004
"Now that our army is stationed at the junction of three states, there is actually a great opportunity to take advantage of it."
Song Ling carefully analyzed the situation of the governors of the three prefectures and their families, and found many secrets that even they had not known for many years in the southern region.
"What does this have to do with grain and fodder?" Yu Baizhou frowned, puzzled. "We can't just rob them."
"Why not?" Song Ling gave him a cold look. "Does the general think that strategists can make the heavens send down grain?"
"Since the general has read several military books, he should understand the principle that 'a good commander uses the enemy's supplies.'"
"I……"
Yu Baizhou was annoyed. This girl looked down on him from the bottom of her heart, which was why she was always finding fault with him. It was only because he had a good temper that he was able to get away with it; if he had encountered someone with a bad temper, he would have dragged her away and thrown her out of the military camp long ago.
A prime minister's belly can hold a boat... He endured it!
He wanted to see what schemes she had up her sleeve. If she was just spouting nonsense and playing with the lives of his tens of thousands of soldiers, he would definitely not let her off the hook!
"No, please continue, young lady."
Song Ling didn't look at the general again. She could see through his thoughts just from his expression. He seemed like an extremely simple person, but how could someone who could rise to the position of a general be so simple? She didn't believe it.
"Is the young lady trying to use a feint?"
“Military Advisor Wei is indeed a man of true learning,” Song Ling said, finally breaking free from the helplessness of talking to a brick wall.
"It doesn't count, it doesn't count..." Wei Yan waved his hand, "I passed the imperial examination many years ago and have read a few books."
Song Ling poured himself a cup of tea. "Aside from the Prefect of Yunzhou, has the General had any dealings with Nanshan Prefecture or Cangwu Prefecture in recent years?"
Wei Yan shook his head helplessly, "Actually... apart from asking for food earlier, we have no other dealings."
Wei Yan was also a man of unfulfilled talent. After being framed during the imperial examination, he was forced to wander to another place and had no choice but to stay in the Southwest Army as a minor clerk. Facing a group of military officers every day, his frustration accumulated day by day with nowhere to vent it, and he could only watch his hair fall out in clumps.
In just a few words, Miss Song pointed out the source of his distress while engaging in a pleasant discussion about classical and contemporary literature with him.
General Yu listened to the two men chatting animatedly, as if they were about to become sworn brothers. He had never known that his usually quiet and unassuming military advisor was such a talkative person.
Was Song Ling merely chatting with him? Of course not. Only through deeper understanding could she know the character and abilities of this soldier, and subtly build a closer relationship to him in order to integrate into the Southwest Army.
"You've held a banquet after joining the army?" Song Ling's eyes revealed just the right amount of expectation. "General, you've been stationed in the southwest for more than five years now. You should at least express your gratitude to the governors of the three prefectures for their care."
"Leave it to me. Where do you think would be a suitable place, young lady?" Wei Yan immediately understood her deeper meaning, but he still had some concerns. The Southwest Army was located at the junction of three states, and it would be somewhat inconvenient to place it in any one of them.
“Shannan Prefecture,” Song Ling pointed to the prefecture in the center of the map, “is located between two other prefectures, so it should be convenient for the governor to travel there.”
"What's the reason? What if the governor doesn't come?"
"Reason?" Song Ling glanced lightly at General Yu, who was sitting to the side playing with a cup, seemingly lost in thought but actually listening intently, and said lightly, "To discuss the marriage between your daughter and General Yu."
"Thud—"
That cup is sturdy; it remained intact even after being dropped again.
"When will I agree to marry them?"
Yu Baizhou was tall and burly, and his imposing figure was quite intimidating when he stood in front of Song Ling.
But who is Song Ling? He kills without blinking an eye, so why would I be afraid of him?
"It wasn't said that the general should marry her; the general is being far too hasty."
"I……"
Wei Yan pondered for a moment, then suddenly changed his mind, "Miss, are you trying to trick me?"
“Indeed, the military advisor is intelligent.” Song Ling marked the three prefectures on the map. “We need to secretly contact the governor of Nanshan Prefecture, saying only that ‘the general intends to establish a marriage alliance with your family and invites the governor and his wife and daughters to a banquet.’ As for the other two prefectures…”
"Let's keep this quiet and let them figure out our intentions on their own." Wei Yan slapped his thigh and said, "The governors of the three prefectures have always been outwardly friendly but inwardly hostile. They certainly won't allow Nanshan Prefecture to become the dominant power!"
“Good!” Song Ling smiled slightly and clinked teacups with Wei Yan.
Yu Baizhou stood to the side. Although he was not very literate, he was not stupid. Why not discuss it with him?
Clearly sensing the increasingly oppressive atmosphere around her, Song Ling, seemingly oblivious, turned her head and pleaded, "This crucial step in the matter will require the General's assistance."
"Me?" Yu Baizhou pursed his lips, perhaps unaware that his clear eyes on his dark face had lit up for a moment, but his tone was still impatient, "What is it?"
"The Ji family is a distinguished and prestigious family in Nanshan Prefecture. The current head of the family is young but already exceptionally talented. I'm sure the general admires him and longs to befriend him."
"I'm actually not very..." Before he could finish speaking, Wei Yan pinched his arm hard, followed by Song's expressionless, cold face and eyes that could kill him.
She suddenly shuddered, then realized that he was a general in the Southwest Army, and she was the outsider.
She's not even his strategist yet, so why should he be afraid of her?
But his arm was pulled again, and Wei Yan shook his head helplessly and explained, "General, Miss Song means that you should personally visit the Ji family and find a way to hold the banquet at the Ji family."
"Me? I'm just a military general, what methods can I come up with?"
“Then let’s use your military methods,” Song Ling said slowly, handing over a cup of tea. “Bring more men; fists are always more effective than words.”
"General, please."
Yu Baizhou took the tea in a daze. A fight to the death, huh? He was starting to admire this girl a little.
"This humble citizen observed the celestial phenomena last night and determined that the time, place, and people are all in harmony the day after tomorrow. General, you may depart at Chen Shi (7-9 AM)."
Judging from her expression, she didn't seem to be joking. Yu Baizhou still felt that this girl had some issues with her head. "Perfect timing, favorable location, and harmonious relationships?" Even if she understood strategy, she couldn't possibly think of herself as a charlatan.
“I’ll send someone to prepare a few tents for the girls,” Wei Yan said, getting up. He always took care of these miscellaneous tasks in the military camp.
“Two will suffice,” Qi Man said. “I’ll take one for the girl.” To protect her.
She didn't say this, because she had used her internal energy to save someone in Luoyang, and the girl had been relying on medicine to keep going all the way. The health she had finally managed to recover over the years had been almost ruined again.
She was worried about leaving the girl to live alone.
Wei Yan looked at Song Ling and asked for her opinion. Song Ling nodded and said, "That will do."
Wei Yan personally supervised the setup and cleaning of Song Ling's tent before preparing to leave.
"Please wait a moment before joining the army."
Wei Yan had no choice but to turn back in confusion and ordered the soldier to set up another tent first.
"Is there anything else you wish to instruct me on, young lady?"
Song Ling: "Ling wants to discuss with the military advisor the remaining strategies for seizing grain."
Upon hearing this, Qi Man sat down by the curtain of the tent and carefully observed the movements outside.
"As for the remaining plan, that was just now..." Wei Yan sat down in confusion, "Then I'll go find the general!"
“No need,” Song Ling shook her head slightly, and seeing a hint of wariness in his eyes, she smiled helplessly and said, “Military advisor, you have misunderstood. I did not mean to hide it from you, General. It’s just that you know that you are straightforward and do not trust me.”
"How about we first discuss this with the military advisor, and then the military advisor gradually reveals it to the general?"
"Why does that young lady trust me?" Wei Yan asked, a hint of doubt in his eyes.
Song Ling did not give him a direct answer. "I only wish that my knowledge will not be forgotten, but to be applied to the world and to uphold justice. Isn't joining the army the same? I think that joining the army and I share the same ambition."
This was exactly what Wei Yan had sought all his life. His heart burned with joy; there were two greatest blessings in life: meeting a lover in youth and finding a confidant while traveling alone.
With a surge of emotion, he lifted his robe and sat down, saying, "Please speak, young lady."
...
"Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!"
Wei Yan suddenly jumped to his feet, exclaiming, "Miss Song is incredibly talented!"
In just a quarter of an hour, Song Ling completely won over Wei Yan. After the initial excitement subsided, Wei Yan pressed her for an answer: "So, is the young lady going to the training grounds today?"
“Tomorrow,” Song Ling rose and instructed, “we will act only after the initial plan has been devised. Currently, only the Military Advisor and I know about this plan, and I believe the Military Advisor will understand.”
“I understand,” Wei Yan said, deeply feeling the weight of this trust and responsibility. “Jing He will certainly keep the secret.”
His eyes were resolute; even the imperial examination, which determined his entire life a few years ago, had never stirred his emotions so deeply.
Qi Man, who was guarding the curtain, twitched her ears boredly. What secret? If she had known this, she wouldn't have proclaimed herself a scholar. What trick did the young lady use to make this military advisor so excited?
"Miss, where are we going now?" Qi Man gripped her sword, looking ready to pounce.
Song Ling: "Let's go and ask the general. This place is not far from Nanting County in Yunzhou. Perhaps we can have another opportunity here."
"What are we going to the prefecture for?" Yu Baizhou thought to himself and asked the question aloud.
"Go to the clinic to buy some medicinal herbs and then ask the general for permission."
General Yu glanced down at her; she looked frail and sickly, definitely needing more nourishment. But he hadn't even agreed to let her be his advisor yet, so why was she asking him?
"Please do as you please, young lady."
His tone was harsh, perhaps because he was still dissatisfied with what Song Ling had said about him earlier.
"Thank you, General," Song Ling said calmly. Even though he looked frail, he still kept his back straight. Such a person never forgets to uphold his integrity no matter what the circumstances.
Perhaps most scholars are like this, and Yu Baizhou didn't comment on it. But as she turned to leave, he subconsciously called out to them again, inwardly regretting his loose tongue, and asked, "Do you have enough money?"
Most of his salary went to subsidizing the army, while the few mediocre men he had left were still putting on a show of power.
But seeing that Song Ling and the others were dressed simply, he figured they were probably even poorer than he was.
"Thank you for your concern, General. The money is more than enough."
Song Ling gave him a rare, slight smile.
He had seemed so aloof and unapproachable before, but the moment he raised his lips, his warmth was like the first warmth of spring, melting away the ice. Yu Baizhou thought to himself. His thoughts drifted away as the three had already disappeared from sight.
When the soldier came to report, he resumed his serious and cold demeanor. "What is it?"
"Reporting to the general, Governor Wang, along with his wife and daughter, has come to visit and is currently waiting outside the military camp."
Yu Baizhou's already dark complexion seemed to darken even more. This Governor Wang is utterly shameless! He's come to the military camp time and time again, sometimes trying to persuade him with a kind smile, sometimes using the prince as leverage. Does he really think the Southwest Army is made of clay?
"Go and find Military Advisor Wei, and first give the Prefect a proper welcome."
"yes!"
*
"It's been a long time since I've seen Lord Wang. Please come in, please come in—" Wei Yan said with a smile as he ushered him in. "The military camp is simple. Please forgive us, sir, madam, and young lady."
He was already used to Governor Wang's presence, but this was the first time he had brought his wife and daughter with him.
Wei Yan was extremely worried. The general had repeatedly declined the invitation before. Now the banquet hadn't even started, what was he to do...?
"Is General Yu here?" A woman's voice spoke first.
Looking over, he saw a quiet young woman in the prime of her youth, who was smiling politely at him. Who else could she be but the daughter of Governor Wang?
Suddenly, the tent flap was lifted.
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