Caught off guard by this sudden cold remark, Jiang Zhiyi was stunned, the sweet words on the tip of her tongue abruptly halted: “What did you say?”

Seeing his silence and recalling that he had worn a sour face before the match, Jiang Zhiyi looked at him, blinking, and suddenly pointed behind her: “…Did you think I didn’t come to cheer for you today? I was late for one class, but I arrived in time for the opening. I’ve been sitting up there the whole time. Didn’t you see me?”

Yuan Ce followed her anxious finger toward the viewing platform.

Yes, he had seen—seen the most dignified princess who had always looked down her nose at others, yet today on that high platform she had locked eyes with someone for what seemed like an eternity, her bright eyes twinkling as if entranced…

Even if, as Qing Song had said, being under the same roof with so many young gentlemen might lead her to develop feelings for someone over time—

This “time” seemed to have come far too quickly, like a bolt from the blue.

If it had been his brother playing polo on the field today instead of him, would she have also ignored his brother like this, engrossed in exchanging glances with someone else?

Yuan Ce narrowed his eyes and gave a light snort.

Jiang Zhiyi: “Many people in the viewing area saw me. If you don’t believe me, I can call them over one by one…”

“No need. I understand now.” Yuan Ce turned his head and continued walking forward.

Jiang Zhiyi hurriedly followed him again, passing through halls and corridors. Several times she tried to speak, but he lengthened his stride to pull ahead. After struggling to keep up for a long time, her legs nearly giving out from exhaustion, she finally gave up, stamped her foot firmly, and stopped.

Yuan Ce paused his steps, turned around, and looked at her drooping eyebrows and eyes.

“You know you wrongly accused me, yet you still glower at me. You…” Halfway through her displeased sentence, Jiang Zhiyi suddenly saw Yuan Ce’s ear twitch. The next instant, a warm palm clamped over her moving lips.

The force of his hand pulled Jiang Zhiyi backward, stumbling as he spun her around a corner. Her heels and back suddenly pressed against a gray wall.

Yuan Ce lowered his lashes, one hand covering her lips, the other making a hushing gesture.

Jiang Zhiyi gave a nervous start, pressing her lips together tightly and silently perking up her ears.

After a moment, she heard several disordered footsteps approaching.

Then, an exasperated male voice sounded in the corridor beyond the corner: “Where is he?!”

Another young male voice followed: “He seemed to have come this way… Boyong, calm down. Let’s split up and search!”

“Calm down? With an eleven-point lead over me, he says my ‘skill is superior’ and he ‘concedes defeat’… Isn’t that meant to humiliate me?” Zhong Boyong said through gritted teeth. “If I swallow this insult today, I don’t deserve the Zhong name!”

The jumbled footsteps quickly dispersed to search.

Looking at the “target” before her, so close that their breaths mingled, and hearing those footsteps that might find them at any moment, Jiang Zhiyi’s heart pounded wildly, her breathing growing heavier.

Hot, moist breath puffed against his palm, sending tingling sensations from his fingertips straight to his heart.

Yuan Ce’s fingers curled slightly as his gaze returned from the distance. Looking down, he saw the person before him, cheeks flushed, raising two fingers to pinch her nose tightly.

Yuan Ce: “?”

Jiang Zhiyi’s eyes conveyed “no time to explain” as she squeezed her fingers firmly, her eyes full of vigilance.

They waited until the footsteps gradually faded away and no sound could be heard.

Jiang Zhiyi quickly released her nose and began taking deep breaths. Yuan Ce also loosened his hand and released her.

“I was nearly—nearly suffocated…” Jiang Zhiyi panted for quite a while before she could speak. “Look at you, how could you forget I still had a nose?”

“?”

“Don’t those storybooks say that martial artists have extraordinary hearing and can hear breathing nearby?”

“…”

Yuan Ce: “The storybooks you read refer to martial artists like me. Those incompetents couldn’t hear it.”

Jiang Zhiyi was startled: “Then why were you covering my mouth the whole time? I’m not foolish enough to make noise at such a moment…”

“…”

Yuan Ce lightly clenched his fist and turned his head away: “…I forgot.”

Jiang Zhiyi peeked out from behind him, recalling Zhong Boyong’s self-righteous cursing earlier. If not for that sneaky schemer, she and Brother A-Ce wouldn’t have become upset with each other today.

Jiang Zhiyi gave a cold snort: “This Zhong Boyong, where does he get the nerve to challenge you again? During the archery test last time, though he provoked you, at least he was aboveboard. Today, he resorted to such underhanded tactics… I should teach him a lesson!”

Yuan Ce: “And how would you teach him a lesson? With those slender arms and legs of yours?”

Jiang Zhiyi turned back: “Of course, with my mouth. I can complain to my Imperial Uncle!”

“Although Marquis Kangle has rarely been to the frontlines in recent years, he was once a man of great military merit. Would your Imperial Uncle take action against the son of a meritorious official just based on your word?”

“At the very least, he could be punished to reflect at home for ten or fifteen days. Wouldn’t that give you some peace at the academy for a while?”

“No need,” Yuan Ce raised his eyes, looking toward the corridor where Zhong Boyong had just been, his lips curving slightly. “What I want is for him to provoke me.”

“…Stop provoking Shen Yuance with those childish games!”

At the second watch of the night, in the Marquis Kangle’s residence, the Marquis slammed his cane heavily and pointed at his son standing before him: “Did you hear me?”

Zhong Boyong stood before the desk, his head raised defiantly: “He broke my younger brother’s leg, and my brother keeps hedging about why he was beaten. What’s wrong with seeking justice for my brother?”

“And did you get that justice?”

Zhong Boyong choked. At noon today, when he found Shen Yuance and demanded to know why he had quit the match, Shen Yuance had casually remarked—

“Even with your planted agent, you only scored two points. I might as well compete with my left hand against my right.”

“How did I end up with such a foolish son!” Marquis Kangle shook his head in frustration. “Your brother wasn’t the only one who got beaten. It was just some roughhousing among young men. Why are you so aggrieved over it?”

“My brother’s broken leg is just ‘roughhousing’? What would be considered a serious matter in your eyes…?”

“Naturally, the lives of the entire Zhong family! Your aunt’s son had both his legs broken, which proves your brother wasn’t the main culprit in provoking Shen Yuance. Your actions now will only make him hold a grudge against you!”

Zhong Boyong laughed incredulously: “I truly don’t understand. Aren’t father’s past military achievements greater than those of a mere novice like him? Even your limp is something the Emperor repeatedly laments… Shen Jiedushi is already gone, and the position of Hexi Military Governor remains vacant, showing the Emperor doesn’t fully trust Shen Yuance. He’s just an eighteen-year-old boy—why are you so afraid of him?”

Marquis Kangle closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath: “These days, your aunt has been under house arrest by Princess Yongying. She keeps sending messages asking me to plead with the Emperor on her behalf. Do you know why I’ve sat by and done nothing?”

“…Why?”

“Because imperial favor is not an inexhaustible wellspring. If it’s depleted too early, when the day comes that we need it to save our lives, we’ll have nothing to rely on…” Marquis Kangle opened his eyes, his gaze deepening. “Stop mentioning my past military achievements and my limp in public. While Shen Yuance is in the capital, keep a low profile—so low that he won’t even notice you! If there’s another incident like today’s, you’ll stay obediently at home and won’t set foot outside these gates!”

At the same moment, outside the study in the Shen residence.

Mu Xinhong knocked on the door, heard a “come in” from inside, and pushed the door open to see Yuan Ce reading a military text by lamplight. A flash of surprise crossed his eyes.

Generals who commanded armies typically fell into two categories: those who rose through theoretical knowledge and those who rose through practical experience. The eldest young master belonged to the former. Despite his outward appearance as a young libertine in the capital, he had always been studying these military texts privately in his study. The young commander, however, was the opposite of his elder brother—

The young commander had practically grown up in actual combat.

To prevent the discovery of a face identical to the Shen family’s “only son,” the young commander had spent his childhood years in a dark, secluded residence.

That residence was less a home than a training ground, filled with every weapon and military training method in the world. Unable to be with his younger son constantly, Shen Jiedushi had sent trusted men to train him there.

From the time he could walk, the young commander had learned all eighteen martial arts, one by one, progressing from stumbling attempts to skilled mastery.

Later, when the young commander grew older and developed some capability, Shen Jiedushi brought him into the military.

In the army, there was a type of soldier stationed in the most mysterious corners who never appeared publicly—the scouts.

They infiltrated the front lines to gather intelligence on the enemy, lived in the wilderness, kept company with horses, drank rainwater when thirsty, slept in tree branches when tired, and needed the skills to escape danger with their lives.

The practical experience and abilities required by an excellent scout sometimes rivaled those of a commanding general.

When Mu Xinhong first met Yuan Ce, he was amazed that a boy just over ten years old was the most elite scout in the Xuance Army.

It was during his time as a scout that the young commander had traversed every desert oasis, every mountain and hill, remembering every glacier and every stream in Hexi.

In the past year, after the deaths of Shen Jiedushi and the eldest young master, everything the young commander had learned over eighteen years culminated in that world-shaking victory.

At the time, Mu Xinhong had wondered if Shen Jiedushi had anticipated such a day and made preparations early on, even naming one son Shen Yuance and the other Yuan Ce, to accustom the younger brother to becoming his elder brother’s shadow.

…

After a moment of reflection, Mu Xinhong looked again at Yuan Ce reading the military text and asked curiously: “Why is the young commander reading these now? They’re no longer of use to you.”

Without raising his head, Yuan Ce replied flatly: “I want to see what my elder brother used to read.”

Indeed, having been separated for over a decade and reunited briefly before being divided by life and death, only one brother could live in the light. Now, as all traces of the eldest young master were slowly being erased, only these remnants could prove he had once existed.

Mu Xinhong sighed, thinking of the eldest young master, and asked about the current matter: “Young Commander, did you discover the true nature of Zhong Boyong’s relationships with those classmates during today’s polo match?”

Yuan Ce paused, raising his head from the book.

Mu Xinhong quietly looked at him.

The young commander’s attendance at Tianchong Academy was not without purpose. Avoiding Princess Yongying’s marriage pressure was merely incidental; more importantly, it was to infiltrate the circle of these aristocratic young men.

Today’s polo match was a team competition, providing the perfect opportunity to judge the relationships among these young aristocrats. The young commander had accepted the challenge to “play along” for this very reason.

“Half,” Yuan Ce said after a long pause.

“What?”

Yuan Ce rubbed his brow: “Something came up. I only played half the game.”

Observing his weary expression, Mu Xinhong quickly consoled him: “Oh, did the princess cause trouble for you again mid-game? Don’t worry, there’s no rush. There will be another chance next time…”

“It wasn’t her.”

“Then, who in this academy is so formidable that they could interfere with you?”

“She didn’t cause trouble.” Yuan Ce frowned and closed his eyes.

Mu Xinhong seemed to understand, yet didn’t quite understand, but either way, he dared not speak further.

In the quiet study, only the dripping of the water clock could be heard. After some time, Yuan Ce opened his eyes and suddenly asked: “If a person is too distracted to handle two matters at once, completing one but neglecting the other, what should they do?”

“Naturally, they must prioritize and attend to the more important matter first!”

Yuan Ce nodded slowly, looking toward the unopened portrait scroll beside his desk from two evenings ago.

He knew it was Pei Zisong’s portrait.

After staring at it for a long time, Yuan Ce spoke again: “What if she isn’t necessarily bound to my elder brother alone? What if one day she develops feelings for someone else? Should I speak up for my elder brother’s sake?”

Mu Xinhong was startled, finally understanding that both questions were about the princess. After careful thought, he said: “…It’s natural for you to feel indignant on behalf of the eldest young master. However, since he is no longer with us, in my humble opinion, if such a day comes, letting the princess go would be a clean break for the eldest young master as well.”

“A clean beginning, a clean ending.” Yuan Ce pronounced each word distinctly and nodded.

A knock sounded at the door, and Qing Song’s voice suddenly came from outside: “Young Master, the princess has come late at night. She says you were in a bad mood today, and she’s come to keep you company.”

Yuan Ce’s gaze flickered slightly, his hand holding the book tightening.

Mu Xinhong quickly called out: “In this cold weather, please invite her in quickly…”

“Wait.” Yuan Ce suddenly interrupted him, his brows gradually knitting together.

His days in the capital were numbered, yet today he had forgotten his real purpose because of speaking up for his brother. Such a mistake could not happen a second time.

Since eventually he would have to let his brother and her have a clean break, there was nothing to feel indignant about…

Perhaps it would be better if that day came sooner.

After a moment of silence, Yuan Ce relaxed his brow, his face showing no hesitation. He turned his head toward the window and said, “No need to invite her in. Tell her I’m tired and already asleep.”