The tent was pervaded by a biting cold.
Aside from Pei Jue seated at the head, there were several lieutenant generals in attendance.
Nobody had expected the Feng Family girl to be so audacious. The lieutenants, observing the icy sharpness on the Great General's face, were somewhat taken aback.
They were discussing military affairs.
The past half month had seen the situation turn turbulent.
The Beiyong Army had conquered several cities in a row and was separated from Nanqi Country's Xinzhou by merely a body of water. They were strong and robust, with crossing the river being only a matter of time, but the current problem was the shortage of provisions, which could not sustain a prolonged front...
Meanwhile, Qi Country boasted of assembling an army of five hundred thousand. The Qi Emperor had appointed Prince of Jingling, Xiao Cheng, to lead the troops, with General Ningyuan, Wen Xingsu, serving as the vanguard, ready to cross the Huaishui to counterattack Andu and decide the fate of the war with the Beiyong Army in a deadly battle.
The great battle was imminent...
Under such circumstances, how could the Great General allow a young woman to create chaos?
"Bid her to come forward."
Pei Jue's voice was low but cool and authoritative, carrying a heavy presence.
The generals exchanged glances, their bodies instantly tensing up.
Ao Qi lifted the tent flap, but Feng Yun hesitated before taking a step forward.
"My lady, come forward..."
"Come closer, let me take a good look at you..."
The voice in her memory was like a deathly curse, freezing Feng Yun's steps in place.
She couldn't bear to hear these words.
Once upon a time, following a low, gentle call, what followed was the ensuing chaos and depth that almost dragged her into suffocation and ecstasy on the brink of death...
From a distance, Feng Yun couldn't make out Pei Jue's expression.
The air inside the tent was exceptionally cold, empty and devoid of unnecessary decoration, just like Pei Jue himself—simple and monotonous, at first glance heartless.
She steadied her spirits and walked in as calmly as she could.
"The Feng Family girl pays her respects to the Great General."
Feng Yun didn't hear Pei Jue's response, so she looked up directly and gracefully bowed. Despite her plain clothes, her beauty was in no way concealed. Without fancy clothes or golden hairpins, her appearance was still radiant and gentle, captivating to the eye.
Pei Jue's dark pupils deepened as he sized her up from head to toe.
"How do you plan to provide grain? Relying on the red taros from the mountains?"
He indeed was aware of the matter.
Feng Yun offered a knowing smile.
"The red taros were merely an unexpected find and hardly any true skill. However, not only am I versed in the management of grains, but I also possess many a talent others do not. As the Great General has swept through various cities, in charge of troops during battles and civilians afterwards, you need someone with my capabilities to serve you."
In these times, all high-ranking officials possessed the right to appoint subordinates, and having one's own staff was a matter of prestige. It was not unusual to have guests 'within the tent' under one's command.
Especially in war-torn areas where the military governed civilians, Pei Jue needed more officials to handle matters beyond warfare, to manage daily affairs.
After conquering five cities, there was no shortage of people coming to offer their service to Pei Jue.
But someone as self-assured as Feng Yun, she was the first.
Pei Jue said, "This general is not in need of talented individuals."
Of course, Feng Yun was aware of this, "But the Great General is in need of me."
Pei Jue stared at her coldly, remaining silent. Inside the tent, the other lieutenants could already sense the storm brewing, yet Feng Yun was calmer than when she had entered the camp.
She said, "It's no secret that the Beiyong Army is short of grain at the moment. With Qi Country's cities falling one after another, they will inevitably mobilize a large army, gathering the country's full strength for a decisive battle against Dajin at the Huaishui. It will take time for Dajin's grain and forage to reach the front lines. If the Great General recklessly decides to battle the Qi Army, there will be risks. However, opportunities lost in war are gone forever, and whether Dajin will still hold the advantage once the Qi Army recovers is yet to be seen…"
The lieutenants continued to exchange glances.
Feng Shi Er Niang stood in front of the tent, her slender figure like an orchid ready to bloom.
Clearly a delicate and pampered lady, she articulated the current situation without a single error.
Seeing Pei Jue staring at her, Feng Yun spoke softly.
"Prince of Jingling, Xiao Ziceng, comes from an aristocratic family, talented in statecraft, his reputation spreads far and wide. This made the Emperor of Qi Dynasty wary, leading to his neglect over the years. But considering the current state of affairs, Emperor Xiao Jue of Qi probably cannot suppress the voices of the courtiers and the aristocratic families any longer, and had to employ the Prince of Jingling. My elder brother, General Ningyuan, Wen Xingsu, is brave and skilled in both civilian and military affairs. If these two join hands, using the natural defenses of the Huaishui, they could well hold their own against the General…"
People in the tent drew breaths sharply.
Feng Shi Er Niang was daring to speak.
Was she really not afraid of the Great General ordering her execution?
Feng Yun seemed oblivious and continued, "I understand Xiao Ziceng, I understand Wen Xingsu, I understand the Qi Army. I can strategize for the General."
Pei Jue remained silent for a long time, his gaze piercing and indifferent.
When Feng Yun looked over, all she saw was a chill that penetrated to the bone.
"The wife of Xiao Cheng? Very well. Attend to me in my tent tonight."
Feng Yun: ...
Was this an inescapable fate? Going round in circles, she found herself back where she started.
In the eyes of men, a beautiful woman was like prey in a hunting ground, and the most beautiful one was the grand prize for the bravest hunter. The more prominent the figure, the more they yearned to come out on top, to claim the enemy's prize as their own. Perhaps that constituted their greatest pleasure...
She was Xiao Ziceng's unwed fiancée and Wen Xingsu's step-sister. Was this the reason Pei Jue coveted her in both his past and present life?
"It was me who refused to marry Xiao San. Is the General unaware of this, or does the General perhaps have a fondness for such things?"
Feng Yun mocked, arching her eyebrows, a small gesture that Pei Jue caught in his eyes.
He lightly swirled his teacup, displaying cool indifference.
Feng Yun laughed softly, speaking in as respectful and composed a tone as she could manage, "Beauty is easy to come by, strategists are hard to find. Without a woman of the Feng Family, the General still has a sea of flowers to enjoy. But with a woman of the Feng Family, the General could save himself many future troubles. I urge the General to think thrice…"
Pei Jue lifted his eyes coldly, a deathly stare.
Unperturbed, Feng Yun continued, "The beauties presented by Andu County have all been carefully selected, each with their own merits. Shao Xueqing has a statuesque figure, like curdled cream turned to jade. Lin E's waist is slender as a willow, her steps light as flying swallows. Wen Hui's lips are like cherries, her teeth like pearl, her singing echoes around the beams. Huan Jiao is voluptuous and graceful, the very epitome of gentleness…"
This one with fair skin, delicate in form.
That one with large eyes, fetching shoulders.
This one with cherry lips, skilled in music.
That one with a tender waist, excelling in dance...
Feng Yun, speaking as a sincere matchmaker, recommended concubines for Pei Jue's bedchamber... because she knew the General Pei had strong needs in that regard and feared that without satisfying him, she would not escape his clutches.
A few lieutenant generals listened with eyes wide open.
Was Feng Shi Er Niang unaware of her own reflection in the mirror?
The beauties she spoke of, who among them could compare to her?
Feng Yun asked, "Would the Great General like to consider it?"
In that moment, Pei Jue's usually unemotional eyes held an extra depth, "Is it because of Xiao San that you refuse to serve me?"
Feng Yun smiled, "No. How long can one benefit from serving others with beauty? A woman of the Feng Family has long sworn to dedicate her life's talents to serving others."
In the past life, Pei Jue had lavished her with affection, and in the three long years of his southern campaign, she was the only one by his side, the object of many women's envy—
Yet in the end, hadn't it concluded in tragedy?
Who could have imagined that just because of a few soft words from the young and beautiful Empress Dowager, Pei Jue could cast out his favored concubine from the Central Capital...
At that thought, Feng Yun's heart chilled.
But setting aside the matters of men and women, Pei Jue was generous in spirit and loyal, making him the best partner for great endeavors.
Feng Yun smiled, "Why not let me give it a try?"
Pei Jue sat at the head, looking at her, his posture immovable as if he was too lazy to waste further words with her. With a wave of his hand, Ao Qi came over in a huff to chase her away with a drawn sword.
"Leave!"
Feng Yun looked up.
The Great General's face was cool and stern, seated with impeccable posture, his towering frame sparse and detached, like an unfeeling piece of wood. Yet the turbulent emotions in his profound black eyes felt eerily familiar to Feng Yun, and subconsciously, her legs went a bit weak...
It was a strong bodily memory.
Feng Yun avoided his gaze, performed a curtsy, and hurriedly withdrew.
Ao Qi followed her out, his tone sarcastic and mocking, "Lady, you are lucky. If it were someone else today, they may not have kept their head on their shoulders."
Feng Yun laughed, "Is your Great General really that terrifying?"
Ao Qi lifted his chin, his handsome face full of pride.
"That's not called terrifying, that's called... a great hero!"
Feng Yun: "A great hero doesn't kill without reason."
Ao Qi frowned slightly, "See? Aren't you alive and well?"
Feng Yun: "See? Isn't it true that 'as the beam is bent, so is the reed below it'?"
Ao Qi's face fell.
He didn't like Feng Yun speaking that way about his uncle, and he was puzzled by her actions that day.
"It's no wonder the General doesn't trust you. You, a woman of Qi Country, why would you want to be a strategist for Jin? By helping the Beiyong Army with provisions, you are making an enemy of Qi Country…"
Feng Yun smiled.
Decades and centuries of wars had fragmented what used to be a unified empire. Now, Jin, Qi, and Yunchuan—all stemming from the same ancestry—amid the chaos of war, people migrated and lived amongst each other, making it difficult to discern us from them. Furthermore, the hold of Aristocratic Families over imperial power had led to a public conception where allegiance to 'home' precedes that of the country.
Especially for her, after suffering through a past life, the outcome she most desired in this life was the unification of north and south, so the people could live in peace and happiness, not in endless war.
She answered with a light and breezy tone.
"What to me is Jin, or Qi? They are the same."
Ao Qi made a light sound of realization, his mood becoming animated, "Lady chooses Dajin over Nanqi with discerning eyes. Our Great General will surely dominate the world and conquer all directions."
Feng Yun smiled faintly.
To conquer all directions, that is true. As for dominating the world…
Did Pei Jue harbor such ambition?
In their three years together in a previous life, Feng Yun didn't completely understand Pei Jue's thoughts. He was not one to talk much; aside from their exchanges in bed, they rarely spoke of anything else...
If he indeed harbored such ambitions to end the current chaos and division in the world, nothing would be better.