Serena Feng lowered her eyes, cheeks tinged with red, looking a bit embarrassed. In a soft, timid voice, she said, "Um, General Yu, could you help me out?"
"Huh? Help? Help with what?" General Warren Yu didn’t react at first.
When did Serena Feng turn into a shy, delicate noble lady? Just a moment ago, she was brimming with confidence.
"Um, I—I can't get off the horse," Serena's voice grew even softer, her head almost buried in her chest, looking as if she didn’t dare meet anyone’s eyes.
"What? You can get on a horse but not off?" General Yu was clearly skeptical.
"Actually, I can only get on," Serena forced down her laughter, her voice tinged with a hint of mock tears.
"Serena Feng, you’re messing with me." General Yu looked at her sitting uneasily on the horse, feeling oddly frustrated—like he had nowhere to vent his irritation.
Crack, crack... General Yu’s fingers made popping sounds, looking for all the world like he wanted to hit someone.
He actually believed a woman’s words and ended up being played for a fool.
Caleb Wang could tell General Yu was angry and was about to step in and smooth things over, but Serena Feng showed no trace of panic. She laughed, the timid and uneasy look vanishing, replaced by a serious expression.
"General Yu, this move is called bluffing with false weakness."
As she finished speaking, Serena flipped off the horse in one smooth, beautiful motion—so natural and agile that it was obvious she not only knew how to ride, but was exceptionally skilled.
Serena tossed the riding whip to a soldier behind her and walked forward, saying, "General Yu, this move is called: make the false seem true, and the true seem false."
"Serena Feng..." For once, General Yu was speechless.
The Eastlyn Empire’s top general, outplayed by a woman—and not only was he angry, he actually...
Admired her!
General Yu realized, to his surprise, that he genuinely respected a woman.
Serena Feng’s skills weren’t just book knowledge—she used her own methods to show him what real military strategy meant.
Seeing General Yu standing frozen, Serena kindly reminded him, "General Yu, the carriage is fixed. If you don’t mind, would you join me for the ride?"
With that, she hopped straight into the carriage. It wasn’t exactly the elegant grace expected of a noblewoman, but it suited these rough soldiers just fine.
"Miss Feng, that was awesome!" someone called out, and the soldiers behind her all joined in with cheers.
Serena Feng had no idea what modesty was—she accepted the praise from the soldiers with perfect composure.
"No need to call me Miss Feng—it sounds too distant. Just call me Qingchen," Serena said boldly, not the least bit shy.
"Alright then, Qingchen girl!" The soldiers saw she wasn’t just being polite and went along without hesitation.
A group of soldiers and one delicate young lady, all standing in the middle of the official road—one shouting, another responding—the whole scene was unexpectedly heroic.
General Yu didn’t know whether to be annoyed or amused.
He thought to himself, Serena Feng was born for the barracks. The glittering imperial city only dimmed her brilliance.
Ahem, to be honest, General Yu had it right. In the army—where there were no restraints and no scheming—Serena Feng was truly herself.
The barracks were her familiar ground, the one place she could let down her guard.
......
Serena Feng, General Yu, and Caleb Wang sat together in the carriage. Along the way, Serena recited the entire 'Attack by Stratagem' chapter of Sun Tzu’s Art of War word for word.
As for how to actually use it?
Sorry, she couldn’t!
"The art of war says: In warfare, preserving the whole is best, destroying is second... Therefore: If you know yourself and your enemy, you will never be defeated; if you know yourself but not your enemy, you win some and lose some; if you know neither, you will lose every battle."
By the time the last word fell, General Yu was at a loss for words. Any lingering dissatisfaction had completely vanished.
If this was his reward for escorting Serena Feng to the Royal Country Villa, it was more than enough.
But...
"Serena Feng, there should be more, right? Keep reciting," he said—greed is human nature, and he certainly didn’t mind hearing more.
"General Yu, now you’re overreaching," Serena shot his words right back at him, her eyes twinkling with playful mockery.
Uh...
At this point, General Yu didn’t dare go head-to-head with Serena Feng—he had to play the ‘bitter card.’
"Serena Feng, you know this journey hasn’t been safe. The only reason those people in the shadows haven’t attacked is out of respect for the Yu family. I’m risking my whole household to protect you, and you only give me one chapter of military strategy? That’s stingy—at least give me another."
He hadn’t spent much time with Serena Feng, but he knew she seemed cold and tough on the outside, yet was soft-hearted within. You couldn’t strong-arm her.
Serena Feng was smooth in dealing with people, but she had her edges. If you tried to clash with her, you’d end up hurting yourself.
In other words, Serena Feng was proud—and she had every right to be.
If you’re strong, she’s even stronger!
Serena nodded in agreement, and just as General Yu thought she’d recite another chapter, she smiled and said:
"General Yu, you’re absolutely right—I’d love to recite another, but there’s no time. We’ve arrived at the Royal Country Villa."
As if to prove her point, the coachman pulled the reins, the handsome horses neighed, stamped the ground three times, and stopped.
"General, Miss Qingchen, we’ve arrived at the Royal Country Villa."
"That was fast," General Yu muttered, frustrated. What bothered him even more was why no one had attacked along the way—at least that would’ve bought him more time.
Sometimes, having a fearsome reputation isn’t a blessing—people see the Yu family’s banner and don’t dare make a move.
"Don’t worry, you’ll get your chance. I’ll come find you when I need help," Serena said, patting General Yu’s shoulder sympathetically.
Her meaning was clear—unless she needed General Yu’s help, she wouldn’t recite military strategy for free.
Before General Yu could react, Serena had already jumped out of the carriage.
"Caleb, make sure to thank General Yu for me. We couldn’t have done it without him today."
You could see who she was close to.
"Qingchen girl."
As soon as Serena stepped out of the carriage, the soldiers behind her greeted her respectfully.
These men were simple-minded—if you treated them well, they’d treat you well; if you truly respected them, they’d respect you in return.
They might be rough and uncouth, but they were loyal to the core.
"Thank you, brothers, for your trouble today. Next time, drinks are on me!" Without thinking, Serena’s boldness from her past life slipped out.
Surrounded by soldiers, Serena’s guard dropped considerably.
"Alright, Qingchen girl, I’ll remember that—Yu family’s thirty thousand personal troops will be waiting for your treat." General Yu had just gotten down from the carriage when he heard Serena winning over his men, and he jumped right in.
"What? Thirty thousand personal troops?" Serena turned to look at General Yu.
You’ve got to be kidding—are you trying to bankrupt me?
Thirty thousand men—just a cup each would mean over a thousand jars, and soldiers can drink. One jar per person wouldn’t be enough!
"What’s wrong? Regretting your offer, Qingchen girl? If you’re backing out, Yu family’s personal troops won’t hold it against you." General Yu grinned, his weathered face full of playful teasing.
Talk about riding a tiger!
Serena finally understood what it meant to dig a pit and fall in herself...