In the early autumn of the third year of Tianfeng, it arrived earlier than in previous years.
This was the conclusion You Jinhua ca to after noticing the flowers and plants she tended were wilting.
Morning.
In the inner courtyard of the Zhao family, Zhao Paner had just stepped into the dining room with her beloved dog when she saw You Jinhua clutching a letter, absorbed in its contents.
"Mother?" Zhao Pan called out in confusion, seeing the beautiful woman lift her delicate head and cheerfully say, "Your elder brother sent a letter ho from the front lines. It just arrived this morning."
"A letter from elder brother?!" The increasingly charming Zhao Pan’s eyes lit up as her feet in "cotton slippers" padded forward, she dashed over, grabbed the letter, and her girlish figure settled onto a round stool. Her eyes imrsed in the words, unable to pull away.
The content of the letter was simple, mainly asking about the recent situation at ho and especially ntioning Zhao Pan’s academic progress.
As for the major victory at the front lines and the thrilling war, he only briefly touched upon it.
You Jinhua’s eyes were slightly red, but she maintained a smile: "Dalang won a big victory at the front lines, and the letter, along with the military report, was hastily delivered to the palace. At this ti, compared to those court officials, they should all know by now, and soon the Capital will spread the news."
Zhao Pan raised her head, her youthful jade fingers still tightly grasping the letter paper, admiringly saying: "Elder brother always manages to do what others cannot."
Then her gaze dimd: "But the letter says elder brother must stay at Taicang and cannot co back. So he won’t be able to eat the persimmon cakes made at ho."
The gentle-natured You Jinhua, unusually assuming the deanour of the lady of the house, seriously said: "Your elder brother is busy with important matters. You should focus on your studies. Once the persimmon cakes are made, I’ll have soone send them to the front lines."
After the Empress ascended the throne, a separate won’s school was established within the Imperial College, temporarily only admitting daughters of prominent families in the Capital.
After Zhao Pan gave up learning martial arts, she enrolled in the school and excelled in her studies.
Zhao Pan responded with a sigh: "It’s a pity, not knowing when we’ll et next."
Suddenly, under the dining table, the Pekingese nad "Mantou," without anyone noticing, braced its legs on the floor, bared its teeth at the air, and beca aggressive, barking "woof woof."
You Jinhua frowned, displeased: "What’s wrong with this dog?"
Zhao Pan bent down to pick up her beloved dog, only to discover with surprise that beneath its fur, the small body was trembling, teeth chattering, seemingly fierce but actually shivering.
The mother and daughter couldn’t see where the Pekingese was staring intently, in a "transparent person" state Zhao Douan stood up, smiled at mantou and floated out of the mansion.
After testing, he could still move freely within the Zhao Mansion; however, the further he was from the mural, the shorter he could maintain his presence.
...
In the Imperial Palace, within the Martial Arts Hall, the ancient trees towered, silence enveloped.
Eunuch Hai was alone, sitting on a chair in the courtyard, opened his eyes to greet the sunrise and saw Zhao Douan floating back.
"Not staying ho for a bit longer?" The old eunuch wearing a bright red python robe asked with a smile.
Zhao Douan softly sighed, his expression helpless in the sunlight: "If they could see , I might consider it."
Eunuch Hai pondered: "Perhaps through so thods, you could acquire a fake body, but whether it can be achieved, I can’t say for sure; it needs careful consideration. It’s sothing Magicians are more adept at."
Zhao Douan shook his head: "No hurry. It’s better to keep my ability a secret for now; as long as Your Majesty and you can see , that’s enough. But soon, I will be taking action and won’t return frequently."
Eunuch Hai curiously asked: "Have you already entered Yongjia Prefecture City?"
It had been over ten days since the great victory on the western front, and news of the battle had already spread.
As expected, Prince Jing began his attack on the eastern front, with Xue Shence leading the main assault, accompanied by Mo Chou as the supervisor.
Zhao Douan was nominally stationed within Taicang Prefecture City, along with Sun Xiaozhun, Yuan Feng, and others to hold the western front, containing Zhao Shixiong.
Yet only a few knew that the real Zhao Douan had already secretly infiltrated Huai River, hidden within Zhao Shixiong’s territory in Yongjia Prefecture City.
Zhao Douan nodded: "Yes, the aftermath of the battle has stabilized, and I should act now, as ti waits for no one."
This ti, for confidentiality, Zhao Douan did not bring anyone with him; Lang Shiba, Ji Yue, and other experts were left in Linfeng.
However, a group of elite Shadow Guards had also infiltrated Yongjia Prefecture City and could be commanded by Zhao Douan if necessary.
"Alright, take care. Being in enemy territory, if danger arises, support may not arrive in ti." Eunuch Hai took out a docunt, spread it before him, and the pages floated in the air, "These are what you need, concerning Zhao Shixiong and key personnel within Yongjia City."
Zhao Douan’s gaze fell on the paper, quickly morizing it.
Eunuch Hai said: "Zhao Shixiong, he stepped into the Worldly Realm twenty years ago, and now may have reached Great Perfection, with profound martial arts. Beside him, a woman from the Gongsun clan, beca the new wife after his first wife passed, originating from the Gongsun Manor, adept at Sword Dao."
"Furthermore, he is often accompanied by trusted aide camp mbers, who are all confidants and possess extraordinary martial power."
"However, Yongjia Prefecture City is not entirely under Zhao Shixiong’s command. The city’s main forces are from the old Southwest Border Army, but there’s another faction, the private army of Mu Prince Xu Jingtang’s family, not large in number but holding a transcendent status. They serve as ’supervisor,’ dispersed within various border army camps, not interfering with combat, yet Zhao Shixiong must heed this group’s opinions."
Zhao Douan stared at the series of portraits on the paper, withdrew his gaze, and jokingly said:
"It seems Xu Jingtang’s suspicion and distrust towards Zhao Shixiong are heavier than imagined, having placed so many ’supervisors’ inside, he can observe Zhao Shixiong’s every move."
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