Chapter 124: Turns Out to Be a Girl

Chapter 124: Chapter 124: Turns Out to Be a Girl

The majority rules—that had always been the custom. Even though Wu Rongying was displeased, he could only set his proposal aside.

"Well then, I’d love to hear your brilliant idea."

"I wouldn’t dare call it brilliant."

Song Jing gave him a slight bow and spoke calmly. "As we all know, the greatest threats in wartime are unstable morale among the troops and, second to that, unrest among the populace. The external threat has yet to be pacified. If internal strife were to erupt now, the enemy would have a perfect opportunity to strike..."

"You mean..." Lu Yu’s eyes lit up. "Spies!"

The suggestion to "stabilize public morale" had been Song Jing’s. Lu Yu hadn’t been on board at first—not because he thought it was unimportant, but because he hadn’t grasped its significance.

But now that Song Jing had mentioned this, he understood immediately.

"Exactly! I’d almost forgotten about that," Zhang Wen said, the realization dawning on him. "Do you all remember what happened the year before last? In a town in Lin County, villagers from several villages were stirred up. They surrounded the county government with shovels and hoes like a pack of wolves. They actually managed to break in and kill their County Magistrate!"

"How could we forget? The court sent troops to suppress them. The death toll was horrific..." Li Guanchun shook his head. "And in the end, it was all discovered to be the result of deliberate incitement."

Zhang Wu slammed his fist on the table and gritted his teeth. "A pack of skulking rats! Despicable!"

Spies were just that—spies. Even in the era Ji Huan came from, counter-espionage was a constant effort, yet spies had always existed.

They would disguise themselves as ordinary students, workers, or office employees. They would even feign romantic relationships with citizens to extract intelligence, stir up public sentiment, or even turn people against their own country.

And since Yeyang was so close to Beiliang, it had always been a favorite target for spies.

It wasn’t that the city’s defenses were lax, making it easy to slip in. Even with round-the-clock vigilance, they always found other ways to infiltrate.

This place was the "rear" of the Great Zhou’s front lines. If a riot broke out here, it would be like a dagger plunged into the Zhou Army’s back. When attacked from both front and rear, it was self-evident who stood to gain.

That was why the people of the Northern Pass were no strangers to the word "spy."

A spy might be a local landlord or an old farmer from the countryside. No matter their guise, their objectives were always clear: to steal military intelligence and to incite conflict between the government and the people.

All it took was to magnify the darkness in people’s hearts, shake their confidence, and make them lose faith in the court. Then, getting them to take the opposing side, to besiege government offices, to slaughter their own countrymen, or to voluntarily leak secrets became an easy matter.

The outcome was predictable. Once you became someone else’s pawn, death was the only end, one way or another.

Song Jing explained this to the group, and his reasoning was much the same as what Ji Huan had been thinking.

He concluded, "Our numbers are small and our influence is limited, so why not start with the smallest of matters? I imagine this is something the county magistrate would be pleased to see, and he certainly won’t make things difficult for us."

The group broke into applause. Wu Rongying’s expression was sour, but he didn’t voice any objections.

And so, the theme was decided. Next, they discussed the specifics of implementation.

Someone suggested they split up and cover every village under the jurisdiction of Juyong Town, posting notices to warn the villagers.

They would observe the results and then contact the academies in other towns to see if anyone else would join their cause.

The proposal gained majority approval and was passed unanimously.

Ink and brushes were already prepared. Li Guanchun took up a brush to write the draft, and a sample notice quickly flowed from the tip of his brush.

The others couldn’t wait to read it. As it was passed around, it was met with a chorus of praise.

When it reached Song Jing’s hands, Ji Huan glanced over as well.

She had to admit, the quiet Li Guanchun was a truly brilliant writer.

"...Now, as the nation teeters on the brink, spies run rampant, easily leading the people to misdeeds, a crime for which even death is no absolution... Will our nation flourish? Or will it perish? These are words I cannot bear to speak... Alas! When the Beiliang Iron Cavalry enters your very chambers, where then shall you sleep soundly among the white clouds?... A gentleman must not flee, nor entertain thoughts of retreat and idle peace..."

Ji Huan’s gaze shifted slightly upward, just as Song Jing lowered his and looked at her.

Clearly, they had both arrived at the same thought.

’This rapport we have...’ Ji Huan couldn’t help but smile.

Somehow, this caught Li Guanchun’s attention.

"Does this young brother have a different opinion?"

Ji Huan glanced at Song Jing, seeking his approval. He had brought her here, after all. She worried she might cause trouble for him if she spoke out of turn.

When he nodded, Ji Huan no longer held back.

"This notice is brilliantly written, but if you post it in the countryside, I’m afraid it will be too highbrow for the masses. Your target audience is a group of villagers who can’t read. Even if you read it aloud to them, they might not grasp its deeper meaning. What’s more..."

The room instantly exploded into an uproar!

It wasn’t because of what she had said, but because of her voice.

"You’re a—a girl?" Lu Yu’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. He pointed at Ji Huan, then turned to Song Jing.

It was no wonder he was so surprised. Judging by her clothes, no one would have guessed she was a girl.

Moreover, in all the time she’d been in the room, Ji Huan hadn’t taken off her scarf. She was bundled up tightly and had been so quiet she was practically invisible.

A group of young men had been talking for ages, and none of them had paid her any mind. So, when a female voice suddenly rang out, the reaction was explosive.

"I can’t believe it, I just can’t..." The others lost their composure as well, crowding around Song Jing. "Spill it! Who is she to you?"

"Don’t tell me she’s your..."

"Don’t be ridiculous, this is no laughing matter..."

Song Jing had anticipated this. Unflustered, he used a single, broad term to dismiss their questions: "Family."

Ji Huan was oblivious to the inner turmoil Song Jing felt as he said this. She just assumed he was trying to prevent his classmates from teasing him or starting gossip.

Sure enough, as soon as they heard she was family, everyone settled down.

Besides, Ji Huan looked quite young, which made it difficult for anyone’s mind to wander in the wrong direction.

And so, in an instant, Ji Huan’s identity shifted from Song Jing’s younger male cousin to his younger female cousin.

Only Lu Yu, who knew Song Jing quite well, stared at Ji Huan for a moment before a look of sudden understanding crossed his face.

He leaned closer to Ji Huan, his eyebrows wiggling playfully. "I get it now. You must be the one who wrote to Song Jing..."

A sharp glance from Song Jing cut him off. Lu Yu immediately stopped, but he wore a cheeky grin that screamed, ’I know your secret.’

Only Li Guanchun paid no mind to whether Ji Huan was male or female. While the others were causing a commotion, he had been mulling over her words.

At last, he stood up and gave Ji Huan a respectful bow.

"The young lady is absolutely right. My considerations were not thorough enough. Thank you for the guidance."

Ji Huan waved her hands dismissively. "It was just a small suggestion, hardly guidance."

Li Guanchun then drafted a new version.

With some pointers from Song Jing, he removed the lofty patriotic sentiments and high-minded slogans. The new focus was on reminding the public to watch out for suspicious individuals and be careful not to be manipulated or deceived by those with ill intent.

It also repeatedly stressed that, based on information gathered from multiple sources, they could confirm there would be no military conscription this year. The people should trust the court, focus on their work, and carry on with their lives in peace...

As for the language, it was as simple as could be, almost like a village dialect. Anyone with even a basic grasp of letters could read it, and even those who were illiterate could understand the gist after hearing it just once.

With the text finalized, the next step was to make copies.

Lu Yu’s parents had gone to his eldest sister’s home in Yeyang County for the New Year. Lu Yu himself had snuck back, so he was home alone with plenty of space.

Some sat on the heated kang bed while others leaned over the table, and everyone set about copying the notice.

Lu Yu’s handwriting was poor, so he took on the job of handing out brushes and ink.

He handed a set to Ji Huan as well, his tone teasing. "Don’t say no. I know you have excellent handwriting."

Ji Huan was confused at first, but then she remembered the book she had copied for Song Jing.

Since they were classmates, it wasn’t surprising that Lu Yu knew.

She didn’t think much of it, taking the paper and brush and bending over the desk to begin copying earnestly.

Song Jing, however, paused his brush and looked up at Lu Yu. The glance was clearly a warning.

But why would Lu Yu be afraid of him? He just made a smug face back, feeling absolutely delighted.

’Ah,’ he thought, ’I finally have some dirt on Song Jing!’