The first time Tang Shigong properly looked at her was since she entered the room.

He thoroughly examined her from head to toe and then asked, "What do you think could happen to them?"

Tang Xiaobai’s heart immediately tightened.

There are so many possibilities!

"For instance, Prince Qing could intentionally make things difficult for Ah Xiao, giving him a small force and asking him to fight the most brutal bandits;

The Yuwen family might vie for credit, let Ah Xiao take the lead, and when the battle’s almost won, they could sabotage from the rear, causing Ah Xiao to suffer a devastating defeat, seizing the victory for themselves;

If they’re a bit reckless, they could incite the Eastern Turks from the north to invade, sending Ah Xiao to fight the Turkic people;

Or, even more insidious, they might poison Ah Xiao mid-journey or sabotage the pontoon bridge while crossing the Yellow River, instigating a mutiny to directly seize Ah Xiao’s troops!"

Tang Shigong’s eyelid twitched: "Why are you so ruthless?"

Tang Xiaobai blushed: "Why me...I didn’t do these things..."

"Aren’t you imagining a lot?" Tang Shigong said with a mix of amusement and chagrin.

Tang Xiaobai replied earnestly, "The Zuo Zhuan states, ’In peace, think of danger to be prepared, preparedness averts calamities!’

From the moment they decided to go to Hedong to quash the bandits, she had been contemplating potential dangers!

Tang Shigong laughed: "You’ve read the Zuo Zhuan?"

"Just a bit." Tang Xiaobai humbly replied.

"Has Ah Xiao read it?"

"Uh..." She had read it, and certainly, the young ancestor would have delved deeper than her.

"If the general listens to my plan, they will surely win, keep them; If the general doesn’t listen to my plan, using them will lead to defeat, remove them."

Tang Xiaobai: "???"

"This is from The Art of War by Sun Tzu," Tang Shigong laughed, "Your brother could recite the entire thing by heart when he was seven."

Tang Xiaobai blushed again, feeling a bit disheartened.

Indeed, both her brother and the young ancestor were far more outstanding than her; whatever she could think of, they surely could too.

But it wasn’t too surprising.

Tang Xiaobai quickly composed herself and returned to the original question: "So why haven’t they written any letters back?"

Tang Shigong picked up the completed "Family Letter of Tang Ziqian," blew on the ink, and casually said, "Ask them yourself when they return."

When will that be?

Unwillingly, Tang Xiaobai asked, "Can I write a letter to Ah Xiao?"

"You write it, and I’ll have it sent," Tang Shigong said.

Only then did Tang Xiaobai feel relieved and returned to her initial intention: "By the way, Father, can you teach me military strategy?"

Tang Shigong looked up in surprise: "You want to learn military strategy?"

Tang Xiaobai nodded firmly.

"What’s so good about learning military strategy?"

Tang Xiaobai: "???"

Is that something a Great General should say?

Tang Shigong chuckled and said, "First go back and memorize The Art of War by Sun Tzu, Sun Bin’s Art of War, Wu Zi’s Art of War, Six Strategies, Sima’s Art of War, and Wei Liaozi. If there’s a chance, I’ll take you to see Liangzhou; the art of war isn’t taught, it’s fought!"

...

The Great General’s words must make sense.

After leaving her father’s study, Tang Xiaobai turned and entered the Book Collection Pavilion in the residence.

She had spent two years mingling in the pavilion and knew where each book was located, so she quickly found the military texts Tang Shigong mentioned.

Just as she was gathering them to take back for a good read, she suddenly recalled something.

Before leaving today, Pei Xuan had mentioned, "In the former dynasty, Duke Ju had a book, Map Making Method, which the Second Miss can look for."

The title Map Making Method was simple and straightforward. Considering her previous behavior of drawing maps, she immediately understood it was a book about map-making.

Since Senior Brother Pei suggested checking it out, she was slightly interested.

What harm is there in checking it out? What’s wrong with learning to draw maps?

Having multiple skills doesn’t burden oneself!

But after searching the pavilion for nearly half an hour, she couldn’t find such a book.

She had no choice but to ask her father again.

This time, Tang Shigong was in Ningchun Court, accompanying Gu Ning to read a letter.

The letter he had just written.

"Map Making Method?" Tang Shigong looked up at her with a surprised expression, "Pei Yan’s book?"

Pei Yan? Who?

"The one by Duke Ju," Tang Xiaobai said.

Tang Shigong laughed: "Pei Yan, the Minister from the former dynasty under Emperor Yuan, titled Duke Ju, was the ancestor of today’s Minister Pei of the Ministry of Personnel," his eyes flashed, "Doesn’t their family have a child in the same academy as you? The one appointed as Attendant of Communication this year."

Tang Xiaobai was taken aback.

The Pei family... no wonder Pei Xuan knew...

"We don’t have this book at home. If you want to see it, I can ask to borrow it from the Pei family," Tang Shigong said.

"No need," Tang Xiaobai declined.

Pei Xuan certainly knew his family had the book, and since he didn’t offer to lend it to her, there must be some inconvenience.

So that’s that, she would look elsewhere.

...

The next morning, Gu Hui came to escort her to the academy as usual.

Tang Xiaobai asked about the book.

"Duke Ju’s Map Making Method? The Gu family doesn’t have this book either." Gu Hui replied.

Tang Xiaobai felt like kneeling to such a person.

Didn’t even think about it, just knew whether or not they had a book at home; how familiar with the family’s collection was he!

"Mr. Pei created the Six Methods of Mapping originally for the Court. The Pei family may have a copy, but it’s likely not circulated externally," Gu Hui said.

Tang Xiaobai didn’t believe it.

Couldn’t be, Pei Xuan explicitly told her to find it herself; he wouldn’t trick her, would he?

After school that day, Tang Xiaobai got into the carriage and instructed, "To the West Market, Wenren Bookstore!"

...

Both the East and West Markets had many bookstores; Wenren Bookstore wasn’t the one with the most rare and fragmented books, but it sold the most varied ones.

Tang Xiaobai considered that the book Map Making Method was quite obscure, so she came to Wenren Bookstore.

With a purpose in mind, she didn’t search randomly on her own but pulled an attendant aside to ask directly: "Do you have the Map Making Method by Duke Ju from the former dynasty?"

"Does the Second Miss want to find Mr. Pei’s Map Making Method?" A man’s voice behind her was gentle and elegant, as pleasant to the ear as a spring breeze.

Tang Xiaobai turned around and saw a refined figure in white, his features inked in deep and shallow strokes.

"Yes." Faced with such a handsome man, and without the young ancestor glaring at her from the side, Tang Xiaobai allowed her tone to soften.

Wenren Jia chuckled softly: "Wenren Bookstore does not currently have this book."

Though disappointed, Tang Xiaobai detected a nuance: "Mr. Wenren, have you seen this book? Do you know where it can be found?"

Wenren Jia answered her question with another: "Is the Second Miss seeking to learn cartography herself, or is she finding it for someone else?"

"I want to see it myself."

After silently observing her for a moment with a smile, Wenren Jia gestured invitingly: "Second Miss, please follow me."

Tang Xiaobai instead took a step back and cautiously asked, "For what purpose?"

The young ancestor wasn’t at her side; she refused to speak alone with an unfamiliar man!

Even with Cheng Zi, it wouldn’t do! They were delicate young ladies!

The delicate young lady’s eyes widened in cautious surprise, as if her very ears were pricked up.

Wenren Jia, slightly flustered and amused by her reaction, nodded with a smile: "Very well, come back tomorrow, Second Miss," he paused briefly, "By tomorrow, it should be here."

...

Next day, Tang Xiaobai received the book from Wenren Jia’s hands, and after flipping through it twice, she looked up at him in surprise—