Feiyu sat to one side, lost in thought, but didn’t look at her internship reflection.

He lifted the curtain and gazed at the continuous mountain ranges to the side. Beyond these mountains lay Liaodong territory.

One hundred thousand Liaodong troops were stationed there, controlling the line from Liaodong’s Jinzhou to Xining Pass. The great general Liang Shiyi was the brother-in-law of Liaodong’s second prince, Murong Duan.

Feiyu’s fingers tapped lightly on his knee, humming an unknown tune. His voice was excellent, but his pitch was atrociously off—when he sang, every word was completely off-key.

His mind wasn’t on the tune either.

Lao’er had been rescued by his formidable wife.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t arranged for interceptions, but his legitimate second sister-in-law came from a military family and was truly formidable. She had sent three successive groups who persistently located and rescued Murong Duan.

She had also attempted to assassinate him and Ye Ci, but after one failed strike, she withdrew decisively and cleanly.

The Embroidered Guards reported that she’d been able to find Murong Duan because someone had carried Murong Duan’s letter pleading for help to her.

That fellow who’d traveled a thousand li to deliver intelligence had gained the second princess’s trust, but she hadn’t put him in charge of rescuing Murong Duan—she’d only had him draw a map.

Feiyu’s intuition told him something was wrong here.

After Murong Duan was sent to A’hei, he’d been closely guarded. Lingquan Village was full of experts—ordinary outsiders couldn’t get in. How had his letter been smuggled out? Who had sent it? If whoever sent the letter could infiltrate the place, they must be an expert, so why didn’t they rescue him at the time instead of traveling all the way to Liaodong to report? What was their real purpose?

Feiyu glanced at Tie Ci.

Thinking that she had been quite conveniently positioned at the time…

Mm, her writing posture was really attractive.

…But there had been unusual movements along the Xining line.

Fewer raids, they were drilling.

Spreading ballads was to gather and bewitch hearts.

Rising iron prices meant they were collecting weapons in large quantities.

Expensive furs and absent hunters meant the border had been unilaterally sealed completely.

More peddlers… traveling peddlers were mostly spies.

Someone was preparing for war.

Not necessarily against Da Qian’s side, but because they needed to guard against Da Qian, they’d deployed many spies and sealed the border.

More likely… the Liang family intended to rebel.

Or rather, Lao’er intended to rebel.

“When saints arise, auspicious kings are born.” Remove the “king” radical from “auspicious” (瑞) and add “establish” (立)—wouldn’t that make “Duan” (端)?

Feiyu narrowed his eyes, thinking how Lao’er had suffered a major loss secretly forging weapons, returned in disgrace, lost their father’s favor, and reportedly had his Inner Palace Secretariat position stripped and faced successive rebukes. Anyone with eyes could see he was declining—the eldest prince had been walking with swagger lately.

His status had plummeted dramatically. Could he not bear it anymore?

His princess consort had a fiery temperament and had always been ambitious. Lao’er’s active participation in power struggles was partly his own ambition and partly her instigation and her family’s backing.

Now it seemed Lao’er wanted to make one final gamble?

Feiyu’s gaze turned away from those continuous mountains, the smile at his lips tinged with mockery.

Beside him, Tie Ci closed her newly completed internship report.

The last sentence she’d just written was: “In summary, great war is imminent. Suspect Murong clan’s second son Murong Duan relies on his brother-in-law’s power to attempt usurpation. Liaodong will be in chaos; our Yongping border forces can seize the opportunity.”

…

After another day’s journey, they finally reached the Bieshan Yongping Guard border garrison.

Before arriving at the main camp, Tie Ci submitted her well-reasoned and clearly argued report.

Di Yiwei’s carriage curtains were drawn tight without a breath of wind visible. A pipe stem lifted the curtain, its tip pointing to indicate Tie Ci should place the report there.

Tie Ci had no choice but to clip the report into a holder on the pipe.

The pipe withdrew, light smoke drifted from behind the curtain, and rustling paper sounds emerged.

After a while, Di Yiwei’s voice came out: “What does ‘in summary’ mean?”

Only then did Tie Ci realize she’d habitually used the specialized language from reports to her master.

When following her master, every ten days her master would require her to spend half a day conducting market research—from price comparisons at Shengdu’s vegetable markets to the pros and cons of produce logistics and transportation methods, from statistics on foot traffic at Shengdu’s four major commercial ports to how different supply channels and shop locations affected sales. She’d often conclude with this “in summary” for concise clarity.

But before she could explain, Di Yiwei had already said “oh” and continued: “Your phrasing and writing style doesn’t seem like what those old bookworms could teach. Quite interesting. Once we enter the main camp, come be my clerk.”

Clerk was essentially a leader’s secretary—a very promising and relatively safe career. But Tie Ci didn’t want the position. She wanted to face the battlefield directly, understand enemies, see how Di Yiwei trained and commanded troops. Being stuck in a tent all day writing documents would waste her talents.

Before she could figure out how to politely decline, Di Yiwei continued: “But training will be the same as everyone else’s.”

After a pause: “You’ll also go to the battlefield.”

Then: “Better learn some bandaging and medical skills too—we don’t have enough military doctors.”

Then: “Battlefield records are also needed—you can help me write reports later to deal with those old turtles at court.”

Then: “If you can describe small defeats as small victories, small victories as great victories, and no matter win or lose, manage to get funding without giving the court grounds to find fault afterward, that would be even better.”

Then: “Clerks are very idle, you can try doing everything else part-time too.”

Tie Ci: “…”

Idle my ass.

One person wanting to work eight jobs without pay.

You’re not a general, you’re evil capitalist.

You promote 996/997 without overtime pay.

She thought for a moment: “My friend…”

“He’s not a student here for training. Yongping main camp doesn’t accept people of unknown origin,” Di Yiwei rejected outright, completely uncorrupted by Feiyu’s beauty.

“He’s a riding and archery instructor at the academy.”

“Training doesn’t accept instructors. Instructors usually have court factions—the military doesn’t welcome that.”

Tie Ci said nothing, waiting for her.

Sure enough, after a while she said: “If he has useful skills, that’s another matter.”

Tie Ci walked back and told Feiyu: “Work hard to become a bald programmer under the capitalist.”

Feiyu now accepted her strange words well, understanding through guesswork.

He just smiled: “Sure, let big brother carry you.”

Tie Ci: “Heh heh.”

When they arrived at the main camp, new students and a batch of recruits were conducting exercises.

This exercise had been ongoing for three days with fairly standard content: moving through various terrains, constantly discovering and eliminating enemies, finding secret messages with intelligence on enemy bodies, and returning to main camp within a specified time. Only the top twenty would pass—anyone after twentieth place would receive punishment regardless of their battle results.

Standing on the hillside, Tie Ci saw small teams below, basically four or five people each. Some were in pursuit battles, others hiding in ambush, with dust-covered soldiers constantly emerging from the woods.

With her good eyesight, she spotted a tall man running in the lead and exclaimed happily: “Fatty Tiger!”

That was Tian Wu, the foolish son of a great landowner. Tie Ci remembered he’d drawn Yongping for his training—sure enough, he’d arrived.

This fellow was physically strong, and judging by his speed, quite good. Looking down from her elevated position at the tent that served as the finish line, Tian Wu making the top twenty was no problem.

After Tian Wu, another person emerged, limping and waving a small handkerchief while shouting: “Fatty Tiger, wait for me—”

Tie Ci was amused.

Hey, another familiar face.

Her round-faced fanboy, Yang Yixiu, son of the Minister of Rites. Clever Yixiu.

Behind Yixiu followed someone dark-skinned and familiar-looking. Taking another look, Tie Ci saw it was Qi Yuansi.

Tanned dark—spring breeze had become a sandstorm.

Behind the group, another person emerged. While everyone else looked bedraggled, he remained elegant in flowing robes. This time Tie Ci was surprised.

How had Rong Pu come too? Shouldn’t he have already taken over academy duties?

The group had apparently formed one team. As they approached the finish line, they suddenly stopped.

Not just them—all the other teams emerging from the forest stopped and began digging in the ground, extracting something that each examined.

From afar, Tie Ci could see everyone standing frozen, looking at each other in confusion.

A moment later, Rong Pu was first to move. He walked past Qi Yuansi, quickly pulled out something, hurried toward the finish line, and threw something to Tian Wu.

Qi Yuansi seemed to curse, then approached Yang Yixiu, but Yang Yixiu reacted faster, reaching up to snatch Qi Yuansi’s helmet, pulled out something, took it and ran while throwing out something else.

Qi Yuansi cursed again, picked up that object, said something to the still-dazed Tian Wu, and pulled him forward quickly.

Watching from above, Tie Ci saw that except for Rong Pu’s relatively peaceful team, all the other squads suddenly started fighting.

Di Yiwei’s sedan had also reached the hillside. The curtain lifted a crack, red light flickering, and Tie Ci vaguely glimpsed what seemed like a smile on Di Yiwei’s pale face in the darkness behind the curtain.

Rong Pu, who’d been in the lead, suddenly fell down as he walked.

Dust clouds rose.

Apparently at the point closest to success, there was still a pit.

It was the only path forward, narrow, with a large pit dug across it. Whoever walked there would fall.

All four fell down, then helped each other climb out, covered in dirt.

The finish tent was just ahead. As the four prepared to advance together, someone emerged from the tent and shouted: “We’ve reached nineteen! We’ve reached nineteen! Only one spot left! The last one!”

Qi Yuansi looked thunderstruck.

The four looked at each other in confusion.

After supporting each other all this way, now they were in the same position with only one spot remaining—who should get it?

Suddenly whistles sounded, each more urgent than the last—time was running out.

The soldiers arriving behind them started fighting again.

Then Rong Pu suddenly beckoned, the four gathered for discussion, then pushed Tian Wu forward.

Tian Wu, bewildered, was pushed into the tent to applause from within.

Rong Pu straightened his clothes and walked in unhurriedly.

After a while, angry cursing seemed to erupt from the tent.

After another while, the soldier who’d previously announced one spot remaining emerged again and shouted to the next batch of charging recruits: “Last spot! Hurry up!”

The newcomers were thunderstruck in turn.

Tie Ci couldn’t hear subsequent sounds. After a while, Tian Wu emerged from the tent, not only showing no joy but looking even more confused.

From the hillside, Tie Ci waved at him: “Fatty Tiger! Fatty Tiger!”

Hearing her voice, Tian Wu searched around, his eyes lighting up when he saw her, and charged over.

In a few bounds he was up the hillside, lunging forward and burying his big head hard in her embrace.

Tie Ci: “…”

She felt killing intent from behind.

Feiyu was approaching.

Fearing an unexplained death, she quickly tried to extract Fatty Tiger’s head, but he wouldn’t get up, staying buried in her embrace while crying with a voice full of grievance.

“…Finally got the intelligence message, but at the end they required us to steal our teammates’ messages to count! Had to be from our own squad! The more the better, extras got bonus points!”

“Just as we were about to succeed, they gave us a pit, with a straw dummy at the bottom that cursed us: Idiots! The closer to success, the more dangerous it gets—if this were real battle, you’d be dead! Points deducted! All deducted!”

“Finally climbed out, only to be told there was just one spot left!”

“Director Rong said to let me go, but I had to pay monetary compensation to the others, ten thousand taels each! Before I could agree, he pushed me out!”

“When I got inside, they told me I was third! Director Rong was fourth! We all actually had spots!”

“My thirty thousand taels, waaah…”

Tie Ci: “…”

She slowly turned to look at Di Yiwei, still calmly puffing away in her sedan, unmoved.

Are you lacking virtue, lady?

Making people’s squads cooperate lovingly, then at the end forcing those who’d formed revolutionary friendships to be ruthless, steal each other’s achievements, and betray each other?

Never seen military training that included training human nature.

What kind of army are you trying to train here?