An urgent report arrived from the frontier: the Ninth Prince was to select a group of elite students from among the academy scholars within three days, who would accompany him to ride for the border city!

This news spread throughout the entirety of Longwu Academy in the time it took a single stick of incense to burn.

“The Ninth Prince is selecting elites! Three days! Isn’t that far too rushed?” Xiao Yingtao was both excited and puzzled.

In years past, Longwu Academy would hold an elite selection each year, enrolling chosen students into the Longqi Army. It was said that only fifty people were selected each year.

Those fifty were absolutely one in a hundred — not only new students could be chosen, but students from previous years were also eligible.

But when it came to choosing fifty people, they would observe for an entire year, and the assessments ran for an entire year. Now — three days?

“Does Xiao Yingtao want to go too?” Xing Zizhou looked at her, amusement dancing in his eyes. “But Xiao Yingtao, the Longqi Army truly does follow the Prince to the frontier. Can you really be so far from home?”

Heading to the frontier was nothing like the comfortable life at the academy.

True military life was absolutely brutal in every way. Just the most basic aspects — food, clothing, shelter, travel — perhaps meant eating in the wind and sleeping in the open, going hungry, sleeping among everyone else. Could someone as delicate as Xiao Yingtao truly manage all of that?

“Of course I want to go!” Xiao Yingtao was not afraid of hardship in the least. “Everyone knows the Longqi Army is the most formidable corps under the Ninth Prince. Joining the Longqi Army is the wish and dream of every student at Longwu Academy!”

She looked at Feng Jiu’er: “Isn’t that right, Jiu’er?”

Mu Mu also looked at Feng Jiu’er, his expression earnest: “Jiu’er, what do you think? Are you also going to register for the Longqi Army selection?”

“At this point, I have no choice but to register.” Feng Jiu’er gazed into the distance, toward the direction of the border city.

She had done her research — the border city now in turmoil was concentrated near the State of Nanyue.

Originally, she had thought she could find an excuse to go to the Southern Wilds and search for a way to cure her Ninth Imperial Uncle of the Gu Poison. She had not expected it to instead become a matter of heading to the border city.

However, the Southern Wilds and the State of Nanyue were actually somewhat close to each other. If she truly wished to go to the Southern Wilds, it was not impossible.

But the key question was — if there was truly an urgent frontier report and war was breaking out, how could her Ninth Imperial Uncle leave his army?

Her Ninth Imperial Uncle had entered the palace early this morning. Could it be for this very matter?

A person afflicted with a rare poison, and yet still having to go into battle — no matter how capable her Ninth Imperial Uncle was, he could not simply stop caring about his own life.

Hearing Jiu’er say she had no choice but to register, Xiao Yingtao’s mood instantly became heavy.

“Jiu’er, is this because of the imperial marriage decree? Are you thinking of signing up for the Longqi Army and following the army to war in order to avoid the marriage?”

“What marriage decree?” Mu Mu’s expression shifted slightly.

Xing Zizhou also looked on curiously: “A marriage decree? For Jiu’er? Personally decreed by His Majesty? Who is the other party?”

Mu Mu said nothing more, but his gaze locked tightly on Xiao Yingtao.

Come to think of it, Xiao Yingtao had never been stared at by him like this before. The pressure she felt was immense.

She stammered: “Well, I only heard about it from Jiu’er’s elder sister. She said something about His Majesty issuing a marriage decree for her… to Young Lord Xu of the Nanmen clan. The wedding is supposed to be next month.”

“Jiu’er, is it true?” Mu Mu’s large hands suddenly gripped both of Feng Jiu’er’s arms tightly.

Feng Jiu’er, who had been lost in thought, was startled so badly she nearly jumped out of her skin: “Mu Mu, what are you doing? Let go — you’re hurting me.”

The others also looked at Mu Mu with astonishment. That reaction of his…

Xiao Yingtao stared at him, brow furrowed: “Mu Mu, you…” Mu Mu only then realized his loss of composure. He released his hold, but still asked in all seriousness: “When was the imperial decree issued? The people from Feng Manor who came to find you this morning — was it for this matter?”