The next day, Shang Shaoyan arrived at Mo Xing's residence as promised. Qiao Xiuyu was still in bed and unable to get up, so Shang Shaoyan had to instruct the two servants to take care of Qiao Xiuyu before he went out.
Mo Xing had been up for a while. When Shang Shaoyan came in, he was practicing his swordplay, wielding it with great skill and power. Upon seeing Shang Shaoyan, he quickly stopped, wiped his sweat, and asked, "Your Highness has arrived so early?"
Shang Shaoyan smiled and nodded, stepped forward, picked up a bow and a quiver of arrows, and then said to Mo Xing, "Deputy General Mo, let's go."
Mo Xing sheathed his sword, and while picking up the horses, asked Shang Shaoyan, "Princess, was that man from yesterday truly your fiancé?"
Shang Shaoyan glanced at Mo Xing, then said helplessly, "We haven't settled our relationship yet. Yesterday was just to amuse him. But we will get married eventually, so that's not wrong."
Mo Xing frowned, scratched the back of his head, and asked in confusion, "He looks frail and weak. Apart from his decent face, he doesn't seem to have anything special about him. Why did the county princess take a liking to him?"
Shang Shaoyan had just mounted his horse when he heard this. He raised an eyebrow, turned to look at Mo Xing, and asked instead of answering, "Deputy General Mo, what kind of person do you think I should find as my fiancé?"
Mo Xing thought for a while, and then said with some distress, "Princess, I can't think of anything. But I think that a gentleman who is both literate and martial and comes from a distinguished family is worthy of you, isn't he?"
Shang Shaoyan smiled, and then asked, "Then tell me, whose family is more illustrious than the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion?"
Mo Xing paused for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, "I'm afraid it's only members of the royal family."
Shang Shaoyan nodded and said, "That's it. Nowadays, the young men of the imperial clan are not very promising, let alone those who are both literate and martial. Qilang is very good. Although he is a bit silly, he is good-looking and treats me sincerely. I like him too, and that's enough."
Mo Xing nodded thoughtfully, and the two arrived at the military camp while they were talking.
Inside the military camp, Mo Xing had informed several key figures in Shang Shaoyan's army yesterday that Shang Shaoyan was coming. These soldiers were already waiting in the main tent in the camp.
Shang Shaoyan was still dressed as a woman, and it was obvious at a glance that she was a girl. Therefore, she received a lot of attention from the soldiers when she walked towards the main tent.
She didn't feel uncomfortable at all. When a soldier whistled at her, she raised an eyebrow, smiled at him, picked up a stone from the ground, and crushed it in one go.
The whistling soldier: "..."
Suddenly his whistling changed tone, and those who had been paying attention to Shang Shaoyan fell silent, immediately abandoning their inappropriate thoughts.
When Mo Xing respectfully lifted the curtain for Shang Shaoyan and invited her in, many soldiers nearby saw several veteran generals of the Shang army standing inside. Seeing that they were all very respectful to Shang Shaoyan, these rough and uncultured men, who usually lacked critical thinking skills, actually had some sense and knew that this young lady was probably someone important and should not be easily provoked.
Inside the tent, Shang Shaoyan saluted the generals. An elderly scholar immediately helped her up, his aged voice tinged with emotion and感慨: "Princess, there's no need for such formalities... Do you still remember me? I am..."
“Mr. Xin,” Shang Shaoyan replied with a smile, “Mr. Xin is the strategist of the Shang family army. My parents have always praised you for your extraordinary talent. I remember you even held me on my sixth birthday.”
Mr. Xin smiled, but his eyes reddened. He rubbed his eyes and said "good" repeatedly.
The other two were middle-aged men, around forty years old. Shang Shaoyan still bowed and greeted them: "Are you Uncle Hua and Uncle Yu? Although Heyang has never met the two uncles, his parents often mention you at home, saying that you two are fierce generals, brave and resourceful, and have made great contributions in the wars against the Western Turks and Uyghurs."
Hua Qing and Yu Tan were stunned for a moment, seemingly not expecting that such a young girl would know them. After they came to their senses, they were both happy and a little embarrassed: "It is kind of you, County Princess, to remember us."
Shang Shaoyan chuckled and said, "This can't be considered difficult. Both of you uncles, Vice General Mo, and Old Master Xin are all very talented, yet you are willing to serve under my parents. It's truly touching."
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Shang Shaoyan, being a thoughtful person, neither neglected nor paid special attention to anyone during the conversation. He was neither arrogant nor humble, and he did not have the airs of a noble from Shengjing. This already satisfied the four people greatly.
Unexpectedly, in the ensuing conversation, they witnessed Shang Shaoyan's extensive knowledge and erudition. She not only had profound insights into military strategy but also her own views on the current state of the world, making her a rare clear-headed person among the powerful and influential figures of Southern Chen.
"...You probably don't know this yet," Vice General Mo interjected, "The county princess is skilled in martial arts; even I can't beat her."
The other three were stunned and looked at Mo Xing with disbelief. They then looked at Shang Shaoyan’s slender figure. Although Princess Heyang was considered tall among the ladies, Mo Xing was an eight-foot-tall man who had been on the battlefield for many years. How could he possibly lose to Princess Heyang?
Is this just flattery?
But... Mo Xing doesn't seem like the type to flatter people.
The three of them looked at Mo Xing with some skepticism. Mo Xing was not in a hurry, but looked at Shang Shaoyan with kindness and gentleness: "Princess, show them your strength!"
Shang Shaoyan: "..."
However, it really felt like a scene from Chinese New Year, where parents ask their children to perform.
After thinking for a moment, she decided to take this opportunity to infiltrate the Shang family's army. So she looked at Mo Xing, Hua Qing, and Yu Tan and said, "How about we go to the training ground outside? I haven't fought in a long time. I sparred with Vice General Mo yesterday, so I'm a bit rusty. I'd like to practice properly today. Would that be convenient?"
Mo Xing readily agreed, but Yu Tan and Hua Qing were taken aback, feeling uneasy and secretly thinking that something was amiss.
They tried to stop them, but Shang Shaoyan and Mo Xing were already chatting and laughing as they walked toward the training ground.
The two chased after him anxiously, inwardly cursing Mo Xing for being impulsive and reckless.
Mr. Xin followed slowly behind, not in too much of a hurry. He could tell that the Princess of Heyang was a person with her own opinions and a capable person. She was by no means an arrogant person, and she would not do anything without a purpose.
Hua Qing and Yu Tan wanted to run over, but Mr. Xin stopped them: "Slow down, have some consideration for this old man."
The two were people who respected the elderly and cared for the young, but suddenly they were in a dilemma. On the one hand, they were worried about Shang Shaoyan, and on the other hand, they were worried about Mr. Xin. They didn't know whether to go forward or backward.
The sight was rather comical, but when they decided to go find Shang Shaoyan, they discovered that the surrounding soldiers were all rushing to the training ground, whispering among themselves: "I heard that the young lady was going to have a match with Vice General Mo!"
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