Display, Obeying Even the Unreasonable

Doudou's persistence is top-notch, and he himself has a spirit that never bends. As long as it's something he wants to do, unless he dies, he won't give up until he succeeds.

Serena Feng was worn down by Doudou's persistence and, in the end, personally took him out to join the excitement at the city gate.

This was the second time Serena had witnessed such a bustling scene. The first was when William Wang returned to the Capital, but that time was marred by the Thunderquake incident, which was anything but pleasant.

With Colin Si's arrival, it seemed a storm had swept through the imperial city. The crowds coming to watch were extraordinary—just slightly fewer than when William Wang returned.

By the time Serena and Doudou arrived, both sides of the street were packed with people. The nearby teahouses and restaurants had all been booked by young nobles and gentlemen. Doudou complained, "It's all your fault! We came so late, now there's no good spot left."

Serena shot Doudou a warning glare, making her meaning clear. Doudou didn't dare push his luck and lowered his head, looking unhappy.

He was here for the excitement, but with the place packed and no good seats left, what was the point of watching at all?

Serena could only shake her head helplessly. Since they were already here, she didn't want Doudou to be upset. Serena signaled for Doudou to follow her; although he didn't understand, he trusted Serena.

The two of them entered a teahouse—the one closest to the city gate. The private rooms upstairs had excellent views, with most offering a clear look at everything happening at the gate.

Once Serena revealed her identity, the manager immediately led her to the best private room by the window upstairs. This room was reserved by Vincent Su for his own use—no matter how crowded, outsiders were never allowed in.

Doudou's jaw dropped. When the private room was finally empty, he exclaimed in surprise, "So you already reserved a spot! I knew you wanted to see Colin Si too."

"This is Vincent Su's place," Serena retorted. "Weren't you the one who wanted the excitement? Go on, watch."

Serena really couldn't understand what made Colin Si so attractive that so many people came to welcome him. This was just an official summons, not a triumphant return—was all this fuss really necessary?

Of course, Serena knew she was just venting. This wasn't an official celebration—it was all the bored young nobles and ladies acting on their own.

The city gate had been sealed off early, with the road cleared for Colin Si and his Divine Arrow Battalion to enter. Soon, a group of dark figures appeared at the gate—not many by the look of it.

The sound of hooves—clop, clop, clop—quickly reached Serena's ears. From the rhythm, she guessed there were fewer than a hundred riders, which matched her expectations.

The main army could only camp fifty or a hundred miles outside the city—the Emperor would never let them get closer. Too dangerous!

"Why so few? I thought the Divine Arrow Battalion had five hundred men," Doudou complained, disappointed that Colin Si brought only a few dozen into the city.

"On the battlefield, archers aren't that important," Serena explained kindly, trying to temper Doudou's expectations for the Divine Arrow Battalion.

No matter how skilled, the Divine Arrow Battalion can't compare to Nolan's Black Riders on the battlefield. Without a good position, archers can't attack effectively or stay safe—and no one can draw a bow forever. It takes real arm strength, and after a while, your arms just give out.

The Divine Arrow Battalion is better suited for assassinations and ambushes; in real warfare, they're not as effective as people imagine.

Colin Si brought fifty personal guards into the city, and when they appeared at the gate, the crowd erupted in cheers.

"Look, look, Young Marshal Colin Si is here! That armor looks amazing. Why does he wear white armor—is it just to look better?" Doudou practically drooled over Colin Si's white armor.

He seriously wanted that gear.

"And that bow on his back is so cool—jet black and icy. Even from this distance, I can feel its chill. Black and white, it's so striking." Doudou's eyes sparkled, wishing he could strip Colin Si's gear and wear it himself.

Serena stayed quiet, letting Doudou chatter on. After a while, he realized no one was answering and turned, annoyed: "Serena, I'm talking to you! Can't you at least say something? Even if you don't answer, just make a sound so I know you're listening."

"Squeak..." Serena obliged. Anyone else would be annoyed, but Doudou was thrilled by her response, nodding and continuing his critique of Colin Si.

By now, Colin Si and his men had dismounted. At the Emperor's request, they would demonstrate the Divine Arrow Battalion's skills outside the city—part show, part intimidation.

Serena wasn't interested in the commotion. She twirled her teacup between her fingers, her gaze growing distant.

She wondered what Nolan was doing, when Colin Si would come to see her, and how to handle Prince Samuel Zhai's private troops.

Serena knew that Prince Samuel Zhai was officially giving her his private troops, but in reality, he meant them for Nolan. Still... once something was in Serena's hands, it was hers. No way she'd give it up!

Who should she put in charge of those twelve thousand private troops?

After thinking it over, Serena realized she had no one she could really trust. The only people she could use were Nolan's or Dominic Zhai's. As for the orphans raised by the Tong siblings, they were still too young—nothing would come of them for another year or two.

"This is giving me a headache," Serena muttered. Doudou immediately chimed in, "It really is a headache—how could anyone shoot down so many birds? I think the Emperor is trying to make things hard for Young Marshal Colin Si. Maybe he's having them show off the Divine Arrow Battalion just to embarrass him, not to boost his reputation."

Doudou looked puzzled, but Serena was too busy worrying about the private troops to explain. At the gate, Colin Si showed no reaction to the Emperor's request—he simply agreed without hesitation.

Obedience is a soldier's duty. Even if the order was unreasonable, Colin Si had to follow it. He knew the Emperor was teaching him a lesson—a warning for failing to ambush Nolan.

At Colin Si's command, his men grabbed their bows, drew arrows from their quivers, and each nocked three arrows at once—clearly preparing to shoot all three together.

"They can shoot three arrows at once? That's incredible!" Doudou's eyes lit up again.

He loved a good spectacle, and things were getting more interesting by the minute. Without caring whether Serena was happy or not, he dragged her to the window, shouting excitedly, "Serena, come look! Colin Si's fifty men are going to shoot down two hundred birds released all at once!"

"What? Shooting birds?" Serena looked up to see the archers at the gate, all deadly serious, ready for battle.

What kind of show is this?

Such a difficult challenge—was the Emperor trying to pin incompetence on Colin Si and replace him?