After studying the first manual intently for several days and just beginning to grasp its essence, An Jiu suddenly received orders from above – to assist the Song army in battle!

This time, the entire unit mobilized under Gao Dashuang’s leadership. Given the long-distance nature of this mission, it would take at least three to five months round trip, making it impossible for He Cai and others to accompany them.

As soon as He Cai received the news, she immediately relayed it to Chu Dingjiang.

On An Jiu’s side, except for Lou Mingyue who had yet to complete her assignment, the others set out overnight.

They rode swiftly through the night on horseback.

By sunrise, they were already dozens of li away from Bianjing.

As they traveled northward, the spring chill became more pronounced. While Bianjing had already shed its thick winter clothing, here thick frost still coated the withered leaves in the early morning.

Gao Dashuang tied up his horse and grumbled, “We must have been schemed against to receive this assignment!”

Li Qingzhi, a man of passion, immediately said, “It’s not bad. Lending a hand on the battlefield is much better than killing people of unknown identity all day!”

“What do you know?” Gao Dashuang pointed at Li Qingzhi’s broad chest with a delicate gesture. “You haven’t experienced how incompetent our Great Song’s army is, so you can’t truly empathize!”

Hearing this, Sui Yunzhu asked, “Could it be that Lord Gao…”

Gao Dashuang’s voice sounded rather effeminate, inevitably making people think of eunuchs, though no one dared to ask outright.

To An Jiu’s surprise, Gao Dashuang didn’t get angry. Instead, he sighed deeply, “I saw those incompetents flee the battlefield with my own eyes. It was truly disgraceful.”

An Jiu suddenly interjected, “I thought eunuchs serving as supervisors were the key to ruining the Song army.”

A gentle spring breeze blew, and the scene fell silent.

Gao Dashuang suddenly erupted, one hand on his hip, the other pointing at her. “What do you know?! Eunuchs are missing a leg, not their brains! Don’t think you can randomly accuse people just because Lord Chu protects you!”

An Jiu looked at him calmly. “I won’t argue with a disabled person like you.”

Gao Dashuang didn’t mind the other words, but he heard “disabled.” He immediately rolled up his sleeves, ready to fight. “You little runt, you little shrimp! Tell me clearly, who’s disabled!”

“Please calm down, my lord,” Sui Yunzhu intercepted his reaching hand. “Lady Mei speaks frankly without ill intent. My lord is magnanimous, please forgive Lady Mei this once. We must prioritize the mission!”

Infighting before reaching their destination was punishable in the Konghe Army.

Reminded of this, Gao Dashuang considered the various implications and, seeing a way out, waved his hand dismissively. “Fine! I’m not a eunuch anyway!”

The others thought to themselves that he certainly seemed like one, but they could only sigh inwardly. If he wasn’t a eunuch, why get so worked up?

“My lord, could you elaborate on the battlefield situation?” Li Qingzhi’s greatest wish before joining the Konghe Army was to enlist in the military. Full of passion, he hoped to lead troops to repel the Liao. Thus, he was particularly invested in this mission.

Seeing everyone’s interested expressions, Gao Dashuang cleared his throat. “Eight years ago, I was in the Konghe Army and was also assigned to assist the Song army in battle. I was only sixteen or seventeen then, full of passion like you, this big fool, risking my life without hesitation. I was much more dedicated than on other missions! I remember we risked our lives to infiltrate the enemy camp and gather crucial intelligence. The Song generals were confident at the time. But when the first battle came, and the Liao cavalry approached with overwhelming momentum, heh, our soldiers were scared stiff. One deserter started it, and then they fled in droves. Oh my, I was standing on a hillside, and the scene was truly spectacular! Before the cavalry even reached us, Song soldiers were already trampled to death by their men.”

“After the Song army retreated, only the Liao army and a single eunuch remained on the vast battlefield.” Recalling that scene, Gao Dashuang was still moved. “I heard that supervisor shouting ‘Long live the Emperor’ as he charged alone towards the Liao army with his sword! It was utterly shocking.”

Later, that eunuch was killed by a volley of arrows, but the Liao army showed him enough respect not to desecrate his corpse.

Gao Dashuang personally wrapped the body and buried him.

“That eunuch was castrated and raised in the deep palace from the age of six or seven. He had little experience and barely knew how to read a few characters and observe people’s expressions. How could he be a proper supervisor?” Gao Dashuang sighed. “But he was one of the good ones. He didn’t understand, so he didn’t give reckless orders. We all treated him as if he didn’t exist, and no one respected him in their hearts. Who would have thought that in the end, he would prove the most loyal and courageous.”

After hearing this, everyone fell silent.

Over the past decade or so, the Song army rarely had any victories to report when facing the Liao army. Being able to barely hold the border and prevent the Liao from marching straight in was already considered great news!

This situation was very discouraging for those heading to the battlefield.

After a long silence, Li Qingzhi couldn’t help but ask, “What’s the current situation on the battlefield?”

“The Liao army is pillaging and plundering. After a long winter, resources are scarce in Liao, so they’re reaching out to the Great Song,” Sui Yunzhu answered.

Sun Dixian asked, “I heard the Liao Emperor is dying. Is that true?”

“Probably. Liao Emperors have always had short lifespans,” Sui Yunzhu replied.

“Hmph! How can they not have short lives after committing so many atrocities?” Gao Dashuang said in his high-pitched voice.

Everyone remained silent in response.

As daylight broke, the group continued along small paths, their initial enthusiasm or ease now gone.

This wasn’t An Jiu’s first time participating in such a large-scale operation, and she harbored some trauma from previous experiences. At this moment, she told herself to move forward, even if facing similar situations, and not to repeat past mistakes.

Often, one’s mindset determines the success or failure of an endeavor.

The group marched urgently. On the second day, Lou Mingyue completed her task and caught up with them.

Half a month later, they finally reached Hejian Fu, the largest city in the northern part of the Great Song.

The shadows sent by the Konghe Army were under the command of the Great General, but they also had to obey the orders of the supervisor. If the supervisor questioned the Great General’s orders, they were not obliged to follow the General’s commands.

This was a frustrating rule, but one they had to follow.

Upon reaching Hejian Fu, Gao Dashuang led everyone to pay respects to the legendary supervisor.

This time, the supervisor was not a eunuch, but a civil official.

Moonlight, like silver, shone into the hall.

The lamplight flickered in the wind as the pale-faced, beautifully bearded middle-aged man in the main seat gently set down his teacup. “Since you’ve been sent by the court, you can reside here for the time being to await orders at any moment.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Gao Dashuang bluntly refused. “We’ve come on His Majesty’s orders to carry out our duties, not to enjoy comforts. If you have any tasks, just cough three times in the courtyard, and we’ll be ready at any time.”