Yu Jiuling was always being misunderstood — especially by women. When women looked at him, more often than not, they detected a certain hint of seediness about him.

This tended to give people a specific impression — as though Yu Jiuling lost all composure the moment a pretty woman appeared.

Yes, this was a misunderstanding. Because it wasn’t an impression at all.

Zhaoluan and Cainan had spent years managing businesses on behalf of the Princess Consort. They believed they could read people well.

And especially the way Yu Jiuling spoke to them — that deliberately warm, attentive manner — made them both feel this fellow was probably quite susceptible to women.

Still, women who had run the Princess Consort’s affairs this long were not so shallow as all that. They just found him odd. The Prince of Ning had people of talent at every turn — and yet a peculiar one had been sent to receive them. There had to be a reason.

“You may not know much about the Ning army,” Yu Jiuling said, putting on a very serious face.

“By our customs here, different guests are received differently. If it’s men — especially soldiers — it’s simple and direct, they eat what our men eat. But for women, you show more care. Normally there would be four refined pastries and four varieties of dried and fresh fruits as starters, with four main dishes and a soup to follow.”

He looked at the two women. “Shall I recite the menu for you?”

Not a single word of this did Zhaoluan and Cainan believe.

Until, after crossing the river, they passed through the Ning army’s supply depot.

It wasn’t clear why, but the Ning army led them straight through it without any apparent concern.

And so they saw it: herds of cattle and sheep, packs of swine, mountains of stored provisions.

The two women looked at each other, then thought back to what they had seen in the Chu army’s supply depot. The difference was heaven and earth.

“Every soldier in our Ning army receives five taels of silver per month,” Yu Jiuling said as they walked. “That’s roughly equivalent to a regiment captain’s pay on your Chu army side. And it’s paid on time every month, not a single day’s delay.”

Cainan couldn’t help asking: “That food you had just now — is that an ordinary meal for Ning army soldiers?”

Yu Jiuling said: “My apologies for the plainness of it. I grabbed it from the field kitchen on the way out — that was our breakfast today. We’re on a campaign, so simpler fare is understandable.”

Cainan asked: “Meat at every meal?”

Yu Jiuling said: “What do you think we raise all those pigs and sheep for?”

Cainan looked at Zhaoluan. Zhaoluan let out a quiet sigh.

Yu Jiuling said: “In fact it’s not just that every meal has meat — the variety must rotate. That’s the Prince of Ning’s direct order.”

Zhaoluan said: “The Prince of Ning is indeed wealthy.”

Yu Jiuling said: “You can thank yourselves for that.”

Cainan asked: “Why thank us?”

Yu Jiuling said: “The Prince of Ning’s wealth was taken from his enemies. Every enemy has made a contribution that cannot be forgotten. You’re enemies too, so my lord instructed me to treat you courteously and warmly — because before long, you’ll be our next benefactors.”

Cainan glared at him.

Yu Jiuling, apparently unaware of what he was doing, continued: “Though my lord did also say, there won’t be much to take from you lot.”

Cainan glared at him again.

Yu Jiuling still didn’t register it. As they walked, he went on: “I mean, what would we even want from your Chu army? The leather armor your soldiers wear? If we issued that to our men, they’d curse us out. It’s too thin, too flimsy — and frankly, ugly. If we ever had to outfit our soldiers in Chu-army gear, they’d all wonder if the Prince of Ning had gone broke.”

Cainan: “General, you don’t need to keep talking.”

Yu Jiuling: “Mm… sorry, sorry, I forgot to be mindful of your feelings. Whenever someone gets me started on our equipment and logistics, I lose myself. Old habit.”

Zhaoluan gave Cainan a look, signaling her to stop engaging.

The Princess Consort had told them: their only task was to enter Mangdang Mountain and see the Wu Prince. Don’t stir up unnecessary trouble.

Yu Jiuling was tactless.

He pointed at some soldiers hauling supplies nearby. “New uniforms being distributed. Our army issues new kits twice a year, no matter where we’re fighting — always delivered on time.”

Cainan stopped walking and turned to face him. “Could you please stop talking?”

Yu Jiuling: “Of course… so why don’t you two tell me about your side?”

Cainan: “…”

Zhaoluan looked at Yu Jiuling. “General, I ask that you hurry. We need to reach Mangdang Mountain before dark — it’s over a hundred li away, and we cannot afford more delays.”

Yu Jiuling: “Don’t worry, I’ve arranged horses. For ladies, you have to be comfortable — I’ve ordered the carriage fitted with cushions. Pink ones.”

Zhaoluan: “A carriage will be too slow. We can ride.”

Yu Jiuling: “You know how to ride?”

Cainan felt her composure slipping dangerously.

Yu Jiuling: “You’re both so impressive! The citizens of the Prince of Ning’s territory don’t usually know how to ride. Even your women know horsemanship — is it because it’s dangerous over there? Ride fast to escape if trouble comes — is that why?”

Cainan’s expression had already begun to darken. She opened her mouth to speak; Zhaoluan grabbed her arm and shook her head.

Cainan breathed. Breathed deeply.

Yu Jiuling: “We’re coming up on our cavalry camp — our horses are all from the grasslands. You’ve never been to the grasslands, have you?”

The two women had long since stopped acknowledging him, only walking faster.

Yu Jiuling noticed they weren’t responding and finally seemed to understand he should stop. He fell silent as well, following quietly behind the two women.

After they had walked a stretch, Cainan couldn’t help turning around. “General, didn’t you say you’d arranged horses? Where are the horses?”

Yu Jiuling: “Wrong direction. They’re on the other side.”

Cainan: “You did that on purpose!”

Yu Jiuling: “I was about to say something earlier, but then you told me to stop talking, and then you both strode off, and I assumed you were heading somewhere else, so I didn’t ask.”

Zhaoluan breathed deeply, then forced a few shreds of pleasantness into her expression. “Then please, General, lead us there.”

Yu Jiuling: “No need, I’ll send someone to bring the horses to us.”

He asked: “Any preferences? Stallion or mare?”

Cainan: “You have mares in the cavalry camp?”

Yu Jiuling: “Not exactly — but then again, you know how war horses are… they get that done to them. A stallion that’s been gelded — is it still a stallion?”

Cainan: “…”

Yu Jiuling: “Any preference on color? Black, white, grey, chestnut — or pink?”

Zhaoluan: “Anything is fine.”

Yu Jiuling: “Anything? Would a cow work?”

Zhaoluan finally lost her temper: “General Yu, if you are deliberately mocking us, you may stop now. We are here on the Princess Consort’s orders to enter the mountain and see the Wu Prince — to discuss whether the terms the Prince of Ning proposed may be accepted. Carrying on like this is wasting the Prince of Ning’s time as well!”

Yu Jiuling: “I just… wanted to talk to you. You’re both so lovely…”

Zhaoluan: “Stallion. Chestnut. Thank you.”

Yu Jiuling: “Deep chestnut, light chestnut, date-red, or blood-red?”

Before either woman could answer, Yu Jiuling grinned. “Joking. I’ll go get the horses now.”

He turned and left. Zhaoluan and Cainan both exhaled heavily at the same time.

“This man is unhinged.”

“He’s doing it deliberately.”

“But what’s his reason for deliberately provoking us? There’s no logic to it.”

“I haven’t figured it out yet either, but he is absolutely doing it with a purpose. We should be more careful with him from here on — don’t talk back.”

“Understood.”

They exchanged a few brief words, then fell quiet for fear of being overheard. But after waiting quite a while, there was still no sign of the man.

Just as they were about to go and find him, Yu Jiuling came walking back, looking apologetic. “My fault, all my fault. I went to get the horses, and they’ve just told me the cavalry camp rode out for training not long ago — not a single war horse left behind. There are only the cart horses. Do you want to take a carriage first? There’s another camp further along, we can switch horses there.”

Zhaoluan was in a hurry and didn’t want to waste another word on Yu Jiuling. She nodded: “Please arrange it quickly, General.”

Yu Jiuling smiled pleasantly. “Right away.”

This time it was actually fast. A carriage pulled up before them. Zhaoluan and Cainan moved to board it; Yu Jiuling tried to climb in as well, and was refused by both women.

Yu Jiuling: “Then I’ll sit up front.”

Inside the carriage, Zhaoluan lowered her voice. “He’s been like this on purpose — there’s likely something wrong with this carriage. Whatever happens, we cannot let it go into the mountain. When the time comes, we walk up on foot.”

Cainan nodded.

At this point, their best guess was that Yu Jiuling had arranged to hide people underneath the cart — to slip secretly into the Chu army camp.

It seemed plausible, yet something about it felt off. Still, they couldn’t think of a better explanation.

Just then, the carriage gave a sudden lurch — and tilted sharply to one side, startling both women badly.

They scrambled out, only to find the axle had snapped.

“It’s fine, it’s fine, I’ll send for another one right away.”

Yu Jiuling offered an apologetic word, then turned and ran.

Not far away, in a grove of trees, Xiahou Zhuo smiled and asked Li Chi: “Ninth Sister has bought us enough time. Should be enough by now?”

Li Chi nodded. “Should be.”

He looked toward the Daoist with long eyebrows beside him. “What do you think, Shifu?”

The long-eyebrowed Daoist closed his eyes and reviewed things carefully, then nodded. “Should be enough.”

All three turned and left the grove.

—

Shortly after, in the central command tent of the Ning army main camp:

Liu Yingyuan and Yuan Jiabei sat down, both visibly tense.

Li Chi smiled. “Trust me. Trust my shifu. Between the two of us, back in our jianghu days when we were busy… doing good deeds… our disguise arts were already perfected.”

He looked at the long-eyebrowed Daoist. “You take one, I’ll take the other. Be as quick as you can — Ninth Sister is working hard to stall out there.”

The long-eyebrowed Daoist sighed. “We move fast on this end — but what about the other end?”

Li Chi looked toward Xiahou Zhuo. “Go and keep an eye on that side now. It matters just as much.”

Xiahou Zhuo nodded. “That side shouldn’t be a problem — just keep stalling. But if your disguise arts fail here, both girls will be in danger.”

Li Chi said: “The Wu Prince barely sees the Princess Consort once all year. These two women are important to her, yes, but the Wu Prince is certainly not familiar with them — he’ll only find their faces vaguely familiar. And we’re doing this at night.”

Liu Yingyuan said: “We’re not afraid. Let’s begin.”

Yuan Jiabei nodded. “Let’s begin.”

Xiahou Zhuo said: “Then I’ll go keep watch on the other side.”

—

Meanwhile, on the other side, Yu Jiuling came running back, gasping, face full of apology.

He said to Zhaoluan and Cainan: “Ladies, just a little longer, please. I’ve sent someone to chase down the cavalry camp. We’ll ride this time — faster.”

Zhaoluan and Cainan looked at each other again, and both sighed in their hearts.

They were well and truly fed up with this General Yu.

Yu Jiuling, however, felt entirely put-upon. Why, he thought, does it always have to be me?

—