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墨書 Inktalez
"The three cities we captured are not key locations, and the real hard battles will come later. We don't need to rush; let's stay here and wait calmly. By remaining unchanged, we can respond to any changes. Naturally, there are others who are more anxious than us."
San Chun guessed he was referring to Yan Ping. This guy is now the Chancellor of the State of Chu, the apple of the King of Chu's eye. How could he possibly stay out of sight?
She wasn't worried about dealing with Yan Ping; her concern lay elsewhere.
"What will you do if we conquer the State of Chu?"
Zhong Xue smiled and asked, "What are you thinking?"
San Chun didn't want to hide it from him and said, "Let me ask you this: if one day you were to take action against the State of Yan, what would you do?"
She had been pondering this question for a while. She understood him; seeing him constantly waging wars across various states, his ambitions likely extended beyond just becoming the hegemon of the Seven Kingdoms.
Zhong Xue gently stroked her face with a smile, "Are you afraid?"
San Chun remained silent. She was indeed afraid, most afraid that one day she would have to become his enemy and choose between him and the State of Yan.
Zhong Xue seemed quite interested in this, "If I were to attack the State of Yan in the future, what would you do?"
She gritted her teeth and replied, "Then just like before, we'll meet on the battlefield."
"You really are heartless," he shook his head. "Do you truly want to face me in battle?"
"That depends on you. If your ambitions aren't so grand, then it wouldn't come to that."
Just as Zhong Xue was about to speak, they heard someone outside say, "The Seven Kingdoms are in constant warfare, and the common people are suffering. Such chaotic times need a hero to rise up."
San Chun turned around and saw a man in a white robe walking slowly toward them. The smile on his face seemed to compete with the sun and moon for brilliance—so bright and pleasant that it instantly made a good impression on anyone who saw him.
This is Mr. Dong Cheng, the first strategist beside Zhong Xue. She recognized him at a glance since she had seen him when entering the city.
She bowed slightly and said, "Greetings, Mr. Dong."
Dong Cheng smiled and replied, "I dare not take such a title. I just overheard your conversation and couldn't help but interject a word or two. Please don't mind."
Zhong Xue disliked it when someone suddenly interrupted a conversation, but Dong Cheng was an exception, especially since he was about to help her solve a significant problem. If he hadn't appeared, she feared they might have parted on bad terms.
He said, "Since you are here, why don't you share some profound insights with us?"
Dong Cheng responded, "I may not understand profound insights, but I can analyze the current situation. Since the time of the Yan Emperor and Huang Di's war until the Xia Dynasty unified the Yellow River basin, followed by the Shang and Zhou dynasties, we saw the emergence of feudal fragmentation during the late Zhou period—the Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States period. That is what is referred to as 'division.' Continuous wars among feudal lords have caused immense suffering for the people. In such circumstances, someone capable of managing the overall situation is bound to emerge. Since Chengyang Jun took power in Wei Kingdom and implemented reforms twice, it has become prosperous and strong militarily, naturally positioning it to manage the overall situation."
San Chun sneered, "I may not understand your profound insights, but I know that if others want to kill my kin, I will not let them off easily."
Dong Cheng lightly exclaimed, "You are merely a soldier from Yan; what do you know about kin? Do your few family members even qualify as kin?"
San Chun wanted to laugh but couldn't. Although she had repeatedly advised herself that she was no longer the Crown Prince of Yan and did not need to bear any national grievances or personal vendettas—only focusing on people's livelihoods—letting go of these burdens was easier said than done. As a Yan person, she inevitably had to consider the interests of Yan Kingdom. Zhong Xue's casual remark stirred her emotions so much that she almost lost her temper with him.
Seeing their serious expressions, Dong Cheng chuckled, "I think you are worrying unnecessarily. The Wei Army hasn't even conquered Chu yet; why discuss unification? By the time that happens, who knows if any of us will still be able to move around? Achieving this wish would be good enough."
San Chun thought about it and realized it was indeed too early for such concerns. Why should she worry so much here?
As she stood up to leave, Zhong Xue was reluctant to let her go and asked, "Will you come again?"
San Chun replied coldly, "With war approaching, it's better for Lord Jun to think less about those romantic matters."
Zhong Xue was left speechless by this response; she felt as if she had lost a piece of herself. Turning around, she saw Dong Cheng covering his mouth and chuckling softly, which made her frown and ask, "What are you laughing at?"
"Even the famous Chengyang Jun has times when he struggles, isn't that funny?"
Zhong Xue nodded in response, "Do you know who she is?"
"I was just about to ask, who is this young lady?"
"You know she is a woman?"
"I didn't know at first, but just by looking at Lord Jun's expression, it's clear. Lord Jun is extraordinary; how could he possibly be interested in a man?"
Zhong Xue frowned, feeling that his words were off-putting. What does being extraordinary have to do with being attracted to men?
He sneered, "If the military has been too idle lately, you might as well check in with the army. With a great battle approaching, why bother with these romantic matters?"
Dong Cheng sighed, "No wonder you two are a couple; your words and tone are exactly the same."
Zhong Xue touched his nose, "Do you also think we are a good match?"
"Of course, of course." Dong Cheng nodded, going along with it, "So who is that person?"
"The woman I love. The moment I saw you, I knew I couldn't live without her. Even if it means disappointing others, I will completely win her over."
Dong Cheng wiped his forehead; if those words came from someone else, it would be fine, but coming from him, it only felt pretentious. He covered his face, "Oh dear, oh dear, my teeth hurt so much."
Zhong Xue shot him a glance, "Seeing that you have nothing much to do lately, I'll assign you a task."
"Lord Jun commands."
"You are so interested in her, why not serve her yourself and make her willing to accept me?"
Dong Cheng immediately felt a sharper pain in his teeth. He was a scholar; asking him to follow a girl for matters of love was even worse than asking him to kill someone. Especially since he wasn't the main character in this romantic affair; he was merely a puppet master.
He shook his head vigorously. "Lord Jun, I can't do this."
Zhong Xue chuckled lightly. "Have you forgotten that you lost the last bet and promised to help me with something? As for official matters, I can directly assign them to you, but for personal matters..." He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Surely, a gentleman wouldn't go back on his word?"
Dong Cheng felt his jaw start to ache...
San Chun never expected to become someone else's task. The next morning, she opened her eyes to find an extra person in the tent, nearly rolling off her bed in shock.
The person was staring at her with keen eyes, as if studying some rare specimen. She was in a five-person bunk with four other soldiers, and there were other tents with three or four people, even fifty-person bunks, many without beds at all. In a foreign war, having a simple bed like hers was considered quite good treatment. Many people came and went in the tent, and while they didn't know about any taboos, it was still excessive to stare at someone so early in the morning.
When she recognized the person as Dong Cheng, she was momentarily stunned and asked, "What are you looking at?"
"I'm looking at your face."
"What about my face?"
He nodded. "Why is your face so ugly?"
San Chun found it somewhat amusing. Was this really the renowned strategist Dong Cheng? How could he seem so unreliable?
"Did you come here just for this?"
"Not exactly." Dong Cheng stood up and patted his aching knees. He had been sitting there for too long, and his legs had gone somewhat numb.
He said, "I came because Lord Jun assigned me a task."
San Chun smiled and said, "Is it to help the Yan Kingdom train its troops?"
Dong Cheng grinned, thinking to himself that this Girl really knows how to give orders. He had no intention of letting her think he was sent by Chengyang Jun to warm her bed. After all, he was the First Military Advisor; if such words got out, it would be a laughingstock.
After some thought, he could only say, "Indeed, I was sent by Lord Jun. Upon hearing of today's defeat of the Yan Army, he specifically dispatched me to train the Yan Army."
San Chun feigned gratitude, saying, "You are truly the savior of the Yan Army, Military Advisor." After smiling, her expression turned serious. "In that case, you should go meet General Pang. What do you need to come here for?"
Dong Cheng gritted his teeth; this Girl really knows how to put someone in a tight spot. He smiled and said, "I don't know the way; I was hoping you could guide me."
"There are plenty of people in the military camp."
"But I only know you."
San Chun was speechless. She truly didn't know whether to think he was too foolish or just plain silly. The First Military Advisor of the Wei Kingdom was actually a fool?
"Let's go; I'll take you there." She got up and tidied herself before leading him to meet Pang Wan.
Pang Wan was quite puzzled by Chengyang Jun suddenly sending someone to help train the Yan Army. What was his intention? Was he trying to investigate the military situation of the Yan Army? Even if he wanted to spy, did he really need to send the First Military Advisor?
He couldn't grasp the situation and didn't dare agree, only saying, "Military Advisor, I truly cannot trouble you."
Dong Cheng, not wanting to train troops at all, quickly replied, "If that's the case, then I shall take my leave."
Just as he was about to leave, San Chun suddenly spoke up, "Military Advisor, please wait. While we wouldn't dare trouble you with training the troops, there is one squad that wouldn't hurt to ask for your assistance."
"What team?"
"My team."
Recently, she had been awarded the title of Centurion due to her repeated military achievements, commanding a hundred people at her disposal. Of course, this was also because she had been persistently pestering Pang Wan. Pang Wan was wary of her and refused to entrust her with the main force, so after much insistence, he finally gave her a hundred men.
Dong Cheng's expression was one of bitterness; training a hundred-man team—wasn't that a waste of talent?
From the moment San Chun saw Dong Cheng, she knew he wasn't there just to train soldiers. The reason she asked that question was to provoke him a bit. She knew Dong Cheng had a knack for training troops and wanted to ask for his help in rectifying the Yan Army and boosting their morale. But who would have thought that Pang Wan was so suspicious and wouldn't trust him? However, since he was already there, she couldn't let him leave without learning some military strategies.
She smiled broadly, "Thank you, my lord."
Dong Cheng was unwilling—very unwilling. He wasn't there to be treated like a donkey! But thinking of Lord Jun's orders, he could only grit his teeth and say, "Since this brother has made such an offer, I will respectfully comply."
Pang Wan stared in disbelief; when had the chief strategist ever agreed to train a hundred men?
San Chun was quite pleased and cheerfully invited him into her tent, then called for her hundred-man team to assemble.
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