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Jun Wuxian said, "I hope so. I also want to meet Shen Chuwei as soon as possible, to confirm if she is Xiao Jiu."

Xun Qingqing said, "I hope she is, so that you wouldn’t have to search everywhere for your sister anymore."

Jun Wuxian smiled and picked up a piece of pastry, placing it in the bowl in front of her.

Xun Qingqing looked at the pastry in her bowl, picked it up joyfully, and bit into it. It was soft and delicious, filled with bean paste and very sweet.

In the night

Although Xun Qingqing and Jun Wuxian were already engaged, they still slept in separate beds, each in the next room.

Xun Qingqing lay in bed, staring at the wall in front of her, knowing that Jun Wuxian was on the other side.

She couldn’t help but feel that there was something odd between her and Jun Wuxian, perhaps she had read too many romance stories.

She wondered if Jun Wuxian was just too gentlemanly, or if her charm wasn’t great enough. Their most intimate moments had only been hugs, with the number of kisses able to be counted on one hand.

Xun Qingqing irritably patted her head, telling herself she couldn’t think about this anymore, or she would get depressed.

The next day, after breakfast, Jun Wuxian rode a horse with Xun Qingqing to the Military Camp’s forbidden area.

Xun Qingqing sat in Jun Wuxian’s arms, thinking back to the first time they rode a horse together, thrilled for the entire ride until they dismounted and she realized that the soreness in her thighs wasn’t her own doing.

Jun Wuxian took out a veil and tied it around her, saying softly, "There’s sand and wind along the way, and the sun is scorching. If you don’t cover up, your delicate skin will likely suffer."

Xun Qingqing thought that Jun Wuxian was very considerate; she had only been excited.

After attaching the veil, Jun Wuxian gripped the reins tightly and squeezed the horse’s belly, and the horse took off at a gallop.

It would take two hours to travel from the small town to the restricted area of the Military Camp.

After running for two hours straight, Xun Qingqing’s bottom began to suffer, rubbing against the saddle, feeling sore; she clenched her teeth and endured the pain.

Jun Wuxian seemed to guess that her bottom was sore and whispered in her ear, "Hold on a little longer, we’re almost there."

"I know." Xun Qingqing said, slightly embarrassed, but also feeling like she was slowing Jun Wuxian down. If she had known this day would come, she would have learned to ride no matter how difficult or tiresome it was.

Her brother said that once you get used to riding a horse, it doesn’t hurt so much.

Unless it was for too long, even men could not bear it.

Suddenly, in front of them, two soldiers clad in black armor blocked their path.

The soldiers, weather-beaten from the sun and wind daily, had complexions as dark as charcoal, with cracked lips.

Xun Qingqing saw this and thought no wonder Jun Wuxian had put such a thick veil on her; her skin would get sunburned and peel in less than half a day.

The soldiers said coldly, "Ahead lies the Military Camp’s restricted area. All irrelevant personnel are forbidden to proceed even half a step further, or face execution without exception."

Xun Qingqing responded, "I am Xun Qingqing, the daughter of General Xun, here to see Prince Yu. My elder brother is a general, and he is also in the camp."

The soldiers looked at each other and asked loudly, "Do you have proof?"

Xun Qingqing remembered the token her father had given her and hurriedly pulled it out of her bosom, "Can my father’s token serve as proof?"

The general said, "Let me see it."

Xun Qingqing handed the token to the soldier.

The soldier examined the token closely for several moments, then sized up Xun Qingqing, glancing at the veil on her cheek.

"Take off the veil and let’s see."

Xun Qingqing instinctively resisted, "Do you need to see my face too?"

The soldier said with a cold face, "Although this token bears General Xun’s seal, it doesn’t prove you are his daughter, and even if you are, you cannot just enter the Military Camp’s restricted area."

Xun Qingqing frowned, wondering if even her father’s token was useless?

She looked up at the soldier, "Can you report to Prince Yu that I am here to see him? The Crown Princess is my good friend, and Prince Yu knows me too."

"Prince Yu is busy leading troops in battle; he has no time to deal with these matters. If it were General Xun’s personal military token, it might be useful, but this one is not very helpful," the soldier returned the token to Xun Qingqing.

Xun Qingqing, holding the token, spoke somewhat dissatisfied, "How could my father possibly give me his personal military token?"

Jun Wuxian pulled Xun Qingqing into his embrace; seeing that the two soldiers in front of them were unyielding, he reluctantly reached into his bosom, pulled out a token, and lifted it for the soldiers to see.

He would not reveal this token unless absolutely necessary.

"Do you recognize this token?"

The soldiers looked at the token in Jun Wuxian’s hand, which was entirely different from the previous one, darker in color, and with intricately complex patterns they had never seen before.

When they saw the character ’Xuan’ written on the token, they involuntarily widened their eyes, stunned for quite a while.

Xun Qingqing saw the shock on the faces of the two men in front of her and looked up at Jun Wuxian, also taking a glance at the token, curious about what token he could have shown to surprise them so much.