WenXiJi, lanterns at the corridor reflected the paper-cuttings on the window lattices, casting shadows like giant beasts on the walls inside the house.

Song Xixi sat on a rosewood round-back chair, her hands clasped in front of her. The plain-colored clothes wrapped around her slender body as she looked at the person before her—her new husband whom she had been waiting for a year.

Zhan Bei Wang had not removed his half-worn armor, looking majestic and awe-inspiring. His handsome face carried a mixture of apology and firmness. "Xixi, the imperial edict for the marriage has been issued. Yi Fang will definitely be entering our house."

Song Xixi, her hands still clasped, looked puzzled, her eyes dark and unclear. "The Empress Dowager once said that General Yi Fang is a role model for women across the land. Is she willing to become a concubine?"

Zhan Bei Wang's eyes displayed a slight hint of anger. "No, not a concubine. She will be a second wife, equal in status to you."

Song Xixi did not change her posture and said, "General, you know that being a second wife sounds nice, but it's actually still being a concubine."

Zhan Bei Wang frowned, "What concubine or not? Yi Fang and I developed feelings for each other on the battlefield. We are deeply in love. Moreover, we were awarded this marriage through our military achievements, earned through blood and battles. I don't actually need your approval."

Song Xixi couldn't stop a sarcastic smile from forming. "Deeply in love? Do you remember what you told me before you went off to war?"

A year ago, on their wedding night, he led reinforcements to the front lines. Before he left, he lifted her red veil and promised, "I, Zhan Bei Wang, will only love Xixi in this life. I will never take a concubine!"

Zhan Bei Wang looked a bit embarrassed and turned his face away. "Forget those words. When I married you, I didn't understand what love was, I just felt you were suitable to be my wife. Until I met Ah Fang."

As he spoke of his lover, his brows and eyes softened. Deep affection was hidden in his eyes. He turned to Song Xixi again and said, "She is unlike any woman I have ever met. I love her deeply. Xixi, please grant your approval."

Song Xixi felt as if she had swallowed a fly, feeling nauseous but still unwilling to give in. "Did father and mother agree to this?"

"They agreed. This is an imperial grant. Also, Yi Fang is straightforward and charming. She has already met and delighted mother."

They agreed? Ha, how ironic. All her efforts over the past year were given to a heartless man.

Song Xixi raised her eyebrows, "Is she in our house?"

Speaking of Yi Fang, Zhan Bei Wang's voice softened, "She is talking to mother now. She's making mother very happy, and her condition has improved a lot."

"Improved?" Song Xixi could not articulate her feelings. "When you left for the front, her condition was very severe. I invited the skilled physician Dan Shen to treat her. I handled the affairs of the house during the day and attended to her illness at night. We ate and slept together. Her condition only improved a bit then."

She wasn't claiming credit, just stating facts. A simple sentence, but it encapsulated a year's hard work.

"But now, after meeting Yi Fang, mother is much better." Zhan Bei Wang's eyes were sincere. "I know you feel wronged, but please, for the greater good, support Yi Fang and me."

Song Xixi pulled a corner of her mouth, seemingly with tears in her eyes, but upon closer inspection, it was a sharp resolve. "Invite General Yi Fang to meet me. I have some questions for her."

Zhan Bei Wang immediately refused. "No need to meet her, Xixi. She's different from the women you know. She's a general, she's above petty domestic disputes. She wouldn't want to see you."

Song Xixi retorted, "What kind of women do I know? Or what kind of woman am I in your eyes? General, you seem to forget that I am also the daughter of a noble house of military commanders. My father and my six brothers died in the southern frontier three years ago…"

"That was them," Zhan Bei Wang interrupted, "But you are ultimately a delicate woman only suited for the inner chambers or the household. Yi Fang looks down on such women. She is frank and unrestrained. She might say things that would cause you discomfort. Why seek your own embarrassment?"

Song Xixi raised her head, the beauty mark under her eye a vivid red. Her voice remained gentle. "It's alright. If she says things I don't like, I can pretend not to hear. To understand the bigger picture and support the family is the most basic duty of a main wife. Can the General not trust me?"