According to legend, the Four Seas Pavilion of Compass Mountain would teach disciples their coursework based on their talents. Any disciple of Compass Mountain who descended the mountain would either become a world-renowned swordsman like Gu Yijian, or gain great fame like Yan’s former hydraulic engineer master Sima Sheng, or become like Wei’s Prime Minister Gongsun, governing an entire dynasty.

When Bai Qingyun decided to go to the Four Seas Pavilion, he harbored a thread of hope, hoping that the Four Seas Pavilion, rumored to be proficient in the mystical arts of Qimen Dunjia, could heal his legs.

But after arriving at the Four Seas Pavilion, Gu Yijian told Bai Qingyun that the so-called Qimen Dunjia was by no means as miraculous as the outside world claimed—able to regenerate flesh and bones or regrow severed limbs. He gave Bai Qingyun a choice: spend over ten years to barely be able to stand, but never again be a martial artist, or… abandon his legs and learn things that Bai Qingyun couldn’t learn elsewhere.

Bai Qingyun thought of his eldest sister, thought of the Bai family’s great undertaking of unification, and gave up his legs to learn… weapon improvement and manufacturing, along with various military tactics. If it weren’t for Bai Qingyan proclaiming to the world this time, calling all Bai family children back to the capital to witness the coronation ceremony, Bai Qingyun would have formally begun studying Qimen Dunjia, continuing to learn how to arrange the nine bureaus of Yin Dun and nine bureaus of Yang Dun.

“This won’t do!” Cheng Yuanzhi was the first to stand up in opposition, his expression unusually serious. “Attacking Xiliang is for unification, and also for revenge… Young Master Nine is a Bai family child. Any of us can be absent from the Xiliang battlefield, but Young Master Nine cannot!”

In Cheng Yuanzhi’s heart, revenge and unifying the world were equally important. He believed this precious opportunity could be missed by anyone, even by them… but not by the Bai family!

“Old Cheng usually speaks carelessly, but this time he’s right…” Shen Kunyang nodded in agreement. “In attacking Xiliang, Young Master Nine absolutely cannot be absent.”

Bai Qingyan looked at Bai Qingyun and nodded. “Uncle Shen and General Cheng are right. In attacking Xiliang… not a single member of the Bai family can be absent, but none of the generals can be absent either! This matter… I will arrange it properly.”

Bai Qingyun lowered his eyes, his hands resting on his legs, tightening slightly, gripping his clothes as he slowly spoke: “These years… I learned some skills at the Four Seas Pavilion. There are still several months before the three-year deadline that the eldest sister agreed upon with Yun Poxing. Although there’s no time to replace all the weapons in the hands of Great Zhou’s soldiers, there should be enough time to replace the weapons of the Bai family army and the siege equipment.”

Bai Qingyun currently had a batch of blueprints that could greatly improve the soldiers’ weapons and increase their lethality.

“For this matter, you can discuss with Zeng Shanru from the Military Equipment Bureau,” Bai Qingyan said.

When Bai Qingyan ascended the throne, she appointed a large number of officials, both major and minor. Those who had been useful in the Bai family naturally all received official positions, such as Zeng Shanru, who now held the position of Military Equipment Bureau chief, in charge of weapon manufacturing.

“When does Young Marshal Bai plan to have Fifth Miss, Sixth Miss, and Seventh Miss enter the military camp?” Wei Zhaonian asked again.

“When you generals return to Nanjiang this time, take the three of them with you…” Bai Qingyan’s gaze fell on her youngest sister, reaching out to pat the head of Bai Jinse, who was closest to her. “I’ll entrust them to all the uncles!”

Bai Qingyan’s brows carried a gentle smile. Entrusting her three sisters to the generals of the Bai family army, she had no worries whatsoever. To the Bai family descendants of Bai Qingyan’s generation, they were all elders.

“There’s one more matter…” Bai Qingyan looked solemnly at Shen Kunyang and the other generals, saying earnestly, “A’Qi and Xiao Ruohai have already rushed to Xiliang. If A’Qi and Xiao Ruohai send any messages from Xiliang requiring troop movements, you generals need not send someone back to the capital to request orders. All troop deployments should follow A’Qi’s commands.”

Bai Jinxiu naturally knew why Bai Qingqi went to Xiliang. Bai Qingyan gave Bai Qingqi command authority over all troops in Nanjiang, intending to spare no cost to rescue Bai Jintong.

“Young Marshal Bai, rest assured! We understand!” Cheng Yuanzhi never hesitated to obey Bai Qingyan’s orders.

At this time in the imperial palace, Bai Qingyan brought the Bai family children and met with the generals of the Bai family army in the General’s Pavilion, carefully discussing how each had fared over these years.

Shen Kunyang inevitably mentioned Grand Marshal Lu’s grandson, Lu Yuanpeng, and Imperial Censor Sima Yan’s son, Sima Ping.

“That boy Lu Yuanpeng and that Sima boy changed their names—one calls himself Lu San, the other Ma San. Both are good prospects. Although Lu Yuanpeng is a bit foolish and pampered, he can hold his ground when it matters. And that Sima boy… he’s like a loach, slippery as can be… but at least he’s never delayed important matters and is loyal and righteous! If it weren’t for that Sima boy protecting Lu Yuanpeng in the military camp, his backside would have been beaten to a pulp by military batons long ago!”

When Shen Kunyang spoke of these two, he held more appreciation than anything else. Even though Lu Yuanpeng and Sima Ping had countless faults of pampered young masters, just their loyalty and righteousness alone could win Shen Kunyang’s favor.

At this moment, Lu Yuanpeng, who had returned from training in Nanjiang and was now tanned and thin, was kneeling in his family’s ancestral hall, looking at his grandfather who stood with hands behind his back, holding a discipline ruler, and grinning foolishly: “Grandpa, I didn’t disgrace you! I’m already a commander of a thousand now! Grandpa, look… my brother always says you can’t put all your eggs in one basket. I didn’t leave without saying goodbye—I went to join the army to find a retreat for our Lu family!”

Lu Yuanpeng puffed out his chest with particular pride, telling his grandfather: “Grandpa, you don’t know! I’m particularly accomplished! I changed my name to Lu San and didn’t rely on the family… didn’t rely on Grandpa’s reputation. Now I’m already a commander of a thousand, and no one knows I’m Grandpa’s grandson!”

Grand Marshal Lu’s temples throbbed. How did he end up with such a grandson?!

Grand Marshal Lu didn’t know whether to call him naive or a fool!

He even had the face to boast here that no one knew his identity, when even Wei Zhong knew Lu Yuanpeng had become a commander of a thousand. Yet he still had the nerve to proudly claim he had hidden his identity extremely well.

Seeing Grand Marshal Lu maintain his stern expression without speaking, his face seeming even more somber, and hearing what sounded like an almost inaudible sigh of helplessness, Lu Yuanpeng feared his grandfather was angry about his leaving without notice and might damage his health. His puffed chest deflated, and kneeling on the prayer cushion, he gave another dry laugh and simply sold out his brother directly…

“Grandpa, you can’t blame me for this! This was all my brother’s idea! He’s the one who told me to sneak away! He tricked away all the silver I’d saved for so long! Grandpa, you don’t know how pitiful I was! My brother stuffed me with a few sets of beggar’s clothes, cheated me out of all my silver, and didn’t even leave me a horse! If I hadn’t been clever enough to go straight to the new military camp, just with my poor sense of direction and lazy legs… by the time Sister Bai ascended the throne as Empress, I might still have been begging for food on the road to Nanjiang!”