“Chapter Eighty-Five”

"Chapter Eighty-Five"

"Baisha watched the holographic image before her in silence, feeling an inexplicable warmth in her heart."

"Xipes’s lecture continued."

"Suddenly, a faintly glowing star map materialized before Baisha. The map was lined with numerous dotted orbits, with a red and a blue miniature fleet poised at either end."

"Xipes said, 'Now, I’ll set up a beginner-level course for you. Try to defeat me. Only if you win this round, will you be able to access the subsequent lessons.'"

"Baisha was slightly surprised, not expecting the chip to be so advanced—or rather, Xipes to be so dedicated. She must have put a lot of effort into inputting data into the chip to achieve this real-time simulation effect."

"Baisha, not daring to be negligent, crossed her legs to tackle the test."

"The two fleets maneuvered silently on the star map. Orbital distances, firepower, fleet formations… There were many factors to consider in fleet warfare, most of which Baisha had only superficially experimented with and was not familiar. She could only rely on her intuition to strategize."

Five minutes later, Bai Sha’s fleet set off fireworks across the starboard.

Bai Sha: "..."

What else could be done but start over?

In the second and third rounds... Cipeis's tactics in deploying troops were not static, but after several rounds, Bai Sha also discovered that her opponent was subtly following a certain pattern.

To end the game, one must either completely annihilate the opponent's army or conquer their star system.

Finally, in the fifth round, after a standoff lasting forty minutes with the enemy fleet, Bai Sha's red fleet won narrowly with a surprise attack strategy.

Bai Sha suddenly relaxed her clenched fists, only then realizing her palms were covered in a thin layer of cold sweat.

She looked up at Cipeis behind the starboard.

Cipeis's expression paused briefly, as if assessing the outcome of the trial. Then, she resumed her smile.

"Hearing this next part means you've passed this trial within five rounds. Not bad, quite talented indeed. I was already thinking of how to console you when you failed the test more than a dozen times... It seems I won't need those comforting words after all."

"Were you very nervous just now?" Cipeis said, her face devoid of any real concern, "Let me tell you, on the battlefield, it's even more nerve-wracking."

"As the saying goes, 'A general's incompetence exhausts the army.' Today was your first lesson I set for you, Cecil. As a prince, you will definitely command your own army and fleet in the future," Cipeis continued casually, as if chatting about family matters with her brother, "You'll become an excellent warrior, it's in our Luoning family's genetic advantage. But looking back at our ancestors, all were brave and skilled in battle, yet not all were cut out to be marshals."

"War is an art. Leading an army isn't as simple as practicing on the starboard with me. Even though you beat me, you're still far from being able to relax."

"...As a member of the monarch class, or say as a commander of an army, you need to master not only military strategy but also consider the administrative management of the army, and even the power shifts within the military—every detail matters, sometimes even the smallest detail can determine victory or defeat. I can't explain all of this to you, you have to learn it yourself, or accumulate experience on the battlefield..."

"I'll teach you the basics first, what are 'Military Form' and 'Military Momentum'."

If you decide to accumulate water in a thousand-foot-deep creek, it is called form...

"The momentum of a skilled warrior is like rolling a round stone down a thousand-foot mountain..."

"Baisha listened as Xipes patiently explained the intricacies of military formations. Gradually, her eyelids began to flutter uncontrollably... and soon she fell asleep, leaning against the bedside cabinet."

"After an indeterminate amount of time, the bedroom door silently opened."

"A tall, silver-haired young man stepped in, immediately spotting the still-talking hologram of Xipes. He stopped in his tracks, pausing for several seconds, then reached out and flicked the holographic Xipes' forehead."

"This was a habitual gesture between the siblings."

"The holographic 'Xipes' immediately ceased her lecture, as if responding to some signal, saying, 'Since you’re tired, we’ll end today’s lesson here.'"

"'See you tomorrow, little brother.'"

"'What tomorrow,' Cecil Roning scoffed softly, 'Liar.'"

"Xipes Roning didn’t respond, a sly smile playing at the corner of her eyes. The next instant, the holographic scene vanished into thin air, along with the image of Xipes, like a firefly flickering out."

"Cecil Roning stretched out his arms, gently picking up the sleeping Baisha and placing her on the bed, covering her with a blanket."

"Just as he finished, the Emperor, preparing to leave, noticed a fluffy white cat squatting at his feet."

"The cat tilted its head, its large blue eyes silently fixating on him."

"Cecil Roning hummed, '...I warn you as the Emperor, don't make a sound, or I’ll exile you beyond the Empire’s borders.'"

"The cat’s tail swept the floor, seemingly sensing the Emperor’s wariness and stiffness. Instinctively, it moved gracefully and silently to his feet, rubbing against his legs."

"The Emperor, who had never been fond of cats in his life: '...'"

"Seizing the moment, he scooped up the docile cat like a doll and quickly exited Baisha’s bedroom."

……

"Baisha slept profoundly that night."

"She even had a dream—a rarity since she entered the interstellar era. In the dream, she seemed to see many people. There was Xipes, Cecil, and a few young faces blurred, all gathered around a dinner table, spending a warm evening filled with laughter and conversation..."

"When she opened her eyes, the bedroom was quiet."

"Neither the holographic image of Xipes nor the cat she had brought into her room were anywhere to be seen."

"Baisha paused for a few seconds, then got up from the bed, washed, changed, and went to have a meal with her uncle, the Emperor."

"When she arrived, Cecil Roning had just finished dealing with a backlog of documents. He nodded at Baisha's arrival, and an attendant pulled out a chair at the table for her."

"'Good afternoon, Uncle,' Baisha blinked and asked, 'Was it you who put that chip in my room?'"

"'Yes,' said Cecil Roning, 'Looking back, it was too risky. I didn’t expect you to let those cats on your bed—have you considered what would happen if a cat ate the chip?'"

"Baisha: '...Cats aren’t stupid.'"

"The Emperor slightly raised his handsome eyebrows: 'Really? The cats you keep seem pretty foolish to me.'"

"As they were speaking, a soft meow suddenly came from under the table."

"Baisha, startled, bent down and saw the cat she had taken earlier now lazily squatting by the Emperor’s feet, on an incredibly luxurious swan velvet cushion adorned with a circle of gems, surrounded by a plethora of cat toys and dried fish scattered on the floor."

"Baisha: '???'"

"'Hah, it's not that I wanted to keep the cat, it just clung to me,' said the Emperor."

"'Really?' Baisha crouched down, picked up a small ball, and waved it at the cat, 'Come here, kitty.'"

"'Meow~'"

"The big cat instantly abandoned its luxurious cushion and the scattered dried fish, darting into Baisha's arms in a flash."

"The Emperor: '...'"

"The Emperor chuckled softly."