Since becoming commander, very few people had said “no” to her. Not because she appeared particularly fierce or cold, but because her style of action made people both fearful and unable to fathom her intentions, naturally establishing her authority.
At this moment, experiencing something fresh, she became interested.
Her personal guards behind her also looked at each other, thinking that apart from the hot-tempered Liu Chen, garrison commander of Bull Head Ridge, they really hadn’t seen anyone dare say “no” to the Commander.
“Perhaps you didn’t understand my intentions, so you’re giving up?”
Tie Ci smiled.
“Commander, you divided them based on each person’s performance during training.”
“Those who consistently showed good communication skills, unity with comrades, and ability to sacrifice for others—like giving the only remaining spot to a comrade at the end—you put them in one team.”
“Those who consistently acted decisively and ruthlessly, single-mindedly pursuing victory without caring about their comrades’ lives, ready to turn on them instantly—like those who climbed over fallen comrades in the pit, immediately stole companions’ intelligence messages, and fought for the last spot—you put them in one team.”
“Those who consistently judged situations accurately, neither sacrificing themselves nor others, finding the best choices for both themselves and their comrades when faced with difficult decisions—you put them in one team.”
“Those who were consistently too kind, indecisive, always taking middle positions in every decision, only following the crowd—you put them in one team.”
“Regardless of performance or abilities, the different personalities displayed during the test were your only judgment criteria.”
A moment of silence.
Only now did many people understand that the training wasn’t just training.
Di Yiwei showed an appreciative smile: “Why do you think I divide teams this way?”
“You’re breeding poison insects,” Tie Ci said. “The first team, you’ll concentrate on training them toward suicide squad direction. The second team’s training direction should be Scorpion Battalion. The third team is directed toward future mid-level officers. Only the last team will be ordinary soldiers. I guess their final training methods and treatment will all be different.”
“Then why won’t you follow along? You don’t approve?”
“This method is unprecedented, very ingenious, very efficient, very conducive to making the best use of talent. But academy students are not soldiers.” Tie Ci smiled. “They will carry Da Qian’s future. I hope they have more of a big picture view. I hope they can understand everyone’s characteristics and learn to integrate with and skillfully use each other. Finally, understand how to unite, collaborate, and mobilize everyone’s strength. Da Qian doesn’t need them to die heroically, doesn’t need them to be scorpions, and doesn’t need them to understand how to climb upward now. Because soldiers are the bones, while scholars are the soul—bones and soul cannot be treated the same way.”
Another moment of silence.
Then came the sound of clapping.
But it was Di Yiwei tapping her pipe.
She was probably too lazy even to clap properly, just striking her pipe: “Good.”
The training student groups felt honored, each puffing out their chests.
Commander Di seemed easy-going but was actually very eccentric. They’d been here for a while, and aside from Rong Pu earning one word of praise from her, she hadn’t even glanced at the rest of them.
Rong Pu looked at Tie Ci’s profile, light in his eyes.
He knew her capabilities, but every time he would still cheer for her.
Qi Yuansi hung his head, feeling stuffy in his chest and burning in his face.
Ashamed beyond words for his past arrogance.
Feiyu stood with arms crossed, listening from afar, strange light flickering in his eyes.
Having praised her with “good,” Di Yiwei said no more, signaling Tie Ci to do as she pleased, then returned to her sedan.
When she got in, that general bent to assist her, and Di Yiwei naturally entered.
Before leaving, she waved her pipe, having her subordinates lead Feiyu and others to the miscellaneous duties battalion, not even allowing Feiyu’s group to say more to Tie Ci.
Only now did Tie Ci learn that the miscellaneous duties battalion was independent, located behind the main camp. Normally they weren’t allowed in the main camp, only entering and exiting for daily tasks at fixed times.
Obviously, though Di Yiwei would fleece anyone, she knew what was important and wouldn’t allow people of unknown origin to freely enter and exit the main camp.
At this moment, her heart was full of catching up with her dormmates, so she didn’t much mind this. She wasn’t a clingy person by nature. When Feiyu called to her from afar, she casually waved back, indicating “safe travels,” without even turning her head.
Feiyu: “…”
Little heartless thing.
Pull up your pants and walk away.
Looking again at those surrounding the little heartless one, Rong Pu needn’t be mentioned—elegant and refined like a plant.
Qi Yuansi was clearly embarrassed—why was he lingering instead of leaving? He hadn’t gotten to eat academy shit, but soldiers had big tempers—perhaps he should give him a change of flavor?
Why were Yang Yixiu’s eyes, eyebrows, and nose all displaced? Could seeing a classmate make one so happy?
And that Tian Wu—a big man always whimpering in front of Ye Ci, what was that about? Such a big whimpering monster!
Feiyu walked a few steps, then turned back to look at that group of bastards again.
That posture—Ye Ci was like a heartthrob, and that pile of bastards were like the three palaces and six courtyards…
Feiyu surveyed everyone with the gaze of an empress sizing up seductive concubines. Noble Consort Rong needn’t be mentioned. Qi Yuansi ranked eleventh on the young masters’ list, naturally not bad either. Though Yang Yixiu was shifty-eyed, he was still clever-looking. Even the whimpering monster Tian Wu could be considered tall and dignified.
All should be made into human sticks and banished to the cold palace!
Empress Feiyu walked away with a sinister smile, and the little soldier leading his way kept looking back, always feeling this person’s smile was terrifyingly strange…
Rong Pu glanced discretely at his retreating figure.
Some people just think too much.
That night there was no training—the main camp rested. Di Yiwei ordered a feast to reward the recruits who’d passed training. Tie Ci received a new appointment: she became a captain.
Military ranks: squad leader, team leader, platoon sergeant, captain, garrison commander, commander, brigadier general, colonel, vice commander, commander.
Tie Ci was somewhat surprised.
Giving her a temporary military position wasn’t strange, but it would necessarily be lowered for convenience of management—she should only get team leader.
But Di Yiwei gave her a captain position, equivalent to backbone mid-level in the military.
But since it was given, she’d accept it. She believed she was worthy of it.
The students were allocated separate living areas within the main camp, and everyone naturally cleared out a single room for her.
Tie Ci had always maneuvered under the identity of Ye Shiba at the academy. After revealing her identity, the time was short, and she’d led troops to protect everyone. Everyone was grateful and had adapted to her disguised identity. She was also approachable, so everyone couldn’t think of her Crown Princess identity when facing her. After being constrained briefly, calling her Ye Shiba came very naturally.
So much so that when Feiyu came from the miscellaneous duties battalion, he could hear the students calling “Ye Shiba” one after another from afar, very naturally.
He stopped, stunned for a moment, and the faint doubts he’d previously harbored immediately dispersed.
Tie Ci was being called by everyone to eat at the field, and everyone excitedly told her that today the Commander had slaughtered a sheep!
Tie Ci expressed: No, this many people, one sheep? What’s there to be happy about?
Children, what kind of dire straits are you living in!
Daddy’s here to save you!
When Tian Wu carefully brought her a bowl of mutton soup first, after she took a sip, she nearly burst into tears.
She choked up, saying to Tian Wu who was drinking his soup with relish: “Fatty Tiger, I remember your family initially made their fortune because their beef and mutton were good…”
Tian Wu immediately beamed: “That’s right, our family’s beef and mutton, that was famous throughout Da Qian…”
“Then why can you stomach this excrement-like mutton soup?”
Tie Ci frowned at the mutton soup. She wasn’t a pampered person—when conditions were poor, she could swallow hard cakes and coarse grain. But the problem was this mutton soup’s technique was too terrible! Lacking salt and seasonings, with a thick layer of mutton fat and a strange smell. The stench hit your nose from three zhang away.
Even our palace’s Xue Qiu’er makes better soup than these cooks!
Tian Wu laughed while drinking soup: “That’s because other things taste even worse than this!”
Tie Ci looked skyward.
Was this sky still bright?
Feiyu walked past the fence, glancing at Tie Ci’s expression from afar and smelling the air, frowning.
In the distance, the cook was banging his ladle against the big pot, boasting to someone about his skills: “…The Commander loves my soup—can’t sleep without drinking it daily!”
Looking over, Tie Ci saw Di Yiwei sitting under a large umbrella with her own small table, drinking mutton soup.
Before her were several small dishes—pickled garlic, pickled chive flowers and such, all strong-flavored items.
Tie Ci had an enlightenment. This person had unusual tastes.
Di Yiwei obviously didn’t play the “sharing clothes and food, enjoying with the troops” game. She just did special treatment—her table full of small dishes and hot porridge, occasionally giving those beside her a chopstick-full.
Tie Ci noticed beside her was that general who was inseparable from her.
She found this somewhat strange.
Those serving beside a commander should be low-ranking, but this person could sit beside Di Yiwei eating, appearing as equals.
She asked Tian Wu: “Who is that?”
“Vice Commander Lou Xi.”
Tie Ci was surprised.
Never seen a vice commander reduced to being an attendant.
Was Di Yiwei too domineering, or was this Scorpion Battalion’s characteristic?
Looking at Vice Commander Lou’s expression, no grievance was visible.
But Lou Xi seemed very sensitive, quickly turning his gaze over, searching for who was watching him.
Tie Ci withdrew her gaze, really unable to drink that soup. Setting it aside, she wondered if she’d have time to hunt some game for extra meals later.
The cooking area was in the camp’s northwest corner. The big pot that could bathe a strong man needed several people to help stir with ladles.
A figure suddenly vaulted over the fence separating the main camp and miscellaneous duties battalion, landing lightly.
He walked to the big pot, glanced at it, and said: “How can pig slop be served to people? Move aside.”
The cook was about to curse when that person elbowed him against the wall.
Turning to those helping soldiers: “All come assist.”
Saying this, he threw down a large string of rabbits, wild chickens, and antelopes from his back, hitting the ground so hard it shook the dust.
Those kitchen soldiers were dazed. Feiyu’s sidelong glance made them shiver inexplicably, and they obediently went to process ingredients.
Standing before the pot, Feiyu skimmed off the thick mutton fat from the soup and added a large handful of herbs he’d gathered in the mountains to remove the gamey smell.
He cracked big bones and added them, also dripping in some vinegar.
He also threw in several fish—plump ones caught from the river.
After a while, the fishy, gamey smell gradually disappeared, and the fresh aroma of mutton began spreading. Soldiers in the field looked up and sniffed, but only Di Yiwei remained unmoved.
Feiyu meanwhile used a small pot, scrounging ingredients in the kitchen to stew a pot of young wild chicken, fish head, and tofu soup.
He also personally roasted a rabbit, roasting it to a glossy brown-red with sizzling fat.
While he roasted the rabbit, Di Yiwei finally noticed, slowly strolling over to lean against the fence and watch him roast.
After a while, she had someone drag over her small stool to sit and watch him roast.
After another while, she had her small table moved over too, eating while enjoying the aroma of his roasted rabbit, a lazy smile at the corner of her mouth.
Throughout, Feiyu never looked up. Firelight illuminated his features—serene and beautiful, like snow-capped mountains in darkness with a golden-red layered flower blooming atop.
Watching and watching, Di Yiwei wiped away some drool.
She simply stopped eating, propping herself on the table, staring at Feiyu unblinkingly.
Someone nearby asked: “Commander, what are you looking at?”
Di Yiwei didn’t look up, sighing: “So beautiful.”
Vice Commander Lou stood behind her, silently watching Feiyu with very penetrating eyes, staring fixedly.
Being watched by these two, Feiyu still didn’t look up.
More and more people gathered—attracted by the aroma, attracted by this bizarre scene.
When Tie Ci arrived following the scent, there were already three layers of people.
Inside, Feiyu suddenly said: “It’s ready.”
Everyone exhaled in relief.
Finally ready.
The Commander could finally eat.
Once the Commander ate, the rest should be their turn.
Di Yiwei began organizing her small table to make room for new plates.
Vice Commander Lou wanted to speak but stopped, finally remaining silent.
It did smell quite fragrant—couldn’t stop the Commander’s appetite.
Outside the crowd, Rong Pu used his height to see the scene inside clearly, said nothing, and turned to leave.
Tian Wu asked in bewilderment: “Hey, Brother Rong, there’s good food—why are you leaving?”
Rong Pu waved back without turning: “I’m rushing to practice cooking!”
After all, there definitely wouldn’t be a share for him—why waste energy?
In the crowd, Feiyu ignored everyone’s eager gazes. Unhurriedly, he lifted the lid of the young wild chicken, fish head, and tofu soup.
Aroma escaped, and everyone sighed in intoxication.
Di Yiwei began rubbing her hands together.
Feiyu tasted for saltiness and added some salt.
The rabbit was also ready. He cut off four legs and plated them. The oily, red, crystalline legs arranged in a row practically gleamed on the white plate.
Everyone swallowed.
Feiyu carried the pot in one hand and plate in the other, walking toward Di Yiwei.
The Commander licked her lips and reached out to receive them.
Feiyu kicked aside her small table, clearing a path, and walked past.
Di Yiwei: “…”
Everyone: “…”
Di Yiwei’s brown eyelashes blinked as her gaze followed Feiyu’s retreating figure. The crowd again parted like the Red Sea, gazes following Feiyu all the way to Tie Ci.
When Feiyu began cutting rabbit legs, Tie Ci already knew what he intended to do.
She didn’t leave.
Even knowing the next moment might bring social death, or at least being shot to death by countless gazes.
But true heroes don’t fear the slow torture of stares—they must get that bite in their mouth.
Feiyu jerked his chin at her: “Come, let’s eat over there.”
Seeing the eager gazes of Tian Wu and others around, his expression turned cold: “Don’t share with them!”
“I won’t share.” Tie Ci good-naturedly said, “But I can’t finish it all. Give them the remaining parts of the rabbit.”
“As you wish.”
Tian Wu and others cheered and rushed for the remaining rabbit body.
Tie Ci picked up the soup pot and openly went to eat their private feast with Feiyu.
From beginning to end, she seemed not to have thought at all that Commander Di was waiting.
There, the abandoned Di Yiwei seemed neither embarrassed nor angry, watching the two walk away before immediately pounding her fist on the table.
“Hurry up and get me mutton soup!”
Lou Xi awoke as if from a dream, rushing forward to serve Di Yiwei soup.
Over there, several students sharing Feiyu’s personally roasted rabbit, one said hesitantly: “The Commander didn’t get rabbit—should we send half over?”
Yang Yixiu didn’t look up: “Don’t. This is what Shiba gave us to eat—we have no right to randomly give it to others.”
Tian Wu also thought this made sense, nodding repeatedly.
“But the Commander…”
Qi Yuansi cut off his words: “Don’t take her things to give to people she doesn’t want to give to.”
That person was stunned, clearly not understanding his meaning.
Qi Yuansi turned to look at the retreating figures of those two.
The Crown Princess likes Rong Wei, right? They were already close at the academy, and now they’re traveling together.
So if the Commander covets Rong Wei, how could the Crown Princess be happy?
He lowered his eyes, biting into rabbit meat. The meat was fragrant, but it had no flavor in his mouth.
Actually, Tie Ci wasn’t being jealous or anything.
She always felt Di Yiwei’s gaze toward Feiyu was more appreciation of beauty, so she wasn’t that petty.
But her unwillingness to give to Di Yiwei was also sincere—she wanted to see this commander’s magnanimity.
It seemed Di Yiwei didn’t mind, as her appetite for soup was also good.
But her Vice Commander Lou Xi coldly watched this way for quite a while.
Vice Commander Lou was quite good-looking, with a somewhat cool temperament and very clear features, only when facing Di Yiwei did that sharp feeling soften into gentleness.
Honestly, by looks alone, Di Yiwei was somewhat unworthy of Lou Xi. Her appearance was at most refined, just with distinctive temperament.
Tie Ci couldn’t help but have some gossipy speculation about their relationship.
That night she had a good meal, but afterward said: “Can’t do this again next time, or I fear the Commander might hate from jealousy.”
Feiyu glanced at those cooks: “Can you stomach their pig slop?”
“If others can stomach it, so can I. Didn’t you see Rong Pu eating it too?”
“He probably hides cookies at night.” Feiyu was full of malice. “Hiding under blankets, eating and wiping his mouth, then coming out to continue pretending.”
Tie Ci fell silent. Though she felt this guy’s evaluation of Rong Pu was full of subjective malice, it was actually quite accurate.
“Lock your door at night,” Feiyu instructed her. “Watch out for thieves.”
Tie Ci glanced at him.
Really no self-awareness.
The thief was right in front of her.
The two parted at the fence, each showing different badges to return to camp.
Tie Ci returned to sleep peacefully—naturally no one disturbed her at midnight, since all the restless ones were locked outside.
Then followed a period of training, occasionally receiving tasks to patrol the border. Academy students, being there for training, mostly stayed in camp handling various affairs. When going out on patrol, they followed the army. Though Di Yiwei talked about wanting scholars on the battlefield, she ultimately cherished these cultural seedlings.
The camp’s drills continued daily as usual, but teams departed every day. The atmosphere was relaxed on the surface but tense underneath. Tie Ci watched coldly, guessing whether this was normal military movement or preparation for war.
But unless Western Rong or Liaodong actively attacked the border, Di Yiwei couldn’t initiate war without orders from the Five Military Commands. At this time, the court had enjoyed peace for long, with doves dominating. Though they wanted to reclaim Western Rong and Liaodong, they weren’t necessarily willing to wage war for it. Those court officials probably still fantasized about Liaodong having a change of heart and voluntarily returning someday.
Without plans for major war, there’d be no military and supply deployment. Without sufficient supplies, with harsh winter approaching, it wasn’t a good time for major warfare.
Tie Ci looked toward Yongping’s west side—Western Rong territory, half grassland, half desert.
She’d heard Western Rong had problems previously. During her journey, she hadn’t obtained useful intelligence, but Di Yiwei, being on the front line against Western Rong and Liaodong, naturally had relevant military reports.
Only now did she learn that Western Rong had undergone upheaval.
Author’s Note: Just one update today.