Chapter 54

The silk pouches were steadily dwindling in number. Reading further, Lin Jiayue finally realized that Lu Siling hadn’t been predicting every single event on the battlefield; rather, she was doing her utmost to ensure Lin Jiayue thought twice before acting.

Perhaps Lu Siling was afraid something would happen to her, or perhaps she was worried the Emperor would ruin Great Zhou’s army of a hundred thousand, much like a certain historical “God of War” general had done. Whatever the reason, it was undeniable that although Lu Siling had grumbled about writing thirty pouches, she had actually written every single one with great care.

Silk Pouch No. 12— The Beidi have no grain; guard against them. (P.S. I look forward to a report from Your Majesty every day, so that this official and the others may be at peace.)

The Beidi’s grain supplies were limited and couldn’t withstand a long stalemate. Given time, they would inevitably resort to plundering, or even target the Great Zhou army’s supplies. Lin Jiayue ordered the grain to be stored in separate locations under heavy guard. As the saying goes, “a crafty rabbit has three burrows”—this would prevent them from losing everything in one fell swoop.

As for the postscript, it was a bit too formal. It made it sound as if it wasn’t Lu Siling who wanted to know her status, but rather the civil and military officials in the capital.

Silk Pouch No. 13— Lure the enemy in deep. (P.S. I beg Your Majesty, above all else, not to venture into dangerous territory.)

Inside was a map with a circle indicating the best location for an ambush. She specifically emphasized that Lin Jiayue was not allowed to go personally. This was indeed a good method; if the Beidi army came to this spot, they would surely never return. Combined with the previous pouch regarding grain, Lin Jiayue immediately decided to use grain as bait. Only food could entice the hungry Beidi army to move. Lu Siling was truly impressive, calculating so much in advance; she must have spent many nights studying the maps of Yanbei.

Silk Pouch No. 14— Huai’an is covered in snow and rain; armor is cold. I ask Your Majesty and the soldiers to add more layers.

Hmph. If you’re concerned, just say so. Why bother mentioning the soldiers too? Lin Jiayue felt that Lu Siling was primarily worried about her, fearing she would dress too lightly for convenience.

Silk Pouch No. 15— Do not pursue a desperate foe; the Sovereign’s safety is paramount.

Lin Jiayue smiled. How was Lu Siling so certain she would win? However, she did win. By using grain to lure the Beidi into the mountains, they wiped them out in one stroke. The Beidi tried to set the forest on fire to escape, but a sudden torrential rain doused the flames. At that moment, Lin Jiayue truly felt: Heaven’s mandate is with me.

Meanwhile, Lu Siling was sowing discord in Beidi. She made the Third Princess realize that if Kuohai returned victorious, his merit would overshadow the throne. Forget the Princess—even unauthorized copythe Beidi King might be forced to abdicate. No, they absolutely could not let Kuohai return alive.

The Beidi King suspected Kuohai of planning a mutiny. Beidi was different from Great Zhou; in Great Zhou, he might have been “retired” as an emeritus official, but in the Beidi culture, he only had the path to death. Kuohai had led troops for years and was naturally domineering. If not for the fact that no one could replace him, the King would never have let him be so arrogant for so long.

Kuohai had insisted on this invasion, claiming that since the new Great Zhou Emperor had just ascended, she held no power and the Grand Chancellor was a mere civilian official who knew nothing of war. He argued Great Zhou had lacked generals for a long time and victory was certain. But reports from the front were constant; since taking Yang County, they had met repeated resistance. Losing thirty thousand out of an army of one hundred and seventy thousand meant their combat effectiveness had been severely crippled.

In such an army, not everyone is a combatant; there is logistics, vanguard squads, and so on. To have a core of a hundred thousand true fighters was already impressive. Losing thirty thousand veterans meant they would likely switch to passive defense or retreat immediately. Kuohai wanted to hide this news, but little did he know that the news had already spread throughout the Beidi capital. Even ordinary people knew Kuohai had suffered a defeat—and a massive one at that.

When the Star-Spy sent back the report, Lin Jiayue was giggling over Lu Siling’s letter—This official looks North every day. “Hehe, Teacher Lu is looking for my return every day.”

“Your Majesty, the Star-Spy reports that the Beidi Royal Court has urgently recalled Kuohai.”

Lin Jiayue’s lips curled. Teacher Lu’s scheme had worked, widening the rift between the Beidi King and Kuohai. If Kuohai didn’t return, the two would definitely break off. A brilliant “catalyze and conquer” move. War is never just back-and-forth on a battlefield; it also involves activities hidden in the shadows—bribes, instigation, and spreading rumors. Lu Siling had even staged a fake assassination attempt, framing the First Prince, causing the Third Princess to panic and target him even more aggressively.

Lu Siling had followed the late Emperor since she was young. Back then, the late Emperor was a Crown Prince who acted as both sovereign and subject; Lu Siling learned a great deal. Though she was a minister, she never viewed matters solely from a minister’s perspective. If a tactic could mean fewer soldiers dying and a shorter war, she would use any means necessary. For every day earlier the Beidi retreated, fewer Great Zhou people would die. As for the deaths of foreigners? That had nothing to do with Great Zhou.

In the capital, since the Emperor led the expedition, morning assemblies had been suspended. Important matters were handled in court discussions. Upon hearing that Lu Siling was convening a morning assembly, many wondered what major event had occurred at the front. Had the little Emperor lost? Or was she captured? They viewed war as child’s play; if she really let a “kid” go off to fight and fail, Lu Siling wouldn’t last long as Grand Chancellor either.

Lin Jiayue and Lu Siling exchanged letters every three days, but Lu Siling would release the news with a delay. These ministers were different; Lin Jiayue and Lu Siling had discussed that once she won, the news must be blocked and not allowed to reach the capital. If anyone was found leaking it, they would be severely punished. She wanted to use this information gap to help Lu Siling clean out the court. Therefore, the officials in the capital were currently in the dark; in fact, even Lu Siling didn’t know about the “luring the enemy deep” victory yet.

Lu Siling’s decision to call the assembly had its own purpose. The timing was set just as the Cui and Li families had received news of the standoff, but news of the victory hadn’t reached them yet.

Inside the hall, Lu Siling sat in a side chair watching the crowd, with Wei Jinming standing beside her. Zhang Huairou had gone with the army, so the palace couldn’t be left unattended; Wei Jinming stayed to watch over the Palace of Great Brightness to prevent anyone from taking advantage. Empress Dowager Cui was always ready to cause trouble, and Lu Siling needed someone to coordinate with. Zhang Huairou, as the Head of the Internal Guard, had to be by Lin Jiayue’s side, so only Wei Jinming could stay. Furthermore, there was an organization the Emperor intended for Wei Jinming to manage in the future. This was a test; only if she successfully coordinated with Lu Siling would she have a bright future.

Wei Jinming wasn’t stupid; she sensed the Emperor’s intent. Her eyes watched the officials [read the original at bailiantales.com]warily—today, she would be the Grand Chancellor’s mouthpiece!

Lu Siling’s cold voice rang out: “With His Majesty on a personal expedition, I am sure you are all very concerned about the war at the front.”

“His Majesty? Could it be there is news from the front?”

Zhang Wuwei and Sun Xiuyuan exchanged a look. The front? Hadn’t they heard the Beidi occupied Yang County and the Emperor’s army was resting and hadn’t attacked yet? Has new news come out in just these few days?

It was frustrating; the people they planted in the army couldn’t get out. Military discipline was strict, and unauthorized departure meant death. Anyone scouting nearby was quickly caught as a spy, leaving them with no openings. However, they had heard that letters from Huai’an were arriving at the Grand Chancellor’s Mansion one after another. Lu Siling was truly formidable, sending the little Emperor away and surrounding her with her own people; the Emperor was likely a mere figurehead by now.

Sun Xiuyuan sighed, wondering what the little Emperor was thinking to not cooperate with the Li family. From her recent performance, she was smart, yet cooperating with Lu Siling meant being controlled. Only with the Li family could she avoid being a figurehead. Or perhaps that was the reason: Sovereign is Sovereign, subject is subject. To place oneself on equal footing to cooperate with an Emperor? No, Sun Xiuyuan believed he stood above her, and granting Lin Jiayue any power was an act of his own benevolence. He hadn’t expected Lu Siling to get there first, even forcing the Emperor into an expedition. Now they couldn’t even get news of her.

Sun Xiuyuan took a deep breath, waiting for others to speak. Zhang Wuwei stepped out. “Grand Chancellor, is there news of His Majesty?”

Once a Grand Secretary asked, more people joined in.

“Yes, Grand Chancellor, what is the status of the war? How is His Majesty?”

“His Majesty is on an expedition in a dangerous place, and we officials cannot receive news; our hearts are anxious!”

“A joke. There is a war at the border; the situation changes in an instant. Do you think she’s writing family letters to report every single detail to you?”

“What is the meaning of this? His Majesty is in danger, and it is only natural for the officials to worry.”

“The military situation is urgent and His Majesty must handle everything read the original at bailiantales.compersonally. Keep your concerns in your hearts and do not disturb the operations at the border.”

“What are you saying!”

As the court began to descend into a chaotic market-like brawl, Lu Siling frowned. Seeing this, Wei Jinming immediately shouted, “Enough! This is the Imperial Court, how dare you make such a clamor!”

Wei Jinming was now the top eunuch in name and fact, wielding significant authority. If this fellow whispered in the Emperor’s ear later, they would be finished. The court fell silent. Wei Jinming quickly switched to a fawning attitude. “Grand Chancellor, please speak.”

Lu Siling glanced at Wei Jinming. Truly someone from the dog Emperor’s side—just as versatile. “I can understand your concern for His Majesty and the war. But this is the court; no shouting. Today, considering your loyalty to His Majesty, I will let it slide just this once.”

She scanned the quiet, bowing officials. “Today’s assembly is for the New Policies.”

New Policies? Everyone looked at each other. They thought it was news of the expedition. Ever since the Emperor left, the New Policies had been like a waking tiger, seemingly unstoppable. They were all praying for the little Emperor to return quickly; with her there, Lu Siling wouldn’t dare be so extreme.

In Lu Siling’s view, she wasn’t being extreme at all. If not for the late Emperor’s sudden passing, this step would have been taken long ago. As the officials brainstormed their opposition, Zhang Wuwei looked at the person behind him. Just as someone was about to step out, a commotion erupted outside. One might have thought a coup was happening. As the sound drew nearer, they could hear clearly:

“VICTORY! His Majesty has won a great victory! Thirty thousand enemies slain, Yang County retaken! A great victory for His Majesty!”

A victory! A great victory!

Sun Xiuyuan lowered his head. The little Emperor had actually won. If she could drive the Beidi out, she would become a true Emperor. At the very least, the hundred thousand Capital Camp troops and the border armies would be completely obedient to her. With a great victory, the hearts of the people would return, and her throne would be secure.

“Grand Marshal of the World’s Armies”? A mere title had allowed her to complete her grasp on real power. She now truly owned the nation’s military power; she could mobilize at least half the army with a single word. Looking at Zhang Wuwei’s gloomy face, one could tell that Prince Cheng’s chances of ascending had dwindled even further.

Luckily, the Lis had already shown goodwill to the Emperor. As for Lu Siling—her attempt to trap the Emperor in an expedition had backfired, allowing the Emperor to seize power read the original at bailiantales.com even faster. She must be feeling terrible right now.

Lu Siling watched the expressions of the officials and arched an eyebrow, satisfied with the effect of the news. Her face remained icy, hiding her thoughts. But Wei Jinming, being close by, clearly felt a sense of pride radiating from Lu Siling. It was like a teacher whose student had just placed first in the imperial exams, standing tall: Look, that’s my student. The Emperor was the Grand Chancellor’s student, after all. With a total victory at the border, it proved the Grand Chancellor had taught her well.

Wei Jinming chuckled. This is great. Once the Emperor returns, let’s see who dares to look down on her.

While hearts were complex in the capital, things were much more direct on the battlefield. With the Beidi suffering consecutive defeats and the Royal Court pressuring for a retreat, Kuohai was nearing his breaking point. Next, they only needed to guard against a desperate counterattack and leave a gap at Changsheng Pass to let the Beidi army depart, and the war would be over.

It had to be said that the war had been easier than Lin Jiayue imagined. It wasn’t that Great Zhou couldn’t beat the Beidi, but rather that they lacked good generals—and those who were good had no voice. Her presence had solved that problem. Given the opportunity, the young generals naturally won battles. Furthermore, Lu Siling’s maneuvers in the Beidi Royal Court had crushed Kuohai’s morale.

However, Lin Jiayue soon found herself unable to smile.

Silk Pouch No. 16— Asking after Your Majesty’s health.

Silk Pouch No. 17— Asking after Your Majesty’s health.

Silk Pouch No. 18, 19, 20— Asking after Your Majesty’s health.

Several days in a row were just the same inquiry. She was so annoyed she wanted to tear open the rest of the pouches, but she restrained herself for a long time. Lu Siling! Loathsome woman!

On every pouch, she wrote one word in response: Healthy.

When she returned to the capital, she would make Lu Siling read every single one of these replies. So perfunctory!

But indeed, there was nothing to do these past few days. The army was steadily pushing the Beidi back toward Changsheng Pass. If things went smoothly, she ​stolen content​could return to the capital in a few days, and then she would definitely give Lu Siling a piece of her mind.