The two men were in a stalemate there when Commander Jin heard the news and rushed over.
When Fang Zhiran saw Commander Jin, he immediately clasped his fists in greeting. Commander Jin simply nodded and said, "Who is this?"
Fang Zhiran realized that he couldn't hide it, and it was not easy to hide it, but it was too shameful to say it out loud.
"This is in my room..." Fang Zhiran lowered his head. He Yinxue had really embarrassed him today.
Unexpectedly, He Yinxue calmly bowed to Commander Jin and said, "Your Excellency, I am a concubine of the Yong'an Marquis's mansion. I was worried about the Marquis, so I followed him here without permission. This matter has nothing to do with the Marquis, and he is unaware of it. I hope your Excellency will forgive me."
He Yinxue explained in a few words why she had come all the way here, and also explained in front of Commander Jin that this was not Fang Zhiran's fault, but she had come here on her own initiative.
Commander Jin nodded: "How long do you plan to stay here?"
"She will be back soon..."
"If possible, I would like to stay here with the Marquis. Don't worry, my lord. I will definitely not affect military affairs. It's just that I am really worried about you at home, so..." He Yinxue immediately took over Commander Jin's words and interrupted Fang Zhiran's half-sentence.
After hearing what He Yinxue said, Commander Jin also became worried.
Although the army did not give Marquis Fang Zhiran any preferential treatment because of his status, the woman in front of him was also a member of the Yong'an Marquis's family. If she was forced to go back, they would have to send someone to escort her all the way back to Wangjing. She came here alone, but it would not be a good idea to let her go back alone. If something happened on the way, no one would be able to take the responsibility when it was investigated.
But now that war is imminent, where would we get the extra manpower to escort her?
If she were left behind, other soldiers would inevitably think of the people in their own rooms when they saw her coming. If one of them had the wrong intentions and did something shameful, the problem would be even bigger.
He Yinxue saw Commander Jin's expression and knew he was in trouble, so she bowed and said, "Don't worry, my lord. I am willing to live with the laundry maids. I can do the work they do."
Commander Jin didn't say anything. What He Yinxue said was a solution, but she certainly couldn't be asked to wash clothes. Not to mention whether she was a concubine of the Marquis's Mansion, even with her delicate skin and tender flesh, she didn't look like someone who could do rough work.
But now that she is here, we have no choice but to settle her down first and deal with the rest later.
He Yinxue stayed in the northern border like this. No one really asked her to work, but no one was willing to pay attention to her either.
The war in the northern border has been very tense, especially recently, when Wang Wentian was preparing to attack Luancheng.
Luancheng is located on the border. There is a very high mountain range in Luancheng. Da Chu is south of Wangshan, and Jin is north of Wangshan.
The Jin Kingdom was a nomadic people. Due to climatic reasons, the cold wind blowing from the north could not reach Wangshan Mountain, so the climate in the Jin Kingdom north of Wangshan Mountain was more harsh, while the Great Chu Kingdom south of Wangshan Mountain was known as "Jiangnan on the Frontier".
If the nomadic people of the Jin Dynasty wanted their livestock to eat the lush pastures on the side of the Great Chu, they had to occupy Luancheng. In recent years, because Luancheng had been in the hands of the Jin people, the Jin people often left Luancheng and went to the Great Chu to cause chaos.
So Wang Wentian had already made up his mind that if he wanted to recover the northern border, Luancheng must be taken.
However, it was not so easy to capture Luancheng. First, Luancheng was all mountainous, which was not a favorable terrain for fighting, nor was it conducive to the deployment of troops by the Great Chu. The Great Chu was mostly plains, and the military tactics that the soldiers practiced on a daily basis were mostly applicable in plains, but this set of tactics might not be applicable in mountainous areas.
Moreover, there were still many people from the former Great Chu in Luancheng. After Luancheng was occupied by the Jin Kingdom, some of the people intermarried with the Jin people, while the others did not. Once the war broke out, the people's hearts were easily unstable.
Because whenever there is war, it is the people who suffer. Even if Luancheng is recovered, how to settle those Jin people who intermarried with the people of Da Chu is also a headache.
So for Luancheng, fighting is acceptable, but it is best to resolve it peacefully.
But how could it be resolved peacefully? How could the Jin people possibly surrender such an important pass as Luancheng?
Unable to reach a conclusion, everyone had to disperse.
Wang Wentian was the only one left in the tent when suddenly a soldier came to report: Fang Zhiran wants to see you.
Wang Wentian was surprised. Fang Zhiran had come to the army and, apart from reporting to him, had said he wanted to live and eat with the soldiers, starting from the lowest ranks. Wang Wentian had agreed without hesitation. Fang Zhiran had no combat experience before, so starting from the lowest ranks was the best option. However, his status as a marquis was a concern, and he was in a difficult position.
But it was different since Fang Zhiran brought it up himself, so Wang Wentian had a basic good impression of him.
But what did Fang Zhiran mean by suddenly coming to see him today?
Wang Wentian frowned and asked, "Did he say why he wanted to see me?"
The soldier reported: "He didn't say, but it might be because of his concubine coming to the army."
"Concubine?" Wang Wentian's frown deepened. With a war imminent, how could Fang Zhiran be so confused about priorities? If he didn't want to act like a marquis, why would he bring someone from Wangjing to Northern Frontier? And what about a concubine?
"No." Wang Wentian waved his hand. Such matters should be handled by his subordinates. Why bring it to him?
The soldier clasped his fists and said yes, then went down to answer.
Fang Zhiran was standing in front of the tent when he heard the soldier who passed the message say that Wang Wentian did not want to see him. So he simply stood in front of the tent and said loudly: "General, I have a plan for attacking Luancheng this time."
Fang Zhiran's words were transmitted into the tent word for word. Wang Wentian heard them and after a moment's hesitation, he said, "Come in."
Fang Zhiran walked into the tent and saluted Wang Wentian. "General."
Wang Wentian held his hands and asked directly, "What's your plan?"
Fang Zhiran didn't hesitate and said directly, "Luancheng has been occupied by the Jin people for a long time and has many historical problems. If we blindly attack it, I am afraid it will cause dissatisfaction among the people of Luancheng. Moreover, since ancient times, wars have always brought suffering to the people. Therefore, I believe that Luancheng cannot be taken by force."
Wang Wentian nodded. This was what the generals had thought when they were discussing it just now. Fang Zhiran's current level was not high enough for him to attend the generals' meeting, so it was not easy for him to think of this on his own.
Seeing Wang Wentian nod, Fang Zhiran knew that his idea had been approved by Wang Wentian, so he continued, "If we don't want to fight, we can just ask for peace. The Jin people won't agree so easily. If we continue to fight, the people will be the ones who get hurt."
This was exactly Wang Wentian's dilemma. Since Fang Zhiran had mentioned this to him, it meant that he had thought of a solution, so he asked directly, "Do you have a solution?"
Fang Zhiran said, "I believe that we must fight, but we don't need to use force. Attacking Luancheng is only for deterrence, to let the Jin people see our strength. On the other hand, we must negotiate with the Jin people to minimize casualties and strive to capture Luancheng peacefully."
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