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◎He is willing to satisfy his daughter's thirst for knowledge.◎

Qingyang did not interrupt the questions and answers between his father and his three brothers.

Qingyang had also shared her eldest brother's concerns about the Western Hu, but her father had simply smiled and not responded. Qingyang agreed with her second brother's analysis of the two armies' commanders and morale, though her defensive strategy against the Western Hu was far from reliable. Finally, Qingyang shared her third brother's confidence in her father, but she was even more curious about what arrangements her father had made.

The little princess walked quietly on the wild fields where she rarely stepped on, with one hand held by her father. She looked like a nine-year-old girl who knew nothing about military affairs but was well-behaved.

Emperor Xingwu did not address his eldest son's worries, criticize his second son's recklessness, or despise his third son's lack of intelligence. He also did not ask his daughter for her opinion. After patrolling the military camp for about two quarters of an hour, Emperor Xingwu ordered the four siblings to return to their tents to rest.

When Qingyang returned, she found that Jie Yu and Qin Fang had already arrived and were packing her tent.

"Then sister, go to bed early." Qin Ren said with a yawn.

Qingyang nodded, watching her second and third brothers walk toward the nearby tent. Turning her gaze, she caught sight of Zhang Su's retreating figure. Although some lights were lit in the camp, they looked like fireflies against the pitch-black expanse of the wilderness. The constant chirping of insects echoed from the distant and nearby grass. Everything seemed so unfamiliar, but with familiar faces like her father, her brothers, Zhang Su, and Jie Yuqinfang by her side, Qingyang felt no fear.

"Your Highness, please take a rest. I'll have someone fetch some hot water..."

"No, it's inconvenient to march. From now on, all water needs will follow the emperor's instructions. Let's put aside the palace's customs for now."

"yes."

There was a wooden bed in the inner room of the tent, and insect repellent powder was sprinkled around the bed, which had a slightly strong smell.

Qinfang's mat was spread beside the bed. Qingyang lifted a corner of it and discovered it was made of reed matting on both sides, with a layer of hay in the middle to insulate against the dampness and cold of the ground. It was said that soldiers slept on this kind of mat while camping, sleeping fully clothed in the summer and covered with a large quilt in the winter.

Although it was said that one should endure hardships when leaving the palace, Qingyang was afraid that Qinfang, who was also delicate and lived in the palace for a long time, would catch a cold. He pushed his quilt further into the bed, leaving half of it empty, and said to Qinfang, "Sleep in bed with me."

Qinfang was flattered: "How can that be possible, my servant..."

Qingyang: "Sleep if I tell you to. Otherwise, if you catch a cold and get sick, who will take care of me?"

When she went out, she liked to bring Jie Yu with her, but in the inner room, Qinfang and the palace maids mostly served her in daily life, bathing and changing clothes.

Qinfang agreed with red eyes.

It was indeed tiring to sit in a carriage for a whole day. Not long after Qinfang blew out the lamp, the little princess fell asleep.

In the next tent, brothers Qin Ren and Qin Bing also shared a single bed. Qin Ren, feeling sleepy, washed his feet and lay down first. Just as he was about to fall asleep, the bed swayed and Qin Bing sat down on the other side. Qin Ren wanted to remind his brother to be gentler, but he was too lazy to speak. As he closed his eyes, ready to go back to sleep, he suddenly smelled the distinct odor of sweaty feet.

Qin Ren sat up suddenly. Seeing that his second brother had just pulled off his second sock, Qin Ren said in disbelief, "Second brother, don't you want to wash your feet?"

Qin Bing glanced at him and said, "Why are you washing? You might as well get some more sleep. You're not asleep yet, so go and blow out the lights. I forgot."

After saying that, he lay down on the bed, pulled up the quilt and closed his eyes.

Faced with this second brother who had a bad temper, refused to listen and was willing to fight, Qin Ren could only accept his fate and go to blow out the lights. After coming back, he wrapped himself in his quilt and lay down with his back to his second brother.

After a lot of effort, he fell asleep to the smell of his feet sweat which gradually faded away. He didn't know how long he slept before he was awakened by his rumbling stomach. The more he ate, the hungrier he became. Qin Ren got up in the dark and took out the half cake that his father insisted he bring back from his outer robe hanging on the rack. Afraid of waking up his second brother, Qin Ren squatted in the corner of the tent farthest from his second brother and began to eat it with great sadness.

The bed in the tent was far less comfortable than the bed in the palace. Qingyang did not sleep well and woke up very early.

Looking at Qinfang who was still sleeping beside him, Qingyang put on his outer robe and went to the outer room. As soon as he opened the curtain, he saw Jieyu raised his head from his mat and stood up quickly. He was already dressed.

Qingyang asked in a low voice: "When did you wake up?"

Xie Yu: "It's been a while, and it's not even the hour of Mao yet. Your Highness, would you like to sleep a little longer?"

Qingyang shook his head: "I want to go outside and take a look."

Jie Yu lit a lamp, carried it and followed the little princess out.

Two personal guards were arranged outside the tents of the father and son, and there was also a team of guards on duty outside. Qingyang also saw Fan Zhong who had just walked over.

The towering Fan Zhong quietly approached the little princess and asked, "Your Highness, why are you up so early?"

Qingyang pointed in the direction of the noise in the distance, and Fan Zhong said with a smile, "The cook is making breakfast. He's making pancakes for this morning and lunch together."

Qingyang: "You go to the emperor's place and guard it. I'll take two of my personal soldiers to take a look."

Fan Zhong: "I will lead the way for Your Highness."

Even if the emperor woke up at this time, he would not have any instructions. Protecting the little princess was more important.

So, when Qin Hong woke up his two younger brothers, the little princess had already returned after touring most of the military camp.

The journey to Wuwei would take a month, and the initial period was nothing but marching. After breakfast, Emperor Xingwu arranged for his children, saying, "Lin'er will ride in the carriage, and the three of you will ride horses. The Crown Prince will stay by my side, the second son will stay with the Marquis of Weiyuan, and the third son will stay with the Duke of Dingguo. You must follow their orders closely, just like my personal guards. Follow their instructions and learn from them."

Qin Bing responded excitedly and stood happily beside Meng Ji, who nodded respectfully.

Qin Ren walked towards Deng Chong with dark circles under his eyes. Deng Chong glanced at the usually lazy Third Prince, then at the Second Prince beside Meng Ji, and said to Emperor Xingwu, "Your Majesty, I have a quick temper and I'm afraid I can't teach the Third Prince well. Why don't you let the Second Prince come to my side? I think his temperament is quite similar to mine."

Emperor Xingwu: "It is precisely because the Second Prince has a quick temper like yours that I want him to learn Meng Ji's steadiness."

Deng Chong: "Then, what can I teach the Third Prince?"

Emperor Xingwu said: "Teach him as much as you can. If he is lazy, you can scold him or whip him. Don't worry about me."

Qin Ren: “…”

When the two young masters were about to leave, Zhang Su was about to continue following the Third Prince. Emperor Xingwu saw him and stopped him, saying, "During the march, you will stay by the princess's side and keep an eye on her so she doesn't run around."

Zhang Su bowed his head and accepted the order: "Yes."

The little princess's carriage followed behind the emperor's. She didn't know when her father got into the carriage after mounting the horse. Qingyang obediently got into her own carriage.

There was wind on the road, blowing up the dust raised by the carriage in front. Qingyang kept lowering the curtains and leaned against the car to read.

The car body was shaking, and it was easy to get irritable if you read for a long time. Qingyang endured it for a while, put the book aside, walked to the car window, and lifted a corner of the curtain.

Outside the carriage sat Zhang Su, riding on horseback. He wore a pale blue, coarse cloth robe, revealing coarse cloth trousers tucked into a pair of black combat boots. Standing nearly eight feet tall, the young man had an upright posture, and even when seated, he was handsome, his legs particularly long.

The idle little princess looked at Zhang Su from head to toe and then from toe to head.

Zhang Su had no choice but to move closer to the car window and whispered, "Your Highness, do you have any instructions?"

Qingyang didn't give any instructions. He looked at his cuffs and asked, "Are you wearing coarse cloth? Are you worried that silk and satin materials won't be banned?"

Zhang Su: “…Yes.”

His mother packed clothes for him and also brought two sets of silk clothes, but she specifically told him to wear coarse cloth when marching and riding horses to avoid embarrassing holes in his pants.

Qingyang: "My second and third brothers have gone to learn skills from the generals, and you are the only one staying by my side. Wouldn't you be unhappy?"

Zhang Su: "No."

Qingyang: "Why? Don't you want to learn some skills?" She wanted to be with Meng Ji, so Deng Chong was also okay. Although Deng Chong was a rough guy, his father said that Deng Chong was a talented man, especially good at winning by surprise.

Zhang Su: "On the march, we learn more about how to handle military affairs. As long as I watch and listen more, I can learn by staying with Your Highness."

Qingyang laughed and said, "I thought you would say that Duke Wei had taught you a lesson long ago."

Zhang Su lowered his eyes. His father had indeed taught him, but what he taught was just theoretical knowledge. He cherished this opportunity to join the army.

A gust of wind blew, and Qingyang lowered the curtain in time. After waiting for a while, he opened it again and saw that Zhang Su had retreated a few steps away.

Qingyang glanced ahead and instructed Zhang Su, "When father gets in the car, remember to tell me."

Zhang Su nodded.

However, half an hour later, Emperor Xingwu came to his daughter on horseback and asked with a smile, "What are you doing, Lin'er?"

Through the car window, the little princess raised the book in her hand.

Emperor Xingwu said: "It's too tiring for my eyes. Let's go play chess with father."

Emperor Xingwu asked the coachman not to stop and drove his horse close to the shaft of the carriage. When his daughter came out, he lifted her onto the horse's back. Then he caught up with the emperor's carriage in front and steadily put his daughter onto his carriage. Then he jumped directly from the horse's back onto the carriage.

Qin Hong was shocked when he saw this, but he also felt that this was the time when his father and uncle were most like brothers.

The imperial carriage was very spacious. Emperor Xingwu set up the chessboard and sat face to face with his daughter. While playing chess, he asked his daughter where she had visited in the morning.

Qingyang watched the cooks making pancakes, watched the baggage soldiers dismantling the tents and loading them onto carts, visited the stables and granary, and also watched the soldiers on night duty.

Emperor Xingwu asked: "So which do you think is harder, commanding an army or sitting in the Secretariat and handling local government affairs?"

Qingyang: "It's all difficult, but also simple. As long as Father uses the right people, there will be capable ministers to help Father manage everything in an orderly manner."

There are a lot of things to do in a small kitchen alone, including firewood, rice, oil, salt, cooking utensils, master chefs, and miscellaneous tasks. What Qingyang saw was a group of cooks working in an orderly manner and without any mistakes under the supervision of the head cook.

Emperor Xingwu praised him, saying, "Lin'er is right. The key lies in employing the right people. However, the ruler must first learn how to command the army and govern the country. Only then can he know which of his subordinates are capable and which are incompetent."

So he brought all three sons over and let them familiarize themselves with military affairs. Only when the crown prince is familiar with them can he become an emperor who will not be fooled by the generals in the future. Only when the second son is familiar with them can he become a general who can lead good soldiers. The third son... the third son will suffer a little more, and it will be worthwhile if he can cure his laziness.

As for his little princess...

Emperor Xingwu looked at the chessboard in front of him.

He had never forgotten Yan Xizheng's question, but he didn't know what to expect from his most intelligent child. He just knew that his daughter was interested in these things, so he was willing to satisfy his daughter's thirst for knowledge, and he could satisfy her in the past few years while she was still young.

【Author’s words】

Here they come, 100 little red envelopes, see you tomorrow!