Chapter 66: Up the Mountain
He Yan had initially thought that if Xiao Jue had arranged for Ma Damei and the others to compete with her in horsemanship and archery, then after the match, they would surely recognize her extraordinary skills and make some gesture of acknowledgment. Yet over ten days had passed, and life continued as usual. Aside from the occasional new recruits who came to challenge her, nothing noteworthy happened. Not even an extra bowl of military rations was given to her.
Perhaps… it was just a coincidence? He Yan mused. Maybe the instructors were simply bored in Liang Province’s garrison and wanted to test her abilities.
So she put the matter aside for the time being.
After several bouts of rain, the summer heat seemed to have lessened slightly. Occasionally, when she rose early for drills, the sun was hidden, and a cool breeze blew. Before long, summer in Liang Province’s garrison would come to an end.
It was precisely because the weather was gradually turning cooler that, in recent days, the new recruits had been allowed to enter the mountains.
White Moon Mountain was vast—crossing it would take at least a full day and night. Thus, the recruits were strictly forbidden from traversing the mountain and were only permitted to go as far as the summit. Every day, five men formed a squad and went up the mountain to patrol.
Hong Shan was baffled. “What can five men patrol? If there’s any real danger, would five people be enough?”
He Yan thought to herself, Of course not—because patrolling isn’t the real purpose.
The new recruits stationed at Liang Province’s garrison had now trained through an entire summer. Before long, the “Flag Competition” would likely begin.
The Flag Competition involved planting over a dozen flags at the mountain’s summit. The most promising recruits—those with outstanding performance—would be divided into teams and sent up the mountain to seize the flags. Combat between teams was permitted, and the group that returned with the most flags would be declared the winner. The victorious team would then be regarded as the most promising recruits, with a high chance of entering the vanguard camp.
He Yan’s goal now was no longer just the vanguard camp—it was the Nine Banners Battalion.
Currently, having the recruits patrol the mountain daily was actually a way for them to familiarize themselves with White Moon Mountain’s terrain in advance, memorizing key locations so they wouldn’t be lost during the Flag Competition. The recruits didn’t know this, but He Yan, having served in the army before, was well aware.
The last time she had participated in a Flag Competition in Mo County, the area bordered a desert. When the wind blew, landmarks vanished, and the dunes shifted unpredictably. That competition had been extremely perilous—if not for an experienced soldier in their team who found a small river, none of them might have made it out alive.
The Flag Competition tested not only the recruits’ individual skills but also their teamwork. Excelling in just one area wasn’t enough—it demanded much from everyone. Though the actual competition was still some time away, in a way, the contest had already begun. The clever ones would memorize the paths during patrols, while the oblivious recruits would treat it as a casual stroll, gaining no advantage for the upcoming challenge.
“Who cares? Brother He, it’s your turn to go up the mountain today. Can you hunt a few rabbits with your bow? We can sneak back and roast them—I haven’t tasted meat in half a month,” Xiao Mai said, licking his lips."I won't take a crossbow," He Yan smiled. "It's too heavy—I'll just take a saber." Most importantly, crossbows weren't suitable for close combat. If they really encountered any problems, it wouldn't be very useful. Besides, there would always be someone in the team who brought a crossbow, so she could just borrow one when needed.
Seeing Xiao Mai's disappointed expression, she comforted him, "Don't worry. In a few days, we'll go up the mountain together, and then you can hunt as many rabbits as you want."
Xiao Mai looked skeptical.
He Yan couldn't tell him that during the flag competition, everyone would be on the mountain, and even Instructor Liang wouldn't be around. They might even have to spend the night there, so naturally, they could eat whatever they wanted.
She tightened the belt around her clothes as Hong Shan said, "Then come down early tonight so we can celebrate the festival together."
"What festival?" He Yan was puzzled.
Xiao Mai exclaimed, "The Qixi Festival!"
He Yan: "..."
She had almost forgotten—today was the seventh day of the seventh month, the festival for young women. But what were a bunch of men doing celebrating Qixi? Amused, she asked, "Isn't this supposed to be spent with the girl you like? Do any of you have someone you fancy?"
Hong Shan immediately retorted, "Don't look down on me! Plenty of girls like your Brother Shan. If I wanted to celebrate Qixi, they'd be more than willing."
"I... I don't," Xiao Mai quickly added, "but my brother does! He likes Sister Xiaolan from the noodle shop run by Old Man Sun in the east of the city!"
Shitou: "..."
He Yan glanced at Shitou, whose ears had turned bright red. Xiao Mai then asked, "Brother He, do you have a girl you like? What kind of girl do you fancy?"
He Yan made up an answer on the spot: "Pretty, smart, exceptionally skilled, wealthy, and—oh—gentle, considerate, lively, and fun. It'd be even better if she had some talent in music, chess, calligraphy, or painting. Knowing how to cook would be a bonus."
After He Yan left, Xiao Mai was still mulling over her words, murmuring, "Brother He's standards for his beloved are really high..."
"Don't listen to his nonsense," Hong Shan tapped Xiao Mai's head. "He's talking about marrying a princess! Xiao Mai, don't you go copying him!"
Xiao Mai nodded solemnly.
...
He Yan first went to the weapon rack on the Martial Arts Field and picked up a pair of mandarin duck sabers. Ever since she had used them to defeat Huang Xiong's golden-backed broadsword, there had been a period when people practiced with these sabers every day. However, none of them could wield them as deftly as He Yan, and after a few attempts, they decided the sabers didn't suit them and gave up. In the end, the mandarin duck sabers on the Martial Arts Field were almost exclusively used by He Yan.
For today's trip up the mountain, she chose these sabers because they were light and easy to handle. If she wanted to start a fire later and roast a couple of fish, the sabers would also be handy for cleaning them.
With her sabers in hand, she walked to the horse path, where the other four were already ready.
He Yan didn't know any of these four—they weren't under Instructor Liang's command. When they saw her, one of them grinned and pointed behind him. "Go pick a horse quickly, and we'll set off."
He Yan nodded and selected a horse from the stable. The five of them then headed toward White Moon Mountain.
The mountain was densely forested, with thick shade blocking the sun, making the journey much cooler and more comfortable than at the foot. Wild rabbits occasionally darted past on either side. Someone asked, "Should we hunt a few rabbits?"
"Sure, sure," the recruit who had greeted He Yan agreed readily. "Did any of you bring a crossbow?"
They all exchanged glances.Probably because the crossbows were too heavy and they had to stay on the mountain for more than half a day, no one wanted to bring one, so no one did.
"Well, no one brought one," a new recruit with upturned eyes shrugged, his tone rather unpleasant as he looked at He Yan. "Guess we'll just have to watch then."
Everyone knew He Yan's archery skills were exceptional, so they probably assumed she would bring one.
He Yan calmly met his gaze, her expression unruffled.
Asking the Flying Goose General to hunt rabbits for you? Did you even use your brain? The audacity. She thought.
(End of Chapter)
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