Mo Lingling thought for a moment and said, "I suppose Fifth Missy got too engrossed in what a group of teahouse patrons were saying."
Tao Wanxin asked, "What were they talking about?"
Mo Lingling said, "The war with Xijin. They said Xijin has received reinforcements from Nanchu, and now we're facing an army of six hundred thousand. Those patrons all said that conscription might start in a few more days."
The piece of meat Ji Qingwu had been stabbing, now riddled with countless tiny holes, finally made it into her mouth.
Tao Wanxin stopped stirring her soup and said with concern, "The total number of troops Beili has sent to the Northern Border is four hundred and fifty thousand. We're at a great disadvantage, being outnumbered by so many."
Ji Qingrong said, "I remember when His Majesty was General Dingbei..."
Ji Qingwu's ears perked up, and the chopsticks in her hand suddenly clattered to the floor.
As if startled from a dream, her eyes flew wide. "What about His Majesty?"
