"Troop movement in western Bei Xiang?"
Yun Shu furrowed her brow as she recalled the geography she had studied. The western region of Bei Xiang bordered Qiang.
Qiang was not a formidable nation, but its geography gave it a significant advantage. The terrain at the border with Bei Xiang was rugged and easy to defend but difficult to attack. Over the past century, while tensions and skirmishes between the two countries had never ceased, no full-scale war had ever broken out.
Now, with Bei Xiang quietly moving troops toward that same border, did this mean they were preparing for war?
Yun Shu turned the secret report over several times, checking for hidden compartments or codes, some indication that further information lay within.
Nothing.
It truly contained only a single line, reporting troop movement.
Yun Shu set the memorial aside with a faint twist of her lips.
"Father Emperor, are you simply asking Your Daughter to guess?"
"Matters of national secrecy, such as troop movements, are often too deeply veiled for even our best spies to uncover in full," said Emperor Xuanwu, his tone even and instructive. "Sometimes, all they can bring back is one or two scraps of information like this.
Yet even a single thread, if interpreted correctly, may prove vital at a critical moment.
You are Crown Princess. In time, you will receive many such cryptic reports. You must learn to judge which ones are credible, what implications they carry, and whether they threaten Tian Sheng. More importantly, you must know how to respond."
So this was his way of raising the difficulty.
Yun Shu plucked at the tip of the finely crafted quill in her hand, its white goose feather meticulously trimmed and decorated. She leaned back slightly, collecting her thoughts, then began to analyze the possibilities step by step.
"There are several reasons a state might move its troops.
First, tensions between Bei Xiang and Qiang may have escalated. War could be on the horizon, and Bei Xiang is positioning its forces in advance for a full offensive.
Second, it could be internal strife. The King of Bei Xiang has many sons, each one ambitious. It would not be surprising if one of them secretly raised private forces in hopes of rebellion.
However, since this report does not specify the scale of the deployment, it may not be for warfare at all. Perhaps there is another purpose requiring military presence.
For example, suppression of bandits. Or perhaps a rich vein of ore has been discovered and they need soldiers to guard it.
Another possibility — similar to how we once dispatched troops to Qiongzhou to train a naval force — is that they are raising a specialized military unit in secret.
Or perhaps a natural disaster has occurred. Floods, earthquakes. They may need to enforce martial law or carry out rescues."
"Mm." Emperor Xuanwu nodded slightly. "And which among these possibilities do you believe warrant greater vigilance on our part? Which demand contingency plans?"
"Let me think…"
She began reviewing her earlier deductions one by one. Thus, Yun Shu spent the rest of the day in the imperial study, dutifully receiving what amounted to a full lesson in statecraft.
Tomorrow would mark the official start of enrollment at Tian Sheng Academy.
Before departing, Yun Shu requested a day of leave from Emperor Xuanwu.
To her surprise, Emperor Xuanwu replied, "Remember to bring that Sixth Brother of yours along."
"If Sixth Brother finds out that the day's leave was granted by Your Majesty personally," Yun Shu replied with a trace of amusement, "he may very well be overcome with joy."
Emperor Xuanwu let out a disdainful snort. "This is not for play. We want him to see with his own eyes how difficult it is for children of ordinary households to gain access to education.
Once he sees the reality, he is to return to the study hall and stay put. No more finding excuses to sneak off for leisure."
"Tian Sheng Academy does not follow the same curriculum as the study hall," Yun Shu said lightly, her tone laced with mirth. "Is Your Majesty not concerned he might be so taken with their methods that he refuses to return?"
"Let him go then," Emperor Xuanwu replied without the slightest concern. "We have no expectations that he will ever contribute much in court. We only insist that he not grow into an idle good-for-nothing.
If your Tian Sheng Academy truly offers valuable knowledge, then the more he learns, the better."
"You are wise, Father Emperor."
Yun Shu could not help but smile. "Your Daughter will see to it that Sixth Brother and Grand Preceptor Ye are both informed. The Grand Preceptor had regretted that he could not personally witness the enrollment day. This time, he will not miss it."
—
Although Yun Shu had been granted a day off from the imperial study, she still had to attend morning court.
By the time she had concluded her duties, changed into appropriate attire, and set off with Yun Chuhuan for the Tian Sheng Academy's capital branch, enrollment was already underway.
Fortunately, just as Yun Shu had predicted, the article she published the day before had taken full effect. The Eldest Prince and his allies had no time to implement further schemes and were forced to hastily withdraw their original plan.
Not a single saboteur appeared that day.
Here and there, a few individuals whose qualifications clearly did not meet the admission standards attempted to stir trouble. But before the imperial guards Yun Shu had stationed could even react, those individuals were subdued by the very crowd around them — sharp-eyed citizens who acted with surprising speed.
Everyone feared that a single delay, a single blemish on their family's record, would cost them this rare opportunity.
Standing beside Yun Shu, Yun Chuhuan watched the scene unfold with wide eyes.
A man had barely raised his voice to shout before four or five hands came out of nowhere to cover his mouth and haul him away.
Yun Chuhuan was stunned.
He stared at the long line of hopefuls stretching beyond the courtyard, then quietly swallowed.
"These commoners are truly doing everything they can for the sake of their children's future. But with so many of them, surely not all can be admitted?"
"There is an entrance exam," Yun Shu replied casually.
Then, on a sudden whim, she turned to look at Yun Chuhuan.
"Would you care to try the test as well?"
"Me?"
He had only just earned a rare day of freedom, finally free from the confines of the study hall. Now he was being asked to take an exam?
Had he gone mad?
Yun Chuhuan instinctively wanted to refuse.
But then he remembered — this exam was designed for the children of ordinary families. Many of them probably could not even read.
He may not have been the most diligent student, but he had spent years in the imperial study.
If he joined the test, wouldn't it be a breeze? Wouldn't he easily outshine everyone around him?
He imagined the admiring stares of the onlookers as he effortlessly answered each question, the awe on their faces as he casually wrote a few elegant characters.
The corners of Yun Chuhuan's mouth lifted before he could stop himself.
"Very well. Let me take the test."
"Which subject would you like to try first?"
Some emotions had played a little too obviously on his face. The way his tail nearly wagged gave everything away.
Yun Shu raised her brow, amused.
She chose not to tell him that the test might not be quite what he was expecting.