"If he really is Li Liangting’s man, then so be it. But if he’s not..."
"What does the Lord plan to do then?"
"Let’s first see how this youngster manages the affairs of Huaiya Academy. Those pedantic scholars of Huaiya Academy! They consume the provisions of my Yan, live on the land of my Yan, and teach the students of my Yan, yet they constantly promote the so-called benevolent culture of the Qian State. I’ve endured these traitors for a long time."
"Scholars and men of letters, aren’t they all ? When discussing zither, Go, calligraphy, and painting, they always regard the Qian State as supreme..."
"Then I want to see! After the iron cavalry of my Yan breaks the backbone of the Qian State once more, let’s see who will still boast that the Qian State’s literary style is unparalleled! Just wait. It will be soon, very soon. I will let the world know that zither, Go, calligraphy, painting, benevolence, and morality are worthless before the might of war!"
With that said, Lord Jingnan looked around, frowned slightly, and said discontentedly, "Chu Tianchi claims to be a talent from the Spy Bureau, but I don’t think he’s anything special. I’ve been sitting here for so long. Why haven’t I heard cries erupting throughout the city yet?"
Zheng Fan hadn’t ridden far from the General Mansion when he saw A Ming. After fetching Fanli from the inn, the three of them hurried towards Green Willow Fortress.
Zheng Fan and A Ming each had a horse. Fanli, however, was carrying two boxes of undelivered silver ingots, making it inconvenient for him to ride. But even burdened and running, he wasn’t much slower than Zheng Fan and A Ming on horseback.
Siniang once teased Fanli that with all the rice he ate, all his strength must have gone to his legs.
Before sunset, Zheng Fan rushed back to Green Willow Fortress.
To Zheng Fan’s surprise, outside Green Willow Fortress, he saw Blind Bei with about a dozen men who looked like craftsmen, apparently measuring something. The craftsmen held blueprints and were making modifications based on Blind Bei’s suggestions.
Seeing Zheng Fan return, Blind Bei first apologized to the craftsmen for leaving them, then immediately came over to Zheng Fan.
"My lord, the gifts... they weren’t delivered?"
Although Blind Bei was blind, his spiritual sense allowed him to perceive that the silver ingots in the boxes Fanli carried were still there.
Zheng Fan didn’t immediately tell Blind Bei about what happened in Nanwang City. Instead, he first asked, "Who are these people?"
"Replying to My lord, these are master craftsmen gathered by a merchant company."
"You found them? No, was it the Sixth Prince?"
"My lord is perceptive. The Sixth Prince’s merchant company not only organized the master craftsmen but also procured the stone blocks and other materials needed to rebuild Green Willow Fortress from nearby areas. They are currently being transported here. I was just discussing the blueprint details with the master craftsmen. If all goes well, we can begin construction tomorrow."
Rebuilding a fortress, especially a large one like Green Willow Fortress, was no small expense. If one built a city, one could levy taxes or sell shops to recoup some costs. But a purely military fortress offered no such possibility of return; it was purely an offering of silver to the state.
However, the Sixth Prince had indeed fulfilled his promise. Nothing was more needed by Zheng Fan right now than a fortress. They couldn’t very well continue living in tents after coming all the way from the north to the south, could they?
"My lord, I smell food." Fanli, who had been running all day carrying two boxes of silver, was hungry.
Zheng Fan smiled helplessly, placed a hand on Blind Bei’s shoulder, and said, "Alright. Let’s eat and talk."
Blind Bei put down his bowl and chopsticks, nodding. "My lord, you were right to accept this military order." Follow current novels on novel⚑fire.net
Hearing this affirmation from the shrewd old man, a weight was lifted from Zheng Fan’s heart.
"Looking at it this way, what happened in Nanwang City today was likely orchestrated by Lord Jingnan, wasn’t it?" Siniang said while ladling chicken soup for Zheng Fan.
Blind Bei nodded. "Almost certainly. It was just an excuse to purge those bureaucrats and major clans who have lived too comfortably in Nanwang City for too long."
"How crude," Siniang teased. "Artistically speaking, the method lacked a certain finesse."
"But it’s the most effective. The Qian State fears the Yan State as if it were a tiger. Not daring to start a war is one thing, but the Qian State wouldn’t just sit idly by on other matters. The deaths of Xiao Dahai, the prefect of Nanwang City, and the heads of some large nearby clans might not have been unjust. A gradual approach might not have worked for this group. If they had sensed anything, Yinlang County itself could have been thrown into turmoil."
After dinner, Zheng Fan had initially planned to discuss with Siniang how to weave this soft armor but was summoned again by Blind Bei.
"What is it?" Zheng Fan asked.
Blind Bei didn’t speak, merely pointing to his chest.
Zheng Fan understood. He placed the stone containing Mo Wan at the tent entrance, then walked some distance away with Blind Bei.
"My lord, A Ming told me Mo Wan saved you today?"
"And nearly turned on his master?"
"Perhaps. He might have just been trying to play a joke on me."
"My lord, I was the one who initially suggested you keep Mo Wan close. At the time, none of us were by your side, so it was for your protection. Now, please, find something to seal Mo Wan away. In my opinion, placing him in the coffin with Shatuo Queshi would be most suitable."
"Does it need to be so serious?"
"My lord, your understanding of Mo Wan is deeper than any of ours. It was you who designed Mo Wan as the resentful spirit formed from an infant abandoned over nine lifetimes. What Mo Wan hates most are actually his parents. He has an innate, deep-seated aversion to anything representing them."
"But he saved me today."
"That’s because he hasn’t fully awakened yet; he’s still restraining himself. Previously, when you, My lord, weren’t awake, he would seal himself. Perhaps because he lacks a physical body, he could afford to be idle—no need to breathe or consume, just sleep. But even after you awakened, he continued to keep himself sealed. According to your own account, My lord, when he first faced Shatuo Queshi in the desert, he showed signs of fully awakening but was forcibly suppressed by Shatuo Queshi. I believe that if Mo Wan continues to stay by your side, and if he were to be subjected to greater stimulation or suddenly lose control of his innate patricidal urge..."
"Precisely. Actually, I’ve always been curious. We all have an instinctive apprehension towards Mo Wan. But you, My lord, who understand him best, why have you always been... so fond of him?"
Zheng Fan sat on the ground and patted the spot beside him. Blind Bei sat down too.
Then, Zheng Fan reached into his pocket, took out a cigarette case, and offered a cigarette to both himself and Blind Bei. He used a tinderbox to light them. Zheng Fan took a deep drag, slowly exhaled a smoke ring, and said,
"It feels like raising a big dog in your neighborhood."
"Even if your neighbors and other children are deathly afraid of this big dog, you still confidently let it run around without a leash or muzzle. And then, you shamelessly say, ’My dog never bites people.’"