061

"Another fight is about to break out? When will this ever end..."

"That King Qi is truly a shameless person."

Listening to the extremely irritated complaints of several deputy generals, Song Ling sat calmly in a corner and drank her tea.

Only her current dark complexion betrayed the turmoil in her heart that had been churning since last night.

Indeed, after only a few days of peace, war is about to break out again. Even mules need rest; it's a major taboo for an army to fight exhausted.

Half an hour passed, and Song Ling remained silent, staring at the ground as if she were lost in thought.

This is truly a strange thing.

"Why don't you go back and rest for a bit?" Yu Baizhou's fingers tightened at his side as he tried to sound casual and reassure her. "Did you not sleep well last night? We can discuss it further and then I'll tell you."

With Song Ling around, it would be best. After all, they all knew that having a capable strategist would make all the difference in war planning.

But Yu Baizhou knew very well that he couldn't put all the pressure on Song Ling just because she was good at everything.

No matter how resourceful or mature Song Ling was, she was actually younger than everyone else present.

Song Ling: "First...send scouts to gather intelligence on the military deployment in Yangzhou this time."

"The person is back." Yu Baizhou took the porcelain cup from her hand and handed her the message.

After Song Ling finished looking at it, she followed Yu Baizhou to the sand table and said nothing more.

It seems they believe there is nothing wrong with their decision.

After the strategic decision was discussed, Yu Baizhou called out to Song Ling, who was about to leave.

She slowly turned back, seemingly unwilling to face him at this moment.

"Is there something wrong?" Yu Baizhou's movements were somewhat forceful, insisting that she sit down and talk.

"It's rare to see you like this... with something on your mind."

Song Ling smiled wryly: "Is it that obvious? It must be because you didn't sleep well last night."

She sighed and asked him, "If—and I mean if—I told you this battle would be exceptionally fierce, would you still want to fight, General?"

Yu Baizhou's expression froze: "What...does this mean?"

When he looked at her, his eyes were somewhat serious, and he slowly said, "Don't say that all the arrangements have been planned."

"Take this King Qi's attack as an example. If we don't fight back when we have the strength, but instead retreat and hold back, our soldiers will become fearful and exhausted, and they will lose their morale if they want to fight again in the future."

"Besides, if we don't fight, do you think King Qi will let us go? Do you think he will let the people of the southern border go?"

Although Song Ling agreed with him, she still wanted to argue: "I mean, what if we only defend and don't attack?"

Yu Baizhou paused, as if considering the possibility: "It's not that I haven't thought about it, but most of the soldiers don't understand planning or strategy. They only see the previous victories, but this time they retreated without a fight, so they doubt whether the commander-in-chief or the southwest has gone wrong, and morale is wavering."

“Of course, military orders are absolute, and the soldiers will not disobey.” Yu Baizhou actually knew what her concerns were, and carefully comforted her: “Miss, there are no invincible generals in war.”

“I have fought so many battles, pursued the enemy in victory, but also fled in panic after defeat... After all, the situation on the battlefield is ever-changing, and you never know what will happen next.”

Song Ling suppressed her worries and asked in surprise, "General, you've also been defeated? I thought..."

"You think I'm the God of War General of the Southwest?" Yu Baizhou had naturally heard about his incredible achievements from others, and laughed, "If we're talking about a God of War, that title is more fitting for Marquis Wu'an. He's truly a god of war, never having suffered a defeat."

Speaking of this, his eyes showed admiration and emotion, but no jealousy or resentment at being overshadowed.

Contrary to what Song Ling had heard in the Luoyang teahouse, they did not get along with each other.

One in the northwest, one in the southwest.

Born into a declining noble family, he went to the battlefield at the age of sixteen and led his troops to fight against the enemy at the age of eighteen, breaking through the enemy's city defenses and reclaiming the territory that had been seized. He became famous in one battle and then defended the Northwest for more than ten years.

A man of humble origins who joined the army at the age of ten, fought his way through the battlefield, and was appointed a general before the age of twenty for his military achievements. During the turmoil in the court, he repeatedly defeated the Wuqi Kingdom army that was trying to break through the city and advance northward...

People always like to compare the two of them.

They consider whose family background is better, whose looks are better, whose martial arts skills are stronger, whose battle record is more impressive, whose daughter is more worthy of marrying, and whose potential to bring more benefits...

But in reality, they probably never cared about these things at all.

Turbulent times produce heroes.

True powerhouses, even if they have never met, will respect each other simply by hearing of each other's reputations.

Song Ling: "Let's follow the strategy that the general and his deputies have suggested."

Seeing that Song Ling seemed to have let go of her worries, Yu Baizhou breathed a sigh of relief.

But it's clear that he breathed a sigh of relief too soon.

Song Ling finally told him her plans: "I want to accompany Vice General Shi to Hundred Snake Cliff as an advisor."

Yu Baizhou's mind went blank, and without thinking, he refused: "No way!"

As mentioned earlier, this war was initiated passively, and King Qi was clearly prepared.

Therefore, the deputy generals were even more on high alert, and after the main battle plan was released, several backup strategies were prepared.

Although the Southwest Army was stationed in the southwest, most of its soldiers were from the north and could not swim.

Therefore, naval warfare can only be a last resort.

The plains where Yangzhou and Cangwu meet, apart from the city defenses, are mostly treacherous.

Less than two hundred li to the east lies Donghu Lake, between the two prefectures is the Yanjiang River, and to the west are layers upon layers of mountains.

The soldiers and generals of Yangzhou were skilled in naval warfare, so the previous battles in the southwest were mostly fought hard and ended in defeat here.

Shi Qing's mission was to lead his elite troops, risking significant danger, to maneuver around the enemy's rear in the western mountainous region.

However, their actions may not necessarily be related to this battle.

From an extreme perspective, Song Ling might have to remain hidden in the mountains for several months, and Yu Baizhou could not possibly feel at ease letting her go.

"General, I can't see the situation of this battle clearly." Song Ling said somewhat dejectedly, "Even if the battlefield is ever-changing, it shouldn't look like this. Since last night, many things on the stars have changed."

"Then why must you follow Shi Qing?"

Yu Baizhou knew nothing about divination or astrology.

Although they were discussing serious matters, the scene of Song Ling and Shi Qing talking that day involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

He couldn't help but wonder, in a base and despicable way, whether she was truly fighting for the war or also harboring a sense of despair.

Does she have feelings for Shi Qing...?

Realizing his malicious speculation, Yu Baizhou suddenly woke up, a thin layer of sweat appearing on his back.

He shouldn't have thought of Song Ling like that. What she does is her choice and her freedom, isn't it?

Song Ling took in the fleeting change of emotion on Yu Baizhou's face and sighed inwardly.

"The general arrived quite early that day, didn't he?"

Yu Baizhou was somewhat taken aback. "Which day?"

Song Ling waited for him to react before explaining, "I did lie to the general that day. I didn't ask Deputy General Shi for help; he simply returned the jade pendant I had dropped."

"And I gave it to Vice General Shi by chance, that's all."

That's all...

That's all...

Yu Baizhou's ears were ringing, and he opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.

My heart is filled with unbearable bitterness.

"good."

He muttered, "I understand."

Just as he was about to leave, Song Ling suddenly grabbed his wrist, and he looked down at the place where their wrists were intertwined.

No one knew that General Yu, who appeared calm on the surface, was actually pounding his heart like a drum.

"If the general doesn't say anything, how am I supposed to know what you're thinking?" Song Ling lowered her eyes, showing no intention of letting go, but instead gripped her hand even tighter.

As Ji Chang's advice echoed in his ears, two voices suddenly popped into his mind.

One person said she should let Yu Baizhou go, "You two shouldn't have had any relationship in the first place."

But another person patiently persuaded, "Isn't it better to follow your heart?"

Ultimately, selfishness prevailed over reason. She loosened her grip and gently stroked the wrist guard on his wrist with her fingers.

Yu Baizhou felt the warmth of the woman's palm penetrate the thick, hard wrist guard, burning his wrist and making his heart tremble.

"If the general doesn't tell me, how will I know what you're really thinking?"

Song Ling harbored some resentment, but had nowhere to vent her frustration.

"Back then, it was the general who spoke of Xin Yueling; it was the general who took care of me in every way and helped me establish my authority; it was also the general who remembered my illness and used the gold and silver bestowed by the emperor to exchange for medicine..."

"But in the end, it was the general who severed that bond..."

As Song Ling spoke, her voice trembled slightly. She had never lost control of her emotions like this before. "The general never asked me if I cared. He just arbitrarily and casually said, 'Let's call it quits.'"

"Have you ever thought about how I felt when I traveled day and night for more than ten days to reach southern Xinjiang and saw you for the first time?"

"Did they care whether I was sad or not...?"

As she finished speaking, Song Ling's voice grew weaker and weaker, and the last sentence was almost inaudible.

She finally released her grip, her eyes already reddening.

But she didn't shed a single tear.

Yu Baizhou's hands trembled slightly. Instead of looking down at her, he knelt down and hurriedly pulled a clean silk handkerchief from his chest.

Her voice was very soft, but he had excellent hearing and heard it all; it struck him deeply.

"General, let's go."

Song Ling closed her eyes, forcing back her tears, and raised her hand to block his hand holding the handkerchief.

"I'm not leaving."

Yu Baizhou pursed his lips and firmly grasped her wrist with one hand, but the force was not strong.

Then he gently wiped away the tears that had overflowed from the corners of her eyes.

Even though Song Ling was exhausted, she didn't have enough strength to control her, but she didn't shake off Yu Baizhou.

If you don't tell me, how am I supposed to know what you're thinking...?

A few words of accusation echoed in his mind, and Yu Baizhou felt an unbearable bitterness in his heart.

"I'm sorry, I was too selfish."

"I still remember when you first came to the army camp, you looked down on my foolish and loyal appearance. But every battle that followed made me look at you in a new light."

“Girl, Ah Ling,”

“You are no ordinary woman, nor can you be compared to an ordinary man.”

Yu Baizhou released her hand with a self-deprecating smile and simply sat down on the ground next to her: "Without Song Ling, Yu Baizhou might have spent his whole life guarding the southwest. He would either die on the battlefield or die in the court's schemes."

“But even if Song Ling doesn’t have Yu Baizhou, she can still assist others. Marquis of Wu’an, King of Qi, Governor of Jingzhou… aren’t they all excellent lords? I can’t be a burden to you, nor should I be.”

“Ah Ling, if I succeed, it won’t be a burden on you. But if I fail, as a strategist you can still choose another master, but if you get too close to me… then there will be no way out.”

If she became his wife and family member, her fate would be predictable should he be defeated.

At first, he overlooked this alarming possibility.

During the period when Song Ling went north, he tossed and turned countless nights.

I witnessed the continuous warfare, the countless dead soldiers, and the families torn apart by the war...

He suddenly realized the dangerous situation he was in the moment he decided to rebel.

Yu Baizhou's voice was a little hoarse, "My selfishness has led to the current consequences, so..."

"So you hope to cut your losses in time?" she replied coldly.

But can you really stop losing money in a relationship just by cutting your losses?

Song Ling twitched the corner of her mouth: "They all say I have no heart, but I think, General, you are the one who truly has no heart."

Yu Baizhou's throat tightened, "So whatever you do for me, even if you have other options, don't put yourself in danger..."

Song Ling reached out and traced the patterns on his clothes on his shoulder, asking softly, "Does the general know why he chose you back then?"

Before Yu Baizhou could look up, she leaned closer to him, placed her right hand on his cheek, and whispered, "Because the general is obedient, isn't he?"