Chapter 127

Chapter 127

Although Ji Yan’an was resting, there were still many matters that required his attention.

He did not have to go onto the battlefield himself, but he had to understand and remember the situation there, as well as both the enemy’s and his own army’s deployments. Fortunately, he had an excellent memory. Any map he looked at once, he could basically commit to memory.

Almost every day, they held two or three meetings to discuss tactics.

Jiang Yunsui would occasionally stay for the meetings and watch as he, the youngest person present, made the final decision.

Ji Yan’an seemed born to oversee the bigger picture. Even without personally stepping onto the battlefield, he could keep the entire war situation firmly in hand.

Of course, he was not a dictator.

He would first let the generals put forward their opinions, then let them argue. After that, he would gather all the information, refine it, and finally settle on a strategy.

So far, while the tactical decisions he had made had not driven back the Barbarian Army, they had kept Qiusha Prefecture City firmly under their control and prevented the enemy from getting even a single step inside.

Their side had also suffered very few losses.

At only thirteen years old, being able to accomplish all this and hold an entire prefecture city was already more than enough to earn admiration.

By now, it had already been a month since Jiang Yunsui arrived here.

The weather had turned cold, and even Jiang Yunsui had put on thick clothes.

As for Ji Yan’an, that went without saying. Nanshu, the “old mother hen,” was so worried about his health that he was terrified the Young Master might be touched by even the slightest breeze.

It would have been one thing if he were merely dressed thickly, but he was also wearing a heavy cloak, and three braziers of charcoal burned inside the study.

After taking only a few steps, Ji Yan’an already felt as if his entire body had become unbearably heavy.

Jiang Yunsui walked beside him, glancing at him every so often.

“Ji Yan’an, you look so chubby like this.”

Ji Yan’an: “…”

Nanshu said, “Shoo, shoo. What do you know? The Young Master has always been sensitive to the cold. What if he catches a chill because he isn’t wearing enough? If he falls ill again, the little bit of flesh he finally managed to put on will be gone.”

When they reached the door of the study, Ji Yan’an stopped.

“Young Master, keep walking.”

Nanshu stood at the side, eagerly attentive.

Ji Yan’an stared at the threshold. After a long while, he said slowly, “Next time, have this threshold removed.”

Then he lifted his foot with great difficulty and stepped inside.

That short walk had exhausted him terribly.

And it still was not over. The moment he sat down, Nanshu directly carried over a quilt and wrapped Ji Yan’an up like a rice dumpling.

In the end, only a pair of eyes was left showing.

Everyone else in the study stared at that rice dumpling with strange expressions.

Ji Yan’an thought expressionlessly, Should I just dismiss Nanshu?

He was the dignified Young Master of the Ji Family, and now he had lost all face.

“Take this off me.”

Nanshu said, “Young Master, you mustn’t let your guard down. The weather here is far too cold. That wind just goes whoosh, whoosh-”

Ji Yan’an’s icy glare went whoosh, whoosh across him instead.

Nanshu shut his mouth. “Right away. I’ll take it off right now.”

He looked rather reluctant about it, too.

Song Jin nearly laughed himself to death at Nanshu.

“I say, Nanshu, are you trying to crush your Young Master’s little frame to death with all this? He can barely breathe.”

Nanshu hurriedly glanced at the Young Master. Surely not? This was not that much clothing.

Jiang Yunsui offered her small hand to Ji Yan’an.

“Ji Yan’an, my hands are warm. You can use me as your hand warmer.”

Ji Yan’an did not know what a hand warmer was, but her hand was indeed much warmer.

The meeting began, and the generals below took turns reporting what they knew about the Barbarian Army’s situation.

Song Jin said, “They’ve been too quiet lately. It feels like they’re holding back something big.”

Ji Yan’an pondered for a moment. “Have the scouts continue gathering information. Also, everyone must stay alert in the coming days. We can’t remain on the defensive forever. If they can harass us, then we can harass them just the same.”
“The weather is getting colder by the day. Winter is almost here, and grain is hard for the Barbarian Army to come by. On top of that, we control the trade routes from the Central Plains to the grasslands, so it will be even harder for them to obtain food. They have been locked in a standoff with us at Qiusha for three months. Their provisions must be running low. Under these circumstances, if they want grain, the fastest way is to plunder.”

And not only grain. They would seize people, too.

To the Barbarians, humans were also one of their food sources.

Ji Yan’an studied the terrain on the sand table and planted command flags in several places.

“These locations all have dangerous entry points that are difficult to defend. Commandant Song, assign men at once to set traps near these villages and protect the villagers.”

“Yes, sir!”

Ji Yan’an issued his orders one by one, and the meeting did not disperse until nearly an hour later.

“Song Jin, stay behind.”

Ji Yan’an held a cup of hot tea. The rising steam blurred his brows and eyes as he gave a faint glance toward the departing men. The last man paused, looked at Song Jin a few more times, then finally shut the door and left.

Nanmo and the Dongming Guard stood watch outside the door. Though Sun Zhe badly wanted to know what the people inside were saying, he did not dare linger and could only hurry away.

Jiang Yunsui said, “Ji Yan’an, it was the last person to leave. I saw him release a pigeon.”

Ji Yan’an squeezed her hand. It was warm and relieved his stress. Excellent.

Song Jin raised a brow. “What, is there something wrong with Sun Zhe?”

Perhaps Ji Yan’an had been carrying too heavy a burden. Now that everyone present was one of his own, he slumped in his chair with little regard for appearances, looking like a lazy big cat.

“Whether there is or not, we’ll know tonight.”

“I’ll assign a unit of the Dongming Guard to you. If you discover a problem, seize him immediately.”

“If I remember correctly, Mr. Song is rather skilled at imitating other people’s handwriting?”

Song Jin said, “Just a petty trick unfit for polite company.”

He claimed it was unfit for polite company, but the smugness in his eyes could not be hidden at all.

When intelligent people spoke, there was no need to spell everything out. Song Jin understood Ji Yan’an’s plan at once.

By nightfall, the weather had grown even colder.

Ji Yan’an lay directly on the bed. Though the charcoal fire in the room burned hot, it still made him uncomfortable.

“Where is Jiang Yunsui?”

Nanshu said, “As if you don’t already know. That little girl runs wherever there’s excitement. She left with Song Jin.”

Ji Yan’an gave a listless hum and continued reading.

What a pity. His soft, human-shaped little hand warmer had run off.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yunsui, the person he was thinking of, sneezed twice.

She quickly checked her body.

Oh no. Was Little Mushroom sick?

But aside from those two sneezes, nothing else seemed wrong at all.

Forget it. She had to hurry inside, or the man would be caught before she could watch the fun.

Jiang Yunsui scampered into a residence, and then she heard Song Jin’s vicious voice.

Of course, the viciousness was aimed at other people. As far as Jiang Yunsui was concerned, that mouth should talk more.

“Commandant Sun, tell me, should I steam this pigeon or braise it?”

Song Jin held a pigeon in his hand and joked carelessly. Under Sun Zhe’s terrified gaze, he pulled a tiny envelope from the pigeon’s leg.

Sun Zhe wanted to stop him, but the Dongming Guard had him pinned down. They had even pressed his face unceremoniously to the floor, leaving him completely unable to move.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk… The Young Master only issued his orders today, and here you are in the middle of the night. Who were you planning to deliver this news to? Who has you pining for them day and night like this, Commandant Sun? Why don’t you tell us, too?”

He crouched down and smiled as he stared at Sun Zhe, who was pinned flat against the ground, but there was not the slightest trace of warmth in his eyes.