I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 142 Li Lin: A Woman Dresses Up for Her Lover
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The doors of a large hall on the right side of the Privy Council, which had been locked for years, slowly opened, and Zong Ze and the others strode in behind Zhao Yu and Li Lin.

Zong Ze and the others originally thought this was just a routine military seminar. However, they were stunned by the scene before them and stood there dumbfounded.

A huge sand table stood steadily in the hall, displaying the topography of the six routes of Shaanxi, the Western Xia, and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in exquisite detail.

Zong Ze and the others all had their pupils shrink in shock. 'What is this?!'

They hurried forward and bent down to examine it closely.

The sand table vividly depicts the mountains, rivers, towns, and villages, with even the paths and streams in the mountains clearly presented.

"This is Tonggu County?!" Zhong Shidao muttered to himself, his voice filled with shock and confusion.

Prior to this, due to his ancestors' merits, he was able to obtain a position in the third class. After passing the examination, Zhong Shidao became a civil official and served as the judge of Xizhou and the head of Tonggu County. In addition, he had considerable military talent and knew the importance of terrain in war. Therefore, he studied the terrain of Tonggu County and other areas he had visited and memorized it.

This kind of teacher-student relationship was able to find Tonggu County in a short time.

Following the map of Tonggu County and combining it with the text on the sand table, Zhong Shidao easily determined that this was a topographical map of the Six Routes of Shaanxi, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and the Western Xia.

At the same time, Zong Ze and others also figured out what it was using their own methods.

Zong Ze stared wide-eyed, his face filled with disbelief. He reached out his hand, as if wanting to touch the exquisite sand table, yet afraid of disturbing this microscopic world.

"So exquisite, it's simply a masterpiece!" Zhang Shuye exclaimed, recalling the many maps he had seen before. Compared to this, all of them paled in comparison.

The accompanying generals and supervisors also gathered around, and an uproar instantly broke out.

"Is this a miniature version of my Northwest that I've moved here?!" Liu Zhongwu exclaimed in surprise.

"With this, we can know the enemy's terrain like the back of our hand. Who created this divine being?" Yang Zongmin asked.

“I have heard that Ma Yuan gathered rice to form valleys and pointed out the terrain, but how can that compare to this? The person who could make this must be a man of extraordinary talent,” Zhan Du said.

At the same time, Zong Ze and others realized that there must be some experts in the court who were fully aware of what was happening at the front lines, and they could not hide it from the emperor and the ministers in the court.

Zhao Yu cleared up everyone's doubts: "This sand table was made by Li Lin so that we could summarize and deduce the war afterward."

Li Lin had already begun studying the topography of the Qing Tang, Western Xia, and Liao dynasties.

To support Li Lin, Zhao Yu specially arranged for spies from the Imperial City Guard and the Eastern Depot to secretly travel to the northwest and the Song-Liao border with hot air balloons and telescopes. With the help of local officials, they drew the latest and most detailed maps. Some spies even infiltrated Tibet, Western Xia, and Liao for this purpose.

Li Lin used maps sent back from the front lines, the Imperial City Guard, and the Eastern Depot to correct the terrain and landforms she had in mind. She then found skilled craftsmen to recreate the terrain and landforms of the six routes in Shaanxi, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and the Western Xia region, which were currently at war, on the sand table.

To date, Li Lin has almost finished creating sand tables of Hebei, Hedong, and Liao (especially the Yan-Yun region).

Next, Li Lin will also create a sand table of the Zhao Song Dynasty, as well as sand tables of the Western Regions, Tibet, Goryeo, Japan, Dali, the Joseon Dynasty, Champa, Angkor, the Queen Mother's Kingdom, Bagan, Srivijaya, the Arab world, India, and other Western countries. She even plans to create a sand table of the entire world.

Upon hearing Zhao Yu say that the sand table was made by Li Lin, Zong Ze, Wang Bing, Zhang Shuye, and He Guan, who knew Li Lin, immediately looked towards Li Lin, who was standing to the side and behind Zhao Yu.

Seeing this, Zhong Shidao and other generals and supervisors of the Shenji Army who had not yet dealt with Li Lin also looked at this young "eunuch".

At first glance, Zhong Shidao and the others found it hard to imagine how Li Lin had managed to shrink the six routes of Shaanxi, Western Xia, and Qinghai-Tibet to this location.

The key issue is that Li Lin is too young. 'He shouldn't even be twenty yet, right?'

Zhao Yu did not explain to Zong Ze and the others why Li Lin was able to build the sand table, and it was not yet time to expose the hot air balloon.

The key is that the more mysterious something is, the more advantageous it is for one's rule.

After all, people are always in awe of the mysterious and the unknown.

After introducing Zhong Shidao and others to Li Lin, Zhao Yu succinctly stated: "In the coming month, Li Lin will use a sand table to guide you, the four generals, and the four military supervisors in reviewing the past battles between our Great Song Dynasty and the Western Xia, Tubo, and Liao Kingdoms, as well as other historical battles related to these regions. We will summarize our experiences and lessons learned to avoid repeating the same mistakes, so that you can prepare for similar battles in the future."

After Zhao Yu finished speaking, Liu Zhongwu, Yang Zongmin, and the others exchanged bewildered glances. They truly hadn't expected that Zhao Yu would have Li Lin, this "little eunuch," lecture them, these seasoned generals who were well-versed in military strategy and tactics and had seen countless battles!

Isn't this the most ridiculous thing in the world?

Zhao Yu ignored the changes in the expressions of Liu Zhongwu, Yang Zongmin and others, and directly handed the stage over to Li Lin.

In her previous life, Li Lin often gave lectures, including to military officers.

But that was in the previous life.

At that time, Li Lin was a Doctor of Military Science, a visiting professor at the First Army Academy, a special expert at the Center for Strategic and Security Studies, a military issues expert, and a special military commentator—this was her primary job.

Crucially, the social environment at that time allowed women to engage in military affairs.

Now, Li Lin has traveled back in time to the patriarchal Northern Song Dynasty and become one of Zhao Yu's concubines. Originally, she would not have been able to participate in military affairs.

It can be said that Li Lin paid an immeasurable price to be able to stand before these famous generals of the Northern Song Dynasty in the Privy Council as a eunuch, pointing out the state of the country and speaking with great confidence.

This sudden change in identity and the intersection of time and space stirred up indescribable emotions and feelings in Li Lin's heart.

Li Lin took a deep breath, then said frankly, "The first lesson we've taught you, which is also a crucial lesson for our Divine Machine Army, is the post-battle debriefing..."

When Li Lin spoke to them in a teacher's tone, some of the unruly veterans couldn't help but feel resentful. They felt that they had studied military books and strategies since childhood and had fought on the battlefield at a young age, so how could a mere child be allowed to teach them how to fight?
However, with Zhao Yu personally overseeing things here, and Li Lin being promoted by Zhao Yu, who would dare to ruin their future?

There was no other way; everyone present, whether they wanted to or not, had to listen to what Li Lin had to say.

"Last year, Zhong Pu and Tong Guan were ordered to lead the imperial army sent to Xihe Road to rescue Yigong City..."

With the help of the sand table, Li Lin completely recreated that battle.

Moreover, many details were unknown even to Zong Ze and Wang Bing, who had personally participated in that battle.

Only at this moment did everyone realize that Zhao Yu's decision to have Li Lin teach them was not a joke, but that he actually had something to teach them.

Only then did everyone present begin to listen attentively.

Li Lin was not intimidated at all. She gave a comprehensive analysis of Zhong Pu and Tong Guan's strategic deployment, tactical application, troop allocation, and the impact of the geographical environment on the battle.

In addition, Li Lin also simulated the Tibetan army's ambush, tactics, and troop deployment from the perspective of Langakzhang, a powerful chieftain of Tibet.

"At that time, Zhong Pu and Tong Guan led their troops from the east to relieve the siege of Yigong City, but they did not expect that the Tibetan army had already laid an ambush in the valley to the east. The terrain was treacherous, and if our army rashly entered, we would surely be ambushed and suffer heavy losses. However, our army was eager to rescue and did not have time to investigate carefully, which led to the army being trapped. If it were not for the Shenji Left Army's composure under pressure, quick reaction, timely adjustment of tactics, and victory through surprise, defeating the elite Tibetan troops, and Tong Guan leading the Shenji Left Army's cavalry to bypass the western side and use the mountain terrain as cover to launch a surprise attack on the enemy's rear, our army would have suffered heavy losses..."

Li Lin's words revealed a precise grasp of the battlefield situation. She seemed to be present, vividly depicting the thrilling details of each battle. "Looking at this battle, although our army ultimately won, we paid a heavy price. The reasons were twofold: first, a lack of intelligence, with no knowledge of the enemy's deployment; and second, underestimating the terrain and failing to consider its advantages. In contrast, the Tibetan army, though outnumbered, skillfully utilized the terrain, setting up ambushes in strategic locations, waiting in ambush. If our army hadn't reacted promptly, the outcome would have been uncertain."

As Li Lin explained, Zong Ze and the others couldn't help but nod in agreement. Their initial contempt for Li Lin gradually dissipated, replaced by deep respect.

As the analysis deepened, Li Lin pointed out that the strategies adopted by Zong Ze, Wang Bing, and Tong Guan at the time were not the best response.

As Li Lin narrates, the small flags and markers on the sand table constantly change, simulating various possible tactical adjustments and outcome predictions.

Zong Ze and others were deeply attracted by this intuitive and vivid teaching method. Their initial disdain and resentment quietly dissipated, replaced by sincere admiration and reflection.

Throughout the entire process, Zhao Yu did not utter a single word.

Unfortunately, Zhao Yu was utterly clueless about military matters, despite being highly skilled in many areas.

In this situation, if Zhao Yu were to interfere recklessly, it could be a devastating disaster for the soldiers on the front lines.

Therefore, Zhao Yu, who was well aware of his own limitations, simply entrusted military affairs to Li Lin, Zhang Dun and Zeng Bu, and Wang Hou and other generals who had proven themselves in history.

This may well be a wise move.

Li Lin taught Zong Ze and the others until dark.

After analyzing the last battle of the Shenji Left Army in the Qing Tang region, Li Lin emphasized: "From now on, after every battle of our Shenji Army, the captain and officers above the junior supervisor level must participate in the post-battle summary. Supervisors at all levels must write down the summary process and send it to me for review. This matter will become one of the important criteria for your promotion and reward."

If Li Lin had said such things before and assigned them such "useless tasks," some of them would certainly not have complied, but they would have inevitably paid lip service to it.

However, after this post-war debriefing, everyone felt that they had benefited greatly.

The key point is that war is a matter of vital importance to the state, a matter of life and death, a road to survival or ruin, and therefore it is imperative to examine it carefully.

Therefore, Li Lin's request was not excessive.

Furthermore, how many battles can an army fight in a year? Even if we do a proper post-battle debriefing, how much time would it take?

To put it another way, if they can't even do this small thing well, then they don't deserve to be generals or military supervisors.

So everyone responded, "Yes!"

On the way back to the inner palace with Zhao Yu after leaving the Privy Council, Li Lin sincerely said, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Li Lin knew very well that in this patriarchal era, without Zhao Yu's strong support and the opportunities he created for her, she would never have been able to get involved in military affairs, let alone have these famous generals listen to her lectures.

Afterwards, Li Lin even took the initiative to kiss Zhao Yu.

Zhao Yu was slightly taken aback by Li Lin's sudden intimate gesture, then a gentle smile appeared on his lips.

Zhao Yu gently held Li Lin's hand and said softly, "Between you and me, there is no need for thanks. It is my wish to help my beloved consort display her talents."

Under the moonlight, their shadows stretched long, as if their hearts were also tightly connected.

Looking into Zhao Yu's deep eyes, Li Lin felt an indescribable surge of emotion.

Before transmigrating, Li Lin never considered herself a woman. At one point, she even thought there was something wrong with her. In her thirties, she didn't seek out men, nor was she interested in them. She only loved military warfare and spent her days improving her military skills and analyzing all sorts of battles and military affairs. It seemed as if she was born for war.

However, fate played a cruel trick on Li Lin. She was born in a relatively peaceful period and in a peaceful country.

This often made Li Lin lament that she was born at the wrong time.

It wasn't until she traveled back to the late Northern Song Dynasty, a time of frequent wars, that Li Lin felt her chance had come; fate hadn't let her live with regret forever.

However, at that time, Li Lin had no opportunity to come into contact with the military.

In order to realize her long-held dream, and even if she couldn't achieve it herself, she wanted her son to help her realize it, Li Lin had no choice but to submit to Zhao Yu.

It is not difficult to see from this that Li Lin did not willingly become Zhao Yu's woman at that time.

Later, it's unclear whether she was won over by Zhao Yu or simply developed feelings for him over time.

Li Lin gradually came to truly regard Zhao Yu as her man.

Li Lin would dress up for Zhao Yu, even wearing some accessories that she used to hate.

Gradually, Li Lin realized that there was nothing wrong with her. She was just a normal woman who would dress up for someone she liked. In her previous life, she simply hadn't met a man who made her want to be a woman.

In this way, Li Lin's desperate engagement with military affairs was not entirely for her own benefit, but also to help Zhao Yu strengthen his army so that he could become a great emperor like Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Taizong of Tang, and Emperor Taizu of Ming.

By this time, Li Lin had already come to realize that she was the woman behind a successful man.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Yu did not disappoint Li Lin. He overcame difficulties and created opportunities for Li Lin to engage with military affairs.

Nowadays, Zhao Yu and Li Lin seem to be following each other's lead.

Li Lin already knew deeply that in this unfamiliar era, Zhao Yu was not only her support, but also her solid backing for realizing her ambitions, and her lover.

Today, Li Lin has taken another big step forward on the path she wants to take.

This made Li Lin very happy, and also made her even more grateful to Zhao Yu.

'Unfortunately, I'm pregnant!'

But then Li Lin thought, 'Just because I'm pregnant, does that stop me from treating Zhao Yu?'

Thinking of this, Li Lin whispered in Zhao Yu's ear, "They've all had a long day, why don't we let them rest here for a while, and I'll accompany Your Majesty to the garden to relax?"

This is Li Lin—she dares to love and hate, dares to think and act, and doesn't care about other people's opinions.

Previously, when Li Lin was in the Privy Council, her knowledge, competence, and outstanding female military qualities had captivated Zhao Yu.

Now, Li Lin has brought up something so exciting again.

How could Zhao Yu not be tempted?
So Zhao Yu and Li Lin went into the grove...

……

(End of this chapter)