"Fifth Sister!"
Just as Yun Shu had finished removing her court attire and changed into a fitted traveling outfit, she secured each piece of protective gear that Cen Yiyi had given her before departing. Then—
From the front courtyard of the Eastern Palace came a voice so loud it pierced through three halls and rang directly into Yun Shu's ears.
"Fifth Sister, where are you?!"
"Over here!"
After checking the hidden darts tucked within her wristband to ensure they were properly reloaded, Yun Shu stepped out of her bedchamber. The moment she emerged, she saw Yun Chuhuan charging toward her like a cannonball.
"Fifth Sister, I heard Father Emperor is sending you to the front with Great General Wei Yuan!"
"You're well-informed."
Yun Shu arched a brow.
"Who told you?"
"The whole palace knows! I heard it from every corridor on the way here!"
Clearly winded from his dash, Yun Chuhuan paused to take a deep breath before blurting out,
"But you've never trained in martial arts, Fifth Sister! How can you go to the battlefield?"
"I'm not going there to fight. I'm only heading to the military encampment. I won't be seeing actual combat."
"Oh!"
Yun Chuhuan exhaled sharply, only to change his tone in the next breath.
"Then can I go too?"
Yun Shu blinked. "What?
That's a battlefield, not the imperial garden."
Yun Shu had long known how much he detested going to the academy hall, but to the point where he'd rather run off to war? That, she had not expected.
"The battlefield is terrifying. It's brutal. If you go, you may be haunted by nightmares every night afterward."
"But you're going too, Fifth Sister!"
Yun Chuhuan puffed up his chest.
"And I've already grown into a man!"
"That declaration won't change anything when said to me."
Yun Shu had experienced the full force of this little rascal's pestering before and had no interest in getting dragged into another round.
She reached out and tousled Yun Chuhuan's hair before tossing her small travel bundle to a waiting guard. Then, without further delay, she walked past him, heading for the palace gates.
"It's getting late. This Princess must find Great General Wei Yuan and depart alongside him."
"If you truly wish to go to the battlefield, take it up with Father Emperor."
"Fifth— Hey! Fifth Sister!"
Yun Chuhuan stamped his foot as he watched his Fifth Sister disappear down the road, not sparing him even a backward glance as she left with her guards.
He hesitated in place for a heartbeat, then spun on his heel and bolted toward the Imperial Study.
"Father Emperor! Father Emperor!"
The moment his clamorous voice echoed down the corridor, Emperor Xuanwu, who had been immersed in memorials, very nearly thought Yun Shu had returned.
But he quickly dismissed the notion. Since becoming Crown Princess, his daughter had matured somewhat. Though she still behaved irreverently at times, she had at least learned to carry herself properly in public. She no longer came barreling down corridors, hollering before even reaching the threshold.
More importantly, the voice clearly belonged to Yun Chuhuan.
Guessing that the boy must have caught wind of his Fifth Sister's military deployment, Emperor Xuanwu found himself quietly pleased. He instructed his attendants to let the child in.
What he did not expect was the thunderclap that greeted him the moment Yun Chuhuan stepped through the door.
"Father Emperor! Your Son wishes to accompany Fifth Sister to the battlefield!"
"Absurd!" Emperor Xuanwu's expression changed instantly. "And what makes you think that is a place you can go?"
"If Fifth Sister can go, why can't Your Son?"
For the sake of his first grand adventure, Yun Chuhuan had come armed with reason.
"Though I am a prince and study under the finest tutors in the realm, there are matters one cannot understand without firsthand experience. Until one sees with one's own eyes, true comprehension is impossible.
Besides, Your Son already asked Fifth Sister. She said she hasn't trained in martial arts either. She's not going to fight, just to observe from the camp or city walls.
Though she warned me the battlefield may be more horrifying than I can imagine...
Still, I am no longer a child. If Fifth Sister does not fear it, neither do I!"
"You may not."
Emperor Xuanwu remained unmoved.
"A prince leaving the palace is no trivial matter, especially to a place as distant and war-torn as Yongzhou.
Your Fifth Sister is the Crown Princess. She is older than you and has long since entered the court. She carries responsibilities you cannot compare to.
You have not even completed your studies. What qualifications do you have to follow her?"
"But—"
"Return at once."
"Father—"
"Did you not hear Us? Go back."
Then came the Emperor's ultimate weapon.
"Has your allowance increased again recently?"
Yun Chuhuan froze.
"...Your Son takes his leave."
He slunk out of the Imperial Study, crestfallen. The path was clearly blocked.
All the way back to Yaohua Palace, Yun Chuhuan dragged his feet, head hung low—until, suddenly, a spark lit in his eyes.
There was still one more route.
Noble Consort Liu.
"What? You want to go to the battlefield?!"
When she heard her son's outrageous request, Noble Consort Liu's first reaction mirrored Emperor Xuanwu's almost exactly.
"My darling, have you lost your mind?"
"Consort Mother!"
Yun Chuhuan stomped his foot in frustration.
"Your Son is being serious! You've read every one of Fifth Sister's stories published in the Capital Weekly over the years.
You're always worrying about what I'll become when I grow up.
At first, you were afraid I'd turn out like some spoiled villain in those tales, so you capped my monthly allowance at ten thousand taels.
Then you said Fifth Sister felt like the heroine of those stories, and I'd have a brighter future if I stuck close to her. You never stopped me from playing with her. You even had Grandfather support her, ensuring we never stood in her way.
And after that—"
Yun Chuhuan began counting on his fingers, listing off each concession Noble Consort Liu had made over the years.
"Think about it, Consort Mother. When characters in stories seek growth and tempering, do they go to the study hall or the battlefield?
And now that Fifth Sister is going too...
If I truly wish to grow closer to her, is it better for me to stay behind in the palace, or go find her on the battlefield?"
Noble Consort Liu stared at her son.
Truth be told, if gaining all those storybook virtues meant putting her child in real danger, she would rather Yun Chuhuan remain a harmless little fool.
So what if he grew up idle and sweet-natured?
The Crown Princess did not seem like one who would turn on her own brother.
A life of luxury and leisure under her protection—there were far worse fates.
"Consort Mother—"
Seeing her expression unchanged, Yun Chuhuan clung to her arm and gave it a little shake.
"I know you're only worried for my safety. But do you truly believe Father Emperor is not concerned about Fifth Sister's safety too?
If I go to Yongzhou and stay with her, surely nothing will happen!"