Duan Xu seemed to be missing a screw in his head.

He Simu thought, the condition for their first exchange was pulling him up, and now the condition for their second exchange was calling her by her real name. This young general’s thinking was truly bizarre.

However, lately, He Simu had gradually grown accustomed to Duan Xu’s eccentricities, to the point that when he made this statement, she was only momentarily surprised before returning to calmness.

“You could have exchanged for much more from me, something that could help you achieve your wishes, rather than wasting it like this.”

But Duan Xu shook his head. He said firmly: “This is my wish. It’s not a waste.”

He Simu looked at Duan Xu for a while, as if trying to discern his true intentions from that handsome, pleasing face. But he looked at her with complete sincerity, practically wearing the words “innocent and pure” on his forehead.

His wish was truly useless and presumptuous. But this young general was not her subject or subordinate, and in a mere hundred years he would be gone. Letting him call her name a few times wouldn’t do her any harm.

He Simu said, “Very well, so now you owe me twice.”

“Once my body is better, I’ll certainly fulfill my end. I remember clearly.” Duan Xu smiled brightly.

But He Simu had forgotten about her initial intention to remove Duan Xu’s pants, and Duan Xu was pleased with this outcome.

General Qin arrived at Shuo Prefecture two days later, and the generals of the four armies occupying Shuo Province gathered in the prefectural city to discuss the next strategy against the enemy.

Duan Xu’s wounds hadn’t fully healed, and he was more sensitive to pain than normal people—he would inhale sharply at He Simu’s slightest touch, making it impossible for him to wear heavy armor. However, seeing all the generals arriving majestically in full armor, armed from head to toe, and riding tall horses, it would seem arrogant for Duan Xu not to make an appearance, yet appearing without armor would seem delicate.

When Duan Xu saw the generals’ imposing manner from the gate tower, he smiled and sighed twice.

At this moment, Chen Ying also worriedly asked Duan Xu: “General Brother, Sister Xiaoxiao said you still cry out in pain when she changes your bandages. Are you going to war again?”

Since being accepted as Duan Xu’s sworn brother, Chen Ying often followed him around like a little shadow.

Duan Xu smiled, thinking that he only cried out because his little Sister Xiaoxiao was too rough.

“War won’t start so quickly, but this matter ahead is also a kind of battle. I’ve just emerged from obscurity and achieved great merit. Apart from the Tabai Army, others in the military are quite unfamiliar with me—naturally, half are curious, half want to give me a setback, and perhaps some have private intentions to flatter me. But General Qin and my family belong to different factions. Military promotions mostly depend on General Qin and Duke Pei, so flattering me is useless.”

Duan Xu’s speech left Chen Ying confused, just staring at Duan Xu with puzzled eyes. Duan Xu then crouched down and patted his head: “It’s fine if you don’t understand, just remember it. When you follow me back to the Southern Capital, human relations and social affairs will be even more complex than this.”

After a pause, he smiled and said: “Since that’s the case, I might as well make a proper appearance.”

Whenever generals came to Shuo Prefecture, Wu Sheng Liu and Meng Wan were always responsible for hosting them. Wu Sheng Liu was very familiar with military affairs, while Meng Wan was meticulous and proper, leaving no room for criticism.

In the morning when General Qin and the other generals had all arrived, General Qin requested all generals to attend a meeting to discuss subsequent arrangements. Duan Xu finally made his entrance.

When he emerged from his tent, he wore only casual clothing—a red round-collared robe. His hair was only pulled into a high ponytail, not properly bound. Chen Ying followed at his side carrying a basket containing a silver-white suit of armor.

He took his armor from the basket and, while walking leisurely, began putting it on, calmly fastening the straps and tying the knots, unhurriedly ensuring each part fit properly. He walked the entire way, donning his armor in full view of everyone as if he were trying on new clothes in the streets of the Southern Capital.

He passed before the soldiers brought by the generals, leaving them completely baffled, wondering what this newly arrived general was up to.

There was some whispering among them, puzzling over his behavior while noting that General Duan’s armor looked delicate and light, wondering how it was made.

Just as he reached General Qin’s main camp, Duan Xu was fastening his wrist guards. He straightened his clothes and entered the tent. Inside, three generals were already present, having been watching Duan Xu approach through the tent entrance.

Duan Xu smiled and bowed to them: “Duan Xu of the Tabai Army pays respects to General Qin and the other generals.”

After his greeting, he unhurriedly secured his hair crown, finally completing his attire, and then walked to his position and sat down.

The generals who had originally intended to give him a setback couldn’t help but be surprised, exchanging glances, just as perplexed as their soldiers had been.

Chen Ying stood behind Duan Xu, his mind turning over the words Duan Xu had taught him.

—In strategies against enemies, there is the tactic of feigning troops. Strike first, make noise in the east while attacking in the west, and create an air of mystery. Trick the opponent into hesitation and immobility.

Duan Xu seemed to notice nothing, smiling as he said: “I, Duan, am new here and meeting with all the generals for the first time. I hope for much guidance and instruction.”

General Qin sat in the main position of the tent. The nearly fifty-year-old veteran commander had a calm expression, his gaze falling lightly on Duan Xu before turning away as he said: “General Duan is a young talent who resisted two hundred thousand Danzhi troops in Shuo Prefecture for over two months, and even infiltrated their camp to kill Awoerqi, turning the tide of battle. I have reported these meritorious deeds to the court, and I imagine rewards will come soon.”

He spoke as if he hadn’t been the one who sent Duan Xu to Shuo Province to die.

Duan Xu smiled, bowed with clasped hands, and said: “I must serve the country and the people. I am grateful for the general’s trust in entrusting me with such important matters, and fortunately, I did not disappoint.”

Just as his words fell, he heard a snicker from beside him.

Duan Xu glanced over and saw He Simu sitting next to him in a three-layered curved-collared robe, resting her chin on her hand and casually observing everyone in the tent. Seeing Duan Xu turn to look at her, she smiled slightly and said: “Continue.”

What she probably meant was—to continue your performance.

He Simu had once again taken on her ghost form, invisible to ordinary people, to watch the show.

Duan Xu seemed to want to smile, but his lips curved halfway before he suppressed it, returning to his righteous and grand manner, exchanging pleasantries with General Qin and the other generals amidst the surging undercurrents.

Great Liang also suffered significant losses in this conflict with Danzhi. The army fighting against Feng Lai on the Yu Province battlefield had sustained casualties in the tens of thousands, and on Duan Xu’s side, defending Shuo Prefecture had cost over a thousand lives. Now, Danzhi’s internal strife presented a rare opportunity, but given Great Liang’s current situation, it couldn’t take too much territory.

The Emperor’s edict commanded General Qin to lead troops to capture Shuo Province and then act according to circumstances. With Great Liang’s current military strength, they could at most occupy two more provinces, so the focus of discussion became the direction of the next attack.

There were only two directions: northwest to attack Luo Province and Yun Province, or northeast to attack You Province and Ying Province.

After listening to the generals’ discussion for a while, He Simu roughly understood that the attack direction had already been internally decided as You Province and Ying Province. The reasoning was sound: You Province and Ying Province were strategic passes with advantageous terrain. Once occupied, they would control Danzhi’s throat, allowing them to target Danzhi’s capital. Furthermore, Ying Province was the ancestral home of the current Emperor. Its years under enemy control had caused the Emperor to lose face, and reclaiming it would naturally delight the dragon heart—a great achievement.

However, this predetermined attack direction had not been communicated to Duan Xu beforehand.

Duan Xu had his hands clasped together in front of his lips, his smiling eyes watching the generals discuss everything from attack direction to attack strategies. His gaze was somewhat mocking and somewhat indifferent. When General Qin noticed he had been silent for a long time and symbolically sought Duan Xu’s opinion, he laughed softly and said: “While You Province and Ying Province are undoubtedly excellent choices, I believe the northwestern provinces of Yun and Luo should be the focus of our attack.”

This statement caused the seated generals to frown. Duan Xu smiled and continued: “You Province is indeed the throat—the lifeline of Danzhi. The Huqi people come from the grasslands and deserts and are extremely sensitive to threats. If we truly attack You Province, even with the current chaos in their royal court, they would temporarily set aside their differences and reorganize their troops to deal with us. Brothers may quarrel at home, but they unite against outsiders—this principle is not understood only by Han people.”

“Have all of you forgotten how fearsome Danzhi’s elite troops are? South of the border rivers, there are many marshes where we can hold some defense, but if we engage with Danzhi troops on the plains, all of you generals should know what the result would be. As for Ying Province…” Duan Xu smiled, nearly saying outright—”You want this province just for the Emperor’s face, other than that what use is it?”

General Qin casually took a sip of tea. His trusted subordinate, General Wang of the Xu Ying Army, then spoke up: “General Duan should also know this is a rare opportunity. We indeed have a gap with the Danzhi troops, but if we don’t take advantage of the enemy’s current demoralization to occupy You Province, we may never have another chance. You Province can be used for both offense and defense, with geographical advantages. Once we occupy it, the Huqi people will find it difficult to reclaim it. With the current chaos in the Danzhi royal court, I don’t think they’ll reorganize their troops so quickly—they might even seek peace talks.”

Duan Xu smiled slightly. He couldn’t exactly say that he had spent many years in the Danzhi royal court and understood it far better than they did. He was silent for a moment, then suddenly said: “I see the generals seem very interested in my armor.”

—Was it the armor they were interested in? It was his strange behavior they were curious about.

Duan Xu continued without changing his expression: “This armor of mine is so light that even my eight-year-old sworn brother can carry it, yet it’s incredibly tough and impervious to blades and spears. It’s made from a mineral called ‘Tianluo.’ This mineral is light yet durable, and after refining and forging, it can be made into armor. Compared to heavy armor weighing dozens of jin, its effectiveness is no less. But such armor is extremely rare in Great Liang, with each piece costing over a hundred gold pieces. General Qin should know why. Great Liang didn’t produce this mineral, and the place rich in Tianluo is Luo Province, named after it. When Danzhi captured Luo Province years ago, they ignorantly massacred the city, and now they know nothing about the method of refining Tianluo. Over the years, they’ve tried stealing and smuggling to obtain the refining method from Great Liang, but have repeatedly failed.”

At this point, Chen Ying, standing behind Duan Xu, recalled the second half of what Duan Xu had taught him—one can’t always create mystery; it’s best if these mysteries contain some substance, something that gives people a taste of reality.

“Not only that. Yun Province has grasslands for raising horses. There are no good grasslands within Great Liang’s borders, making warhorses scarce and cavalry forces weak. If we could occupy Yun Province as a base for breeding warhorses, Great Liang’s cavalry power would be greatly enhanced, and the gap between us and Danzhi’s armies would continue to narrow. Moreover, Danzhi has vast northern grasslands and doesn’t care much about Yun and Luo Provinces. It would be much easier for us to occupy these two provinces, and it wouldn’t touch Danzhi’s nerve.”

Duan Xu, with his understanding of Danzhi, clearly laid out the pros and cons. The tent fell silent for a moment, then General Qin spoke leisurely: “General Duan’s words are not without reason. The grasslands of Yun Province and the mineral veins of Luo Province are indeed important resources, but—”

He Simu almost simultaneously said “but” with General Qin, knowing that everything before was just perfunctory, and a “but” would inevitably follow.

“But the battlefield situation changes constantly, requiring sacrifices. We must not covet small gains at the expense of greater principles. You Province is the heart and belly of the land; one battle there could win years of peace. All the generals believe You Province and Ying Province are the best choices. General Duan…”

General Qin didn’t finish his sentence, making it clear that this decision, made without Duan Xu’s input, would not be changed by his opposition.

Duan Xu’s gaze swept across the faces of everyone in the tent. Just when He Simu thought he would say something in his defense, Duan Xu suddenly smiled brightly and said: “It’s Duan Xu’s shallow insight. Since all the senior generals have chosen the direction, this junior will fully cooperate and say no more.”

He Simu looked at Duan Xu with some surprise and said: “They also know attacking You Province is perilous. They’re probably aiming to force Danzhi into peace talks. Once a peace treaty is signed, there’ll be no reason for further large-scale battles. Your wish to reclaim the seventeen provinces probably won’t have a chance to be realized in this lifetime.”

Duan Xu gave a half-smile, nodded faintly to indicate he understood, and then said softly—”Further words are useless.”