Li Jin Qing: The one behind it all

Chapter 28

Double update to celebrate 10k reads!
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What was this feeling?
Wonder? Excitement? Curiosity?

Jin qing suddenly had the urge to know more about what An ru had meant that Shang Ye And Xi Jian fancied her.
The want to know more was driving her a little insane.

She has always known that such gossip was part of a lady's life. But never has she ever thought she would be a part of it.
But her biggest question was why she wanted to know so much. Usually she wouldn't be concerned about this matter, but why did she care?

Another meeting was called later that afternoon, and no meeting was complete without the Xue Xian.
So once again dressed in pale white robes and her majestic cape, she and her maids hurried to the meeting so they won't be late.

The generals did the courtesy greeting and bow, which Jin qing replied with a small nod.

"I assume you called me here for a reason?" She said aloud. Her maids were waiting outside until the meeting was done. All this information must be kept at secrecy, nothing can be exposed.

"Yes." Xi Jian nodded, "we have come to update you with our successes... and a few of our failures."

Jin qing nodded, indicating for him to continue.

"First, we have managed to secure an alliance with the Qi as they have a rivalry with the Song before. We also managed to raise up an army for each  of the four generals." Xi Jian looked around the room as he said this, his gaze lingering upon Jin qing for just a split second longer. "Our failures... we have not found the assassin Yu Qi and word had come from spies saying how the Song had managed to recruit many of the gangs and mercenaries from the Liang against us."

Jin qing nodded. With that man on the Song's side, she'll be surprised if they didn't join him. This was all expected, nothing out of the ordinary. "All that is fine. We just need to be more careful on assassination attempts... and spies among us. What about the trade routes with the land beyond and with the natural cities?"

"The land beyond the valley hasn't done anything in favor of neither side, and we believe they are using this to their advantage to gain more coin."

Jin qing stared at the map of all the cities and known trade routes for all cities of all the kingdoms. Most of the trade routes are carefully planned during peacetime to that each city is interlinked with another with a few cities on the border connecting to other kingdoms. This was done to ensure good trade between the cities and the spread of influence and military campaigns. "It will be too difficult to cut off an entire trade route as it will affect us too, the best we can do at the moment is shut off the roads to the Song and protect our own."

Jin qing took a piece of wood and placed it perpendicular to some of the trade routes of the Song that leads to the land beyond. "The land beyond will be protected by the valleys, meaning their production will be the highest in terms of weaponry and food. War will disrupt all source of production in the land affected, so if we cut off emergency lines, we should be able to weaken them in the long run."

"Just those lines?" Someone asked. "What about the others?"

"Just a few main ones. We want to leave the other cities alone for us unless we want to anger them."

"I see." An older general nodded and moved a piece that represented a fleet of ships toward the river. "The river flows downstream from the land beyond. I'll take the navy to take the Song cities by the water to stop them from utilizing the water as a trade route."