The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 100 - Strategy

The tall, wiry man with the pockmarked face, though lacking the fierce, brutish look of his companions, stood there with an intimidating presence, his face hardened with frustration. First Lady Cui furrowed her brows, ready to reprimand him, but Cui Yingshu stopped her.

"Relax," he said. "This girl never acts unless she's fully prepared. Since she's made up her mind, a few greenwood bandits won't scare her. I bet even the Jinyiwei would have a hard time escaping without a scratch if she set her sights on them."

First Lady Cui, while not accustomed to seeing Song Chuyi intimidated, restrained her anger and stood by with a stern expression. She glanced at Song Chuyi, who looked surprisingly composed, then leaned over to whisper to Cui Yingshu, "How is it that she seems different after this trip to Qingzhou?"

Meanwhile, Song Chuyi, unperturbed and silent, fixed her large, beautiful eyes squarely on the pockmarked man. Though she was a full head shorter than him, her gaze held a strange authority, intimidating rather than intimidated.

Under her unwavering stare, the man faltered, shifting his gaze nervously before appealing to Cui Shaoting, "Sir, don't let a child toy with us. If there's something you need done, just tell us directly!"

Cui Shaoting, hands behind his back, gave Song Chuyi a sidelong glance and couldn't help but shiver at her Buddha-like composure as she scrutinized them. He thought to himself that waking up at night to see someone staring at you like that would be a terrifying sight indeed.

"You'll only need to follow my orders from now on," Song Chuyi finally said, her gaze sweeping over the group before settling back on Cui Shaoting. "If you help me, I'll make sure your families are cared for—right, Uncle?"

Cui Shaoting looked over at Cui Yingshu, who remained impassive, then turned back and reluctantly nodded after a resigned cough.

Beside him, Lady Yu gripped First Lady Cui's hand tightly, whispering, "It's truly peculiar... how did Chuyi know that my husband had captured these men's families to ensure their loyalty?"

First Lady Cui sighed; a girl with such intelligence might find it more a curse than a blessing.

The pockmarked man cast a stunned glance at Song Chuyi—her hair in neat double buns, her attire a lovely pink jacket under a flowing gauzy robe of shifting colors, over a white embroidered skirt. She looked every inch an ethereal young lady. And yet, this dainty little girl expected him to follow her orders?

Masking his surprise, he shot an uncertain glance at Cui Shaoting before grumbling loudly, "Fine, if the lord himself insists, then I've no objections. Just tell us what you want done!"

After they all had their say, Song Chuyi smiled calmly. "Finish butchering the lambs for now. Once you're done, someone will take you to where you're supposed to go. I'll tell you your duties once you're settled."

With no choice but to comply, the men resumed their work, heads bowed. Pockmarked Face and his companions weren't intimidated by a mere girl; she was still just a girl, after all, without true power or authority. Their real fear lay with Cui Shaoting—the famously cunning man who, back in Fujian, had managed to subdue every bandit in the region. Now he held their families' lives in his hands. If this was what he wanted, they would follow, even if it meant serving under a girl barely out of childhood.

As soon as First Lady Cui left the door, she grabbed Song Chuyi's hand, frowning, "Be honest, what exactly do you want these men to do for you?"

Song Chuyi held her hand back, glancing at her two uncles, who were both all ears. After a pause, she said, "It seems someone has been targeting me lately. I don't have anyone under my command to investigate properly."

Cui Yingshu immediately looked serious. "Do you know who it is? Was it someone you encountered in Qingzhou?"

Song Chuyi shook her head, looking as if she might sigh. "It's probably not from Qingzhou; they've likely been watching me for a while. It's a bit tricky, but not impossible to handle—I already have a plan."

Seeing that she clearly didn't want to elaborate, First Lady Cui and Lady Yu exchanged worried glances. It was Cui Shaoting, however, who observed Song Chuyi thoughtfully. He had heard that two young men had accompanied her back from Qingzhou: one was Guo Huaiying's son, and the other was Han Zhi, the heir of Marquis Jinxiang.

Song Chuyi had shown admiration for the Guo family previously, so it was unlikely she'd need to use these ruthless mountain bandits against Guo's son. That left Han Zhi. Having also come from a military family, Cui Shaoting had never gotten along with Han Zhi's father, Marquis Jinxiang Han Zhengqing. As a martial arts champion who'd earned his rank, Cui Shaoting had a strong sense of duty, while Han Zhengqing was merely a hereditary general stationed in Datong. Though they'd maintained a peace with one in the south and one in the north, Cui Shaoting had now been promoted to Vice Minister of War and Commander of the Three Borders, making him Han Zhengqing's superior.

"Listen, if there's really something serious going on, don't try to tackle it alone," Cui Yingshu interrupted Cui Shaoting's thoughts, looking sternly at Song Chuyi. "These men are difficult to control. Don't let yourself get ensnared by them. That wouldn't be worth it at all."

First Lady Cui and Lady Yu echoed his sentiment, "Don't end up trading something invaluable for something trivial—that would only make things worse."

Cui Shaoting, on the other hand, felt he might have grasped part of the situation. Pulling Song Chuyi aside, he asked quietly, "You've barely been back from Qingzhou for two days. No one would have had time to offend you here; it's probably someone who followed you all the way back. Guo's son isn't worth thinking about—so it must be Marquis Jinxiang's heir, right?"

Song Chuyi didn't nod or shake her head but instead turned the question on him, asking about the group with the pockmarked man. "Uncle, rather than pressing me on this, why don't you teach me how to keep these men firmly under my control? You can send them to the front lines without a second thought. If I learn these skills, won't I be able to handle anyone eyeing my things in the future?"

Cui Shaoting tapped her head lightly, laughing, "You've already got them by the reins, and yet you're still coming to me for help? For such a young girl, you've certainly mastered all kinds of tactics!"