It took four hours for the entire army to leave the capital. By now, the sun was already high in the sky, and the weather was quite warm. It felt especially hot for those wearing armor, as the armor blocked out the biting cold wind.
Ning Shu glanced back and saw that the soldiers behind her were drenched in sweat; their tan faces seemed to glow, and waves of steam rose from their bodies.
"Princess, should we set up camp?" Shen Feng asked.
Ning Shu could tell from Shen Feng's expression that he didn't want to stop, as speed was critical in war. He only asked because he had to consider Princess Jiahui's status.
Ning Shu shook her head and said, "Marshal Shen has the highest authority. Jiahui should follow military rules and will comply with all of the Marshal's decisions."
If they set up camp right after leaving the capital, how long would it take to reach North Mongolia?
"Soldiers, we're speeding up!" shouted Shen Moru. After he gave this command, the flag bearers waved the yellow banners to pass on the message.
Shen Feng no longer worried about Ning Shu being a woman and led the army with strict discipline. They marched all day until nightfall, then set up camp.
Ning Shu was finally able to relax once she sat alone in a simple tent.
After all, she was a woman and also the nation's princess; there was no reason for her to share a tent with the men.
However, her meals were the same as those of ordinary soldiers. Ning Shu wasn't picky and ate the coarse cornbread mixed with vegetable and meat soup without complaint. After all, she'd only have the strength to fight if her stomach was full.
Still, this situation was something else. To complete her mission, she actually had to don armor and head onto the battlefield. Even now, Ning Shu's heart pounded with anxiety.
As for the little gray ball, it had been sulking ever since they left the capital and kept shooting Ning Shu sad looks. Even when she gave it half of her food, it just sat with its back to her, gazing up at the sky with a forlorn expression.
Ning Shu: …
Ning Shu was speechless. What was this little thing doing? Did it really miss Li Wen that much? The little gray ball seemed more human-like than ever.
After she finished eating, Ning Shu went to get some water to wash up. But as expected, it wasn't easy. Naturally, it wasn't simple for a woman to clean herself in the middle of a camp filled with men.
What surprised her was that someone actually bumped into her tent in the middle of the night. It seemed intentional, and it wasn't just one person either.
Ning Shu gave a cold smile. As expected, women were always at a disadvantage. If anything happened to her, they'd just say she died in battle. She felt the best solution was to punish one of them as an example. Otherwise, bold people with improper intentions would show up in the future.
These men didn't push things too far, probably because they were mindful of Ning Shu's status as a princess. Also, most were only middle-ranking officers without much power. Ning Shu swore she'd make them choke on their own bloody teeth one day.
During the march the next day, Duan Xinghui rode up beside Ning Shu on horseback and asked, "Princess, are you alright?"
Ning Shu was in a bad mood from the start, so when she heard this question, she felt Duan Xinghui was taking pleasure in her discomfort and replied coldly, "Guard Duan, why? Were you expecting this general not to be alright?"