Adam Spencer is not a typical Tang man. On the battlefield, he often appears not brave enough, and he certainly lacks the fierce spirit of risking everything for survival or burning down his own house just for fun. Even if he lived in Weicheng for another twenty years, it would be impossible for him to write a grand life story of rising from a beggar to a general.

But he has spent enough time in the army—long enough to precisely grasp those admirable or terrifying qualities of the Tang people in this era. So when he noticed the arrow holes on the princess’s convoy, he immediately deduced some very troubling things—on the grasslands, that successor Chanyu actually dared to pursue and kill a Tang princess. If he isn’t truly insane, then it means there is a real big shot within the empire colluding with him, promising that the empire would not pursue or retaliate.

“The Fourth Princess has already crossed the border and entered Weicheng, yet she still hasn’t fully revealed her identity? Why? Because the word ‘trust’ no longer exists in her mind. She might trust His Majesty, but she definitely doesn’t trust His Majesty’s ministers—like you, General, or us border soldiers, or even the entire court.”

“Because she knows very well that if certain big figures in Chang’an hadn’t given their approval, no barbarian on the grasslands would dare to attack her. The people who can make such promises to the barbarians and make the Chanyu believe them… there are at most four, and even she can’t afford to offend any of them.”

“In this kind of war among the upper echelons of the empire, even you, General, can only stay far away, let alone small fry like us…” Adam Spencer ground his heel into the slightly damp earth and said in a low voice, “Something is bound to happen on the road. At best, I can handle three or five people; getting involved won’t make any difference at all.”

“With me in the princess’s escort, there’ll just be one more corpse on the mountain road; without me, Weicheng will have one more kind and disciplined little soldier left.”

“General, just think of me as the primordial energy of heaven and earth—of little use, so you might as well pretend I’m not even there.”

David Carter looked at the seemingly humble youth, rubbed his head, and muttered, “Comparing yourself to the primordial energy of heaven and earth? Is that humility or self-flattery? If you really want to persuade me to withdraw this military order, maybe calling yourself a fart would be more appropriate.”

Adam Spencer chuckled twice and replied, “I’m about to become a student at the Academy, so I have to use more elegant language.”

David Carter didn’t continue to tease the boy. After a moment of silence, he frowned and explained, “Having you serve as a guide for the princess’s convoy is actually… related to your entry into the Academy. Your military merits are indeed sufficient, and you passed the preliminary test. I wrote a letter of recommendation for you to the higher-ups, and the military’s receipt has arrived. But do you really think that’s enough to get you into the Academy?”

“You’ve spent all these years at the Weicheng frontier. Even if you’ve heard some legends about the Academy, you don’t really know what kind of place it is.”

The general’s expression was grave and serious. “In the hearts of our Tang soldiers and civilians, the Academy is the most sacred and inviolable place. Having the military’s receipt only means you can take the entrance exam, but to actually step through the Academy’s red gates, you need to run to at least three different departments for their stamps…”

“For a recommendation letter from a commander of our rank, those departments won’t even look at it. Even the military’s receipt carries little weight. If they want, they can delay your exam for years. In recent years, this has become common. Except for students recruited directly by the Academy’s teachers, any candidate recommended through official channels has to spend a fortune to grease the wheels. Countless wealthy families have gone bankrupt just for that exam.”

“I know you’ve saved some money in Weicheng these past two years, but do you really think a few hundred taels of silver is enough to satisfy those people?”

Adam Spencer scratched his head and said with a sigh, “No one ever told me about this before.”

“Because now there’s a way to solve this problem, so naturally there was no need to tell you.”

David Carter looked at him with displeasure and said, “As long as you make a contribution on the road and catch the eye of someone important, or even just have someone important remember your name, then if anyone from the Princess’s residence puts in a word for you, which government office would dare to extort you?”

“So basically, I have to risk my life just to qualify for the Academy entrance exam. Why does that sound like a bad deal?” Adam Spencer continued scratching his head.

David Carter glared at him fiercely and scolded, “Nonsense! Fool! To get into the Academy, there are people who would sell their own mothers or kill their own fathers! Now all I’m asking is for you to take a small risk, and you’re still unwilling?”

After a moment, the general calmed his heavy breathing and advised, “From my analysis, Her Highness should also know that it’s impossible to keep her whereabouts secret. If you can guess her identity, so can everyone in Weicheng. Do you think her enemies in the empire can’t guess? Since she insists on traveling as planned, it means there must be reinforcements waiting ahead. Your task is just to lead her through the mountain shortcut and meet up with them as soon as possible. Where’s the life-risking in that?”

Adam Spencer lowered his head, silent, constantly weighing the pros and cons in his mind.