I settled back into the lounge chair and said to Ma Xiaoda, "You overestimate me. I fear I will only disappoint your expectations. After all, on our planet, we stopped fighting such backward wars long ago."

Ma Xiaoda smiled and sat beside me. "My sister trusts you, and so do I. It was Sister Fifteen who sent me to find you. She said this matter absolutely requires your involvement. Let's go. Come with me to the court. Father Emperor wishes to summon you, Pang Hu, and the Left and Right Chancellors tonight to discuss sending reinforcements. We must settle this tonight so the imperial decree can be issued at the morning court tomorrow."

The Royalist faction lacked prominent figures; they relied instead on the Emperor's favor and a few minor collateral officials. Consequently, for matters of this magnitude, their people were not qualified for a special imperial summons.

This was not a matter of whether I wanted to go or not. Furthermore, Sun Chang and Kong Wu were my personal guards; I could not abandon them. Thus, I brought Linglong and Yun Yao with me as Ma Xiaoda rode toward Shuangcheng. The three of us spurred our horses until we reached the west gate of the inner city. Linglong and Yun Yao, as usual, prepared to wait outside the city gates.

Ma Xiaoda said, "Sisters, there's no need to wait here. Father Emperor has ordered that from now on, you two may enter and exit the inner city freely with Zhao Qian."

Linglong laughed, "Then should we thank you? You must have put in quite a few good words."

Ma Xiaoda replied, "We're family; why speak formally? Hurry now, we're running out of time."

Ma Da convened the emergency meeting in the Imperial Study. The urgent distress report lay on the table. As of today, Feilong Prefecture had been without provisions for three days. Whether they could hold out now was already questionable, as was the issue of how to dispatch troops and whom to send for reinforcement.

Pang Hu mused, "Your Majesty, the ruthlessness and cunning of the bandits far exceed our imagination. We cannot entirely blame our army's failure at the front lines. After all, counting the horses, their numbers are not much fewer than ours, and our troops were converted from surrendered soldiers, so their fighting capability is certainly inferior to the ferocity of the horse bandits."

I interjected, "Grand Tutor Pang, saying that is incorrect. I have witnessed the ferocity of the horse bandits myself, and we have fought several engagements, large and small, in which the Crown Prince also participated..."

Ma Xiaoda attested on my behalf, "Yes, Father Emperor! Back at Feiyu County, our bailiff team of less than a hundred men held off an attack by five hundred bandits. Later, we eliminated a large contingent of them in the dense forest. Based on my experience, dealing with bandits requires strategy, not brute force. If you ask me, the commanding general at the front made a tactical blunder. That brute only knows how to drive soldiers forward, piling up merit with their lives. Zhang Guan was recommended by the Grand Tutor; I believe he should be punished for poor oversight!"

"You! ... Hmph! If the Crown Prince speaks this way, it implies I am blind and foolish. I have served the court with unwavering loyalty, yet in the end, I receive such an evaluation from the Crown Prince. This is truly disheartening. Perhaps the Crown Prince should relieve me of my position as Grand Tutor and govern the world entirely by himself."

Ma Xiaoda stood up and retorted, "Grand Tutor, I advise you not to rely on your seniority. This realm cannot be governed by my father and me alone, but it certainly cannot be governed by you alone either! It requires the concerted effort of all civil and military officials. Your contribution to that effort is practically negligible, hehe. If you don't cause trouble, we should thank the heavens."

Grand Tutor Pang's face flushed with rage. "Your Highness the Crown Prince, are you implying that this old servant is useless? Very well, from this day forward, this old servant resigns from the court. If you have the ability, manage the government affairs yourself!"

Ma Da sharply rebuked Ma Xiaoda, "Enough! How dare you speak to the Grand Tutor like that? The Grand Tutor is highly respected, someone you, a child who has just entered court for a few days, cannot compare with. We are here to discuss reinforcements for Feilong Prefecture, not to listen to your squabbling!"

Ma Da paused, observed Grand Tutor Pang's expression, and then said to Ma Xiaoda: "Apologize to the Grand Tutor."

Ma Xiaoda ignored him. Ma Da's voice grew firmer. "I command you to apologize to the Grand Tutor."

Ma Xiaoda reluctantly bowed to Grand Tutor Pang. "I apologize, Grand Tutor Pang. I was young and ignorant."

Grand Tutor Pang snorted and paid him no mind. Ma Da continued, "Alright, differences in opinion are fine, but the crucial point is that we must not have internal conflict. I do not wish to pursue blame for the front lines right now; I only want to know how we can relieve Feilong Prefecture's distress. Thirty thousand soldiers and tens of thousands of civilians are waiting day and night for our reinforcements. This matter cannot be delayed."

The Left and Right Chancellors had been watching the spectacle from the sidelines. It wasn't that they didn't want to support Ma Xiaoda's call for reinforcements, but they too were at a loss regarding the matter. They feared that saying too much might harm themselves—this was pure self-preservation, and it was no wonder the Chancellor Faction's influence waned day by day. These two elder officials possessed caution but lacked the courage for decisive action, constantly being suppressed by Grand Tutor Pang.

When it came to dispatching reinforcements, the two Chancellors had some opinions. Luo Cheng said, "Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, we should transfer the garrisons from Huyang and Liuyang to relieve the situation at Feilong Prefecture."

I countered, "Chancellor Luo, you've made this sound too simple. It takes nearly a month to move large contingents of troops from Huyang to Feilong. I fear by then, the thirty thousand soldiers and tens of thousands of civilians in Feilong Prefecture will have starved to death."

Ma Da affirmed, "Indeed, that plan won't work. Furthermore, the Jin Kingdom has been massing troops on the border recently. Who knows if they will make any move against our Shuangcheng Kingdom? Therefore, the garrisons at Huyang and Liuyang cannot be casually redeployed."

Grand Tutor Pang stated, "Your Majesty, in my opinion, we should once again transfer troops from the Imperial Guard. Firstly, the journey from Shuangcheng to Feilong is shorter. Secondly, the Imperial Guard possesses higher combat capability, making it much easier to deal with the horse bandits. I recommend drawing troops from the Houdu Guard and having Commander Gu Qi lead them. He has experience suppressing bandits, and being young, he is eager to fight. I trust he will successfully lift the siege of Feilong Prefecture."

Pang Hu's desire to transfer Gu Qi could not bode well. Recently, he must have sensed Gu Qi opposing him, so he intended to use this opportunity to move both the man and all the troops of the Houdu Guard. Even if Pang Hu had no grand conspiracy, he certainly intended to purge the elements within the Imperial Guard loyal to us.

Ma Xiaoda seemed ready to nod in agreement; after all, relieving Feilong Prefecture was the immediate priority, and his dispute with Pang Hu should not delay national affairs. Fearing that Ma Xiaoda would agree and later find it difficult to retract, I quickly spoke up, "Your Majesty, this plan is inappropriate!"

Ma Xiaoda was startled and immediately retracted the words he was about to speak, looking to me for my reasoning, as he couldn't think that far ahead in the moment. I continued, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Guard is known for its heavy armor. Against horse bandits, such cumbersome protection will actually become a burden. Even if we send twenty thousand Imperial Guards, we have no certainty of victory."

Grand Tutor Pang asked, "Supervisor Zhao, what is your suggestion then?"

I replied, "Although I cannot devise a perfect solution at this moment, transferring the Imperial Guard is absolutely improper. This time, we are not fighting infantry. Reinforcing the border and suppressing bandits are entirely different matters. If we insist on sending the Imperial Guard out, merely suffering losses would be the lesser consequence; it's highly possible they will never return."

The power of the cavalry of Wanma Kingdom was known to the Left and Right Chancellors and Pang Hu. The Imperial Guard's heavy armor made them too clumsy in movement. If a real battle broke out, they could easily be trampled by horses. However, Pang Hu wasn't concerned with lifting the siege; currently, he only wanted to redeploy the Houdu Guard.

Ma Xiaoda immediately shifted his stance and began to concur with my view, followed quickly by the Left and Right Chancellors. Their consensus made Ma Da waver. Grand Tutor Pang then said, "Supervisor Zhao, since you disagree with transferring the Imperial Guard, why not let your Imperial Stables conduct the expedition? I hear you have been recruiting men and horses recently, showing signs of great activity. Have you perhaps already prepared for this very day for His Majesty? Or do you have other designs? After all, guarding horses doesn't require more than twenty thousand men. I hear they are advanced in weaponry and brave in battle; I fear they could even be used to attack Shuangcheng."

Grand Tutor Pang's move was exceptionally insidious, aiming to implicate me in plotting rebellion. In truth, I had raised so many troops precisely to deal with him, but I could not say so now. Even Ma Da, by tacitly accepting my actions previously, should have foreseen this.

Ma Xiaoda was the first to lose control. He roared, "Grand Tutor Pang! What is the meaning of this? I think you are the one crying wolf! The Majestic Great General is absolutely loyal to the court, but you..."

"Silence!" Ma Da roared in anger. "You, get out!"

Ma Xiaoda was extremely aggrieved by his father's sharp rebuke. He wanted to argue, but I shook my head. He could only walk out silently, shooting a fierce glare at Grand Tutor Pang as he passed. Grand Tutor Pang smugly stroked his white beard and ignored him.

Ma Da said, "All of you are my trusted ministers, loyal to me. Now that the border is in peril, we must not allow internal suspicion. This border reinforcement is different from bandit suppression. Rebels like Zhu Shou are internal affairs of our Shuangcheng Kingdom. Now, the petty Wanma Kingdom dares to slight the might of our Shuangcheng Kingdom—can we let them insult us? I have decided to personally lead the campaign into the Southern Border against the horse bandits and reestablish a harmonious home for our border populace!"

The Left and Right Chancellors immediately knelt with a thud, and I strongly urged him, "Your Majesty, absolutely not! You are the Son of Heaven; putting yourself in harm's way is entirely out of the question!"

Ma Da retorted, "Why not? I once went alone to Feiyu County, and what happened? I am the true Son of Heaven and will face no danger. I have decided to transfer ten thousand Imperial Guards and have the Imperial Stables dispatch ten thousand more. These twenty thousand troops will relieve Feilong Prefecture, then they will converge into one force of fifty thousand. We must utterly defeat the horse bandits!"

Ma Da was not young. Was he as competitive as his son? Or perhaps he had never commanded such a large army and wanted to indulge himself. Now that Pang Hu had been cornered by us, who could guarantee that if Ma Da left Shuangcheng, Pang Hu wouldn't jump the wall out of desperation? Therefore, under no circumstances could Ma Da be allowed to go.

Even Ma Xiaoda, who had reached the door, turned back. "Father Emperor, this is impossible. Your unworthy son offers to lead the expedition in your stead! You are advanced in years; it is best for you to remain in Shuangcheng to hold the line for the people of the realm."

The Left and Right Chancellors chimed in together, "Indeed, Your Majesty! The nation cannot be without its master for a single day. Your previous risk-taking trip to Feiyu County already violated ancestral law and drew criticism. If you venture out again, the stability of the realm might be shaken, and unrest could erupt!"

Pang Hu remained silent, quickly calculating this opportunity. If the Emperor left the palace, Ma Xiaoda would no longer be the Crown Prince in his eyes. With the Imperial Guard—excluding the Houdu Guard—under his control, he would effectively rule Shuangcheng. Then, he would only need an excuse to depose Gu Qi as Commander of the Guard. After that, who in Shuangcheng would dare defy his authority? Not even the Imperial Stables or the Eastern Depot, for ten thousand Imperial Guards could not be disregarded.

I said, "Your Majesty, everyone here has already mentioned the fierceness of the bandits, which ordinary soldiers cannot match. Relying on their warhorses, one bandit is worth several of our men, and their troop movements are swift, their attacks unparalleled. If you personally lead the relief of Feilong Prefecture, I see the probability of danger as much greater. Today, we've gathered twenty thousand men; who dares guarantee that by the time we reach Feilong, the bandits haven't swelled to thirty thousand? At that point, even if we wish to retreat, we won't outrun their four fast legs. Therefore, Your Majesty must not leave Shuangcheng!"

Grand Tutor Pang sneered, "Supervisor Zhao, aren't you encouraging the enemy and dampening our own morale? Is it possible for the bandits to number thirty thousand? That is fundamentally impossible. I believe a personal expedition by Your Majesty will boost morale and certainly turn the tide!"

Ma Da was perhaps imagining the kingly demeanor of leading troops on the field. He said, "Yes, the horse bandits have always been just a thousand or so; besieging Feilong Prefecture is likely their absolute limit."

I asked, "Your Majesty, I am unfamiliar with this continent. Does the Wanma Kingdom only have ten thousand people?"

Ma Da shook his head. "Although the Wanma Kingdom is a small country, its subjects number in the millions."

I pressed on, "Your Majesty, in that case, how can you be sure they won't deploy an army of one hundred thousand, or even two hundred thousand? Are you relying solely on past experiences to judge today's battle situation? If so, we are certain to lose this war!"

"Nonsense! You are sowing discord among the troops!" Grand Tutor Pang shouted.

I retorted, "I am not. Warfare is a matter of constant change. Just a few days ago, we believed the bandits numbered only a few thousand, but what about today? The bandits have exceeded ten thousand. Who among you dares bet their head that tomorrow, the day after, or the day after that, the bandit forces won't swell to one hundred or two hundred thousand? Do you believe the Wanma Kingdom only has ten thousand people?"

Grand Tutor Pang and Ma Da were struck dumb. I continued, "Your Majesty, I volunteer to lead the expedition in your stead! I don't require a single soldier from the Imperial Guard; I only need to lead the men of the Imperial Stables. Didn't you establish the Imperial Stables specifically to counter the horse bandits? Now, in this critical moment, it is time for these lads to show their mettle."

Ma Xiaoda stepped forward and said, "Father Emperor, your unworthy son volunteers to lead the expedition in your stead! General Zhao and I will certainly live up to expectations. Once the army marches out, we will surely strike at Huanglong!"

Ma Da slammed his fist down. "Good! This battle will surely make the Wanma Kingdom cry out in pain, ensuring they never dare to infringe upon our Bian Zhao again. The prestige of the Celestial Dynasty shall shine brightly once more, starting today!"

Ma Da's declaration was grand. Grand Tutor Pang dared not interject with further flatteries for the moment. Ma Da was very agitated; if he had said something improper, who knew if the Emperor would become angry.

The matter was thus settled. Since the Imperial Stables were always financially independent, deploying them to reinforce Feilong Prefecture required not a single coin or grain from the court. Moreover, the soldiers of the Imperial Stables were seasoned veterans tested by fire, and their weapons and equipment were advanced—this was another reason Ma Da felt confident; otherwise, he would never have agreed to let his son lead the expedition.

Pang Hu knew that inciting Ma Da to send troops was hopeless, but getting the Crown Prince and the Imperial Stables out of Shuangcheng was even better. With only the Eastern Depot remaining, his pressure would greatly decrease, allowing him room to vigorously expand his own power. Ideally, he would take over the Eastern Depot or establish a rival Western Depot. Of course, all of this would wait until the reinforcements departed.

Everyone discussed the specifics of the troop dispatch again, finding no flaws before finalizing the plan. It was only waiting for Ma Da to issue the imperial decree at the morning court tomorrow, after which the army would immediately set out. After discussing state affairs, they moved to family matters. Ma Da said, "All esteemed ministers are my close confidants. Now, the Prince of Dan has proposed marriage to my Fifteenth Princess. I have already agreed. I wish to consult with you all on a suitable date to marry the Fifteenth Princess off. According to my original wishes, it would be best to combine the joy after the horse bandits are subdued—a double celebration. However, Prince Dan is rather anxious and has urged me several times."

I and Ma Xiaoda simultaneously rushed to object, but Pang Hu stood the furthest forward and spoke first. "Your Majesty, it is merely marrying off a princess. The Fifteenth Princess is of age; delaying it now would be inappropriate. Furthermore, the Crown Prince and Supervisor Zhao intend to strike at the capital of the Wanma Kingdom. If this campaign drags on for a year or half a year, can Your Majesty wait indefinitely?"

Ma Da agreed, "Yes, I considered that as well. So I ask my beloved ministers for advice."

Pang Hu stated, "In my humble view, since all conditions are now ripe, it's better to set the date early to avoid unforeseen complications arising from delay."

Pang Hu glanced pointedly at me as he said this, as if he had heard some rumors regarding me and Ma Xiaowei, otherwise, he wouldn't have urged Ma Da to marry off Ma Xiaowei so quickly, rather than waiting for the bandits to be subdued.

I stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I neglected to mention one condition for dispatching troops earlier. We lack nothing in terms of provisions, soldiers, or funds; the only thing missing is an excellent supervising official."

Ma Xiaoda immediately seized the opportunity to pivot, "Yes, Father Emperor, I share this thought. Since I will be the commander-in-chief this time, although Supervisor Zhao can advise me on many matters, I fear I might be too overwhelmed to handle the specific duties of supervision. Therefore, I wish to request my Fifteenth Sister, who has extensive experience, to take on this task. She supervised the bandit suppression army of one hundred thousand without a single error, which proves her capability. For the sake of stabilizing the border and eliminating the horse threat early, I ask Father Emperor to prioritize national affairs and set aside personal sentiments for now. I believe even if the Fifteenth Sister were here, she would agree with Your Majesty's decision. As for Prince Dan, would he truly be so shortsighted as to force Your Majesty to marry the Fifteenth Sister off prematurely?"

Ma Da was actually pleased deep down. How could a father be upset seeing his children capable and talented? He said, "I failed to consider this matter momentarily. Xiao Wei's previous tenure as supervising official indeed earned much praise. Her ability has been recognized by the court officials. Although the custom in our dynasty is that women do not fight, it is not improper for imperial children to serve as supervisors. Very well, I approve. As for Prince Dan, I trust he will understand my decision. After all, there can be no family without a nation. With the nation in peril, everything must yield to state matters!"

I thought to myself: Dan Shi, dream on, Dan Shi. As soon as I find Ouyang Qian, I will take them and leave. Then you can weep to your heart's content. If I don't bring Ma Xiaowei to justice in this bandit suppression campaign, I'll be letting myself down. Who knows, perhaps she'll return pregnant—I wonder if that will make your father and son's cholesterol levels skyrocket to death.

By the time we left the Imperial Study, it was already dark. Although a light drizzle was falling, the Left and Right Chancellors eagerly invited me out for drinks. I knew these two old gentlemen felt incapable. They likely wanted me to help them with something else. Judging by their past achievements, the Chancellor Faction truly lacked any exploitable strength. If I wanted to overthrow Pang Hu, I realized I would have to rely on myself; they could only offer auxiliary support from the sidelines.

"Chancellor Luo, Chancellor Niu, just say what you need. I truly have urgent matters to attend to and regretfully cannot accept your invitation. You know the reinforcement army departs tomorrow; my time tonight is indeed tight."

Luo Cheng nodded and said, "Supervisor Zhao, Pang Hu is aggressively seizing positions from court officials. Many officials from the Chancellor Faction have been sidelined. Even the Royalist Faction, which had just firmly decided to follow the Crown Prince, is starting to hesitate. Since they control the Ministry of Justice, and the Emperor’s trust in Pang Hu has not diminished, we cannot cope! If this continues, we will have no usable personnel left in court."

The Ministry of Justice controlled the promotion and evaluation of officials in the Shuangcheng Kingdom. The Minister, Qu Ge, was a relatively core member of the Pang Faction. Originally, the Five Ministries were supposed to be led by the Left and Right Chancellors, but they held no real power; those officials didn't even listen to them. The Left Deputy Minister of Justice, Lian Hai, was an old acquaintance of mine—all these people were loyal to Pang Hu. It would be surprising if they treated the Chancellor Faction and the Royalist Faction well.

I stated, "If that is the case, then we must devise a method to wrest control of the Ministry of Justice back. Even if we cannot reclaim the position of the chief minister, we must secure the two deputy ministers. If we allow them to develop their power further, we will truly be eroded bit by bit."

The two Chancellors bowed simultaneously, "Who says otherwise? Although we know Supervisor Zhao has always focused on military matters rather than politics—politics being our strong suit—we two old bones wish to achieve something here to prove worthy of Supervisor Zhao's trust. But we lack real authority, and no one listens to what we say. Even if they agree to our faces, they act differently behind our backs. We cannot contend with Grand Tutor Pang before the Emperor, leading to constant setbacks. We implore Supervisor Zhao to devise a strategy for us."

I replied, "I think this matter should be handed over to the Eastern Depot. I don't believe Qu Ge and the others have no skeletons in their closets. Once we find their Achilles' heel, if they refuse to comply, we hand the evidence to the Emperor. Even if we can't secure a death sentence, we can kick them out!"

The two Chancellors bowed together, "We rely entirely on Supervisor Zhao. Having no power of our own leaves us constantly constrained."

I smiled.

"Don't rush things. If some of our people are pushed off by the Wang Dang, don't let them wander off. Even a screw in a nation can be useful when the time is right. Alright, I need to rush off and make arrangements for the trip to Feilong Prefecture. My two esteemed elders, I must bid you farewell for now. We'll drink when the real celebration day arrives."

Having resolved the issue, the two ministers naturally didn't press me further for drinks. Moreover, the crisis at Feilong Prefecture was pressing, and they dared not cause trouble or delay matters. Thus, the three of them made a hasty departure.

Ma Xiaoda and his father lingered in the Imperial Study for a while longer before emerging. I had just instructed Yun Yao to make the call to the Imperial Stables, ordering emergency action—the entire Bureau mobilized to prepare for the expedition to Feilong Prefecture. However, the most crucial immediate task was preparing four flying ship loads of grain. I needed to leave overnight for Feilong Prefecture to deliver the supplies first, stabilize morale, and hold the line until the main reinforcement army arrived.

"Zhao Qian, I'm sorry. I couldn't help you with Sister Fifteen's matter. Am I useless? I couldn't even take down that timid Prince." Ma Xiaoda apologized.

I patted his shoulder and said,

"How could that be? We have no need to create conflict with the Wang Dang right now. Besides, isn't your sister in love with me? Her body and heart belong to me. Does that Cholesterol have the guts to come to my Imperial Stables and snatch her away?"

Ma Xiaoda laughed,

"My sister is the supervising official, he wouldn't dare! This Crown Prince would chop him down with one stroke."

I said,

"That's not necessary. Killing someone like him would only dirty our hands. This time, I’m keeping the Fifteenth Princess close to me precisely to prolong the time before conflict with the Wang Dang faction erupts—at least until the bandits are suppressed. Otherwise, we won't have the energy or time to fight these people. If it were just about killing, that would be easy, but we can't just kill all these people, otherwise, what's the point of all this scheming?"

Ma Xiaoda said,

"In any case, I will follow all your arrangements. Oh, brother-in-law, go see my sister. While you’re there, tell her this news. She'll surely be very happy, as you two will be together again for a long time to come."

I said,

"If you had come out any later, I would have already gone over. By the way, I'll bring Gu Fei tomorrow. Let him start as a squad leader in the Imperial Guard first. He is someone we trust completely. I plan to train him to be the future Commander of the Imperial Guard."

Ma Xiaoda said,

"Fatty Brother is a good man. Done. I will secretly help him. That kid Dan Shi is utterly incompetent. If it weren't for Father Emperor stopping me, I would have dismissed him long ago. Oh, he’s on duty tonight. You should go check on him quickly. In case that brat tries to harass my sister, you can teach him a lesson."

The order to deploy was transmitted instantly via mobile phone to the Imperial Stables. The Horse Guards immediately took action, preparing their gear and provisions. The Artillery Battalion and Siege Battalion also rapidly loaded their weapons onto wagons. The newly established Cavalry Battalion, though small in number, would certainly participate in this expedition as a nascent branch, and it was intended to be greatly expanded during this campaign.

Currently, there are over ten thousand bandits surrounding Feilong Prefecture, all riding excellent warhorses. As the saying goes, 'No guns or cannons? The enemy will provide them for us!' The Cavalry Battalion's mission this time is to go to the battlefield and pick up the slack. I trust that as the fighting commences, their numbers will grow. Once our cavalry force is established, we won't need to fear the bandits. Cavalry against cavalry—that is the righteous way.

The commander of the Artillery Battalion is Ma Da, and Shi Shan remains the commander of the Siege Battalion. The Cavalry Battalion commander is Ma Chong. As for the general leading the Horse Guards expedition, that role falls to A Si. Last time A San was tested; this time, A Si must have his opportunity.

Thanks to the development of the Huyang Ironworks, the Artillery Battalion has long since grown from eight cannons to twenty, and then to fifty. This growth has been rapid, and the Huyang side can expedite casting if an urgent need arises. The Siege Battalion has made significant improvements to both the catapults and the spear-throwing machines. Not only have the machines been miniaturized and their throwing range increased, but several new types of siege vehicles have been developed, and a large number of Iron Thunder devices have been manufactured. The Iron Thunder has miniaturized and enhanced the power of the previous Stone Thunder. With advancements in metallurgy, the firing mechanisms for the landmines have also become increasingly sophisticated, capable of being triggered underwater, eliminating fears of inclement weather delaying battles.

It’s impossible for all ten thousand Horse Guards to be equipped with firearms. Even exhausting all available stock would only arm one thousand-man squad. Since the new repeating rifles are already in production, the older single-shot rifles were not manufactured in large quantities. The new products will take a few more days to roll off the assembly line, so the troops must depart first, and the weapons will be shipped to Feilong Prefecture by flying ship later.

I have little experience in dealing with the cavalry forces of the Wanma Kingdom. I can only plan to fabricate more cheval de frise, hedgehogs, and trip ropes once I reach Feilong Prefecture. These weapons can be sourced locally; fabricating them now would be inconvenient for transport. Since wood is abundant everywhere, that is not a concern.

Before I even reached Ma Xiaowei’s sleeping quarters, I had sorted out numerous matters. Yun Yao relayed the instructions one by one to the Imperial Stables for execution. Now, all I needed was to wait for the grain to be prepared, loaded onto the flying ships, and then I could depart first to hold the line at Feilong Prefecture.

Yun Yao pulled Linglong aside.

"We'll wait for you two outside, hehe, just to avoid watching you two exchange longing glances."

Linglong looked puzzled and asked,

"Sister Yun Yao, what is a 'longing glance' (qiubo)?"

As I entered Ma Xiaowei's chamber, I replied,

"It means autumn spinach!"

"What is autumn?" Linglong persistently inquired.

Yun Yao laughed,

"I'll have to explain that slowly. Let's step aside so we don't disturb Zhao Qian at work."

These two young women are truly considerate, especially Yun Yao. I never realized how charming and understanding she was. I must treat her better in the future.

Ma Xiaowei’s maids and eunuchs recognized me, so no one barred my way; they simply bowed and greeted me. A personal maid informed me that Ma Xiaowei was not in the front hall but in the training room in the back.

Hearing this, I headed directly to the rear courtyard. Although I had never been there before, I could vaguely imagine its general location. Thinking of Ma Xiaowei in her training attire from last time, a surge of impulse rose within me.

In the darkness, one room was brightly lit—clearly the training room. Outside the window, a small, thin figure was flickering about, seemingly searching for the best vantage point to observe the situation inside. I quietly approached for a closer look—wasn't that Dan Shi, that whelp? Truly just like Zhang Guan, taking advantage of his position to harass my wife.

But what was Ma Xiaowei doing inside? Why was this fellow so anxious? Let me take a look first. Surely she wasn't practicing something indecent in there? Ma Xiaowei wouldn't do such a thing. If she did that, she'd need me to cover her with a blanket. If she were naked, spinning around the training room, wouldn't she be too mortified?

I crept up to another window, gently pulled open a small gap, and peered inside. Good heavens, Ma Xiaowei was doing sit-ups. This exercise is great for developing a girl's abdominal muscles and preventing a slight pouch. But Ma Xiaowei's movements were incredibly provocative. Her training outfit was extremely tight—an influence from my other wives, perhaps. Her backside and chest were taut and captivating. The most soul-stirring part was the neckline; a heart-shaped scoop was excusable, but as Ma Xiaowei rose and fell, the two mounds of soft flesh within constantly emerged, seeming to shimmer under the bright light. No wonder Dan Shi was scratching his heart out with anxiety; even I felt a prickle of desire.

Although Dan Shi was the Commander of the Imperial Guard, the top position, he knew that the Deputy Commander, Man Jiang, was a member of the Pang faction, and the three hundred Imperial Guards were men of the Imperial Stables, meaning they belonged to the Crown Prince. He was just an insignificant pawn caught in the middle. He had done his utmost but managed to bring only five personal guards as his immediate retinue.

Aside from receiving daily security reports from three centurions, he couldn't directly command the guards because every guard had specific duties, leaving him no idle hands to command. Still, even so, Dan Shi satisfied a bit of his vanity. After all, this position was genuinely good, allowing him frequent proximity to the Emperor and the Crown Prince—a privilege other princes envied. Furthermore, Dan Shi knew his father was urging the Emperor to marry off Ma Xiaowei quickly. Every time he saw her, his heart hammered. Tonight was especially intense; thinking that soon he could embrace the beauty at night, his throat felt