Chapter 105

The news of the massacre of the entire household of the Prefect of Liangzhou left Qin Zheng stunned for a while.

In the original story, when Liangzhou fell, the father of the female protagonist and the Marquis of Qin, who went to aid them with his troops, fell into the hands of the Northern Barbarians.

The deputy general accused the female protagonist’s father of being reckless, leading to their defeat.

The protagonist’s father was branded a criminal, and the Prefect’s household was plundered.

The protagonist herself was reduced to slavery and sold before being bought back by the male protagonist, the Marquis of Qin’s heir.

But now, the narrative had changed to the slaughter of the entire household of the Prefect of Liangzhou, with the deputy general also dead.

There was definitely more to this than meets the eye.

Qin Zheng furrowed her brow. “When Liangzhou was attacked previously, the Marquis of Qin didn’t receive the plea for help from the Prefect’s household.

Shortly after, the Prefect’s household was wiped out, and the deputy general of Liangzhou also died… It’s all too suspicious.”

She gripped the scroll in her hand tighter. “When I read the script, the daughter of the Prefect of Liangzhou clears her father’s name.

The deputy general exposes Li Zhong and there’s a letter exchanged between them as evidence.

I remember that letter was hidden behind a brick in the deputy general’s bedroom. With that letter, even if it’s not definitive proof, it will raise suspicions about Li Xin’s intentional abandonment of Liangzhou.”

Chu Chengji nodded in agreement. “I’ll draft a letter to send to Beiting, instructing them to investigate the matter of the correspondence.”

Jianghuai was far from Liangzhou, and the journey would take some time.

Beiting bordered Liangzhou directly, and at this moment, Li Xin was their common enemy with the Marquis of Qin.

Having Beiting investigate the matter themselves would be much more convenient than sending someone from their side.

Thinking back to what Qin’s mother had mentioned to her, Qin Zheng discussed with Chu Chengji. “With the situation in Beiting, Mother is worried about Sheng’er. I’m also concerned that with the Marquis of Qin busy dealing with the Northern Barbarians, he might not have time to think about Sheng’er. I intend to send someone to bring Sheng’er back.”

After a moment of thought, Chu Chengji said, “Alright, and we’ll send ten thousand troops to support Beiting.”

The Marquis of Qin not only had to deal with the Northern Barbarians’ strong attack but also guard against Li Xin’s backstabbing.

Their intervention at this time would definitely provide a significant boost to the Marquis of Qin.

However, Qin Zheng was worried about the current situation in Qingzhou. “Sending away ten thousand troops, what about the Chen army attacking Qingzhou on the other side of the river?”

Qingzhou had been recruiting soldiers and horses for days, but the current garrison was only thirty thousand troops.

With Xuzhou held by the Prince of Huaiyang, if Qingzhou faced trouble, Xuzhou couldn’t spare troops to help.

The troops in Meng County had to guard the granaries and couldn’t be moved.

The only hope lay with the Yongzhou troops under An Yuanqing.

Previously, when Dong Cheng defected, Cen Daoxi had warned Qin Zheng about the possibility of a ruse.

Qin Zheng had been cautious since then, not daring to count the Yongzhou troops fully as their own.

Sitting on the pear wood chair, Chu Chengji, dressed in a robe with intricate dark patterns, the snowy white inner collar underneath standing out, the candlelight casting a golden line along his profile, casually held a bamboo scroll in his hand:

“Li Xin’s dispatching troops northwards has earned him a reputation for considering the overall situation.

If we also send troops northwards, when Qingzhou faces the Chen army again, let’s see what those intellectuals under Li Xin’s command have to say.”

Qin Zheng immediately responded, “When the multitude speaks, it’s hard to silence them. If we send troops to Beiting just to salvage our reputation, it might give the Chen army an opportunity. The risks outweigh the benefits.”

Chu Chengji looked at her with a slight smile. “So, Ah Zheng thinks I’m being impulsive. Will the Chen army be deceived as well?”

Qin Zheng paused, then realized his intention. He was trying to “show weakness,” making the Chen army believe that with so many troops sent northwards, there must be few left guarding Qingzhou, thus tempting them to launch an attack, only to face a full-blooded counterattack.

She asked, “Ten thousand troops is not a small number. How do you plan to conceal this from the Chen army?”

Chu Chengji replied, “Don’t you and Lin Zhao have a corps of female soldiers?”

Speaking of this, Qin Zheng felt a bit guilty.

She had privately allocated funds to the Lady’s Army, allowing Lin Zhao’s Lady’s Army to grow from a few hundred initially to several thousand now.

With the onset of war, personnel in the army were already stretched thin.

When Qin Zheng inspected the river channels and distributed wages to the peasants based on a system of more work, more pay, those responsible for supervising and counting were mostly members of the Lady’s Army.

In ancient times, the lowest official rank was ninth grade, such as a county magistrate’s clerk.

However, even these minor officials had a group of assistants known as clerks under their command.

These clerks were known as “li”.

Officials received their salaries from the court, but clerks did not; their monthly wages were provided by local government offices.

To put it simply, officials had official positions, while clerks were temporary employees outside the official establishment.

With all the men going off to war, Qin Zheng thought of having the Lady’s Army handle logistics.

This was also a pioneering move in employing female clerks on a large scale.

The conservative old officials didn’t believe that women could serve as soldiers.

Lin Zhao’s exceptional martial skills were an exception.@@novelbin@@

For those who didn’t match Lin Zhao’s prowess, it was impossible for them to fight on the battlefield.

In terms of employment, Qin Zheng assigned them to seemingly insignificant positions, allowing the soldiers who were originally responsible for these trivial matters to return to the front lines.

Surprisingly, there was little opposition from officials to her actions.

Before Cen Daoxi went to Xuzhou for his new post, the letter he wrote to Lin Zhao not only apologized but also helped plan the Lady’s Army’s future.

In the letter, he mentioned that ladies from noble families could have a few female bodyguards with them.

In case of danger, female bodyguards could protect their mistresses, which was more convenient than having male bodyguards.

However, noble families were a minority, and the demand for female bodyguards was limited.

Only those with decent martial skills who were willing to work as bodyguards could have this opportunity.

This led Qin Zheng to think of the bodyguard industry in the future, allowing Lin Zhao to take on some protection contracts with the Lady’s Army.

Some high-ranking officials were reluctant to keep female bodyguards all the time, especially since female family members rarely went out.

However, having female bodyguards accompany them on occasional outings was still very convenient.

Lin Yao and his sister were former members of the Green Forest, so when Lin Yao heard Qin Zheng’s proposal, he felt it was similar to a security company and readily agreed to it.

Lin Zhao hadn’t even been appointed as a commander by Chu Chengji before he, along with the elite of the Lady’s Army, had already taken on several business deals.

It could be considered an unexpected windfall.

Originally, Lin Zhao just wanted to find a way out for the Lady’s Army.

Occasionally, the Lady’s Army sent out on assignments could also gather some useful information from the mouths of noble families.

Qin Zheng realized that the “female bodyguard” industry could potentially become a network for gathering intelligence.

Thus, she increased her financial investment in the Lady’s Army.

She also instructed Lin Zhao to keep the source of the Lady’s Army hidden.

Outsiders only knew that the available “female bodyguards” all belonged to a certain escort agency.

In addition, within the Lady’s Army, there were those skilled in embroidery or cooking, who were hired to work in other households.

They could also set up small stalls on the street to gather useful intelligence.

Now that Chu Chengji suddenly mentioned the Lady’s Army, Qin Zheng realized that the Lady’s Army might finally have an official designation.

She tentatively asked, “Are you suggesting that the Lady’s Army impersonate the Chu army and go to Beiting, making the Chen army think that the defense of Qingzhou has weakened and thus create an opportunity?”

Chu Chengji nodded, “I also plan to send another three thousand elite soldiers with the Lady’s Army to Beiting.

We will transport the items with the imperial seal from the imperial tomb to the Western Regions for sale.

The money from digging canals and repairing embankments can then be put to use.”

Qin Zheng calculated in her heart. With more than five thousand members of the Lady’s Army plus Chu Chengji’s three thousand elite soldiers, eight thousand troops, it would indeed be difficult to distinguish between real and fake ten thousand troops.

Qin Zheng had heard of the ferocity of the Beiting people.

She was worried that the Lady’s Army would suffer losses against them.

She almost twisted the book in her hand into a twist, “The difference in strength between men and women is huge. Although this plan may make the Chen army stationed in Jianghuai careless, letting the Lady’s Army help Lianqinhou deal with the Beiting people… I’m afraid these girls…”

Chu Chengji said, “Our troops heading north will not engage in battle, just assist Lianqinhou in deterring the troops of Li Xin, so that he dare not stab us in the back.

Jianghuai is currently in a bitter battle. I will write a letter to Lianqinhou, explaining the reasons.”

With his explanation, Qin Zheng felt relieved.

Li Xin didn’t know whether their ten thousand troops were real or not, so he wouldn’t dare to act rashly.

With Lianqinhou no longer worried about being stabbed in the back, he could focus on dealing with the barbarians of Beiting.

Qin Zheng turned her worries into joy and couldn’t help but praise, “Your plan can be said to kill three birds with one stone.”

Firstly, it “shows weakness” to lure the enemy, possibly prompting the Chen army stationed across the river to attack them. Even if the other side remains patient and doesn’t fall for the trick, they will still be equal to the Chen army in public opinion.

Secondly, it provides an opportunity to secretly transport the burial goods from the imperial tomb to the Western Regions for sale, solving their problem of financial liquidity.

Thirdly, by selling a favor to Lianqinhou, they can constrain Li Xin and then seize the opportunity to bring back Qin Sheng.

Chu Chengji raised his eyes and saw a complete reflection of himself in Qin Zheng’s eyes illuminated by the candlelight.

The joy and admiration in her eyes were unabashed, beautiful as if it were a starry night.

For the first time, Chu Chengji felt a sense of satisfaction from decades of studying military strategies.

He gently stroked Qin Zheng’s long hair, “Thanks to Ah Zheng for raising the Lady’s Army, I have a plan to implement.”

Qin Zheng pursed her lips and asked, “After the Lady’s Army returns from the north, can they be given an official designation?”

Chu Chengji nodded, “Of course.”

Qin Zheng almost jumped up from the soft couch, unable to even put down the book in her hand before rushing out, “I’m going to find Ah Zhao and tell her the good news.”

Chu Chengji grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back, “It’s already late in the night. She will be leading the troops north tomorrow. You can tell her tomorrow.”

Qin Zheng had to restrain her joy and returned to bed, but unfortunately, she was too excited to fall asleep.

After giggling foolishly for a while, she hugged Chu Chengji’s face and kissed him a few times.

Chu Chengji remained still, but his breathing became heavier.

Before he could react, the person beside him, who was tossing and turning, had already breathed evenly.

Chu Chengji turned his head, and his gaze lingered on the open neckline of her shirt for a moment before sliding down to her throat.

He closed his eyes, rubbed his brow with resignation, and thought, oh well, she must be tired these days.

He decided not to disturb her.

However, on this night, a certain dream boxer seemed to be engaged in battle in all directions.

With punches and kicks throughout the night, Chu Chengji, used to this, held her while sleeping.

But when the dream boxer inadvertently kicked off his sleeping robe, things didn’t seem so good…

A few days later, Beiting, Leizhou.

Xie Chi, dressed in plain clothes and covered in dust, entered the Leizhou Prefecture.

He barged into Lianqinhou’s study and exclaimed, “Old man, are you fooled by that former Crown Prince of Chu again? I received your order to go to Liangzhou, but after searching through the bricks and tiles of the deputy general’s house, I found nothing!”

Lianqinhou’s eyebrows furrowed, “Nothing in the hidden chamber either?”

Xie Chi replied, “There was one in the hidden chamber, but it was empty.”

As the words left his mouth, Xie Chi also thought of a possibility.

Could it be that the letter had been taken in advance?

After all, the former Crown Prince of Chu knew about the existence of this letter.

Who knows, maybe others also knew about it.

If it was taken by someone from Li Xin’s camp and destroyed as evidence, that wouldn’t be good at all!