“What you say is absolutely right, Madam. Zebang and I will obey your every command.”
Wei Yao and Wang Zebang bowed respectfully, their backs bent in a deep, obedient curve, even the thick, black hair that fell over their shoulders exuded a submissive straightness.
Seeing them suddenly become so serious, Zheng Quchi did not feel proud or complacent, but rather felt immense pressure.
"No, you should at least offer some opinions and share your thoughts. I'm not afraid to tell you that I don't have much experience in politics or decision-making, let alone the ability to be an official or leader. Most of what I offer are immature opinions. If you think they are inappropriate or lack consideration, you must speak up. Otherwise, if I point out the wrong path, we will all be rushing headlong in the wrong direction."
Zheng Quchi didn't want to be the one to dictate the discussion. She knew her own limitations. Sometimes she was just expressing her personal thoughts, which didn't mean those thoughts were timely or appropriate, nor did it mean they were necessarily correct.
Let a hundred flowers bloom, let a hundred schools of thought contend, exchange and learn from each other, and freely discuss experiences and ideas. This is the only way to go in the right direction. If they just agree and echo each other, over time, she might actually believe it and become complacent.
Upon hearing that the lady held this view, the two could only manage a wry smile.
"Does Madam consider Zebang and I to be the kind of sycophants who only know how to curry favor with the powerful?"
Wei Yao's question left Zheng Quchi momentarily speechless.
Wang Zebang also said, "Many times, you have a kind of keen intuition, like a wild beast. Although you are unfamiliar with and suspicious of certain things, there are three things about you that are particularly admirable."
"First, she has a strong sense of responsibility. Her thoughts and considerations are all based on reality and the big picture, without bias or selfishness. Second, she is meticulous and always ready to fill in any gaps or deficiencies to prevent the loopholes from getting bigger. Third, she is courageous and decisive. She is decisive and efficient, and has a strong inner strength. She can often withstand pressure and grievances that others cannot bear. No matter how great the difficulties, she will not back down but will bravely face them."
After he finished speaking, Wei Yao continued, "Madam underestimates yourself. You have the ability to be in a position of power. Even if you are inexperienced in some aspects, Zebang and I believe that you will not be wrong in the face of important matters and in guiding us toward a new direction. We are certain of this, and please do not doubt yourself."
In recent days, Zheng Quchi has dealt with all sorts of things. To be honest, she has never been absolutely certain or confident about any of them. She has always mustered up her courage and taken one step at a time.
She made mistakes, such as being wrongly accused by the town guard when she went to the county town alone to look for someone, which almost put her in a dangerous situation.
She also had her shortcomings. For example, with the car workshop, she oversimplified things. If it weren't for Aunt Mei and Zhang Qinan's help, she probably wouldn't have been able to get things done by now.
She has also been careless, reckless, and foolish.
Zheng Quchi believes that she is not a perfect person at all. She has many flaws. Sometimes she suddenly doubts herself. Is she here to help them or just to make up the numbers and be a good match for the general?
But now, after hearing what Brother Wei and Wang Zebang said about her, her anxious and uneasy heart has finally found a balance.
She scratched her cheek sheepishly, feeling that it was a bit pretentious for someone as carefree as her to need others' praise to bolster her confidence. "I... I'm not as amazing as you all say. When I was the highest-ranking official, I only managed a dozen or twenty people. Suddenly having so many people under my command... I just feel..." She sighed softly, slumping her shoulders as if giving up the struggle, and said, "Okay, to be honest, I'm afraid of making mistakes. I can handle it all myself, but I can't bear the consequences of my mistakes, especially since you have the Four Symbols Army, and even more people, to share the burden with me."
A person with a strong sense of responsibility will have high standards for themselves, and obviously her strong sense of responsibility put pressure on her and constrained her.
Wang Zebang and Wei Yao were taken aback, clearly unable to think of a way to comfort her with these thoughts.
The general would never have thought this way in the past. He is a person with strong decisiveness and execution ability. Moreover, the general is a person with high cognition, tough skills and ability. Such a person must be a practitioner of the unity of knowledge and action. He never doubts himself, nor is he condemned by a sense of responsibility.
Madam, she is indeed a completely different person from their general.
Seeing that they remained silent, and realizing that his own thoughts might be putting pressure on others, Zheng Quchi immediately stopped the topic: "Alright, stop thinking about it. I was just saying. We'll see how things go later."
She then asked, "By the way, when are we leaving for Shengjing?"
Wei Yao pulled himself back to reality. He had originally wanted to say that the time should be decided by his wife, but then he remembered what she had just said, and the words he was about to say remained unspoken.
After thinking for a moment, he offered his advice: "At the latest, the day after tomorrow. We have enough time to resolve our matters here, and we also have the capacity to make necessary arrangements. Furthermore, if we travel by land to Shengjing, it will take about ten days if we are fast, and more than half a month if we are slow. Traveling by water can save half the time, but recently, there has been some activity in Julu Xiatian and Nanchenhe. Traveling by water would make it easy to encounter danger and ambush. Therefore, I suggest that we take the land route for safety."
In the past, he wouldn't have given so much advice and information at once, but since he learned of his wife's suspicions about him, he decided to slowly teach her to understand everything she lacked and fill in her gaps.
In this way, once her understanding broadened and she gained the ability to make decisions, she no longer had to walk a tightrope in the air, groping, worrying, and proceeding cautiously each time she made a decision.
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