Jiang Song frowned and replied, "What does General Fan mean by this? Your humble servant is merely using a metaphor."
Jiang Song, a man in his fifties, bristled with anger, his mustache twitching. "Not sending troops is just a strategy. If we deploy our forces at the slightest provocation, wouldn't our Yun Kingdom be seen as a belligerent nation among the other great powers? By then, who would be willing to trade with us, who would want to interact with us? Wouldn't we become an ostracized nation?"
Hearing this, the ministers felt it made sense and many sided with the decision not to go to war, with only a few individuals agreeing with the opposing view.
As Fan Zehao was about to speak, Fang Jingchen tugged his arm and shook his head at him.
The Emperor also pondered the words of his ministers. Both sides had valid points, their perspectives merely differing.
In the end, the Emperor dispatched a prince from the royal clan to the border to serve as Yun's envoy and negotiate with the Zongsheng Kingdom. If the matter could be settled with eloquent persuasion, there would be no need for military action. If not, then troops would be deployed, as the Minister of Personnel had suggested.
After the matter was concluded, the Emperor retained General Fang Jingchen, while the others dispersed from the court.
Upon returning home, Fan Zehao kicked a chair with great force, shattering it.
The sight of his furious face almost made Li Sisi cry.
After seeing Li Sisi off, she asked him, "What's wrong? You're so short-tempered."
"Those old fools! The enemy is practically at our doorstep, and they're still talking about such trivial matters as saving labor and resources."
He spoke unclearly, leaving Zhao Jiaqi bewildered. She calmly poured him a cup of tea to help him calm down.
After a while, he recounted the events of the court to Zhao Jiaqi, including the arguments of the ministers.
Only then did she understand. "After court, did you go to find the soldier who delivered the message?"
"If he rushed from the border, then his understanding of the situation should be more accurate than the conjectures of those ministers. If he received the secret report midway, he would have been able to discern the attitude of the original messenger and get some inkling!"
She paused, thinking for a moment, and then said, "I believe that since it's a secret report, the situation on the front lines must be extremely dire. The general guarding the border wouldn't issue an urgent secret report for a minor issue."
Fan Zehao suddenly realized and slapped his forehead in frustration. "Exactly! Who becomes the emperor of the Zongsheng Kingdom is their business. They would surely announce it to the world!"
Even without an urgent dispatch, the Emperor would eventually know.
"My wife is right. I'll go to the post station to find that young soldier immediately."
Impatient, Fan Zehao, without even changing out of his court attire, rode off on his horse. Zhao Jiaqi watched the empty room with a sigh and then turned to head to the study.
If war were truly imminent, she couldn't offer much help. However, she could at least write down some of the tactics she'd seen on television. If they could prevent war, great. If not, perhaps they could help hold off the enemy for a while.
He returned as quickly as he had left. Zhao Jiaqi, seeing his displeased expression, could guess most of what had happened.
"This young soldier received the report halfway from the previous messenger. It's said that the soldier who handed it to him was covered in blood, and had ridden two horses to death before passing it on!"
Zhao Jiaqi patted his shoulder to comfort him. "Turn your sadness into strength. While you're not yet on the battlefield, quickly learn about ice warfare. I've also written down some tricks. They are rather underhanded, but might be effective in killing the enemy!"
Fan Zehao chuckled, his heart aching. "As long as it kills the enemy, what does it matter if it's underhanded? It's you who has to suffer along with me."
"We are one as husband and wife. What are you saying? I only wish for our country to be peaceful, and for our soldiers not to make unnecessary sacrifices. That's what we want to see. However, this hope is slim. All you can do is minimize casualties and losses. You are the one who is truly bearing the burden."
Fan Zehao held her hand and gently patted it.
Fang Jingchen, standing outside the door, overheard the couple's conversation. He deeply admired General Fan's wife, recognizing her as a magnanimous person whose vision and broad-mindedness were beyond that of ladies confined to the inner quarters.
He let out a hearty laugh and then strode into the main hall. "It seems I've arrived at a most opportune moment. Madam, would you mind teaching me how to wage war on ice, and what are these underhanded tactics? Do you, General Fan and Madam, mind if I learn as well?"
Seeing that it was Old General Fang, the couple rose to greet him. Fan Zehao said, "As fellow military officers, I, your junior, only hope for a great victory with minimal sacrifices. If I have any effective strategies, I will certainly not hide them!"
Zhao Jiaqi curtsied slightly towards Fang Jingchen, her eyes showing understanding, and gracefully withdrew, leaving the space for the two men.
As a result, their discussion continued from noon until dusk, and they reluctantly left the study.
Seeing that it was getting late, Fan Zehao insisted on Fang Jingchen staying for dinner before letting him depart.
Under the guidance of Old General Fang, Fan Zehao learned a great deal. The elder and the younger man found they got along remarkably well.
At the dinner table, Fang Jingchen revealed the Emperor's plan. "I will be going to the border by next month at the latest. The Emperor asked if I needed an assistant this time, and I nominated you."
"Thank you for recommending me, General Fang. However, I have a question. Regarding the three thousand elite troops under Zong Han that were mentioned in court, are they real?"
Fang Jingchen put down his wine cup and nodded heavily. "They are real. This unit is elusive, sometimes splitting into smaller groups, sometimes infiltrating enemy ranks in disguise. They always strike unexpectedly. Anyone who has encountered them on the battlefield is dead, so they remain a mystery. Information about this elite army was only obtained from our spies within the Zongsheng Kingdom, and that's all the records we have."
Zhao Jiaqi, listening from the side, was so startled that she almost dropped her chopsticks. Her face immediately turned grave.
How did this sound like some kind of special unit?
Could it be that there were people from her time who had transmigrated here?
If she encountered a spy who had transmigrated, the consequences would be unthinkable!
Ten days passed in a flash. Fan Zehao spent a lot of time with Fang Jingchen, constantly refining and practicing the combat methods written by Zhao Jiaqi, and even drawing new insights from them.
Meanwhile, Zhao Jiaqi was also accelerating the processing of her affairs. Li Sisi's milk tea and pastry shop had successfully opened.
The business was doing well. While it couldn't compare to century-old pastry shops, her food was fresh, sweet but not greasy, and reasonably priced. Moreover, she offered delivery service.
The key attraction was that customers could enjoy a free cup of milk tea with their pastries in the shop, making it a great spot for friends to gather and chat.
Since Fan Xudong had returned with Fan Zehao, he had been out and about every day, only returning home at night to sleep.
One day, as he was about to leave, Zhao Jiaqi grabbed him back. "You're never home. What are you up to?"
Xudong chuckled sheepishly and fiddled with his fingers. "I was just meeting... Princess Pingting!"
"Meeting? Just 'meeting'?"