Sun Longzi stood at the edge of the ridge, the heel of his boot pressed into the dirt as he stared down at the valley below. The forest camp had been arranged with military precision—rows of tents divided by command rank, fires spaced just wide enough to avoid catching in the underbrush, guards rotating in quiet, methodical intervals.
It was flawless.
Which meant he both appreciated it and hated it all at the same time.
Flawless camps meant restless minds. There were no immediate threats, and nothing to do but watch the cracks begin to show in the people around him.
And his own.
He exhaled through his nose, arms crossed over his chest, watching as the hunt party below gathered for the evening meal. Nobles in borrowed armor, posturing like hounds. Foreign dignitaries trying to smile their way into influence. Even the Emperor's younger sons were mingling by the wine barrels, pretending they weren't watching every move the Crown Prince made.
