What he was really thinking was that it seemed the Six Jin states weren't a battlefield; wherever Si Bo Gong was, it was definitely considered the rear. Si Bo Gong himself had always been known as a strategist and diplomat in both the north and south. He had resolved many conflicts through his persuasion. Therefore, he wielded considerable influence in many places.
Xie Shangguang had no choice but to nod, and Xie Ji released him. He then took the initiative to accept the order: "I will definitely do a good job."
She specifically instructed, "I grant you permission to take two thousand men to Wujin. After that, you must obediently listen to Lord Sibo."
"Yes." Xie Shangguang's eyes dimmed. It turned out that he wasn't being sent to fight, but to be a bodyguard.
She had arranged everything, from the fifth to the sixth and seventh ranks of the Jin dynasty.
So, the main battlefield.
She suddenly announced to everyone: "I hereby order General Xie Guang to lead 80,000 men straight to Tianjing!"
Upon hearing this, the expressions of all the generals became quite interesting. Yesterday, many of them had secretly mocked the general, thinking that he would never be trusted by the Grand Marshal again, and that the Grand Marshal had finally grown tired of his incompetent face.
So, the Grand Marshal changed his mind again today?
Indeed, a ruler's heart is hard to fathom!
The others remained silent, but the eight generals, led by Xie Xia, excitedly stood up and said, "We are here to carry out the order on behalf of the Great General, and the Great General will certainly not fail your trust!"
"Go and inform him!" She stood up and issued all the necessary orders.
After Xie Lanzhi stood up, everyone stood up to see her off.
She just left.
Xie Ji then asked Wu Qiu, "Have you clearly understood the Grand Marshal's purpose?"
Wu Qiu stroked his chin, thought for a moment, and chuckled to himself, "No."
But as he looked in the direction Xie Lanzhi had left, a glint of cunning appeared in his eyes as he began to plot something.
This Grand Marshal is truly better seen in person than in rumors.
Wu Qiu said meaningfully, "I just don't know if the Grand Marshal's method can dismantle an army of 150,000 men in just a few days?"
Xie Ji was utterly incredulous upon hearing this. Could a force of 150,000 be dismantled in just a few days? Really?
A note from the author:
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Chapter 14 They had the same plan
Night fell, and the lights of Chenxiang Mansion illuminated the place until midnight.
Upon approaching the desk, one saw a figure sitting upright, engrossed in studying the folded document in his hands, perhaps without finding anything.
Xie Lanzhi frowned, twirling a white brush that hadn't been dipped in ink, and said, "Author, you really skimped on the details."
She discovered that the author didn't describe in detail how Xie Ying ruled the Southern Region; all she heard about him was his bravery in battle and his invincible record.
Perhaps due to the author's limited ability, it is normal that he did not write about it at all.
So when she tried to find something that would be beneficial for her development, she also couldn't find anything.
It wasn't just one person who was awake late at night; Si Xitong was also awake. Perhaps feeling the chill of the night, she warmed a pot of tea and brought it over.
A cup of tea was poured for Xie Lanzhi, but she picked it up, blew on it repeatedly, and didn't drink it. Normally, she would always be very accommodating to Si Xitong's warm tea.
At this moment, Xie Lanzhi's brows were still furrowed, which made Si Xitong pay attention to her: "Is the Marshal worried about the war?"
She rarely speaks on political matters and is very conscientious and cautious.
Seeing Xie Lanzhi's worried expression tonight, she was worried that she might blurt out something, and now she was afraid that she had overstepped her bounds.
Xie Lanzhi seized the opportunity to get the Empress to say a few more words. As the saying goes, "Among three people walking together, there must be one who can teach me," she needed someone to help her open up more ideas at crucial moments.
Xie Lanzhi looked at her, her eyes brighter than the red lanterns on the table, filled with anticipation.
She asked, "Little Phoenix, you must know what I've done to my men. Now I'll tell you all the methods for defeating the Yellow Bandits. If you find anything I've missed, please let me know."
"What merit do I possess?" Si Xitong was clearly astonished. This wasn't the first time she had been shocked by Xie Lanzhi's complete disclosure of her secrets. It seemed she had never considered keeping any secrets from her. She had shown Xie Lanzhi everything to her.
Si Xitong's gaze gradually became complicated. Whether at the welcoming ceremony or at the Imperial Palace, this person's image seemed to become clearer and clearer in her mind.
She always wanted to leave a mark on her, to make her remember her.
Si Xitong said, "I am very worried about my surviving relatives in Tianjing, but I cannot disobey the Xie family's patriarchal laws."
It seems she remembered Xie's rigid rules very well, I wonder if it was intentional? Xie Lanzhi felt this shouldn't be the case? This wasn't like the Empress's style.
Perhaps the Empress has other concerns.
Thinking of this, she said, "Are you afraid of displeasing me?"
Si Xitong shook her head. That was clearly not what she meant.
Xie Lanzhi asked, "What does that mean?"
Si Xitong remained silent, and the two began to play riddles.
Xie Lanzhi readily agreed, saying, "Don't worry, with me here, the Xie family won't dare to make things difficult for you."
"So the only possibility is that you're worried about me?"
At this moment, Si Xitong finally nodded. The hair ornament on her head swayed gently, making her look beautiful, lively, and adorably gentle.
The woman by the wine shop is like the moon, her fair wrists like frost and snow.
With a beautiful woman in front of her, Xie Lanzhi's mood brightened considerably.
She said to her, "You're afraid that the Xie family will misunderstand and say that I'm indulging in pleasure and that you're whispering in my ear."
The patriarchal system should have nurtured people's hearts through etiquette, but under excessive human manipulation, even the best intentions can be distorted as one walks the path of life.
She did not want the empress to be a product of the constraints of etiquette and law.
Just as Si Xitong nodded again, Xie Lanzhi gently cupped her face, her gaze solemn. Then she hugged her.
She didn't know how to comfort people. In modern times, only her best friend would care about her, and her best friend was a little princess who even showed concern in the way of fairy tales, with a hug.
Over time, Xie Lanzhi also developed the same habit. Now that she was holding the Empress, she could finally appreciate how sweet it was to comfort someone in this way.
Si Xitong seemed used to her direct reassurance.
This time, she took the initiative to draw and write on Xie Lanzhi's back with her finger. At first, Xie Lanzhi did not understand what she meant, but later she felt that she was drawing the same trajectory back and forth.
Xie Lanzhi began to assess the situation; it wasn't a painting, but rather words.
Realizing the meaning of the character, she asked in surprise, "Could it be 'surround'?"
"Surround without attacking."
Si Xitong whispered in her ear, "This is the only thing I can do for you."
Xie Lanzhi said, "No need, you don't need to think like that. I'm not so stupid as to not understand what you mean."
"Besides, you think the same way I do."
Chapter 15 Her First Battle in a Chaotic World
Huang Mang was a powerful general in Tianjing, but he was nothing after leaving Tianjing, so he had to curry favor with the fifth, sixth, and seventh Jin dynasties to maintain a balance of power.
But now, he has taken the initiative to invade the Three Jin, which are vassal states of the Southern Region. Huang Mang's move is not only a provocation against the Xie family, but also an attempt to snatch meat from the tiger's mouth!
In the short term, his actions are foolish. In the long term, his actions will only prove that Xie Ying is a paper tiger by interfering in the southern territories. Even if he is destroyed, his gambler's mentality will still result in a spiritual victory.
If he succeeds, the minor lords around the southern region will be eager to follow suit.
When everyone is no longer afraid of Xie Ying, they will want to rebel against her!
Once public opinion takes hold, no matter how powerful the Southern Region is, it will always shake the loyalty of some lords. At that time, when the wall falls, everyone pushes it down, and when the drum breaks, everyone beats it.
This eventually triggered a chain reaction, leading to a trend of opposing Xie Ying's stock price.
After weighing the options...
Huang Mang's act of provoking war may have been foolish, but his strategy was actually quite brilliant.
To conquer a city, one should conquer its heart.
Xie Lanzhi suddenly discovered that someone was using Huang Mang to kill her!
Besides Huang Mang, who else had she offended that would make him disregard the innocent and recklessly set fire to her in a bloody war?!
Huang Mang, true to his name, was impulsive and reckless by nature; he couldn't possibly have conceived of such profound military strategy. Therefore, he must have a strategist behind him. This strategist must possess unfathomable and extraordinary abilities.
No one knows what other tricks this strategist has up his sleeve to deal with her.
Xie Lanzhi began searching for the famous strategist from the original story, but unfortunately, she found none.
She then turned her gaze to the Empress: "Little Phoenix, Tianjing is your home, you must know the situation in Tianjing very well."
Do you know which famous strategists were in Tianjing?
“There’s no one here.” Si Xitong’s brows furrowed in confusion, perhaps as she thought of the past, a wave of sadness washed over her. She said again, “If he were still alive, he would definitely do everything he could to survive and see me.”
Xie Lanzhi asked, "Who?"
Si Xitong said, "My younger brother, Qinian."
Upon hearing this, the candlelight inside flickered, and a cold wind blew in from outside.
Now that winter has arrived, the temperature at night drops sharply compared to the daytime. I didn't feel cold when I was thinking, but now I see the Empress warming herself with her bare hands holding a teacup.
Even warm tea doesn't produce much steam, so it's hardly warm enough.
Xie Lanzhi put down her business, got up and took down the wool cloak hanging on the wooden frame, draped it over Si Xitong's shoulders, and wrapped her tightly inside the cloak. Only after making sure there wasn't a single gap to let the wind in did Xie Lanzhi feel at ease and sit back down at the table.