The entire arena was silent.

Even those on the high platform did not immediately react.

The Prince of Wei Yangwang asked, “Won? Just like that?”

How did they win?

Who won?

Why was no one informing him?

The next moment, a soldier waving a flag in the arena loudly declared, “The commander of Hao Zhou has been defeated. Da Hui wins!”

The commander?

The commander of Hao Zhou wasn’t the seemingly invincible crown prince?

Above, in the previously quiet hall, it felt as though a massive stone had been thrown into the water, creating waves that rippled through everything.

Everyone was astonished by the news.

“So, the real commander was defeated just now?”

“Yes, Hao Zhou actually gave the commander’s role to an unknown soldier.”

“This…”

It was so unexpected, no one could have foreseen this!

Countless people’s expressions changed.

In the hunting field.

Yu Shun was quiet for a moment before sheathing her Green Dragon Halberd.

She raised her eyes and exchanged glances with Wen Yuesheng.

Her gaze was deep as she asked, “How did the princess know who our real commander is?”

“Naturally…” Wen Yuesheng answered lazily, “I guessed.”

Her tone was slow, almost as if she was joking.

However, the one who had actually defeated the true commander, Lu Tingyu, couldn’t help but look back at Wen Yuesheng.

The wind suddenly picked up, causing her dress to flutter.

She stood in the midst of the cold, swirling wind, her expression calm and serene.

But at that moment, Lu Tingyu remembered that earlier in the day, when he went to pick up Wen Yuesheng, she had been feeding fish at the national temple.

And the first thing she had said to him was, “General Lu, if one person were to face off against Hao Zhou’s two commanders, could you win?”

Lu Tingyu had hesitated for a moment before replying, “It will take some time.”

Then it was possible.

Wen Yuesheng had put away the fish food in her hand and spoke softly, “Zhang Yulin will try his best to delay them, but at most for an hour.”

After thinking for a moment, Lu Tingyu had agreed.

“But I wonder, what does the princess need me to do?”

Wen Yue Sheng lightly lifted her eyelids, her expression calm, “The crown prince of Hao Zhou is a clever man.”

Clever people are always suspicious.

Yu Shun didn’t know Wen Yuesheng or Zhang Yulin well, nor did he know if Zhang Yulin could defeat him.

In this situation, being the commander wasn’t guaranteed safety.

The four great generals around him were too conspicuous; their traits were obvious, and if they became the commander, it would carry certain risks.

The safest choice was to find someone who was skilled, good at evading and hiding, who could stay on the battlefield without easily being defeated, but wasn’t the most obvious or strongest fighter.

That person could take on the role of the commander.

Everyone knew this battle was a showdown between the four great generals and Lu Tingyu, Xiao Jin, Yu Shun, and Zhang Yulin.

Who would notice a minor general among them?

Moreover, smart people always like to keep a backup plan.

Unlike Wen Yuesheng, who never left room for anything.

At this point, Lu Tingyu finally understood Wen Yuesheng’s intention.

She wanted him to defeat Hao Zhou’s two commanders and then find an opportunity to defeat their real commander.

Before this, he had also speculated about the identity of Hao Zhou’s commander, but because he knew Yu Shun’s strength, he assumed the commander would be Yu Shun himself.

After all, no one had imagined that, with the crown prince himself entering the battle, the commander’s role would be given to someone else.

When they first discussed this matter, they had instinctively assumed the commander would be Yu Shun, as if there was no other possibility.

But no one had expected Yu Shun to value Zhang Yulin so highly.

To be precise, it was also because of Wen Yuesheng.

In fact, Yu Shun’s thinking wasn’t wrong.

From Zhang Yulin’s performance today, and with Wen Yuesheng’s guidance, it seemed that, with time, Da Hui could very well nurture a war god.

But Zhang Yulin was still not his match with his current abilities.

Yu Shun made only one mistake: he shouldn’t have kept Wen Yuesheng here for so long while testing Zhang Yulin’s depth.

What he had guessed was not wrong; Da Hui’s commander was Wen Yuesheng.

Before stepping onto the battlefield, the identity of the commander had already been decided, and Wen Yuesheng had never intended to hide her role.

Because she had anticipated that, no matter who Dahuí’s commander was today, Yu Shun’s target would always be her.

From the surface, it seemed like victory was within his grasp.

But only he knew how terrifying the murderous intent he had felt when facing Wen Yuesheng truly was.

After many years of war, Yu Shun had personally been on the battlefield many times.

However, even in the midst of the bloodthirsty chaos, it was still difficult to sense such intense killing intent.

Yu Shun raised his eyes, watching as Wen Yue Sheng took a step and left, his gaze deep.

Wen Yuesheng ascended the high platform, but did not immediately approach the emperor.

Instead, she slowly and gracefully washed her hands in the bronze basin that Gu Yu had prepared ahead of time.

Today, she had no intention of making a move.

Since it was a day of fasting, she would not kill any living beings.

Besides, in a competition where killing was not allowed, what would be the point?

But the officials on the high platform were exceptionally excited, and the atmosphere was heated.

Countless people congratulated the Duke of Zhongyong.

With Zhang Yulin’s abilities, he would certainly make a name for himself on the battlefield in the future, ensuring that the Duke would have a successor.

However, the Loyal and Brave Marquis cupped his hands and smiled, saying, “It’s not Zhang Yulin’s merit, it’s all thanks to the Princess’s teachings.”

He praised Wen Yuesheng to everyone, as if he wished to treat her as a revered goddess.

But truly, it was Wen Yuesheng who helped Zhang Yulin recover to his normal state and gain such impressive strength.

In that sense, Wen Yuesheng was indeed like a goddess.

“Speaking of which, when the Duke of Loyal and Bravery is sent Zhang Yulin to the Princess, many people in the capital mocked him in private,” Wen Xun, who was sitting nearby, could clearly hear the surrounding officials talking.

“They all said that he must have been so happy when his son suddenly recovered that he did something ridiculous. But looking at it now…”

An official next to him spoke firmly, “If Young Master Zhang hadn’t been by the Princess’s side, even if he had recovered, he wouldn’t have reached this point.”

Indeed, Zhang Yulin had been foolish for many years, clumsy and naive.

If he hadn’t met a wise mentor, he would have likely remained hidden in obscurity for the rest of his life.

Wen Xun’s expression grew complex, and he couldn’t help but glance at Wen Yuesheng.

When Wen Yuesheng entered, she was greeted by a scene like this.

Countless gazes were fixed on her—curious, amazed, and many searching.

This was because the scene of her standing firm, facing the cold blades of the fight earlier, had been truly shocking.

Xiao Jin also removed his armor and ascended the high platform.

As he entered the hall, Wen Yurou approached him, her face faintly troubled.

She whispered, “My lord, are you injured?”

The latter part of the fight had been particularly dangerous.

Xiao Jin had defeated one of the four generals, Jilan, and though he had some minor injuries, he simply shook his head and looked into the distance.

That figure, so thin, stood with its back to him, calmly wiping its hands.

Xiao Jin’s eyes deepened as he recalled the earlier scene, still unsettled.

But his long-formed habits made him look away, focusing instead on Wen Yurou.

He softly asked, “What brings you here? The wind is strong; if you catch a chill, you’ll need to continue taking medicine.”

Upon hearing “medicine,” Wen Yurou quickly shook her head with a pained expression.

Normally, Xiao Jin would find this cute, but today, his mind kept wandering to that slender figure.

It was like the cool sandalwood fragrance she wore—cold yet lingering.

Xiao Jin seemed momentarily lost.

Meanwhile, Wen Yuesheng sat down, ignoring the gazes around her.

She took the incense burner from Gu Yu’s hands and lit the sandalwood.

Wei Yangwang watched in fascination.

He realized that Si Ning had become increasingly strange.

How could it not be?

She was the first to sit in the great hall after a martial arts victory and light incense.

And indeed, she had a kind of reverence to her.

What he didn’t know was that, for a brief moment, Wen Yuesheng had genuinely thought of breaking Yu Shun’s neck.

But after several days of fasting, she managed to restrain herself.

The faint sandalwood smoke rose before her, swirling like a dream.

At this moment, someone came to report that Prince Hao Zhou had arrived.

Hao Zhou had lost the most important match today, costing them three thousand war horses, and now had to go to the high platform to meet the emperor.

Such an event hadn’t happened in over ten years.

The atmosphere in the hall became restless, with countless gazes fixed on the high platform’s entrance.

Yu Shun, accompanied by Hao Zhou’s generals, slowly walked up the long staircase.

He had already removed his armor, but unlike in the past few days, this time, Prince Yu Shun, the heir to Hao Zhou, wore not his usual robes.

He donned a dark-colored dragon robe embroidered with a fierce golden dragon, his head crowned with a golden tiara, his face stern as frost.

In Hao Zhou, dark colors held the highest status.

Having been in Da Hui for some time, this was the first time Yu Shun presented himself in such a manner.

It made everyone around him clearly feel that he was the crown prince of Hao Zhou, and with the old emperor of Hao Zhou aging, Yu Shun’s ascension to the throne was just a matter of time.

Yu Shun shed the gentle exterior he often wore, exuding the oppressive air of a ruler.

As he entered the hall, the room fell into complete silence.

The Hao Zhou emissaries had been in the capital for a long time, and today’s scene felt like a true first meeting.

Yu Shun led, with the tall and powerful Hao Zhou generals following behind, their presence immediately revealing the strength of Hao Zhou’s national power.

After standing in the hall, Yu Shun spoke in a low voice: “In today’s martial arts contest, Hao Zhou was defeated by Da Hui.”

“The three thousand war horses will be sent to Da Hui within the next few days.”

With those words, the atmosphere in the hall immediately became heated.

Just days ago, in the first martial contest, Yu Shun had openly conceded defeat.

No one had expected that, just days later, Da Hui would win again.

The key to this victory lay in one person.

At this moment, Yu Shun raised his eyes.

His gaze, with eyes slightly lighter than most, made it difficult to discern his emotions but still held a powerful, awe-inspiring presence.

Yu Shun’s eyes passed over everyone in the hall and landed on the person who was calmly lighting incense not far away.

He watched for a long time before suddenly letting out a light laugh.

“Hao Zhou wishes to offer the highest honor and asks for Da Hui’s Si Ning Princess’s hand in marriage, with the title of Princess Consort.”

In other words, after much discussion, this grand diplomatic marriage, which was crucial to both sides, was not going to be a marriage where the princess was married to another prince.

Instead, tonight, the crown prince Yu Shun himself was asking to marry Princess Si Ning.

The Princess, who was already betrothed.

Silence.

Wen Yuesheng slowly lifted her eyes.

She had wanted to break his neck, yet he now wanted to marry her?