One of the young soldiers, clad in armor and wielding a broadsword, staggered over to a spot not far from the Red Scarf Regiment. He swung his sword at the roadside weeds, hacking and shouting, "Shameless! Is this a place for the likes of you? Weeds should know their place! The army isn't for just any stray cat or dog! If you know what's good for you, get lost!"
The Red Scarf Regiment members heard his veiled insults and immediately bristled with anger.
Someone slammed the table, ready to stand up, but was quickly held back by someone beside him: "Lord Lucian's situation isn't great right now. We, the Red Scarf Regiment, absolutely can't give those petty men any excuse to attack Princess Ling and Lord Lucian!"
Hearing this, the person forced himself to swallow his anger, sitting down furiously and turning his head away, refusing to look over there.
Seeing that the Red Scarf Regiment kept quiet and swallowed their anger, the young male soldiers grew even more arrogant and laughed wildly.
Just then, a woman's voice floated in: "If they're weeds, there's no need to be so stupid about getting rid of them. Just burn them all at once."
As soon as she finished, a slender girl in black short attire suddenly appeared in everyone's sight. She tossed a lit fire starter straight into the weeds, then said seriously to the male soldiers, "No need to thank me—I'm weeding for you free of charge!"
The wind that day was blowing east, carrying everything westward.
And coincidentally, the male soldiers' recruitment area was all on the west side.
So as soon as the fire started, the male soldiers' camp erupted in flames. The recruiters froze, then panicked and jumped up, shouting, "Quick, quick, put out the fire! Don't let it spread into the camp!"
Clang, clang, clang—the sound of frantic drums filled the air as people rushed around with buckets, fighting the fire in utter chaos.
Compared to them, the Red Scarf Regiment's camp was calm and refreshing, completely unaffected.
The Red Scarf Regiment recruiters finally felt vindicated. Looking at the girl, they immediately warmed to her and asked, "Miss, are you here to enlist?"
The girl nodded and said, "My name is Zara Yun. I'm here to enlist!"
The Red Scarf Regiment staff immediately produced a registration form for Zara Yun to fill out.
Zara Yun picked up the brush and swiftly filled in her name and special skills on the form.
The enthusiastic recruiter couldn't help but peek at her form, then gasped and blurted out, "Are you sure you didn't make a mistake?"
Zara Yun set down the brush and replied calmly, "No mistake."
After speaking, Zara Yun paused and asked, "Where do I go to collect my gear?"
The recruiter gaped, speechless for a moment. Only after Zara Yun urged him did he say, "Go inside, turn right, collect your gear fifty meters ahead, then wait to take the assessment."
After saying this, the recruiter turned to Zara Yun and asked, "Miss, are you sure you can do all the things you wrote on the form? During the assessment, you'll be tested on each skill! If you exaggerate, it could be embarrassing! Actually, most new recruits don't know much at first, so don't feel bad about it."
Perhaps because Zara Yun had just helped them, the women felt warmly toward her and didn't want the new female recruit to become a target.
So they tried to give her as much advice as possible.
Zara Yun just smiled and said, "Thank you, seniors, for your advice. I'm fine!"
After speaking, Zara Yun nodded to them and turned to enter the camp.
The female recruiters exchanged glances, then simultaneously lowered their heads to look at the registration form Zara Yun had filled out.
Zara Yun, female, sixteen years old, height five chi (one chi equals 31 centimeters, so six chi is 155 cm), skilled in light weapons such as sabers, spears, swords, halberds, axes, maces, hooks, forks, and more; proficient in mounted archery, climbing, and military command.
After reading it, they exchanged glances and exclaimed in unison, "She must be joking, right?"
In the shade of the green trees nearby,
Commander Sue White and Deputy Commander Jane White suddenly appeared, watching Zara Yun's back. One of them said, "Turns out she's pretty clever. No wonder Lord Lucian sent her to the camp and asked us to keep an eye on her."
Commander Sue White frowned and said, "So bold on her first day at camp—this woman is definitely not simple."
Deputy Commander Jane White folded her arms and said, "Hmph, whether she's simple or not, once she's inside these gates, she's under our control. As long as she's not a spy, it doesn't matter what she does. But if she tries to harm Princess Ling or Lucian Fox..."
Jane White didn't finish her sentence, but her expression grew as menacing as Sue White's.
The Red Scarf Regiment would never tolerate even a single spy!
The Red Scarf Regiment only serves Princess Ling and Lucian Fox!
Anyone who dares to harm Princess Ling's Manor will pay in blood!
Zara Yun was completely unaware that several pairs of eyes were already watching her every move.
She collected her gear at the designated spot—two sets of autumn training uniforms and some personal items.
Zara Yun weighed them in her hands and smiled.
Looks like Lucian Fox is pretty wealthy—these training uniforms are much higher quality than the usual fabrics outside.
Clearly, Princess Ling's Manor was not sitting idly by, waiting for disaster.
The emperor's stipend alone was nowhere near enough.
If the Red Scarf Regiment wanted good equipment and weapons, they had to earn the money themselves.
Zara Yun understood the army's financial situation.
The sturdy buildings, the smooth training grounds, the equipment, and every soldier's uniform—all of these were expenses.
Without money, it was nearly impossible to support an army's expenses.
For Lucian Fox to have managed all this, it clearly showed his talent for making money.
For someone so young to support all of Princess Ling's Manor—no wonder the emperor saw him as a thorn in his side.
Zara Yun collected her things, received her badge, and quickly found her dormitory.
The Red Scarf Regiment's dormitory was completely different from the male soldiers' dorm next door.
The male soldiers' dormitory was typically configured for eight to ten people per room.
The Red Scarf Regiment's rooms, however, were standard six-person dorms.
The rooms were the same size, but with two fewer people, there was naturally much more space.
This was probably because women had more things to deal with, so extra space was left for them.
Zara Yun appreciated this thoughtful change.
As soon as Zara Yun entered the room, she found her bed. She saw four packages on the beds next to hers, meaning four people had already moved in; she was the fifth, and one person hadn't arrived yet.
Zara Yun put her things on her bed, rolled up her sleeves, and started cleaning.
She had just finished tidying up when a cool-faced woman walked in, glanced around, tossed her things on the last bed, and looked straight at Zara Yun. "Are you the one Lucian Fox picked?" she asked.
Zara Yun knew her presence was no secret. Lucian Fox had great authority in the Red Scarf Regiment, so it was normal for some to be unhappy about it.
So Zara Yun straightened up and replied calmly, "That's me. I know you're not convinced, but I'll make you respect me!"
Just as the girl was about to speak, a voice called from outside the door: "Hongluan!"
The girl's brows had been furrowed, but she instantly became calm, simply staring at Zara Yun for a long moment before saying, "We'll see about that."
With that, Hongluan brushed past Zara Yun's shoulder and walked inside.
Zara Yun could only shake her head in silence.
It had been years since she'd come across such a fiery girl.
Back in the day... Never mind. No point dwelling on it. Better to think about what to do next.
Lucian Fox didn't send her here just to sign up—there was more to it.
Sure enough, when midnight came, a shadow slipped into the room like a ghost.
The other three in the room were fast asleep, but Zara Yun and Hongluan woke instantly.
"Shh." The newcomer pressed a finger to their lips. "Don't make a sound. Follow me."
Zara Yun and Hongluan exchanged a glance, then silently slipped out of the room and headed behind the house.
The newcomer was Sue White.
Sue White looked at Zara Yun and Hongluan, then said quietly, "Lucian has a mission for you."
Hongluan shot a glance at Zara Yun and stepped forward. "I'll do it."
Sue White shook her head. "No, this time Lucian Fox specifically named Zara Yun for the job. Hongluan, you're assisting."
Hongluan protested, "Commander Sue, we haven't even checked if this woman is a spy. How can she be sent on Lucian's mission?"
Zara Yun just chuckled softly and asked, "What's the mission?"
Sue White raised a hand to stop Hongluan, then said to Zara Yun, "Lord Yun has a city defense map. Zara Yun, you're familiar with the Yun family's routes. Tonight, Lucian needs that map. Any problem?"
Zara Yun's brow instantly furrowed.
So Lucian Fox still doesn't trust me—he wants to test me?
Doesn't matter!
If he wants to test me, let him test me!
I'm a double agent anyway—being tested is normal.
Zara Yun immediately replied, "Yes, I accept the mission!"
With that, Zara Yun turned and walked off.
Hongluan grew even more indignant and said to Sue White, "Commander Sue, I could do even better!"
Sue White grabbed the nearly furious Hongluan and said meaningfully, "Do you really think Lucian sent Zara Yun to steal the city defense map just for the map? Lucian has other plans. You'd better not act rashly and mess up his strategy!"
Hearing this, Hongluan instantly deflated.
Sue White added, "Enough. You're Lucian's attendant, but you insisted on enlisting. Only Lucian would indulge you like this. He doesn't hold it against you, so don't cause him trouble! He's got enough on his plate already!"
With those words, Sue White turned and left.
Only then did Hongluan stomp her foot and leave in a huff.