When the Side Character Gets a System and Travels through Difference Worlds

Yuan Cheng, however, gave Tan You a curious look. ’This woman,’ he thought, ’is becoming more and more of a mystery.’

Yue Shu readily agreed. "Madam, being on the defensive all the time is too conservative. We need to go on the attack—take the initiative. Only when we make them feel the pain will they not dare to invade again."

Tan You knew their mission was dangerous. "Alright. Take plenty of life-saving supplies."

Yue Shu understood. "Don’t worry, Madam. We’ll be traveling light and are certain to complete the mission."

Tan You was filled with worry. "The mission isn’t as important as your lives. You are what matters most. Don’t forget you all have loved ones at home, so take good care of yourselves."

Yue Shu lowered his hands respectfully. "Please, don’t worry, Madam."

He didn’t offer any guarantees, because Tan You had once said that making such promises was like jinxing yourself—nine times out of ten, the person who says them doesn’t come back. So, everyone had gradually gotten out of the habit of saying such things, if only for their own peace of mind.

Yuan Cheng was eager to go. He didn’t want to miss such a good opportunity for glory. ’If the map is real, I want to go too,’ he thought. ’It might be a risk, but fortune favors the bold.’

Tan You glanced at him. "General Yuan, you can’t go. You need to stay and reassure the citizens. To the people of Yunzhou State, we are strangers, but you are a familiar face. They will trust you more."

Yuan Cheng thought about it and agreed. "Alright, then. I’ll go reassure the people!"

Yuan Cheng left with several commanders of the city guard, while Yue Shu and the others went back to pack. Chen Yue’s eyes darted about before she silently followed after Yue Shu’s group.

Chen Xi and An Wen both saw her go, but neither said a word. ’There’s no way they’d take a young girl on a mission like Yue Shu’s,’ they thought. It was impossible. Chen Yue was bound to come back disappointed.

Sure enough, after the two had finished a cup of tea, Chen Yue returned with a long, sullen face. She slumped into a chair and began to sulk, a clear sign her attempt had failed.

Chen Xi brought her a cup of cooled tea. "Yue Team and Master Yang are on official business. They would certainly have picked only the most outstanding personnel. How could they let a young lady like you get involved in something so important?"

"That would be irresponsible, not only to you, but to everyone’s lives."

Did Chen Yue not understand this? Of course she did. She sidled up to Tan You, wheedling, "Mother, when can I go to the battlefield with Yue Team?"

Tan You glanced at her. "Weren’t you on the battlefield today?"

"That doesn’t count," Chen Yue argued, full of justifications. "Today I was just tagging along and picking up the scraps. I want to be able to fight alongside Elder Sister and An Wen."

Tan You thought for a moment. "Wait until we have complete control of Yunzhou City. When that time comes, we’ll have our own army. If you really want to be a soldier and fight in wars, you can form your own unit."

Chen Yue’s eyes lit up. "Really?"

Tan You nodded. "If you’re truly interested, I won’t stop you. There’s no rule that says only men can win glory and wage war. Women must be strong and stand on their own. Give them a chance, and they won’t be any worse than men."

"Your elder sister’s skills aren’t specced for this, but I can see you have some talent for it."

Chen Yue said sweetly, "Any talent I have, I get from you, Mother. In the future, when I’m out leading troops, Elder Sister can manage all my logistics. It’s so cool just thinking about it!"

"And when Yuanyuan finishes her training, she’ll be my military doctor. Then I’ll have a records officer and a doctor. It’ll be a complete set!"

An Wen shot Chen Yue a disgruntled look. "What about me?"

Chen Yue was baffled. "You’ll be with Yue Team, of course. You’re not willing to be a mere footsoldier under my command, are you?"

An Wen sulked.

Yue Shu and Yang Youchang got the map from Tan You and hastily picked thirty men. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to bring more people, but a larger group would be less mobile.

After packing a large bag of Soft Muscle Powder and gunpowder, the group quietly left Yunzhou City under the cover of darkness.

Tan You stood on the city wall, watching them go until their figures disappeared from view. Only then did she descend. Yuan Cheng walked beside her. "Rest easy, Madam. Yue Team is a man of extraordinary courage. For this decapitation strike, he will surely be able to..."

An Wen leaped over and covered Yuan Cheng’s mouth. "General Yuan, let’s keep our well wishes in our hearts. My aunt says that jinxing things like that is asking for disaster. Yue Team has their job to do, and we have ours."

"By the way, my aunt gave me a list. There are Beirong spies in Yunzhou City. Shall we root them out tonight?"

Yuan Cheng’s attention was immediately diverted. He forgot to ask what "jinxing" or "asking for disaster" meant, his focus shifting entirely to the spies. "Are there really spies?"

An Wen replied, "If my aunt says there are, then there definitely are. Later, in the dead of night, we’ll go and quietly arrest them."

Compared to Yue Shu and Yang Youchang, An Wen was undoubtedly much more diplomatic and eloquent. After just a few words with Yuan Cheng, they had already planned the spy-catching operation for later that night.

Chen Xi walked beside Tan You. "Mother, are you worried about Yue Shu and the others?"

Tan You let out a soft sigh. "How could I not be? A decapitation strike is incredibly dangerous. If Yunzhou State didn’t need someone to guard it, I would have gone with them."

’At least if I went, the target would be clearer, and Yue Shu and his men wouldn’t have to search all over that massive camp.’

Chen Xi felt a little ashamed. "It’s my fault I can’t lighten your burdens, Mother."

Tan You smiled faintly. "It has nothing to do with you. We’re just short-staffed. It’s alright, we’ll have more people soon."

A thought struck Chen Xi. "Are you talking about the captives? If we really manage to take Youzhou State, those captives... we’re not going to kill them all?"

Tan You replied, "Why kill them? Have them report on each other. Those with blood on their hands can be put to work repairing the city walls. Those without can be conscripted into our ranks. If there are still stubborn ones after that, then there’s no need to keep them."

"But Tuoba Qi and his family must die. Even his descendants, wives, and concubines... not a single one can be left alive."

Chen Xi pressed her lips together. "I understand. Pull out the weeds by the roots. Mercy toward the enemy is cruelty to ourselves. I’m not so naive as to not understand that."

Tan You’s mood lightened somewhat. "It’s good that you understand. If the roles were reversed, would they pity us? They wouldn’t. That’s just how the world works. For us to live better, they must be the ones to die."

"By the way, An Wen is with Yuan Cheng learning about military affairs. Now that the Magistrate of Yunzhou State has fled, I want you to familiarize yourself with the duties of the government office as quickly as possible. You need to learn about Yunzhou State’s population registers, its geography..."

She was clearly grooming Chen Xi as her successor, as Chen Xi had a great talent for planning and coordination. A leader doesn’t need to be outstanding at everything; they need to know how to recognize and utilize the strengths of their people.

And as it happened, that was a quality Chen Xi possessed.