Chapter 5, Apology, Military Service, Barracks

Amai thought for a moment and said: "He is the sworn elder brother."

The man intended to kick again, but upon hearing this sound, he suddenly stopped.

Amai discerned the intentions of Wang Qi and the others, yet she did not make any overt gestures. For her, this situation was not entirely unfavorable; at least it allowed these individuals to keep a slight distance from her, making her life somewhat easier. However, recalling Wang Qi's earlier remark that infantry had the least prospects, a new wave of anxiety surged within her—she had not joined the military merely to earn a meager salary; what she sought was prestige, status, and military power. She desired to stand on the same level as Chen Qi. Yet, thinking again of Wang Qi's assertion that infantry had the least prospects, her heart was once more filled with fresh worries—she had not enlisted solely for the sake of a small military stipend; she craved reputation, position, and military authority, and she aspired to be on par with Chen Qi.

Amai looked at him strangely, feeling that such words were not something he would say

Although A Mai said this, Tang Shaoyi also knew that her life in the army was not easy. Most of the men in the army were bullies who preyed on the weak; seeing her as a handsome young woman, some coarse individuals could not help but harbor thoughts of bullying her. Tang Shaoyi wanted to help her, but unfortunately, he was merely an outsider in the Qingzhou army, feeling powerless despite his good intentions

In ordinary times, although Amai's appearance was somewhat beautiful, her height led others to regard her merely as a handsome youth. Later, when she followed Shang Yizhi's personal guard, most of the members were also handsome young men, some of whom had even more delicate features than hers, so no one suspected her gender while she blended in. However, now that she had entered a genuine military camp, a place filled with rough men, any slight deficiency in masculine traits would lead to disdain from others. With her characteristics, could she really pass unnoticed?

The instructor blew the whistle, and a group of people hurriedly lined up. The instructor weaved through the crowd with a stick in hand, striking anyone he found displeasing, cursing as he went, "You still aren't practicing with your heart, damn it, just wait to be cut down on the battlefield!"

Amai smiled faintly but did not respond. Wang Qi and the others, seeing her silence, did not dare to ask further. Under normal circumstances, they would have pressed for more information, but now that they knew Amai was the sworn sister of a school lieutenant, and that the lieutenant had even gifted her a sword, it was evident that their relationship was quite profound. Consequently, these subordinate soldiers felt a sense of apprehension towards Amai and refrained from being as casual as they usually were.

Amai expressed gratitude as he took it, but did not eat it immediately. After a moment of thought, he said to Zhang Erdan: "You go and call Wang Qi out as well"

Shi Dachun's sword had already been thrust down, and upon seeing that he was captured by his personal guards, he angrily shouted, "Let go!"

Shang Yizhi glanced at the disheveled Shi Dachun, then slowly surveyed the room before coldly saying: "All of you, get out."

Amai had already spent quite some time in the personal guard of Shang Yizhi, but now he was suddenly assigned to an infantry battalion, and as an ordinary soldier, the most ordinary kind of soldier. It was clear that he had been demoted. Moreover, the infantry was known to be the most arduous branch of the military, and with war looming on the horizon, Shang Yizhi's decision to assign Amai to the infantry battalion was evidently a way to send him to his death

Seeing A Mai being so tough, everyone felt a bit of admiration. Moreover, it was that person who first said A Mai was like a woman, which led to this situation. Although he was beaten by A Mai, he also managed to hit A Mai, thus regaining some face. Someone stepped forward to mediate, grabbing that person's hand and laughing, "Alright, Wang Qi, you've had your turn. Don't stoop to the level of this kid, what do you say, boss?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the nearby veterans burst into laughter, looking at Amai and the others as if they were watching a joke unfold

The Amayi people are inherently intelligent, practice diligently, and learn rapidly. Within just a few days, they have become quite adept at wielding a large knife, and their archery accuracy has also improved significantly. Over the past few days, the higher-ups have been intensively training their infantry battalion in archery and knife techniques, but they have not focused much on practicing formations. Amayi has a sense of the situation; it seems that the higher-ups intend to hold Yu Province at all costs. If it were a field battle, the infantry battalion would not neglect the changes in formation.

The man was stunned by Amai's sudden strike, unable to even defend himself. He suffered a heavy blow to the abdomen and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. The onlookers were also taken aback, not expecting that although Amai had a good appearance, he could be so ruthless. Without saying a word, he launched an attack, and for a moment, everyone forgot to intervene, simply standing there in a daze, watching Amai fiercely beat his brother.

Amai held her breath, straining to listen to the sounds outside while quickly resolving her own issue. When she pulled up her pants and stood up, she couldn't help but feel a sense of relief; fortunately, there weren't many people running to the restroom in the middle of the night. After she tidied her clothes and stepped out, perhaps feeling a bit relaxed after addressing her urgent need, or maybe still pondering the earlier events, she did not notice the person ahead of her until she collided with them, jolting her back to reality.

Shang Yi stared at her, suddenly smiled, took two steps back, brushed off the dust from the hem of his clothes, and said with a light laugh: "So you really intend to enlist in the army now?"

Zhang Erdan nodded and followed A Mai back, leaving only Wang Qi behind, watching A Mai's figure. He then looked down at the steamed bun in his hand, hesitated, took a bite, and muttered: "Damn, this kid is quite clever"

Just thinking this way, he suddenly felt a warmth rising in his lower abdomen. He had completely forgotten how long it had been since he had been in contact with a woman, was it one year or two years?

Amai turned her head to look at the person who was speaking, stood up from the ground, walked in front of that person, and said coldly: "Do you have the courage to say that again!"

When Amai was returning to the city garrison, she happened to see Shang Yizhi coming out of Shida Chun's study with a cold expression on his face. From a distance, she could tell that Shang Yizhi was in a bad mood, and instinctively, she turned to avoid him by taking a small path nearby. However, after just a couple of steps, she bumped into Xu Jing.

Finally, someone next to her reacted and hurriedly stepped forward to pull Amayi away. This is outrageous; how could someone dare to strike an old soldier upon arrival? Is there no sense of justice left? Someone restrained Amayi's arms. Although she was strong, she was no match for these big men and, after struggling for a short while, her arms were twisted behind her back. Someone delivered several punches to Amayi's stomach, with considerable force and pain. Amayi gritted her teeth tightly, not making a sound.

Shang Yizhi was not only taken aback, but even Xu Jing was stunned. After a moment, Shang Yizhi suddenly burst into hearty laughter. Once he finished laughing, he approached A Mai with a friendly expression and asked, "Have you truly decided to follow me?"

This sword is precisely the one that Tang Shaoyi presented to Amai for self-defense during the diplomatic mission in Hamburg. After arriving in Yuzhou, Amai returned the sword to him, but unexpectedly, he intends to give the sword to her again today. Amai hurriedly declined, saying: "No need, we have weapons."

The person in front also expressed some admiration, "Alright, good lad, quite tough!"

"It is! I, Amai, will follow the general to the death!" Amai said loudly

At night, A Mai once again suffered from insomnia, her mind filled with thoughts of how to achieve remarkable accomplishments. If she were still by Shang Yizhi's side, perhaps there would be more opportunities, but now she was not, and she had to think about how to rise quickly from her current position. She felt a twinge of envy towards Xu Jing, yet if asked to take her place, she would refuse. She did not want to hide behind the scenes as a strategist; what she desired was the fierce combat on the battlefield. She aspired to become an unparalleled general, to confront Chen Qi on the battlefield and ask, "Why?" She felt a twinge of envy towards Xu Jing, yet if asked to take her place, she would refuse. She did not want to hide behind the scenes as a strategist; what she desired was the fierce combat on the battlefield. She aspired to become an unparalleled general, to confront Chen Qi on the battlefield and ask, "Why?"

Tang Shaoyi's demeanor was somewhat unnatural, yet he put on an impatient expression and said, "Take it if you want, this sword was originally meant for you anyway, don't be so fussy!" As he spoke, he directly fastened the sword to Amai's waist, and then added, "Hurry up, or you'll be punished for being late."

Everyone was even more astonished upon hearing this. Wang Qi exclaimed in surprise, "Amai, so you have a义兄 who is a school lieutenant! Why did you come to our infantry battalion? Why not go directly to serve as his personal guard, or simply join the cavalry? How did you end up as a mere infantryman? This is the least promising path!"

In fact, enduring some hardships is not a big deal; the most difficult part is how to conceal her gender. At night, it is somewhat manageable, as it is already autumn, and many people sleep in their clothes to keep warm, making her less conspicuous. The most challenging aspect is using the restroom every day; she can only dare to go when the night is deep and quiet, and each time she goes, she is filled with anxiety. During the day, she does not even dare to drink a drop of water, and her lips are so dry that they have cracked.

However ... ...

The person was taken aback for a moment, then laughed twice heartily, pointing at A Mai and saying to the person next to him: "Look, he is getting anxious, and this anxious appearance is truly heart-wrenching to see, haha."

The anger on Shang Yi's face unexpectedly dissipated, and he merely looked on with a faint expression. When the room finally became empty, there was even a hint of a smile on his face as he stood by the desk, examining the blood letter left by Shi Dachun. He then picked up the blood letter and shook it towards Shi Dachun, asking with a half-smile, "Can this piece of paper really be worth the lives of three hundred thousand soldiers of Nanxia?"

Amai understood Tang Shaoyi's meaning and felt that she had been a bit too arrogant just now. She smiled apologetically and said, "I understand."

The anger of Shang Yi turned into a mocking smile, as he let out a cold chuckle twice, his gaze towards the burly man darkened by another two degrees.

The crying in the room suddenly ceased, and all the generals turned their heads to look at Shang Yizhi, even Shi Dachun, who had been struggling incessantly, stopped and stared blankly at Shang Yizhi

"Ha! Do you still dare to defy?" The person stepped forward and slapped Amai twice.

Tang Shaoyi saw the look in A Mai's eyes, smiled helplessly, and did not explain. The city of Hamburg had fallen, and the defending troops were completely annihilated. He had now joined the Qingzhou army under Shang Yizhi. Although he was highly regarded by Shang Yizhi, he faced considerable jealousy from many veteran soldiers of the Qingzhou army. Life was not easy, but it was not without its benefits; at least it had smoothed out his previously impulsive and straightforward nature to a great extent

One could say that Wang Qi is not a bad person; he only needed half a steamed bun to stop bothering A Mai, and on ordinary days, he actually takes better care of A Mai than others do. During a break in their drills, the soldiers sat on the ground at the edge of the training field to rest. Wang Qi squeezed through the crowd to sit next to A Mai, nudged him with his shoulder, and asked, "Hey, why did you go so hard on him?"

In the distance, the assembly call had already sounded at the training ground. A-Mai turned back to take a glance and said, "Brother Tang, I must go first." After saying this, he hurriedly walked towards the training ground. Just as he stepped forward, he was pulled back by Tang Shaoyi. A-Mai looked back at Tang Shaoyi in confusion and saw him lower his head slightly, then take off the sword from his waist and hand it to him, saying, "Take this sword with you."

Shi Dachun observed it with his eyes, feeling distressed in his heart, and could not help but wear a faint bitter smile at the corner of his mouth

How old are you? asked the sergeant.

A few days ago, the military command issued an order to recruit new soldiers in the villages and towns surrounding Yuzhou. In these past few days, a considerable number of young men have already been recruited. Under normal circumstances, new recruits would be organized into independent battalions for training. However, given the current tense situation of warfare, there is no time to train the new soldiers separately. Instead, the new recruits have been dispersed and integrated into the ranks of the veterans, using practice to substitute for training.

When Shang Yizhi was called over, the ground was already filled with kneeling generals from the Yuzhou army. Shi Dachun was tightly held by several subordinates, his sword was snatched away, and he was glaring with bloodshot eyes, angrily shouting: "Let go, you all let go of me"

Amai felt distressed in her heart, signaling Xu Jing with her eyebrows and eyes to not acknowledge her, but it was too late. Shang Yizhi recognized her from behind, stopped in his tracks, and looked over with piercing eyes.

How could the bodyguard dare to let go, desperately trying to pull the sword out while crying out: "General! General! You must not!"

Wang Qi stared at A Mai, feeling both amused and exasperated. After a while, he finally punched A Mai lightly and laughed, "Damn, you really hold a grudge, don't you!"

The people in the room were all stiffened; some of the weaker individuals swayed slightly, wanting to rise and exit, but most of the generals were stubborn and stood their ground, necks stiffened, not moving an inch. Some even provocatively tilted their heads to glance at Shang Yizhi, thinking to themselves, "This is the territory of my Yuzhou army. What right does a garrison commander from Qingzhou have to issue orders here? Even if your mother is a princess, so what? My grandfather earned this official position with his life; do I fear you making things difficult for me?" Some even provocatively tilted their heads to glance at Shang Yizhi, thinking to themselves, "This is the territory of my Yuzhou army. What right does a garrison commander from Qingzhou have to issue orders here? Even if your mother is a princess, so what? My grandfather earned this official position with his life; do I fear you making things difficult for me? Our general is accommodating you because he does not want to stoop to your level, so do not overstep your bounds, thinking that our Yuzhou army is easy to bully.

Tang Shaoyi was momentarily taken aback, raised his eyebrows to glance at Amai, and then casually cast a look at the crowd not far away, quietly saying to Amai: "Do not speak such words in front of others in the future"

Amai slightly parted her lips, avoiding Tang Shaoyi's gaze, and said softly: "I crashed into it myself"

Amai looked at the numbers on his military ID, softly reciting them: "Qing 1748, Qing 1748, should you die? Should we die together?" Amai couldn't help but chuckle a couple of times; these numbers were indeed quite auspicious!

Shi Dachun believed that it was precisely due to his erroneous judgment regarding military affairs that led to the defeat of the Jingyang border troops, resulting in the death of three hundred thousand men of the Southern Xia. He sat wide-eyed in his study all night, and at dawn, he used a sword to cut his finger, leaving behind a blood-written letter. He then let his hair down to cover his face, signifying that he would have no face to meet his ancestors in the afterlife. After that, he placed his sword before him, intending to take his own life as an apology for his mistakes He sat wide-eyed in his study all night, and at dawn, he used a sword to cut his finger, leaving behind a blood-written letter. He then let his hair down to cover his face, signifying that he would have no face to meet his ancestors in the afterlife. After that, he placed his sword before him, intending to take his own life as an apology for his mistakes

After a while, the others returned after having their meal. Zhang Erdan secretly tugged at Amai, signaling him to go outside. Amai frowned slightly and followed him out. Once they reached a secluded spot, Zhang Erdan took a steamed bun out of his pocket and handed it to Amai, whispering, "Here, eat it quickly."

Zhang Erdan smiled apologetically and said, "I secretly kept them, two for one person, I can't eat them all."

Along the way, even Zhang Sheng felt a bit of sympathy for A Mai, while A Mai maintained a calm expression, merely keeping her head down and following behind Zhang Sheng.

"General," Xu Jing called out

"Boss, this kid is really damn handsome!" someone suddenly shouted from the crowd

"It's nothing, much easier than our escape from Hamburg," said Amai

Nineteen," Amai replied calmly

Xu Jing was taken aback and wanted to speak up for A Mai, but upon seeing Shang Yizhi's expression, she held back her words. It was evident that Shang Yizhi was in a very bad mood, and A Mai's return at this critical moment was truly unfortunate.

Amai glanced at him and said lightly, "If you dare to say that I look feminine again, I will still beat you up."

Although Shi Dachun no longer wished to live, he did not intend for his subordinates to follow him in that regard. The burly man was unaware of the prowess of this young master, Shang Yizhi, but his ignorance did not mean that Shi Dachun was also unaware. After stabilizing his emotions, Shi Dachun spoke in a deep voice to the room full of subordinates: "You all leave first"

By observing Shang Yi's training of the infantry, one can infer his intention to hold Yu Province at all costs. What awaits her then? Another siege battle? No, she does not need that; what she needs is a remarkable achievement, one that can elevate her swiftly to a higher position.

Shang Yizhi let out a cold laugh and said in a chilling voice: "Now that matters have come to this, I will not waste any more words with you. I have only three statements: First, the annihilation of the 300,000 troops of Jingyang is not solely your responsibility, Shi Dachun; you do not have such a large brain, nor can you bear such a heavy burden; Second, as a soldier, he can only die on the battlefield, not in some damn study; Third, if you still wish to die, I will not stop you, but you must first eliminate your group of confidants and then hand over the Yuzhou army to me safely before you go to your death"

Those generals did not dare to let go, but only held his arm tighter, crying out: "General, victory and defeat are common matters in warfare, please try to be more open-minded!" The generals kneeling on the ground were also crying and repeatedly bowing their heads.

Having spoken, Shang Yi brushed his sleeves and left the study, leaving only Shi Dachun alone in the room

At this moment, it was not yet the end for Shi Dachun. Outside the study, the bodyguard, who had been waiting for Shi Dachun to call for someone to attend to him, felt a bit puzzled. Unable to contain his curiosity, he peered through the crack of the window. This glance startled the bodyguard so much that he nearly lost his wits. In a moment of panic, he disregarded any notions of propriety and kicked open the door to the study, rushing towards Shi Dachun and immediately seized the sword.

Shang Yi suddenly raised his foot and kicked Amayi on the shoulder, knocking him down to the ground with a single kick. He looked at Amayi and coldly asked, "What do you think my Qingzhou army is? You think you can come and go as you please?"

A-Mai's squad leader is a robust man in his thirties. He is not very tall, yet extremely sturdy; the combined waist size of A-Mai and Zhang Er-Dan does not even match half of his girth. He glanced sideways at the two new soldiers in front of him, spat on the ground with disdain, and cursed, "Damn it, is this what the soil of Yuzhou can produce? Why do they all look like monkeys?"

Zhang Erdan looked at Amai in confusion, Amai wanted to laugh, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she felt a sharp pain in her face, quickly covering her face with her hand, she whispered: "You can call him over, and you will understand in a moment"

Wu Chang carefully scrutinized A Mai, noting that the young man's complexion was quite delicate, his eyebrows slightly thin, yet not the arched brows of a woman, but rather the slanted, sword-like brows that extended into his temples. His eyes were very bright, with a clear distinction between black and white, even more lustrous than those of a woman. The only unfortunate aspect was that his nose bridge was somewhat too high, lacking in delicacy, but the shape of his lips below was truly stunning, slightly taut, making one feel a stirring in their heart just by looking at them

Shi Dachun's face turned pale, his lips trembled, yet he still could not utter a word

Amai instinctively dodged, raising her eyes to look at the burly man in front of her under the moonlight, recognizing him as the captain of another team. She quickly bent her body to the side, lowering her face and speaking in a voice filled with trepidation: "I am sorry, I am sorry"

The man, seeing that he had not kicked the foot, felt his anger intensify, and he raised his foot to kick again

The sergeant smirked and kicked harder at his knee pit. This time, Zhang Erdan could not hold on and fell to his knees on the ground.

Xu Jing asked in surprise, "Amai, why are you back again?"

The sabers of the Southern Xia officers are uniformly provided by the military, and such sabers can only be worn by officers of the rank of school lieutenant and above. With this saber, A-Mai would not only avoid being bullied by the soldiers in the camp, but even the officers in her camp would likely regard her with more respect, considering Tang Shaoyi's influence. A-Mai has understood the profound meaning behind Tang Shaoyi gifting her the saber, and she couldn't help but feel a bit moved, sincerely calling out "Elder Brother" for the first time.

A-Mai cast a cold glance at Wang Qi, who was indeed somewhat intimidated by her fierce demeanor and could only awkwardly close his mouth

Amai stubbornly locked eyes with him and gritted her teeth, saying: "No, Amai was confused yesterday"

The royal guard caught the sword with his bare hands, and the sharp blade immediately embedded itself into his palm, with bright red blood flowing down the blade, mingling with the blood that gushed from Shi Dachun's abdomen, creating a scene of extraordinary brilliance.

Shang Yizhi entered with a cold expression, and without hesitation, kicked a lieutenant who was kneeling at the door aside, shouting angrily: "What the hell are you crying for!"

"Damn it! Can't you see!" the person shouted, raising a foot to kick at A-Mai.

Amai looked at him coldly, startling him into hurriedly waving his hand and saying: "Alright, I won't say anything more, okay? Look at your petty attitude! I would actually love for people to say I look good; it would make it so much easier to talk about my wife."

Wang Qi stared blankly as he took the half bun, but did not dare to put it in his mouth. He hesitated and looked at A Mai. A Mai let out a scoff, said nothing, and simply lowered her head to stuff the bun into her mouth. She quickly swallowed the bun and then raised her head to say to Zhang Erdan: "Let’s hurry back, so that we won’t be found by Sergeant Wu when he calls the roll later"

In the darkness, Ah Mai quietly got up from the large communal bed; this was the only time during the day when she could go to the toilet. During the day, in order to avoid going to the toilet with everyone else, she dared not drink water. To replenish her body's fluids, she could only drink more water before going to sleep at night, and then sneak to the toilet when everyone was fast asleep.

Wu Chang, who had been watching coldly from the side, glanced at A Mai and then turned to Wang Qi, shouting: "Enough! I see that you all are damn tired of living. When the Tartars arrive, let's see if you still have the life to fight! Fighting in the army, you all will be starved for a meal first!"

The sergeant nodded and turned to Amai. Just as he lifted his foot, before he could kick down, Amai knelt down on the ground. The sergeant was taken aback, paused with his foot raised, then turned and chuckled, saying: "Hey, you little rascal, you know how to be sensible. How old are you?"

Amai could only helplessly turn back, lowering her head and drooping her eyelids, and respectfully called out: "General"

Wang Chang circled around Zhang Erdan with his hands behind his back. When he reached behind him, he suddenly kicked him. Zhang Erdan's knees buckled, and his slender body shook violently, yet he did not fall.

After leaving the training ground, the brothers in the camp saw the sword at Amai's waist, their faces filled with both surprise and envy. Those close to Amai, such as Wang Qi and Zhang Erdan, gathered around even more. Wang Qi nudged Amai with his shoulder and enviously asked, "Amai, what is your relationship with that officer?"

Amai sneered and said: "Then let me praise you, Wang Qi, you truly possess a beauty that rivals the finest in the land, with a grace that can make the moon hide and the flowers feel ashamed, a lovely visage that is as delicate as a flower in the moonlight, what a charming little lady you are!"

Upon returning to the city garrison, it was in complete disarray, as it turned out that the governor of Yuzhou, Shi Dachun, had committed suicide

Shang Yizhi glared at that burly man for a long time, feeling a cold laugh rising within him. Who is Shang Yizhi? He spent the first twenty years of his life in that great pit of the capital, where what was most abundant? Officials! What are officials best at? Flirting with their eyes! Those people always speak only three parts of the truth, leaving the rest for you to ponder. What is there to ponder? Isn't it just deciphering the meaning of a glance from him, or the implication of a seemingly unconscious gesture?

Amai hurriedly knelt down on both knees and bowed his head, saying: "Yesterday, Amai was confused; I beg the general for forgiveness. The Tartars have invaded our territory, and as a man of Nansha, how can I retreat in the face of danger for my own safety? Amai has come to understand this; from now on, I vow to follow the general to the death. As long as the Tartars are not defeated, Amai will not leave the military camp for a single day"

Tang Shaoyi glanced at the training ground behind Amai, where dust was rising, and then looked at Amai's face covered in mud. He couldn't help but chuckle and asked, "Can you still endure the hardships of military life?"

Before the words had left his mouth, Amai's fist struck again, this time delivering a powerful blow to the man's abdomen, causing him to bend over. Amai then seized the man's shoulders with both hands and pulled him down, forcefully driving his knee into the man's stomach, and said fiercely: "I am hitting you, if you dare to spew nonsense again, I will kill you!"

Amai, leveraging the strength of the person restraining her from behind, kicked fiercely at that individual and shouted: "Get lost! If you have the guts, face me one-on-one. What kind of hero is it to gang up on just one person!"

Amai felt a bit startled, fearing that the moan she had just let out would reveal her flaw. Although she had silenced her voice with herbs three years ago, making it somewhat rougher than that of an average woman, she was still not a true man. If she paid attention, it was usually not noticeable, but such unconscious moans were the easiest way to expose her true identity

"Pah!" A-Mai spat the blood she had in her mouth at that person, looking at him fiercely. The man had intended to strike again, but upon encountering A-Mai's fierce gaze, he momentarily hesitated and did not dare to act.

"Good," said Shang Yizhi, and he instructed the bodyguard beside him, "Zhang Sheng, take A Mai down and have Deputy General Li assign her to the infantry battalion"

Zhang Erdan gritted his teeth tightly and said: "Sixteen"

Amai did not know how to respond; she certainly could not say that General Shang had abandoned her, deliberately leaving her in this infantry camp to suffer. She pressed her lips together and said calmly, "I do not want to rise as a close attendant; I want genuine military achievements. I want to be a general"

The person who had just been beaten was pulled aside and regained consciousness. He pushed through the crowd and rushed forward, swinging his arms to slap A Mai twice, shouting: "How dare you hit me, how dare you hit me!"

The man indeed stopped because of Amai's muffled groan, a sound that stirred something within him. He looked at Amai lying on the ground and realized that this person was clearly still a youth, tall and slender. Lying there like that, he couldn't help but associate him with a woman.

Today, she did not bring her own knife, but instead took the sword given to her by Tang Shaoyi, and then stealthily exited the tent. The latrines in the camp were all hastily constructed, located in a secluded area behind the tent, surrounded by branches as tall as a person mixed with mud, forming a latrine without a door. Once inside, there was a row of squat toilets, reeking of foul odor.

The person restraining A Mai from behind released their grip, and A Mai secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that she had finally passed this first hurdle. Although she had taken a beating, from now on, this group would no longer doubt her gender. She reached up to touch her already numbed cheek and couldn't help but want to smile wryly, but as soon as she curved her lips, it pulled painfully on her face, so she had to let her lips drop again

Once these words were spoken, not only Wang Qi, but even the sergeant could not help but let out a sigh of relief

Tang Shaoyi reached out and patted Amai's shoulder, nodded, and said, "It is better to be cautious in all matters"

During the lunch break, Tang Shaoyi suddenly came over. He was somewhat surprised to see Amai and asked, "What happened to your face?"

Everyone's gaze was drawn to Amai by these words, even Zhang Erdan, who was kneeling beside her, turned his head to steal a glance at Amai. Amai's face was somewhat pale, and she couldn't help but tighten the corners of her mouth.

A-Mai said nothing, but simply took out a steamed bun, broke it in half, and handed one half to Wang Qi, saying: "This is what Er-Dan saved."

Since he was three years old, he knew that when it came to doing things, he had to pay attention to his father's expression, and when speaking, he had to heed his mother's gaze. With the look in the eyes of that stern man, it was as if he were holding up a sign that read "Shang Yizhi, you are nothing but a wastrel!" How could Shang Yizhi not understand what that meant? Ridiculous!

Tang Shaoyi suddenly felt a bit embarrassed, remaining silent as he simply waved his hand at Amai before turning around and striding away

Someone in the crowd responded: "Hey, that's true! The face looks just like a woman's."

A-Mai stood there with a blank expression, her head slightly lowered and unmoved. Zhang Erdan, on the other hand, had a flushed face, wanting to say something but daring not to provoke Captain Wu, and could only clench his fists subtly.

At dinner time, Amai and Wang Qi were indeed left hungry, as everyone else had gone to eat. Only the two of them remained in the tent. Wang Qi, rubbing his belly, scolded Amai, saying: "Damn it, it's all your fault that we are starving."

Amai nodded vigorously.

Returning to the queue, Amai was the last to arrive. The officer in charge of the drills approached, cursing as he swung his whip towards Amai. However, his eyes caught sight of the sword sheathed at her waist, causing a significant portion of the whip to land in empty space. The officer took a careful look at Amai, continued to curse as he walked away, but did not strike her again.

Deputy General Li was also someone who preferred to avoid unnecessary trouble. Upon seeing that the general had sent his personal guards to bring Amai to be assigned to the infantry battalion, he did not think much of it and handed Amai over to one of his subordinate officers, who then passed Amai on to his own subordinates. Thus, Amai was transferred down through the ranks and ultimately settled in the Eighth Squad of the Fourth Company of the Seventh Battalion of the Qingzhou Army's infantry.

In fact, Amai does not possess any profound skills; she merely practiced some basic techniques for strengthening her body alongside her father when she was young. Over the past few years, she has been constantly on the move, which has significantly increased her physical strength. Additionally, she has performed this set of movements countless times, making her quite adept at it. Therefore, she executes it with considerable ease. However, even so, it does not necessarily mean that she can truly defeat this person. This time, her victory was merely due to the element of surprise; before he could react, she had already left him bewildered.

I swear, you dare to hit...

Zhang Erdan obediently went to call Wang Qi. Wang Qi, filled with doubt, followed him out and saw Amai waiting there. He thought Amai was seeking revenge, and couldn't help but take a step back, warily looking at Amai, and asked: "Aren't you thinking of fighting again?"

Wang Qi chuckled and said, "Isn't it acceptable to compliment your good looks?"

Amai also sensed that something was off about this person. While lowering her voice to apologize, she hurriedly got up from the ground and bent slightly towards the man, wanting to quickly return to the tent. However, just as she turned around... the man suddenly grabbed her shoulder from behind

Amai asked: "Where did you come from?"

This time, Amai did not dodge, gritting her teeth and enduring a kick from him. This man was the team leader, and he was from the same battalion; she did not want to offend him, preferring to take a kick rather than get into a dispute with him here

Everyone in the tent had long fallen asleep, leaving only her awake. She thought that the blood and flesh inherited from her father had finally gained the upper hand.

Alongside Amai, there was also a new recruit named Zhang Erdan assigned to the eighth squad. He was a full head shorter than Amai, with slender arms, thin legs, and a small waist. When he stood there, he resembled a stalk of hemp. With him beside her, Amai not only did not appear frail, but instead took on a somewhat tall and robust demeanor.

Amai suddenly swung his fist and struck the man's face, leaving the man stunned and stepping back several paces, staring wide-eyed in disbelief at Amai, unable to comprehend that a new recruit like Amai would dare to hit a veteran.

Tang Shaoyi also rose from the ranks of the military and naturally knew that Amai was not telling the truth. However, seeing that Amai did not intend to speak further, he did not press the matter. Instead, he asked again: "Why did you stop being a good bodyguard?"

The swelling on Amai's face has not completely subsided; there is still some bruising. Now, upon hearing Tang Shaoyi's question, even the nearby Sergeant Wu could not help but glance over in this direction

Shang Yi's gaze turned cold, and he asked in a chilling voice: "Did you not leave? Why have you returned?"

"Get out!" The tone of Shi Dachun also revealed severity, and those generals from Yuzhou did not dare to disobey his words, so they could only crawl up from the ground one by one and retreat outside the study. As they left, some were still uneasy and discreetly took Shi Dachun's sword with them.

The force of this kick was substantial, striking directly at Amai's abdomen, causing her to fall to the ground. Amai couldn't help but let out a muffled groan, covering her stomach with her hands