General, you should rest now; the lady is even more ruthless.

The two went back to change their clothes, and when they came back in, the others were already there.

The tents were still filled with the lingering warmth of the previous night, and the group sat upright in their seats.

Several days have passed and the tactics still haven't been finalized. The initial ease on everyone's faces has faded, and even the usually talkative Fifteen has fallen silent.

Shen Luo changed into a dark brown cloak and sat behind the table, flipping through the battle reports sent by the scouts.

"The Northern Ming army is intensifying its training."

"The Northern Ming reinforcements have been assembled and will set off soon."

"The Northern Ming Imperial Preceptor arrived in Arakawa Castle early this morning."

......

Once everyone had arrived, he put down the folded document in his hand and spoke calmly:

"let's start."

Before he could even warm his chair, he stood up again: "Master, waiting like this is not a solution. I request permission to lead the troops in a strong attack."

Upon hearing this, the others were stunned.

Eighteen sighed, took out a small medicine box from behind her back, and stepped forward, muttering to herself:

“My mother was right. It’s definitely not good if you don’t return to camp by midnight. Look, you’ve been frozen out of your mind.”

While others didn't react as strongly as the 18-year-old, they still discussed it extensively.

The mouth, which had been quiet all morning, was finally freed on the fifteenth:

"If we really can't think of a solution, why don't we pray to Buddha and ask heaven to strike the Qi family's ancestral graves with lightning? Maybe he'll be busy going back to repair the graves and then withdraw his troops."

"Or I could send a message to Sixteen and have him take some men and dig it up tonight."

......

There was silence for a while.

Fourteen: "Fifteen, lick your lips."

Do as instructed on the fifteenth.

Fourteen: "Tsk, why didn't you poison yourself?"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

In Arakawa Castle.

The Imperial Advisor sat at the very top, with a group of generals, led by Qi Ji, standing below him.

"Your subordinate Qi Ji, along with the generals of the Kaijiang Army, pays respects to the Grand Preceptor."

In the Northern Ming Dynasty, the Grand Preceptor's status was truly second only to the emperor; apart from the emperor, even the empress dared not offend him.

The Imperial Advisor lazily raised his eyelids: "No need for formalities."

"Qi Ji..." he murmured the name.

Qi Ji immediately stepped forward to obey orders.

"Here is a secret edict written by His Majesty," the Imperial Advisor said, handing over a yellow envelope. "Open it and take a look."

"Your subject Qi Ji receives the imperial decree. Long live the Emperor!"

Qi Ji opened the secret decree, and his expression changed drastically after just two glances.

He looked at the Imperial Advisor in disbelief: "This... Imperial Advisor, how could this be...?"

The secret letter explicitly stated: "Qi Ji, from the day the Grand Preceptor arrives at the Kaijiang Army, hand over the rank of general. All matters, large and small, in the army shall be at the Grand Preceptor's command."

Qi Ji was extremely shocked and wanted to persuade him, "Grand Preceptor, you know that changing generals in the middle of battle is a major taboo on the battlefield."

But the other party wouldn't listen to him at all, only giving him a stern look that conveyed authority without anger:

"Is General Qi Ji indicating that he intends to defy the imperial decree?"

"Your subject... dares not." With these words, Qi Ji immediately fell silent.

The Grand Preceptor then withdrew his gaze: "Since everyone is here today, I, the Grand Preceptor, take this opportunity to announce that, effective immediately, Qi Ji will no longer serve as Grand General, and all matters related to the army will be under my command."

"Yes!" The soldiers shouted in unison, with General Li's voice being the loudest.

The Grand Preceptor looked at them with satisfaction and issued his first order.

"Starting today, open all the gates of Arakawa Castle and gather the soldiers outside the city."

The generals looked at each other, and one of them mustered his courage and asked:

"Imperial Preceptor, what is the meaning behind this move?"

The Imperial Advisor shook his sleeves: "I want to wage war against Nanyue head-on!"

The generals were stunned.

Qi Ji, standing to the side, could no longer bear to listen: "Grand Preceptor, our 100,000 reinforcements will arrive in a few days. We should conserve our strength in the next few days; there is no need for a head-on battle."

Ignoring their objections, the Imperial Advisor took out a tortoise shell from his sleeve, from which three copper coins were poured out.

His eyes were filled with disdain and arrogance as he swept over the people below.

Qi Ji's expression wasn't pleasant, and he was about to say something when he heard him speak confidently:

"I had already divined it on the way: tomorrow, the 22nd of the 11th month, will be the day we capture Shen Luo alive!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Nineteen noticed that his brothers reacted strongly, but their master sat in his chair without saying a word.

Eleven knelt on one knee: "Master, your subordinate is willing to lead the troops to take the lead, to dodge with the enemy first, and to probe their strength."

Shen Luo's eyes held both confusion and helplessness: "Does it have to be this way, Eleven?"

Eleven lowered his head even further: "Please grant my request, Master!"

The noise from the other people had stopped at some point.

Nineteen looked at Shen Luo, then at Eleven, and suddenly knelt down behind him.

"My lord, I am willing to lead the troops into battle alongside Eleven!"

"Nineteen, how come even you..."

Fifteen had no idea what was wrong with these two suddenly acting out, so he could only grit his teeth and stand aside resentfully.

"My lord, I disagree. The enemy outnumbers us, and a direct attack would only be a waste of our strength and a loss of our soldiers' lives!"

Fourteen also stepped forward, indicating his agreement with Fifteen's words.

“My lord, war does indeed involve sacrifices, but we have always strived to minimize them. We cannot agree with Eleven’s suggestion.”

Twelve and Thirteen didn't speak, but silently walked behind Eleven and knelt down next to Nineteen.

They didn't understand these tactical matters, but they knew that over the years on the battlefield, Eleven was second only to his master.

Eighteen, carrying his medicine box, stood coldly beside Fourteen and Fifteen.

Seventeen whispered, "Hey Eleven, a direct attack is really not worth it. Get up first, we'll discuss it slowly and we'll find a solution."

After I talked for so long, it was like I didn't hear a word he said; he remained unmoved.

Seventeen stomped her foot angrily and stood next to Eighteen.

The atmosphere in the tent suddenly turned cold. The campfire was burning brightly, crackling occasionally, but everyone felt cold from head to toe.

Shen Luo propped his head up with one hand, his eyes slightly closed, while the eight people below watched him intently, waiting for him to give his final command.

"Get up." Shen Luo suddenly smiled helplessly. "Go if you want to."

Fourteen couldn't help but exclaim, "Master!"

Shen Luo raised his hand slightly to signal, and Fourteen gritted his teeth and could only remain silent.

Shen Luo's smile was very faint, seemingly tinged with sadness.

He said, "Whether you listen or not, this is a dead end."

Eleven raised his head: "Master, even if it's a hopeless situation, we still have to win, don't we?"

In that battle against the Northern Ming, General Shen and more than 100,000 soldiers perished here.

Now, after so many years, they are finally facing off here again.

Even if a decision hasn't been made yet, or even if the die is cast, they will still try to overturn it!

Shen Luo did not refute, but continued, "There is only one way to win this game, and it can only be done by me alone."

Eleven erupted in fury: "I don't believe it! I don't believe there's only one way!"

His eyes were bloodshot, and his chest heaved violently: "I will definitely find another way. I can win without you!"

Apart from Shen Luo and Nineteen, no one else was prepared, but seeing Eleven so excited, they vaguely sensed something was wrong.

Eighteen frowned: "Eleven, calm down. The tent is not well ventilated. You could easily faint like this."

Seventeen came over and pulled him up: "Do you have some secret with the master? Tell us and we'll discuss it together. As the saying goes, three lousy generals are better than one Zhuge Liang."

Eleven ignored their words, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Shen Luo, and turned to leave in a hurry.

Soon, the sound of bugle calls for assembly came from outside.

"Master, we're going too." Twelve and Nineteen hurriedly left after saying this.

Although Thirteen wasn't going to the battlefield, he nodded and left, presumably to prepare weapons.

"this..."

The few people who remained inside looked at each other.

In the end, Fifteen shrugged and said, "Since Master has agreed, what are we waiting for? Let's go."

......

The sounds of horns, footsteps, shouts, clashing weapons, and the hooves of warhorses outside reached Shen Luo's ears through the tent.

Shen Luo put down the folded document in his hand, got up, walked to the campfire in the middle, and warmed his hands by the fire.

He was focused, as if nothing outside existed, and he was simply turning his calloused hands over and over the flames.

Clusters of flames danced as if they were alive, enveloping the gradually turning gray charcoal.

Some sparks flew up, touched his palm, and quickly disappeared.

......

In the military camp outside.

Eleven, dressed in bright silver armor, stood on a high place, holding a helmet in his hands, watching people come and go below.

Nineteen, adjusting his armor, walked out of the tent and saw him standing there blankly, so he went up and touched him.

"Huh?" Eleven snapped out of her daze. "What's up?"

"Nothing, I just noticed you were spacing out."

Eleven let out a long breath, rubbed his somewhat stiff face, and focused his mind again.

Nineteen looked at his dark circles and a hint of worry on her face.

"Twelve and the others have all gone to put on their armor. This time it's a full-scale operation. If you're not feeling well, then..." Don't push yourself.

Eleven interrupted him, saying, "I'm not feeling unwell."

He coldly uttered those words, then jumped off the stage and walked into the crowd.

"Where are the generals of each unit?"

Nineteen lowered her head slightly, pursed her lips, and jumped down as well.

......

Although it was already noon and the sun was high in the sky, it did not bring any warmth to this land.

The wind seemed to have subsided slightly compared to the evening, but it still felt like a sharp knife rubbing against one's face.

In less than fifteen minutes, 30,000 soldiers had assembled. The densely packed people, holding countless spears, stood below, creating a truly magnificent sight.

Seven young generals stood at the front, all gazing at the person at the very front.

Eleven gripped his sword tightly, his eyes flashing with killing intent:

"Brothers, this is the last city that the Northern Ming have occupied. Once we take it back, our mission will be complete. All that's left is to return home in glory and be promoted!"

His voice carried far on the wind:

"The remains of over 100,000 of our loyal soldiers from Mount Heng are buried here. Now is the time for us to avenge them!"

"Brothers, let's charge!"

A thunderous roar erupted from below: "Revenge! Charge!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Just as Fourteen had said, when they arrived at the battlefield, the Northern Ming army was indeed already in full battle array.

The one leading the group was General Li, who was at odds with Qi Ji.

Seeing Qi Ji get his comeuppance so early in the morning, Li Shoushun felt incredibly pleased.

So when the Imperial Advisor proposed sending someone to lead troops to fight against Nanyue, he agreed without hesitation.

Firstly, this is the first battle between the two countries in front of Arakawa. If he can win a small victory, it will definitely be another achievement.

Secondly, everyone knows the importance of the Imperial Advisor in the Emperor's heart. If he can seize the opportunity to curry favor with the Imperial Advisor, then he will have no worries about his future.

Imagining himself rising through the ranks and reaching the pinnacle of life, Li Shoushun couldn't help but laugh out loud on horseback.

"General? General?" the adjutant tugged at his reins to remind him.

"The Nanyue Army is almost here, and they don't seem to outnumber us."

Li Shoushun glanced around and, sure enough, there were far fewer people behind him.

He triumphantly drew his long hammer and swung it at his side, feeling that God had truly been kind to him.

He needed to make a name for himself, so they specially gave him an opportunity.

"Pass the order: the entire army is on standby!"

......

On the Nanyue side, Eleven, as the main general, rode at the forefront, while Twelve and the remaining six followed behind him in two rows.

They also noticed that the opposing team had significantly more people than they did.

The faces of the group were serious, but despite this, no one spoke ill of Eleven.

The disagreements in the camp were over; from the moment they donned their armor, they were a united front, bound by life and death.

If the generals are not united, how can they lead the soldiers?

When they were about a kilometer away from the destination, Eleven reined in his horse and raised his hand.

The orderly but hurried footsteps behind them immediately stopped.

Both sides are on high alert.

......

As is customary before a battle, both sides engage in trash talk.

Perhaps because of the distance, Li Shoushun did not notice the difference in atmosphere here.

As always, he spurred his horse forward two steps.

"Where is Shen Luo? Where is your so-called General Who Guards the Nation of Nanyue? Could it be that he's too scared to come out because he heard that our Grand Preceptor is personally overseeing things? Hahahaha!"

As soon as Li Shoushun finished speaking, contemptuous and lewd laughter erupted from the Beiming side.

Fifteen eyes widened, and he blurted out:

"Who's speaking here? It's just an old man. Look at your fat head and big ears, are you being scorned by a woman and spewing nonsense in anger? I'm telling you, if you can't get into a woman's bed, I can arrange a few men for you to play with!"

When it comes to being sharp-tongued, he's never lost.

"You, you, you!" Li Shoushun broke down.

He's only gained a little weight recently, how come he's been called fat and chubby?

He snorted fiercely: "You ignorant brats, all you know is how to talk big. Watch me beat you to a pulp and make you run away in a sorry state!"

He swung his long hammer in a circle: "Charge!"

With sharp eyes, Eleven saw the situation and did not wait any longer, so he spurred his horse and charged straight at the enemy.

"Soldiers, charge!"