072
"It's been half a month already, and they've already reached the other side of the Yan River. It seems our general isn't planning to come back until he takes Yangzhou."
Song Ling couldn't help but recall the promise someone had made on the night they parted, and she suppressed the smile that was about to rise on her lips.
Su Duan placed a piece on the board, then stroked his short beard: "Not long ago, a secret letter arrived from Yunzhou, requesting that we send troops from Shannan. It seems that the army is advancing rapidly. Shall we send them?"
"Why not play?" Song Ling slowly raised her eyes, her gaze filled with determination. She gently placed the last piece on her hand and uttered softly, "You've lost again."
"Huh? It really is..." Su Duan didn't notice that he had pulled out several whiskers, making him wince in pain: "Let's play another round!"
"Forget it, it's all the same no matter how many rounds we play." Song Ling scoffed at him, "It's boring."
Su Duan, on the contrary, got excited. "Then who's more interesting to play chess with? Your General Yu? He's not as good as me!"
"You can teach him chess step by step, so why are you so impatient after playing a few games with me?" Su Duan rubbed his sleeve and sighed cheekily, "In the end, I'm not even worthy of Miss Song's attention..."
"Come on," Song Ling said, taking the teacup from his hand. "I think you're just bored out of your mind. Once things are settled in Yunzhou, you'll be busy to death."
"You're not planning to dump all the mess and chaos of Yunzhou on me, are you?" Su Duan choked on his saliva, unable to catch his breath: "Cough cough cough..."
Song Ling raised an eyebrow: "Why not?"
"You...you...are you even human?!" Su Duan subconsciously raised his hand to touch his hair. He only realized this morning when he was combing his hair that several strands of his originally black and shiny hair had turned white.
“You’re really treating me like a donkey… Even a dog will bite when cornered. Besides…” Su Duan sighed deeply, “If I die from exhaustion one day, you’ll be crying.”
"No one else will die from exhaustion, but you won't." Looking at him like this, Song Ling couldn't help but ask, "Zhou Yuanrong cares so much about you, does she know that beneath your dignified and refined exterior lies this kind of personality?"
"What's wrong with this personality?" Su Duan was so anxious he almost jumped up: "Who doesn't have a few identities outside? If I act like a fool in front of the old emperor and my colleagues, I'll be laughed to death."
"Don't talk about me, it's you. Every soldier in the Southwest Army treats you like a living saint, but they know you're actually a ruthless oppressor who exploits your subordinates..."
"Who said you're my subordinate?" Song Ling stretched and silently retorted, "Did I admit it? Lord Su, you're working for the General now, don't shift your complaints onto others."
If you have any complaints, take them out on the general; she's just an innocent strategist.
Su Duan rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, "Everyone knows he listens to everything you say..."
"What did you say?"
"without……"
"Heh, you don't need to worry about it. You won't be handling the work in Yunzhou." Song Ling stood up: "When the general returns, you, the prefect of Shannan Prefecture, will still have a lot to do."
"I'm not as scary as you think. I wouldn't really tire out someone as capable as you." Song Ling patted his arm. "Then the general might be furious when he gets back."
"You're all talk and no action. You're just trying to fool us." Su Duan patted his sleeves and stood up, inwardly grumbling to himself, thinking to himself that he always had a hypocritical and pretentious appearance.
Pooh.
He himself was a man of great learning and capable of great things.
"How about you let me go to the Ministry of Personnel in the future?" Su Duan thought to himself that this position was not bad. Anyway, the old man in the Ministry of Personnel was very arrogant during the two years he served as the Left Chancellor.
"With your silver tongue, it would be a shame if you didn't go to the Ministry of Rites," Song Ling said with a smile, arms crossed.
The two were just joking.
"Getting back to the point, the people I sent are still nowhere to be seen. Aren't a few thousand a bit too few?" Su Duan straightened his expression and asked, "That old bastard Wang Lisong is no good guy; he's got a sieve of schemes."
"As far as I know, that old scoundrel has hidden at least ten thousand private soldiers in the back mountains."
"That's enough. Even without your troops, it's enough." A face flashed through Song Ling's mind: "Because we have more than one army. Do you still remember Lin Qing?"
Her question caused Su Duan's mind to go blank for a moment, then a beautiful face slowly appeared in his mind: "That... the skinny horse from the governor's mansion?"
"He wasn't taken away by Vice General Shi... He wouldn't have been taken to you, would he?"
"Hmm," Song Ling tossed a chess piece into the chess box, kindly reminding him, "Next time we meet, Lord Su, please remember to call him General Lin."
"Otherwise, you're guaranteed to be pinned to the ground and beaten."
"What does this mean? How did he become a general?" Su Duan was about to ask her, but she had already slowly left with her hands behind her back.
All that remained was Lord Su, who was stuck in a state of confusion and unable to find a solution, scratching his head and cheeks in bewilderment.
I won't tell him; he'll find out for himself!
General Lin, General Lin… a woman became a general? Surely the entire army couldn't be…
*
"General Lin!"
A stern-faced woman in armor ran over and reported, "Miss Song has arrived and is outside the governor's mansion."
Lin Qing's eyes lit up: "Quick, come with me to see him."
"No need, I can come in by myself." Song Ling smiled and entered the door. The soldiers who were busy in the front yard subconsciously put down what they were doing.
Song Ling looked at them with satisfaction: "Well done. Today is Laba Festival. Finish up early so you can go back and rest."
"You all continue with your work."
"Lin Qing, come out with me for a moment."
Before leaving the courtyard, Lin Qing turned around, his smiling face immediately vanishing. "Finish this in half an hour and return to camp. Don't let those Qinglong Village people outside the city laugh at you, understand?!"
"yes!"
-
"Tell me about the casualties?" Song Ling glanced at her subconsciously. "You're not injured, are you?"
Lin Qing smiled sheepishly: "No, but the leader of that group, that Wang..."
Song Ling: "Wang Zhiyan."
Lin Qing nodded in realization: "Yes, Wang Zhiyan. We quickly discussed our plans after making contact. We'll take down that private army in the back mountain first. We still need your instructions on how to deal with them."
"She was injured while chasing Wang Lisong, but it wasn't too serious. It was the one next to her who was seriously injured."
"Okay, I understand." Song Ling looked at the woman in front of her and couldn't help but recall what she looked like when they first met.
These women were all kept as "skinny horses" (a euphemism for prostitution), and their physique and size were nowhere near that of the men. To have achieved what they have today, both through their own improvement and by training a team of thousands, demonstrates the immense difficulty involved.
But these girls managed to pull through.
"Do you find this difficult?" Song Ling asked gently, like a caring family member, "How much of a chance do you think you have compared to those from Qinglong Village?"
"Compared?" Lin Qing paused for a moment, then raised his hand: "Sixty percent, we have too few people."
"What if your forces are evenly matched?" Song Ling's eyes suddenly sharpened. "How confident are you?"
A sense of defiance suddenly welled up in Lin Qing's heart: "Ten out of ten, they absolutely cannot win."
The group from Qinglong Village might have had families to support, but these women were all alone; they fought desperately. They fought to survive.
“You are not suited to be in the public eye right now, so this time I need to arrange for Qinglong Village to steal your credit. Will you complain?” Song Ling had to admire her own ruthlessness. Su Duan was right. Sometimes she just couldn’t be human.
Lin Qing frowned slightly for a moment, then relaxed and asked, "Do you have any other tasks for us to do?"
Look at their awareness, Song Ling thought to herself, unlike Su Duan.
"Heh, clever." Song Ling took the brocade pouch from her waist and tossed it to her: "Come find me tonight."
"Lin Qing, this is your job."
"This bowl of rice?" Lin Qing stared at Song Ling's back for a long time without moving.
While Song Ling was sizing her up, she was also secretly observing him...
When Lin Qing first met Song Ling, he was simply struck by her beautiful face and wondered what kind of person could make the southern border general, who commanded hundreds of thousands of troops, fall in love.
But slowly she realized she was wrong. Now, she can't help but feel ashamed of her shortsightedness back then.
At the time, her plan to seduce General Yu was merely a way to escape death. They eventually found that way, and they owe a debt of gratitude to Miss Song.
As for Yu Baizhou? As Song Ling's name gradually came to the fore in the southern border region these days, some rumors also reached Lin Qing's ears.
Lin Qing had already sensed General Yu's intentions after the uproar at the governor's mansion that night; he just didn't know what Miss Song was thinking. However, having witnessed Song Ling's abilities, Lin Qing figured he wouldn't suffer any losses...
Why was she even thinking about these things? Coming back to her senses, Lin Qing shook her head; she was truly bewitched…
*
Song Ling followed the road to a courtyard, and just as she reached the gate, she encountered a haggard-looking woman with red eyes and dark circles under her eyes.
He paused for a moment when he saw Song Ling, then nodded slightly and left.
Song Ling's eyes flickered slightly as she passed him and entered the courtyard.
There was only one person in the courtyard, standing forlornly under the withered tree.
Noticing someone approaching, Wang Zhiyan knew who it was without turning around. "You've come."
"Um."
"A-Ling, I want to get married," Wang Zhiyan said calmly, her emotions undisturbed. "My mother doesn't agree."
“Yes,” Song Ling said softly, “if you wish.”
"Your mother has her considerations, and you have your thoughts. The premise is that you don't regret it and take responsibility for your decision."
Wang Zhiyan turned to look at her and smiled, but her eyes betrayed neither joy nor sorrow. "I thought you were the least likely to agree."
"Hmm?" Song Ling asked curiously, "What do you mean?"
“You’re the calmest and most composed person; you shouldn’t have agreed to my impulsive decision.” Wang Zhiyan shrugged slightly. “I thought a lot before you came. I thought you would have explained the pros and cons to me first, analyzed them one by one, or perhaps you had your fortune told and told me to give up the idea…”
"You know you made an impulsive choice?" Song Ling glanced at the room and asked her, "I'll only ask you one question: did you decide to marry him because he saved you?"
“I heard from the doctor that there is no cure for the toxin he has, and his legs are most likely ruined. This is not to discriminate against him, but I hope you think carefully about whether you are doing this out of gratitude or out of affection.”
Song Ling looked into her eyes and then revealed another fact: "Moreover, he was originally a bodyguard. For someone like him to lose his legs is equivalent to cutting off his escape route."
"You should think carefully about whether you can accept his inconvenience, and whether he can accept the fact that he will not be able to stand for the rest of his life."
"Whether I had feelings for him or not is not that important. To be realistic, I probably did have some. Even though I initially disliked him, his kindness and attentiveness towards me were genuine. He definitely had feelings for me."
Wang Zhiyan became more and more determined as she spoke: "In fact, I originally did not plan to get married. I know that from the day I agreed to walk this path with you, I could no longer marry and have children like an ordinary woman and manage the household."
"Besides, I'd rather stand in the imperial court or ride a horse on the battlefield than do that. How many men in this world can accept a woman like me? Of course, I don't care if they accept me. What I want to do is kick them off their official positions and I'll take the seat."
But Mersom was different; at least he was absolutely loyal to her and willing to silently stand behind her.
Considering how humble he had become, Wang Zhiyan didn't mind marrying him.
Besides, the doctor said that only his leg was broken, not his genitals. She can still have children if she wants them. And the Wang family line won't end.
Of course, it's not the "Wang" in Wang Lisong's name.
She killed her father's son long ago, and now the Wang family belongs to her. The Wang family line continues with Wang Zhiyan's name.
“I wasn’t wrong about you. You’re ambitious and capable.” Song Lingsong laughed heartily. “Before I came here, I was really worried that you would get caught up in love and ruin everything.”
"Tch, what are you thinking? You should worry about your general." Wang Zhiyan said with a hint of jealousy. Why did Yu Baizhou deserve Song Ling's devoted assistance, even to the point of sacrificing herself in the end?
So what if he has hundreds of thousands of troops behind him? Wang Zhiyan has brains and martial arts skills... but unfortunately, she doesn't have an army...
grass!
"I said, if..."
"I mean, if... I knew you before Yu Baizhou, would you choose me?"
Wang Zhiyan regretted her words as soon as she finished speaking, staring intently at Song Ling's expression. She didn't know why she had asked such a question; perhaps it was the lingering resentment in her heart that was at play.
She didn't think she was inferior to Yu Baizhou; she just lacked luck and had fewer soldiers.
Her father is really something. He has ambitions but is still timid and hesitant. He doesn't even know how to save some money for her...
Song Ling took it to heart, pondering what she said. Her gaze drifted into the distance, and then she came back to her senses. The two were only a few feet apart, yet it felt as if they were gazing at each other across the Milky Way.
She saw the hope, confusion, and a hint of resentment in Wang Zhiyan's eyes.
Song Ling paused slightly, then sighed, "You don't know... the first time I saw you at the gate of the military camp, I knew this woman was no ordinary person. I even made an exception and divined for you."
"If I had enough time."
"Yueyun, I also thought about helping you marry General Yu."
After saying this, Song Ling turned around, stepped over the threshold, and left the courtyard.
Wang Zhiyan was left standing there in a daze for a long time.
She understood what she meant.
"Since I once considered helping you marry him, I naturally envisioned countless times how to help you seize military power from him... how to become a regional overlord... how to conquer the world..."
There are no coincidences. What begins as an accident becomes a trap of human calculation and scheming.
It was simply a matter of a single thought; Wang Zhiyan wasn't suitable at that time. At the very least, the still-naive Wang Zhiyan wasn't worth Song Ling's trouble.
At that time, Wang Zhiyan did not have such great ambitions. What she wanted was not to become a high-ranking official in the court, nor to conquer the world and become an empress.
She only wanted to save her mother; she was simply unwilling to accept the governor's favoritism. Song Ling knew this from the name she had chosen for herself that she blurted out.
Governor Wang's youngest son is named Wang Chengyun, and he intends to inherit Yunzhou.
Wang Zhiyan, courtesy name Yueyun.
However, there is no right or wrong. Yu Baizhou was initially unwilling to rebel, but the hundreds of thousands of troops behind him were indeed a natural advantage.
Just as Song Ling had tried to test the Princess in Luoyang before heading south and was rejected, since she was determined to change her fate, she could not possibly fear destiny.
Yu Baizhou is not destined for greatness, but the imperial star in the southwest is about to outshine the northwest. Wang Zhiyan and Zhou Yuanrong are not destined for greatness either, but she may very well be able to turn the tide.
Song Ling simply had too little time. If she had been given ten more years, or even less, even just five, perhaps Wang Zhiyan's question would no longer be a hypothetical one.
...
"I understand, thank you."
A woman's soft voice came from behind her, and Song Ling understood that she had come to terms with it.
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