Returning after a three-year escape from death, the tyrant has turned evil.

Chapter 141 What are you looking at randomly?
Song Yi couldn't help but glare at him.

Seeing this, Jiang Lanye said nothing more. Xie Ling straightened his disheveled robes and followed the two to the Sword Pavilion.

Song Yi lifted her skirt and stepped onto the stairs. When she reached the top of the pavilion, she was surprised to find that her physical strength seemed to be much better than before, and she was no longer out of breath.

But as soon as she opened the door, the atmosphere inside was so oppressive that she couldn't help but feel breathless for a moment.

There were already quite a few people waiting inside the Sword Pavilion. In the center was a huge sand table, and the walls around it were covered with all kinds of weapons. The room was spacious, but the layout and furnishings made it feel oppressive.

Jiang Lanye led Song Yi inside, ignoring the stares from the others. He led her to her seat, where a cup of hot tea sat. He gestured for her to sit down and said in a low voice:
"You can sit here and listen. It doesn't matter if you don't understand. But if you want to leave, you must tell me."

Song Yi knew that Jiang Lanye was worried about her. It was fine if she stayed in the room by herself, but as soon as she came out, Jiang Lanye couldn't stand that Song Yi was not in his sight.

After hearing his instructions, Song Yi helplessly reached out and nudged him.

"I see."

Jiang Lanye straightened up and walked over.

Those who were usually on good terms with Xie Ling didn't show any change in expression when they saw Song Yi arrive.

They were just discussing some matters here, and Song Yi sitting to the side wouldn't bother anyone. Besides, it seems that His Majesty can't accept that the Imperial Concubine is too far away from him.

Zuo Sheng was also among them, and when he saw Song Yi walk in like this, his expression twisted slightly.

Why would you let a woman who knows nothing listen to this?
That's absolutely ridiculous.

But what angered him even more was that no one else reacted except for him.

No wonder Xie Ling was so popular with Jiang Lanye, and was even appointed General Zhenbei. Ha!
He's just a sycophant; how can someone like that be called a general?

Xie Ling stepped forward, pointed to a spot on the sand table, and said softly, "Two days ago, we sent a light cavalry squad of two hundred men to probe the area, but the result was not ideal. The Northern Qiang people were born and raised on the grasslands, and our soldiers are no match for them in horsemanship and archery. Moreover, they are skilled at encirclement, so all two hundred men were wiped out."

Jiang Lanye lowered his eyes and looked for a long time before saying in a low voice, "Nomadic cavalry are not something we can contend with. Even putting aside the people, their horses are fat and strong. Just this alone makes it pointless to choose to fight them head-on, which is like throwing an egg against a rock."

Song Yi listened attentively to their conversation, gently picked up her teacup, took a sip of tea, and then paused.

She has never liked tea that is too strong, too astringent, or has a strong tea flavor. This tea must have been arranged by Xie Ling, as it just happens to suit her taste.

Zuo Sheng suddenly glanced at Song Yi and saw that she was casually drinking tea, so he couldn't help but show a disdainful expression.

Song Yi was sensitive to other people's gazes, and when she looked up, she unexpectedly met his eyes.

Zuo Sheng hadn't had time to hide the disgust and contempt in his eyes.

Song Yi showed no fear and smiled at him.

He gritted his teeth and looked away.

Song Yi wanted to roll her eyes at him. As a general, he was listening less attentively than she was at this moment.

Some people hate themselves, and no matter what they do or how they explain it, they will always hate them and find fault with everything they do.

Song Yi has come to terms with it. She's already come this far, and there's no need for her to force others to like her if they don't.

She put down her teacup, stood up, and, following the direction they were pointing, frowned as she intently looked at the sand table.

Jiang Lanye was a man of few words; he mostly just listened.

Song Yi listened for a long while, then hesitated to speak. Jiang Lanye raised his eyes; no one else noticed Song Yi's expression, only he did. A faint smile suddenly appeared on his lips as he softly asked, "My beloved consort, what are your thoughts?"

Jiang Lanye rarely addressed her as "beloved concubine" in front of others, so this form of address made Song Yi somewhat embarrassed. She coughed lightly and said:
"I don't have many insights, but I feel that we must change our strategy now."

Zuo Sheng frowned deeply. "Stop talking nonsense. Who doesn't know we should change our strategy?"

Song Yi said seriously, "Nomadic cavalry are highly mobile, and our archers will have difficulty making an advantage on the flat grassland. As for the other soldiers, they will easily be worn down by them during battle."

Having said that, Jiang Lanye understood what Song Yi meant, and coincidentally, his thoughts were the same as Song Yi's.

Fearing that others might not understand her meaning, Song Yi explained it in more detail: "For example, they also have two hundred men, but they are divided into ten teams, with twenty men in each team. Relying on their excellent horsemanship and fast horses, they take turns attacking and harassing those soldiers, which is enough to exhaust their strength."

At this point, Song Yi wanted to use an analogy, but for a moment he didn't know how to put it.

Seeing this, Jiang Lanye said at the right time, "Didn't you notice? Their tactics are just like those of a wolf pack."

Song Yi's eyes lit up, and he said, "Yes, it's a pack of wolves."

Xie Ling was taken aback.

He had witnessed Song Yi's unique insights in certain areas today, so he wasn't particularly surprised.

But others thought differently, staring at Song Yi in astonishment.

Perhaps because they hadn't expected Song Yi to actually say something, they lingered with their gazes.

Jiang Lanye raised his eyes, casually glanced around, and said coldly, "What are you looking at?"

Everyone lowered their heads in unison, unable to bear looking.

Zuo Sheng's expression changed several times as he stood to the side. He couldn't help but say, "Everyone knows this, but the key is that we can't find a good solution. What's the use of figuring out their tactics?"

Xie Ling glanced at him and said helplessly, "General Zuo, this matter cannot be rushed. If we could come up with a good solution in a short time, we wouldn't need you to lead troops to support us in this battle."

Zuo Sheng snorted coldly and remained silent.

After Song Yi raised the question, everyone fell into thought for a moment, and the room became unusually quiet.

Song Yi tilted his head, unable to come up with a good solution for the time being.

They were familiar with the terrain, highly mobile, and had more food supplies than the others after the war; their cattle and sheep were not afraid of the cold winter.

Jiang Lanye remained silent, casually tapping the back of the chair beside him, and said in a low voice:

"Zuo Sheng, you lead the team over there and see if you can occupy a place and build a simple fortress. If you can gradually reduce the size of their territory, that's one way to go."

After Jiang Lanye finished speaking, she looked at him with exceptionally deep eyes.

"However, such tactics require patience and cannot be rushed. We must proceed slowly and steadily."

Xie Ling glanced at him and couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty, General Zuo's injuries haven't fully healed yet."

It was a rare opportunity, and Jiang Lanye clearly trusted him. Zuo Sheng immediately said in a gruff voice, "It was just a few lashes. He's already healed. He'll just have some scars, which look scary."

Upon hearing Zuo Sheng's words, Jiang Lanye's lips suddenly curled into a smile.

(End of this chapter)