Chapter 277 The Strategist

David Tao and Ke Xinrui have been married for almost ten years and have only one daughter, Tao Mingzhu.

In front of outsiders, the couple appeared to be a loving couple. Tao Zhe didn't even have a concubine; he only had a maid who wasn't particularly attractive.

This has always been something Ke Xinrui is very proud of.

Back then, none of the noble ladies married as well as she did.

As it turned out, today, David Tao brought back a vixen, who is his distant cousin, and an eight-year-old child.

This was devastating for Ke Xinrui; she felt like killing someone.

This time, Tao Zhe was truly hurt, and his whole body was trembling. He hurriedly stepped forward to ask, "Are you alright? I didn't mean to, I..."

"Get up!"

David Tao pushed the person away, his face full of anger.

"Lian'er is so kind. You can't give birth to a son, and she willingly gave her child to you to raise! What more could you want!"

"Have I been too good to you all these years, to the point that you've forgotten your place?"

Tao Zhe looked at Ke Xinrui, who had no ladylike demeanor whatsoever, and a hint of disgust flashed in his eyes.

"Ke Xinrui, you have no support from your family now, yet I'm still treating you so well, and you still expect me to have no other women by my side? Aren't you going a bit too far!"

Ke Xinrui was stunned when she heard these hurtful words.

"David Tao, I regret it, I regret it! I shouldn't have followed you to Jiangnan without hesitation in the first place!"

"What good will it do if you regret it? Your father, who was a great Confucian scholar, is long dead, and your mother has severed ties with the Cai family. She might be dead too."

"Can you go back? Do you still think you're the high and mighty Ke Xinrui you once were?"

In an attempt to resolve the issue once and for all, David Tao made some very unpleasant remarks.

He's had enough of this woman over the years.

"So you'd better recognize the situation and behave yourself. You'll still be the next head of the family's wife. If you can't tolerate Lian'er, don't blame me for being rude to you!"

He left as soon as he finished speaking, without the slightest hesitation.

Ke Xinrui knelt on the ground, looking completely lost in thought.

The maidservant said angrily, "Miss, how could he treat you like this!"

"Stop talking. My family is now in a weak position, so naturally I have nowhere to stand."

Ke Xinrui stood up from the ground, tears streaming down her face.

If her father hadn't offended the emperor and had his family property confiscated and imprisoned, she wouldn't have had to sever ties with her maternal family.

She sacrificed so much for David Tao, and in the end...

No, she couldn't give up like that. She couldn't lose to a bitch!

Just as Ke Xinrui was feeling lost and unsure of what to do, her nanny returned from outside with a beaming smile. "Miss, I just heard some news! Scholar Fang has returned to the capital and has gained the favor of Prince Jing!"

"What?! My dad's not dead?! That's great!"

Ke Xinrui became very excited.

She's going to the capital! It's like even God is helping her!

...

...

"Wanwan, I'll be back to see you soon."

Lin Anyuan stood on the riverbank and looked out. The largest ship was almost ready. He would definitely return within six months.

Who is it?

Suddenly a voice came from behind, and Lin Anyuan turned around.

Not long after, his men brought over a skinny man.

"Boss, this kid is lurking around suspiciously. He's obviously no good. He's probably a spy trying to gather information. He's like a fish thrown into the river."

The thin man hurriedly shouted, "No, I'm not a spy! I've come to join General Lin, really! You must believe me!"

“I have received kindness from Lady Ye, and I came here to repay that kindness.”

Lin Anyuan raised his hand to tell them to stay.

Then he picked up a knife from the side and pointed it at the thin man's face, saying, "If you don't tell the truth, you can forget about having these eyes."

"This eyeball shouldn't die. Then I'll start tricking you into giving me piece by piece of flesh. Do you want to taste that?"

Those nearby felt their scalps tingle. General Lin was as beautiful as an angel, but when he got going, he was more ruthless than anyone else. The bloody scene gave even these grown men nightmares.

“I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you right now.”

The thin man kept swallowing, terrified.

This man, known as Gou San, was a petty thief. Recently, he had become involved with a widow, but marrying a widow required a dowry. Hearing that joining the army could earn three taels of silver a month, he got the idea.

I don't know how to sign up. I heard there's a large army stationed here, so I thought I'd come and ask around.

Before I could even ask around, I was arrested and brought here.

As for Ye Wan's kindness to him, it was indeed true. He used Ye's name and pretended to be a servant of the Lin family. When he was starving, he ate a few full meals.

Surprisingly, some people actually believed it.

Qin the Big Guy sneered, "Little dog, you think you can be a soldier with your weak little body? You should take a good look at yourself in the mirror!"

Dog Three retorted, "I may not be strong, but I am good at strategy. Can't I be a strategist?"

As soon as he said that, everyone around him burst into laughter.

He hasn't even read many books and yet he wants to be a strategist? He's dreaming!

Lin Anyuan looked at Gou San and raised an eyebrow. "Come to my tent and give me a plan. If it works, you can stay."

"Really?" Gou San was overjoyed.

He didn't think there was any hope of it happening; he'd even be willing to switch to a cook. He never expected that General Lin would actually give him this opportunity.

Zheng Qingshan chuckled, "Our general would never lie."

"Bring them in."

Zheng Qingshan checked the person over to make sure there was nothing that could harm them before taking them inside.

Lin Anyuan recounted his background and the An family he now had to face.

He needs to have a legitimate reason for his actions, otherwise his wife and daughters will also be implicated.

He thought about it for a long time but couldn't come up with a good solution. He thought it might be better to find someone else; perhaps they would have a new approach.

After listening, Gou San thought for a while and suddenly slapped his thigh.

"This is easy! It's incredibly easy!"

What are these kinds of people most afraid of?

Dog Three chuckled, "Let me think of a way, General Lin, I guarantee you'll be very satisfied."

Lin Anyuan was somewhat surprised after hearing this, but he still kept the person.

Chu Xiujie was surprised. "Is this person reliable? You're just staying here. What if he's a spy sent by the other side?"

"No, he is a person who has suffered hardships."

You can tell at a glance who has climbed up from the bottom, because that's who he is.

Just then, Ge Chen suddenly ran in excitedly.

"General Lin, I've made progress on what you asked me to do!"