Princess Aurora Min placed the delicate porcelain cup, still steaming, onto the rosewood table before her. Her long lashes fluttered as she looked at Walter Grant seated to the side. "Old Walter, what are the odds of victory for the Western Frontier Army in this campaign?"
Walter Grant smiled and nodded. "Your Highness need not worry. This battle is certain to succeed. Western Qin is probably still smug about having a mole in our high command, and so far, every report that mole sent back has been genuine and trustworthy. They could never imagine that we've already captured him. Once the Western Frontier Army wins a major victory, the Second Prince's prestige will soar. The Crown Prince's Eastern Frontier Army has suffered defeat after defeat against East Qi, so if the Western Frontier Army triumphs, the comparison will be obvious. I expect the king's balance will tilt even further toward the Second Prince."
Aurora Min frowned at Walter Grant's words, her beautiful phoenix eyes flashing with disgust. Her elder brother, Prince Edward Min, and her second brother, Prince Adrian Min, had grown increasingly fierce in their rivalry over the years. In court, the civil officials supporting the Crown Prince had the upper hand, but in the army, the Second Prince held more sway. Even the emperor's Inner Guard now showed clear signs of taking sides.
Her Crown Prince brother was a scholar—refined and upright—unlike her second brother, who was gifted in both civil and military arts from childhood, bold and free-spirited, and deeply favored by the army's generals.
The rivalry between her brothers left Aurora Min caught in the middle. In South Chu, the royal bloodline was thin, so even as a woman, she had to take charge. She commanded Jiying Hall, where talent gathered in abundance; it was the central hub for the court’s control over the martial underworld. Princess Aurora herself had trained in martial arts since childhood—her skills ranked among the first-rate experts.
"Your Highness, I understand your dilemma," Walter Grant advised. "But in a succession struggle, only one side can win. You cannot remain truly neutral—if you were merely a princess, it would be different. Yet Jiying Hall, under your command, is filled with top experts and exerts tight control over the martial world. With such power, how could either prince ignore you?"
"They're both my brothers!" Aurora Min sighed.
"Your Highness, the Second Prince is your full brother—closer to you than the Crown Prince, is he not?" Walter Grant pointed out the subtle difference between the two princes and the princess.
"But the Crown Prince has always been deeply affectionate toward me since childhood, caring for me in every possible way," Aurora Min said, slightly lost. "How could I betray him?"
"Your Highness, I understand your difficulty," Walter Grant said with a gentle smile. "But deep down, I suspect you still lean toward the Second Prince. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have requested to join the Western Frontier Army this time. I fear the Crown Prince’s strategists have already marked you as someone to watch."