Pushing the pastries on the table toward Lin Jiayue, Song Wan said softly, “There are some difficulties.”

“Decades ago, Dongning fought a battle with Nanqing that greatly damaged our national strength. These years, the national treasury has been scarce and cannot support prolonged warfare.”

“Although the previous fundraising method alleviated the immediate crisis, it cannot extract the nail or pull out the wedge.”

“Moreover, although the opposing side currently has only sixty thousand troops, Nanqing venerates martial prowess. The people of Nanqing, regardless of age or gender, drink cattle and sheep milk and eat their meat. They are mostly tall and sturdy, and their strong troops and horses are not mere words.”

Song Wan’s brow furrowed with worry: “At first glance, although Dongning has considerably more troops than Nanqing, over half of Dongning’s forces are logistics battalion personnel responsible for supplies—not true combat soldiers.”

“Whereas Nanqing’s sixty thousand troops can all engage in battle.”

“Not only that, Nanqing’s warhorses are several times superior to those of our dynasty…”

Hearing this, Lin Jiayue’s brows knitted tightly: “But don’t we still have firearms? Surely these firearms should have great destructive power.”

Song Wan pursed her lips in a slight smile but didn’t answer Lin Jiayue.

It was true that Dongning had firearms, but the conditions for using them were too harsh. First, the Su River area was humid, which affected the firearms. Second, firearms needed to be deployed in certain quantities to be effective. Setting aside their limited range and low accuracy, just the preparation work of loading and cleaning barrels required considerable time.

Therefore, though these firearms had some use, they were by no means a decisive weapon.

“Moreover, Prince Ning commands an iron cavalry. They wear heavy armor and are extremely skilled at riding, impervious to stabs and slashes. This iron cavalry uses hooks and chains to bind themselves to their horses, so even in death they won’t fall from their mounts.”

“During battle, Nanqing uses this iron cavalry as the vanguard, charging forward to scatter our dynasty’s formations…”

Song Wan’s tone became increasingly soft, and by the final word, she couldn’t help but sigh gently.

These matters were what she had gleaned these past days from studying military texts and messages transmitted from the Su River to the capital. She only regretted being born into a frail female body, unable to personally go to the Su River to contribute to Dongning.

“This iron cavalry…”

Lin Jiayue propped her chin, frowning as if contemplating something.

Song Wan looked at her, her heart tightening.

Lin Jiayue said, “Is there no way to stop the warhorses?”

“There are ways, naturally. Spiked boards, horse-trapping devices, and such exist, but they have little effect against Nanqing’s iron cavalry.”

Lin Jiayue looked at Song Wan and lightly scratched her cheek: “I have a method, though it’s somewhat vulgar.”

Clearing her throat lightly, Lin Jiayue asked, “Are the warhorses of Nanqing’s iron cavalry stallions, mares, or geldings, or a mix?”

“At this time, they should mostly be stallions. Nanqing only uses geldings during the horses’ mating season.”

“Why?”

Song Wan said, “Nanqing rarely castrates warhorses because mares lack endurance, and geldings aren’t fierce or aggressive enough. The people of Nanqing grow up on horseback from childhood, are skilled in horse training, and greatly value the breeding of fine steeds. They regard this as the foundation of their nation for generations. Naturally, they wouldn’t cut off their fine horses’ bloodline.”

“Moreover, the people of Nanqing most prefer spirited horses. Only when sending horses to other countries do they castrate them, to remove their wild nature and prevent other countries from breeding warhorses.”

Lin Jiayue cleared her throat: “In that case, I have a method.”

“Although it’s not mating season now, we could artificially induce the mares to go into heat…”

“Um… using some medicine.”

Seeing Song Wan’s eyes widen, Lin Jiayue felt somewhat uncomfortable.

She knew that people of this era had a peculiar love and reverence for horses. In the past, Jiang Xingjian often recited things like “a horse eight chi tall is a dragon” or “among beautiful horses, the azure dragon steed.” Naturally, he would never conceive such an idea.

Straightening her posture somewhat uneasily, she continued, “Apply the scent of mares in heat to ourselves. As long as we can trigger Nanqing’s warhorses to go into heat, perhaps we can break this iron cavalry.”

Song Wan blinked, momentarily speechless.

Such an unorthodox method—probably only this person before her could think of it.

After a long while, Song Wan smiled with curved eyes: “I’ll have the Dong Chang people inform the court and the Crown Prince.”

Lin Jiayue smiled: “Excellent.”

The two shared lunch together, and after the meal, Lin Jiayue and Song Wan sat in Laiyi Pavilion chatting leisurely. As they talked, the conversation turned to the Chengyang Marquis Manor.

“After several months without paying regular wages, most people left. I finally feel this burden has lightened considerably.”

Song Wan said, “You handled it very well. If it were me, I could only handle it this way too.”

“Indeed. I thought it through—we cannot sell servants, but they can leave of their own accord. Now everyone in the capital knows what state the Marquis Manor is in, and with war and chaos, who has the leisure to gossip about others?”

More importantly, she didn’t fear what others said at all.

“No one will say anything.”

Song Wan said softly, “Leaving the Marquis Manor this way is no different from betraying one’s master. Even if they go to other mansions, people will only say the Marquis Manor was benevolent and graciously released them.”

She looked at Lin Jiayue, feeling she was different from any other time.

Although the current Lin Jiayue no longer possessed the carefree and spirited air of their first meeting, she wasn’t like during the Lan and Bai families’ wedding either, when her heart seemed as withered as dead ashes.

The current Lin Jiayue had ample composure while retaining a liveliness rarely seen in noble family wives.

Song Wan pursed her lips in a faint smile, feeling everything at present was just right.

The two chatted leisurely for a long while before Lin Jiayue took her leave.

“Once the baby is born, I’m afraid I won’t be able to enter the palace to see you for some time.”

Song Wan smiled: “When the child is bigger, bring him into the palace together. I still need to give him a meeting gift.”

“Naturally. Prepare something valuable—I like valuable things.”

“…”

In all the world, probably only Lin Jiayue would speak so directly and boldly. Song Wan was momentarily stunned, then burst out laughing.

For some reason, hearing her speak this way made her feel much closer to her.

“Don’t worry, I’ll definitely prepare something that catches your eye—valuable and rare.”

“Then prepare one for me too. When you have a child in the future, I’ll return the favor with something novel and interesting.”

Song Wan pursed her lips, smiling so much her eyes nearly disappeared.

While teasing Lin Jiayue about exchanging interesting things for valuable ones, Song Wan walked with her toward the exit of Laiyi Pavilion.

Just after seeing her out of the Eastern Palace, Changping, the head eunuch of Changxin Palace, came to report that Song Lan’an was currently at Changxin Palace, asking if Song Wan wished to see him.

“Eunuch, please wait a moment.”

Returning to Laiyi Pavilion, Song Wan took up paper and brush to write down the method Lin Jiayue had just mentioned. After organizing it properly, she left with Changping.

“Eunuch, do you know why Father entered the palace today?”

If there were nothing wrong, why would her father enter the palace to see her aunt? It must be that something had gone awry at court, and seventy percent likely related to the Su River.

Song Wan’s hand clutching the handkerchief felt somewhat stiff, though her face maintained a smile of three parts lightness.

When she entered Changxin Palace, only Song Lan’an and Song Yuning were in the courtyard. Both were silent, their faces grave.

Seeing Song Wan, Song Yuning smiled and said, “Come warm your hands and see your father.”