Chapter 64. The young girl was delicate, yet possessed an almost supernatural wisdom. ...

He Ke and his group rode swiftly to Ningyue City. Upon arrival, they did not join up with the royal army led by Li Hengsheng. People in the martial world are accustomed to operating in secret. Besides, if it weren't for Lin Qingdai, they wouldn't have gotten involved in this matter.

Over the past few decades, the Lin family has provided relief to many orphaned and destitute children. Those with talent learn martial arts, while those without go to work for the Lin family's trading companies in various places. Although not everyone can become extremely wealthy, they can at least have a place to live and food to eat through their own labor, avoiding a life of constant wandering.

Mingqian and Mingyue are two of them.

He Ke and other top experts have all seen this.

Furthermore, a few months ago, Lin Qingdai rallied the gentry of the land to donate a considerable amount of money to the martial arts tournament and spared several powerful figures from disputes during the tournament. Now, as long as the name of Miss Lin is mentioned, people in the martial arts world are willing to lend a hand.

In the dead of night, He Ke and his companions silently infiltrated Ningyue City, moving stealthily through the darkness. Little by little, they learned the situation within Ningyue City…

Two days later, at the beginning of Shen time (3-5 PM).

Lin Qingdai's carriage arrived outside Ningyue City and met up with Li Hengsheng. Even though he knew there would be no progress these past two days, Li Hengsheng still kept watch outside Ningyue City every day, his face and mind cold and indifferent.

Upon seeing Lin Qingdai, a glimmer of light returned to his dark eyes.

"Madam Ji."

Lin Qingdai's lips twitched, forming an extremely subtle curve.

"General Li, you can just call me Dai Dai."

Autumn has arrived, and it's getting cold in the southeast.

Mingyue was worried that Lin Qingdai would get cold, so she draped a thick cloak over her shoulders when she got out of the car.

The mint green color complemented her fair and soft face.

However, without realizing it, she has become someone many people rely on.

Even when the Fourth Prince was in trouble, the first person he thought of was Lin Qingdai.

What's going on inside?

"I met with Zhang He's eldest son the day before yesterday. The Zhang family asked us to send a message to His Majesty, decreeing that Zhang He be made the King of the Southeast, with the six cities in the southeast to be autonomous."

"The message has been sent to the capital, but there has been no further movement from there."

"Dai Dai, do you think those crazy people in the Zhang family might torture the Fourth Prince?"

Li Hengsheng has been tormented by this idea for the past two days.

Having witnessed firsthand the Zhang family's madness in slaughtering civilians, it was hard for him not to worry.

Lin Qingdai gently comforted him, "Zhang He doesn't have that kind of guts. All he wants is for the six cities in the southeast to rightfully become independent."

He also knew that he was no match for the royal family in a direct confrontation. That's why he resorted to the despicable and universally despised method of killing civilians.

Upon hearing this, Li Hengsheng breathed a sigh of relief.

"So what should we do next?"

Lin Qingdai: "Wait."

Li Hengsheng: "Waiting for what?"

Lin Qingdai: "You'll find out tonight."

After saying this, Li Hengsheng took Lin Qingdai to the encampment to rest. They agreed to meet at the central command tent at the beginning of Hai hour.

Around 9 PM, the two arrived at the central command tent. Many lamps were lit, making the tent as bright as day. After chatting for a while, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the tent.

"General, He Daxia, who serves Miss Lin, requests an audience. They have also kidnapped someone."

The person's head was completely covered by a black mask, making it impossible to identify them.

Upon hearing this, Li Hengsheng subconsciously looked at Lin Qingdai.

Lin Qingdai nodded slightly to him, and he immediately said loudly, "Let them in."

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, He Ke and the others entered the central command tent.

Lin Qingdai examined them carefully and asked with concern, "Are you injured?"

He Ke answered on her behalf, "No, thank you for your concern, Miss."

Li Hengsheng: "Who are you tying up?"

Lin Qingdai: "Remove the mask."

He Ke immediately removed the mask from the man's head, revealing an unfamiliar face to Li Hengsheng and Lin Qingdai.

Lin Qingdai looked at him. "Zhang He, the King of the Southeast, is that right?"

Li Hengsheng was utterly astonished. The Second Miss Lin had actually kidnapped Zhang He. She really dared to dream, and she actually did it.

He Ke untied Zhang He's acupoints, and he was finally able to move and speak. Despite being captured, he didn't show any fear.

"Second Miss Lin?"

Lin Qingdai chuckled, "Yes."

"Dai Dai invited you here today to ask you how to release the Fourth Prince?"

Zhang He scoffed softly, "Miss Lin's way of inviting people is quite unique."

Lin Qingdai: "Daidai, didn't I learn this from you? Breaking the rules is such a simple thing, who can't do it?"

"Is Miss Lin accusing me of massacring civilians?"

Shouldn't we criticize them?

"To achieve great things, one must be ruthless. Your fourth brother is too kind, so he is basically out of the running for the throne."

It should be heartbreaking that someone close to you is no longer destined for the throne, but Lin Qingdai laughed instead.

Zhang He asked her what was making her laugh, and she replied, "Did Song Yunmian teach you this brilliant plan?"

A single, gentle sentence, devoid of any emotion, stunned everyone inside the tent.

Zhang He was stunned for several breaths before his expression returned to normal.

"How is that possible?"

Zhang He vehemently denied it, but Lin Qingdai no longer cared how he answered because of the stunned silence that lasted for those few breaths.

She already has the answer.

"How could he not lose a battle that was tailor-made for him? But even though he lost, he still has his mother, friends, and sister."

His selfless act of saving civilians will spread far and wide, and whoever rules the world in the future will treat him well because of this.

What's between you and Song Yunmian?

Zhang He remained silent for a moment, then a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"Miss Lin, why don't you think about how you will protect yourself if the First Prince ascends the throne?"

Lin Qingdai: "Self-preservation?"

"Then I'll spare your life for now, and see who rules the country in the future."

The girl was delicate and graceful, yet possessed an almost supernatural wisdom. She was ready to fight if necessary, and feared no one.

Having obtained the answer she wanted, Lin Qingdai returned to the most important matter at hand.

"Zhang He, how about exchanging your life for the Fourth Prince's?"

Zhang He replied without hesitation: "No change."

"It's worth it to exchange my death for the Zhang family's century of glory."

Lin Qingdai: "Really?"

“Ningyue City is nothing more than an arrow in Song Yunmian’s hand. He will discard it once it’s thrown out. When he becomes emperor, the first person he will deal with will be you.”

"Are you trying to scare me?"

"How could that be? I'm just sharing my thoughts on this matter with you."

Zhang He fell silent, and the negotiations broke down.

Lin Qingdai seemed to have expected this, and her expression remained completely calm.

She turned to Li Hengsheng and said, "General, send out the troops. We'll take Zhang He and meet with the Zhang family."

Li Hengsheng remained calm and nodded.

Inwardly, however, he was roaring with excitement. As expected of Miss Lin, she was incredibly insightful.

Before Ningyue City, war drums thundered, and the torches in the soldiers' hands illuminated the area in front of the city. Zhang Xian, who came out to meet the enemy, was still there, his face cold and fierce, looking as if he wanted to devour his opponent alive.

Until he saw his father, Zhang He, he was not bound, but he did not move or speak, clearly indicating that someone had acupunctured him.

A look of panic immediately appeared on Zhang Xian's face.

"Li Hengsheng, how dare you kidnap my father!"

Seeing his expression, Li Hengsheng felt much of the frustration in his heart dissipate.

“If your Zhang family can slaughter civilians, why can’t I kidnap your father? Release the Fourth Prince, and I will return your father to you unharmed.”

Zhang Xian gave Zhang He a deep look, then prepared to return to the city to ask his elder brother for instructions.

Just then, a magnificent carriage approached the royal army, and a veiled girl stepped out. Her face was completely obscured, but Zhang Xian immediately recognized her by her aloof and refined demeanor.

"Second Miss Lin?"

Lin Qingdai looked at him and said, "Yes."

"If Young Master Zhang wishes to return to the city to discuss this, could you please pass on a few words from Dai Dai to the Zhang family?"

Zhang Xian remained silent.

Lin Qingdai took this as tacit agreement and continued, "I have already had those five cities, where the Zhang family is the most powerful, completely besieged."

One sentence shattered Zhang Xian's last shred of composure: "You..."

How did a young woman manage to do that?

Zhang Xian was somewhat skeptical of her words, but Lin Qingdai's reputation for exceptional intelligence had already spread throughout Xun Kingdom. What seemed impossible to others might not be so to her.

Lin Qingdai: "But I have no interest in the struggle for royal power. I only want to bring my brother back. If the Zhang family is willing to hand over the Fourth Prince to me, the siege will be lifted immediately, and your father can return to Ningyue City safely."

"As for what happens next, that depends on their individual abilities."

At this point, Lin Qingdai's tone suddenly changed, becoming icy and cutting.

The light flowing in those beautiful eyes was also...

"If the Zhang family mistreats the Fourth Prince, I will repay Zhang He tenfold."

"I, Lin Qingdai, keep my word."

Zhang Xian rode his horse back to the city.

There was a clear disagreement within the city, and it took nearly half an hour before someone came out.

Song Yunyan walked at the front, without being restrained in any way. His dark eyes lit up when he saw Lin Qingdai.

Lin Qingdai smiled at him.

Zhang Hui, the eldest son of the Zhang family, sat high on his horse, looking down at Lin Qingdai.

"Miss Lin has quite the skills."

Lin Qingdai's smile vanished. "Young Master Zhang?"

Zhang Hui tacitly agreed.

Lin Qingdai continued, "I only want the Fourth Prince to be safe and sound; I don't care about anything else."

"He was like a brother to me."

After hearing this, Zhang Hui couldn't help but feel envious of Song Yunyan.

When he was imprisoned, some people resolutely rushed to his aid, even at the cost of great conflict.

“We can release him, but Zhang has two conditions.”

Tell me about it.

"The royal army must withdraw from the southeast and lift the siege of the other five cities."

Lin Qingdai: "The siege can be broken."

Li Hengsheng: "The army can withdraw from the southeast."

Right now, ensuring the Fourth Prince's safe return is the most important thing; the matter of suppressing the rebellion can wait for another opportunity.

Moreover, this matter seems to involve the First Prince. Ningyue City is merely a useless pawn; letting it go won't cause any trouble.

Once the agreement was reached, Zhang Hui raised his hand, signaling that the Fourth Prince could leave.

Lin Qingdai looked at He Ke, who untied Zhang He's acupuncture point and said, "You can leave now."

Zhang He looked at Lin Qingdai and said, "Second Miss Lin, the Zhang family will not let this go so easily."

Lin Qingdai's lips curled up slightly, "I look forward to you reaching the top in the Southeast and becoming a powerful ruler."

The words were very pleasant to hear, but the Zhang family members managed to detect a hint of sarcasm in them.

After a while, Song Yunyan came to Lin Qingdai.

At that moment, Li Hengsheng had already dismounted and was waiting. As soon as he approached, he asked eagerly,

"Are you alright? I was so worried about you."

Song Yunyan patted his shoulder. "It's nothing, I'm just hungry. It's so cruel, they've only given me water for days. Of course, I haven't touched the water either."

"I'm afraid they might put something in there."

He seems to be in good spirits and is quite talkative, so nothing serious must have happened.

All the soldiers and Lin Qingdai breathed a sigh of relief.

Lin Qingdai and Song Yunyan returned to camp.

Li Hengsheng prepared three appetizers and a dish of porridge for Song Yunyan. The only meat dish among the three was stir-fried shredded chicken with vinegar.

Song Yunyan: "..."

"I have done a great service in saving the people, and I have been starving for two or three days. Is this what you give me to eat?"

Li Hengsheng smiled, glancing at Lin Qingdai, indicating that it was Lin Er's idea and had nothing to do with him.

Song Yunyan immediately fell silent. There must be a reason why Dai Dai said that. He obediently began to eat, and as the hot porridge went down, his brows relaxed and his eyes brightened.

Seeing this, Li Hengsheng couldn't help but give Lin Qingdai a thumbs up.

After they finished eating, Li Hengsheng ordered the soldiers to remove the bowls and plates, which were all empty.

Their prince was truly starving.

Once the tent was quiet, Song Yunyan gazed at Lin Qingdai and asked in a low voice,

"Is Fourth Brother really that useless? He suffered such a crushing defeat in his first battle. I'm afraid he'll never have another chance to lead troops."

Lin Qingdai looked back at him with gentle eyes, "Fourth Brother did not lose this time. Fourth Brother is the most upright and honorable young man in the Song family."

These words lit up Song Yunyan's dark eyes, "Does Dai Dai really think so?"

Lin Qingdai: "Really."

"Furthermore, victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. Fourth Brother should just treat this as a trial and not take it too seriously."

Song Yunyan nodded.

"It's just another time, and I'll do the same thing."

A smile spread across Lin Qingdai's face, her almond-shaped eyes sparkling: "I know."

Therefore, if there is a next time, "as long as Dai Dai is still alive, we will try to get Fourth Brother out again and again."

The three people in the tent burst into laughter at the word "捞" (lao, meaning to fish or scoop).

Zhang He returned to Ningyue City unharmed.

As soon as he entered the city gate, he saw a crowd waiting for his return, and the one in the lead was none other than Zhang Qiyuan.

After a while, Zhang He, Zhang Qiyuan, and several others gathered in the study.

Zhang He sat silently for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing.

"This second daughter of the Lin family is no ordinary person."

Zhang Qiyuan's eyes darkened. "What do you mean?"

As they were talking, Zhang Xian served tea to both of them.

It was piping hot, and no one was touching it at the moment.

Zhang He: "As soon as she saw me, she asked if this matter was related to the eldest prince. Although I denied it, she clearly did not believe me."

"She was very confident in her judgment."

That's not all; in such a short time, she actually besieged five cities. Heroes from all over the land were willing to die for her. While warfare relies on numbers, those skilled in solo raids and surprise attacks often remain hidden in the shadows. However, these capable individuals are mostly arrogant and elusive, making them extremely difficult to recruit.

Zhang Qiyuan subtly curled his lips. "Indeed, not simple."

She's perfect in every way, but she just doesn't belong to him.

"This matter ends here."

"Rest assured, everyone. With the Crown Prince in power, he will surely grant your wishes."

Zhang He held up a cup, using tea instead of wine.

"With Patriarch Zhang saying that, I feel much more at ease."

That night, Zhang Qi stayed overnight in Ningyue City.

He was carefree and fearless, having possessed everything from birth.

Therefore, I never dream.

But that night, a beautiful woman entered my dream.

Her delicate fragrance seeped into his skin, intoxicating and captivating.

When I woke up, the ground beneath me was wet.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Li Hengsheng led his troops out of the southeastern territory.

Song Yunyan followed Lin Qingdai to Lingdong.

Lin Qingdai rode in a carriage with one window open, making it convenient for her to chat with Song Yunyan, who was riding a horse. Song Yunyan was incredibly excited the whole way, talking non-stop.

Lin Qingdai let him be, and even thought that it would be best if Fourth Brother could always be this bright and cheerful.

"Will your brother-in-law be back soon?"

After chatting for a while, the topic naturally turned to Ji Yujing.

Lin Qingdai: "Brother-in-law? Has the General agreed to Fourth Brother calling me that?"

Song Yunyan: "...No?"

He said last time that we'd talk about it after we got married.

Lin Qingdai was amused by him, "Then ask him when you see him."

Song Yunyan: "Then you should say a few words in support."

Lin Qingdai: "Okay."

Upon hearing this, Song Yunyan's face lit up with joy.

Lin Qingdai caught a glimpse of him and couldn't help but tease him, "It's just a title, why are you so happy about it?"

Song Yunyan: "How can Ji Yujing's brother title be just a figurehead? He's gone mad from studying too much."

Lin Qingdai: "..." You men are the fools. Everyone in the country knows how smart the Second Miss Lin is.

...

Tianyun City is experiencing its greatest tragedy since its founding. Even the bright sunshine cannot erase the sorrow in the slightest.

Wu Tingshan was burned to ashes, his death not only a loss of a renowned general, but also the complete erasure of faith across the vast western lands. Everywhere in the streets and alleys, one could see people kneeling and weeping, their faces streaming down their faces, bowing in the direction of Tianyun City.

"Farewell, General."

"Why? Why? He dedicated his life to protecting this land, only to end up with nothing but ashes."

"Don't be a general in your next life. The greater the merits of a general, the more dangerous it becomes."

“The sage is not benevolent; he treats the people like straw dogs.”

Hatred and resentment seeped into the cracks of the vast western lands and into the hearts of the people. In the permanent war zone, silently shouldering everything was no longer taken for granted.

The army was eerily silent, as if chilled by ice water, yet the soldiers' hearts were filled with resentment. They wanted revenge, first against the Ningdong Army, and then against the mastermind behind it all, Emperor Taining.

However, Huang Zhenquan, the highest-ranking general of the Zhenxi Army, let Ji Yujing go, saying that it was General Wu's idea.

"When two armies are at peace, they are invincible; when they fight each other, the fate of the nation is ruined."

The Song family may be unrighteous and immoral, but the country belongs to all its people.

No one would dare to destroy it.

Wu Tingshan is dead. The Ningdong Army has accomplished its mission and is returning to its original state.

However, before they could even embark on their return journey, an imperial messenger arrived at the army camp to demand the tiger tally of the Zhenxi Army from Ji and Jing.

The envoy's name was Huang Qian, the fourth-ranking official in the Ministry of War.

He had only recently left Tianyun City, having gone there to retrieve the Tiger Tally, but Huang Zhenquan told him that the Tiger Tally had been lost.

He immediately went to Ji Yujing's place.

Ji Yujing didn't even invite him in; he met him at the city gate of Lingxiao City.

Having understood his purpose, Ji Yujing replied indifferently, "This humble general was ordered to suppress Wu Tingshan, and the mission has been accomplished. As for the Tiger Tally of the Zhenxi Army, this humble general has never seen it, nor was it mentioned in the imperial edict."

"Possessing the tiger tally is a serious crime. If you don't have evidence that the tiger tally is in my hands, Lord Huang, please don't harm anyone."

"Ji Yujing, you..."

The Tiger Tally is neither in Tianyun City nor in Ji Yujing's hands. How could it possibly grow wings and fly away?

The men behind Huang Qian drew their knives, their sharp, cold blades flashing out.

This action enraged the Ningdong Army soldiers, who drew their swords and confronted them.

Ji and Jing did not stop them, and the meaning was quite clear.

If Huang Qian still doesn't know what to do, he wouldn't mind letting these people die here.