Hua Bolin's nod carried a fierce determination. "If I lose, I'll just win back!"
After losing, he would bury himself in military strategy books, devise countermeasures to defeat Hua Zhi and reclaim victory. Then Hua Zhi would defeat him again with different battle formations, prompting him to return to study and break through her tactics. This cycle had always defined their sibling rivalry, and both found endless enjoyment in it.
The weather was pleasant with a gentle breeze, the setting sun casting a comfortable warmth. Seeing no reason to move, Hua Zhi stepped forward and simulated terrains like mountains, rivers, valleys, and plains on the sand table. She then tilted her chin toward her brother. "Choose!"
Without weighing which side held more advantage, Hua Bolin directly took the left side closer to him, his entire being radiating combat readiness.
They never needed a referee. Hua Zhi walked to the opposite side and, seeing Liu Xiang place the red and blue tokens representing both sides near their hands, declared, "Let the battle begin!"
The Sixth Prince clenched and unclenched his fists. He glanced at Yan Xi and saw equal solemnity in his eyes—clearly, they were both contemplating the same possibility. If this could be applied to military training... he couldn't imagine how much benefit it would bring to the Daqing Dynasty!
He watched intently as the two advanced, retreated, shifted left and right in an orderly rhythm. He saw Bolin pressing forward step by step, crossing the midline into the enemy camp despite resistance. Just when everyone thought Bolin would win, they discovered that one of Elder Sister Hua's units had stealthily penetrated deep into the enemy hinterland. Bolin couldn't retreat in time—his city fell while he was still en route, caught in a pincer attack with no escape.
The defeat came so swiftly that Hua Bolin was stunned.
"Your vigilance dropped. When two nations go to war, the enemy commander won't be incompetent. Even the most foolish ruler wouldn't hand over their country willingly. Didn't you find your advance suspiciously smooth? Why didn't you consider it might be the enemy luring the tiger from the mountain? Or worse, drawing your deeply isolated army in to close the door and beat the dog?"
Hua Bolin hung his head in shame, his chin nearly touching his trousers. He had been too desperate to win.
"Again."
This time, Hua Bolin adopted a steady approach, noticeably more composed than in the previous round. Yet, he only lasted slightly longer.
"Three days. I'll wait for you to break this formation."
"Yes, Elder Sister." Hua Bolin's eyes remained fixed on the sand table, puzzling over that final move she made—he couldn't comprehend why she chose that position.
"A Jian."
The Sixth Prince looked up hastily. Hua Zhi pretended not to see the shock in his eyes. "Interested?"
Without hesitation, the Sixth Prince nodded vigorously.
Hua Zhi smiled. "There's still time. You two can review the battle here. Bolin, teach him the rules. Suian, you're welcome to join if interested."
Yang Suian gazed deeply at his seemingly omnipotent cousin. He couldn't believe that someone as astute as her would overlook the potential applications of this method. Yet she had shared it with them so casually, without any reservation. How profound must her confidence be to act so generously.
Gu Yanxi suddenly spoke. "I'd like to learn too."
Hua Zhi turned to face her partner—she wasn't surprised he was interested. "Bolin, explain in detail."
Shaoyao immediately clung to her. "Hua Hua, Hua Hua! Me too, include me!"
Hua Zhi pushed her head playfully. "Did I ever stop you?"Shaoyao chuckled gleefully, rubbed against Hua Hua, then stood by the sand table with a fiery passion Hua Zhi had never seen before. She remembered—Shaoyao had once dreamed of becoming a female general. The moment she learned of this object’s purpose, she immediately grasped its immense potential.
She knew that if she showed interest, Hua Hua would never stand in her way. She also knew that if she proposed introducing this tool into the military of the Great Qing Dynasty, Hua Hua would simply smile and agree. Yet, precisely because she knew this, she couldn’t bring herself to ask.
She understood—Hua Hua harbored resentment toward the emperor who had torn her family apart.
Hua Zhi raised a hand to shade her eyes as she gazed at the sky. The sunlight made her squint. It was already late April; she would set off in three days.
Listening to Berlin’s crisp, youthful voice explaining the rules of sand table deduction, Hua Zhi turned and returned to her study.
Gu Yanxi didn’t keep Hua Zhi waiting long. After grasping the rules, he personally engaged in a round of sand table deduction with Berlin. Crushing the self-proclaimed veteran Berlin with ease, he then entered the study.
Hua Zhi tilted her head and looked at him. "Seems like you had fun."
"If this were presented to the emperor, the Hua family’s situation would improve."
"Would it bring my family back?"
Gu Yanxi fell silent. Both knew it was impossible.
Hua Zhi scoffed. "Then why should I offer it?"
"Yet you let me and Little Six know about it. You must have realized we wouldn’t do nothing."
"So what?"
Gu Yanxi watched her quietly. He could tell A Zhi was upset—not because of the sand table or his words.
Under his gaze, Hua Zhi found it hard to stay angry. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she said, "Even if you two present it, would you conceal that it originated from me? You wouldn’t. There’s a difference between indirect and direct involvement. If I were to do it, would the emperor reward me? How would he reward the daughter of a convicted official? The better I perform, the more it would shame him. Given his narrow-mindedness, not only would he not bring my family back, but he’d likely despise us even more."
"Why are you upset?"
Hua Zhi paused. She was indeed irritated. In this place without trains, planes, or four-wheeled vehicles, if she wanted speed, she had to ride a horse everywhere. While horseback riding could be enjoyable for leisure, the thought of spending the next few months traveling north and south, jostling on horseback, left her in no mood for cheer.
Wait—had she never told him she was about to embark on a long journey?
Though she’d only decided recently, she saw Yanxi every day. Not giving him a heads-up felt somewhat unfair...
With that thought, her irritation vanished instantly, replaced by a twinge of guilt.
Averting her eyes, she masked her feelings with her usual calm demeanor. "I plan to head south."
Gu Yanxi looked surprised. "Not north?"
"I’ll go to Jingzhou before heading north." Hua Zhi explained her purpose for the southern trip, then paused, adding by way of explanation, "I only decided this in the past couple of days. Don’t blame me for not telling you earlier."
But Gu Yanxi hadn’t even considered that angle. Frowning, he asked, "Must you leave in three days?"
"I need to allow myself some time." Based on past experience, she’d need a recovery period after returning.
"I have to go to Yuzhou and leave tomorrow."
"..." So neither of them could blame the other for not giving advance notice. They were even.Hua Zhi took a moment to calm her breathing. "So you won't be overseeing court affairs anymore?"
"That's right. While occasional involvement is acceptable, doing so for extended periods would disrupt established protocols."
It hasn't been that brief though, Hua Zhi thought to herself. "How long will you be gone? Who knows which of us will return first - you or me."
"The round trip should take about half a month. If I push the pace, I can definitely return within twelve days. Perhaps you could wait for me..."
"Yan Xi, you're dating me, not my entire Hua family. I don't want to become overly dependent on you either. Some matters must ultimately be handled by myself." Otherwise, what would I do if the day comes when the person I rely on is no longer by my side?
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