"What?!"
Why would the commander wish to meet me?
Had I done something wrong?
Did he discover that I'm a woman?
Questions rushed through my head like a flowing river.
"Relax," Renshu murmured, his voice as calm as ever. "Word has spread that I've taken a personal student—something I never do. The maids and servants probably gossiped as they left. Unfortunately, Commander Wei Fang eavesdro—" he corrected himself with a dry cough, "—I mean, overheard them and asked about it."
I frowned. "How could he know so quickly if the servants left only a few hours ago?"
Even if The Commander knew about it, how did he ask Renshu while he was away at the Lanxuan pavilion? Did he have a meeting with the commander during his return?
"He has his ways. I can't say for certain." Renshu's tone was clipped. "Wei Fang knows the clothing of every commander's servants. He probably spied on mine."
He said it as if the matter were inevitable, as though nothing could be done to restrain Commander Wei Fang.
"Why don't you punish him then? You outrank him, don't you?" I asked quietly.
"On paper, yes," Renshu replied with a faint scoff. "But he enjoys far more support from the people. His ridiculous clumsy act is adored by many for reasons I'll never understand." His lip curled in disdain.
His eyes sharpened, fixing me with a serious look.
"Listen, Meilina. When he comes, do not fall for his act. He will appear innocent—harmless, even clumsy. It's all a façade. Wei Fang is one of the most cunning men I know. With his war strategies, he could dismantle entire empires."
The warning was heavy, the furrow of his brow demanding a response.
I nodded, though I silently assured myself that I was not foolish enough to fall for such a thing as "clumsy" commander.
"Dismissed," he said suddenly, his voice turning cold.
I longed to ask more about Wei Fang and what had happened at the Lanxuan Pavilion, but it was too late. Renshu's face told me he would answer nothing further.
---
The corridors were silent as I made my way back to my room, the lamp in my hand flickering with every step. Empty halls, no moonlight, only the soft glow of the shaking flame, it felt like walking through an abandoned palace.
This chamber's bed was far more comfortable than the hard pallet at the pavilion. Exhaustion from the day's studies, my escape to this palace, and the anxiety of tomorrow's meeting pressed down on me.
My eyelids drooped, heavy as stone. Sleep claimed me before I could worry any longer.
~~~DAWN~~~
Sunlight slipped through the curtains I had forgotten to close.
I would have awakened anyway—weeks of maid work had trained me to rise at first light.
After washing, I approached the makeup tray I hadn't noticed before.
Working quickly, I sharpened the contours of my face, adding shadows until the mirror reflected not Meilina, but Aryan.
"This will have to do," I muttered.
Bao Qin could achieve a far cleaner disguise, but realism mattered more than perfection.
Descending the stairs, I found Renshu seated at the dining hall table, an abacus clicking softly as he calculated something on a sheet of paper.
"You're up early," he observed without looking up.
I nodded, wondering both what occupied his calculations and when the commander would arrive.
Almost as if he had read my thoughts, Renshu added, "The commander will visit within the hour. Eat, and make sure you not only look but sound capable. Something like yesterday's introduction to the servants should not happen again."
On the table sat a steaming bowl of meat porridge and a cup of fragrant tea. No servants were present, who made these?
"I made them, in case you were wondering," Renshu said, setting the abacus aside. "How does it taste?"
His words startled me. A general preparing breakfast? That too for someone else? Was there a hidden reason?
My mother's voice echoed in my mind: Never accept food from anyone who knows you too well.
Suspicion flared.
But refusal would be suspicious in itself.
I tasted the food, keeping it in my mouth yet not swallowing it down. But I could not have it there forever. Slowly, I ate it.
"How is it?" Renshu asked with a faint smile.
My stomach tightened. Could there be poison? Minutes passed. Nothing. No dizziness, no bitterness on the tongue.
I exhaled softly and drained the tea. Perhaps I was simply paranoid.
"You take an unusually long time to finish a meal," Renshu noted dryly.
Before I could answer, a sharp knock echoed through the hall.
The commander.
Renshu rose immediately, sliding the paper and abacus beneath the tablecloth before striding to the door.
My heartbeat quickened. The air itself seemed to tense, heavy with an unspoken warning.
"Ah, General Renshu! How are you today?"
The voice was warm, almost cheerful—but something about it made the hairs on my neck rise.
Another voice followed, equally friendly. More than one visitor?
"This must be Aran! Good morning!"
A middle-aged man stepped in. His smile was gentle, his eyes soft…yet lifeless, as though the warmth was painted on rather than felt.
"I see you've already mastered our courtesies," he said, stopping before me as I stood up to bow and greet him.
"Impressive! After only a week in China, no less. How did you learn Chinese so quickly?"
My mind froze. A week? How did he know anything about my stay at all?
Renshu had never shared those details with the servants, so certainly he couldn't have known through them.
The only way for him to know was if he had met with Renshu later. But why would it matter how long I stayed? Was the commander testing me—checking if my answers matched Renshu's?
"His name is Aryan, and he has been in China for a month, not a week, Wei Fang," Renshu cut in, his voice flat.
"Oh, you know me, Renshu—always forgetting things!" Wei Fang laughed lightly, though the sound felt calculated.
Laughter erupted behind him.
Only then did I notice three other men entering the dining hall.
"Good morning," said the tallest of them. "I am Commander Luo Huance. Beside me are Zhao Anil and Sun Dezheng."
I bowed to each, keeping my silence.
"Ah, let's skip formalities," Wei Fang said brightly. "We came to meet Aryan! Come, let's sit."
The four of them chatted for nearly an hour, mostly about politics and military affairs.
Wei Fang, however, repeatedly turned his questions toward me—about Bharat, about my training, about my supposed victories.
"Being personally trained by General Renshu is such a blessing!" Wei Fang exclaimed. "Even I would count myself lucky. Tell me, what has he taught you so far?"
Another hour passed. Beneath Wei Fang's mask, boredom crept into his eyes, as though he were waiting for a particular moment.
"Renshu tells us you once bested him in a duel back in Bharat," he said suddenly.
The other commanders gasped, disbelief flashing across their faces.
"Few could even match Renshu, let alone defeat him!" Someone exclaimed.
"Oh, it is true!" Wei Fang clapped his hands with feigned delight. "Apparently Bharat holds sword techniques unknown to us."
Across the table, Renshu's gaze narrowed, disgust shadowing his features.
"Someone like you, Aryan," Wei Fang continued smoothly, "would be extremely valuable. I would love to witness these techniques myself—if you don't mind showing me."
"That's enough, Wei Fang." Renshu's voice turned sharp. "It's disrespectful to demand a duel from a guest. He has traveled from a foreign land and—"
"Oh, but I would never ask without offering something in return!" Wei Fang's smile widened, eyes glittering.
"You see, my fellow commanders and I have discussed the upcoming recruitment of new officials. Since we are in charge of them, and our student is clearly exceptional. Why not appoint him as an official directly—with a small test, of course, to keep things fair?"
Renshu's jaw tightened. "And what, exactly, would this test involve?"
Wei Fang's smile became a fox's grin.
"Why, a duel with me, of course."