The ministers were stunned — this was not merely a show of force, but a move to uproot the enemy from their very nest!

And with the militarily formidable Prince Regent absent, who could possibly pull it off?

Yet Hua Zhi seemed wholly untroubled by this, continuing, “The people we send should be few but elite. We go straight for their ruler. Once their ruler is gone, no matter how great their appetite for Daqing, they will fall into chaos first. When that happens, with Xinyu Pass responding from the other side, a two-pronged assault — Yan may well be taken.”

Following Hua Zhi’s line of reasoning, the assembled ministers — old and young alike — found themselves thinking that this plan was truly… brilliant!

Great nations have their dignity, and for a puny little state like Yan to dare covet Daqing had long made every one of them seethe with resentment. They had been racking their minds over how to deal with the enemy, and Hua Zhi’s plan scratched exactly the itch they could not reach — however they thought about it, it was completely to their liking.

Still, a difficult question remained. The Duke of Dingguo tapped the edge of the sand table. “Who goes?”

Hua Zhi lowered her gaze. This was not something she was in a position to decide. What she needed to think about now was how to make the plan more airtight. Yan was no cause for serious concern — what worried her was how many of the Chaoli people had embedded themselves in this scheme. There could not be many, she reasoned. The Chaoli Clan’s true backup plan surely lay elsewhere.

“What if I go?”

The voice was far too familiar. Hua Zhi spun around sharply. Shao Yao walked slowly closer. Hua Zhi opened her mouth but found there was truly nothing she could say. She remembered Shao Yao once saying that she wanted to become Daqing’s first female general.

Shao Yao nuzzled Huahua as she always did, then swept her gaze across the assembled ministers with razor-sharp eyes. “I was trained by Brother Yan. I won’t claim to be the best fighter, but I am skilled in poisons.”

No one spoke — struck both speechless and ashamed. Was mighty Daqing now reduced to relying on a woman to hold things together? And yet, if they refused… they could think of no one better suited to complete this mission than Shao Yao, with her mastery of poisons.

Shao Yao could not be bothered to concern herself with those men. She was already surprised enough that they had shut their mouths and refrained from making an issue of her being a woman. She addressed the Crown Prince directly: “I will need to take half of the Seven Lodges Bureau’s personnel with me.”

The Crown Prince studied her steadily. “The personnel I can give you. But… are you certain you want to go?”

“If not me, then who?”

The Crown Prince had no answer. It was only in times of war that one realized how desperately Daqing lacked military commanders — that aside from the Prince Regent, there was not a single person who could shoulder such a responsibility.

He deliberated briefly, then gestured for the others to withdraw from the side hall, retaining only the Grand Tutor and the Duke of Dingguo.

“This plan was the Grand Tutor’s, so I would like to hear what she thinks.”

“Half of the Seven Lodges Bureau’s personnel is not enough.” In Hua Zhi’s mind, the calculations moved swiftly; her decisions came faster than anyone else’s. “We may also take half of the Shizi’s household personnel.”

“But Shao Yao has always followed the Shizi and has never handled affairs on her own. I worry whether she can bear such a heavy burden.”

“Your Highness, you underestimate her. Shao Yao is headstrong and does not like taking on responsibility day-to-day, but that does not mean she is incapable of it. Moreover, she is bold — the ruthless streak in her is something few others possess. Entrusting this matter to her, I believe there is a chance of success. If it were handed to someone else, I will not hide it from Your Highness — I would not have confidence in them.”

The Crown Prince still looked full of misgivings. “And yet her close-combat skills are genuinely a notch below.”

“Your Highness, indecisiveness is the gravest fault in a ruler.” Hua Zhi offered her Crown Prince student a solemn reminder. “Since there is no better option, once a decision has been made, what must be considered is how to execute it well and refine it — how to give it the best possible chance of success. Hesitation brings no benefit whatsoever.”

“Your student is instructed.” The Crown Prince bent at the waist in a bow. Hua Zhi stepped slightly to one side to receive the half-bow, then returned one of her own.

“What does the Grand Tutor think?” he asked, turning to the Duke of Dingguo.

Watching the two — teacher and student, both earnest in their dedication — the Duke of Dingguo wore a rare upward curve at the corner of his mouth. “The Grand Tutor’s plan is sound. I second it.”

The Crown Prince nodded and made his decision on the spot. “If this succeeds, Shao Yao will garrison the south and handle all matters pertaining to Yan with full authority. If it ultimately does not succeed, Shao Yao will take over from General Zheng and hold Xinyu Pass.”

With the matter settled, Hua Zhi borrowed the large sand table and ran through drills with Shao Yao until the following morning, the Crown Prince present throughout. Hua Zhi pushed her mind to its very limit, working through every possibility she could conceive. Only when she saw that even in a trap, Shao Yao could find her way out did the anxiety in her heart ease somewhat.

The matter was urgent — they needed to move without delay.

For fear of a leak, nothing was announced with fanfare. Hua Zhi had Wang Rong assign the personnel to Shao Yao, and had Fu Dong prepare a large bundle of food; dried meat was portioned out as well, so that every person heading south carried a packet.

“No matter the circumstances, do not act on impulse. When there is danger, do not linger in battle. You are not alone — the people under your command are your responsibility. I hope that however many you take with you, I will see them all again when you return.” Hua Zhi straightened Shao Yao’s clothes — Shao Yao was dressed in sturdy traveling clothes, her hair bound up tight — and spoke in a quiet voice. “The Chaoli Clan surely has something else in reserve. We are nowhere near the point of offering our own lives in exchange. You must come back to me whole. Understood?”

Shao Yao pressed her face into the curve of Hua Zhi’s shoulder and drew a few long, deep breaths, then lifted her head and gave her word. “Don’t worry. I won’t leave myself behind in that place.”

“As you wished for, then — Daqing’s first female general.”

Shao Yao raised her chin and smiled with proud satisfaction. “I want a whole table of food I’ve never eaten before to welcome me back in triumph.”

Hua Zhi smiled. “Done. I promise.”

One by one, the people around her rode off to the battlefield. After seeing Shao Yao off, Hua Zhi sat quietly in her study for a long while before the storm of emotions finally settled within her. She opened the map, her eyes coming to rest on Yanxi City, currently occupied by the forces of the Lishi Kingdom. The south was being dealt with — but what about the west? Who would be suitable to send?

In the imperial study, the Crown Prince — visibly more mature than he had been just days before — let out a sigh. “If there is truly no one else, we can only send General Lin.”

Both Hua Zhi and the Duke of Dingguo frowned. This was a last resort, not the most fitting choice.

While they were at an impasse, Laifu came in to report. “Your Highness, Xue Liang, the fourth director of the Seven Lodges Bureau, requests an audience.”

“Send him in.”

After Xue Liang had paid his respects, he said, “The former chief of the Seven Lodges Bureau has sent word, requesting an audience with Your Highness.”

The Duke of Dingguo’s heart stirred. He looked toward the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince had met the old gentleman at the Shizi’s residence and nodded without hesitation. “Granted.”

The moment Gu Yelin pushed the door open and entered, the Duke of Dingguo swayed almost imperceptibly. Just as he had suspected — it really was, truly was, his youngest brother! Their parents had gone to their graves never seeing him return home. It was not that he had not wanted to return — he had been unable to. Or perhaps he had come back at some point, even paid his respects at the mourning hall, only no one had recognized him.

Gu Yelin had also seen the Duke of Dingguo. He first bowed to the Crown Prince, then knelt before the Duke of Dingguo, calling out in a trembling voice, “Elder Brother.”

The Duke of Dingguo’s hands shook as he helped him to his feet, bringing his palm down again and again in heavy strikes on his younger brother’s back. Yet not a single word of reproach would come — he was furious with him, he resented him, he was angry with him, but how could any of that compare to the suffering his youngest brother had carried in his heart all these years?

The Crown Prince felt a knot tighten in his chest. Acting on the surge of feeling rising within him, without a second thought he said, “Old Gentleman, go home. Those bonds that held you — they are no longer in force.”

Hua Zhi glanced at the Crown Prince but said nothing to dissuade him. This kind of hot-blooded impulse was exactly what a young ruler ought to have.