[L] To Me, The One Who Love You

57

The next day

When the sky was just beginning to brighten, the guard by Carl's tent reported: "Flying-Feather Battalion Battalion Commander Liam Manoban had been waiting for entry outside the tent."

Carl wiped his face with a towel: "Let him in!"

"Understood!"

"Greetings to the Commander-in-Chief!"

"You may rise, the rest of you may go."

Carl came over to the desk. 

He sat down, then he waved a hand towards Lisa: "Take the chair over and sit."

"Thank you, Sir!" Lisa moved the same chair from yesterday to sit in the same spot.

"To have come so early, did you get some ideas for that matter? Tell me."

"Yes, this officer thought for one night. It is truly too strange for such a large amount of provisions to vanish just like that. However, there are two things that should be done urgently."

"Mm. Go ahead then, what are those two things?"

"For the first thing, I think that before winter officially begins, our army should retreat to Yangguan city and stand guard there. Firstly, now that the autumn harvest is complete, the Commander-in-Chief does not need to provide as much buffering land. Secondly, the walls of Yangguan city are a lot sturdier than temporary camp walls. As the saying goes, opportunity isn't comparable to the benefit of terrain, and terrain isn't comparable to the cooperation between people. Of course, the provisions must be searched, but there must still be preparations made for the worst case scenario. The army morale will definitely be affected if it can't be found. If we lose our unity, we have to retreat to seek better terrain. Thirdly, it would put in another distance of a hundred miles. The Huns attack will need to travel further in order to attack. We can stand guard at Yangguan city to wait for a fatigued enemy." 

Carl stroked the beard on his chin. He gave a nod.

Lisa continued to speak in a lowered voice: "For the second thing. I am willing to bring a few skilled helpers to search for clues in Huzhou city. Winter provisions for an army of over hundreds of thousands can't possibly vanish completely in one night, and since Her Highness had encountered assassins at Huzhou's vicinity, the Viceroy of Huzhou had faced the penalty of implication. But the court had yet to assign a new Viceroy, so Huzhou city had no managing officer; with an empty interior, including the fact that the location was one for exchange, the authority was unclear. The security for the provisions would inevitably be slack too; I thinks that the ones who wanted to plunder the provisions must have seen through this point. So Huzhou city is the most suspicious!"

Hearing Lisa's words, Carl revealed a smile: "Looks like a scholar who has been away for three days must be looked at with new eyes. You're thinking matches this marshal's without prior discussion, and you've said it with reason and evidence. Looks like you're trip was not in vain!"

Lisa looked at Carl's gaze that seemed as if a smile. 

Suddenly, a diffidence came over her for no reason. She sat on the chair uneasily.

Fortunately, Carl did not look at Lisa for long. 

He retrieved his gaze as he continued: "Then I'll ask you. If the provisions couldn't be found, do you have any plans for such contingency?"

"This officer thinks that the Commander-in-Chief could keep the plundering of provisions unannounced for the moment, but a report must be sent to the court as soon as possible. The provisions were lost so strangely. An early letter from the Commander-in-Chief would stake claim for initiative. If someone with intentions were to learn of it and informed his Majesty before the Commander-in-Chief does, his Majesty might begin to grow suspicious. And as we are about to enter winter, to face the harsh northern climate with empty stomachs; winter will be severe. If this lower officer found the provisions, a letter can be sent to return the new provisions. But if this lower officer failed and the provisions were not found, the sooner we request the court for new provisions, the lesser time the soldiers would have to starve."