My lord, spare his life!

Yes.

If one truly repents, why wouldn't they make amends?

Changsun Wang shattered the secret letter with a blank expression.

He questioned him, "How do you plan to respond if I regain my sight?"

Changsun Wang pressed his lips tightly together, his heart filled with lingering hatred: "How should I reply? I don't know how to reply without arousing suspicion... Luckily, I can't see her now, otherwise I would—"

His feelings for Sun Ban were not as deep as those for Ge Zhou.

The person who had raised him was his teacher, who was a relative of Sun Ban. At least his teacher died on the battlefield, fairly and squarely killed by Zhang Boyuan; such a death wasn't considered a disgrace for a military general, just the most common end. But what about his mother?

His mother was just an ordinary old woman, powerless and unable to even kill a chicken. She should have been enjoying her twilight years in peace, but instead, she was exploited by others and forced to her death outside the battlefield. Even on her deathbed, this ordinary woman was still thinking of using her head to scheme for her benefactor, Sun Zhaoruo.

In contrast, how did Sun Ban repay this sincerity?

Without shame or remorse.

From an angle unseen by Changsun Wang, a hint of mockery flashed in He Zhi's eyes as he offered him earnest advice, much like Lu Yuan had done.

It's okay if you don't know how to write it.

He will patiently teach Changsun Wang step by step.

He Zhi's composure unintentionally influenced Changsun Wang, his thoughts being pulled by an invisible rein. Coming back to his senses, a flawless reply was finished. Looking at the familiar handwriting, Changsun Wang seemed to see another version of himself, a loyal follower of Sun Ban, unwavering even unto death.

He Zhi's voice reached my ears.

"how?"

Changsun Wang was a beat slow to react, but answered obediently.

"Very good."

Even he was bewitched by his own words in the letter, let alone Sun Ban, who was driven to the lowest point in his life? As long as the other party believed him, he would have hope of avenging his mother's death - he didn't want a flimsy apology, he wanted the culprit to die a horrible death!

He still had concerns: "...Will Sun Zhaoruo take the bait?"

He Zhi said, "Man proposes, God disposes. If a plan fails, one can simply patiently gather strength and try again, waiting for the right opportunity."

Only those who can maintain a stable mindset can ultimately triumph.

If he hadn't been so patient, he wouldn't have regained his freedom, or even been able to retaliate against Lu Yuan. Sun Ban's territory had shrunk to within Dou County's borders. As long as the lord didn't act recklessly, the only suspense in this battle was when they would win, not whether they could win at all.

The lord did not place all his bets on Changsun Wang.

Therefore, there is no need to feel so much pressure.

Changsun Wang lowered his eyelids, his anxious emotions miraculously calmed.

Sun Ban waited anxiously for Changsun Wang's reply, tossing and turning in bed, a rare occurrence for her. Just as the hurried hoofbeats of a messenger's horse sounded outside the tent, she abruptly threw off the covers, sat up, and rushed outside.

"Any news?"

The prefect of Hu County also rushed over.

Upon reading the reply, he was overjoyed and said, "It is indeed good news. This Changsun Fuming has not let Zhaoruo down. He is more affectionate and righteous than Ge Zhou. He is indeed worthy of being Sun Gong's adopted son. He is truly loyal to the Sun family."

The "Lord Sun" mentioned by the governor of Hu County was a relative of Sun Ban who died in battle, and one of the main forces who supported Sun Ban back then.

After Sun Ban took over, he reciprocated the favor and valued him highly.

Hearing the words of the prefect of Hu County, Sun Ban's lips, which had been pressed into a straight line, finally began to move, and a smile appeared in his eyes, but he quickly suppressed it again: "We cannot be careless. Fu Ming is currently only a subordinate general under Lü Bafeng, and he only leads a few hundred soldiers. If we want to break the deadlock with him, we need to add fuel to the fire and make the fire burn bigger."

Simple intelligence was not enough to deliver a fatal blow to Zhang Yang.

Instead, it would alert the enemy and expose Changsun Wang.

Therefore, Changsun Wang was a pawn to be used second-hand; either not used at all, or used to maximize his value. The Prefect of Hu County clearly understood this, but at this moment he was more interested in another matter: "Could Changsun Fuming obtain information about Zhang's grain depot?"

Food and provisions are like a rope tied around one's neck.

Which power isn't suffocated by this rope?

Like a domestic dog tied to a post, it can't run far even if it wants to.

Zhang the thief is different. It's like he doesn't have a rope around his neck, or rather, he's dragging a pillar along, able to run as far as he wants and bite whomever he pleases. Who wouldn't suffer if they ran into this mad dog?

"Where did I get a map of the granaries?"

After quickly settling the trivial matters concerning Hu County and Eunuch County, Zhang Yang set off for the front lines the next day. She had only traveled halfway when her clairvoyant delivered news from the front. He Zhi instructed her to give the granary map to Lü Yuan, and then have Changsun Wang retrieve it from Lü Yuan and give it to Sun Zhaoruo.

Zhang Yang, propped up on her legs and half-lotus on Zhang Da'ao's back, frowned and posed a soul-searching question—how come she didn't know she had a map of the granary? Should she just draw one on the spot?

Xiao Sui gently waved her sword fan: "We know there isn't any, but Sun Zhaoruo doesn't. Draw a picture to lure her elite troops here, and I don't believe she won't be tempted." If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, even if Xiao Sui racked her brains, she wouldn't have guessed that the so-called granary was on Zhang Yang.

Because it goes against common sense.

It should be noted that even a small personal storage space is considered top-tier, and storing heavy items within it requires ten times the user's strength. In other words, carrying one pound of grain requires carrying ten pounds of weight. An ordinary soldier needs over three pounds of cooked rice per day; a force of ten thousand would need over thirty thousand pounds of cooked rice per day, translating to a carrying weight of over three hundred thousand pounds. And this is just for one day; a campaign could easily last three to five months.

Sun Ban was convinced that Zhang Yang had granaries and grain lines, but the secrecy was so good that no trace of them had been found until now.

Having finally found a breakthrough, how could one not be overjoyed?

"Oh, but why Bafeng? Why not anyone else?" It wasn't that Zhang Yang didn't want Lü Yuan to gain merit through this opportunity, but rather that he had other thoughts. "Does Sun Zhaoruo see Bafeng as the kind of person who would leak secrets if she were swayed by beauty? What a stereotype!"

Lu Yuan is actually very composed and can handle any military affairs flawlessly. Looking at his stats, his [Intelligence] stat is also quite high, with overall excellent values. These prejudices from the outside world are clearly stereotypes; Zhang Yang is being a bit overprotective.

Xiao Sui opened her mouth, unsure of how to explain.

"...Firstly, the person involved in the plot was He Feiye."

Zhang Yang said, "Is it because he has a stereotype?"

Xiao Sui couldn't help but chuckle: "Not only did he not look down on her, but he also intentionally used his influence to help Ba Feng rise to prominence. Just as the lord said, this matter could have been handled by someone else, it didn't have to be Ba Feng, but He Feiye still wanted her involved, naturally because he didn't want to miss the opportunity to make a name for himself. These two have a personal feud, but they once had a daughter together, so their interests are intertwined."

Lu Yuan's interests are essentially the interests of He Zhi's daughter.

He Zhi naturally had to spare no effort in creating opportunities.

"...Secondly, Bafeng has accumulated a reputation in the mountain counties for many years. When people who know her mention her name, the first thing they think of is her romantic affairs. She is very suitable to play this role and make Sun Zhaoru believe that Changsun Wang's honey trap can obtain the map of the granary."

Xiao Sui carefully analyzed the situation for Zhang Yang.

Even He Feiye's selfish motives were thoroughly analyzed.

"The third time..."

Zhang Yang: "There's a third one? So many twists and turns?"

Xiao Sui smiled and said, "Of course there is a third point. The third point is that Ba Feng is the Lord's adopted daughter and is someone who is truly favored by the Lord. In the eyes of someone like Sun Zhaoruo, only such a person can truly control the Lord's destiny and be truly regarded as 'one of his own' by the Lord."

Zhang Yang asked in confusion, "What kind of unspoken rule is this?"

Although she trusted and relied on Shu Yan and a few others the most, strangely, no one, including Fan You, thought so.

There must be some unspoken rules in the industry that she's unaware of.

Xiao Sui looked slightly surprised, not expecting that Zhang Yang really didn't know.

She patiently explained, "Does Your Majesty know why people like to adopt sons and daughters, and why they often have close relationships with their civil and military officials? It's naturally because it's the simplest way to select close and trusted advisors. With this status, they are naturally closer to their subjects than other officials."

Zhang Yang was so self-disciplined that even with two lustful men under her command, she remained celibate, thus cutting off her path to selecting close advisors through favored concubines. Other warlords adopted dozens or even hundreds of daughters and sons, but Zhang Yang only had two! Did they realize how valuable those two adopted daughters were in an era of rampant inflation? Zhang Yang's distrust of Lü Yuan was something Sun Ban simply couldn't have imagined!

Was there a problem with Zhang Yang handing over the map of the granary to Lü Yuan?

No problem at all!

Zhang Yang: "...So, other people adopt children not because they want to be parents, but because they need more people under their command. The lord's overly intimate relationships with his civil and military officials are not due to lust, but rather as a way to reward and affirm them."

Perhaps it can even offset some of the losses.

Xiao Sui nodded.

Zhang Yang: "...That's really crazy."

Is establishing a close relationship merely a ruler's way of affirming his subjects?

Is this affirmation bidirectional?

After going around in circles, I realized that I was the one who was feudal, conservative, and old-fashioned.

Seeing that Zhang Yang still didn't understand, Xiao Sui felt a surge of resentment and ignored Fan You's warning: "Things that have existed for hundreds or thousands of years have their reasons for existing. Perhaps one day someone will be able to perform immortal deeds for the ruler. I ask for nothing but your mercy."

Zhang Yang: "..."

Xiao Sui chuckled, fanning herself, "Did I frighten my lord?"

Zhang Yang shook his head: "You're a minor, you can't."

This was also said to Han Wu.

Xiao Sui's smile grew even more radiant and dazzling: "When I'm an adult?"

Zhang Yang felt uncomfortable under the other person's overly bright and sparkling eyes, yet she couldn't quite put her finger on why. She honestly replied, "Even if I'm an adult, it won't work. I don't think anyone has achieved more military merit than me, so naturally, I can't claim any immortal achievements."

This world is so insane that even she, as an NPC, is afraid. To prevent others from making such demands, Zhang Yang will strive to achieve great things. Xiao Sui even sighed with regret, waving her fan and muttering, "What a pity."

Zhang Yang: "..."

I have no desire to know what Xiuying is regretting.

The two did not deliberately avoid being seen, and Ge Zhou, who was guarding Zhang Yang, heard it, as did Guan Si.

During a break in the march, Guan Si walked past Xiao Sui.

He asked calmly, "You think you're even worthy of coveting it?"

Xiao Sui was stunned for a moment, then belatedly realized what Guan Si had asked, feeling both annoyed and amused. It was just a joke, yet he had taken it to heart. She replied, "Of course I'm a good match, for I possess both beauty and talent. I have the beauty to please your heart, and the wisdom to share your burdens; a match made in heaven."

Guan Si: "..."

He glanced at Xiao Sui for a moment, then walked away.

Xiao Sui touched the back of her neck, where the hairs were standing on end despite the cold weather, and clicked her tongue: "Thank goodness it's Guan Siyin and not Wang Gongsun..."

Guan Si would at most ask a question, and if he was rebuffed, he would just walk away in silence. If it were Wang Qi's turn, he might just swing his fist and smash someone.

However, Xiao Sui underestimated Guan Si.

Because a few days later, she received a letter from Fan You.

Xiao Sui silently snapped the fan handle in half.

"...Are you ill?"

She knew perfectly well who had filed the complaint.

"My lord, may I ask who the informant is?"

Sun Ban's trusted subordinates stared in disbelief at the map of the granaries in their hands, both surprised and delighted. Since Zhang Yang and Sun Ban went to war, Sun Ban's side had received no news of the former's granaries, no matter how their scouts investigated or infiltrated. They never imagined that this crucial secret would one day appear in their hands.

Sun Ban: "We cannot disclose this person's identity at this time."

Only a handful of people knew about Changsun Wang's affairs.

Sun Ban concealed this matter because she feared someone close to her might secretly defect to Zhang Yang and leak the confidential information. If Changsun Wang were exposed, Sun Ban would lose her only chance to turn the tide. Fearing her confidants would object, she patiently explained, "It's not that I don't trust you, but there are already quite a few people secretly plotting to defect to the traitor Zhang. If it's leaked, we'll both be in grave danger."

The slight resentment in his heart vanished.

"This humble general didn't think much of it, but simply wanted to know if this map was fake? Could it be a trap deliberately laid out by the traitor Zhang?"

Sun Ban said, "The news is true."

There were many twists and turns in the process of making this map.

Sun Ban cooperated with Changsun Wang to gain his trust, and even proactively revealed a few less important military outposts. Although most of the troops at these outposts had withdrawn before Zhang's attack, they still managed to leave some benefits for the enemy. Changsun Wang thus gained a small bit of recognition.

He performed meritorious service, and Lu Yuan's side naturally benefited.

Under Changsun Wang's deliberate seduction, Lü Yuan indeed reverted to his old ways, which gave him the opportunity to access the map.

"Has anyone been sent to secretly verify its authenticity?"

Sun Ban: "We sent people there, and they did find traces of laborers and cart tracks. Zhang the bandit is secretive; he even transports grain by hiding during the day and going out at night, taking the most labor-intensive and resource-intensive routes, going the long way around instead of the nearest. No wonder you and I didn't notice his tracks before."

Upon hearing this, the confidant immediately believed him to be 70% true.

"Does our lord intend to launch a surprise attack on Zhang's grain depot to break the stalemate?"

Sun Ban sighed, "This is the only way now... We suffered heavy losses from Zhang's attack, and a direct confrontation between the two armies would be very disadvantageous for us. If we concentrate our forces and have inside help, we might be able to cut off their supplies. It's worth a try."

The prefect of Hu County also said, "The weather has been cold lately, and the calmer parts of the river are starting to freeze. After a while, on the first day of the month, our army can use this to cross the river and bypass the most heavily guarded areas of Zhang's army. We can launch a surprise attack on their rear without anyone noticing."

Come and don't come, it's indecent.

Sun Ban was short of food and supplies, and it seemed he would have a hard time even getting through the winter. There was no reason for Zhang Yang to be living comfortably. He had to make things difficult for the other side as well, and the lack of food and clothing was the best retribution.

The confidant calculated the time with his fingers and, based on past experience, said: "By the next new moon, the river will not be thick enough for a person to pass through."

The prefect of Hu County said, "That's easy to handle."

? ?＿|￣|●

I was fishing for the Dragon Boat Festival while writing this, but then karma struck. The client crashed, my computer froze, and all the hard work I'd put in for over an hour was wiped out by the update.