King Batukhan had been working behind closed doors since the day he fainted in court. He had allowed Prince Batsaikhan to take the reins, giving his crowned prince a taste of the court's complexities. It was a late spring day, and King Batukhan sought solace in his scrolls in the tranquil backyard. He was engrossed in his stack of scrolls when a young girl's voice, bright and clear as a bird's song, caught his attention.
King Batukhan looked up and saw a young teen, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "What are you doing here?" he asked, a hint of curiosity in his tone.
"I'm looking for a place to hide," Chinua replied, a playful smile dancing on her lips.
King Batukhan set down the scroll, a faint smile gracing his own face. "Oh, are you good at hiding?"
"Yes, I am," Chinua declared proudly. "Once I hid for two days and no one found me. I clearly saw the eunuchs and the maids, but they didn't see me." A mischievous giggle escaped her.
"What's your name?" King Batukhan inquired, his interest piqued.
"Chinua..." she answered.
"How old are you, child?" he asked, his gaze studying her.
"I just turned sixteen this year," Chinua replied.
King Batukhan's mind suddenly reeled. Chinua was the name of Queen Qara's daughter, born many years ago. He had been so upset at the time that he didn't want to see the child, and after a few months, he had completely forgotten he had a second child with his queen. A pang of guilt tightened his chest.
"Come closer, child. Let me take a closer look at you," King Batukhan said, his voice softer than before.
Chinua approached, her steps light, and asked, "Sir, do you live here?"
King Batukhan smiled warmly. "Yes, I have lived here for many years."
"Have you seen the king?" Chinua asked, her voice filled with earnest hope.
"I have," King Batukhan replied, a flicker of amusement in his eyes.
"If you see the king, can you tell him to visit me? I have never seen his face before." Her words were a quiet plea.
King Batukhan felt a sharp stab of guilt. "Alright, I will ask him to visit you often," he promised, his voice tinged with regret.
"I have a very important matter that I need to ask the king's consent," Chinua confided, her tone serious now.
Chinua then looked at a map on the table, then up at King Batukhan, her brow furrowed in concentration. "Are you a general looking for a way to reclaim a lost city?"
King Batukhan looked at Chinua, a surprised expression on his face. "Can you read a map?" he asked.
"A little," Chinua admitted, a modest shrug of her shoulders.
King Batukhan pointed to a city on the map. "What city is this?"
"That was Nue-Li City. The battle of Nue-Li was the reason for General Batzorig's retirement," Chinua recited, her knowledge unexpected.
King Batukhan smiled, a hint of intrigue in his eyes. "Who taught you this story?"
"I saw it in a book in the old library," Chinua explained.
"How many books have you read?" King Batukhan probed, his curiosity growing.
"Every book in the library, twice," Chinua stated matter-of-factly.
King Batukhan was taken aback but then burst into laughter, a hearty sound that echoed in the peaceful garden. "Twice? Impressive. Very impressive."
Chinua pointed to a marker on the mountain. "You're marking here; do you want to attack from here?" She looked at the map, then picked up a brush and made a marker around the flowing groundwater. "It's better to start here."
King Batukhan smiled, his eyes gleaming with delight. "Oh, interesting. Let's play Conquer the Land."
"Okay!" Chinua exclaimed happily, her face lighting up. She went to the other side of the table and sat down, eager for the game. "I'm really good at this game. My brother and I play this game often."
King Batukhan smiled and asked, "What was the result?"
Chinua smiled impishly. "He wins every time."
King Batukhan chuckled. "That means you are not very good at conquering land."
"I let him win on purpose," Chinua countered, a twinkle in her eye.
"Why?" King Batukhan asked, his interest piqued.
Chinua smiled, a knowing look on her face. "Because he is my elder brother, it is normal for him to win. I'm giving him face."
King Batukhan burst out laughing, a genuine, booming laugh that warmed the air. "Let's use this map." He unfurled the map of Hmagol and placed it on the table.
Chinua looked at the map, studied it for a while, her brow furrowed in deep thought, then looked up at King Batukhan. "How many soldiers do we each have?"
"Fifty thousand," King Batukhan replied, his gaze lingering on the forgotten princess. "Where do you want to start?"
Chinua looked at the map. "Since you are my elder, please choose first," she said respectfully.
King Batukhan looked at the map. "I will take this," he declared, scattering pumpkin seeds in the northern part of Hmagol, a decisive gesture.
Chinua's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "You chose the north because of the northern army, right?"
"Since you know this, it's better to admit defeat," King Batukhan teased, a challenging grin on his face.
"Admitting defeat will only weaken the morale of the army," Chinua stated firmly, her voice unwavering. "Even if I only have one soldier left, there is a possibility of victory." She gathered her fifty pumpkin seeds in her hand, her fingers tracing the contours of the map.
King Batukhan placed ten seeds in the center, ten on the left, and ten on the right, and then used five of each seed for support. He put his remaining seeds in the main camp. His strategy was clear and well-practiced.
Chinua observed his moves, her expression unreadable. "Ten thousand men attack the right, ten thousand men attack the left, ten thousand men attack the middle, each unit has five thousand men as supporters. Even if the enemy breaks through, you still have five thousand men to defend the city. Quite a clever move." Chinua took ten seeds and placed five seeds in front of King Batukhan's thirty seeds, and then she put another seed behind each seed.
King Batukhan looked at her array. "You fought with ten thousand soldiers against my forty thousand soldiers. Why do you think you can win?" he challenged, a skeptical arch in his brow.
Chinua pointed to her ten seeds. "These five seeds are just to lure you to the battlefield." She slid her finger down the middle, separating the ten seeds into two sets of five. "My five thousand men will fire continuously as your soldiers approach. I don't need many soldiers to use bows and arrows." She looked at King Batukhan, her eyes glinting with cunning. "When you reach my gate, your army will be cut in half."
King Batukhan pushed his five seeds over the others, a confident smirk on his face.
Chinua placed a seed on the table and smashed it into pieces with her fist, a surprisingly fierce action. She grabbed a broken piece and placed it in front of King Batukhan's soldiers.
King Batukhan chuckled, a knowing glint in his eye. "You still have soldiers, why do you need to take this desperate action?"
"You care too much about where my soldiers are," Chinua said, her voice holding a triumphant note. "You forget that the place you chose to attack is the location of the Confluence Canal. I only need ten soldiers to destroy the dam, and the rest will flood." She picked up all the broken pieces of the seed back into her hand. "When your soldiers are in disarray, the rest of my soldiers will rush into your main camp, and now the five thousand soldiers in your main camp cannot defend against my forty thousand soldiers at all." She looked at King Batukhan, a challenging glint in her eyes. "Does father agree?"
King Batukhan burst out laughing, a hearty, joyful sound that echoed through the garden. Eunuch Tong rushed into the pavilion with twenty-five guards, his face etched with alarm. Eunuch Tong shouted angrily, "How dare you share the table with His Highness? Guards, capture that maid!"
King Batukhan, still grinning, said, "Now you are surrounded by my guards. How are you going to escape?"
"Capture the general to destroy the morality of the army," Chinua retorted immediately, her eyes sparkling with defiance.
King Batukhan laughed even louder, his amusement infectious. "You are the first person who dares to threaten me!" He waved his right hand, a dismissive gesture.
Eunuch Tong asked firmly, his gaze fixed on Chinua, "Who are you?"
King Batukhan said, "Tong, look carefully, who do you think she is?"
Eunuch Tong stared at Chinua for a while, his brow furrowed in concentration, and then, baffled, said, "Your Highness, this subject does not know who she is."
King Batukhan pushed the map towards Chinua. "Why are you marking here?" he asked, his voice now serious.
Chinua said, "If father builds a dam here, it will not only benefit the people but also prevent or slow down the invasion of the enemy army."
King Batukhan looked at Chinua, a deep understanding dawning on his face. "What's your reason for looking for me today?"
Chinua stood up and knelt in front of King Batukhan, her posture respectful, her voice clear and earnest. "Father, I would like father to send me to train with the recruits of the Northern Army."
King Batukhan said, his expression turning grave, "If you go, you must understand that even if you are a woman or a member of the royal family, you will not receive special treatment. You will be treated the same as everyone else." He looked at the young lady standing in front of him, his gaze scrutinizing. "And, no woman has ever joined before."
Chinua said, her voice filled with conviction, "Father, I promised my elder brother that I would be his legs for him. I know that father wants him to ascend the throne. Father also knows that many officials and ministers in the court do not support elder brother. Since my elder brother can't go to the battlefield, let me go to the battlefield on his behalf."
King Batukhan stood up and slowly walked down the small steps to the fishpond, his movements thoughtful. Chinua walked slowly behind King Batukhan, her eyes fixed on his back. King Batukhan turned to look at Chinua, his expression solemn. "Fourth Princess Chinua, I order you to train with the new recruits of the Northern Army under the guidance of General Batzorig. You must complete the training as one of the top ten soldiers. If you fail, I'll send you south to do harsh labor for three years."
Chinua knelt down quickly, her eyes shining with determination, and said, "Thank you, father, I won't let you down!"
King Batukhan smiled, a rare, genuine warmth in his eyes. "I only have four sons and four daughters, and no daughter or son has ever made such a strange request to me. Princess Chinua, you fascinate me." He sighed, a soft exhalation. "You can get up now."
"Father, I have another request?" Chinua asked, her voice a little bolder now.
King Batukhan chuckled, a playful glint in his eye. "Princess, don't be greedy."
"I have two guards who want to go with me too," Chinua explained.
"Why?" King Batukhan asked.
Chinua looked at Eunuch Tong, a subtle knowing look in her eyes, and said, "Father has Eunuch Tong as his crony, and I also want someone I trust, someone who won't stab me as soon as I turn around."
King Batukhan sighed, a sound of exasperated amusement. "You are surely full of tricks." He looked at Eunuch Tong and smiled lightly. "Okay, I agree with your request." He walked over to Chinua and patted her on the head lightly, a gesture of affection and respect. "Remember, there is no special treatment." He smiled and walked away with Eunuch Tong. "Princess Chinua, if you can successfully complete the training, I will let you into the morning discussion in the court."