The brazier in Mr. Su's tent burned low, its glow restless, painting the canvas walls with jagged shadows. Three men sat in the stillness: General Gao Zian, Mr. Su, and He Yan. Outside, the night wind carried faint echoes of the camp—the clank of armor, the distant calls of soldiers changing shifts—but here inside, the air was thick, suffocating, as if even the flames held their breath.
Zian's sharp gaze pinned the man kneeling before him. His voice, low and deliberate, carried the weight of a decree.
"I am letting you give her the identity of He Xinyi," he said, each syllable like molten steel dropping onto the ground, "but only on my conditions."
He Yan's head snapped up, eyes wet with desperation. He had expected rejection, yet here was a sliver of hope. He pressed his forehead against the cold earth, voice breaking.
"General, whatever your conditions are, I accept! I accept without hesitation!"
Zian's expression did not soften. He leaned forward slightly, his presence pressing down like a mountain.
"My first condition," he said coldly, "is this: since you are taking her to your house as your daughter, you must keep her safe. Safe from harm, safe from schemes, safe from the cruelty of others. If you fail—" His voice sharpened, cutting the air like a drawn blade, "—then I will not stop at anything. Not only you, but your entire clan will pay with its destruction. Her safety must remain paramount. Do you understand?"
He Yan's entire body trembled. He knocked his head against the ground in a kowtow so hard the sound echoed.
"I swear it! General, if I fail to protect her, may Heaven strike me down and my family line be severed. I understand! I understand completely!"
Zian let the words linger, as if weighing their sincerity, before continuing.
"My second condition—" He paused, his tone slower now, colder still. "Once your wife's dismissal comes, you will bring her back to me. Immediately. Without delay."
The brazier hissed as a spark burst upward, its crackle filling the silence that followed.
Zian's eyes narrowed. "But… what if your wife's condition improves? What if, seeing the daughter she longed for, her body clings to life? Tell me, He Yan—what then? Will you keep her in your house forever as your daughter? That, I cannot permit."
The words struck like thunder. He Yan's mouth went dry. He turned, looking first at Mr. Su as though begging for aid, then back at the general towering above him. His lips trembled before he finally forced himself to speak.
"General…" he said hoarsely, "I have already told you of my wife's condition. Her days are limited. There is no saving her. But if Heaven shows mercy and she recovers, then… then I will still return the girl to you."
Zian's eyes were hard as steel. "How?" he asked, voice sharp. "What will you tell her then?"
He Yan's throat tightened. He lowered his eyes and thought deeply before answering.
"I will tell her… that you, General Gao, saved her from the bandits when she was returning to our home from the village where she was said to live. I will tell her her mother has passed, that her stepmother and stepsiblings despise her, and that her safety lies only at your side. That serving you is her fate."
The tent fell silent again, the words hanging heavy in the smoke.
Finally, Zian leaned back. The hard line of his mouth softened, just slightly.
"…Reasonable. Logical."
But his gaze darkened as he turned it full upon He Yan.
"One more thing. Burn this into your memory. From this moment on, you are forbidden to speak of what we discussed here. Not to your servants, not to your kin, not even to the wind."
His tone grew heavier, every word like a warning bell.
"From this night forward, she is He Xinyi. There is no girl named Mei. There never was. If even a whisper of truth escapes your lips, I will erase not only you, but your clan's name from this land."
The tent seemed to tremble at the words. The brazier flared, sparks leaping like startled souls.
He Yan's forehead struck the earth again.
"Yes, General! I swear it on my ancestors' graves. She is He Xinyi and no other. The truth will never pass my lips!"
Zian's gaze shifted slowly, deliberately, toward Mr. Su. His eyes glinted like warning stars.
"And you, Doctor Su. You are her healer, her guardian of secrets. If your tongue slips, if even Heaven itself tempts you to speak—know that your life alone will not pay the price. This secret will be buried in ashes, and you with it."
Mr. Su's heart hammered in his chest. He bowed deeply, his voice trembling but firm.
"I understand, General. I will guard this secret with my life."
Zian stood, his cloak sweeping around him, casting his shadow tall against the canvas. His voice carried finality, the tone of a man who carved destiny with his words.
"Then it is settled. She will live as He Xinyi. But hear me—her fate does not belong to you, nor to He Yan, nor even to Heaven. From this night forth, it is mine to guard. And mine alone."
The brazier crackled violently, sparks shooting upward as if sealing the vow in fire.
He Yan remained kneeling, his forehead pressed to the ground, tears streaking down his face. Mr. Su kept his head lowered, heart heavy with both relief and fear.
And Gao Zian… his eyes lingered briefly toward the tent where she slept, her breath quiet, her memories lost. He clenched his fists behind his back, his gaze burning like a silent oath.
Meanwhile, in Zian's tent…
The canvas rustled as the night wind slipped inside. Mei stirred restlessly on the cot, her brow furrowing.
Her lips moved faintly, whispers escaping as though torn from a dream.
"Who… am I…?"
Her fingers reached toward her chest, brushing against the thin blanket as if searching for something she could not name. A faint glint of jade, hidden beneath her garments, caught the dim firelight for the briefest moment.
Her body shifted uneasily, caught between nightmare and waking. Her breath quickened. A soft whimper escaped her throat, the sound of a soul adrift with no anchor.
Unseen, unheard, the three men sealed her fate with oaths of silence. And she, lost in her dreams, clutched at the void where her memories should have been.
The camp outside grew still, torches flickering low. Above, the stars wheeled silently across the heavens, bearing witness to a truth that could not be spoken.
And in the shadows, a question hung heavy—
What would become of Mei, once she awoke to live as He Xinyi?