The evacuation of civilians from Jiyang City coincided with Xiao Jue taking command of the city’s military forces.

When the Princess issued her orders, the civilians had no choice but to comply. Despite their confusion and doubts, upon hearing of the city’s unrest, they chose to temporarily leave to protect their families. Only those who were too old, weak, sick, or disabled to travel far remained behind. Due to various reasons, they could not relocate and were unwilling to endure the hardships of travel, preferring to die in their homeland.

The most troublesome were certain influential families in Jiyang City who had long harbored discontent toward Mu Hongjin over the years and secretly held rebellious thoughts. Although Mu Hongjin had always been decisive in her actions, and despite being a woman, she had consistently suppressed all voices of opposition. However, with the current crisis in Jiyang City being so severe, Mu Hongjin found herself stretched thin, and these powerful families began to stir, planning to take advantage of the situation.

Mu Hongjin could not leave Jiyang City. Her departure would not only provide an opportunity for those who secretly opposed her but would also signify abandoning the city and its people. As the Princess of Jiyang, having enjoyed the love and respect of her citizens, she was duty-bound to shoulder this responsibility.

An inconspicuous carriage secretly departed from the gates of the royal mansion.

Mu Hongjin, dressed as a maid, stood at the mansion entrance, half-hidden behind a pillar, watching the direction where Mu Xiaolou had departed.

Mu Xiaolou remained unaware of Jiyang City’s crisis, innocently believing that this departure was merely to attend the Prince’s birthday celebration in her grandmother’s stead. She had left happily, promising to bring gifts for Mu Hongjin. She even mentioned that when she returned in the summer, she wanted Mu Hongjin to join her in having sweet frozen yogurt.

Only after the carriage had completely disappeared from view did Mu Hongjin withdraw her gaze. As she was about to turn and enter the mansion, she caught a glimpse of someone in white standing across the street, causing her to pause and look over.

It was a man in white robes, his features unclear, standing in the courtyard across the street. Sunlight streaming down from the rooftop cast a large shadow, and he stood within it, his appearance indistinct. All that could be seen was a long sword at his waist and a zither on his back.

Across the wide street, amid the surging crowd of people coming and going, he slightly raised his head, seemingly looking at her through the crowd, yet also appearing not to look.

A cargo cart slowly passed by.

When Mu Hongjin looked again, there was only the dazzling sunlight that made one’s eyes blur. Across the street, no trace of the figure remained, as if it had been merely her imagination.

She stood quietly for a moment before walking away.

…

At night, the oil lamp in the study of the Cui residence remained bright. Large lanterns were placed in all four corners, illuminating the room brightly. Cui Yuezhi’s study resembled an armory more than a study. It was cold and austere, perfectly square, with nothing elegant or refined about it except for some scattered scrolls on the desk and books on the black wooden shelves.

But then again, he had never been one for reading.

A large map hung on the wall, occupying half of it. In the center was a river, with whirlpools and reefs drawn in precise detail.

More than ten people sat in the room, all warriors like Cui Yuezhi. These were Cui Yuezhi’s colleagues and subordinates who should the Wutuo people enter the city, would serve as deputy commanders of the Jiyang City army under Xiao Jue.

He Yan and Xiao Jue sat to one side, while Fei Nu and Chi Wu stood with their arms crossed behind them. Cui Yuezhi held a charcoal pen and drew a circle at a prominent spot on the map.

“This is the most suitable place to come ashore along the canal,” Cui Yuezhi pointed to where he had drawn, “If they land here, the two armies will meet at this point. The terrain is flat, suitable for the Jiyang City army’s formations, however…” he glanced nervously at Xiao Jue, “we don’t have enough troops.”

Jiyang City never had many troops to begin with, as Emperor Wenxuan would not allow such a thing. Years ago, many princes had disbanded their armies for self-preservation, and Mu Hongjin was no exception. Retaining less than twenty thousand troops in the Jiyang City army was already a special grace from Emperor Wenxuan.

With twenty thousand troops, it wasn’t enough to rebel or cause any significant waves, but similarly, it was far from sufficient to resist what might be tens of thousands of fierce Wutuo warriors. Cui Yuezhi understood this point as well – even a skilled cook cannot cook without rice. Even with the brilliantly tactical General Feng Yun, what could he fight with when there weren’t enough troops? His face alone?

“It’s not that we don’t have enough troops,” Xiao Jue’s gaze fell on the map as he spoke softly, “It’s that we don’t have enough ships.”

“Ships?” One of Cui Yuezhi’s subordinates looked at him, somewhat confused.

They couldn’t be blamed for their confusion. Jiyang City had been peaceful for so many years that except for the older ones like Cui Yuezhi, the younger ones probably hadn’t even seen a real battlefield.

Xiao Jue’s finger lightly tapped his teacup as he said, “You tell them.”

“Me?” He Yan asked.

Cui Yuezhi and the rest turned to look at He Yan.

He Yan had now returned to wearing women’s clothing, and those present had heard about her defeating Mu Yi at the training grounds today. However, they believed that an exceptionally skilled female subordinate could at most protect her master’s safety, or perhaps kill a few enemies on the battlefield.

Deploying troops and analyzing battle reports were not things ordinary people could do. Moreover, men generally considered themselves naturally superior to women in military matters, so they viewed Xiao Jue’s action with some derision. They thought that the rumors must not be entirely true – people said General Feng Yun was cold and detached, uninterested in women, but it was all false. Now he had become besotted, allowing this woman who had a “special relationship” with him to meddle in affairs.

For a moment, their gazes toward Xiao Jue resembled those looking at a doomed emperor bewitched by a fox spirit’s favored concubine.

He Yan had seen such dismissive looks from men towards women countless times over the years. Though tempted to teach these men a lesson, after some thought, she didn’t decline. She stood up and walked to the map with a smile.

Cui Yuezhi returned to his position, and everyone else watched He Yan with expressions that seemed to say “Let’s see what nonsense she comes up with.”

He Yan didn’t even look at the map, but faced everyone and said, “None of this matters.”

The others didn’t understand.

“Naval warfare has no other tactics – large ships defeat small ships, large cannons defeat small cannons, many ships defeat few ships, many cannons defeat few cannons. That’s all there is to it.”

“You have small ships and small cannons, few ships and few cannons. No matter how you look at it, where you land, or how you arrange your formations, none of that is most important. Great Wei forbids firearms except for the Imperial Army, so let’s just talk about ships – as long as the Wutuo people have enough ships, they will win.”

“To fight a battle where the few defeat the many, you can’t do without ships.”

“On water, they have more ships; on land, they have more people. This map isn’t meant to be used like this at all.”

Although those present hadn’t fought in battles for years, they weren’t fools. Whether He Yan was talking nonsense or not, they knew in their hearts. She had pinpointed the key issue, and for a moment, their contempt decreased significantly.

“Lady He,” Cui Yuezhi said, “But you also know that in recent years, His Majesty has forbidden the private maintenance of armies, let alone warships. The boats on the canal are only for transporting goods or carrying passengers. Jiyang City doesn’t dare to build its navy, much less have firearms.”

He Yan sighed inwardly, knowing all this. After all, there had been a princes’ rebellion in the previous dynasty, and since the current Emperor’s ascension to the throne, he had been particularly careful about reducing the princes’ power. The current major princes were essentially like the powerless nobles in Shuojing City.

“May I ask Commander Xiao,” one of Cui Yuezhi’s subordinates looked at Xiao Jue, carefully inquiring, “Conservatively speaking, how many troops do the Wutuo people have?”

Xiao Jue: “A hundred thousand, no less.”

Everyone drew in a sharp breath.

With such a disparity in forces, it was difficult to even hope for victory.

“The civilians in the city have already been arranged by Her Highness to evacuate through the city gates,” one deputy commander said hoarsely, “We… should just try to delay as much as possible.”

The implication in his words was clear – everyone was prepared for sacrifice. The evacuating civilians and the young princess were the preserved seeds of hope. All they could do was buy more time for the civilians. The fall of the city was only a matter of time.

Xiao Jue’s clear, calm gaze swept across everyone, and he sat up straight, about to speak when suddenly, a clear female voice rang out.

“Such low morale isn’t good at all. You should know we have a famous general here. Do you know what makes a famous general?”

Everyone was startled.

“Wars that shouldn’t be lost won’t be lost, wars that can’t be won have a chance of victory – that’s what makes a famous general,” He Yan raised her eyebrows. “When things look certainly doomed, a famous general can find the breakthrough point and turn defeat into victory. With such a general here, capable of single-handedly changing the situation, how can you act like this?”

She thought to herself that there wasn’t just one famous general here, but a pair – both of Great Wei’s greatest generals were present. If they could lose this battle, they might as well give up being human.

The others didn’t know her background and only looked at Xiao Jue, thinking that his subordinate was going all out to praise him, believing he could turn such a hopeless situation around – just how much must she worship him in daily life?

Cui Yuezhi was silent for a moment before asking Xiao Jue, “Then, Commander Xiao, how should we turn defeat into victory?”

People didn’t know that Xiao Jue’s water attack victory years ago had been achieved with fewer troops, as to outsiders, Xiao Jue had led a hundred thousand Southern Prefecture troops to a great victory at Gue City. But that time they were flooding a city, attacking rather than defending. Moreover, Jiyang and Gue City had completely different environments – Jiyang was a water city, and although both involved water attacks, they were worlds apart.

Xiao Jue leaned back in his chair, his left hand’s joints slightly protruding as he stroked the tea lid, looking at He Yan with countless deep emotions in his beautiful eyes, and said, “You tell them.”

He Yan slightly furrowed her brows.

He said, “You’ve fought with the Wutuo people before, you understand their methods better than others.”

The Wutuo people’s methods were crude and direct, which related to their way of doing things. Having hidden in the shadows for so many years, occasionally probing and harassing, they were both arrogant and insecure. This time, after long planning and choosing Jiyang City as their first military achievement, they would certainly make this battle grand and spectacular.

He Yan said, “Water overcomes fire, water and fire are incompatible – why not use fire attacks?”

The study fell silent.

“Please, Lady He, explain more clearly,” Cui Yuezhi said.

His attitude towards He Yan grew increasingly respectful, feeling that this young woman was quite different from others and distinct from Xiao Jue’s other subordinates. For instance, Fei Nu and Chi Wu were also Xiao Jue’s subordinates, but they only followed Xiao Jue’s orders to carry out tasks. Xiao Jue would never ask them to share their opinions as he did now. Although He Yan had always appeared outwardly respectful to Xiao Jue, upon closer inspection, their relationship didn’t seem like that of superior and subordinate. Cui Yuezhi was rather unobservant and couldn’t discern matters of the heart, but he could sense that He Yan viewed herself as Xiao Jue’s equal.

If she were a man, her relationship with Xiao Jue would more closely resemble that of brotherly friends rather than master and servant.

“The ships used by the Wutuo people might be very large. They’ll certainly be nothing like the small boats in Jiyang’s army used for cargo or passengers. Wutuo is landlocked, surrounded by land, so they probably aren’t as comfortable on water as the people of Jiyang. I believe they’ll most likely arrive at Jiyang’s borders in large ships. They’ll come ashore at the spot Middle Rider Cui just pointed out,” she indicated the place Cui Yuezhi had marked earlier. “If… if their ships are close together, we can use fire attacks. Once the fire spreads, Jiyang’s small boats can quickly retreat, but the Wutuo people’s large ships cannot. We can take this opportunity to destroy their main force.”

Using fire attacks on water was something no one had tried before, and everyone fell silent for a moment. However, He Yan’s words enlightened them, and they grew secretly excited as they considered the feasibility of this plan.

“The Wutuo forces greatly outnumber us, and they know Jiyang has been peaceful for many years and is no match for them. They must be proud and short-sighted – this is their weakness and our strength.”

As she spoke, her voice was gentle yet firm, clear, and methodical. Each word seemed to instill endless confidence. Those who had just moments ago believed defeat was certain now felt, just from hearing her words, that perhaps they could create a historical battle where the few defeated the many, worthy of future generations’ admiration.

However… Cui Yuezhi looked at He Yan with confusion. To devise such a countermeasure in such a short time, though not without flaws, was innovative and precisely identified the key to victory or defeat. Could an ordinary woman achieve this? Not just women – even men who had served in the military for years as generals might not react so quickly. After all, being a general requires not just experience, but also talent and unique insight. But how old was He Yan? She was said to be only seventeen – how could a seventeen-year-old girl be so formidable?

If all of Xiao Jue’s subordinates were this capable, wouldn’t the Nine Banners Camp be full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers? A slight chill ran through Cui Yuezhi’s heart.

“I’m only proposing this idea,” He Yan said, “Whether it can be implemented and how to implement it, I’m not certain.” She knew she had said too much and consciously passed the conversation to Xiao Jue. “Whether this plan is feasible still depends on the Commander’s decision.”

She could have kept these thoughts to herself, but taking each battle seriously was every general’s responsibility. Moreover, Jiyang was a good city with warm and honest civilians. She didn’t want to see this beautiful place, like a paradise on earth, destroyed by the Wutuo people. After all, if the Wutuo people occupied Jiyang, they would continue northward, bringing disaster to all of Great Wei’s people.

She would fight until the end.

Everyone looked at Xiao Jue, whose gaze swept past He Yan as he stood up and walked to her side.

He Yan lowered her head, avoiding his thoughtful gaze, and returned to her seat.

He picked up the charcoal pen that Cui Yuezhi had set aside earlier and made a new mark in front of Cui Yuezhi’s previous marking.

The new mark was in front of the old one, at a narrow outlet where Jiyang City met the shore. This was where the canal connected with the city’s rivers, like the neck of a gourd, thin and narrow. Only after passing through this gourd neck could one reach the actual canal.

“Fire attacks are feasible, and we can set up an ambush here. This passage is narrow – large ships cannot enter, but small boats can navigate through.”

Cui Yuezhi’s eyes lit up – Xiao Jue had a keen eye, this place was perfect for an ambush.

“As for how to execute the fire attack,” Xiao Jue said, “It depends on the wind direction and terrain.”

“The city has an Astronomical Bureau specifically responsible for observing weather and wind directions!” a Jiyang soldier said. “They usually use it to arrange planting schedules for farms and paddy fields.”

Another person hesitantly asked, “But what if the wind direction is opposite on that day?”

“Then we can’t use fire attacks,” Xiao Jue replied. “After all, warfare depends on timing, terrain, and human factors.”

He Yan thought to herself that this was true – all three were essential. Of course, Xiao Jue hadn’t finished his thought – if the wind direction was opposite, naturally there would be other methods.

However, warfare always involves some luck. If heaven didn’t want you to win, history books were full of examples of failure at the brink of success. Their job was to minimize these uncertainties as much as possible.

This discussion about water attacks continued until midnight before everyone dispersed. From their initial listlessness and pessimism to their eventual enthusiasm and high spirits, it was all because of He Yan’s “absurd” suggestion.

When Lin Shuanghe saw this group emerge with expressions so different from before, he asked in surprise, “What happened? What did you do in there? Why are they so happy?”

He Yan yawned, “Of course, I appealed to both reason and emotion.”

“That can’t be all,” Lin Shuanghe mumbled. “Anyone would think you were having a wine party in there.”

He Yan: “…”

She said, “It’s late, I’ll go rest first. We can discuss anything else tomorrow.”

Lin Shuanghe nodded, “Alright.”

Back in her room, after correcting the Jiyang army’s formations at the training grounds during the day and discussing the map at night, He Yan felt extremely tired. After washing up, she came out to see Xiao Jue still sitting at the inner room’s table, writing something.

He Yan went over to look – he had somehow obtained a copy of the map that had been hanging in Cui Yuezhi’s study, though smaller in size. He was comparing it with the copy of the Wutuo army’s defensive map that Chu Zhao had given to Mu Hongjin.

He was writing about various aspects of the fire attack that He Yan had proposed earlier – how many troops should be placed in ambush at the gourd neck, wind directions for the day, and arrangements for city gates and guards. Because the Jiyang army was so small, even the placement of a single soldier had to be extremely careful.

Just like a frugal housewife managing household expenses.

He Yan said, “Commander, aren’t you going to sleep?”

“You go ahead,” Xiao Jue didn’t look up.

He Yan sighed inwardly, thinking that in youth, being first only required natural talent – one could sleep through lessons and still come out on top. But maintaining first place for many years wasn’t something that could be achieved with talent alone. Back when she was in the Fu Yue army, she too had seen the moon at all hours of the night.

Thinking of this, she said, “Commander, let me help you.”

Just then, there was a knock at the door – it was Liu Buwang: “Ahe, have you retired for the night?”

So late, and Liu Buwang was still looking for her? He Yan and Xiao Jue exchanged a glance, and she said, “Not yet, Master, please wait.”

She put on an outer robe and opened the door. Liu Buwang stood outside, apparently having just returned from outside the mansion, his clothes still carrying the night’s dew. He Yan looked outside and said, “Come in and talk.”

Liu Buwang entered and, seeing Xiao Jue gave him a slight nod as a greeting. His gaze fell on the scrolls in front of Xiao Jue, paused briefly, then asked, “For the battle of Jiyang, does the Commander have a response plan?”

“A bit,” He Yan said.

“What are the odds of victory?”

He Yan: “At most fifty percent.”

The best they could hope for was an even chance.

Liu Buwang was silent for a moment, then said, “The Wutuo people might make their move soon.”

Xiao Jue looked at him: “What has Master Liu discovered?”

“The Wutuo people I’ve been tracking are now moving in one direction. Some have gone outside the city, while others have disappeared. They’ve noticed my movements and news of the Princess evacuating civilians can’t be kept secret.” Liu Buwang said, “The Wutuo ships haven’t arrived yet – now it’s a race against time.”

“The further Jiyang’s civilians can evacuate in the shortest time, the better, but there are civilians who cannot leave the city.” Liu Buwang’s voice grew heavy.

He didn’t want civilians to become lambs for the Wutuo people’s slaughter.

“Master,” He Yan said, “You know divination and fortune-telling, have you calculated whether this battle will be won or lost?”

“No solution.”

He Yan: “No solution?”

Many years ago, when Liu Buwang was still young, he had divined Jiyang City’s fate for the coming decades while in the mountains. The divination showed that decades later, the city would face great catastrophe, with corpses piled high and not a soul surviving. The same applied to Great Wei – the dynasty’s fate was waning. When he tried to look further, Cloud Machine Daoist happened to see him and shattered the tortoise shell with one palm, rebuking him: “Heaven’s ways are inconstant, how dare you try to glimpse heaven’s secrets?”

The matter was left unresolved.

Later, many things happened, and he came to understand that worldly affairs were unpredictable, and human power was too small compared to heaven’s ways. Liu Buwang hadn’t divined for many years, but since meeting He Yan and learning that Jiyang City might face war and that the Wutuo people had ill intentions, he couldn’t remain uninvolved, so he secretly performed another divination.

Divination could never show the cause and process, only the outcome. He still remembered the results from his divination years ago, but after decades, the signs were completely different.

This had been a dead end with no hope, and he still saw scenes identical to those years ago, but in the vision, there appeared a pair of blurry shadows. The shadows were brilliant gold, seeming to possess infinite virtue, majestic as heaven, like two bright golden lights illuminating that dark and heavy divination.

A dead end had become “unknown” just because of this pair of blurry shadows.

He could not see the outcome.