Seeing such a situation, Zhen Mi extinguished all her previous fantasies, realizing that everything she’d seen was just an uncertain future, and the once destined path could be erased by others. Could the Zhen Family still avoid it?
At this thought, Zhen Mi sighed helplessly. As her mother of the Zhang Clan’s control over the Zhen Family grew stronger with each day, the traditions left by her father, Zhen Yi, were diminishing. Although it seemed like the Zhen Family was becoming more prosperous and flourishing, ever since she saw the changes in her facial features in the mirror, Zhen Mi felt that the Zhen Family was like a flower embroidered on brocade in the midst of fiery oil – beautiful, but only as a last glorious moment before decay.
Zhen Mi strongly hoped her mother would revert to the old ways, but sadly she was nothing more than a golden canary in the Zhen Family, without real power. Although she was clever and had infinite potential, no one would listen to an eight-year-old girl’s naive ideas about things that wouldn’t impact the greater elegance, let alone allow her to meddle in those decisions that really determined the family’s direction.
"A flower embroidered on brocade amidst fiery oil, the last beauty before destruction." Zhen Mi looked up at the sky, as snowflakes slowly fell, the gloomy weather seemed just like her mood at that moment. Who would know that a young girl harbored so many thoughts?
After Chen Xi handed over the plan to Mi Zhu, he stopped worrying about it. Anyway, just like when the Zhen Family had just swallowed the assets of the Zhang Su, and it was akin to the situation of the naive Zhang Shiping and Su Shuang when they first returned to Zhongshan, full of self-satisfaction...
"It’s snowing, huh." Chen Xi, standing by the window, looked at the fluttering snow outside, caught a snowflake, and said, "I wonder how Zijian has arranged everything. Winter is coming, which means kidnapping will start with the spring. He’d better not set his sights on Meiwu, the glint of money is a bad idea."
"Is Zichuan still worried about Zijian?" Lub Su wrapped in a fur coat, drinking ginger tea, said. A child from the hardship of Jiangnan, who hadn’t even seen snow, naturally couldn’t endure the cold.
"I’m a bit worried he might bring back something with him on a whim. Anyway, let him be. The four thousand infantry under his command are basically unbeatable head-on in this world, ah, I misspoke, Chang’an might indeed have forces that could beat them." Chen Xi first spoke proudly, then realized he misspoke, "Hmm, even Gao Shun couldn’t defeat them; he simply doesn’t have enough men. Zijian has four thousand, after all, and they all strictly follow orders, unflinching in the face of the blade and prepared to die as elites."
"Zichuan, actually I have some insights about drilling soldiers, but after seeing Wen Ze’s drilling methods I felt far behind. Yet after seeing Zijian, I realized it’s not just a small gap. Could you tell me the mystery behind it?" Lub Su paused for a long time without speaking, until Chen Xi turned to look at him, then he chose his words carefully before speaking.
"I can tell you the method, but the soldiers that Zijian trains can be said to be an opportunity that one encounters but cannot seek." Chen Xi explained the entire process with a wry smile and shared his speculations with Lub Su, lighting up Lub Su’s eyes with anticipation, wishing he could try it immediately.
"That’s inhumane." Liu Ye looked up and criticized.
"If you don’t speak, nobody will think you’re mute. I’ve recently collected a bunch of evidence on your illegal activities and handed them over to Boning. I’m quite keen to see you get caught by Boning," Chen Xi turned his head and threatened.
"Awoo~" Liu Ye stretched himself with a lack of grace; he had been spoiled by Chen Xi. "Hengheng, you don’t know that there’s a law in Han jurisprudence called ’Relatives Conceal Each Other, Without Guilt,’ do you? Boning said if I break the law, he would just conceal me, and since he’s the one who would catch me, he wouldn’t be breaking the law by hiding me, so you understand."
Chen Xi nearly spit a mouthful of tea onto Liu Ye. Could it be played this way? Upon further thought, there really was such a law, and it seemed it had existed since the times of Shang and Zhou.
"Zijing, what do you think of this law?" Chen Xi turned and hinted to Lub Su.
Poor Lub Su, wrapped in a fur coat and with Chen Xi’s brazier at his feet, still shivered from the cold, hardly caring about the expression on Chen Xi’s face, merely nodding continuously and saying, "This law is surely needed. Laws cannot be detached from human sentiment, as enforcing laws that disregard human desires is untenable. The enforcement of laws, after all, ultimately depends on human governance."
"...You’ve passed," Chen Xi said, unable to hide his speechlessness as he looked at Lub Su, then turned to Liu Ye.
"The days are getting shorter too. Why don’t we go and have some fun? I have a singer at home, Zichuan, Zijing, do you want to come?" Liu Ye changed the subject—he could tell that Chen Xi was bored now.
"Crack~" The door of the Political Office was pushed open, and a gust of cold wind blew in. Chen Xi couldn’t help but shrink his neck, while Lub Su immediately curled into a ball, his eyes burning with fierce malice at the person entering.
Liu Bei, who pushed the door open, naturally saw the strong malice in Lub Su’s eyes, but seeing Lub Su wrapped up in a ball yet still unable to bear the cold, he just smiled and closed the door behind him.
"If Zijing finds it too cold, we can move our official business to my living room. I have lit three braziers there. It is much better than this open space," Liu Bei suggested with a smile, not wanting his subordinates to end up unable to perform their duties over such trivial matters. Overfishing was not a good habit, after all.
"Thank you, Lord Xuande," Lub Su said with a shiver.
Chen Xi glanced at Lub Su, knowing that with such a thick coat, he was certainly not cold. It was just Lub Su’s unaccustomedness to the local climate. He would be fine after a couple of years, and it was impossible that he was shivering from the cold—it was all psychological.
"Where are Fengxiao and Xiao Zhi?" Liu Bei looked around the spacious Political Office and asked curiously.
"Fengxiao said he took Xiao Zhi to experience the suffering of the common people," Chen Xi said with a sly smile on his face.
"You could’ve just said they ran off; I wouldn’t mind. In fact, I’m surprised that Zichuan is even here," Liu Bei instantly understood what was meant. What experiencing the suffering of the common people? They just didn’t want to deal with these miscellaneous and trivial official duties and had gone off to drink and listen to music instead.
"I’m sitting here because I have matters to attend to. I need to calculate the dates. The hole Fengxiao dug is too big, and we might have to start preparing early," Chen Xi sighed, "Mixing covert and open strategies has thrown a mess into Qingzhou. The Yellow Turbans have to jump even if they didn’t intend to. Food is always a trouble. The grain purchased by the Lu Family has not arrived yet, the Mi Family is still suppressing the Zhen Family, unable to free up their hands. By the end of March, the fish Fengxiao hooked will be caught, but I’m afraid we’ll get choked by the catch..."
"Crack~" Another push of the door. "Oh, Zijing is still so afraid of cold, huh?" Even as the words were spoken, the door was left open, "Greetings, my Lord!"
"Fengxiao, close the door!" Lub Su, shivering more than ever, could no longer maintain his composure.
"Really now, I’ve heard people say, whatever you’re afraid of, you need to face it more. That’s the only way to overcome it," Guo Jia muttered as he grabbed Fa Zheng, who was clearly a bit dazed right now.