Chapter 258: Lack of Ambition [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Although Gong Xichou had received the news in advance, he still couldn't help but change his expression when he heard the order to withdraw his troops.

He hadn't even had a sip of water after leading his troops back when he stormed angrily to his adoptive father's place. Before he even got close, he heard the sound of string and wind instruments. Pushing open the door, a wave of hot air, mingled with the scents of wine and rouge, hit him. He shouted, "Adoptive Father—"

The old general put down his wine cup.

Unsurprisingly, he said, "Ah Nian is here. Please sit down."

Looking up, he saw that Gong Xichou was still dressed in armor.

He caught a glimpse of the weapon at his waist and frowned slightly.

His expression suddenly turned displeased.

"A-Nian, what kind of behavior is this?"

Gong Xichou casually untied his weapon and tossed it to a soldier standing by the door. He strode forward and said anxiously, "Father, the Allied Army is nothing but a rabble. With the combined strength of all our generals, wiping them out would be as easy as taking candy from a baby. Why withdraw our troops?"

The old general thought Gong Xichou was about to say something.

This was not unexpected; it was something Gong Xichou would say.

But being mentally prepared and actually hearing it are two completely different feelings. The old general slammed down his wine cup with displeasure, his face darkening: "A-Nian, you're really becoming more and more unruly! We only need to follow orders and not ask any other questions."

The aide-de-camp sitting to the lower right didn't even blink.

Gong Xiqiu hesitated, then said, "But—"

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a somewhat familiar old general. Gong Xichou cast a cold glance at him—he knew this old man very well. He was an old man who had followed his adoptive father for many years. He wasn't very capable, but he knew how to flatter and get things done. In addition, he was also related to the old general and was used to taking advantage of his age.

He said, "General Gongxi speaks so lightly. Before the expedition, his bold words still echoed in our ears, but what was the result? He lost more than two thousand elite troops in the battle against the rebels, suffered a defeat, and returned in disgrace with heavy losses. Now he's saying that 'the allied forces are a rabble'... Is this an attempt to shirk responsibility for his incompetence and avoid being questioned?"

The others present remained silent, terrified.

These days, they've been feasting every day, and their bodies have become lethargic. It's not that they don't want to fight and make a name for themselves, but even Gongxi Chou couldn't gain any advantage with the Allied Army, so they're starting to have doubts. They secretly think the news is misleading—the Allied Army is still quite formidable.

In addition, orders were given from above to withdraw troops—

They went along with it.

As for the matter of squeezing out Gong Xichou?

Hey, there are plenty of people who can't stand Gongxi Chou's barbaric behavior, but they have to put up with it because of his undefeated record and the old general's constant protection. Now that they have a chance to see a "warrior" jump out and mock Gongxi Chou, tsk tsk tsk, we can't miss such a good show.

They all appeared to be sipping their wine with their heads down, but in reality, they were secretly listening to the commotion. Some of the more "foresighted" ones were even secretly gathering their strength—if Gong Xichou, that barbarian, suddenly went berserk, they could retreat immediately to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

To their disappointment, Gong Xichou did not lose his temper.

He just gave a cold, mocking snort.

Their gaze fell on the old general, awaiting a reply.

The old general rebuked his flustered confidants, then softened his expression and comforted them, saying, "Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. No one dares to claim victory in every battle. Underestimating the heroes of the world is like being a frog in a well; you will suffer a great loss sooner or later. Anian, withdrawing the troops is not my idea, but I have to comply with military orders."

Their seemingly kind eyes conveyed the same message.

【A-Nian, don't be willful.】

Seeing that Gong Xichou remained silent, the old general tried to smooth things over again: "You must be tired from your journey. Go and rest for a while."

Gongxi Chou stood still for a long time.

The old general's face grew increasingly dark.

Finally, the young man, unwilling to accept defeat, clasped his hands in a fist salute, turned and left. His steps, unlike his usual light and graceful gait, seemed to be an outpouring of his resentment. With Gong Xichou gone, the music that had stopped resumed, and people poured wine and chatted and laughed.

The advisor said, "The young general has this temper..."

The old general said, "Young people are hot-tempered."

"General, why don't you send someone to explain to the young general?" The advisor said calmly, but if Gong Xichou were there, he could have sensed a hint of sarcasm in his words. He said to the old general, "It's not worth ruining the relationship between father and son."

"It's alright, Anian isn't the kind of person who throws tantrums." The old general waved his hand dismissively, his tone heavy. "This child has a terrible memory. However, what the envoy said isn't without merit. Anian is already this old, yet he still can't calm down... It's just one slip-up... There are many heroes in the world, and he can't truly be invincible... Sigh."

With just a few words, the old general attributed Gongxi Chou's temper tantrum to the failure of the military campaign rather than to his dissatisfaction with the King of Zhi's orders.

The advisors and messengers simply smiled and remained silent.

Gong Xichou turned and left, only returning to normal after walking a distance.

The subordinate official, who had been waiting for a long time, jogged up to catch up.

"Young General."

He looked somewhat apprehensive.

Gong Xichou wasn't exactly harsh or ruthless, but high-level Martial Courage warriors naturally possessed an aura of authority, and when in a bad mood, the surrounding天地气 (heaven and earth energy) would be affected, becoming chilling and deadly. Other Martial Courage warriors would feel extremely uncomfortable if they got close.

I was instinctively afraid.

Gong Xichou waved his hand: "Let's head back home."

The subordinate asked, "Aren't you going to the barracks?"

Gongxi Chou said, "No way! It's too boring."

When his subordinates heard him complaining about being bored, they couldn't help but feel a chill run down their spines.

Because whenever Gongxi Chou complained of being bored, he would find ways to amuse himself, whether it was singing, drinking, dancing, or singing, drinking, and dancing at the same time, or having someone play with him... The subordinate official felt hopeless just thinking about it.

"Young General..." The voice carried a hint of pleading.

Gong Xichou waved his hand, generously letting him go.

Upon returning to his temporary residence, Gong Xichou keenly sensed a somewhat unfamiliar aura emanating from his territory—an aura that was not dangerous, but rather quite weak and harmless.

Upon seeing the source of the aura, he remembered.

The dancer that his adoptive father had previously forced upon him through a combination of persuasion and coercion.

This time, the woman's attire was much more elaborate than the previous one, covering her completely from head to toe, wrapping her up like a barrel, making it almost impossible to discern her female features. She was stunned to see Gong Xichou return, seemingly not expecting to see him again so soon.

The hand that was arranging the plum blossom branches froze, and the person stood still.

She was at a loss.

stammering, "This...this flower is..."

Gong Xiqiu waved his hand, indicating that she didn't need to explain further.

Question: "During my absence, did anyone cause you any trouble?"

The woman shook her head: "No, everything is fine."

Seeing that Gong Xi Chou didn't intend to keep her, she curtsied and, clutching the plum blossom branch, prepared to leave. Just as she took a step, Gong Xi Chou asked her a strange question: "Do you know how to make beads?"

The woman exclaimed in surprise, "Huh?"

Making beads...

The literal meaning.

That was a game that young ladies in their boudoirs would disdain, but Gong Xichou enjoyed it immensely. The woman, of course, didn't know how to play, but she could help retrieve the beads that had been thrown far away. The woman was dressed in thick clothes, which made it difficult for her to move, and she ran somewhat clumsily.

Before long, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Gongxi Chou saw this and said, "Alas, it really is different."

The woman asked, puzzled, "What's different?"

Gong Xichou casually tossed the pearl, and the round, lustrous longan pearl landed steadily in the porcelain vase where the woman had arranged plum blossoms. He laughed and said, "I know a Mama, oh, what you usually call a 'lady'. Her stamina is amazing; she could raid eight hundred li at night without even breaking a sweat!"

Upon hearing this, the woman paused suspiciously for a moment.

"A night raid... covering eight hundred li?"

Gong Xichou explained: "A very proper night raid covering eight hundred li."

The woman was even more puzzled, looking blankly at Gong Xichou, and asked without seeking a deeper understanding, "A night raid of eight hundred li, and there's something improper about it?"

Gong Xichou: "..."

The woman carefully savored Gong Xichou's words.

"Surprised!" she exclaimed. "Such a heroine!"

Gong Xiqiu, looking embarrassed, skipped over the discussion about seriousness and insolence, and then proceeded to toss beads in a fancy way—this time in the "mother-child chasing style." One bead was thrown first, and as it struggled to fall in mid-air, the second bead struck it and used the momentum to propel both beads into the porcelain bottle—the two beads made two pleasant clinking sounds.

He said, "Yes, she is also a remarkable 'lady'."

A woman who possesses the conduct of a scholar is called a lady.

His already high level of goodwill towards Shen Tang increased even further after their private meeting. He had never met a confidante who suited him so perfectly; she seemed wonderful in every way. Hearing Gong Xichou's assessment, the woman asked curiously, "Is she the young general's confidante?"

"Beauty?"

Gong Xiqiu expressed his incomprehension.

It wasn't that he didn't understand the word "female beauty," but rather—

He felt that the term "soulmate" was more appropriate than "beauty".

Furthermore—

No beautiful woman is going to fight to the death the moment she meets someone.

He beat Shen Tang hard, and Shen Tang beat him back just as hard.

Gong Xichou shook his head: "Not really."

The woman asked in surprise, "So it was something the young general couldn't obtain?"

Gong Xichou: "..."

The woman seemed to be thinking of something, and she sighed, "But to win the young general's admiration, she must be an unparalleled beauty."

He instantly straightened up from his slouching posture, finally realizing that he and the woman were talking at cross purposes and were not on the same wavelength at all.

Gong Xiqiu reminded her.

"Mama can raid 800 li at night without panting."

You call this a stunning beauty who "stands out for her looks"?

The woman's mind raced, and she said sheepishly, "This servant cannot imagine it. Military matters are not a woman's affair..."

After listening, Gong Xichou couldn't help but complain to the woman: "At some banquet I attended before, I heard an old woman scolding her daughter-in-law, saying 'Talent and literature are not a woman's business,' and everyone around praised her. Now you say that military affairs are not a woman's business... So you don't need to learn anything?"

He couldn't help but look at the woman with a "how can you be so lazy" gaze, not learning this or that—which only made Mama seem even more extraordinary.

If we were to use a bead as a metaphor, it would definitely be the largest, brightest, smoothest, roundest, and most outstanding bead among all the beads he has collected!

woman:"……"

Gong Xiqiu's thick eyebrows shot up, and he said sternly, "Then what are you learning?"

The woman trembled with fright, intimidated by the martial artist's imposing aura. Her face paled, and she stammered, "Learn... learn how to manage the household affairs, how to be filial to my parents-in-law, how to serve my husband..."

She came from a decent background and was quite beautiful.

Her father also intended to use her future marriage to win people over and strengthen his power. He even allowed her to study and learn to read and write, and privately hired a tutor skilled in dance and music to teach her. The woman liked it and learned quite well.

It was originally intended for future intimate moments with her husband.

Little did she know, this would become her lifeline. She was targeted because of her looks and figure, and then given to Gongxi Chou because of her outstanding dance skills.

Gong Xiqiu muttered, "He has no ambition."

woman:"……"

When did she stop striving for improvement?

Seeing the hint of resentment in her eyes, Gongxi Chou immediately began to argue with her: "You're not convinced? Are your in-laws all childless or disobedient and unfilial, expecting other people's daughters to come and be filial? Is your husband a human pig with his limbs removed, unable to take care of himself, expecting you to serve him? As for managing the household affairs, the two meals a day, food, clothing and daily necessities, aren't there stewards in the household?"

woman:"……"

Gong Xichou counted on his fingers as he calculated for her.

"After all that calculation, doesn't it seem like you're not very ambitious?"

Gong Xichou still cannot understand this.

Now that I hear it, I realize that he didn't study this or that, he was really lazy. In fact, Mama is much more diligent, hardworking and ambitious!

The woman was rendered speechless by the rebuttal.

Following Gong Xichou's logic, she felt deeply ashamed.

Seeing that she had begun to reflect on her mistakes, Gong Xiqiu patted her shoulder with satisfaction and said, "It's good that you know you're wrong. Life is a vast world, and the sea of ​​knowledge is boundless."

It's never too late to turn back from the wrong path.

The woman whose shoulder was almost knocked off: "..."

Having persuaded one person, Gongxi Chou was in high spirits.

The woman's face showed bitterness: "But young general, women are not suited to heaven and earth. Without literary talent and martial courage, no matter how hard they try..."

It's nothing but a despicable thing.

Even women would use phrases like "XX is not a woman's business" to preach with self-righteousness—such as "beautiful women have short lives," and that "short lives" are because the woman was born to bring disaster to the country or the people, or that her outstanding talent brought misfortune, or that she was born into a lowly family with no support. They never talked about the state of the world or the perpetrators. All the mistakes were attributed to one person.

Gong Xichou said, "Mama is different."

True friendship has never been about gender.

The woman did not understand what he meant.

It was only known that Gongxi Chou liked that "Mama" very much, so naturally he wouldn't say a bad word about her.

at the same time--

Shen Tang sneezed several times.

"Who exactly is talking badly about me behind my back?"

I rubbed my nose; it was still a little itchy.

Lin Feng, who was studying diligently on the side, thought, "Perhaps it's a compliment."

Upon hearing this, Shen Tang agreed, thinking, "I'm so good, how could anyone bear to scold me? Praise? Hehe, it's not impossible. If such a person really exists, I wouldn't think of anyone else but Gong Xi Chou."

Thinking like this makes me feel better.

Lin Feng's expression shifted slightly: "Isn't that an enemy?"

Shen Tang sat down casually: "Those with conflicting interests are the enemies. We haven't even started fighting yet, have we? Besides, Gong Xi Chou has a rather interesting temper. I won't lose out by making friends with him. He has a lot of experience and is also very resilient. He's the best person to grind when you need experience."

Lin Feng could barely understand the first two sentences, but the last sentence...

High HP? High experience?

Shen Tang explained, "Don't those folk tales always say that you become stronger when you encounter a strong opponent? Fighting a powerful person accumulates experience, that's 'having a lot of experience'. As for 'having a lot of blood'... it means that Gong Xi Chou is very strong, no matter how you fight him, he can't be killed, just like the pig that Wu Hui bled to death, a whole basin of blood was drained and it still didn't die, that's 'having a lot of blood'!"

She explained it in simple terms, and Lin Feng understood.

only--

Seeing the little girl's slightly troubled expression and her delicate brows furrowed, Shen Tang noticed that she seemed to have encountered something very troubling.

She asked with concern, "What's wrong?"

Lin Feng sighed knowingly.

"I am thinking about how to be both loyal and righteous."

Shen Tang: "???"

Several question marks popped up on her forehead.

|ω`)

Talent and literary skills are not a woman's business; this statement is quite hurtful.

I think the person who said this was pathetic and short-sighted, leaving behind only the name "Sun" in his entire life.

What's even more disheartening is that when I was browsing Douyin (TikTok), many of the comments were things like, "The more you learn, the more tragic it becomes..." and some mothers of several children even expressed pity, saying things like, "I don't have children, or this will corrupt my mind," and so on...

That's insane!

Good grief, they've switched from foot binding to cerebellum binding?

Mayflies that live only a day, ordinary people who live in a daze, people whose lives pass by in a muddle—how dare they use this perspective to comment on the pearls that have left a brilliant mark on the long river of history?

That face is so big!

(End of this chapter)