Jin An began training with the other youths in the military camp. Compared to the adult soldiers, their tasks were much lighter—simply some basic physical training each day, then helping the soldiers with various chores.
Jin An finished the training assigned by the squad leader early, then sat aside staring blankly in the direction of Li Shuang’s tent. His mind wandered, remembering he had another task today—stealing some clothes for his adult self at night.
Just as he was lost in idle thoughts, a presence suddenly approached from behind. Jin An’s eyes sharpened as the person’s arm reached around, attempting to lock his neck from behind. Jin An bent his elbow and struck backward, hitting his attacker squarely in the chest. A cry of “Ow!” rang out as the person fell heavily to the ground.
Jin An turned to see a somewhat familiar face.
It was none other than Li Ting.
Li Ting had always been restless by nature. Yesterday, listening to Li Shuang discuss matters with the generals had bored him terribly, and today he refused to attend again. He had escaped his servants’ supervision and was wandering around the camp. Happening upon this corner, he saw the other young soldiers running while only Jin An sat alone in the corner, staring into the distance.
Wanting another chance to spar with Jin An, he had tried to ambush him, only to be injured again—though he couldn’t help but admire the skill.
“Kid, do you have eyes in the back of your head or what?” Li Ting rubbed his chest, breathing heavily. Trying to sit up, he found his chest hurt too much to rise. “Help me up.”
Faced with Li Ting’s command, Jin An only looked at him coldly, neither responding nor moving.
Li Ting’s outstretched hand hung awkwardly in the air for a long while.
Finally, gritting his teeth, he patted his backside and got up himself. But he didn’t leave. After studying Jin An for a while, he asked somewhat sheepishly: “You’re skilled. Who’s your master? Could they teach me too?”
“Don’t know,” Jin An coldly tossed out three words, then resumed sitting and staring at Li Shuang’s tent.
Li Ting shuffled closer to Jin An and sat down beside him: “Then… how about you teach me instead?”
Jin An ignored him.
Li Ting observed him for a moment, then followed his gaze forward. Seeing it was directed at Li Shuang’s tent, Li Ting’s eyes suddenly lit up: “I grew up with my sister—I know everything about her.”
Jin An’s gaze flickered slightly.
“If you teach me martial arts, sometimes I might tell you things about my sister. Like what she likes to eat, what she enjoys, that sort of thing.”
Jin An finally turned to look at Li Ting sideways.
Li Ting blinked at Jin An, his mouth curved in an appealing smile.
Jin An agreed.
By the time Li Shuang learned that Li Ting was learning from Jin An, it was already ten days later. Li Shuang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
The old master at home had hired the best martial arts instructor in the Great Jin Dynasty for Li Ting. He had left his studies in the capital halfway through to come to this northern frontier, and now he was learning from a tiny child. If that instructor found out, he’d probably die of shame right there in their general’s mansion.
That’s why Li Ting had wisely kept it secret from everyone. The reason Li Shuang discovered it now was because Li Ting had stood up for Jin An, beating up a young soldier who shared Jin An’s tent.
Looking at the three youths standing before her, Li Shuang rubbed her temples and without further words, first had Li Ting hold out his hands and gave him ten strikes with a cane: “Do you know why I’m punishing you?”
Li Ting showed his understanding: “I’ve caused trouble for Sister, by making you deal with such trivial matters in the military camp.”
“Good that you understand.”
This was indeed a minor matter—if it weren’t for Li Ting, any squad leader could have handled the three of them. But since it was Li Ting who had caused trouble, who else but Li Shuang would dare punish the son of the Grand Marshal of the Under-Heaven…
Then Li Shuang had the young soldier hold out his hands and also gave him ten strikes: “Do you know why I’m punishing you?”
The young soldier rarely saw Li Shuang and was already pale with fear, but he still managed to say: “Be-because I led others in ostracizing the recruit, and poured water on his bed… General, I was wrong…”
Li Shuang nodded: “Good that you understand.”
This youth couldn’t stand Jin An’s constantly cold and aloof manner, which is why he poured water on Jin An’s blanket. But unexpectedly, while Jin An said nothing, Li Ting had seen it, accused him of bullying his little master, and beaten him severely—his face was still bruised.
Li Shuang then walked to Jin An with the cane and told him to hold out his hands. Jin An looked at her for a while, only extending his hands after Li Shuang raised an eyebrow.
He had deliberately delayed, because this way, Li Shuang’s gaze would linger on him alone for a moment.
Just this was enough to make him feel satisfied.
Li Shuang showed no mercy in giving him ten strikes, then asked: “Do you know why I’m punishing you?”
“No.”
He answered so frankly that Li Shuang was stunned for a moment before saying: “If you don’t know, hold out your hands again.”
So Jin An received another ten strikes.
“Do you understand now?”
Jin An shook his head: “No.”
Li Shuang took a slight deep breath.
Beside them, Li Ting couldn’t bear to watch anymore and hurriedly said: “Jin An, Jin An, you had conflicts with your seniors and didn’t know how to resolve them, showed an arrogant attitude, and secretly skipped training to teach me—that was a bit wrong, a bit wrong.” Li Ting blocked Li Shuang, “Sister, he knows his mistake.”
How could Li Ting have known that just as he laid out this opportunity for Jin An to back down, Jin An would stab him in the back: “I have no conflict with them. They simply don’t like me. It’s nothing to do with me.”
Li Ting coughed twice at this betrayal.
Jin An continued matter-of-factly: “I completed all my training, never skipped any. There was nothing wrong with teaching you. I don’t know what mistake I made.” Jin An looked up at Li Shuang, his gaze clear and calm. He wasn’t being defiant; he was simply stating facts. “However, if hitting my palms makes you happy, you can continue.” He said to Li Shuang, “As long as it makes you happy.”
“…”
Not only did Li Ting not know how to respond, but even Li Shuang was at a loss for words. She rubbed her temples, thinking to herself that children these days were getting harder and harder to handle.
She waved her hand: “Alright, alright, all of you get out.”
Such troublesome matters…
Just then, Qin Lan suddenly lifted the tent flap and entered. Seeing the three youths, he merely glanced at them before saying: “General, a small village thirty li north of Lu City has requested grain from the city governor due to recent heavy snow. The governor has asked to borrow our soldiers to escort the grain.”
Li Shuang quickly made a decision: “Thirty li north of the city isn’t far from us. Send thirty men under a squad leader, that should suffice.”
As Qin Lan accepted the order and was about to leave, Li Ting called out: “I want to go too!” He said, “I’ve been here for ten days and am about to leave, but haven’t been anywhere or done anything. Sister, let me go escort the grain, I’ll learn from the experience.”
Li Shuang considered it, thinking the place was close and the round trip would take only a day, so she didn’t argue further with Li Ting: “Fine, follow the troops, don’t wander off, and obey the squad leader’s commands.”
“Great!” Li Ting happily pulled at Jin An. “Let’s go, little master.” He pulled urgently, expecting Jin An to come along, but it was like pulling at iron—Jin An stood immovable, causing Li Ting to stumble.
“I’m not going.”
Li Ting was stunned: “Why?”
“I’ll stay in the camp.” Jin An looked at Li Shuang. “Don’t want to go anywhere.”
Li Ting pouted, but with a child’s nature, said if you won’t come then forget it, and bounced out happily by himself.
Jin An still stood without moving. Li Shuang looked at him for a while: “Anything else?”
Jin An shook his head. But hearing the dismissal in Li Shuang’s tone, despite his reluctance, he had to withdraw. At the doorway, he held the tent flap and looked at Li Shuang for a long while before finally letting it fall with obvious reluctance.
After Jin An had been gone for a while, Li Shuang rubbed her chin and muttered to herself in confusion: “Do I look like this child’s mother… or father?”
As evening approached, the grain escort team hadn’t returned. Li Shuang looked at the sky and, with a soldier’s instinct, subconsciously felt something was wrong. Just as she was worrying, a soldier from the watchtower suddenly reported that billowing smoke had appeared from the village thirty li north of Lu City.
Li Shuang immediately sensed trouble.
She immediately summoned Luo Teng: “Have the Xi Rong troops moved?”
“No,” Luo Teng said, “but recently our scouts have noticed bandits on the Xi Rong border stirring up trouble again.”
“Go back and don armor. Prepare a thousand troops, follow me out of camp toward thirty li north of Lu City in half an incense stick’s time.”
Li Shuang hadn’t expected that just as she was preparing to move out, one of the thirty soldiers who had gone to escort the grain would stumble back, kneeling before her horse and crying hoarsely: “General, Xi Rong bandits have captured the young master and are demanding five thousand dan of grain in exchange!”
Hearing this, Li Shuang’s expression instantly became cold as ice: “Where are the bandits now?”
“The bandits have a stone fortress fifty or sixty li further north, they’ve taken the young master there…”
Qin Lan’s expression was also grave as he gently rode his horse to Li Shuang’s side: “General, since the bandits have a fortress, we probably can’t attack directly. The grain can be replenished, but we can’t risk anything happening to the young master.”
Li Shuang was General Li Wei’s adopted daughter, while Li Ting was the general’s son born in his later years, deeply loved and carrying great expectations. If anything happened to Li Ting under her watch, Li Shuang truly couldn’t face the old master.
Li Shuang maintained a calm expression as she considered for a moment, then said, “This cold year, the grain shortage is just beginning to show. If mere bandits can hold a Great Jin prince hostage to extort grain, this winter will be extremely difficult to get through. We can’t let anything happen to Li Ting, but we also can’t simply hand over five thousand dan of our dynasty’s grain.”
“What does the General suggest?”
“Select ten people trained in internal martial arts to accompany me tonight.”
Qin Lan was startled: “General…”
Li Shuang turned her horse to look northwest, her eyes sharp as blades: “I’ll bring him back myself.”