　The look in Zhuge Yue’s eyes was calm. He lowered his head and kissed her eyebrows. Breaking out in a smile which lingered around for a long time, he whispered softly, “I’ll love you forever.”

　　The woman in her sleep was probably unaware of the words her husband had just said. They had been through countless storms all their lives, but they had a lifetime ahead of them to experience nights like this, drifting off to sleep in each other’s embrace.

　　“Rest well.”