047
The change happened in an instant. The newly arrived masked man in black stabbed the thief who was about to attack Wang Zhiyan with a dagger and stood neatly in front of her.
Although only her eyes were visible, Wang Zhiyan could see them clearly.
"Miss, we should leave while things are in chaos."
The people who arrived were none other than Mosong and the guards who had escorted her north.
"Where to leave? A marriage alliance?" Wang Zhiyan wiped the blood off her face as she hit him. If these people who came to redeem him were not from the Yunzhou Prefectural Governor's Office, then they could only be from Luoyang.
With the Second Prince's selfish and mean nature, how could he possibly tolerate a captured woman whose innocence was still unknown marrying him?
Now that the Second Prince wants to silence her, and her father is holding back, he may also turn her into a pawn to be abandoned. Where can she go then?
"Enough with the nonsense. If you obey me, then help me deal with these people. If you're trying to persuade me to leave, then you'd better get back to the governor's mansion as soon as possible!"
Mersun paused for a moment, then made a gesture, and the people behind him rushed forward.
Therefore, even if the guards sent by the Second Prince are highly skilled, they will not gain anything.
An hour later, Song Ling beheaded the last person and threw the knife aside.
The leader was already panting heavily, and he was also dumbfounded. "I never expected that you, Second Brother, who looked so frail, would have such amazing martial arts skills."
What was even more unexpected was that this young woman they had captured, who seemed quite easy to bully, was someone who killed without batting an eye.
The hall was filled with the strong smell of blood, and there were many wounded mountain people crying out in pain.
Wang Zhiyan stepped forward, clasped her hands in a fist and said, "This group of people came to silence me. I must apologize to the chief and the brothers in the stronghold."
The people in the hall were also filled with mixed feelings, but they couldn't say whether it was strange or not. They were the ones who had captured the woman first and threatened her to come and ransom her; at most, they were just innocent bystanders. Besides, she had saved many of their brothers.
And when they went out to plunder, there were also deaths and injuries.
Scarface, who had been making a ruckus at the beginning, was now as quiet as a chicken, lost in thought.
"Let's treat the injured first," Song Ling said at this moment. "We can discuss other matters later. What do you say, elder brother?"
The leader nodded, then looked at the men in black behind Wang Zhiyan, seemingly wanting to say something but hesitating.
“They are my men, not with those who came to ransom us. You can rest assured, Chief.” Wang Zhiyan explained.
Mosong and the others helped carry the bandaged wounded out, while the chief needed to first comfort the women, children, and brothers in the village.
The mountain stronghold is perched precariously on a mountainside, accessible only by a single path leading up to an endless cliff edge. From here, one can gaze upon the surrounding mountains, interspersed with numerous scattered villages. Further north lies the important town of Jingzhou.
Song Ling walked over to Wang Zhiyan and sat down on a nearby rock, asking softly, "Based on your understanding of your father, what do you think he will do next?"
Wang Zhiyan played with the pebbles she had picked up, remained silent for a while, and then said with a hint of mockery, "You know I have more than one sister."
"The Second Prince wants the daughter of the Governor of Yunzhou. Whether she is the legitimate daughter or not is up to them to decide. It's just a pity for my mother. I don't know what she will have to suffer."
Her mother never broke ties with her father, firstly because her maternal grandparents' family had already declined, and secondly because she wanted her to have a better life.
“I will find a way to get her out,” Song Ling said calmly. “It won’t take long, give me three months.”
Wang Zhiyan took it as her trying to comfort herself and didn't believe her. "Let's not talk about that now. Look, I can't go back to Yunzhou, and I can't go to Luoyang. What am I going to do?"
She looked somewhat bitter. "I didn't expect this journey to be so difficult."
"If you can't leave, then stay here."
Wang Zhiyan smiled and said, "I can't just do what you did, hide my face and pretend to be a bandit in Qinglong Village to get a new identity, can I? I don't know how to disguise myself."
To everyone's surprise, Song Ling smiled helplessly, "How could that be?"
"I will soon set off for Luoyang to do business and acquire silver and grain." Song Ling took out a stack of silver notes from his pocket and handed them to her. "These silver notes can be exchanged for grain at the Banyue Trading Company in Jingzhou. Give these to the boss and leave them here as a bargaining chip."
Wang Zhiyan had seen the design of these banknotes before.
In these chaotic times, most businesses are struggling to survive, but only Banyue Trading Company is still operating steadily. It's just unknown what kind of background the owner has that allows it to stand firm in such turbulent times.
"What would I do if I stayed?" Wang Zhiyan asked. "The chief may not be willing to accept a woman here."
"Why not?" Song Ling lazily stretched out her legs. "Don't you have more than a dozen loyal subordinates behind you? Make use of them."
“I think that Mosong is quite reliable. Since he used to be a secret guard, his martial arts skills are a given. Why can't he protect the old, young, women and children of the mountain stronghold?”
"You're from a prominent family, so ask the head of the household if they can grant you a few rooms to teach the children here to read and write. You're skilled in martial arts and horsemanship, so why not teach them those too?"
The more Song Ling spoke, the more Wang Zhiyan frowned. "Why are you asking me to do all this?"
The more I listen, the more it sounds like those who are resting and recuperating are waiting to rebel.
As if thinking of something, Song Ling slowly said, "I want you to integrate into Qinglong Village and make everyone adapt to and even believe in all your decisions."
Wang Zhiyan's expression also became more serious. "How do we know if the chief will have any suspicions?"
"Yes, but he's always been a smart man." Song Ling's lips curled up slightly. "You'll see in the future. It's a blessing for Qinglong Village to have such a leader."
“I hope they will also consider you a blessing.” Song Ling looked at her solemnly and said, “In six months, I need a strong and well-equipped Qinglong Village, at least strong enough to withstand the encirclement and suppression by the governor of Jingzhou or Yizhou.”
Wang Zhiyan threw the stone in her hand and frowned, saying, "It's very difficult."
"Now Shannan Prefecture is already in the hands of the Southwest Army."
Wang Zhiyan paused, "How is that possible? Governor Lin had previously secretly contacted various counties and prefectures. His intentions are impure, and it is impossible for him to submit to the intimidation of the Southwest Army."
Song Ling smiled slightly and said, "Facts speak louder than words. Not long ago, Yangzhou began its southward advance, and the main force of the Southwest Army is in Cangwu Prefecture. Do you think that, given Governor Lin's character and magnanimity, he would take action at such a suitable opportunity?"
But that wasn't the case. Even the governor of Yunzhou felt that Shannan Prefecture was too peaceful.
"Aren't you afraid that others will become suspicious?"
“I’m afraid,” Song Ling said readily, “so Shannan Prefecture will soon be taking action.”
She looked intently at Wang Zhiyan beside her and said with certainty, "Within six months, the southern border must be in chaos. I need a force to launch a pincer attack with the southwestern army heading north. Qinglong Village is located on the southern edge of Jingzhou, bordering Yizhou to the west, Yunzhou to the southwest, and Shannanzhou to the south. It is easy to defend and difficult to attack, making it the most suitable base camp."
Wang Zhiyan stared intently at her, then suddenly realized that she was now the second-in-command of Qinglong Village, and that she had only been in Southern Xinjiang for less than a year. Shock and apprehension flashed in her eyes. "So, you had already made preparations for today before you even arrived in Southern Xinjiang?"
She didn't know whether she should praise her for her grand plans and far-reaching thoughts.
"I can only give you six months."
Wang Zhiyan was perhaps also inspired by her determination. Since they had already embarked on this path, what was there that they couldn't try?
"Six months it is, you just wait and see."
The mountain wind rustled the leaves, and it was as if they could hear the shock and ambition in each other's hearts.
"If things go well, wouldn't I be considered a great contributor?"
Song Ling smiled and said, "How can it not count?"
"Then I must ask to be a high-ranking official."
"How high an official rank is considered high?"
"What... never mind, let's talk about it later. I've never been an official, nor has any woman ever been one, how would I know?"
Song Ling's voice seemed somewhat ethereal:
"It will come in the future."
......
Song Ling bid farewell to the group, and Shi Jiu only appeared after they had descended the mountain.
He said seriously, "Miss, Aunt Ying specifically told you that you cannot go to Luoyang."
Song Ling stopped and sighed, saying, "I have my reasons for going, Shi Jiu. Aunt Ying is doing this for me, of course. You know I know divination; how could I not know if there's any danger?"
"Someone has to go to Luoyang, and it can only be me."
Shijiu opened her mouth, thinking it made sense. "Alright then, should we send a note to Qiman and the others so they can be prepared if something unexpected happens?"
"What can they do to help? Let's send a letter to the disciples who are staying in Luoyang. Even if we ride as fast as we can from Jingzhou, it will probably take more than ten days."
"good."
Ten days later
In a courtyard in Luoyang, Song Ling listened silently to the news that her disciples had found out.
"His Majesty has been seriously ill for nearly twenty days. Why hasn't the news been received in the Southern Frontier?"
Song Ling said coldly, "A slight difference can lead to a huge disaster. If I hadn't come, do you know how many disciples we would have lost?"
The disciple also seemed somewhat surprised: "Impossible!"
The information network in Huailai was interconnected, "I clearly sent the message out."
"Who did you send it to?"
Aside from her, Chu Zhaoyan is the only one in the Southern Frontier who knows the secret language.
“Shi Yu,” the disciple said with certainty, “Originally, these messages should have been sent directly to the sect leader or relayed by Zhao Yan. However, Shi Yu suddenly sent a message earlier, and since the sect leader is not feeling well, he accepted it on his behalf.”
After all, Shi Yu had arrived in the Southern Frontier at that time, and his disciples all knew about it.
Song Ling did not, or rather could not, tell any of her disciples about Shi Yu's borrowing of a life. If it were made public, the entire Huai Lai would be thrown into chaos, and the secret of the Bamboo House Forbidden Area would be lost, and no one would be able to escape.
"Shi Yu has violated the sect rules and is no longer a member of our sect. Pass down the message that from this day forward, nothing in Huai Lai shall be entrusted to him."
The disciple's eyes widened in shock, seemingly puzzled, but seeing Song Ling's stern expression, he dared not plead for mercy any further.
Song Ling has always been easy to talk to, and Huai Lai and Song Ling are like family to each other. What kind of mistake would warrant being expelled from Huai Lai? It seems he needs to have someone investigate.
What puzzled Song Ling the most was why Shi Yu would conceal the news of the emperor's serious illness.
Where did he go after disappearing in southern Xinjiang in a single day?
And where did he learn his secret techniques... The more Song Ling thought about it, the more cold sweat poured down her back, as if a shocking secret was waiting for her to uncover.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
