Bai Chuwan is pregnant! This is getting more and more interesting.
Qingzhu was startled. "Miss, how did this storybook come true? According to the later plot, does that mean the Second Miss will become a nun?"
Bai Chuxiao tapped her head, "What are you thinking about, you silly girl? Don't talk nonsense."
They might think this baby in her belly is a treasure, protecting it like it's nothing. Why would they need a nun? If it gives birth to the emperor's eldest grandson, that would be even more interesting... But would Liu Shuyao be so magnanimous? She didn't believe it...
"Miss, should we tell the Second Miss?" Lanxin asked.
"Let's pretend we don't know anything about this, and leave it all to the child's fate," Bai Chuxiao said with a faint smile.
After resting for two days, Bai Chuxiao went to Zhaoyun Peak again. When she arrived, everyone was practicing combat techniques. They looked much more energetic than a few days ago, and at least their faces no longer showed any signs of pain. They had probably gradually adapted to the intensity of the training.
"Young Master, you've arrived. How have you been?" Cui Hao asked with a smile as he stepped forward, convinced that he had done a decent job as the leader.
Bai Chuxiao's face curled into a strange smile, ignoring his words. It wouldn't be fun if it were that easy.
"All troops, line up!"
"Good morning, instructor!"
"Great, let's try something new today," someone said, their faces showing anticipation.
"Today's practice is rock climbing. See that cliff in front of you? Figure out a way to climb up."
"Report"
"explain"
"Instructor, how are we supposed to climb this bare ground? What if we fall and die?" a junior officer stepped forward and asked, since ordinary soldiers like them didn't know any kind of martial arts.
Bai Chuxiao gestured for Cui Hao to take out a specially prepared rope. This rope, which she had had someone forge overnight over the past few days, was not ordinary hemp rope, but rather something resembling iron, with a hook at one end and an intricate lock at the other.
Looking at the strange pile of things on the ground, some people were puzzled, while others were pondering.
"Can anyone tell me how to use this thing to get up the cliff?"
After a moment of silence, Xia Fan emerged, picked up a rope from the ground, took the hook end, and swung it towards a cliff face. The hook immediately embedded itself in the rock. He then wrapped the hook end around his waist and began using the rope's pull to climb upwards. Reaching the middle, he quickly swung the rope again onto a large tree on the cliff, and in one go, he climbed all the way up.
Seeing this, Bai Chuxiao's eyes flashed with admiration; this Xia Fan was indeed a promising talent.
Seeing Xia Fan successfully climb up, everyone followed suit, grabbing ropes one after another. However, what looked simple was far from easy in practice. Some couldn't even manage the first step of embedding the hook into the wall, while others succeeded only briefly before falling back down, forced to climb again. Very few managed to climb up quickly.
The person who had fallen looked at Bai Chuxiao with tears in their eyes and cried out, "Instructor!"
Bai Chuxiao said calmly, "Watch carefully, I'll demonstrate once."
Having said that, she picked up a rope, swung it precisely, and began to climb. However, unlike Xia Fan, Bai Chuxiao's every step was extremely skillful, making it seem as if she hadn't exerted any effort at all as she climbed up.
Those above were also amazed.
"Instructor, you're amazing!" Xia Fan said with admiration.
"You did well too. If you had observed a little more carefully, it would have been perfect. The first thing to learn in rock climbing is how to use leverage and where to use it. With this rope, we'll only achieve twice the result with half the effort."
Those who couldn't climb up below, after seeing this, all climbed up under Cui Hao's guidance.
Seeing that everyone had come up, Xia Fan asked again, "Instructor, what use is this knowledge on the actual battlefield?"
Bai Chuxiao said calmly, "The terrain varies from place to place, and battles are not always flat. Do you plan to leisurely bypass such dangerous places in the future? If you are at the bottom of a mountain and the enemy throws stones from the top, are you just going to wait to be pelted with them? The same applies when attacking a city. What if you are shot dead before you even climb up? You still have to learn the intricacies of rock climbing slowly, carefully, and attentively."
Upon hearing this, Cui Hao was also taken aback. This kind of situation was quite common. If the army could master these tricks, they would naturally have a huge advantage. "What you say is true, young master."
"Good, now let's figure out a way to use the ropes you have to get directly to the other side of the mountain."
The group began to ponder again. The two mountains weren't too far apart, but falling from the middle would likely be fatal. Cui Hao was also thinking; without using qinggong (lightness skill), an ordinary person probably couldn't cross that distance.
A moment later, Xia Fan stepped forward again, "Instructor, could I borrow your rope?"
Bai Chuxiao smiled and handed it to him, secretly nodding in approval. "A promising young man."
Xia Fan swung one rope to a large tree on the other side and hooked it there. He then secured the other end with a carabiner on this side. Next, he picked up another rope, hooked it onto the first rope, and slowly slid across. Once on the other side, he gently jumped up.
Everyone slapped their foreheads, realizing they hadn't thought of that, and started borrowing ropes from each other again.
Seeing this, Bai Chuxiao looked at Cui Hao beside her and smiled, "This Xia Fan is worth nurturing."
"What you say is right, young master," Cui Hao nodded with satisfaction. This team definitely couldn't function on his own, and he was happy to see these newcomers grow.
"Why don't you give this team a name, young master? Calling it the Flying Cloud Cavalry wouldn't be appropriate."
Bai Chuxiao shook her head and said calmly, "Let's talk about it after we've successfully completed the training. There's no rush."
What she taught them today was enough for them to practice for several days, so Bai Chuxiao wasn't in a hurry to teach them other skills. After all, haste makes waste.
With Cui Hao watching over her, she felt reassured and leisurely returned to the capital. After thinking for a while, Bai Chuxiao went to the Zhao family again.
"Why is Zui'an in the mood to come over?" Zhao Sifang asked with a puzzled look. Wasn't Zui'an afraid of running into his sister again? These days, Xin'er had been constantly talking about wanting Zui'an to marry into the family.
"Your sister isn't here, is she?" Bai Chuxiao asked hesitantly.
Zhao Sifang raised an eyebrow, "Is there anyone in this world that you're afraid of, Zui An?"
Bai Chuxiao straightened up, flicked her folding fan, and snorted coldly, "Why would I be afraid? There are plenty of girls who like me. It's only because she's your sister that I'm not willing to hurt her feelings."
Zhao Sifang chuckled, "Come on, what are you doing here today? I don't believe you're here to catch up with your brother."
Bai Chuxiao's expression also became more serious. "Your family's business spans the entire country. You should have a map of the northern region, right? I need a detailed one."
"Are you worried about your Prince Yan?" Zhao Si felt a pang of unease.
"I'm mainly worried about having Wei Junyan and the Crown Prince around."
Zhao Sifang nodded. "That's true. These two don't seem like the type to follow the Prince of Yan's orders. You do have them, but what use are they to you? You're not thinking of going to the north, are you? That won't do. I won't allow it."
He believed in Xiaoxiao's abilities, but the battlefield was ever-changing; what use would Xiaoxiao be? He didn't want her to take the risk.
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