Mercenary Princess - Chapter 87
"Alright, alright, you sing, you sing this line!" You brat, how dare you doubt her singing skills! Although she doesn't sing very well, she shouldn't make such a basic mistake as singing off-key on this song that she always sings!
"General..."
"Sing! If you don't sing, you're not eating today!"
He slowly stepped out of the ranks, his already flushed face appearing even darker. Standing at the front of the line, he was uneasy, unsure what to do with his hands. After stammering for a while, clutching his clothes, he finally managed to howl in a rough voice under Rong Yue's threatening gaze: "Hate runs wild, my long sword has pointed, how many loyal brothers have been buried in foreign lands—" He timidly glanced at Rong Yue, then cautiously and politely whispered a reminder: "General, right here in the 'buried in foreign lands' section, your last promotion was upward, but this time it's clearly downward..."
Clearing her throat, Rongyue waved her hand: "Hmm, you sang quite well, go back to the team." It seems she sang a little off-key just now…
Picking up a small wooden stick from the ground to use as a baton, Rongyue composed herself before the soldiers, her expression righteous and awe-inspiring: "A true man should have the world in his heart, care for the people, and dedicate himself to the country and his family, dying a worthy death! In the vast desert, eagles soar, and brave sons and daughters display their heroism on the battlefield! Brave sons and daughters of Nancha Kingdom, believe that we will surely win, Nancha Kingdom will surely win! Let us raise our heads to the sky and sing a song of unwavering loyalty to the country!"
As the smoke of war rises, the landscape stretches southward.
Dragons rise and swirl, horses neigh, sword energy is like frost.
My heart is like the vast Yellow River.
For centuries, across the land, who could rival them?
...
The powerful and stirring voices of 60,000 people echoed across the desolate sky, shaking the heavens and the vast wilderness, and stirring the blood and filling people with heroic spirit! With sword drawn, Tuoba Jie's blade transformed into countless sword flowers, dazzling the eyes, its momentum like a rainbow, overwhelming the soul! A single sword dance stirred the four directions, and Rong Yue inwardly cheered. With a thought, she subtly quickened the pace of the dance she commanded.
Tuoba Jie, who was performing martial arts in response to the song, noticed the change in rhythm and understood. His phoenix eyes slightly narrowed, and with a flick of his wrist, he transformed his fierce swordplay into a gentler one. His longsword danced in his hand like a butterfly, light and graceful, his movements fluid and unrestrained, like flowing water. While Rong Yue was secretly wondering why his swordplay didn't match the melody, Tuoba Jie's gleaming silver blade suddenly gathered a powerful gust of wind from the ground, slashing down with the force of thunder towards a spot several meters in front of him—
They only felt a blur before their eyes, and when the wind and sound ceased, Rongyue and the others looked closely and were all horrified to see that the ground swept by the sword's edge had been cleaved several feet in two! The enormous crack was enough to tell the world the terrifying scene they had just experienced...
Back in her tent, Rongyue hastily wiped her face and tossed the empty handkerchief onto a nearby wooden chair. Grabbing some pastries from the table, she haphazardly stuffed a few pieces into her mouth, then pulled a map of the Northern Frontier from a drawer and began to study it closely…
Tuoba Chen, who entered by lifting the curtain, saw Rong Yue with her face covered in pastry crumbs, hunched over a table, making circles and dots with a calligraphy brush. He lowered the curtain, walked over quietly, took out a blue silk handkerchief from his sleeve, and began to wipe the crumbs from her face.
The sudden touch startled Rongyue, who instinctively turned her face away from the blue brocade handkerchief. Tuoba Chen's hand holding the handkerchief froze awkwardly in mid-air.
Once she saw who it was, Rongyue felt relieved. She snatched the handkerchief from Tuoba Chen's hand, wiped her face casually a couple of times, and then dragged him over, bringing the map on the table closer: "Take a look, what do you think of this topographical map?"
Tuoba Chen's gaze swept over the crisscrossing lines, and he exclaimed in astonishment, "Xiao San, is this a topographical map you drew?"
"Nonsense! Look, this symbol represents a mountain, and the curves represent a river, this is a valley, this is a basin..."
As Rongyue recounted the story, Tuoba Chen's eyes gradually brightened. After carefully examining the map again, he exclaimed, "Truly ingenious! This topographical map takes up little space yet encompasses a large area of terrain in detail and clearly. It's truly ingenious and unique. Brilliant, brilliant! Xiao San, where did you get this map?"
Setting down her writing brush, Rongyue wiped the black ink splattered on her hands with a handkerchief: "Where do you think I could get such confidential information? In the past few days, I've gotten some information about the terrain from an old soldier who went to the northern frontier before, and pieced together this map based on his hurried descriptions. Since I haven't personally investigated it, there are bound to be some omissions and inaccuracies in relying solely on other people's accounts, but the general framework is correct and sufficient. With this map, we have a greater chance of winning the battle."
Closing the topographic map, Rongyue continued, "I'm risking my life; once the arrow is released, there's no turning back. It's all or nothing. Now, I have no way out. I have no choice but to fight with all my might and do my best in this battle. However, to be honest, I'm somewhat looking forward to this battle. Hehe, I figured it out last night. Military operations are nothing more than three factors: timing, terrain, and the people. So what if I don't have combat experience? As long as I can firmly grasp these extremely important factors that determine victory or defeat, what do I have to fear? It's unwise and foolish to put pressure on myself and undermine my confidence before the battle even begins! It's all about human effort. As the saying goes, nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it! I don't believe that with my ancestor's... well, my wisdom, I can't handle the storms of the battlefield!"
"The right time, the right place, the right people..." Tuoba repeated these six words over and over, his eyes shining with an increasingly intense light: "Xiao San, I believe in you, you can definitely do it!"
A faint smile vanished as she curled her lips into a gentle grin: "Thanks."
Suddenly remembering something, Tuoba Chen raised an eyebrow slightly: "Why are you teaching the soldiers music today?"
"Music often touches the deepest chords in people's hearts and arouses their inner emotions. There is nothing better than using music to inspire people and boost morale."
"Oh? This is the first time I've heard of such a theory! It's quite novel. However, the music is indeed stirring and inspiring, capable of making one feel excited and heroic, that much is true..." After a slight pause, Tuoba Chen stroked his chin and said, "However, I think that young man with resentment sang it quite well, several times better than some of those who sang off-key..."
Her blood rushed to her cheeks: "If you don't care, then stop yelling! That song is freestyle, whatever you want to sing, whatever sounds good to you. That's called divergent thinking, that's called innovation, you know? You don't understand, do you? Pshaw! With your level of music appreciation, even a child would find you pathetic as a musician. And you're still here tinkering around like this, aren't you ashamed?"
Looking at Rongyue, who was blushing with embarrassment yet still stubbornly arguing, Tuoba Chen chuckled softly and reached out to pinch Rongyue's pink cheeks: "Little San, the more I look at you, the cuter you become."
"Get out of my way!" Yue shouted angrily, kicking his knee with her toe, successfully pulling his hands away from her cheeks.
Speaking of this morning, she recalled Tuoba Jie's awe-inspiring swordsmanship. A heavy weight settled in her heart, like a boulder pressing down on her, making her feel suffocated. Such formidable internal energy—few in this world could match it! Was Tuoba Jie's identity merely that of a prime minister?
"I never expected that the Prime Minister would have such excellent martial arts skills!"
Upon hearing the mention of Tuoba Shejie, Tuoba Chen's previously bright smile instantly turned gloomy: "Hmph, indeed, he has excellent martial arts skills! He usually keeps a low profile, making people think he's a down-to-earth civil official! He hides his skills so well, I really don't know what his intentions are!"
"Then tell me, Second Prince, what are your intentions regarding the existence of my space?" With this question, Tuoba Jie lifted the curtain and entered, his cold and charming face revealing a hint of sharpness, his cold gaze sweeping across Tuoba Chen's face.
Tuoba Chen gave a cold laugh: "You know perfectly well what your intentions are!"
"Your Majesty, I do not know."
The lukewarm reply made Tuoba Shechen narrow his starry eyes: "Tuoba Jie, I'm warning you, don't think you can act recklessly and lawlessly just because you have the Emperor's favor! And don't think that just because you have the imperial surname you are a member of the royal family. Let me tell you, that's a foolish idea! Dog meat is still dog meat, and it will never be served at the banquet!"
His phoenix eyes were clouded, and Rongyue, a few steps away, could feel the chill emanating from him. Fearing a fight between two tigers would result in mutual destruction and unnecessary trouble, Rongyue sincerely stepped forward and bowed respectfully: "Your Highness, the Second Prince, has been quite tired and weary lately due to being busy discussing military affairs, and your mind is troubled. Your tone may have been a little harsh, so I hope Your Excellency will understand..."
"Why should you apologize on his behalf for his mistakes?"
"Third Prince, what did I do wrong? Why are you explaining yourself to him?"
Before she could finish speaking, two icy words flew at her simultaneously, freezing her in place. What was wrong with Tuoba Jie today? Had he taken the wrong medicine? He was actually arguing with a prince! As for Tuoba Chen, he had always disliked Tuoba Jie and probably secretly longed for a good fight with him! Watching the two men on the verge of exchanging blows, Rongyue felt utterly helpless—handling personnel disputes was definitely not her forte…
Volume Two: The Resolute Heroines' Chronicle, Chapter Twenty-Three: Princes and Prime Ministers Step Aside
"Hey, you little mistress! Standing in front of that shady guy for so long, aren't you afraid of getting some bad luck on you?"
The slight anger in his phoenix eyes was like the icy thin ice on a frozen river. Suddenly, he reached out and pulled Rongyue into his arms. Tuoba Jie lowered his head and leaned close to Rongyue, his voice deep and seductive, but his eyes were fixed on Tuoba Chen: "Neither here nor there? Heh, it seems there's some jealousy. They think my face has stolen someone else's favor! San'er, look at the trouble you've caused me!"
Having just recovered from her shock, Rongyue's eyes turned cold. She quickly pinched the meridians of Tuoba Jie's wrist, which was gripping her waist, with her thumb, index, and middle fingers, forcing Tuoba Jie to let go.
In the brief moment when Tuoba Jie let go, Rongyue quickly jumped away from him, her tone cold: "Prime Minister, please don't tease me anymore. I'm timid and can't take your jokes."
"Tuoba Jie, how dare you! Not only did you mock me, but you even dared to touch my people! This is utterly lawless!" Pulling Rongyue close, Tuoba Chen's eyes were filled with rage: "Guards! Tuoba Jie has no respect for rank, has committed insubordination, and has spoken disrespectfully to me, which is a grave offense! Take him out and give him a beating!"
The two Xuanjia soldiers who rushed in with spears did not carry out Tuoba Chen's order, but instead cast questioning glances at Rong Yue, who stood silently to the side.
In the Southern Kingdom, once you enter the military camp, regardless of whether you are a prince or a nobleman, everything must be done according to military regulations. However, these regulations are not explicitly written; the general's orders are the military regulations. Without the general's orders, military officers cannot issue instructions arbitrarily. Of course, if the general were to oversee every detail, he would be exhausted by the end of the day. Therefore, military officers can make decisions on trivial matters, but for important matters, such as handling the orders of the prime minister, a mere supervisor has no authority. Without the general's verbal command, even if he were a prince, the soldiers would not obey.