Fate Trading System – Chapter 199

Plan A

Guiding Stars 15

Border Region

Su Xin had worn that jade bead for a long time. It was an accessory that the original owner had always worn on their body, and when taken off, it still held a bit of the skin’s warmth.

Yue Xingyao received it, her face brimming with obvious excitement.

The wooden bead was polished extremely smooth, engraved with the characters ‘遙’ (yáo | distant) and ‘辰’ (chén | time; a term from the traditional sexagenary cycle), incredibly delicate, and one could see that much thought had been put into it.

To have made such a thing in just two days was truly remarkable, especially since Yue Xingyao was only six years old and yet had such good control.

Yue Xingyao couldn’t see Su Xin off, so she could only stand there, watching her walk further and further away, not knowing when she would return.

The courtyard gate was closed but not locked. Palace staff would still come in regularly to clean.

Yue Xingyao put the accessory around her neck. The string was a bit large for her, but with Liujin’s help, the length of the red string was adjusted.

Yue Xingyao touched the jade bead, feeling a mix of happiness and sadness.

Su Xin and Jinxiu, dressed in ordinary, light clothing, took some luggage and money, and left through a side gate of the imperial palace in an inconspicuous carriage.

The scenery slid past on both sides of the carriage. Jinxiu looked at the outside world with great excitement. Su Xin sat inside the carriage, gazing back at the resplendent imperial palace. This trip, she didn’t know how many years it would be before she returned. At least, she wouldn’t return until she had achieved her goal, within a manageable situation.

Su Xin wasn’t afraid of arduous training and was somewhat curious about the life of ancient soldiers. Her training had always been solitary. This kind of group combat, which tested tacit understanding and coordination, without firearms, directly using swords, sabers, and spears, might truly bring her a different experience.

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Border Region.

Sand was swept up by a gust of wind and then gently settled back down to the ground.

It was currently rest time, and the atmosphere within the army tent was relatively relaxed.

“General, is that, uh, princess really coming here?” The Deputy General rubbed her chin, thoroughly perplexed.

“Why would I lie to you? When the time comes, everyone pull yourselves together. Don’t be so sloppy and scare the princess.” Sun Lang chuckled and lightly kicked the leg of the person in front of her. This person was usually frivolous, a real rough-around-the-edges type.

“General, if she’s really that easily scared, why would she travel thousands of li [里 | lǐ | 0.5 km or 0.3 miles] to come here and suffer? A pampered, delicate flower—wouldn’t it be better to stay in the capital, in that nest of beauties? Why come here to eat sand with us? Isn’t there something wrong with her?”

“Who knows? Keep your mouth shut. That First Princess seems to be… only twelve years old.”

“Whoa, then she’s even more messed up. What’s a little kid doing running off here? Does she think war is a joke? The Emperor is actually willing to let her?”

The Deputy General had been stationed in this place for many years, cut off from news, and even more clueless about the Emperor’s affairs. How could she know how many children the Emperor had, or their respective ages? To be honest, she didn’t even know what the Emperor looked like.

“We shouldn’t speculate on Her Majesty’s intentions. Just do our own jobs when the time comes. Let’s just hope that princess doesn’t like to cause trouble. Otherwise, if she’s looking for death, we’ll have to stop her. If she dies here, our crime will be enormous. What a pain.”

Sun Lang organized the things on the table, scratching her head in some irritation. She really hoped the princess wasn’t some delicate, fragile type who loved to indulge in luxury.

Not long after Sun Lang finished speaking, someone came in to report that the person had arrived.

“Let’s go.” Sun Lang lifted her chin, gesturing to the Deputy General.

The carriage stopped in the city. Traveling further west would lead to the military camp.

“Jinxiu, why don’t you settle in here? This Palace can go over alone.”

“No, Jinxiu will accompany you first. After I know where you are, I will return.”

“Then let’s continue onward.” Su Xin signaled the driver to proceed.

The bumpy journey hadn’t bothered Su Xin much, likely because she practiced martial arts. However, Jinxiu was clearly not adapting well. His originally round face had become quite pale, and his chin had sharpened considerably.

The scenery along the way had already changed dramatically.

The vast border region held an atmosphere of desolate remoteness, inexplicably bleak.

After traveling for a while, the carriage stopped again. Su Xin heard greetings from outside.

“Your subordinate, Sun Lang [孫琅 | Sūn Láng], has come to welcome the First Princess.”

Sun Lang stood at a short distance. Although she spoke these words, she did not bow.

The Deputy General smiled stealthily, but concealed it well.

The driver lifted the carriage curtain. Su Xin jumped down directly and nimbly, dispensing with the formalities of the capital.

“General Sun.” Su Xin nodded.

Seeing that the princess before her wasn’t dressed in luxurious clothes but rather ordinary, light, and easily movable attire, Sun Lang breathed a sigh of relief. She had truly feared the arrival of a high-maintenance personage.

“Mistress.” Jinxiu’s thin voice came from inside the carriage. He also jumped down without assistance, barely managing to steady himself.

Seeing the two unfamiliar women before her, Jinxiu stood somewhat anxiously behind Su Xin.

They were two adult women, making Jinxiu feel a little uneasy.

Su Xin lifted her chin slightly.

“Your Highness truly traveled thousands of li to come here to suffer as a new recruit?”

“To be frank, General, I have other objectives as well.”

“Oh?”

“My grandmother was Lou Xiao [楼萧 | Lóu Xiāo].”

The name Lou Xiao had resonated in this region for two to three decades. There wasn’t a single general who didn’t know the name. Everyone on the border had once been under her protection. She had held the title of the Undefeated God of War, but still, she had died on the battlefield.

Heroes eventually meet their twilight. A matter that caused countless soldiers to grieve and lament—a battle won, but only by a narrow margin, and with heavy losses, including the loss of an outstanding general.

“What?” Hearing this name, Sun Lang couldn’t help but feel a jolt in her heart. That general, whom she regarded as a teacher, had taught her so much. It could be said that Sun Lang had been single-handedly promoted by her.

“You are General Lou’s granddaughter?”

The Lou Family Army, lacking a leader, had long since been scattered. They seemed to have fallen silent, but they were still waiting for someone who could reawaken them.

During the last campaign, the very battle in which Lou Xiao died, Sun Lang had heard the esteemed old general mention her granddaughter.

Lou Xiao had said that the girl was the last of their Lou family line. She hadn’t known what the outcome of her own venture would be. If she could return alive, naturally, that would be good. But if she couldn’t, then her granddaughter would be left in a pitiable, isolated, and helpless situation, as her son had already passed away.

Sun Lang had later lamented the girl’s potential plight, but she hadn’t known who that granddaughter was.

“I want to come here, to experience everything my grandmother once experienced, and then obtain what I want.”

Su Xin smiled and opened her palm, revealing a token.

On it, the character ‘樓’ (lóu | storied building; surname Lou) was written in a bold, flourishing calligraphy style. The back of the token bore a unique and intricate pattern.

Sun Lang quickly took it to examine, confirming its authenticity.

“I will start again as a new recruit. Don’t reveal my identity.”

At this moment, Sun Lang felt an inexplicable sense of gratification. Like father, like daughter—worthy indeed of being General Lou’s descendant. The saying ‘A tiger father does not have a dog daughter’ [虎父无犬女 | hǔ fù wú quǎn nǚ | meaning a great father will not have a worthless daughter] came to mind.

Sun Lang then connected this to Su Xin’s other identity, First Princess… Her ambition was now crystal clear. Sun Lang, however, didn’t care who became emperor. She only cared about the peace and stability of this border region.

“Alright, Your Highness. I shall wait and see.”

The token was returned to Su Xin’s hand. Su Xin rubbed its edge and followed Sun Lang forward.

“What are you standing there dumbfounded for? Hurry up and follow!” Sun Lang kicked her Deputy General, snapping her out of her daze.

The Deputy General hadn’t expected such a significant background—not because of her princess status, but because she was General Lou’s descendant.

Since Su Xin had decided to leverage this connection, she would have to achieve even greater accomplishments.

If she were just a princess, persevering would be remarkably difficult.

But as General Lou’s descendant, excelling was only natural.

People’s standards of measurement and expectations differed based on identity.

Simply put, if your parents and siblings were all intelligent, and you consistently failed to achieve high scores on exams, then you would be a great disappointment.

The setting sun on the horizon was blood-red. Before them stretched the vast, endless yellow sand.

Many things, imperceptibly, had already begun.

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