Li Dehai paused for a beat, fully aware that Emperor Xuanwu had asked him to read the letter aloud for one reason only: to showcase the Crown Princess's brilliance. Grasping the intention, he tactfully raised his voice a touch higher as he continued to read:
"Her Highness displays astonishing talent in the art of military strategy. In all the records of the ancients and the wisdom of our time, there are few who could stand beside her.
In today's match at the sand table, this subject witnessed firsthand how Her Highness's methods have already transcended the teachings of any book.
Her tactics are ever-shifting, unpredictable as ghosts or spirits…"
Marquis Wei Yuan, after all, was a military man. When it came to praising someone through the written word, he could never rival the finesse of civil officials, who were capable of dressing up a few tired phrases into flowery prose.
But precisely because his words lacked embellishment, they rang all the truer.
His plain speech carried with it a force that even the most ornate language could not achieve. Line after line practically overflowed with his heartfelt admiration, making it easy for all present to sense just how moved he must have been while writing this letter.
The court stood in the Xuan Zheng Hall, exchanging glances of astonishment.
Was this truly the same Crown Princess they all thought they knew?
Yes, Her Highness had always been remarkable.
Her ideas had always been eccentric, often emerging in endless streams that surprised even the seasoned among them. Even when they had just heard of her latest invention—a glider that could fly through the air—they had recovered from their initial shock quickly.
But no one had expected that this unconventional creativity could be applied to actual warfare.
Just listen to Marquis Wei Yuan. He had practically declared the Crown Princess a once-in-a-millennium military prodigy.
That raised a rather awkward question.
If she truly possessed such rare genius, then why had the Grand Preceptors who taught her in the Imperial Academy long ago branded her as lazy and unteachable?
Could it be that the fault lay not in Her Highness, but in her teachers?
Some in the court began to recall how the Crown Princess had later insisted on founding the Tian Sheng Academies across the realm, bringing with them a curriculum and teaching style vastly different from tradition.
Perhaps the problem truly had been that the previous Grand Preceptors lacked the ability to tailor their instruction to the individual.
…
Yun Shu remained blissfully unaware that the effusive praise written by Marquis Wei Yuan had just cast doubt on the reputation of several Grand Preceptors in the capital.
At that moment, she was busy overseeing the departure of the troops from the city.
After days of preparation, the time had finally come. Marquis Wei Yuan and his commanders were at last ready to launch the final offensive.
However, for reasons of safety, both Yun Shu and Yun Chuhuan had been ordered to remain within the city walls.
"We really can't go with them?" Yun Chuhuan asked, eyes wide with longing as he watched the General and his men mount their horses and ride out in full battle gear. He looked as though he were swallowing back envy with each passing second. "What if we stay at the rear and don't participate in the fighting? Is that not acceptable?"
"When battle begins in earnest, who will have the time to look after you?"
Yun Shu shook her head, then laughed softly as she saw how disappointed he looked.
"You really want to witness it with your own eyes, do you?"
"Of course I do!" Yun Chuhuan huffed, crossing his arms.
"I mean, I came all this way. If I return and Liu Ziming asks what I saw on the battlefield, what am I supposed to tell him? That I just stood around shouting insults and missed the actual fighting?
That would be so humiliating."
"You have a point."
Yun Shu nodded with approval. Taking the reins offered by a nearby guard, she mounted her horse with practiced ease.
"Come. I shall take you to see it with your own eyes."
"Now?"
The frustration on Yun Chuhuan's face gave way to astonishment.
"Really? We're just... riding out after them?"
"Follow me and you'll see."
Yun Shu urged her horse forward, but rather than heading out toward the battlefield, she led the way back toward the inner part of the city.
Though Yun Chuhuan was puzzled by the direction, standing there was not going to give him answers. He quickly mounted his own horse and followed.
Soon, they arrived at the very cliff where the "Skyborne Squad" had launched their gliders.
Yun Chuhuan looked around, confused.
"Fifth Sister, surely you're not expecting me to watch from here?"
He pointed in the direction of Annan, a deeply skeptical expression on his face.
"There's an entire forest between us and that city. I can barely make out the walls in the distance. How could I possibly see any fighting?"
"Simple. Use this."
With perfect calm, Yun Shu took out two small instruments and handed one to him.
"Try this."
"What is it?"
Yun Chuhuan blinked and copied her motions, lifting the object to his eyes. The next moment, he let out a startled cry.
"Ah! Fifth Sister, you've turned into a monster!"
"You're the monster!"
Yun Shu smacked him lightly on the head, then turned him around by the shoulders until he was facing the forest again.
"You said you couldn't see the other side. Why not take another look?"
"I mean… even if I try again, it's not like I've suddenly gained the Eyes of Heaven. What I couldn't see before, I still can't—"
He stopped midsentence.
As Yun Chuhuan turned back and tried the telescope again, he saw it. Clear as day, the soldiers stationed atop the walls of Annan's outer city.
"I see them!"
He gasped. Again and again, he adjusted his aim, each time more amazed than the last.
"This thing... it actually makes faraway things appear closer? I can see them clearly?
No wonder your face suddenly looked huge just now. I thought you had dropped your disguise and revealed your true form!"
Yun Shu stared at him.
"Your imagination is impressively wild."
She could not even be bothered to roll her eyes at such nonsense.
Instead, she lazily called for a seat cushion and sat down cross-legged.
"Once Marquis Wei Yuan's men emerge from the forest, they'll still have a stretch of road to cross. We won't be able to see that part.
But if all goes according to plan, there will be skirmishes there too.
Let us sit and wait for a while."
"Oh, I remember. That stretch was where you and the others were gathered around the sand table, planning tactics, wasn't it?"
Yun Chuhuan responded casually, but his focus had already shifted. He held the telescope like a treasured artifact, swiveling it around with delight.
At this point, the excitement of watching the battlefield had been replaced by pure fascination with his newfound toy.
He played with it gleefully, muttering to himself with satisfaction.
"Good thing Marquis Wei Yuan isn't here. Otherwise, I bet he'd be fighting me for this!"
"He would not need to."
Yun Shu replied coolly.
"They received their telescopes before you did."
Yun Chuhuan blinked.
"Wait, what? Why didn't anyone tell me?"