Two months ago, Song Yanqing had already begun arranging for the purchase of grain from the Great Yu Kingdom.

Now, if he goes to the Great Yu Kingdom in person, he can settle this matter.

However, he still needs to make some arrangements before that.

Wu Guangping's betrayal of the country is a foregone conclusion; now, only by uncovering evidence of his treason can he be brought down.

The only thing we can do now is to deceive everyone.

He did not let anyone in the army know that he was going to the Great Yu Kingdom to purchase grain.

If word gets out, this journey will be to the underworld.

That night, Song Yanqing summoned Qin Shiyu to the commander's tent.

Upon hearing that he was going to risk leaving the city to purchase grain and supplies in the Dayu Kingdom, Qin Shiyu was the first to object, saying, "No way."

After saying that, she realized that she had been too harsh and that her actions were inappropriate. She added, "This matter is too dangerous. I hope Your Highness will reconsider."

Song Yanqing sat in the armchair, glanced at the peach blossoms on the lantern, and said, "My mind is made up, General Qin, there is no need to persuade me further."

"I had already sent Vice General Lu to the Great Yu Kingdom a month ago. He sent a letter saying that the matter of provisions had been settled, and it was a done deal that couldn't be backed out."

Knowing that his persuasion was useless, Qin Shiyu suggested, "Your Highness, we are willing to go."

Even if someone else could go, Song Yanqing would not go in person. He said, "The eldest son of the Emperor of Dayu Kingdom specifically requested that I go. He would not give face to anyone else."

Although the Great Yu Kingdom appears to be a large and powerful nation today, its territory was divided up by various regional vassal kings as early as ten years ago.

Now, the eldest son of the Emperor of Dayu Kingdom is selling grain to Dajin, and he has even specifically requested that the Crown Prince of Libei personally go there. The implications and the matters to be discussed are self-evident.

The matter of borrowing troops to destroy the feudal lords will be brought to the forefront sooner or later.

Qin Shiyu asked, "Now that Wu Guangping is suspected of rebelling and betraying the country, if the news of the Crown Prince going to Dayu Kingdom at this time is leaked by Wu Guangping, wouldn't we be attacked from both sides?"

Song Yanqing said calmly, "This is the worst possible outcome."

Then he added, “When we go to the Great Yu Kingdom, I will take a group of Shadow Guards with me. An Yi will stay in the main tent to create the illusion that the commander-in-chief is in the main tent.”

"We only need to keep this a secret for seven days, after which I, the young master, can lead my men back to camp."

Qin Shiyu stared at Song Yanqing for a long time before saying, "I will definitely have An Yi guard the main tent to prevent the news from leaking out."

Speaking of this, Song Yanqing recalled something else: "Previously, the Lord of Kangle Township always ate in the main tent. After I left the military camp, everything will continue as before to avoid arousing suspicion."

Qin Shiyu's expression instantly turned strange, but she couldn't help but ask, "Do you know why my husband was beaten so badly that he was bedridden for a month?"

Song Yanqing couldn't understand why he had foreseen this, and asked in confusion, "Why?"

Qin Shiyu said without changing his expression, "He kept delaying his marriage proposal and would hide whenever he saw me. I stormed into his house after drinking and beat him up."

Song Yanqing had heard of Qin Shiyu's valiant deeds before, but he really didn't expect the twists and turns involved, and for a moment he was even a little ashamed.

Song Yanqing said, "Sister-in-law, just say what you want to say. There's no need for us to beat around the bush."

Upon hearing the word "sister-in-law," even the seemingly iron-willed female general felt a touch of tenderness in her heart, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears.

She turned her gaze elsewhere, not wanting Song Yanqing to notice her lapse in composure, and said, "Princess Kangle is a woman. You are behaving like this with her in the military camp without giving her a proper title. This is extremely damaging to a young lady's reputation."

Song Yanqing hadn't expected Qin Shiyu to be standing up for Lu Qiqi. He paused before explaining, "If I were to give her a title now, that would truly be disrespecting her."

Upon hearing this, Qin Shiyu suddenly turned to look at him, "Could it be?"

“That’s right,” Song Yanqing said confidently, “She can only be my legal wife, never a concubine. Her pride won’t allow it, and my feelings for her are even less willing!”

Upon hearing this, Qin Shiyu was stunned and didn't know what to say for a moment.

After a long pause, she realized what she meant and said, "If you want to take her as your principal wife, how will you explain it to the Empress Dowager? To His Majesty? And to your father?"

The Prince of Kang Le was born in the countryside, while Song Yanqing is the heir of the Prince of Li Bei. Even if they are legitimate, they are capable of handling the situation.

With such a vast difference in social standing, there must be quite a few people who wouldn't want them to marry.

Song Yanqing said in a deep voice, "I will not back down on this matter. I will definitely not let her suffer this injustice."

Qin Shiyu said, "I will remember these words for her. If you dare to deceive her, I will beat her up like I beat my husband and take her to your Prince Li Bei's residence!"

After finishing their casual conversation, the two discussed some serious matters, confirming certain details to prevent any mistakes, before Qin Shiyu returned to the Ximen military camp.

Meanwhile, Lu Qiqi wasn't idle either. She still had a lot of the dried meat that Li Changlong had made, and she planned to have Song Yanqing take it all with her.

The kitchen staff prepared a lot of flatbreads, and to make them taste better, Lu Qiqi pickled dried vegetables to make a sauce, which she then wrapped around the flatbreads.

This time, Lu Qiqi omitted chili peppers when making pickles, as Song Yanqing seemed to dislike spicy food.

Actually, she couldn't understand it either. Song Yanqing clearly couldn't handle spicy food, so how could she eat from the same pot as her?

She returned to her space and divided the dried meat into small portions using bamboo paper, one portion being the amount to eat at one time.

The pickled vegetables were then stored in bamboo jars and sealed with beeswax to prevent them from leaking out and making a mess.

After doing all this, she carried a large bag of things and, taking advantage of the quiet of the night, sent the Shadow Guards guarding outside the tent to report to her.

At that time, Song Yan had fallen asleep early in the morning. Hearing the noise, he was immediately awakened and his right hand instantly covered the hilt of the knife next to him.

He shouted sharply, "Who?"

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