The First Jasmine - Chapter 100

Chapter 100: The Beginning of Special Training

"Your Highness..."

Gazing at the gentle, smiling woman before him, Qin Feng felt his scalp tingle in waves. Standing rigidly in place without daring to shift his feet even an inch, he had no desire to use his own body to test whether every single square inch of the surrounding area was riddled with mechanisms and traps. Glancing once more at the crystal-clear, serene lake that showed not the slightest hint of danger, he swore that the array of arrowheads he had seen covering the water's surface a moment ago was definitely not a product of his imagination. If someone truly acted recklessly and leaped straight across using their light-body skills, they would likely turn into a giant-sized hedgehog.

Ye Li smiled. "No need to be nervous. Just a joke; it isn't normally like this here."

Qin Feng remained silently mute. He believed it—it was surely only ever more dangerous than this.

Ye Li turned, pointed at the boundless forest behind her, and asked with a smile, "Have you ever been here?" Qin Feng hesitated after taking a look before shaking his head. "It's not convenient to train troops near the capital. The Black Cloud Cavalry's training is usually conducted hundreds of li away from the capital." Furthermore, the Black Cloud Cavalry were cavalrymen, after all; even during training, they mostly operated in places like open plains and desolate deserts. Cavalry simply could not maneuver effectively within a dense forest. Ye Li smiled. "When can the people I want arrive?" Qin Feng hesitated. "They should be able to arrive within an hour." Yet as he said this, Qin Feng lacked any real confidence. The Princess had only provided a stack of maps that were simple to the point of absurdity, and each map was slightly different. Although the Black Cloud Cavalry were also skilled at tracking, he had spent the better part of a day staring at that map—which looked no different from a celestial heavenly text—before roughly determining its location. He had no idea whether those fellows from the Black Cloud Cavalry would actually be able to find the place. As for the Princess's notion that anyone discovered by local villagers would be eliminated, Qin Feng hadn't even considered it. Even newly recruited soldiers of the Black Cloud Cavalry would never allow themselves to be discovered by a group of ordinary villagers if they didn't wish to be.

"How many will make it?"

"We selected fifty elite soldiers each from the Black Cloud Cavalry and the Mo family army near the capital. Even if they can't all arrive, at least seventy or eighty should be fine," Qin Feng pondered for a moment before saying, "Your Highness..." Hesitating once more, Qin Feng felt it necessary to voice the doubts that had plagued him for many days. He was a commander of the Black Cloud Cavalry; although not the highest commander and only commanding two thousand men, he still felt responsible for those elite Black Cloud soldiers. If the Princess was dissatisfied with the secret guards, she should have the head of the secret guards enforce stricter training to select better ones. While pulling out fifty elite warriors would not impact the Black Cloud Cavalry's combat strength, what exactly were these soldiers meant to do? If they were to serve as secret guards, seventy or eighty was clearly too many, and the Ding Prince's Estate already possessed its own secret guards. Poor communication could easily breed friction between the secret guards and the Black Cloud Cavalry. If they were to be used on the battlefield, seventy or eighty people—regardless of how elite they were—clearly wouldn't make a major impact. After all, pitting individual strength against tens of thousands of troops was essentially marching to a pointless death.

"You're overthinking it." Watching Qin Feng's hesitant, tangled expression, Ye Li smiled helplessly. "Don't worry about that; I've also pulled thirty people from the secret guards. We'll see who arrives here first. Care for a wager?"

Recalling how he had accidentally heard Shadow Three mention the Princess's formidable gambling skills back in Yonglin, Qin Feng thought it over before firmly declaring, "The Black Cloud Cavalry." Without a doubt, among the three groups, the Black Cloud Cavalry far surpassed the others in both combat effectiveness and operational mobility. Their martial arts might not match certain individuals among the secret guards, but one had to remember that aside from the personal guards specially trained for the Prince and Princess, not every single secret guard possessed exceptional martial arts. The Black Cloud Cavalry, however, were each put through rigorous training and were long accustomed to coordinating offense and defense together. Ye Li raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "I think the secret guards will arrive first, the Black Cloud Cavalry second, but the Mo family army will have the most people arrive."

"That's impossible!" Qin Feng rejected the notion flatly. He meant no disrespect toward the Mo family army, but he couldn't deny that in his heart, the Black Cloud Cavalry were indeed superior. At least in a fifty-versus-fifty scenario, the Mo family army could never win against the Black Cloud Cavalry.

"We shall wait and see."

Ye Li disarmed most of the mechanisms around the lake and at the base of the cliff. The design of these traps and mechanisms had filled her with profound admiration, curing her of any urge to underestimate the wisdom of the ancients. She had originally considered preemptively rigging some unconventional devices to defend this valley, but now it seemed that effort was entirely unnecessary. If all the mechanisms in this valley were fully activated without prior knowledge, even she lacked the confidence to say she could retreat unscathed. The temporary structures used for housing arrows in the valley had all been cleared away, replaced by a neat circle of wooden cabins. To prevent sneak attacks from snakes, insects, mice, and beasts of the forest, an outer wall had even been deliberately erected, accompanied by vegetation planted to repel serpents and vermin. All of this had taken nearly ten months to complete, finishing just a month ago, while also exhausting every last coin sent by Han Mingyue alongside her own dowry silver. However, her recent trip to the Qingfeng Mingyue Pavilion had earned a substantial sum back, so looking at everything before her now, Ye Li felt only a sense of satisfaction rather than any lingering heartache.

An hour later, a figure clad in black leaped down from the cliff, landing on the ground in a somewhat disheveled state. Qin Feng glanced over—it was one of the secret guards. He let out a silent, scornful huff; if the Princess hadn't disarmed the mechanisms beforehand, that fellow would have long since been pierced through like a sieve. Yet he also understood that had the Princess not issued a prior warning, he wouldn't have fared much better than that fellow.

"Your subordinate, Shadow Seventeen, pays respects to the Young Master."

Ye Li nodded, signaling him to step aside and rest. A short while later, another figure appeared—still a secret guard—followed by a Black Cloud Cavalryman, and thereafter, members of the Mo family army. Qin Feng quickly noticed the pattern: the secret guards and Mo family army soldiers mostly acted individually and arrived alone, but the Mo family army soldiers traveled in company and arrived in pairs. Thus, every time they showed up, they came in groups of four or five. Though lacking the agile footwork of the secret guards and Black Cloud Cavalry, they indeed had the highest headcount arriving. Two hours later, Ye Li clapped her hands to signal everyone to stand up.

"We pay respects to the Young Master."

Ye Li nodded, sweeping her gaze over the gathered personnel. There were sixty-three in total: twenty-eight from the Mo family army, twenty from the Black Cloud Cavalry, and fifteen from the secret guards. "Break formation. I want to see you standing next to people you don't know and who aren't from your original unit." Though these men did not understand Ye Li's intent, they still obeyed orders, swiftly reorganizing and taking up new positions. Ye Li nodded in satisfaction, finally feeling a spark of what she was looking for. She pointed to the wooden cabins behind her and said, "Starting today, the next three months you will live here. Those who pass the final test may stay; the rest will return to their respective former posts. Take a moment to get acquainted with the instructors who will guide you!" Ye Li clapped her hands lightly. Eight men—varying in height, young and old alike—stepped forward before Ye Li and spoke in unison, "Young Master."

Standing beside Ye Li, Qin Feng felt the outer corners of his eyes twitch. Although these men's backgrounds were unreadable, without exception they radiated an aura of raw strength from the inside out. Every single one of them was a master among masters. Ye Li nodded in satisfaction and smiled. "Aside from completing the training routines I arrange every day, these gentlemen will provide specialized instruction for you. Of course, if any of you can defeat any single one of them directly, this hurdle can be skipped. What do you say, care to try?"

These words carried a distinct flavor of provocation, and soldiers—regardless of the era—were invariably among the most hot-blooded of people. Almost instantly, one man lunged toward the most robust-looking of the eight, while others similarly selected their targets. Following a flurry of clashes, thuds, and cracks, every single person who lunged forward collapsed to the ground, unable to get back up. The youngest among the challengers even brushed off his hands and spoke to Ye Li with unconquered disdain, "Young Master, are the people you've chosen all simply too weak?" Ye Li smiled calmly. "They were never martial arts masters to begin with, nor do I need a pack of peerless experts." The young man raised an eyebrow in bafflement. "If you don't need martial arts experts, what do you need us for?" Ye Li countered with a smiling question, "Can Your Excellency teach a group of martial arts experts in three months?" The young man was left speechless; arrogant as he was, he understood that mastering martial arts was not something achieved overnight. Even he, who had been praised since childhood as having exceptional bones and a genius talent for martial arts, had spent over a dozen bitter years to achieve his current level of skill.

"Though we don't understand what the Prince wants us to do, since the Prince commanded us to listen to the Young Master, the Young Master may issue whatever orders you see fit," said an older soldier.

Ye Li nodded and smiled. "I never imagined the Prince's subordinates truly possessed hidden dragons and crouching tigers, harboring experts such as yourselves. But rest assured, gentlemen, it won't take up much of your time; you are only required to impart some techniques to them over these coming two months. Well then? Does anyone else wish to try?"

With the preceding challengers having been defeated so miserably, those who came after naturally retreated in sensible self-preservation. Ye Li was quite satisfied and smiled. "Then... let's start with a run. See that open ground outside the courtyard? To ensure your safety, I specifically had repellent herbs planted. In broad daylight like this, no wild beasts will come out, so jog around the courtyard to loosen up."

So your implication is that wild beasts will come out at night? The men exchanged glances. Qin Feng looked at the crowd below and felt compelled to speak up himself, asking, "Your... Young Master, how far must we run?" Ye Li offered a brilliant, radiant smile. "Run until you drop."

Thus, a group of bewildered elites were heraded out to run. Though they entirely failed to see the point of this, they were military men to a certain degree, and understood the principle of orders being absolute and prohibitions absolute. Therefore, flanked by the eight experts front and rear, several dozen men formed a single file and went running laps, leaving Qin Feng standing there bewildered, staring at the visibly cheerful Ye Li. Ye Li smiled warmly and beckoned to him. "Take a look at this. Follow this adaptation for the first seven days; I'll adjust things later on."

Qin Feng lowered his head to gaze at the dossier in his hands. The delicate handwriting was entirely legible to him, but put together, he couldn't grasp what any of it meant. Archery morning and evening, combat, running—even if unfamiliar, he could understand those terms, but what on earth were "parallel bars," "push-ups," and the like, and what purpose did they serve? To Qin Feng's eyes, everything written on this sheet of paper—aside from archery and hand-to-hand combat—appeared to be entirely useless fluff. Ye Li smiled. "It doesn't matter if you don't understand, and it doesn't matter if you don't know how. Once Shadow Two and Shadow Three free up their schedules, I'll have them teach you. Originally, I planned to let Shadow Two lead these men, but on second thought, since you yourself are a commander of the Black Cloud Cavalry, you certainly have much more experience leading troops than Shadow Two. So... remember to make up your own share when you have free time."

Watching the innocent, sincere smile on the handsome youth's face, Qin Feng felt a chill run down his spine for reasons unknown, intuitively sensing that the next few months were going to be exceptionally grueling. The two leaped up onto the rooftop, where they had a direct view of the scene outside the courtyard. Ye Li clapped her hands, seated herself on the roof, and shook her head as she watched the gasping, wheezing men running outside. "Are these your Black Cloud Cavalry elites? Did they ride horses so much their legs turned to mush, unable to even outrun the secret guards?"

Qin Feng gritted his teeth. Of those twenty secret guards, at least fifteen were capable martial artists, alright?

"Anyone who dares to use light-body skills will fly straight up to the cliff top and jump back down in one breath—twenty laps round trip!" Ye Li said smilingly, staring at the few secret guards outside who were trying to cut corners. The secret guards, who had been smugly admiring their comrades' disarray just moments before, felt their legs go weak, almost tumbling to the ground.

Regardless of whether they understood the reasoning, by dusk, when Qin Feng accompanied Ye Li in departing, he couldn't help casting a slightly pitying backward glance at the Ding Prince's Estate elites sprawled outside the perimeter wall, unable to even crawl back up. Listening to the distant howling of wolves and unknown beast roars echoing through the forest, Qin Feng couldn't help wondering if the Princess had managed to find such a location so close to the capital precisely because the heavens truly looked upon them with disfavor.

"Your Highness, this subordinate... should I stay behind to keep watch?" Those experts were indeed genuine masters, but none of them looked like the type capable of keeping those arrogant elite soldiers in line. It would spell trouble if any conflicts broke out. Ye Li smiled. "No need to worry; they can't run out. Anyone who escapes without permission will be treated as a deserter!"

Am I worried about them escaping?

"I don't have time to watch over them every day right now. Letting them roughhouse and bicker amongst themselves at the beginning is fine, as long as nobody loses their life. After seven days, I'll have Shadow Two and Shadow Three take turns teaching them."

Qin Feng fell silent for a moment before asking, "This subordinate doesn't understand what the Princess intends to use them for."

"There are many things they can do: assassination, intelligence gathering, escorting, scouting, infiltration, reconnaissance, rescue, and interrogation. Whether it's land warfare, naval warfare, wilderness warfare, or close-quarters urban combat, if you can imagine it, there is nothing they cannot learn." Qin Feng felt his mind buzzing slightly; even the soldiers of their Black Cloud Cavalry couldn't possibly master so much. "Assassination... and intelligence guarding and so forth—aren't those tasks for the secret guards? Why train a separate batch of people? Is the Princess dissatisfied with the secret guards?" Ye Li turned to look at his tangled expression and smiled. "Having each division perform its own duties is indeed wonderful, but I prefer having an all-powerful force." Qin Feng thought it over. "If they can truly reach the extent the Princess describes, our combat capability could indeed undergo a heaven-shaking transformation."

Ye Li shook her head. "So-called elites are naturally few in number. Just like the Black Cloud Cavalry, the skills they learn are not techniques that ordinary soldiers can master. Furthermore, there's no need for an excess of them; surplus numbers are merely a waste of resources. You should remember that the men I told you to select are all literate and educated. That single requirement alone excludes the majority of ordinary soldiers." Qin Feng nodded. Even within elite military units like the Black Cloud Cavalry, literate soldiers made up at most half of the ranks. Qin Feng now understood Ye Li's intent to some extent: the Princess wanted to cultivate a group of individuals well-versed in both literary and martial arts, though he still couldn't fathom the ultimate utility of nurturing so many talents.

"Oh, right, Qin Feng." As they neared the city gates, Ye Li reined in her horse and eyed Qin Feng. "You were originally a commander of the Black Cloud Cavalry; you should know the rules, shouldn't you?"

"What rules?"

"Secrecy. Everything you saw today and everything you experience over the next three months is not to be disclosed to anyone without my permission."

Qin Feng couldn't help swallowing hard. "Including the Prince?"

"Including the Prince."

"...This subordinate obeys."

When they returned to the estate, night had already fallen. Having suffered a mild shock today, the moment Qin Feng returned to the estate, he sought out Shadow Two and Shadow Three to consult and spar. Upon Ye Li's return to her chambers, Mo Xiuyao was seated under the lamplight reading a book; hearing footsteps, he raised his head to look at her. "Went out of the city?" Ye Li nodded, turned to wash up and bathe, and upon stepping out, found that a piping hot meal had already been laid out on the previously vacant table. Casually tidying her long hair and dismissing Qingxia and Qingshuang who stood waiting nearby, she looked at Mo Xiuyao, who was gazing at her, and smiled. "Are you quite idle today? You actually weren't busy in the study. Didn't the Emperor summon you to the palace this morning?" Since returning from the Southern Frontier, both of them had been rushed off their feet. The Emperor in the palace seemed to be acting out of sorts; although Mo Xiuyao had not yet officially returned to court, he was summoned to the palace to discuss matters every single day without fail.

"There wasn't much going on intrinsically; it's simply that our Emperor has recently developed a fondness for discussing matters with ministers," Mo Xiuyao replied with a faint smile, reaching out to pull Ye Li toward the table and signaling her to eat first. Seeing that the table was filled entirely with dishes she loved, Ye Li smiled gratefully at him. Though she wasn't particularly hungry yet, having someone prepare food for you the moment you returned home—the feeling of being cared for—was always comforting. "The Emperor intends to hand the entire matter of the peace marriage with Northern Rong over to me to handle," Mo Xiuyao said once Ye Li had eaten her fill.

"Hand it over to you?" Ye Li frowned, finishing her final sip of soup before having the servants clear the items away, and looked at him in incomprehension. "What do you mean by handing it over to you?"

Mo Xiuyao smiled calmly. "It means I have sole discretion and responsibility, which includes receiving the welcoming envoys of Northern Rong, determining the candidate for the peace marriage, preparing the marriage dowry, and escorting the bride."

Hearing Mo Xiuyao's words, Ye Li couldn't help breaking out in metaphorical black lines. "He's making you receive the Northern Rong envoys and even determine the bride for the peace marriage?" Mo Xiuyao smiled as he watched her. "In truth, determining the marriage candidate is something for you to handle. So you'll probably be quite busy these next few days and won't be able to leave the city." Ye Li waved a hand powerlessly, knowing without even having to imagine what kind of chaos would ensue once this news spread. Among the nobles in the capital, who would willingly marry their daughter to that barren wasteland of Northern Rong? Tomorrow, the people coming to plead for leniency would likely trample the threshold of the Ding Prince's Estate flat. To make matters worse, she couldn't pick none of them, yet choosing anyone at all was guaranteed to offend people. So, was the Emperor deliberately trying to help the Ding Prince's Estate accumulate a few more enemies?

"With people watching that side, I won't need to dash out to the city every day, but do you have any thoughts on who should be chosen for the peace marriage?"

Mo Xiuyao pondered aloud, "The Emperor's intentions, hinted at both openly and covertly, suggest the Hua family's eldest young miss is the most suitable candidate; the Dowager Empress, however, favors Princess Ronghua, though the Dowager Empress holds no real sway right now. There are also other candidates, such as the Liu family's third young miss and the young lady of the Chengshun Marquis. However, they are rather unremarkable, and the Northern Rong people likely won't agree to them." Ye Li frowned. "So it's very likely the final choice will still come down to a selection between Tianxiang and Princess Ronghua? Since the Emperor favors Tianxiang, why doesn't he issue an imperial decree himself?" Mo Xiuyao smiled. "He's currently nursing a headache himself, so naturally he hopes we'll handle all the offensive tasks. I know you're good friends with Miss Hua, so weeding her off the list is fine. We can just pick one of those imperial princesses or commandery princesses later."

Everyone harbored personal biases; given her close friendship with Hua Tianxiang, Ye Li naturally hoped Hua Tianxiang wouldn't be selected for a peace marriage. Finding herself saddled with the task of choosing a marriage candidate still left Ye Li feeling annoyed and troubled. Handling such matters meant that whoever was chosen would feel wronged, and she would much rather risk life and limb on a battlefield than deal with such messy affairs cleanly and decisively. Seeing Ye Li frown, Mo Xiuyao merely shook his head slightly and said calmly, "Born into the imperial family and sustained by the people's offerings, whether it is entering a peace marriage or dying on the battlefield, it is simply their fate. Ah Li needn't feel guilty."

Ye Li shook her head and said helplessly, "These imperial princesses and wealthy daughters are all raised in deep boudoirs and pampered; who knows how much suffering they'll endure once married off to Northern Rong. If it were genuinely a mutual desire for peace between two nations, that would be one thing, but this sort of..." It was blatantly meant as a temporary deception, a fact both nations understood in their hearts. The peace-marriage princess was essentially a completely useless sacrifice. If they didn't engage in a peace marriage, the two nations wouldn't stop fighting for long either; and even with a peace marriage, fighting was inevitable. It was merely that neither side was fully prepared yet. Ye Li was not an indecisive person, but from the bottom of her heart, she detested such meaningless sacrifices.

Knowing she was in a foul mood, Mo Xiuyao steered away from the topic and smiled. "What did you go do outside the city today? You borrowed eight experts from me, and pulled personnel from the Mo family army, the Black Cloud Cavalry, and the secret guards—what are you trying to accomplish? Are you truly not going to tell me, Ah Li?"

Ye Li raised her eyes and smiled faintly. "I'm still in the experimental stage, seeing what kind of results these few months yield. Once there are results, I'll tell you; if it somehow fails, I'll return the men to you." Mo Xiuyao thought for a moment and said, "Is Ah Li trying to train a faction of people for some purpose? Those secret guards of yours were all trained rather well; the head of the secret guards even mentioned to me yesterday, asking if you might be willing to train the men under his command as well. I heard that down in Yonglin, those two guards by your side managed to subdue the secret guards by my side?"

"A mere ambush," Ye Li smiled.

"Being able to pull off an ambush isn't a simple feat." As secret guards, they were already accustomed to operating in the shadows and maintaining constant vigilance; for such people to still be ambushed by two individuals proved that those two were indeed stronger. Ye Li turned her profile and smiled. "Once this batch of men is finished, I can assign a few to you as guards." Mo Xiuyao nodded. "I shall wait and see. If Ah Li genuinely trains a batch of experts, let these people serve as your bodyguards."

"That would be far too wasteful." Ye Li shook her head with a smile. "When the time comes, you'll see what they're useful for, just don't try to poach my men. My hope is that they can exist openly and uprightly within the military." Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. "I thought Ah Li wanted them to become a hidden, clandestine force."

Ye Li smiled faintly. "Clandestine they will still remain, but what needs to be hidden is their headcount, encampment locations, true strength, and detailed identities—not their merits and their existence. If things truly go according to my vision, their existence will inevitably be discovered by others sooner or later; hiding it entirely is impossible. I hope they can receive rewards for meritorious service and promotions based on ability just like ordinary soldiers." The Black Cloud Cavalry were at least a regular army, but the profession of a secret guard was somewhat wretched. Aside from the tiny fraction who managed to stand out, virtually all secret guards remained secret guards for life. They lacked upright identities, promotions, honors, friends, or even the right to marry and have children. When most of them grew too old to serve as secret guards, though maintained by the estate, they were already advanced in years and essentially had half their lives ruined. That not a single traitor had ever emerged among the Ding Prince's Estate's secret guards only proved how heavily ancient people weighed the concepts of loyalty and righteousness.

Mo Xiuyao bowed his head in contemplation for a moment before saying, "Ah Li never treated those people by your side as secret guards from the very beginning. Dark One went to the military camp, and with his strength—which qualifies as top-tier even among secret guards—making a name for himself was naturally only a matter of time. Dark Four went to Xiling on assignment, and you've even taught Shadow Two and Shadow Three—who remain by your side—to handle various public-facing matters."

Ye Li smiled. "Both their capabilities and intellect actually surpass most people. Yet they must spend the better part of their lives hidden in the shadows. I feel that is a tremendous waste of talent. Furthermore... human hearts are very difficult to fathom; perhaps one day they suddenly won't want to hide in the dark anymore? If that day truly comes, the consequences would likely be far more severe than having no secret guards at all. Therefore, since they have the capability and are willing to serve my purposes, I naturally cannot treat them unfairly. Of course... if anyone harbors thoughts of betrayal, I won't show mercy either!"

Mo Xiuyao looked thoughtful. "What Ah Li says does make sense, but... Ah Li may not realize that many great families maintain their own hidden forces. Especially personal secret guards like these, who know too many secrets of their masters, which is why their control is extremely rigorous. In some families, secret guards who know too much end up being silenced permanently."

Ye Li said, "Is there then any possibility... of granting secret guards equivalent military ranks or other tiers, with rewards and punishments distributed with equal strictness? Upon reaching a certain period of service, they could transfer into the Black Cloud Cavalry or the Mo family army?" Mo Xiuyao looked intrigued, smiling as he asked, "How is Ah Li envisioning this?"

Ye Li said, "If my training yields satisfactory results this time, the term of service for these individuals should be until the age of thirty-five; after thirty-five, they will be permitted to lateral-transfer into the Mo family army at equivalent ranks. Of course, if they possess other talents and interests, entering civil administration or other paths can also be considered. This is merely an idea anyway; since the people haven't even finished training yet, there's plenty of time to consider the matter."

Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow. "I understand; Ah Li is trying to pave the road for their futures, aren't you?"

Ye Li nodded, looking at Mo Xiuyao with a serious expression. "I once heard a saying: soldiers have already shed blood for the country, so they should not be made to shed tears as well. As for retired veterans and wounded soldiers, their lives are genuinely difficult. However, I can't manage all of that right now, so at least I must properly settle the people under my own command." Because she had once been a soldier herself, though her past life's treatment was naturally much better than what people experienced here. Serving as a soldier in ancient times was hardly a glorious profession; good iron was not hammered into nails, and good men did not become soldiers—many enlisted purely out of helpless necessity.

"Although I don't know how Ah Li came up with these ideas, I will give them careful thought," Mo Xiuyao said softly, gazing at the pensive woman.