Chapter 41

Dapu Barracks.

Following the death of the former commander of Du Battalion, the imperial court newly appointed a battalion commander surnamed Han. Although this Commander Han, much like his predecessor, had entered officialdom through hereditary privilege and possessed only mediocre martial arts skills, he was a man of upright character and moral boundaries.

There were five main avenues for attaining a military official position in the Southern Han: First, hereditary privilege, which applied to the descendants, relatives, servants, and retainers of imperial ministers, members of the imperial clan, and imperial in-laws, allowing them direct entry into officialdom through family connections. Second, military imperial examinations. Third, originating from military ranks. Fourth, receiving official appointments through military achievements. Fifth, transitioning into officialdom from lower-level clerical posts—meaning that clerical staff in military or palace administrative organs such as the Bureau of Military Affairs, the Imperial City Department, or the Three Offices could become internal-stream military officials upon accumulating sufficient seniority without committing any offenses. Over ninety percent of Southern Han military officials originated from hereditary privilege. These officials boasted powerful backgrounds and backing, placing them a cut above other military officers, and consequently, some behaved quite despicably—Commander Du being a prime case in point.

The Southern Han military operated on a voluntary enlistment system. Soldiers were generally recruited from the common populace, and upon passing physical examinations, they were branded on the face with characters identifying their military unit, after which the imperial court uniformly issued military pay and uniforms, enrolling them in the military registry. This fell under the nature of mercenary service. Recruited from the common people, these soldiers were mostly honest and kind-hearted. However, some barracks also absorbed soldiers originating from wandering bandits and outlaws. Such soldiers were adept at reading expressions and currying favor with superiors; they operated without moral bottom lines and even colluded with corrupt commanders to commit all sorts of misdeeds and crimes, leaving a trail of infamy. Several of Commander Du's trusted aides were precisely of this sort.

Before arriving at the Dapu Barracks, Commander Han was already aware that Xiao Guimu was none other than the top martial arts scholar and the renowned General Suppressing the South, "Li Muwen." Consequently, upon arriving at the barracks, he extended exceptional consideration to Xiao Guimu. Aside from occasionally asking her to tend to wounded and sick soldiers, he neither required her to attend banquets nor had her wash the soldiers' uniforms, and certainly never asked her to participate in any "service." As time passed, Commander Han's respect for Xiao Guimu grew increasingly profound. Eventually, the two became good friends.

One afternoon, Xiao Guimu was anxious to change the dressing for a patient in the medical ward and hurried along the pebble-paved path. She was a woman of prompt and resolute action, walking with a stride as swift as flying, her boots crunching sharply against the pebbles.

Spotting her, Commander Han walked up with a broad smile and asked, "Camp Entertainer Xiao, walking in such a hurry, what urgent business do you have?"

Without breaking her stride, Xiao Guimu replied, "I am rushing to the medical ward to change a patient's dressing."

Commander Han said, "I see. Then please pause for a moment; I have an important matter to tell you."

Xiao Guimu asked, "Is it an emergency?"

Commander Han replied, "No. Someone wishes to redeem your freedom."

Hearing this, Xiao Guimu seemed somewhat stirred, and with a smile, she said, "Really? But this is indeed not a matter of urgency! Please wait a moment, General Han. Let me first go to the medical ward to change the patient's dressing, and afterwards, I shall return to listen to the General's instruction." With that, she hurried toward the medical ward.

Commander Han called out to her receding figure, "General Suppressing the South, a young scion of a wealthy family is offering ten thousand taels of silver to buy your freedom!"

Seated on a bench in the post station to the left of the barracks were a man and a woman. Xiao Guimu recognized them clearly as Lu Wenting, the head chieftain of Bright Moon Island, and Purple Rose, one of the Ten Roses.

As Xiao Guimu approached Lu Wenting, she lashed out furiously: "Second Chieftain Lu, while it is true that blood must be paid for in blood, and it is only right and natural that you seek vengeance for the scores of brothers from Peach Blossom Village, it is utterly despicable of you to use ten thousand taels of silver to buy my head as a sacrifice to the departed souls of those scores of brothers! My head is not for sale for silver; nor do you need to go to such great lengths—my head rests right upon my shoulders, so come and take it if you have the ability!"

Hearing this, Lu Wenting hung his jaw wide open, utterly speechless.

Xiao Guimu continued her tirade: "Let me tell you, Second Chieftain Lu, I, Xiao Guimu, cannot afford to die right now! It is not that I cling to my life out of fear, but rather that I must keep this breath in my body to go to Beizhen, so that I may rescue the brothers and sisters who were taken captive as slaves to Beizhen when the capital fell! This is a promise I made to my mother. I must fulfill my vow before I die!"

Lu Wenting remained open-mouthed, still unable to utter a single word.

Xiao Guimu pressed on: "This sum of ten thousand taels of silver is the blood and sweat money of the widows and orphans of Peach Blossom Village! The two of you should take it back and buy rice and medicine for them! To take a step back, even if you paid the silver and redeemed me, your martial arts are far inferior to mine. The moment I stepped outside these gates, I could easily slip away, leaving you with neither person nor money!"

Suddenly, Purple Rose dropped to her knees with a thud and pleaded, "Sister, you have misunderstood us! We truly came today to redeem your freedom, not to take advantage of your plight to buy your head. Rather, we wish to invite you to Bright Moon Island to serve as our martial arts instructor! Sister, to tell you the truth, lately Japanese pirates have frequently patronized Bright Moon Island, causing some casualties. This is mainly because our defensive forces on Bright Moon Island are limited; to strengthen our capabilities, we wish to invite Sister to join us."

Xiao Guimu asked, "Purple Rose, is everything you are saying true?"

Purple Rose replied, "Sister, of course what Purple Rose says is true! The current situation is that the more than two hundred orphans and widows on Bright Moon Island need you to protect them; and our ten 'Roses' also need you to act as our instructor."

Lu Wenting finally found his voice. He said, "General Suppressing the South, your grudges and grievances with Peach Blossom Village have actually been settled. You came to Peach Blossom Village with imperial edict and troops, killing Village Chieftain Xing Fannnan and scores of brothers from Peach Blossom Village—that is the blood debt you owe us. On the road while you were being escorted under guard, Xing Chulian, the Ten Roses, and I ambushed you, yet we were defeated by you! You could easily have killed all twelve of us, but instead, you spared us—that was a favor you bestowed upon us. The grievances have been canceled out, wiped clean! We owe each other nothing! This time, we used ten thousand taels of silver to redeem you, not to buy your head as a sacrifice to the dead, but to purchase your martial arts to protect the lives on Bright Moon Island! Although this ten thousand taels of silver represents the blood and sweat of more than two hundred orphans and widows, what use is hoarding silver if there are no lives left to spend it?"

Lu Wenting glanced at Purple Rose, who hurriedly chimed in, "Sister, Chief Lu is entirely right! If the people are gone, won't the silver simply end up in the cargo holds of the Japanese pirates anyway?"

Lu Wenting continued, "General Suppressing the South, we recently received a secret letter sent by Ding Jishan from the Prince of Wei's Estate in the capital, and only then did we learn that you, the General Suppressing the South, were never an enemy of Peach Blossom Village, but rather a great benefactor. You had long known from the Judicial Inspector Ding that there was a secret passage behind Peach Blossom Village. You acceded to the West Judicial Inspector's plea and allowed us to escape through that secret passage! To pull the wool over everyone's eyes, you even told your subordinates that behind the village were sheer, inescapable cliffs, and recalled all the soldiers guarding the rear back to the front of the village! That was how we managed to escape smoothly. Furthermore, to maintain the deception, you burned Peach Blossom Village beyond recognition, and during the head-count, you substituted the charred corpses of livestock for human bodies."

Xiao Guimu asked, "Who is this Ding Jishan who wrote you the secret letter?"

Lu Wenting replied, "I need not keep it from the General Suppressing the South any longer! Ding Jishan is the father of Judicial Inspector Ding, and a close friend of our Village Chieftain Xing Fannan and Chancellor Lü."

After hesitating for a long while, Xiao Guimu finally said, "Very well, I shall go with you to Bright Moon Island!"

Bright Moon Island.

As Xiao Guimu stepped off the boat and her feet touched the sands of Bright Moon Island, the crowd surged toward her from all directions like a turbulent, roaring tide: everyone wanted to drink her blood, eat her flesh, and hack her into a million pieces.

Xing Chulian walked at the very front, cursing, "Xiao Guimu, you imperial executioner! Today I am going to kill you with my own hands to avenge my father and the fallen brothers of Peach Blossom Village!"

"Xiao Guimu, return my husband's life at once!" This was the tearful cry of Red Rose. When Xiao Guimu led the suppression of Peach Blossom Village by imperial order, Red Rose's newlywed husband had insisted on staying behind, ultimately perishing for the village.

At that moment, curses, weeping, and the crashing of ocean waves shook the heavens across the beach. The more than two hundred residents of Bright Moon Island gripped their long spears, short swords, and curved sabers with bated breath and rising hostility.

Lu Wenting stood silently in front of Xiao Guimu, shielding her.

Xing Chulian raised her short sword and thrust it toward Xiao Guimu, but Lu Wenting intercepted her, snatched the short sword from her hand, and tossed it onto the sand.

Tears streaming down her face, Xing Chulian interrogated Lu Wenting: "Brother Wenting, what on earth are you doing? Could it be that you've taken a fancy to this camp entertainer and want to make her your wife?"

Lu Wenting replied, "Sister Chulian, the person I love is you, and the person I wish to marry is also you. Please do not misunderstand!"

With a tear-streaked face, Xing Chulian asked, "Then why did you stop me from killing her?"

Lu Wenting shielded Xiao Guimu with his body and cast a glance at Purple Rose, which meant: "Purple Rose, it's your turn to step up!"

Purple Rose returned the look, signaling: "Chief Lu, leave it to me, Purple Rose! Once I take the stage, everything will be fine in no time!"

Purple Rose walked over to the largest boulder on the beach and leaped agilely onto it.

Standing at the highest point of the boulder, she shouted loudly, "Brothers and sisters of Bright Moon Island, can you lend me, Purple Rose, a moment of your time?"

The crowd seemed to calm down considerably.

Purple Rose called out once more, "Brothers and sisters of Bright Moon Island, can you quiet down and hear what I have to say?"

The crowd grew completely still.

Purple Rose spoke: "Brothers and sisters, our Bright Moon Island is currently facing its greatest crisis! On one hand, Japanese pirates are eyeing us covetously; on the other, the treacherous ministers and villains in the imperial court are relentlessly pursuing us, seeking our utter annihilation! Can we sit here and await our doom? No! We must resist them! But can we withstand them with our present strength? True, our current strength is indeed fragile! What are we to do? Brothers and sisters, our Chief Lu has thought of a solution for you! He has requested a person of formidable martial arts skill to instruct us in martial arts and protect us at the same time. Don't you think this is a good idea?..."

A chorus of approval erupted from the crowd.

Lu Wenting also stepped up onto the boulder and proclaimed loudly, "Brothers and sisters of Bright Moon Island, did you understand what Purple Rose just said? Do you agree? Very well! This maiden Xiao Guimu is the martial arts instructor I, Lu Wenting, have invited here for you all. If you still acknowledge me as your head chieftain, from this day forth, do not make things difficult for Miss Xiao Guimu anymore!..."

The turbulent, raging waves finally receded.

The crowd on the beach gradually dispersed.

Winter passed and spring returned.

One morning, Xiao Guimu was accompanying Purple Rose on the beach, practicing the "Twin Swords in Harmony."

Xiao Guimu had long since looked with newfound respect upon this kind-hearted, striking, and eloquent "disciple." On the day Purple Rose delivered that passionate "speech" atop the boulder, Xiao Guimu had been not only moved but deeply impressed. The young lass possessed an exceptionally high talent for swordsmanship—she was fine timber. After more than half a year of living and breathing together, Xiao Guimu had grown deeply fond of her. Consequently, when teaching swordsmanship, she held nothing back, imparting her entire repertoire.

Wishing to test the fruits of her own half-year of painstaking effort, Xiao Guimu executed a supreme technique taught by her father—"The Returning Whirlwind Sword"—sweeping toward the back of Purple Rose's neck with overpowering and ethereal majesty.

With a flash of light, Purple Rose's sword tip likewise swept past Xiao Guimu's temples.

Xiao Guimu let out an astonished gasp: "You have studied the Xiao family swordsmanship?"

Sheathing her sword, Purple Rose replied, "I followed my father in learning it for a few years when I was a child."

Dapu Barracks. (Part 1/3)

(Part 2/3)

Xiao Guimu asked, "What is your honorable surname?"

Purple Rose replied, "The same as yours, surnamed Xiao."

Xiao Guimu said, "My father, Xiao Tianjian, once told me that he had a full brother named Xiao Tianxiong. Could it be that you are the daughter of my uncle Xiao Tianxiong?"

Purple Rose replied, "I am indeed the daughter of Xiao Tianxiong."

Filled with ecstatic joy, Xiao Guimu exclaimed, "So you are my cousin! Where is my uncle Tianxiong now? And where is my aunt? Why are you in Peach Blossom Village? And why are you called Purple Rose?"

Though deeply stirred within, Purple Rose was an "assassination operative," and long-term training had forged her into an expression of cold ruthlessness. The corners of her lips curved upward slightly as she asked, "How do you expect me to answer when you hurl so many questions at me all at once?"

As it turned out, Purple Rose's father, Xiao Tianxiong, was the younger full brother of Xiao Tianjian. The two brothers had once served in the Imperial Guard's captain corps. The year the Beizhen people invaded the Southern Han, the brothers were separated in the chaos. Xiao Tianxiong returned to his hometown to escape the turbulence, where he married and fathered a daughter, Purple Rose. One day, he saw a wanted poster posted on the city wall bearing his elder brother's likeness, accusing Xiao Guimu's father, Xiao Tianjian, of colluding with others to abduct a concubine of a Beizhen prince. Realizing that catastrophe was about to befall the Xiao family, Xiao Tianxiong hurriedly fled his home with his wife and daughter. However, fate is fickle, and on the run, both Xiao Tianxiong and his wife contracted severe illnesses and passed away, leaving behind a little daughter of over five years old to wander the streets. Fortunately, she was encountered by Xing Fannan, the head chieftain of Peach Blossom Village, while he was out on business. He brought her back to Peach Blossom Village, named her Purple Rose, and taught her martial arts.

Having listened to Purple Rose's account, Xiao Guimu sighed, "My cousin, too, is a woman of tragic fate."

Purple Rose suddenly asked, "Every single brother and sister in Peach Blossom Village was a person of tragic fate—why did you lead troops to suppress them?"

With a deep sense of remorse, Xiao Guimu replied, "At that time, I was the General Suppressing the South, a soldier, and I had no choice but to obey the Emperor's decree."

Purple Rose did not refute her.

After a long pause, Purple Rose said softly, "Let us keep the fact that we are cousins to ourselves for now; on Bright Moon Island, you are the instructor, and I am Purple Rose."

Xiao Guimu gazed into her striking, autumn-water-like eyes, nodded heavily, and replied, "Understood."

Purple Rose said with solemn earnestness, "You should also do some good deeds for the people of Bright Moon Island to redeem your sins!"

With a bitter smile, Xiao Guimu said, "I will."

One day, a band of Japanese pirates landed on Bright Moon Island.

Led by Lu Wenting and Xing Chulian, Xiao Guimu, Purple Rose, and the other brothers and sisters fought valiantly, slaughtering the invaders so thoroughly that none returned.

In this battle, Xiao Guimu and Purple Rose's "Twin Swords in Harmony" worked together with flawless coordination, accounting for over half of the invading enemy casualties.

During the cleanup of the battlefield, the voluptuous Red Rose approached Xiao Guimu and said, "Instructor, that was thoroughly satisfying today! Look at how every single one of these beasts is dead!"

Xiao Guimu asked her, "How many Japanese pirates did you kill?"

Smugly holding up three fingers, Red Rose replied, "Three."

Purple Rose let out a disdainful scoff and said to Red Rose, "Sister Red Rose, go ask those fellows lying in rows on the ground: just who was it that ensured they were dead beyond saving?"

Red Rose sneered, "It's inconvenient for me to ask right now. Perhaps you'd care to go ask them yourself?"

Purple Rose cast a sidelong glance at her.

Turning back, she caught Xiao Guimu smiling at her and asked, "Instructor, what are you laughing at?"

Xiao Guimu smiled and said, "I am laughing at how fond you, Purple Rose, are of making enemies."

Indifferently, Purple Rose replied, "No matter how I make enemies on Bright Moon Island, my enemies will always be fewer than yours, Instructor Xiao."

Xiao Guimu bit her lip, finding no retort.

Life went on.

Aside from teaching her disciples martial arts each day, Xiao Guimu spent her remaining time practicing the "Twin Swords in Harmony" with Purple Rose.

One day, Xiao Guimu said to Purple Rose, "Your 'Twin Swords in Harmony' has reached a high level! You should look for a partner."

Purple Rose asked, "Aren't you my partner?"

Xiao Guimu replied, "Of course not. In future battles, I cannot always act alongside you."

Purple Rose asked, "Instructor, who do you think I should look for?"

Xiao Guimu said, "I think Red Rose would do."

Purple Rose retorted, "She is utterly foolish! Plump and overly fond of dressing up! There aren't many widowers on Bright Moon Island—dressing up in such flamboyant finery every day, goodness knows who she's trying to impress!"

Teasing her, Xiao Guimu said, "You, perhaps?"

Purple Rose snapped, "I am not a man! I detest her to death!"

After pondering for a moment, Xiao Guimu asked again, "What about Second Chieftain Xing Chulian? Her martial arts are excellent; would she do?"

Purple Rose replied, "She is the Second Chieftain, busy with myriad affairs every day—how would she have the leisure to practice the sword with me?"

With feigned annoyance, Xiao Guimu said, "You are truly picky!"

Opening her eyes wide, Purple Rose said, "One cannot afford to be unpicky when choosing a partner! On the battlefield, I entrust my life entirely to them, and they must likewise entrust their life entirely to me. We must have both mutual understanding and absolute trust! Such a person cannot be found on Bright Moon Island."

After a pause, Xiao Guimu said, "I do know of a suitable candidate, but she is indeed not on Bright Moon Island."

Purple Rose asked, "Who is it?"

Xiao Guimu said, "My mother-in-law, Lou Mingxuan."

Joyfully, Purple Rose asked, "Do you mean the legendary heroine Lou Mingxuan? She is your mother-in-law?"

Xiao Guimu nodded.

With rising excitement, Purple Rose asked, "Where is she now?"

Xiao Guimu said, "I do not know! A while ago I saw an official gazette at the Dapu Barracks stating that my father-in-law has passed away; I surmise she is at the ancient town."

Delightedly, Purple Rose said, "Coastal Ancient Town is not far from here. Shall we go pay her a visit?"

Xiao Guimu replied, "I have an agreement with Chief Lu Wenting that I cannot leave Bright Moon Island by even half a step for three years. I cannot go."

Purple Rose said, "Write me an introductory letter, and I will go alone."

Xiao Guimu nodded.

Coastal Ancient Town, the ancestral home of Imperial Censor Li.

The coffin of Imperial Censor Li had long since been laid to rest in peace. Lou Mingxuan and scores of other members of the Li family were observing the mourning period.

On this day, beneath the dark-tiled eaves of the old Li residence, a pair of swallows chirped softly; willow catkins drifted around the courtyard well-head. A rain had just fallen, and aside from sleeping, the residents of the Li household seemed hard-pressed to find anything else to do.

A middle-aged woman was leading a horse out of the town, upon which sat a striking-looking young woman. The middle-aged woman leading the horse was Lou Mingxuan, and the woman seated in the saddle was Purple Rose.

Seated on the horse, Purple Rose said, "Senior Lou, you must keep your word. If I win, you must join our Bright Moon Island!"

(Part 2/3)

(Part 3/3)

Lou Mingxuan smiled and said, "I shall never break my word!"

They arrived at the seashore. Lou Mingxuan untied the gift pack, hung it on Purple Rose's horse, and said softly to her, "Dismount, and let the two of us spar right here."

As it turned out, Lu Wenting, the head chieftain of Bright Moon Island, had long held Lou Mingxuan's name in legendary esteem. The various miraculous tales circulating in the martial world had fascinated him since childhood; especially her exploit of infiltrating the Beizhen state to rescue Princess Rouya back to the Southern Han had filled Lu Wenting with such admiration that he had long harbored the desire to recruit her. Upon hearing Purple Rose's proposal, Lu Wenting was overjoyed and consented to her journey, repeatedly instructing her: "Purple Rose, no matter what, you must show the utmost courtesy to Swordswoman Lou when you arrive. As for whether she wishes to join Bright Moon Island or not, leave it entirely to her own will."

Purple Rose had thought to herself: Why am I going to Coastal Ancient Town? I am going to find a partner for the "Twin Swords in Harmony"! If she refuses to join Bright Moon Island, wouldn't my trip be in vain?

Purple Rose asked, "How shall we determine victory or defeat?"

Lou Mingxuan replied, "I shall stand on one foot inside this small circle and take on your attacks from any angle. If both my feet touch the ground or I step outside this circle, I lose." With that, she drew a small circle in the sand and stood within it on one foot.

Purple Rose asked again, "I am using a sword; what weapon will you use?"

Lou Mingxuan clapped her hands together and said, "I am unarmed."

Thinking to herself, Purple Rose plotted: *I must use the Xiao family's supreme technique—slashing at the back of the neck—to achieve victory with a single move!*

The sparring commenced.

Purple Rose brandished her sword and thrust toward Lou Mingxuan.

Uttering only the words, "What a vicious move," Lou Mingxuan swayed her body like a tumbler, causing Purple Rose to stumble and tumble sprawling into the sand.

Again! Purple Rose deployed the "neck-slashing" supreme technique once more! Lou Mingxuan seemed not to have moved an inch, yet Purple Rose stumbled a second time, executing a classic face-plant into the mud.

Once more! Purple Rose felt her forearm brush against something, her thumb-web split by the force of her own blade with a piercing pain, and her sword dropped to the ground.

Lou Mingxuan asked, "Shall we continue?"

Supporting her right wrist with her left hand, tears of pain streaming down her face, Purple Rose shook her head repeatedly.

Lou Mingxuan hopped out of the small circle on one foot, tore a strip of fabric from her own garment to bandage Purple Rose's wound, helped her back onto the horse, and said, "This old lady is not your ideal partner, so you should return! Inside the gift pack are the gifts you brought, as well as ten gold bars I am sending to your Chief Lu. Take them back together."

Shamefacedly, Purple Rose said, "I cannot take back ten gold bars."

Lou Mingxuan replied, "Your Bright Moon Island has a large population and scarce resources, and you are currently in dire need of money. Your instructor Xiao Guimu is the daughter-in-law of the Li family, and she needs to eat every day as well. This is meal money paid by me as her mother-in-law."

Lowering her brow, Purple Rose still wanted to say something.

Lou Mingxuan slapped the horse's rump, and the fine steed galloped off into the distance. From behind her, Lou Mingxuan called out loudly, "Lass, thank you for bringing me such good news!"

The sea breeze carried Lou Mingxuan's words into Purple Rose's ears. She asked herself inwardly: *I didn't bring any news at all, did I?*

As it turned out, after Xiao Guimu was redeemed by Lu Wenting, she had longed to inform her mother-in-law Lou Mingxuan and other family members of her whereabouts. However, Bright Moon Island was an entirely enclosed place; how could she get information out? Eventually, she thought of Purple Rose, who was desperately eager to find a partner. In the end, Xiao Guimu utilized Purple Rose to unwittingly deliver her information to Lou Mingxuan.

Upon Purple Rose's return to Bright Moon Island, the island was suffering from a severe grain shortage. The ten gold bars sent by Lou Mingxuan proved to be timely assistance—using them, Lu Wenting purchased several boatloads of grain and weathered the famine.

One day, Xiao Guimu pulled Purple Rose into a secret room, closed the door, and asked, "Did you see a white-robed young gentleman in the Li household?"

Purple Rose replied, "I only saw the eldest young master of the family, full of a beard and utterly hideous."

Xiao Guimu asked further whether a coffin was still displayed in the main hall, to which Purple Rose answered no. Xiao Guimu then asked if she had seen a young woman dressed in red, but Purple Rose shook her head once again. Joyfully, Xiao Guimu informed her that the young woman in red would one day become her partner for the "Twin Swords in Harmony," though she was currently away at the Jiangnan Yuni Lake Water Fortress.

Staring with wide eyes, Purple Rose scolded, "What raving madness are you talking about? I don't understand a single word."

Life among the islanders of Bright Moon Island continued.

One day, Red Rose said to Xiao Guimu, "Instructor, except for Purple Rose, everyone else in our 'Ten Assassination Roses' is older than you. You ought to address us as elder sisters!"

Xiao Guimu retorted, "Red Rose, I am your master. As the saying goes, 'He who is your master for a day is your father for life'—you should be calling me mother!"

Red Rose said, "You go too far! We'll just call you Instructor instead. However, calling you Instructor every single day feels far too awkward! From now on, calling you 'Little Sister Guimu' rolls off the tongue much better!"

Feigning a moment of thought, Xiao Guimu said, "Very well! Sister Red Rose, Sister Yellow Rose, Sister Blue Rose... your little sister Guimu pays her respects!"

Delightedly, Red Rose said, "Little Sister Guimu, now this makes us look like real sisters."

From then on, Xiao Guimu and the Roses addressed each other as sisters.

Not long after, Lu Wenting further announced to the islanders that Xiao Guimu was now the Third Chieftain of Bright Moon Island.

At Xiao Guimu's suggestion, the brothers and sisters of Bright Moon Island utilized natural resources to establish a salt field, producing sea salt. Before long, they also invited shipwright technicians to construct large vessels, transporting seafood and salt off the island for trade, and exchanging them for needed grain and daily necessities.

Word had it that their ships were being built larger and larger, capable of traveling to very distant places. Rumor had it that Chief Lu Wenting frequently led cargo-laden vessels to trade in ports such as Temasek in the Nanyang region.

Another morning arrived.

Lu Wenting, Xing Chulian, Xiao Guimu, and others were gathered in the loyalty hall discussing the construction of warships.

The dispatched scout returned to report: "Reporting to Chief Lu, Second Chieftain Xing, and Third Chieftain Xiao: the imperial Empress Dowager recently passed away, and Chancellor Qin has also passed away from illness."

Hearing this news, Xiao Guimu stood up with eyes full of tears and said, "Brother Wenting, Sister Chulian, the darkest hour for the people of Southern Han has finally passed!"

Lu Wenting shouted outward, "Fire the cannons in celebration!"

Instantly, the sound of crackling firecrackers echoed across the island, and the people wept tears of joy...

Coastal Ancient Town.

After seeing Purple Rose off, Lou Mingxuan was exceedingly happy. She returned to her study, instructed her maid to grind ink, and penned four letters in succession, sealing them securely.

She summoned three experienced male servants of the household, handed them the letters and travel funds, and ordered them to set out on long journeys immediately.

The first servant headed to the Tu City Lü family, carrying Lou Mingxuan's letter addressed to Chancellor Lü.

The second servant carried two letters—one addressed to the Gu brothers, Gu Yuren and Gusheng, in the capital, and the other to her son, Li Muwen, at the Yuni Lake Water Fortress.

The third servant was dispatched to the Qi Family Salt Shop in Yangcheng, carrying letters from Lou Mingxuan and others for Gu Datong and Qi Wei.

Each of these four letters contained merely a few simple words: "The lass Xiao Guimu is on Bright Moon Island, rest assured."

After sending the three servants on their journeys, Lou Mingxuan summoned the steward and purchased a vacant small courtyard next door to the Li residence. Following extensive renovations, she installed a "Spirit Tablet of Princess Zhao Ruoya" and a "Spirit Tablet of Prince Consort Xiao Tianjian" in the main hall.

Lou Mingxuan walked into the small courtyard accompanied by her maid. With tears in her eyes, the maid arranged wine, dishes, and fruit offerings on the altar table.

Lou Mingxuan lit three sticks of incense, inserted them into the incense burner, knelt and kowtowed, and spoke: "My tragic Princess Rouya, my infatuated and valiant brother Tianjian, ever since we parted in dreams, due to the passing of my husband, I have only now been able to set up spirit tablets for you. From now on, whenever we have things to say to one another, we can speak right here." Her eyes brimming with tears, she found herself momentarily unable to continue. "That lass Guimu was redeemed by someone long ago—it was neither I nor Gu Datong who redeemed her, but Lu Wenting, the head chieftain of Bright Moon Island. She is now serving as an instructor on Bright Moon Island, staying together with Purple Rose, Uncle Tianjian's niece. They look after each other and are doing very well!... From now on, I will take good care of the two of them as well, so you may rest in peace... Whatever else needs to be said, we shall speak in our dreams..."

The maid used her sleeve to wipe away her tears.