Volume Five: Those Years When I Was the Prime Minister
Lord Prime Minister
Year 13 of the Yangming Era1
The mountain ranges rose and fell in undulating, continuous lines.
Through the treacherous Gobi shoals, gurgling water flowed in nine winding turns, finally pouring into the vast Songge Lake4. It was boundless, its surface as smooth as a mirror. As the evening breeze blew, the water shimmered.
Wen Nuan straightened the conical hat5 that had been knocked askew by the northwest wind. She looked at the plaque before her. The writing, ravaged by the fierce wind and yellow sand, was now blurry, but one could just barely make out the words “Songge City6.”
Two city guards stood at the northern gate, checking the travel permits7 of the passersby, rigorously verifying their identities to prevent enemy spies from sneaking in.
Recently, the southwestern border of Tianyang Kingdom had been anything but peaceful. This was mainly because Minqiu Kingdom8, situated in the heart of the great desert, had barren lands and could not sustain itself.
Thus, this vicious wolf had set its sights on the fertile, vast, and resource-rich Tianyang Kingdom. However, due to insufficient military strength in recent years, it couldn’t pose a real threat to Tianyang Kingdom and could only send cavalry to harass the southwestern border from time to time. But now, Minqiu Kingdom had collaborated with its neighbor, Pingzhou Kingdom9, wanting to swallow Tianyang’s border territory together.
“Travel permit?” The city guard looked warily at the woman wearing a conical hat. “Take off your hat. You’re not some delicate man, why wear a hat?”
Hearing this, the other soldiers looked over. Several of them had already raised their long sabers, watching the woman in the conical hat with defensive expressions.
Wen Nuan took off her hat. “The wind and sand are too strong. It’s for protection.”
Everyone’s eyes lit up. This woman was surprisingly more beautiful than a man, her face like jade. Her eyes, especially, were as bewitching as peach blossoms, seemingly shimmering with a lustrous sheen. In this environment of yellow sand and strong winds, she was like a shining pearl.
Her entire aura was cold and otherworldly, exuding a noble pride. She looked like someone raised amidst wealth and finery, utterly out of place in the desolate and lonely Songge City.
The city guard gave Wen Nuan a few more glances before looking at her travel permit. “Ling.. Ling Zhixia10, you’re from Jinyi City11. What is your business in Songge City?”
Ling Zhixia.
It was the alias she used for her travels, a false name to confuse people.
Wen Nuan put her hat back on and said faintly, “Wandering.”
“Wandering?” The city guard sneered. “Coming to a godforsaken place like this12 to wander? You think I’m that easy to fool?”
“To wander the four corners of the world13 is to appreciate the customs and scenery of different places. What’s wrong with me coming here to Songge City?”
The city guard stuffed the travel permit into his robes, his eyes narrowing. “I now suspect you are a spy sent by an enemy state. Men, seize this woman!”
The soldiers at the city gate surrounded Wen Nuan.
Wen Nuan looked at the long saber at her neck: “…..”
Songge City had no prefect14; it was managed by a large detachment of soldiers sent by General Li Panxuan15, who was stationed in Xizhou.
And this general would not stay in Songge City. She often went to the Tianyang military camp stationed about 10 kilometers away to drill her soldiers, patrol the border, formulate battle plans, and defend against enemy raids.
The jail in Songge City was extremely dilapidated. There weren’t many people imprisoned inside; Wen Nuan did a rough count and found only a dozen or so. There were only five or six soldiers guarding them. Given that every soldier held a long saber and the prisoners were all sallow-faced and emaciated, the plan for everyone to work together and break out of the prison was dead before it even started16.
Wen Nuan could be considered lucky; she got a private room.
The plaster on the prison walls was peeling off, revealing mottled moss and yellow mud. The ground was covered with straw, and a few pitch-black rats were squeaking in a corner.
“Get in!” a soldier yelled, shoving Wen Nuan. “Wait for our Captain Zhao to come and properly interrogate a spy like you.”
The Captain17 was the leader of the large detachment dispatched by Li Panxuan. To put it bluntly, she could be considered the current prefect of Songge City.
Wen Nuan stumbled from the push, looking at the straw-covered floor, the cobwebs, and the dust everywhere.
She placed her conical hat on a patch of straw that looked slightly cleaner, then sat down with composure and ease, quietly waiting for Captain Zhao to come and interrogate her.
Seeing her calm and unruffled18 posture, the soldier pouted. “Putting on airs. When Captain Zhao comes to interrogate you, you’ll be crying for your parents.”
Wen Nuan didn’t even deign to give her a glance, remaining silently seated.
The soldier spat, turned, and left.
【Why did you come here? Aren’t you going straight back to the capital?】 the system asked, puzzled.
“Go back for what?” Wen Nuan sighed. “Go back and let the female lead’s blackening value rise some more?”
【What do you mean?】
Wen Nuan took out a pipe from her robes and bit down on the stem. “It’s not like you don’t know what I did before I left this mission world.”
【…..】 The system caught on. 【Oh. So what does that have to do with you coming here?】
“Do you still remember what happened to Songge City in the original main storyline?”
The system looked up the plotline. 【Pingzhou Kingdom deliberately launched a surprise attack on the main military camp to divert the attention of the Tianyang army, which led to Songge City being ambushed, massacred, and occupied by Minqiu Kingdom.】
Most of the people in Songge City were the old, the young, and men too weak to even truss a chicken19. The able-bodied young women had all joined the army to serve the country. So, apart from the fifty soldiers dispatched by Li Panxuan to guard it, the rest of Songge City consisted of common folk who couldn’t carry heavy loads or lift things. They were completely unable to resist the raid and massacre by Minqiu Kingdom’s elite soldiers.
In the original plot, Minqiu Kingdom had dispatched just one battalion of soldiers to slaughter the nearly three thousand people in Songge City, not even sparing newborn babies.
Their methods were extremely vicious and ruthless, cold-blooded and cruel.
The soldiers of Minqiu Kingdom were all hardened killers who practiced the principle of cutting the grass and pulling out the roots20, showing absolutely no mercy.
Wen Nuan glanced at the three soldiers who were drinking and eating peanuts. They were chatting about something, letting out loud bursts of laughter from time to time, but they had no idea that tonight was the night they would die.
Her gaze fell on the long saber at a soldier’s waist. The quality was poor, but for killing, it would just have to do.
“So…” Wen Nuan retracted her gaze, the corner of her mouth hooking up. “Songge City can be considered the first apology gift I’m sending her.”
The lock on the cell door was opened. Wen Nuan was forcefully dragged out by two soldiers and tied to a pillar.
“Captain Zhao, this woman is the spy we caught today.”
Zhao Yan21 looked Wen Nuan up and down. This person was dressed in white, with an elegant temperament and outstanding looks. She didn’t look like a spy sent by an enemy state, but rather had the aristocratic and proud air of a major figure from the capital.
“Who exactly are you? Why have you come to Songge City?”
Zhao Yan had seen this person’s travel permit, but she always felt there was something fishy about the name Ling Zhixia, like it was a fake.
Most importantly, she dared to use the surname “Ling.”
Wen Nuan looked at Zhao Yan. “Zhao Yan, a native of Pingchang City. You have an elderly mother and a fulang22 at home. This March, your fulang gave birth to a daughter for you, named Zhao Ran23. From the looks of it, Captain Zhao’s future is soaring, and your family life is happy and fulfilling.”
Zhao Yan’s pupils contracted slightly, and her eyes narrowed. “Who in the world are you?”
To be able to state her background without a single mistake.
“A wandering scholar.”
“Think I’m easy to fool?” Zhao Yan drew the long saber from a nearby soldier, its sharp blade resting on Wen Nuan’s neck.
Her eyes were filled with danger as she pressed menacingly, “Who exactly are you? If you still don’t confess the truth, the one questioning you next will be King Yama24.”
“Did Captain Zhao happen to see the beacon smoke25 just now?”
Zhao Yan’s brow furrowed tightly.
This person was right again. Just now, the military camp ten kilometers away had lit beacon smoke. The white smoke dissolved into the thick, dark clouds, almost going unnoticed.
“Beacon smoke rises in all directions, foreign enemies are invading,” Wen Nuan continued, unconcerned by the cold blade at her neck. “Today, Tianyang Kingdom is attacked from front and rear. In Xizhou, you have the joint invasion of Minqiu Kingdom and Pingzhou Kingdom. In Dongling26, you have the wanton provocations of Xinzhao Kingdom27. In such a tense and critical situation, where do you think Songge City stands?”
Zhao Yan pondered for a moment, and her eyes instantly flew wide open. Her lips moved, and she heard the person before her part their thin lips and faintly utter:
“Of course, it is a place of strategic importance that must be contested28.”
Although Songge City was dilapidated and chaotic, it was one of Tianyang Kingdom’s key fortresses.
It snaked for over 1000 kilometers from east to west, guarding the Ange Plateau29 to the west, bordering precipitous ravines to the east, connecting to snowy mountain ranges to the south, and blocking a nine-bend long river to the north.
It was a place where mountains and ridges intertwined, forming a natural defensive barrier that was easy to defend and hard to attack, hence its reputation as a place where “one man can guard the pass against ten thousand30.”
Unfortunately, for such an important territory, Li Panxuan had only dispatched one large detachment to garrison it.
This was mainly because this person was conceited about her land and talent31, arrogant, and looked down on everyone. She thought that as long as she held the front line, the rear would be safe and sound. She never expected the enemy to make a feint to the east and attack in the west32, luring her into a trap33, and finally pulling the rug out from under her34 and seizing Songge City directly.
In the end, Minqiu Kingdom and Pingzhou Kingdom cooperated to pincer the Tianyang army, leading to its complete annihilation. Not one of the two hundred thousand soldiers survived.
The blade at her neck trembled slightly. A sting of pain, and blood trickled out.
Wen Nuan lowered her eyes and said faintly, “Captain Zhao, Songge City is of utmost importance to Tianyang Kingdom, yet General Li only dispatched one large detachment to garrison it. If Minqiu Kingdom sends elite soldiers to launch a surprise attack, how long can you hold out?”
“You—” Zhao Yan’s expression turned grave. She lowered the long saber.
She looked at a nearby soldier. “Go, immediately scout the surroundings of Songge City. If there is any abnormality, immediately raise the alarm.”
The soldier was stunned and said in astonishment, “Captain Zhao, this person’s identity is not yet determined. She might have been sent by the enemy to confuse us. You must not listen to the bewitching words of a spy.”
Zhao Yan scowled. “You dare to defy a military order?!”
“This subordinate wouldn’t dare,” the soldier said, dropping to her knees abruptly.
“Go, call all our sisters. We must guard Songge City tightly and leave the enemy no opportunity to exploit.”
“Yes!” The soldier acknowledged the order and immediately ran out to summon people.
Wen Nuan watched Zhao Yan immediately issue commands without a hint of doubt and said, somewhat surprised, “You don’t suspect me?”
“I do,” Zhao Yan said in a heavy voice.
“Then why do you still believe my words?” Wen Nuan asked, puzzled.
Zhao Yan held the long saber. With a flash of the blade, the hemp rope binding Wen Nuan fell away.
She handed the long saber to Wen Nuan, her face stern. “Because you dare… to use the surname Ling.”
The night was deep, the stars were few.
Tonight, Songge City seemed to be enveloped by dark clouds, with not a trace of light to be seen.
A woman in black quietly crouched at the corner of the wall outside Songge City, watching the guards at the north gate dozing off.
The woman raised her hand, clenched it into a fist, and hissed in a low voice, “Infiltrate! Prepare!”
The group immediately pressed themselves against the wall, gripping the hilts of their swords, killing intent flaring in their eyes.
The beasts hidden in the darkness had bared their fangs, waiting for the right moment to bite into their prey’s throat.
The woman narrowed her eyes, seeing that the guard had already slumped over the table, asleep.
She drew her longsword, her dark eyes filled with fighting spirit. The lips hidden beneath a black cloth parted. “Go—”
The group rose and drew their swords. Just as they were about to charge, they were frozen in place by the scene before them.
On the walls of Songge City, hundreds of torches were suddenly lit. The flames soared into the sky, illuminating the thick, dark clouds.
The group’s eyes were momentarily blinded by the light. When they came to their senses, they found themselves completely surrounded by the soldiers of Songge City. Although the number of people surrounding them was not large, the drawn arrows on the city wall and the dense mass of black figures above made their hearts turn cold with fear, and they didn’t dare to move recklessly.
Weren’t all of Tianyang Kingdom’s soldiers supposed to be at the front lines?
Why were there so many people in Songge City?
Could it be that they had walked into an ambush?!
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it35!
“Capture them! If any resist, kill them on the spot!” Zhao Yan shouted, walking out from the crowd.
The soldiers responded, “Yes—”
In an instant, the enemy troops fell into chaos. Not daring to resist, they could only be subdued by the soldiers of Songge City. The situation at the south gate was the same; the enemy raiders were so terrified by the people on the city walls that they didn’t dare to act rashly and could only surrender obediently.
Zhao Yan walked up the city wall and looked at the woman in white standing there with her hands behind her back.
On the walls were the human figures they had just painted to intimidate the enemy raiders. She had thought this trick wouldn’t fool the enemy, but unexpectedly, the enemy really believed a large army was garrisoned in Songge City and surrendered just like that.
At this moment, she was deeply impressed by Wen Nuan. She cupped her fist and said, “Expert, you are truly a brilliant strategist, both brave and wise. Zhao Yan is thoroughly convinced.”
“If we’re talking about brave and wise, that would be Captain Zhao,” Wen Nuan said, watching the enemy troops being captured by the soldiers. “If it weren’t for Captain Zhao’s swift and decisive action, I’m afraid Songge City could not have been saved tonight.”
Zhao Yan gave a sheepish smile. “The expert jests. If you hadn’t come specially to inform us that the enemy would raid Songge City tonight, I wouldn’t have been able to take any measures. And if you hadn’t told us to paint figures on the wall, the enemy wouldn’t have been caught off guard and captured so easily.”
Wen Nuan just smiled faintly. “It’s nothing. Right now, I have a matter that I must ask Captain Zhao to help with.”
Zhao Yan: “Expert, please speak. I will pledge my life to assist you36.”
“I want to see Li Panxuan.”
The expert wants to see the General?!
Zhao Yan thought for a moment. After all, if this expert could enter the military camp, it would surely be a great fortune for the Tianyang army.
“Alright. Tomorrow, I will take the prisoners of war and go with you, expert, to see the General.”
“Many thanks.” Wen Nuan turned and slowly walked down the city wall.
Zhao Yan followed behind her. Her slender back seemed to contain infinite power. This person knew martial arts, and her skills were certainly formidable.
“Expert, why is your surname Ling?” Zhao Yan finally asked the question that had been puzzling her.
Wen Nuan was puzzled. “Why can’t it be?”
Is there a problem with this surname?
In this mission world before, she had always used the surname Ling.
Zhao Yan: “Does the expert know of Tianyang Kingdom’s Prime Minister?”
Wen Nuan thought for a moment. “System, who is the current Prime Minister of Tianyang Kingdom?”
The system looked at the plotline. 【Ever since you resigned from your post, Tianyang Kingdom has had no Prime Minister.】
“The Empress Regnant37 didn’t appoint a new one?” Wen Nuan asked, surprised.
【According to the plotline, no.】 the system said. 【The Empress Regnant now manages the imperial court directly.】
“Alright.” Wen Nuan looked at Zhao Yan. “Doesn’t Tianyang Kingdom not have a Prime Minister?”
“That’s right, Tianyang Kingdom has no Prime Minister now,” Zhao Yan said, her eyes filled with nostalgia. “But three years ago, Tianyang Kingdom still had a Prime Minister.”
“Expert, do you know of Lord Prime Minister Ling Wen Nuan?”
The author has something to say:
Wen Nuan: Hehe, an old acquaintance.
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