"That's right, quickly help me comb my hair. I also brought back the cloak," Xueying said hurriedly.

"Master!" A'Luo said anxiously.

"Don't say anything, just help me comb my hair." Xueying had already started taking her hair down herself.

A Luo knew that Xue Ying was always a very opinionated person, and she never easily changed her mind once she made a decision.

After her hair was styled into a single braid and she was dressed in men's clothes, a captivating "handsome man" stood before A'Luo.

“My lady, you are so beautiful.” A’luo couldn’t help but sigh. “If I didn’t know that you were a woman, even I would have fallen in love with you.”

He had a face like jade, with delicate and handsome features; he was extremely good-looking.

"You stay here, your master is going to see what's going on." Xueying said, winking at A'luo, and then ran out.

Hongli was in his tent pointing at a map with his attendants, completely unaware that Xueying had already slipped in and was standing right behind the attendants.

“Your Highness, we have 200,000 Eight Banner soldiers, while the enemy has only 100,000. We are two against one, so we have nothing to fear,” said one of the attendants.

“But they are people from the grasslands, skilled in horseback warfare. Although we Eight Banners soldiers also came from the grasslands, we haven’t trained for many years. Some of us are probably even rusty on horseback, and our agility is not what it used to be,” another attendant said.

What he described does indeed exist among the Manchu bannermen today. Many of them rely on the privileges of their ancestors, receiving salaries from the court, yet they never actually train. But when the country needs men to fight, these men are doomed; they either have to find replacements to go to the battlefield or are killed on the battlefield.

Hongli was aware of this, and this was what he was worried about. Although there were 200,000 Eight Banner soldiers, how many of them were truly lethal?

Just then, the bugle sounded outside. Everyone began to prepare for battle.

"Let's go. Follow closely behind Uncle Seventeen. Let's go take a look first," Hongli said.

The group immediately followed Hongli outside. Xueying followed behind them, also heading outside.

The Seventeenth Prince had already led his soldiers on horseback and were waiting at the place where the bugle sounded. Hongli immediately led his entourage to the stable to fetch the horses.

Xueying, dressed in armor resembling that of a soldier with a yellow banner, stood out among the crowd. Hongli had assumed Xueying wouldn't come, as he hadn't seen her arrive, but he saw her only when he mounted a white warhorse.

She was so pretty and delicate that even wearing men's armor couldn't hide her stunning beauty.

Hongli frowned and pointed at her, saying, "You, come to my side later, and don't run around!"

Xueying nodded quickly and found a chestnut-colored horse to ride. Although she was a woman, as a Manchu and a descendant of Feiyanggu, she had learned riding and archery since childhood.

Hongli glanced at Xueying as she leaped onto her horse, then turned and kicked the horse's belly, sending it galloping away. The retinue followed closely behind, heading in the direction where the Seventeenth Prince had stood. The Seventeenth Prince led his men towards the grasslands, the very place Xueying had wanted to visit that day. Xueying cracked her whip, galloping among the men. She was filled with excitement. She never imagined she would experience such a life of war and conquest.