What?
She actually noticed him secretly drawing a giant turtle on the battle map with his finger?
Yun Chuhuan had been so certain he was discreet. He hunched his neck guiltily and lowered his voice. "It's just the infirmary, right? I'll go. No problem."
"Are you sure?" Yun Shu arched an eyebrow, deliberately goading him. "Don't go whining halfway through, saying you regret it and want to quit."
"I won't! I keep my word!"
As expected, Yun Chuhuan fell right into her trap, puffing himself up as if to prove his worth.
"The moment we arrive at Ningzhou's military camp, I'll head straight to the infirmary!"
"Very well. It's settled then."
Yun Shu's lips curled into a faint, knowing smile.
And indeed, the first thing she did upon arriving in Ningzhou was to throw Yun Chuhuan into the infirmary.
—
"Your Highness."
Ningzhou's commanding general personally escorted Yun Shu to the tent prepared for her stay. Once she was settled, he retrieved a sealed letter and respectfully handed it over.
"This was sent from the capital the day before yesterday. It bears your personal seal, so this subject kept it in safekeeping until Your Highness arrived."
"The day before yesterday?"
By her reckoning, it must have been a reply to the express letter she had sent earlier with an eight-hundred-li rush delivery.
Yun Shu opened the envelope. As expected, the first page bore Emperor Xuanwu's unmistakable calligraphy—strong, upright strokes.
[Proceed without worry!]
"..."
Just four characters?
And this was written across a whole page?
Thankfully, there were two more pages beneath.
Yun Shu kept her composure and flipped to the second sheet.
At least this one was filled with proper content. Still, not a single line mentioned her proposal to develop the new weapon. Instead, it summarized recent events in court, highlighting only matters deemed significant.
The third sheet, however, was outright baffling.
It contained an assignment.
Yes, Emperor Xuanwu had sent her homework.
He asked for her thoughts and insights on the court affairs he had just described.
Yun Shu stared at the letters, highly suspicious that Emperor Xuanwu had failed to grasp the true meaning of her phrase "immense destructive power."
Otherwise, why would he respond with only four words?
If he truly didn't understand, then what should she make of this "Proceed without worry"?
Should she take it to heart or not?
But her hesitation vanished entirely the next day, when Ningzhou's army suffered another defeat at the hands of Pugan, losing over four thousand troops.
Standing still amidst the constant back-and-forth of wounded being carried to the infirmary, Yun Shu's expression was solemn, her gaze unwavering.
After a long silence, she turned on her heel and made her way to the craftsmen's quarters.
—
"Your Highness? What brings you here?"
The artisans had been thrilled when they learned they would accompany the Crown Princess to the frontlines. After all, they knew very well His Majesty would not dispatch them just to fight with blades on the battlefield.
That left only one possibility—
The Crown Princess must have another grand invention in mind, one that might very well be used in warfare.
Yet when they had arrived in Yongzhou, she had only taken a few samples of fireworks and then never summoned them again.
Now that the main force had moved on to Ningzhou, their initial enthusiasm had long faded. Most assumed their role had ended, and they were simply being kept idle.
None had expected the Crown Princess herself to appear.
A craftsman who had stepped out to fetch water happened to see Yun Shu approaching and immediately lit up.
"Does Your Highness have something for us to work on?"
"I've had a few ideas."
Yun Shu gave a slight nod.
"Is everyone gathered?"
"Yes, yes, we're all inside."
The craftsman quickly lifted the tent flap.
"We've been sitting around with nothing to do, just tossing ideas around. Everyone's here."
"Good. Then assist This Princess with something new."
Knowing that a quiet environment would be necessary for any meaningful work, Yun Shu had long ensured that the craftsmen's quarters were situated in a secluded corner of the camp.
She stepped into the tent without preamble and went straight to the point.
"This idea came to me back in Yongzhou, when I saw the troops using fireworks in combat. I want all of you to experiment with modifying the formula. See if we can turn them into something with lethal force."
"You mean... turn fireworks into weapons?"
One of the quicker thinkers understood her at once but looked utterly bewildered.
"Would that not be a bit too fanciful?"
After all, weren't fireworks just colorful displays meant for the sky?
"Whether it's fanciful or not, we'll know once we try." Yun Shu did not waste time debating. She issued her orders calmly and clearly. "To prevent unnecessary risk during development, This Pincess will have you moved to an isolated location where no one else is present."
As she spoke, she handed over a stack of ten formulas she had written—nine decoys and one genuine.
"This Princess devised these variations. If you find yourselves lacking ideas, test them one by one."
"Yes, understood!"
Now that the Crown Princess had even provided formulas, they could not very well refuse. No matter how implausible it seemed, they had to try.
Still, as Yun Shu prepared to leave, she paused again at the entrance.
"One final reminder. Whether or not the project succeeds, the process must remain confidential. And during testing, stand well back.
If the firebursts from these new mixtures end up being much larger than ordinary fireworks, you risk serious injury if you're too close."
"Understood, Your Highness. Rest assured, we shall be careful!"
Admittedly, if anyone else had made such an outlandish request—turning fireworks into weapons—these craftsmen would have thought that person insane.
After all, what damage could fireworks possibly inflict?
If used from afar, they were no different from standing under them during a festival. A few sparks might land nearby, but unless one hit the eye directly, the chances of injury were minimal.
And if used up close, then it became a matter of harming the enemy at the cost of harming oneself.
Not to mention, they were single-use. Wouldn't it be more practical to simply wield a blade?
But the one making this request was none other than the Crown Princess.
The very same Crown Princess who, before their arrival, had worked with ordinary Yongzhou craftsmen to create something as fantastical as a glider.
If she believed it was possible... then perhaps it truly was.
Thus, the craftsmen threw themselves into the task. Once relocated to a secluded ravine, they began experimenting in earnest with the formulas Yun Shu had provided.
As for Yun Shu herself, she was quickly summoned back to the main command tent, where she joined General Wei Yuan and the other officers in discussing their next tactical move.
"Today's battle has made one thing clear. The greatest advantage of Pugan's forces lies in..."