Chapter 25
Ever since that absurd "alliance" she made with Tang Pu under the moon that night, Cui Yunshu has been trapped in an unprecedented and agonizing state of separation.
By day, she was a shrewd business genius, the "Ice Princess" of the Cui family. She would either be in Qing Shu Courtyard, reviewing business accounts that poured in from all over the country like snowflakes, or discussing the next steps in business expansion with her mother, Madam Song. Her wealth, like a surging river, flowed ceaselessly into her bottomless secret vault, fueling her distant "escape plan."
But when night falls and she faces the cold moonlight alone, she has to put on another mask—a hidden mastermind with the world in her heart, a chief strategist who silently paves the way for the "Crown Prince's great cause".
She had to maintain this persona, preventing her brilliant "ally" Tang Pu from seeing any flaws; at the same time, she had to be careful to ensure that every business decision she made ultimately served her real, unspoken goal—to run away.
The feeling was like dancing on a knife's edge, every step filled with excitement and danger. She would often wake up in a fright from her dreams, dreaming that Tang Pu saw through all her pretenses with his sharp, eagle-like eyes, and then questioned her in a tone that was both disappointed and angry: "So, you're a coward after all?"
Every time she thought of this, she would break out in a cold sweat.
And on this day, the thing she feared most finally came to pass.
Tang Pu sent a formal invitation, its words earnest yet carrying an air of urgency, formally requesting a meeting with her in a private room on the top floor of the "Cloud Pavilion" for their first "strategic meeting" since their alliance began.
Cui Yunshu clutched the exquisitely crafted invitation, feeling its immense weight. She knew she couldn't avoid this "meeting." She had to confront the ally she had personally dragged into this mess, now brimming with "revolutionary enthusiasm," and provide him with a seemingly "reliable" action plan for his grand "rebellion."
【Cloud Pavilion, Top Floor Private Room】
Inside the private room, the air was filled with the fragrance of incense and tea.
Cui Yunshu was still dressed in simple and elegant attire, sitting upright in front of the chessboard, seemingly engrossed in studying a game of chess endgame. However, her slightly tense fingertips betrayed the unease in her heart.
When Tang Pu appeared at the door, she almost instinctively straightened her back.
Today, Tang Pu was completely different from his usual leisurely and lazy self. He wore a well-tailored dark brocade robe, and his long hair was tied up high with a white jade crown, making him look handsome and sharp. In his deep eyes, there was a flame called "ambition" and "ambition", so hot that it was almost scorching.
Instead of exchanging pleasantries with Cui Yunshu as usual, he went straight to the large rosewood table in the center of the private room, took out a huge, meticulously drawn map from his bag, and slowly unfurled it.
That was no ordinary administrative map, but a detailed military map of the Qin Dynasty, marked with mountains, rivers, passes, and garrisons.
“Princess,” Tang Pu’s voice was deep and powerful. He pointed to the map and got straight to the point, “Since our last parting, I have been thinking for a long time. I believe that our great cause can no longer be carried out by simply responding passively as before. We must have a complete, clear, and systematic overall plan that can be implemented step by step.”
They've arrived.
Cui Yunshu's heart sank.
She put down the chess piece in her hand, slowly walked to the table, her eyes fixed on the map, but her mind was racing, thinking of a solution.
“What the young prince says is absolutely right,” she echoed, her voice calm and even, revealing no sign of anything amiss.
Tang Pu's spirits lifted upon seeing her agreement. He thought he had finally reached the same conclusion as this "chief strategist." Pointing to the location of the capital on the map, he asked seriously, "In your opinion, Princess, where should our great undertaking begin? Should we seize control of the capital region with overwhelming force and strike directly at its heart? Or... should we first establish a separate territory, using the wealth of Jiangnan or the strategic advantages of Sichuan as a foundation, and then gradually expand our territory?"
"When is the most appropriate time to launch an attack? How should the troops be deployed? How should the supplies be transported? Every step of this requires meticulous planning, and no mistakes can be tolerated."
Tang Pu's questions were like boulders crashing into Cui Yunshu's heart, stirring up towering waves.
Control of the capital region?
A regional warlord?
An uprising? A troop deployment?
Cui Yunshu was horrified and her scalp tingled. She had never thought of such things! Her mind was filled with thoughts of how to sell "Yunjian Pavilion" membership cards at a higher price, how to make "Jinghuayuan" lipsticks sell out, and how to get her fleet to bring back more gold and spices from overseas!
But at this moment, facing Tang Pu's eyes filled with trust and expectation, she knew she couldn't say "I don't know".
She had to give an answer. An answer that sounded "profound" and "shrewd" enough to both keep him calm and lead him toward her true purpose.
In a flash, a brilliant idea flashed through her mind like lightning.
She took a deep breath, and all the tension and unease on her face were instantly replaced by a calm and composed demeanor.
She extended her slender fingers, not touching the cities and passes on the map that represented power and bloodshed, but gently tapping the lines that represented trade routes and post stations.
"Young Prince, you're too attached to appearances." Her voice was soft yet carried an undeniable penetrating power.
"Oh?" Tang Pu was taken aback.
“What you just said are all ‘techniques,’ specific battle tactics. What we need to determine now is ‘the Way,’ the fundamental strategy that will determine the success or failure of our great undertaking.” Cui Yunshu raised her gaze from the map and looked directly into Tang Pu’s eyes. “What do you think is the key to the success or failure of our undertaking, Your Highness?”
“…favorable timing, advantageous location, and harmonious relationships,” Tang Pu answered subconsciously.
“That’s right.” Cui Yunshu nodded, then shook her head. “But above these three, there are two more important words—logistics.”
Pointing to the crisscrossing lines on the map, she began to repackage her well-known business blueprint with a completely new set of rhetoric, full of "rebellious" undertones.
“Young Prince, please look,” she said, pointing to the red dots scattered across the country, “My plan is to open shops of ‘Yunjian Pavilion’ and ‘Jinghuayuan’ throughout every state, prefecture, and even important county in the Great Qin Dynasty within the next year. To the outside world, they are shops; but internally, they will be our nationwide intelligence and logistical network!”
“Each shop is an intelligence station, responsible for collecting local sentiments, official reports, and troop movements. All intelligence will be gathered and sent to the capital day and night through our fastest trade routes. In this way, every little thing happening in the entire Qin Dynasty will be under our control.”
Tang Pu's breathing gradually quickened. He looked at the dense red dots on the map, as if he were seeing not shops, but eyes lurking in the darkness, an invisible giant net covering the entire empire.
"And then there's logistics," Cui Yunshu said, her finger moving to the locations marked as warehouses. "The supplies I stockpiled before were just a drop in the ocean. My plan is to use commercial profits to establish at least ten secret warehouses across the country, similar in size to the ones in the suburbs of Beijing. We need to stockpile not only food, but also ironware, medicine, cloth... all the strategic reserves necessary to sustain a protracted war!"
"At that time, no matter where the war breaks out, we will be able to deliver the most abundant supplies to the places that need them most in the shortest possible time. An army marches on its stomach. With these ten large granaries, we will have the foundation to be invincible!"
Tang Pu's eyes were filled with shock. He had never imagined that an "insurrection" could be prepared in such a way. This idea of perfectly combining commerce and military affairs, intelligence and logistics was unheard of, yet so ingenious that he was amazed.
"As for... launching an uprising," Cui Yunshu's gaze finally fell on the vast blue area in the lower right corner of the map, representing the ocean, "Why does Your Highness think we should spend huge sums of money to build that ocean-going fleet?"
"Is it to... leave yourself a way out?" Tang Pu asked tentatively.
“It’s a backup plan, but it’s more than just a backup plan.” A mysterious smile played on Cui Yunshu’s lips. “It’s also our… second battlefield, and our ultimate escape route!”
"Young Prince, consider this: if we are locked in a stalemate with the imperial army on land, this fleet can strike straight at their heart from the sea, cutting off their supply lines! If... in the unlikely event of a defeat, this fleet can carry all our core strength and wealth overseas to that prosperous land whose sea routes we have already explored, to recuperate and rebuild our strength, and to plan our comeback!"
"To advance is to catch them off guard; to retreat is to preserve our flame. This is the truly foolproof strategy for our great cause!"
After he finished speaking, the entire private room fell into a long silence.
Tang Pu stood there dumbfounded, staring at the eloquent young woman in front of him, his heart filled with turbulent emotions.
grand!
Meticulous!
A well-thought-out plan!
He couldn't think of any other words to describe his feelings at that moment. He had thought his plans for the "great cause" were comprehensive enough, but compared to Cui Yunshu's multi-dimensional strategy of combining land and sea, industry and commerce, it was simply insignificant.
He looked at her, and in her clear eyes seemed to lie a bottomless sea of stars. All his doubts vanished at that moment, replaced by an unprecedented, heartfelt respect and admiration.
He bowed deeply and solemnly to Cui Yunshu.
"A single conversation with the princess is more valuable than ten years of studying military strategy. Tang Pu, I have learned a great deal."
Cui Yunshu breathed a long sigh of relief, but her face remained calm and inscrutable. She knew she had successfully fooled this hurdle.
Seeing Tang Pu's "wholeheartedly convinced" appearance, she had an idea and decided to strike while the iron was hot and completely pull him onto her "pirate ship".
“Your Highness flatters me. These are all just theoretical discussions,” she said, changing the subject. “Now, the first step in our ‘great undertaking’ is to ensure that the fleet can set sail smoothly. Although my ‘treasure ship’ blueprints are good, they have not been tested in actual combat. Moreover, pirates and Japanese pirates have always been rampant in the East China Sea.”
“Therefore, I need Your Highness to do me a favor.” She looked at him, a sly glint in her eyes. “I hope Your Highness can use your military status to mobilize a naval force to clear the route for the fleet that is about to embark on its maiden voyage and to survey the hydrographic features along the way.”
"Of course, from an external perspective, we can euphemistically call it—training troops and testing the initial combat capabilities of our 'naval force'."
These words sounded perfectly logical and natural to Tang Pu.
Training!
Test the navy's combat strength!
Isn't this the most basic preparation for their future "great cause"?
“Alright!” Tang Pu readily agreed without the slightest hesitation. “Leave this to me! I will not only clear the obstacles for the fleet, but also take this opportunity to thoroughly understand the hydrology, islands, and ports of the East China Sea, and draw the most detailed nautical charts for future use!”
Seeing his high spirits and eagerness to "make a name for himself" immediately, Cui Yunshu silently lit a candle for him in her heart.
Young Prince, I'm sorry.
She just wanted to find a free bodyguard and laborer to protect her escape plan.
The collaboration between the two, each with their own ulterior motives, finally began at this moment, heading in an unknown direction filled with absurdity and misunderstanding.
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