023
"Cough cough cough..."
"I'll wait, you go back to your room and rest," Yu Baizhou subconsciously took off his cloak and draped it over Song Ling.
"Need not……"
"Don't move," he said, his brows furrowing even more, his hands trembling slightly as he fastened the ribbon around her neck. "Don't blame me for being abrupt, but you really don't take care of yourself."
"Why bother waiting outside? I think that young master is unwilling to associate with us, and he probably won't come today."
Song Ling smiled slightly and raised her hand to gather her cloak. "He's the kind of person who can't let go of his ambitions."
"Having experienced so many ups and downs, he is still so insightful, and now he has chosen to come to such a dangerous place as Guangping County. The general should also be able to see the resentment in his heart."
Yu Baizhou sighed, "Miss, I just realized that you are more suited to be a king than anyone else."
Song Ling was amused by him instead, "Why would you think that?"
“You are knowledgeable, shrewd, and good at understanding people’s hearts.” Although Yu Baizhou was not well-educated, he was not overly stupid and clearly knew that he was far inferior to Song Ling.
“Why would the general want to compare himself to me?” She smiled. “Ling’s mission is to assist the lord, while the lord’s job is to make talented and virtuous people work for you.”
"If the general alone can be worth ten thousand, then there is no use for us. Wouldn't it be better to just lead a hundred thousand troops and storm the capital?"
When Yu Baizhou saw her joking, he knew he had walked into a dead end again. When did he become so anxious and insecure?
"But to be honest, the general should read more books."
"You'll teach me?" Yu Baizhou was stunned for a moment before blurting it out.
“Of course,” Song Ling nodded, “If someone else were to teach me, I’m afraid the general would be furious with me.”
"If I hadn't seen so many, I really wouldn't have been able to tell that the black characters in the general's letter were characters."
Despite being lectured, Yu Baizhou couldn't suppress a smile and hurriedly performed an awkward greeting, "Miss... no, I mean, teacher. I will definitely learn diligently from your teachings."
Song Ling was amused, and the tickling sensation in her throat subsided a bit. She reached out and patted his wrist, saying, "You made a mistake in the very first step."
"Who bows like that?"
“My lord, there’s no need for such formalities. General, please remember this.” Song Ling held his wrist and lifted it slightly. “When you encounter a talented person, your manners and demeanor should reflect recognition and respect, but you must not lose your dignity. Just be appropriate.”
“Okay…” Yu Baizhou felt a burning sensation on his wrist where her fingertips touched him. Seeing how serious she looked, he couldn’t help but despise himself in his heart.
At this moment, Mu Yuan entered the courtyard to report, "Strategist...General, a guest has arrived."
“My personal guards are now completely loyal to the strategist.” Yu Baizhou said this deliberately in front of Mu Yuan, his tone full of teasing and jokes.
Mu Yuan grinned, revealing a row of perfectly aligned white teeth: "General, I've gained two pounds while I was with the strategist!"
Not only is his monthly salary several times that of the military, but he also eats well and sleeps warmly. Presumably, it won't be long before he saves enough money to get married.
Yu Baizhou was joking at first, but now he was so annoyed by the guy's smug look that he quickly suggested, "The strategist can't let up on these two's training. I'm sure you don't know how much they train every day. I'll make a detailed list later."
He gritted his teeth, "They absolutely have to train hard!"
Mu Yuan's face stiffened. No...
Song Ling glanced at him but ignored his childishness. "Let's go see the guests."
Mu Yuan touched his nose and followed behind the two, his thoughts drifting away. He wondered when Qin Jiu would be back.
"Ah Qiu——"
Qin Jiu, far away in the fields, touched his nose and continued watering the land.
"Hey! Qin Jiu, don't overwater!" Ji Jingsi rushed over hurriedly. "The book says that watering too much will suffocate the seeds."
After so many days, Ji Jingsi's originally fair skin had turned tanned to a dark red, and his eyes had gained more energy. At this moment, he was even able to snatch the wooden bucket from Qin Jiu's hands and carry it.
“My dad says that what’s in the book isn’t necessarily true,” Qin Jiu frowned and snatched the wooden bucket back. “The person who wrote this book may not have even farmed.”
“My father, my grandfather, and my great-grandfather all farmed like this.”
"Then..." Ji Jingsi hesitated for a moment, "What if there's some truth to what's in this book?"
"Why don't we plant two plots? There's so much unused land here. We can plant one plot according to your method and the other according to the book. What do you think?"
After a brief moment's thought using his limited brain capacity, Qin Jiu nodded, "Okay!"
………
Su Duan never expected that after all he had been through, he would one day be treated as an honored guest again.
"I don't deserve it, I don't deserve it..."
He declined Yu Baizhou's invitation to sit in the main seat and instead sat in the guest seat opposite Song Ling, saying, "General, you are too kind."
Yu Baizhou handed him the brewed tea, his tone sincere and joyful, "It is my great fortune that you could come, sir."
Back then, Su Duan, at a young age, managed to stand out from a crowd of highly talented individuals and rise to the position of Left Prime Minister. This was not solely due to his knowledge and literary skills.
He subtly observed the man's appearance and demeanor, and couldn't help but nod inwardly. He then casually began to chat with him about his time in the southwest, and Yu Baizhou was happy to cooperate.
In just a few words, the two exchanged barbs, yet kept their true intentions hidden.
Song Ling picked up her teacup and drank, the steam obscuring the smile on her lips.
After a long while, Su Duan stood up and bowed, his eyes filled with satisfaction. "General, your appearance is majestic and your demeanor is magnanimous. Those who know you will recognize that you are no ordinary person!"
"You flatter me, sir." Yu Baizhou smiled and returned the greeting with a slight bow.
"To be honest, General, I arrived in Guangping County with the refugees a month ago. Along the way, I witnessed the epidemic spread from Yangzhou to Jingzhou and the three southern provinces. I have also become accustomed to life and death and the indifference of officials."
A hint of regret flickered in his eyes. "Now the general must know my true identity. It's pathetic that I prided myself on serving the country and its people, yet I never truly understood the suffering of ordinary people, clinging to the self-pity of a scholar..."
“Mr. Su, don’t underestimate yourself,” Yu Baizhou disagreed with his idea. “If even you are not considered to be serving the country and its people, then how many officials in our court can be called that?”
“The root of the problem lies in the court, not in the officials,” Yu Baizhou paused for a moment. “In the past, I had the same idea as you, sir. You were determined to serve the people in the court, while I was determined to drive out the southern barbarians and protect the people of the southern border.”
"It wasn't until Miss Song woke me up these past few months that I realized I shouldn't just sit and wait for my death."
"Having gone through so much, the strategist alone solved the urgent shortage of food and supplies for my Southwest Army, and also made arrangements for the epidemic... I have realized that my current administration truly lacks a person of such talent and virtue as you, sir. I wonder if you, sir, would be willing to come and help me?"
Su Duan laughed heartily, "Of course, that is exactly what I wish for!" Just as he was about to lift his robe and kneel down, Yu Baizhou stopped him in time.
“Sir, there’s no need for that,” he said, leading the man to sit down. “It is I who should be grateful to have someone as talented as you!”
Song Ling sat to the side, feeling very gratified. He had already begun to show the qualities of a ruler, and he was sure he would do even better in the future.
Yu Baizhou raised his hand to test the outside of the teapot, frowned slightly, and then gently tugged at Song Ling's sleeve with the hand on the side that no one was paying attention to.
"The tea is getting cold, someone come here—"
Seeing the meaning in his eyes when he looked at her, Song Ling raised her eyebrows slightly and gently put down the teacup in her hand.
Taking this opportunity, she raised a recent problem: "The problem of the epidemic has been almost solved. Next... I wonder what Mr. Su's thoughts are?"
Su Duan understood in his heart that this was probably Song Ling's way of offering him her allegiance. She truly lived up to her reputation as Song Ling.
The guards at the door had already closed the door to the hall. Su Duan suddenly raised his hand, picked up a cup of tea, and handed it to Yu Baizhou. "The general should know this."
"Seeking advancement is inferior; seeking retreat is superior."
Their eyes met, and they both understood the deeper meaning of those words.
The problem here remains to be solved, and the governor's office in Yunzhou is also facing an unexpected situation.
"How could he just die?!"
Governor Wang's eyes were bloodshot with rage, and he gripped the doctor's collar so tightly that he nearly strangled him to death.
"Cough cough cough..."
"My son... what am I to do... sob sob sob..." A plump woman, about thirty years old, lay on the bed, crying her heart out, her face streaked with tears that smudged her rouge.
Lying on the bed was a boy with sunken, dark circles under his eyes, a pale face, and disheveled clothes. He looked to be only a teenager.
Governor Wang paced back and forth, pointing at the maid on the ground who was covering her face, disheveled, and looked terrified and trembling. "She seduced and killed the young master! Drag her away and beat her to death with sticks!"
"No... have mercy, sir! Have mercy!" The maid was so terrified as the servants dragged her away that she couldn't even speak coherently. "Sir, it wasn't me... it really wasn't... it was the young master who forced me..."
When she was tied to the wooden board, the maid could no longer cry; her wide eyes were filled with fear and despair.
The screams in the courtyard grew fainter and fainter until the servant checked and found no breath, then stopped hitting the victim, rolled up a straw mat, and threw it out to the outskirts of town.
Meanwhile, Governor Wang, who was inside the room, was clearly still furious, but since the person was gone, there was no use in regretting or getting angry.
This was his only son… He angrily pounded his thigh, pointing at the woman still weeping in front of the bed, his voice trembling, “If it weren’t for your ignorant pampering and indulgence… Chengyun would not have ended up like this!”
"Foolish woman!"
"Master, you're blaming me now!" The woman's eyes were red. "Have you ever cared for him even a little bit all these years? Now that Chengyun is in trouble, you're blaming it all on me!"
This concubine is usually obedient and compliant; she has never acted so disrespectfully before.
Enraged, Governor Wang rushed forward and slapped her, yelling, "Stupid woman! Take her to the courtyard and reflect on your actions!"
After saying this, he stormed off, leaving the woman behind, covering her face in disbelief and sobbing uncontrollably.
When the messenger brought the news, Wang Zhiyan smiled slightly, "This is nothing..."
He tossed a bag of silver into the servant's hand and immediately beamed with joy.
Wang Zhiyan picked up the dagger and cut off the branches on the green plant in front of her that were hindering the growth of the main stem, leaving only a few tender shoots that were not afraid of the threat.
"Think about your wife and children. You should know what you should say and what you shouldn't say."
"Yes, yes," the servant kowtowed hurriedly in fright. "I understand. I've been on duty all day and haven't done anything."
"Okay, go down."
After everyone left the courtyard, the maid Qiushui came forward and asked softly, "Miss, should we...?" She then made a throat-slitting gesture.
"No need, he wouldn't dare." Wang Zhiyan put away the dagger. "Killing him would just tell Father that someone in the household has a guilty conscience."
"Send a letter to Shannan Prefecture."
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