The number one spendthrift woman in the capital actually brings glory to her entire family?

"Yes, sir, there's no need to go to such lengths to come here. We've just captured the crucial city of Tashe. The garrison in Patan is less than 50,000. A few days ago, I was wondering if you would try to take Patan. With the fall of Tashe, the Liao army's defenses have been forced to shrink, and Patan's defenses have become much weaker. As long as we launch a swift attack, Patan will surely be ours!"

Mei Ruhua couldn't help but speak up, and the others nodded in agreement. They then looked at Sikong Jin, who remained silent at her desk. Seeing her deep expression, they were secretly anxious, but they were willing to interrupt her.

After a while, Sikong Jin finally snapped out of her reverie and looked up at the several deputy generals in front of her, all of whom looked anxious and uneasy. She raised her delicate eyebrows and asked with some surprise, "What's wrong? Why do you all look so flustered and uneasy?"

"My lord, this humble general is a little confused about His Majesty's intentions. Why is it that instead of Prince Lie personally leading the troops to Tiansheng, we are forced to take such a long detour? Now that we are stationed in Tashe City, it is a perfect opportunity!"

Li Ji also frowned and said.

Upon hearing this, Sikong Jin nodded, a mocking glint flashing in her dark eyes, and said calmly, "It's a great time, a great time, which is why we can't stay too long."

Theoretically speaking, Emperor Dayong should have sent Xing Yilie to the Jiangxi fortress, since Xing Yilie was the husband of Princess Tuoba Wulan of Tiansheng. With such a status, wouldn't he be better able to cooperate with the allied forces?

Why was Sikong Jin sent directly?

The meaning is quite obvious.

Presumably, Emperor Dayong is paving the way for Xing Yilie, sending him to garrison Tashe City. This means that directly attacking and capturing Patan City would be a straightforward victory. Afterwards, Xing Yilie could march westward… stealing the spoils of war and greatly enhancing his prestige, which would be a huge boon for his future ascension to the throne. Moreover, and most importantly, it would also allow him to keep an eye on Sikong Jin.

Your Majesty's plan is truly ingenious!

This move was so well-executed that even Sikong Jin admired it. She was praised for her outstanding combat skills and the demeanor of a great general, which is why she was sent to form an alliance with Tiansheng to jointly defend against the enemy.

It's just an excuse!

Such a reason is utterly irrefutable, and it's an order that bypasses the proper channels of command. Theoretically, it should have been a secret edict sent from her superiors at Hangu Pass, but now…

I wonder if the adults and Brother Ji know about this news.

She, Sikong Jin, probably has no choice but to comply now.

"Sir, what should we do now?"

The group looked at Sikong Jin with some confusion.

Sikong Jin couldn't help but raise her hand to rub her forehead, take a shallow breath, think for a moment, and then ask, "Is it still the fourth prince of Tiansheng, Tuoba Kang, who is currently defending the Jiangxi fortress against the Xifenglie army?"

"My lord, Tuoba Kang has suffered a series of defeats and retreated south of the Jiangxi Fortress. Emperor Tiansheng is furious and has already withdrawn him. Yesterday, a report came from Hangu Pass that Emperor Tiansheng is preparing to send the Third Prince Tuoba Yu to the Jiangxi Fortress."

It was Zhu Si who answered.

"What? Tuoba Yu?"

Upon hearing the name, Sikong Jin's eyebrows immediately lifted, and a look of surprise flashed in her starry eyes—

Peach Blossom Beauty?

How could it be him?

They haven't even gotten revenge for last time, and now they want to form an alliance with him to deal with Xifeng Lie?

"Yes, my lord! Tuoba Yu seems to be very skilled at leading troops. I heard that even Xi Fenglie has to be cautious when he sees him. This time, Emperor Tiansheng transferred him here, which must be because the situation at the Jiangxi fortress is very critical. Otherwise, the emperor would not have asked you to set off immediately."

"My lord, last month, Tuoba Yu took advantage of the internal strife in Wu and led his troops to launch a surprise attack on Wu. Now, a large part of Wu's territory has fallen into his hands, and the Wu emperor was forced to move south to the south near the Yuezhi Kingdom. However, strangely, Tuoba Yu ordered a halt to the pursuit at this time and did not take Wu in one fell swoop. This general finds it very puzzling."

"He was worried about the 100,000 troops that the Crown Prince of the Northern Empire was stationed near the Yuezhi Kingdom. Although the Great Zhou had stopped waging wars against foreign powers and was trying to recuperate, if Tuoba Yu dared to openly annex the Wu Kingdom and cause tension on the border, could the Great Zhou just calmly and peacefully continue to recuperate?"

As soon as Meng Benbo finished speaking, Zhu Si replied.

"Sir, what should we do now?"

Seeing that Lord Sikong remained silent in his chair for a long time, Mei Ruhua finally couldn't help but ask, and Li Ji and the others also cast puzzled glances, waiting for Sikong Jin's next instructions.

After a long period of contemplation, Lord Sikong finally raised his head and glanced at the group. “Since it is an imperial edict, it must be obeyed. The edict says that Prince Lie has been on his way for nearly half a month and should arrive here in a few days. He bypassed Malan City and went straight to Tashe City from Hangu Pass. In that case… I estimate that we will have to set off for Jiangxi Fortress tomorrow. As for you, leave a few of you to return to Malan City.”

"My lord, this humble general is willing to be the vanguard and follow you into battle!"

"My lord, this humble general is also willing to follow you to the Jiangxi fortress!"

As soon as Sikong Jin finished speaking, Meng Benbo and the others immediately stepped forward to express their support.

Sikong Jin frowned slightly, feeling a headache coming on. She turned thoughtfully to look at the map hanging behind her, quickly locating their position. After studying it silently for a while, she said calmly, "This expedition is fraught with danger, and the war may last a long time. You must be mentally prepared. Also, I will not be taking all the soldiers with me. I currently only have 50,000 troops on the official payroll, so I will take those soldiers with me. The rest will remain in Malan City; that is our main base. They will be there to guard our home."

"Yes, sir! We have made all the necessary preparations."

Sikong Jin nodded. "Alright, now I'll assign the tasks. Lieutenant General Li, Lord Zhu, you two will be responsible for guarding Malan City. Go immediately and prepare half a month's worth of provisions for my 50,000 soldiers. Then, secretly escort all the supplies my troops left in Tashe City back to Malan City. Be quick! Go!"

"Yes! Your lord!"

Upon hearing the instruction, the two immediately obeyed and withdrew.

"Deputy General Mei, Deputy General Meng, you two immediately organize the troops and order the soldiers to prepare. We will depart in two hours."

"Yes! Your lord!"

The two quickly withdrew.

Lord Sikong took a breath, pulled a map from his desk, and began to study it carefully.