Chapter 95: A Clever Counter to the Peace Proposal, and the Heroine’s Wisdom Breaks the Deadlock

Wang’s low, chilling voice echoed through the command tent.

In the Khan’s eyes flickered a greedy gleam, and the atmosphere between the two conspirators was thick with repression and threat.

At the same time, in the Southern court, an undercurrent was quietly gathering force.

Lin Shiya stood amid the assembly hall, her gaze like a torch as she swept over the ministers.

She knew all too well that the peace faction could not be underestimated, especially Minister He of the Ministry of War. Outwardly timid and cautious, he was in fact exceedingly cunning.

Rather than confront Minister He head-on, Lin Shiya decided to investigate in secret the true interests behind his support for peace.

Quietly, she instructed her trusted aides to gather every movement and detail concerning him.

A few days later, she received an important lead: Minister He had hidden ties to the enemy state.

She did not expose it at once. Instead, she chose to bide her time and wait for a better opening.

One day, Lin Shiya took the initiative to request an audience with Minister He, speaking with sincere humility and saying that she hoped to consult him on border governance after the peace talks.

Seeing her so deferential, Minister He grew smug and assumed she had finally softened.

“Minister Lin, what matter do you wish to discuss?” he asked with a self-satisfied air, already calculating how to use the moment to elevate his own standing.

The other ministers in court were puzzled, all guessing at the meaning behind Lin Shiya’s sudden courtesy.

Lin Shiya smiled faintly, her tone calm yet firm. “Minister He, after the peace settlement, the Southern court’s borders will face many new challenges. I would like to hear your learned opinion on how to manage the frontier effectively and prevent the enemy from encroaching again.”

Seeing how modest she was, Minister He became even more pleased with himself and launched into an expansive account of his plans.

“With peace concluded, we should strengthen the border defenses, establish more outposts, and tighten patrols. In addition, we must maintain negotiations with the enemy state to ensure mutual amity.”

Lin Shiya nodded, her gaze deep and measured, already forming her own judgment.

She continued in a calm, unhurried voice, “Then, Minister, how would you ensure that the enemy state will not break its word and invade us again?”

Minister He laughed. “Minister Lin, you worry too much. Since the enemy agreed to peace talks, they will not easily betray that agreement. Besides, there are many ways to keep them from acting rashly.”

Lin Shiya gave a small smile and nodded as though in agreement.

But just as Minister He was gloating over his own brilliance, she suddenly spoke, her voice calm but carrying a weight that could not be ignored. “Minister, your words are not without reason, but...”

She fell silent mid-sentence, and the court instantly fell quiet. Every eye turned to her, waiting for what she would say next.

Then Lin Shiya changed tack. Her clear voice rang through the vast hall like a struck bell. “Minister, your vision is lofty indeed, but forgive my frankness: this peace proposal is riddled with flaws.”

Her gaze was sharp as a blade, fixed directly on Minister He, as though she could see through the mask of hypocrisy on his face.

Minister He’s smile froze at once, as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over him. His face drained of color.

Forcing himself to remain composed, he stammered in rebuttal, “M-Minister Lin, what do you mean by that? Everything I have said has been for the good of the court, with not the slightest trace of selfish intent.”

Lin Shiya gave a cold laugh, her tone laced with mockery. “For the good of the court? Hah. Your talk of strengthening border defenses is nothing but superficial showmanship. How many enemy cavalry can those additional outposts truly stop? As for the so-called negotiations, they are merely a means by which the enemy seeks to numb us into complacency. Tell me, who can guarantee they will not betray us? When the frontier is once again engulfed in war, when the people are left homeless and displaced, is that what you call acting for the court’s benefit?”

Minister He was left speechless by her relentless questions. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and he could only gape without managing a single coherent reply.

The ministers of the peace faction were likewise stunned by Lin Shiya’s sharp tongue. For a moment, no one dared to breathe too loudly, and the entire court sank into silence.

The ministers who favored war, meanwhile, were visibly invigorated, straightening their backs.

Just as the balance of power in court shifted, the tension at the border reached its peak as well.

Inside General Yang’s tent, bursts of fierce argument rang out again and again.

General Yang roared, “Deputy General Li! I’ll say this one more time: there is nothing wrong with my battle plan! You only need to carry out my orders!”

Deputy General Li refused to back down, his neck stiff with anger as he shot back, “General! Your plan is nothing but a push straight into a fire pit! You want to send our soldiers to their deaths! I will never allow my brothers to be sacrificed for nothing!”

His voice was hoarse from shouting, veins bulging on his forehead, fury plain to see.

The two of them argued back and forth until their faces turned red. The soldiers around them did not dare make a sound, forced to endure the oppressive atmosphere in silence.

The border war had not yet begun, but the internal conflict was already on the verge of erupting. Everyone was anxious, worrying over what fate might await them.

Outside the tent, Lin Shiya approached at a measured pace. Hearing the quarrel within, she knit her brows and stopped.

She did not go in at once. Instead, she drew a deep breath and fixed her gaze on the tent before her.

“Generals, do not let old ties be harmed by anger...”

Her voice was not loud, yet it carried an undeniable authority, clearly reaching into the tent like a clear spring that washed away the heat of their dispute.

At the sound, General Yang and Deputy General Li both fell silent. The tent was instantly still, save for their heavy breathing.

Lin Shiya lifted the curtain and stepped inside.

First she looked at General Yang, still bristling with anger, then at Deputy General Li, who wore a look of indignation. There was no reproach on her face, only a faint, knowing smile.

In a calm voice, she said, “Generals, I know you are both acting for the country and for the people, but the way you have been communicating is truly less than ideal.”

She walked to the map and slowly traced it with her finger, her expression deep and resolute. “General Yang, your battle plan does have merits, but it overlooks Deputy General Li’s concerns. Deputy General Li, your misgivings are not without reason, but to reject everything outright is not the right answer.”

Her voice was crisp, yet carried a persuasive force. “In my view, we should revise the plan. That way, we can preserve our fighting strength while avoiding unnecessary losses.”

Lin Shiya then laid out her proposal in detail: how to distribute the troops, how to coordinate tactics, how to ensure support at every point.

Her analysis was incisive and lucid, leaving every commander present nodding in admiration.

General Yang and Deputy General Li exchanged a glance. The hostility in their eyes gradually faded, replaced by a trace of respect.

“Minister Lin, your plan is admirable,” General Yang said first, his voice low but sincere.

Deputy General Li clasped his hands in apology. “I have been disrespectful before. I hope you will forgive me, Minister Lin.”

Lin Shiya smiled slightly. “You speak too gravely, both of you. Everything I have done is for the safety of the Southern court and for the people on the frontier.” She looked at them. “Only by doing this can we protect our homeland.”

The conflict between the commanders was temporarily eased, and everyone let out a breath of relief. The atmosphere in the tent lightened considerably.

But just then, a soldier rushed into the tent, his face ashen and his voice panicked. “Report... report to the general! There... there are soldiers deserting!”

“What?” General Yang bellowed, springing to his feet so suddenly that the teacup on the table jolted up and shattered with a sharp crack.

“What is going on?” he shouted, glaring at the messenger.

Deputy General Li’s face also turned dark. His fists clenched so tightly that the armor on his body rattled.

The messenger trembled as he replied, “A... a few soldiers say they were lured by the enemy spies and intend to defect to the enemy army!”

The temperature inside the tent seemed to drop at once. The suffocating tension made it hard to breathe, and an uneasy air began spreading across the frontier.

Lin Shiya frowned deeply, a vague sense of foreboding rising in her heart.

Outside the tent, night was falling. The cold wind was harsh. Wang, wrapped in a thick black cloak, let a sinister smile curl at the corner of his mouth.

He murmured to himself, “The real show... has only just begun...”

Inside the tent, candlelight swayed and cast the outline of Lin Shiya’s resolute face.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, deep as a frozen lake, and a sharp glint flashed within them.

“Seal the news immediately. We must reduce the number of deserters to the absolute minimum.”

Her voice was cool, but it carried an unquestionable force.

“General Yang, Deputy General Li, come with me!”

She turned and strode out of the tent, her figure as straight and unbending as a pine.

The night was deep, and the wind cut like a blade, snapping the banners outside the camp.

Lin Shiya led the two generals at a brisk pace toward the route the deserters were likely to take.

Along the way, she carefully examined the marks on the ground. With her keen insight, she quickly noticed something abnormal.

“Here. Hoofprints, and very fresh.”

She crouched down and pointed to a patch of tracks on the ground, partially covered by windblown sand.

“These are not the mounts of our own army. They belong to the enemy.”

General Yang and Deputy General Li changed color at once. They immediately understood the enemy’s scheme.

“Damn it. They mean to use false news to throw our army into confusion,” Deputy General Li said bitterly, his clenched fist cracking audibly.

Lin Shiya rose to her feet, her gaze sharp as a torch as she swept the surroundings. She had already formed an answer in her mind.

“Their purpose is not merely to disrupt morale. Their real aim is to use this desertion to lure us into splitting our forces in pursuit, so they can launch a surprise attack.”

“Then what do we do now?” General Yang asked anxiously.

“Turn their own plan against them.” A cold smile touched Lin Shiya’s lips. “We will release false news of our own and say the deserters have already been recovered, to stabilize the army’s morale. At the same time, we will quietly set an ambush and wait for the enemy to walk straight into it.”

The three of them quickly devised their counterattack.

Lin Shiya gave orders with calm precision, her reasoning clear and organized, fully revealing her extraordinary intelligence and leadership.

Soon, word spread through the camp that the deserters had been brought back.

At the same time, Lin Shiya secretly dispatched elite troops to lie in wait along the route the rebels would have to take.

As expected, Wang’s enemy force soon walked into the ambush.

Steel flashed, battle cries shook the heavens, and a fierce fight erupted in an instant.

Wang had never imagined that Lin Shiya would uncover his scheme so quickly. Caught off guard, he was thrown into complete disarray.

Looking at his surrounded soldiers, he ground his teeth in frustration and waved his hand in unwilling retreat. “Fall back! Retreat!”

The enemy forces withdrew like a receding tide, leaving chaos and wreckage behind them.

Within the camp, the soldiers erupted into thunderous cheers. Lin Shiya’s image rose instantly in their hearts, and every face was filled with awe and gratitude.

“Minister Lin is truly incredible! She actually saw through the enemy’s plot!”

“Yes! With Minister Lin here, we will certainly hold the frontier!”

Yet Lin Shiya did not let victory cloud her judgment. She gazed into the distance, her brows still tightly knit.

Something about the enemy’s actions felt too hasty, as though this were only the surface of a larger scheme.

Above, the clouds thickened further, pressing down so heavily it was hard to breathe.

Far away, the enemy camp blazed with light. Shadows moved back and forth within it, and a restless unease seeped into the air.

Lin Shiya’s gaze pierced through the layers of night and settled on the enemy tents, where it seemed a storm of terrifying magnitude was already gathering.

“Khan, are you ready?”

Wang’s voice sounded from within the enemy camp, carrying a thin, icy expectation.