The Princess of Northern Land
Chapter 278: Hiring a Hitman(2)_1

Chapter 278: Chapter 278: Hiring a Hitman(2)_1

It was described as charcoal, but in reality, it was just a burned tree branch.

"Instead of a perfectly good brush, you’re using this?" Si Jinhan sneered at her particular preference.

"I prefer it," countered Lin Ziyin, silencing him with three simple words.

Lin Ziyin, hard at work, was a sight to behold. Si Jinhan and Chu Suifeng, good partners as they were, kept quiet as they watched her work without rest. Yet, the moment she finished a diagram, they would snatch it up eagerly to examine it carefully.

Lin Ziyin worked with meticulous detail, even taking the time to describe the function of each device in depth.

"Get someone to hand these diagrams to the craftsmen, and have them made according to the specifics," Chu Suifeng instructed his men as soon as all the diagrams were ready.

"Yes, Prince."

"Lin Ziyin, what’s this ’combined tactic’ you speak of?" Si Jinhan asked, sitting upright.

Usually carefree, he appeared nearly unrecognizable when serious.

Her entire body ached, yet these two men were relentless, caring little for her physical state. She feared they would keep pestering her if she didn’t satisfy their curiosity.

Unable to escape, she resigned herself to continue explaining.

"Speaking of which, this is a profound subject," Lin Ziyin began, ignoring the doubtful looks from Chu Suifeng and Si Jinhan. "The art of war proposes thirty-six stratagems. Each one isn’t meant to stand alone. If applied flexibly on the battlefield, they can produce significant results."

Chu Suifeng and Si Jinhan furrowed their brows slightly. As experienced warriors, they often had to engage in both physical and mental battles with the Tatars and even amongst the Imperial Court and other princes. And as for intelligence, they modestly believed few match their cunning, especially with the exceptionally shrewd strategist Situ Gong in their midst.

If Lin Ziyin’s hand-to-hand combat was considered skillful and extraordinary, her strategies, however, were taken lightly by Si Jinhan, even somewhat belittled by the third prince.

Though Lin Ziyin could guess their thinking, she didn’t care. Being forced to explain to Chu Suifeng and Si Jinhan was partly out of coercion and partly her sincere hope that they could effectively defend the Border City.

If the Border City were to fall, as residents of the Northern Land, the fate of the Lin family would be dire.

Lin Ziyin understood the principle that all share in the glory and the loss.

"The first among the thirty-six stratagems is ’fool the emperor to cross the sea,’" Lin Ziyin explained calmly. It felt as if she was back teaching at the military academy, only this time she was explaining tactical strategies rather than mechanics. As a military professor, she had a broad knowledge base. Given her frequent interactions with military personnel, and frequent discussions about tactics, strategy, and situation analysis during gatherings with friends, Lin Ziyin was far from unfamiliar with these concepts.

At first, Chu Suifeng and Si Jinhan started listening carelessly, but as Lin Ziyin went on, their expressions gradually turned serious.

Lin Ziyin had to be credited for being an excellent teacher. She didn’t just ask Chu Suifeng and Si Jinhan to memorize the stratagems. Instead, she used stories to prompt analysis, even using the tea set on the table as teaching aids.

Though the era was not one she was acquainted with from history, Lin Ziyin used the story editing method, and Chu Suifeng and Si Jinhan didn’t notice anything amiss.

"The key to ’fool the emperor to cross the sea’ lies in deceit - you must be able to fool yourself before you can fool your enemy," Lin Ziyin concluded. She spent the entire morning on just the first stratagem.