It was late at night, darkness enveloped all the houses. The moon was hazy, and occasional gusts of wind blew through the branches, making a "dong dong dong" sound. The sound of the night watchman became clearer as it got closer to the third watch of the night. Xiao Rufeng, who had been sound asleep, suddenly opened his eyes, took a quick look around, and saw that everyone was sleeping soundly. He tiptoed and quietly left the room.

Avoiding the patrol team, he easily arrived at the study room. Just as Murong Junsheng had said, there were not many guards near the study room.

Dong dong dong! Xiao Rufeng knocked three times, but there was no response. Perplexed, he pushed open the door. The study was pitch black, but with his excellent eyesight, Xiao Rufeng dared to conclude that there was no one in the study.

So the question arises, why did the emperor arrange to meet him here at three in the morning, but he is not here? Perhaps the emperor was just teasing him, or maybe the emperor was delayed by something.

Of course, Xiaoru Feng quickly rejected the latter two ideas. Yesterday's situation didn't seem like someone was trying to fool him.

Suddenly, he noticed a faint glowing light on the table. Xiao Rufeng approached and turned it on, instantly brightening up the room. It was only then that he realized there was not only a lamp on the table but also a book with the words "The Art of War" written on it.

Picking up "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu, Xiao Rufeng suddenly realized. The Emperor wanted him to study and learn military strategies every night at three in the morning.

Understanding Murong Junsheng's intentions, Xiao Rufeng sat down, calmed his mind, opened the book, and read carefully. He did not want to waste even a moment of time, as doing so would not only betray the Emperor's favor but also disrespect himself.

Time flew by like flowing sands. As the bell rang again, indicating that it was already past midnight, Xiao Rufeng rubbed his sore neck and reluctantly put down his book. It was time for him to leave. If he didn't go back soon, it would cause big trouble if someone found out.

Returning to the guard room as silently as he had come, Rulai slept for less than an hour before waking up. His day's work was about to begin.

In the following days, Xiao Rufeng spent his time in this manner. Once the guards in his room had fallen into a deep sleep, he would secretly slip out the door and return before dawn. As a result, his energy noticeably began to wane, and dark circles formed under his eyes.

"Rufeng, do you have something on your mind these past few days? It seems like you haven't been sleeping well!" Just like that, An Yimo began to show concern by asking Xiao Rufeng.

"There's nothing wrong! I've been having trouble sleeping lately!" Xiao Rufeng concealed his unknown emotions and laughed it off, saying, "Who's just like you? I sleep like a dead pig!"

Heh heh! An Yimo touched her nose uneasily. Was he always like this at night? Before she could ask further, she saw Xiaorufeng had already walked away.

"Leader Lu!" Xiao Rufeng, avoiding An Yimo, walked anxiously, but unexpectedly bumped into Lu Zixuan.

"You're here, just in time. Come with me, the emperor is looking for you!" Lu Zixuan didn't expect to run into Xiao Rufeng right at this moment, saving him the trouble of searching.

Xiao Rufeng followed Lu Zixuan's footsteps with a sense of unease, not knowing why his heart was always unsettled.

"Your Majesty, Xiao Rufeng has arrived!" Outside the study room door, Lu Zixuan halted and loudly reported.

"Come in!" With the deep voice of Murong Junsheng echoing, Lu Zixuan turned to Xiao Rufeng and said, "Go in!" After a pause, he added, "The emperor is not in a very good mood today, be careful."

"General Xie reminded us!" Xiao Rufeng expressed gratitude to Lu Zixuan before stepping into the Imperial Study. As he gazed at the expression of deep darkness on Murong Junsheng's face, his inner unease reached a whole new level!

"I bow to pay respects to His Majesty. Long live the Emperor and may he be blessed!" Xiao Rufeng knelt before Murong Junsheng, feeling uneasy. It was necessary to express his respect and well wishes.