Prince Huai carefully examined the mountain pass ahead and murmured, "But their main forces have already been crushed. They shouldn’t have any troops left to ambush us."
"Is the Great Yan Dynasty so desperate that they let you lead an army? No ambush? Just set up boulders and logs on these cliffs—even an eight-year-old could cut the ropes and wipe out the pursuing troops. Even without those, a few horse traps in this terrain would be enough. A handful of soldiers could block the way. Are you stupid?" Fang Zhiyi was beginning to question the intelligence level of this world. Prince Huai was a general?
Prince Huai looked up at the path ahead. The deputy cautiously asked, "General, should we continue the pursuit?"
After a moment of hesitation, Xia Luo’s figure flashed through his mind. He shook his head. "No, we won’t pursue."
The deputy nodded and ordered the troops to withdraw.
Prince Huai seemed troubled and retired early to his tent.
"You... are me?" he muttered to himself. Fang Zhiyi ignored him, his thoughts drifting to that letter.
That Xia Luo was clearly a transmigrator—after all, people from her world loved making soap. Plus, she kept ranting about "freedom in love" and that gesture... poking Prince Huai’s nose.
A green tea bitch? The term reminded Fang Zhiyi of his old world. Xia Luo wasn’t even high-tier, but she was more than enough to manipulate a simpleton like Prince Huai. And he had to be stuck in the body of a simp?
Feng Yusheng... appearing in the capital at this time, mingling with every prince—clearly scheming something. They called him a peerless strategist. Could today’s events be his doing? Too little evidence.
Fang Zhiyi shook his head, missing the days when he knew the plot.
Prince Huai muttered to himself for a while, but when Fang Zhiyi still refused to engage, he flopped onto his bed. Fang Zhiyi sighed. How did this guy’s brain even function?
"Good heavens, what kind of battle strategy was that?!"
"Flanking! It’s a war, not a martial arts tournament!"
"If I could reach you, I’d strangle you! Just station an ambush on the northern slope!"
"Charge! Why hesitate when you should be pursuing?!"
For the next ten days, Prince Huai’s mind was filled with Fang Zhiyi’s relentless scolding. It was grating, but he couldn’t ignore it. Gradually, he realized the other "him" in his head was terrifyingly competent. Following his advice made battles absurdly easy—so much so that it felt unreal.
"So... I’m this amazing?" Prince Huai mused on the command platform. Fang Zhiyi wished he could crawl out and slap him.
"Tell me, are you the only general in the entire kingdom?"
Prince Huai shook his head. "No, there’s King Zhennan, the Huai Song Army, and..."
"Stop. Then how the hell did you get this position?"
Prince Huai answered without hesitation. "My father died in battle. His Majesty said I needed experience."
Fang Zhiyi’s hands itched. Even the emperor was an idiot!
"You’re heading back now, right?" Fang Zhiyi asked.
Prince Huai nodded. "Yes." He had grown docile toward the volatile "other self." After all, listening to himself couldn’t be wrong.
"You plan to let the army follow while you ride ahead?"
"Yes."
"Yes your ass! What kind of general abandons his troops after a battle? You think people won’t talk? That you’re rushing back for rewards or credit? What will your men think? Your soldiers?"
"But I just want to see Luo Luo sooner..."
"Luo Luo my foot! Listen here—if you ditch your army, I’ll curse you from dusk till dawn."
Prince Huai meekly replied, "Well... she’s your mother too."
"You son of a—" Fang Zhiyi restrained himself. "Just remember this: share the glory, march with your troops. Got it? No one cares about your little crush. They’ll only see a general desperate for credit."
After a pause, Prince Huai surrendered to the threat. "Fine."
Meanwhile, in the capital, Feng Yusheng received a report—Prince Huai Fang Zhiyi hadn’t rushed back alone. He narrowed his eyes. "Did I misjudge him?" Staring into the brazier, he pondered. A servant approached. "Master, what troubles you?"
Feng Yusheng remained silent. He needed to reassess this seemingly simple prince.
Prince Huai Fang Zhiyi was a crucial piece. He held military power but hadn’t aligned with any prince. Feng Yusheng had to secure control over him.
"So, the guy got dumped, and the girl he liked ran off." Fang Zhiyi finished his story.
Prince Huai blinked. "That girl was awful."
Fang Zhiyi was pleased. "Exactly." He refused to believe any simp was beyond redemption.
"Luo Luo would never do that."
"I—"
"Right?" Prince Huai’s face lit up with childlike innocence at the mention of Xia Luo.
Fang Zhiyi, too exasperated to respond, let him ramble about how extraordinary, beautiful, and fascinating Xia Luo was.
The more he listened, the more pity he felt. In the modern world, Xia Luo would’ve been a third-rate green tea side character—one with barely an episode’s worth of screen time!
"Listen to me, and I’ll make sure you succeed." Fang Zhiyi changed tactics.
Prince Huai brightened. "Really?"
"I am you. Why would I lie?"
Prince Huai nodded solemnly.
"Once you return to the capital, go straight to the emperor. Report your victory. Understood?"
When Prince Huai hesitated, Fang Zhiyi threatened to abandon him, forcing compliance.
Standing in court, Prince Huai delivered a meticulous account of the campaign’s success and spoils. The old emperor beamed, and the princes and ministers praised him lavishly.
"Zhiyi, name your reward!" the emperor declared.
"Really? I want..." Prince Huai faltered, recalling Xia Luo’s rants against arranged marriages. His expression dimmed. "I want..."
Fang Zhiyi quickly supplied, "A grand estate and some silver."
Prince Huai parroted the words verbatim.
The emperor paused, then laughed heartily. "Ah, yes! Your father’s old residence is too modest for your status now. Attendants!"
Later, Prince Huai grumbled, "Why did you make me ask for this? What will His Majesty think?"
"Are you truly this dense? Refusing rewards makes you look suspicious. You’d rather have soldiers kick down your door in the dead of night?"