The low-key prince summons trainees from the Imperial Household Department at the start of the game.

On the ninth day of the sixth lunar month, at the Qianyuan Hall.

Huo Qubing and Li Wenzhong followed Zhao Gao through the long palace road, the vermilion palace walls on both sides gleaming with a deep, dark light in the morning.

This was their first time stepping into the Great Zhou Imperial Palace.

Li Wenzhong's gaze couldn't help but linger on the carved beams and painted rafters for a few more moments.

Huo Qubing remained expressionless, but his steps unconsciously became lighter.

Zhao Gao, who was walking in front, never turned around. His pace was unhurried, and the hem of his scarlet official robe cast a straight shadow behind him.

As they approached the square in front of the palace, Zhao Gao turned his head slightly and said in a very low voice to the two people behind him, "Answer whatever His Majesty asks. Don't be nervous, but don't interrupt."

Huo Qubing raised an eyebrow slightly.

He had never met this eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial before, but the other party's words just now did not seem like a routine reminder.

It's more like a senior giving advice to a junior.

He didn't say much, he just nodded.

The gates of the Qianyuan Hall were wide open.

The hall was paved with gold bricks, with towering pillars, and more than a dozen palace maids and eunuchs standing on both sides, each with their hands at their sides and holding their breath.

Emperor Wu of Zhou, Zhou Qian, sat upright on the dragon throne, his twelve-tassel crown obscuring most of his face, revealing only his sharply defined jawline.

To his left stood Wang Zheng, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, and to his right sat Zhou Jing, the Grand Commandant, and Sima Lie, the Minister of War.

Zhou Jing brought his bamboo cane today.

Instead of using it as a support, he placed it across his knees, tapping the cane with his fingers.

Huo Qubing and Li Wenzhong stepped through the palace gates, walked side by side to the foot of the steps, and knelt on one knee at the same time, their armor clanging: "Your humble generals Huo Qubing and Li Wenzhong pay their respects to Your Majesty!"

Emperor Wu of Zhou did not immediately tell them to rise. He simply looked down at the two young captains, who were covered in the grime of the night, and remained silent for a while.

Then his voice came from behind Tamamo-no-Mae, neither too loud nor too soft, but carrying an air of authority that made people involuntarily straighten their backs: "Huo Qubing, I ask you, when you led five hundred cavalry to raid the royal court, did you ever think you might not be able to return?"

Huo Qubing slightly raised his head, but his gaze remained lowered, avoiding direct eye contact with the emperor.

He hesitated for a moment, then answered steadily, "Your Majesty, I have thought about it. I thought about it before we set off."

"But I'm not thinking about not being able to come back. What I'm thinking is that as long as I get to the royal court, Attila will have to go back."

"What makes you think Attila will go back?"

"Because the royal court is his stronghold, and all his possessions are there."

"I burned his belongings. Even if he's unwilling, he has to go back. Sometimes, war isn't about who has the fastest sword, but about who has more attachments. I have no attachments, so I dare to go." Huo Qubing's voice was calm and resolute.

Emperor Wu of Zhou was silent for a moment, then turned to Li Wenzhong: "Li Wenzhong, I ask you, when you captured the Right Guli King alive in Yunzhou, was it due to superior military strength, or something else?"

"Your Majesty, it is a map." Li Wenzhong took out a stack of hand-drawn sketches from his bosom and presented them with both hands.

Wang Zheng quickly walked over, took the sketch, and presented it to Emperor Wu of Zhou.

Emperor Wu of Zhou opened the sketch, his gaze slowly sweeping over the meticulously marked parchment sheets. "I have been in Yunzhou for some time now, and after each battle, I have made sure to memorize the terrain."

"I have recorded on the map which hills can be used to hide people, which valleys can be used to ambush, and how deep the streams are."

"King Youguli was not defeated by me; he was trapped and killed by this very map of mine."

"He always retreated through the same valley. I figured out his habit and laid an ambush at the valley exit. He walked right into it."

Emperor Wu of Zhou put down the sketch and leaned back on the dragon throne.

Tamamo swayed slightly, obscuring his expression.

His silence lasted longer than before, then he suddenly turned to Grand Commandant Zhou Jing, his voice carrying a rare hint of amusement: "Grand Commandant Zhou, Chen Jing has submitted a memorial to me, saying that Huo Qubing is the young man with the most talent for cavalry that he has ever seen."

"Han Chong also submitted a memorial to me, saying that Li Wenzhong has the talent of a commander."

"I met them today and I think the two old marquises have good judgment."

Zhou Jing stroked his gray beard, pondered for a moment, and then slowly nodded: "Your Majesty, this old minister believes that these two young men are indeed rare talents."

"But the position of captain at present, although not of high rank, is a real position of leading troops."

"The great war in the north has just ended, and the remnants of the Hu people are still wandering the grasslands, and they may return at any time."

"The Ministry of War keeps them in the capital to await orders, so that they can be deployed again at any time. This old minister suggests that they stay in the Ministry of War for a while to familiarize themselves with the court's military system, and be deployed immediately if there is any change in the northern border."

Sima Lie also stood up and echoed him.

It is said that a new official named Chen Qingzhi has joined the Ministry of War's Military Affairs Department. He is said to be the same advisor who drew up Huo Qubing's raid route.

It would be better to have the three of them stay in the Ministry of War for the time being. Firstly, they can familiarize themselves with military affairs, and secondly, they can help the Bureau of Military Affairs to reorganize the maps of the northern border.

Emperor Wu of Zhou nodded slightly and turned his gaze back to the two young captains kneeling before the imperial steps.

He suddenly asked a question completely unrelated to the war in the North: "Have either of you read any military books?"

Huo Qubing and Li Wenzhong exchanged a glance.

Li Wenzhong spoke first, saying that he had read some of it, but most of it was from his own practical experience.

Huo Qubing frankly admitted that he hadn't read many books. His family was poor when he was young and couldn't afford books. Later, when he joined the vanguard battalion, he didn't have time to study either.

Emperor Wu of Zhou did not blame him. Instead, he nodded slightly and said, "Not studying is not necessarily a bad thing. Some people study military books their whole lives, but when they go to the battlefield, they can't even read the wind direction."

Then he turned to Wang Zheng and gave him a few instructions.

Wang Zheng bowed and accepted the order, then turned and took the two knives from the eunuch.

Those were two newly forged ring-pommel swords, with straight blades and sharp edges, and the characters "Yonghe" engraved on the hilts.

Emperor Wu of Zhou had two young men step forward and personally handed them the swords, saying that these two swords were newly forged by the imperial craftsmen and were intended to reward the person who made the greatest contribution in the recent northern war.

Let them fight well, and in the future, these two knives will be engraved with even more words.

Huo Qubing took the sword with both hands, looked down at the two seal characters on the blade, his Adam's apple bobbed slightly, then knelt on one knee, his voice resounding: "This humble general will certainly not fail Your Majesty's high expectations."

Li Wenzhong also took the knife, placed his right hand on his left chest, and gave a standard military salute. His voice was not loud, but every word was firm and resounding.

Emperor Wu of Zhou waved his hand, signaling them to leave.

As the two left the Qianyuan Hall and descended the white marble steps, the afternoon sun was pouring down from the glazed tiles on the roof, illuminating the entire square in a golden glow.

Li Wenzhong hung the imperial-bestowed ring-pommel sword at his waist, turned to look at Huo Qubing, and suddenly asked, "Colonel Huo, you just said, 'Sometimes in war, it's not about whose sword is faster, but about whose worries are greater.' How did you come up with that?"

Huo Qubing held the sword in his arms, looked down at the two characters "Yonghe" on the blade, remained silent for a while, then raised his head to look at the glazed tiles on the roof of the palace: "What I owed others in my past life, I will repay in this life."

"People who have nothing to worry about are not afraid to die in battle; people who have something to worry about are more eager to come back alive."

Li Wenzhong didn't ask any more questions, but simply shifted his gaze away from him and looked towards the layered palaces in the distance.

The two walked down the steps side by side, their footsteps echoing in the empty square.