Can I Become Emperor by Being This Lazy? - Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Xu Mao set down the letter. With Lü Feiyan now studying under Xu Bihe, and the road construction in Fengcheng requiring constant supervision, she couldn’t afford to leave the place unattended.

After careful consideration, Xu Mao decided to have them stay behind. She instructed Song Yanfang to assist them, deciding against bringing too many people with her.

As Xu Mao prepared to depart, she relayed the personnel arrangements.

When Xu Bihe and Lü Feiyan received the news that the Marshal would no longer be stationed in Fengcheng, they felt uneasy, suddenly aware of the heavy responsibility weighing on their shoulders.

Don’t worry. If any issues arise, send word at any time. I trust in your abilities to handle affairs here, Xu Mao reassured them. Noticing Lü Feiyan hanging her head with a worried and somewhat dispirited expression, as if lacking confidence, she immediately offered words of encouragement.

Xu Bihe gazed at Xu Mao, reluctant to see her go and regretting that she couldn’t accompany her. With concern, she said, The imperial court’s weapons and equipment are sophisticated, their forces numerous and powerful. You must be very careful on this journey, Marshal.

Xu Mao nodded. Having given all necessary instructions, she had also sent Song Yanfang to negotiate with the Wu family, requesting Wu Hongying’s birth mother to come assist in the Loyal Army. The Wu family didn’t dare refuse and obediently sent her over, settling one of Wu Hongying’s longstanding concerns.

With matters here concluded and the personnel left behind properly arranged—besides Lü Feiyan and Xu Bihe, a contingent of soldiers remained in Fengcheng to guard against unexpected incidents—Xu Mao led the Loyal Army back to their main base in Huaining.

Xu Mao set out overnight, hurrying back to Huaining as quickly as possible. Upon entering the city, she went straight to the county office, urgently seeking out Xu Heng to inquire about the specific situation.

Elder Sister, you’re back. Xu Heng’s eyes lit up with delight at the sight of Xu Mao. She quickly stepped forward, grabbing her arm and nestling affectionately into the crook of her elbow, lowering her head to nuzzle against it, feeling a sense of security.

Dispensing with small talk, Xu Mao got straight to the point. In your letter, you mentioned that the Prefect has mobilized troops to suppress us. What exactly is happening?

Xu Heng looked somewhat forlorn as she withdrew from Xu Mao’s embrace. After a moment, she composed herself, lifted her face, and relayed the entire sequence of events to Xu Mao.

A few days ago, the Jin Province Prefect sent someone to deliver a message, urging us to surrender wisely. Otherwise, we would be treated as rebels, shown no mercy, and executed on the spot. He even threatened to kill you, Elder Sister, to eradicate what he called ‘evil forces’ and quell the unrest in Huaining. Xu Heng summarized the situation in a few words, her tone tinged with disdain toward the Prefect’s attempts to intimidate them.

After understanding the situation clearly, Xu Mao pondered for a long moment. By my estimate, the Prefect should be arriving in Huaining soon. We must immediately prepare for battle.

As she spoke, the System suddenly glitched and issued a warning. However, when Xu Mao checked the System, she found no red notifications or other message alerts.

Assuming it was a bug, Xu Mao didn’t pay it much mind and habitually uploaded the system logs and feedback with a single click.

Meanwhile, a flash of light crossed Xu Heng’s mind. She shook her head slightly, trying to steady her thoughts. In that fleeting instant, her expression subtly shifted, revealing a hint of confusion.

Brushing aside the odd sensation, Xu Heng nervously clutched a corner of her garment and asked with concern, The court has overwhelming numbers. Have you thought of a way to counter them, Elder Sister?

Unaware of anything unusual, Xu Mao ruffled Xu Heng’s fluffy hair and nodded. I have a preliminary plan. There’s no need to worry.

Xu Heng threw herself into her arms, burying her face and murmuring, Elder Sister, when can we go home? I miss home. I miss Mother so much…

Xu Mao said softly, Soon. I won’t stay here much longer. In a few days, I’ll send you over.

Xu Heng’s head suddenly throbbed with pain. After a moment of dizziness, her body trembled slightly. She clung tightly to Xu Mao, taking a deep breath to absorb the familiar, warm scent that brought her a sense of security.

It’ll be over soon, don’t worry. Xu Mao chuckled, thinking how childlike Xu Heng still was, filled with fear of the unknown.

She had originally entrusted the Zhang family to care for Xu Heng and escort her to Jinyang to reunite with their family if anything happened to her, bringing this final chapter to a perfect close.

The troops mobilized by the Prefect were no small-scale forces like those in Huaining or Yanlin. These were proper soldiers who received military pay. No matter how incompetent they might be, they possessed basic training far surpassing that of militia. Xu Mao could already envision the scene on the day of battle.

Training chants echoed from outside the window. Xu Mao turned to look outside, the faces of Tang Zhegui, Xu Bihe, and Lü Feiyan flashing through her mind one by one. Their smiling faces and bright eyes were full of boundless hope for the future.

Xu Mao closed her eyes, reminding herself that these were just strings of code. She could choose to save real-time recordings when logging out of the game, and she could meet them again in new playthroughs. Ending the current session was what mattered most.

Sister, what troubles you?

Xu Heng stepped back half a step, her field of vision expanding as she closely watched the changes in Xu Mao’s expression, unaware that her own face was full of worry and eagerness, as if ready to clear any obstacle for Xu Mao at the mere mention of a name or trouble.

Xu Mao let out a soft breath and made her decision.

It’s nothing. I know how to deal with the Prefect of Jin Province now. I’ll make sure they come to never return. After speaking these half-truths, Xu Mao immediately set to work.

Although Lü Feiyan hadn’t returned to Huaining, the sisters from the Theater District who had come with her were back. Xu Mao found them and said with a serious, solemn expression, We’re about to face a fierce battle. Everyone must be mentally prepared.

Their eyes shone with determination as they firmly replied, Rest assured, Marshal! We are always ready!

Xu Mao nodded. To boost morale, I’ll teach you a song. Each of you will lead others in learning it so the rest of the army can quickly pick it up.

Everyone singing this song together can help relax the mind, uplift the spirit, and plays a very important role. It must not be taken lightly. Xu Mao added this specifically, fearing they might underestimate its significance.

The soldiers familiar with music theory all showed curious expressions, their eyes sparkling like stars as they looked expectantly at Xu Mao.

Xu Mao took the lyrics she had written from her sleeve, unfolded the paper, gave it a shake, cleared her throat, and bravely sang through her embarrassment: The cold wind drifts, leaves fall, the army is a green flower…*

She had modified some of the original lyrics for better understanding and adaptation, but the inherent power of this military song, famously known as the Forbidden Army Song, remained intact. No soldier who heard it would remain unmoved. The song would be taught in the morning, and by night, soldiers would be climbing walls to return home. She was confident it would sway their resolve.

Sure enough, after Xu Mao finished singing, the women before her had slightly reddened eyes glistening with tears, clearly reminded of their own experiences and unable to hold back their emotions.

They had been sold into the Theater District to learn skills at a young age, most separated from their biological parents around five or six years old, burying themselves in rigorous training.

To this day, they could no longer clearly remember their parents’ faces or voices, retaining only the memory of their mothers’ soft, warm hands and comforting embraces—everything else had faded from memory.

Have you ever heard this melody? Several people were startled to realize that wanderers like themselves had actually begun to feel homesick, yearning to hold their mother’s hand again and walk through the snow, celebrating a joyous holiday.

Was this… composed by the Marshal?” they asked in surprise.

Xu Mao shook her head and explained, No, the composer’s real name is Xiao Zeng. I happened to hear it by chance.”

Everyone couldn’t help but feel deeply moved. This senior Xiao Zeng was truly remarkable—using simple yet heartfelt words that struck a chord in their hearts, line by line. Without further thought, they began to learn the song earnestly.

Thanks to their foundation, they picked it up quickly. With little effort from Xu Mao, they were soon able to sing the entire song, their voices so melodious and touching that it left listeners even more sorrowful.

Seeing that her approach was working, Xu Mao grew more confident. She ordered them to go back and teach the other soldiers, commanding, By the day after tomorrow, I want everyone in the army to know this song. Daily training can be relaxed, but this song must be sung without fail.”

Hearing this, they shook off their daze and perked up immediately.

Given the song’s importance, they didn’t dare slack off. They divided the work, each responsible for several squads, and devoted themselves to teaching the soldiers how to sing it.

Everything proceeded according to Xu Mao’s plan. The army resounded with loud, lingering singing—enough to move listeners to tears, while those singing felt a tumult of emotions, pouring boundless depth of feeling into the melody.

The more they sang about not missing home, the stronger their urge to return grew. Xu Mao made a round to ensure everyone had learned the song. Seeing their restless hearts, she nodded with satisfaction and breathed a sigh of relief.

Sing, sing—hurry home.

Xu Mao happily fantasized, even giving special orders to sing the song morning, noon, and night, hoping to increase the soldiers’ likelihood of deserting.

The tune of cold winds blow, leaves fall” drifted all around the camp, heard everywhere—morning and night, the melody inescapable at all hours. Even the most heartfelt emotions grew numb from over-singing.

Tang Zhegui couldn’t understand why, at such a critical time of intense battle preparations, the Marshal would suddenly indulge in leisure, setting aside training to carve out so much time for singing.

The song was indeed moving, but as a native of Huaining, she could return home in just a few steps to see old neighbors and friends. Her homesickness was fleeting, not deeply felt.

After hearing the song, Tang Zhegui’s touched feelings faded quickly, replaced more by excitement—her spirits soaring, as if mighty waves were crashing ashore. She trembled all over, invigorated and eager.

She distinctly felt a surge of energy inside her, desperate for release—to fight with real swords and spears, to defend Huaining, to protect Marshal Xu.

But as they sang the song more and more, Tang Zhegui gradually grew weary and less sincere. Anxious, she worried that Marshal Xu’s intention to boost morale wasn’t having the desired effect.

Tang Zhegui tried to report the situation to Xu Mao, but Xu Mao remained unmoved, sticking to the original plan. Tang Zhegui grew frantic with worry, restless and uneasy, unable to focus even on cooking.

Beside her, someone hummed the familiar tune while swiftly chopping with a knife—thump, thump, thump—cold winds blow, leaves fall—thump, thump, thump—don’t miss home, our home is right here in Huaining, just a few steps away. Indeed, there was no need to miss home.

Squad Leader, don’t worry about it. What’s that saying? The Marshal’s plans leave nothing to chance—she knows what she’s doing,” the cook comforted, having finished chopping the vegetables and noticing Tang Zhegui’s anxious expression. The humming stopped as she spoke.

Tang Zhegui fretted, I hope so.”

She wanted to trust the Marshal, but she just couldn’t set her mind at ease.

On the other end, seeing that Xu Mao showed no intention of complete surrender and was a tough nut to crack, the Prefect of Jin Province grew impatient and decided to dispatch troops to teach her a lesson.

In the chilly morning breeze, the damp, cold air seeped into the bones with a stinging pain. The Prefect of Jin Province led his troops in a surprise attack. Amid the dark silence, a faint song drifted through: The cold wind drifts, leaves fall…