“So, what exactly did Ding Weixiang tell you that day?”
Xiao Nanhui opened her eyes to find Mo Chunhua persistently questioning her while maintaining a horse stance.
“Focus on your practice. Don't be so curious about your master's affairs.”
Xiao Nanhui shifted her posture, crossing her legs and taking a satisfying sip of steaming milk tea.
“Who said you were my master?” Mo Chunhua stood up huffily. “It’s been three days of horse stances. Are you just messing with me?”
“Three days is nothing. When I followed my foster father to learn martial arts, I did horse stances for three months.”
She watched with calm composure as Mo Chunhua paced in circles before obediently returning to her corner.
This girl, Mo Chunhua, might have a bit of a temper, but she was certainly capable of enduring hardship.
After the agreement with Ding Weixiang that day, the matter of martial arts training had been reported up the ranks to the Emperor. He hadn't objected, merely stating that arrangements would begin after Ding Weixiang’s departure.
It had taken Ding Weixiang only three days to organize his squad and conduct emergency training—a lightning-fast pace. Having nothing better to do, Xiao Nanhui had spent the time with Mo Chunhua.
Mo Chunhua was a bit unrefined, but she was a beauty whose features clearly hinted at foreign blood. Though she never complained, Xiao Nanhui could guess a thing or two about her experiences based on what she had seen during her time with the army on the frontier.
Relations between Nanqiang and Tiancheng had always been strained. An illegitimate daughter with foreign blood and a beautiful face would have a difficult life, even if raised within a General’s manor. Xiao Nanhui sighed inwardly at the girl’s background, which in turn made her think of her own. She decided to use these few days to teach her some skills—firstly, to ensure the girl wouldn't be bullied in the future, and secondly, to get some practice herself so she wouldn't be at a total loss when facing the Emperor.
As it turned out, only three days had passed and Ding Weixiang was already prepared.
*Ah, if I told Mo Chunhua that her horse stances over the last few days might have been for nothing, would she jump up and pull my hair?*
Xiao Nanhui clicked her tongue; the milk tea was beginning to taste a bit bitter.
Unaware of this, Mo Chunhua’s suppressed curiosity bubbled up once more.
“Hey, tell me, is it true the Emperor wants you to serve him personally?”
“What do you mean, ‘serve personally’?” Xiao Nanhui corrected her choice of words. “I am a General; why would I do the work of a maid? It’s called guarding—a personal guard.”
“Fine.” Mo Chunhua rubbed her thighs with both hands, tilting her head in thought. “I’ve never heard of the Emperor requesting someone to teach him martial arts before.”
Xiao Nanhui’s ears perked up.
*Oh? Is that so?*
She tested the waters intentionally. “Even if he hasn't practiced martial arts, surely someone has taught him riding and archery?”
“Not necessarily. I’ve heard our Majesty has never personally ridden a horse when traveling.”
Xiao Nanhui thought back; it did indeed seem to be the case.
Looking at it this way, her current mission could be considered an unprecedented feat.
The Son of Heaven possessed the body of a True Dragon; did this count as her being a "dragon trainer"?
What was so great about plucking a tiger’s whiskers? She was the master among masters, a master of masters!
At this thought, she couldn't quite suppress her pride, nearly putting her hands on her hips to laugh toward the heavens.
Ding Weixiang had left the camp this morning. He had only been gone for half an hour, yet she already felt the air around her grow lighter.
Thinking of this, the image of that nagging swordsman before his departure surfaced in her mind.
Ding Weixiang was usually quite stoic, but this morning he had looked rather troubled, showing just how worried he truly was.
Xiao Nanhui had patted his shoulder to tell him to relax, only for him to turn around and say for the seventh time: “There is one more thing.”
She had taken a deep breath, forcing back the roar that was rising in her throat.
She had to endure. Only by enduring this bout of nagging could she finally send away this "Victorious Fighting Buddha" whom she could neither defeat nor silence.
Xiao Nanhui cleared her throat to mask her emotions, putting on a fake smile that mimicked his master’s expression. “Please speak, Lieutenant Ding.”
Ding Weixiang, consumed by his own worries, didn't notice the impatience in her eyes. He said solemnly, “His Majesty possesses a body of ten thousand gold. When you are instructing him, you must control your strength. Do not injure him.”
*How is this "one more thing"? This is exactly what you just said! No, it’s what you’ve been saying for three days!*
She continued to recite her mantra of patience in her heart, replying sincerely for the seventh time, “That goes without saying. Even if I had ten thousand times the courage, I would never dare strike His Majesty.”
Ding Weixiang lowered his head and shook it. “But things are hard to guarantee on the training grounds. Fists and feet have no eyes. I fear that in the heat of the moment, you will forget what I have told you today.”
Just as Xiao Nanhui was about to roll her eyes to relieve her frustration, an alarm bell rang in her mind, and she instinctively took half a step back.
*Could this fellow Ding Weixiang be looking for an excuse to cause trouble? Or perhaps he has a grudge against the Marquis’s Manor and is waiting for a chance to charge me with a crime?*
“Lieutenant Ding, you are mistaken. I believe I can fulfill my duties to the best of my ability. However, as fellow martial artists, we both know that if one wants to learn real skills, receiving a few blows is sometimes unavoidable. If His Majesty intends to take my head for that, I would rather not take this job at all.”
She made a show of backing out, though she was certain he wouldn't let her drop the responsibility so easily.
As expected, Ding Weixiang fell silent for a moment, that familiar expression of wanting to speak but hesitating appearing on his face.
Xiao Nanhui felt the veins in her temples throbbing. “Ding Weixiang, do you know that you can be incredibly frustrating to talk to? If you have something to say, say it plainly. Am I someone who doesn't listen to reason?”
However, Ding Weixiang seemed determined not to speak clearly. “Does General Xiao not have her own secrets? There is no need to pry into everything. In short, remember one thing.” His expression shifted to one of absolute sincerity as he urged her, “Never let His Majesty feel that your actions are a threat to him. You know, sometimes human instinct is a terrifying thing.”
Xiao Nanhui looked at him in bewilderment, truly unsure if he was looking down on her or looking down on Xiao Zhun, who had taught her.
If it was unspeakable, then so be it; why bother with all this nonsense?
“General Xiao?”
Xiao Nanhui snapped back to reality. The protocol official who had delivered her armor the other day was standing in the tent, accompanied by Lu Songping.
Mo Chunhua was staring at the official with unbridled curiosity, likely wondering how such a delicate-looking "pretty boy" had become a commandant of the Black Feather Camp.
Xiao Nanhui had grown familiar with her over the last few days; Mo Chunhua was simple and easy to read. She was ninety percent sure what the girl was thinking, so she patted her shoulder and whispered, “Be polite, or you’ll regret it later.”
Mo Chunhua grunted in response. Then, feeling a bit embarrassed at being intimidated so easily, she huffed and stepped forward to take the clothes from the official’s hands.
“Right General, the drill grounds are ready. Please change and follow me.”
***
Before changing, Xiao Nanhui hadn't expected this color.
Touching the cinnabar-red training suit, she looked herself over with a sense of novelty and couldn't help but ask, “There are clothes of this color in the camp? Why haven't I seen them before?”
The protocol official, walking ahead with his head down, didn't look back. “I do not know the affairs of the camp. If the General has doubts, you may ask His Majesty yourself in a moment.”
She choked on her words and had to let it go.
The style of the garment was indeed that of a standard training uniform, but the color was truly strange. It wasn't a deep ochre, nor was it a true red; it was a shade between vermilion and orange, looking much like...
Xiao Nanhui felt her palm grow hot as the image of that man holding a cinnabar brush and writing a character in her hand flashed before her eyes.
It was the color of cinnabar.
“What is General Xiao thinking about?”
Lu Songping spoke suddenly. She felt as though she had been caught doing something wrong and became inexplicably uncomfortable.
“I was thinking... thinking about these clothes...”
“I meant back in the tent.”
Xiao Nanhui froze for a moment before realizing he was asking why she had been dazed earlier.
She considered it. Although Lu Songping’s way of doing things wasn't likable, he was technically on her side for now. Feeling a bit stifled, she recounted Ding Weixiang’s words from that morning.
Lu Songping fell silent for a moment after hearing her, then raised an eyebrow.
“Did Lieutenant Ding truly say that?”
“Would I lie?” Xiao Nanhui tied her sleeves with irritation, tightening her wrist wraps. “Don't you think he’s intentionally trying to upset me? He knows I’ve taken on a thankless task, yet he keeps saying these cryptic things...”
“Right General,” Lu Songping interrupted her suddenly.
He rarely used her official title. Xiao Nanhui stopped and looked at him suspiciously.
Lu Songping’s expression relaxed in an instant, and he gave her a half-joking grin. “A General should know that 'careful sailing keeps the ship afloat for ten thousand years.' Perhaps Lieutenant Ding is doing it for your own good?”
Lu Songping spoke with a playful tone, but for some reason, Xiao Nanhui couldn't tell how much of it was genuine and how much was a facade.
Before she could discern further, the official leading them stopped and turned toward her.
“General Xiao, the temporary drill ground is just ahead. Master Lu personally arranged the guards for the perimeter; it is perfectly secure. Please, go with a peaceful mind.”
*What does "go with a peaceful mind" mean?*
Xiao Nanhui was highly dissatisfied with the official’s phrasing but couldn't find the words to object. Lu Songping watched her quietly, a strange look in his eyes.
The discomfort she had felt earlier intensified. She scratched her head vigorously, stretched her limbs to distract herself, and then set her mind to walking into the training area.
Though called a drill ground, it wasn't actually very large; it had likely been cleared out specifically for the Emperor’s use. The layout seemed casual, yet much thought had clearly gone into it—it allowed for easy patrolling by hidden sentries while leaving no blind spots where someone could hide.
Xiao Nanhui’s estimation of Lu Songping rose slightly. Her searching gaze then shifted to the center of the field, where she saw a figure standing.
Hearing her footsteps, the person slowly turned around.
In that instant, a breeze kicked up the sand and grit of the salt-alkali flats, blurring her vision.
She knew who the person before her was, yet she couldn't distinguish whether he was Zhongli Jing or Su Wei at this moment.
Earlier, when Ding Weixiang was nagging her, she had felt a bit rebellious, even fantasizing about using her position to "teach" the Emperor a lesson in martial arts.
But that man needed only a single moment to make her abandon that thought.
He had shed his usual luxurious, languid robes of fine fabric and replaced them with a raven-blue training suit. His long hair was tied up, but his overly handsome and refined face didn't gain a hint of martial vigor. Instead, against the backdrop of the slightly coarse fabric, he appeared even more fragile—like a jade statue that ignorant villagers had covered with a rough cloth.
He was the complete opposite of the harsh, barren land beneath his feet.
And he was the complete opposite of her, who had been born from that very land.
Xiao Nanhui suddenly felt a headache coming on.
In her younger years, when she sparred and fooled around with all sorts of rough men in the army, she never knew the meaning of "restraint." But now, she had to consider the matter very carefully.
At this slight hesitation, Su Wei sensed her uncertainty. He looked up at her, and for some reason, a faint smile touched his lips.
Xiao Nanhui’s headache instantly turned into difficulty breathing. She took half a step back as if facing a great enemy.
*What... what is he doing?*
She was used to the bloody, masculine men of the battlefield; she had never imagined a man could be like this.
In the past, she wouldn't have blinked an eye when facing thousands of troops or fierce bandits, but now, bathed in the mild afternoon sunlight, she actually felt her legs go weak.
The Emperor was definitely doing this on purpose.
A man who usually rarely even raised an eyebrow, let alone smiled, was now smiling at her!
*Do you think that by smiling, I’ll go easy on you?!*
Xiao Nanhui struggled internally, clearing her throat as a cover. She adopted a forced seriousness and said, “If Your Majesty is ready, let us begin.”
Su Wei slightly opened his arms. She saw the lustrous sarira beads on his wrist shimmering in the sunlight, like the radiance of the sun and moon held in the mouth of a legendary dragon.
“I am ready.”
***
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