Chapter 40: You may withdraw for now; there is no need for you to step forward in this matter yet.

Inside the study, Dongfang Jiebai held the little fox in his arms, spreading out the intelligence report on the table so that she could examine it clearly.

Ji Ci’s small eyes darted around, carefully analyzing the feasibility of the plan.

"Encircle the cities from the countryside; use Yanmen Pass as our base, slowly spread toward Chang’an, forming a siege to gradually trap imperial power in the center."

Ji Ci pointed and gestured with her tiny paws on the map.

Dongfang Jiebai embraced her, planting a kiss on her fluffy head. His well-defined fingers traced the strategic chokepoint of Yanmen Pass before suddenly pinching the scruff of Ji Ci’s neck. "Little ancestor, your encirclement strategy is still missing a step."

With a cinnabar brush, he drew an arc northwest of Chang’an. "We must first capture the Longyou pastures; warhorses are the key." As he spoke, he left a faint mark on the tip of the fox’s ear with his teeth.

Ji Ci nodded vigorously. She didn’t know much, and she realized there was a difference between applying the successes of predecessors and putting them into actual practice. She would offer her ideas, and Dongfang Jiebai would refine them.

"Are there still grain seeds? I will have people trade them in other prefectures. I want Xinhe’s reputation to resound across the north and south."

Ji Ci nodded, gesturing with her paws that she still had plenty of seeds. The system helped her reclaim land and farm every day, harvesting more.

"Give me another three thousand stones," Dongfang Jiebai whispered into the little fox’s ear.

'Take them all,' Ji Ci replied generously. The seeds were all Dongfang Jiebai’s anyway; she would give him whatever he needed.

Standing on the table, Ji Ci began chattering and gesturing again. He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world. 'When trading the grain, have the children sing nursery rhymes.'

Dongfang Jiebai’s fingertips unconsciously brushed the tip of Ji Ci’s tail; his little fox truly was the cleverest of them all. "Some seeds must be planted in the mind."

He arranged for manpower overnight and began transporting grain to nearby prefectures. He used the identity of a wealthy merchant from the south to grease the wheels at the checkpoints. By disguising the grain seeds as military provisions, they encountered no bandits or raids along the way.

The appearance of large quantities of high-quality grain seeds in the northern border soon alerted the Emperor.

"Investigate! What kind of wealthy merchant could have such vast reserves? They have already traded in one prefecture and are now moving grain to others!"

In the grand hall, the officials trembled. The northern border was bitter and cold; no one was willing to go there to uncover the truth.

"Father, I am willing to go." The eldest prince, Xue Ping, stepped forward and bowed with cupped hands.

The Emperor stared at the eldest prince. This son had mediocre talents, and he certainly did not want to entrust such a major matter to him. "Step back. There is no need for you to take the lead; I have my own arrangements."

The eldest prince’s hands tightened into fists; he knew his father had never liked him. His attitude toward him was worlds apart from his attitude toward the Imperial Princess. Yet, as the eldest son of the imperial family, he was the most likely to inherit the throne!

The Emperor scanned his four sons and pointed to the fourth prince, Xue Jing, who stood in the middle: "Fourth, you go."

Xue Jing was pleasantly surprised and immediately accepted. Xue Ping looked at the Emperor with venomous eyes, then cast a glare of hatred at his brother. It would be better if all these brothers just died.

In the capital, nursery rhymes began to be sung in every street and alley.

"Golden ears shine, silver stalks bend. Grandpa Xinhe brings a year of plenty; the children in the east village have round cheeks, the old men in the west village wear smiles."

"Bianjing is far, Yanmen Pass is near. Grain carts like dragons travel a thousand rivers; grain patterns shimmer, embroidered on silk, young and old vie to sing of a peaceful year."

When the nursery rhymes reached the palace, the Emperor smashed his teacup in a rage. "Investigate! Where did this come from!"

"Your Majesty, it came from Yanmen Pass. The Great General is stationed there; could this be his doing?"

"I shall see whether their 'peaceful year' lasts longer, or if my blade is faster." The Emperor’s eyes flickered with ruthlessness as he looked at Eunuch De, who immediately understood.

Three years had passed, and this was the second time the Great Grandmaster had stepped into the Golden Throne Hall. Outside, dark clouds pressed down upon the city, enveloping the imperial capital like a massive conspiracy.

At the border, the high-quality grain seeds had been distributed for over two months. Dongfang Jiebai sat in his study, reading a letter sent by Chu San. A look of certainty played on his lips: "The nursery rhymes have spread through the capital; the Emperor must be finding it hard to sit still."

Ji Ci sat on the desk with a pile of snacks in front of her. Being a fox was truly wonderful!

[Warning: Imperial secret agent detected: Zhang Huan of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, disguised and infiltrated into the caravan.]

Ji Ci spat out the chicken leg she was chewing, her little face filled with unhappiness! Ever since she transmigrated, she had been working like a dog, never getting a good rest, and she was so hungry she’d gotten thin! She pinched the fat on her little belly and pouted. It didn't seem like she had lost much, though.

Dongfang Jiebai pulled her into his arms, his slender fingers gently poking her little belly. "Are you still hungry?"

The little fox’s ears twitched, and she shook her head like a rattle-drum. 'I’ve grown fat; no more midnight snacks from now on.'

Dongfang Jiebai rubbed her belly with his hand; it didn't feel fat at all, just as soft as ever. "I’ll roast some fish for you in a while."

He picked up the little fox and walked to the window, gazing out. Outside, the wind and snow were raging, causing the torches to flicker unsteadily. Ji Ci felt that Dongfang Jiebai’s mood was heavy, so she rubbed her head against his chest. 'With me here, the invincible Ji Ci is on the case.'

Dongfang Jiebai chuckled and lay down while holding Ji Ci. Just as he closed his eyes, there was a hurried knock on the door. Zhao Qiaofeng’s voice came from outside: "Cousin, are you asleep?"

"What is it?" Dongfang Jiebai got up and opened the door.

Zhao Qiaofeng was holding a small puppy in her arms. It had grown quite a bit since it was first brought back; its size was already catching up to the little fox.

"Cousin, it suddenly vomited milk tonight and then stopped moving. Wang Feng isn't here, and I... I didn't know who else to look for."

Zhao Qiaofeng’s eyes were red, though no tears fell. Ever since the last incident, she rarely cried. She believed crying was a sign of weakness; every time she wanted to cry, she would pinch her arm hard. Her arms were covered in bruises, but she had slowly broken the habit. However, in front of her own cousin, she couldn't quite help it.

Dongfang Jiebai took the little puppy and handed it to Ji Ci. "Help her take a look."

Ji Ci sniffed the puppy’s body. It wasn't poisoned; it was likely just overfed. She pressed her tiny paw against the puppy’s belly, channeling her energy into it. The puppy slowly opened its eyes. When it saw the little fox, its eyes lit up brilliantly. Its tail wagged like a rattle-drum.

Dongfang Jiebai handed the puppy back to Zhao Qiaofeng and cautioned, "It’s fine now. Don't let it eat too much in the future."

The puppy struggled in Zhao Qiaofeng’s arms, clearly not wanting to leave the little fox.

Dongfang Jiebai asked, "Have you given it a name?"

"It’s called A-Qing. It’s a boy dog. Wang Feng said A-Qing sounds nice."

When Zhao Qiaofeng mentioned Wang Feng, her eyes and brows were filled with smiles, as if she had completely accepted him.

Ji Ci’s ears twitched. A-Qing? Her teammate was also named A-Qing. The system had mentioned before that A-Qing had turned into a dog; could it be this little puppy? Surely such a cliché thing wouldn't happen in the real world.