The Princess Is On Top (GL) - Chapter 16

“General Xiao, I know you are young and spirited, but this is not a game. Then tell us, how exactly are we supposed to infiltrate?”

The general who had spoken just now had barely finished when Xiao Le refuted him, so inevitably, he felt somewhat unable to keep face. Because of that, his tone now was not very pleasant.

Xiao Le did not care about the thorns in this general’s words. She met his gaze openly and calmly.

“General Chen, let me ask you this. We have captured cities and seized territory all this way. What is our final destination?”

“Does that even need to be asked? Naturally, our swords point toward Pingjing!”

“Since even you know that our swords point toward Pingjing, then after our army has advanced like a hot knife through butter these days, rumors have long since spread outside saying that our army will press the advantage and pursue victory. It is also because the Wu army has suffered repeated defeats that Emperor Wu is so anxious to form a marriage alliance with Southern Yue. If even you think this way, then how could Emperor Wu imagine that we would infiltrate his rear at a time like this? We only need to bypass the few heavily guarded checkpoints near Pingjing. As for other places, sneaking in would truly be almost too easy. This is what you call the darkness beneath the lamp.”

The moment Xiao Le finished speaking, the generals began weighing her words. He Yan was also startled by Xiao Le’s bold speech, but after thinking it over carefully, he found that it did make a great deal of sense.

“This saying, ‘the darkness beneath the lamp,’ is rather novel. General Xiao can always come up with unusual strategies. Marshal, I believe this plan is feasible.” Once the first person spoke up, there was soon a second, then a third. In the end, even General Chen, whose face had been lost because of Xiao Le, had nothing left to say.

“It is indeed a feasible surprise strategy. Then, according to everyone here, who should be sent this time?” As soon as He Yan said this, everyone fell silent. Speaking and doing were two different things. After all, this meant genuinely infiltrating behind enemy lines, and the level of danger could not be called low. “In my opinion, let General Xiao go. Marshal, this strategy was proposed by General Xiao, so naturally it would be safest for him to execute it. Moreover, I believe that with General Xiao’s ability, completing this matter will certainly be no trouble at all.” That same General Chen jumped out again and praised Xiao Le to the skies. Of course, his purpose was to force her into a position where she could not back down.

He Yan was somewhat troubled. After all, Xiao Le was a junior he greatly admired. To send such a dazzling rising star on such a dangerous mission—if she were to fall there… But this mission was also incomparably important to the entire situation, making He Yan feel caught between two sides.

Xiao Le glanced sideways at General Chen. This person had already been somewhat at odds with her before, and Xiao Le had thought it was because she had been too outstanding and attracted envy. Later, she had Liu Yu investigate this person, only to discover that he actually had ties to the Qi family. No wonder he disliked her no matter how he looked at her.

“Marshal, I’ll go!” Xiao Le stepped forward and cupped her hands. She could also see He Yan’s hesitation. It was not as if this was a dragon’s pool or tiger’s den. What was there that made it impossible to go?

“General Xiao truly is a young talent!”

“With such a fierce general, why worry that Great Wu cannot be broken!”

The moment Xiao Le stepped forward, everyone’s voices of praise rose one after another. To Xiao Le’s ears, it sounded deeply ironic. How could He Yan not know what these old subordinates of his were thinking? Xiao Le was still too young. When a wall falls, everyone pushes it; when a tree stands tallest in the forest, the wind will be the first to destroy it.

“Then go. You may choose anyone in the army. However, too many people will easily raise suspicion. In my view, it is best not to exceed five hundred.” After saying this to Xiao Le, he looked at everyone in the tent with extreme seriousness. “As for today’s matter, once you leave this tent, I hope no one mentions it to anyone. Otherwise, you all should know this marshal’s rules.”

After Xiao Le left the tent, she went straight to the training ground. He Yan had said she could choose from the entire army, but she had no intention of making a huge fuss over selecting people. She directly called over Du Fei and Xiao Kai and told each of them to choose two hundred men to come along. When everyone heard that they would be going with General Xiao to carry out a secret mission, they all worked themselves up, wanting desperately to fight for a place. Before the soldiers Xiao Le led, she was practically a godlike existence.

After spending most of the day on it, Du Fei and the others finally selected four hundred soldiers. Liu Yu was among them as well.

Xiao Le decided to set out that very night. She sent someone to inform He Yan, only to unexpectedly have He Yan personally come to see her off. When Xiao Le saw He Yan, a trace of surprise flashed through her eyes. “Marshal, why have you come too?”

“Come here. I have something to tell you.” Xiao Le did not dare put on airs. She quickly dismounted and walked toward He Yan. The marshal had something secret to tell a general; everyone was already used to this kind of thing and silently waited to the side.

“I will remember it, Marshal… Also, this. May I trouble Marshal to have someone deliver it to the Commandery Princess for me?”

After hesitating for a long time, Xiao Le still took out a letter she had already written from her robe. On it were the words: For the Commandery Princess’s personal reading. This was a letter she had temporarily written back in her tent while Xiao Kai and the others were selecting people. In truth, during the half year or so that they had been apart, she and Su Luoyang had often exchanged letters. She did not know how many months this operation would take, so she still wanted to let Su Luoyang know.

He Yan cheerfully accepted the letter and said he would definitely help Xiao Le deliver it.

Xiao Le mounted her horse again, solemnly bid farewell to He Yan once more, and led her team away in grand fashion.

Seven days later, at a roadside stall in Han County, three plainly dressed young people sat together. These three were precisely Xiao Le, Du Fei, and Liu Yu, who had set out from the army seven days earlier and were heading toward Heyuan. It turned out that after careful discussion with Xiao Kai, they had realized that although four hundred people had already been reduced to the smallest number possible, they were still very conspicuous. If they rashly and openly headed toward Heyuan like this, they would probably be detained the moment they entered one of Great Wu’s prefectures or commanderies. After much thought, they still needed a more formal cover.

At this point, Liu Yu proposed using his family’s name to disguise this group as a merchant caravan transporting medicinal herbs to Heyuan. His family had operated a medicinal herb business for generations and had no shortage of trade dealings across the country. However, in everyone’s eyes, they had probably been dead for several years now. So this time, the three of them had first come to Han County, where Liu Yu would appear and negotiate with his family to obtain the Liu family caravan’s travel documents. Xiao Kai, meanwhile, would keep the troops hidden outside Han County. Once they obtained the travel documents, everyone could enter and set out.

“Waiter, could we ask you about something?”

After the waiter brought over the plain noodles the three had ordered, he had just been about to go to another table when he was called back. Liu Yu produced a small piece of silver from who knew where and placed it on the table. The waiter immediately understood, smiling fawningly as he took the silver from the table. “Honored guests, ask whatever you like. I guarantee I’ll tell you everything I know!”

Du Fei waved his hand as if it were nothing and said casually, “Ah, it’s nothing much. The three of us brothers came here wanting to do some business. We heard that there is a great local family that has operated a medicinal herb business for generations, so we wanted to ask about this family’s situation and see if there might be a chance to cooperate.”

“Oh…! You mean Squire Liu, right? Their family has indeed operated a medicinal herb business for generations. Squire Liu is a good man, and his wife is kindhearted too. In the past, they often gave porridge and medicine to ordinary commoners like us. But in recent years, the Liu family hasn’t been doing very well…” The waiter looked a little troubled, but thinking that he had taken their silver, he felt it would not be right to hide anything. “I’ll tell you quietly. Our county magistrate doesn’t really get along with the Liu family. These past few years, he’s been suppressing them all along. Not long ago, Squire Liu fell seriously ill and still hasn’t recovered. The family business has all been handed over to the Liu family’s younger young master. But this younger young master was a silkpants since childhood and didn’t learn much of anything, so now the Liu family’s business is only barely being maintained… Ah, it’s truly pitiful. The eldest son died, and the younger son is disappointing too. People say good people receive good rewards, so why is Squire Liu’s life so bitter… If you honored guests want to do business, I still suggest you think it over carefully… Please enjoy your meal. I’ll go get busy first.”

Liu Yu’s expression was dark. His hands were clenched tightly, and he suddenly shot up from his seat. The people around them noticed the movement and all looked over. Xiao Le and Du Fei quickly pressed him back down.

“What are you panicking for? Didn’t you hear that waiter say your father’s illness hasn’t been going on for only a day or two? If you are so unable to keep calm and someone recognizes you, not only will you fail to complete the mission, you will also implicate your family!” Xiao Le knew that Liu Yu must be feeling awful at this moment, but the matter was of great importance. Liu Yu had to calm down now.

Du Fei’s heart was also filled with mixed emotions. The Liu family’s younger young master the waiter had mentioned was surely Liu Feng.

Back then, the incident where they had beaten Zhang Qiao in the Wu family tavern felt as if it had happened yesterday, vivid in his mind. Perhaps it was precisely that incident that had caused the two families to form quite a deep grudge with the county magistrate. The cause they had planted in their youthful recklessness had now left their families to bear the consequences in their place.

Author’s Note: Every day, I worry myself sick over favorites.