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墨書 Inktalez
Dong Cheng truly lives up to the title of the first strategist, having trained the hundred-man team to move with precision in just half a day.
San Chun was greatly impressed and suggested to Pang Wan that they borrow ten thousand soldiers for their use.
Pang Wan was also curious to see Dong Cheng's abilities, so he handed over ten thousand Yan Army troops to him. Not only did Dong Cheng train them well, but he also arranged a formation, significantly boosting the combat effectiveness of the Yan Army.
Seizing the opportunity, San Chun discussed some military laws and tactics with him, to which Dong Cheng responded one by one. She had recently discussed Military Strategy with Young Master Rong, and found that Dong Cheng's insights and skills were no less impressive than his, earning her deep respect.
Dong Cheng was equally surprised by San Chun's knowledge in military strategy. He had initially thought she was an ignorant woman, but he discovered she had unique perspectives. He mused that it was her talent that Lord Jun valued, not her looks. However, such a person had not received much favor from Pang Wan. It seemed that Pang Wan was indeed jealous of capable individuals, which turned out to be true.
The two chatted for several days, feeling as if they had known each other for ages, even forgetting the task assigned by Chengyang Jun. It wasn't until Zhong Xue sent someone to inquire that they suddenly remembered there were important matters left undone.
He scratched his head and said to San Chun, "Can you help me with something?"
San Chun smiled and replied, "You've helped me so much; what do you want? Just say it."
He was overjoyed and said, "Thank you very much."
Having known her for some time, he understood she preferred straightforwardness, so he directly asked, "Could you go meet Lord Jun?"
She paused for a moment and asked, "Is this something you need to manage too?"
Dong Cheng smiled wryly; it wasn't something he needed to oversee, but he had lost a bet. Remembering the last wager made him feel a bit sore. A few days ago, Zhong Xue had insisted on taking him birdwatching and then pointed at a bird asking, "Is that bird male or female?"
He replied, "How can I tell from this height?"
"Then let's bet. If you guess correctly, This Lord will grant you a favor. If I guess right, you will help me with something. How about that?"
He thought this was a reasonable proposition; considering their statuses, if he could get help from him, it wouldn't be bad at all.
He said, "I guess this one is male." Roosters generally have more beautiful feathers, while hens tend to be duller.
Zhong Xue smiled, "I guess it's a castrated one."
"What?"
Zhong Xue waved his hand, and an arrow flew up, shooting down the bird. He plucked its feathers and took a look; it really was castrated, as it lacked all the characteristics that would indicate whether it was male or female.
He cried out, "How did Lord Jun know it was castrated? It couldn't have been castrated and then put up there, right?"
"Indeed."
Thus, he lost the bet. He regretted it deeply; had he known that Lord Jun never did anything without certainty, betting with him was like lifting a rock only to drop it on his own foot.
San Chun watched his changing expressions, resembling a chameleon. She found it amusing and said, "Can he only see?"
Dong Chenggan laughed, "Actually, it's not just seeing. If it's convenient, doing something else is also fine."
"Or?"
"Or... everything is left unspoken." What those two were doing was not something he could interfere with.
The dignified strategist had taken on the role of a pimp; it seemed entirely out of place for him. However, the relationship between her and Zhong Xue was not something that could be easily clarified in just a few words. Especially since Zhong Xue had sent him here, it might not just be to make him submit; there might be other intentions at play.
Unable to figure out what Zhong Xue was thinking for the moment, San Chun said, "I'll handle this matter with Lord Jun myself later. You don't need to worry about it."
Dong Cheng breathed a sigh of relief; it was great that he wouldn't have to get involved.
He took his leave and ran away quickly, as if he were being chased by a ghost.
San Chun looked at her retreating figure and sighed. Was she really that difficult to get along with?
*
Dong Cheng returned to the Prefectural Office and suddenly saw a luxurious carriage in front of the door. It was adorned with gold and silver, and the horses pulling it were the finest, tallest, and strongest steeds, as ordinary horses could not pull it.
Such an ostentatious carriage was not something just anyone could afford. He remembered this carriage; it was made under his supervision. Chengyang Jun wanted to save costs, so he had chosen the cheapest materials to construct it. The metal was real gold, but it was only a layer of gold skin, with wood stuffed inside, making it hollow. Otherwise, no horse could pull it.
Since there was this carriage, it must mean he had arrived.
He pulled a soldier at the door and asked, "Who has come?"
"It seems Mr. Fu has arrived."
Upon hearing Mr. Fu's name, Dong Cheng felt overwhelmed. If Zhong Xue was the second most difficult person to deal with, then Mr. Fu was definitely the first. Mr. Fu was the maternal uncle of Lord Jun and also Chengyang Jun's uncle. In this vast land, uncles held the highest authority. Moreover, he managed all major affairs for Zhong Xue; if Lord Jun were to unify things in the future, he would surely become the first Chancellor.
As for Dong Cheng, he held the title of chief strategist but had no real power. Of course, what worried him most was that this uncle always looked down on him, believing that his playful nature would eventually lead Lord Jun astray.
Wasn't it just that he liked to drink, sing, and visit brothels? Why did that make him so unbearable?
Thinking about possibly being pointed at and scolded by others, and fearing that the matter of the fake golden carriage would be exposed, he wanted to leave even more. Just as he turned to go, he suddenly heard someone shout from the entrance: "Where do you think you're going?"
Dong Cheng turned around and saw an old man with a white beard standing there, causing his scalp to tingle.
He hurriedly walked over and bowed respectfully. "Dong Cheng pays his respects to Mr. Fu."
Mr. Fu sneered, "Where did you come from?"
"From the Yan Army camp."
"What were you doing there?"
He glanced at Zhong Xue standing behind him. He hesitated but then thought about Mr. Fu's methods of dealing with people. If he found out the truth, it would surely lead to a situation where he couldn't live or die. So he steeled himself and said, "The Lord sent me to the military to see someone."
"Who?"
Zhong Xue kept signaling him with his eyes, while Dong Cheng pretended not to see. Offending the Lord might leave him with a complete corpse, but offending Mr. Fu could lead to his entire family being dug up from their graves, buried again, and then dug up once more.
He replied, "The Lord has taken a liking to a girl and asked me to act as a matchmaker."
Zhong Xue gritted his teeth; this Dong Cheng really couldn't keep secrets. With such great abilities, he was still afraid of an old man. Although he probably had no way to deal with that old man either.
He smiled and said, "Uncle, there's no need to listen to him. I just let him go to the military to take a look; there are no girls in the military."
Mr. Fu glanced at him and then turned back to Dong Cheng, his gaze sharpening, "You know I hate it when people lie, right?"
"Yes, the Lord asked me to meet a soldier from the Yan Army who is disguised as a man in order to serve the country. As for her identity, it is still under investigation."
Mr. Fu frowned, "Bringing a woman back to the residence is enough; why hide her?"
Zhong Xue knew that his uncle hated men who were sentimental and weak when it came to love. If he found out about Zhong Xue's feelings for San Chun, he would probably resort to harsh measures. With a light snort, he shouted at Dong Cheng, "Did you hear that? Hurry up and bring that woman to this Lord. Once this Lord is done playing with her, you can send her back."
"Understood." Dong Cheng replied and turned around, unable to help but grimace. What kind of situation was this? He had known that helping the Lord with personal matters wouldn't end well. Now he had offended two people at once.
Mr. Fu said to Zhong Xue, "You don't like the woman I brought. Since you already have someone in your heart, why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"It was because Uncle didn't ask just now."
"Alright, then I don't need to rush to leave today. I'll meet this woman first, and if she suits your eye, it wouldn't be a problem for you to take her as a concubine."
He turned around and went back into the residence.
Dong Cheng hurriedly followed him and seized the opportunity to ask Zhong Xue, "What is this old man doing here?"
Zhong Xue chuckled lightly, "It's nothing much. He's just urging the army to advance quickly and capture the capital of the Chu Kingdom in one go, without leaving any loose ends like last time with Qi State, giving them a chance to breathe. Also, he wants me to take a look at a woman."
Dong Cheng replied, "Exactly. Last time we attacked Qi State, why didn't Lord directly storm into the Qi Palace and kill that old man?"
"Attacking Qi State is easy, but if several other countries unite against Wei Kingdom, we can't afford to leave any loose ends. Once they come together as one, it will be troublesome. When waging war against several nations, we must defeat them one by one. To destroy a nation, there must be a reason—one strong enough for everyone to believe that King of Chu Song Ren deserves to be attacked collectively. As long as the Chu Kingdom is destroyed, the other nations will follow suit."
Dong Cheng nodded, "Lord Jun's considerations are thorough; my vision was indeed short-sighted."
Zhong Xue said, "This matter is currently being planned and will yield results soon. You just need to wait a little longer."
"Then what should we do about Mr. Fu?"
"Uncle has a strange temper and is stubborn; whatever he wants will have to be accommodated for now. We'll deal with it after he leaves."
"What about San Chun?"
"That depends on your abilities." He patted Dong Cheng's shoulder, conveying a sense of entrusting him with an important responsibility.
Dong Cheng sighed, feeling that he had been pushed into a fire pit. He was somewhat resentful in his heart and deliberately asked, "What kind of woman did Lord Jun want to see? Can you let me take a look?"
Zhong Xue took a deep breath. His uncle had once asked him why he didn't share a room with Princess Ying. At the beginning of the conflict, he was too busy to spare any thought for it. Later, when he was forced into a corner, he casually said, "She's too fat." Now it seemed that he had been given a thin one, but if she was as thin as a ghost, that would be unacceptable. He still remembered the shock he felt when he first saw that woman; his heart was still racing.
He said, "She's in the backyard; you can go take a look yourself."
Dong Cheng naturally had no time to go to the backyard; he needed to return to the Yan Army to ask for San Chun. As for his feelings after seeing her, he could sum it up in three words: too frightening.
San Chun didn't know what was going on and only thought that Zhong Xue couldn't wait to see her. Considering Dong Cheng, it wouldn't hurt to go meet her.
"Let's go." She stood up and was about to leave when Dong Cheng asked, "Are you going like this?"
She looked at her military uniform and asked, "What's wrong with this outfit?"
Dong Cheng shook his head and called for someone to bring over the prepared Female Attire for her to change into.
It was better to dress up a bit; it was certainly better than going in such plain attire.
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