Chapter 20: Floods in the Country, Departure for Luzhou
Shang Yuwan arranged everything, and halfway through his speech, he turned around and looked at Xiao Qingxu who was sitting quietly.
"Are you sure you want to go?"
Shang Yuwan has not forgotten Xiao Qingxu, the porcelain doll that would fall over if pushed and break if touched.
Xiao Qingxu nodded, "I can."
Seeing that he was determined, Shang Yuwan didn't say much. He asked Lou Ke to take careful note of it, and then asked those who were going to leave to prepare what they needed to bring.
Lou Ke left the room. She gathered up the scattered letters and put them aside. Xiao Qingxu asked her, "Do you want to see them?"
Xiao Qingxu refers to the sand table.
Shang Yuwan blinked and said, "Okay."
The Dayu Dynasty was established for more than two hundred years and had eleven vassal states. Zeng State was one of them, and it also had a relatively special terrain.
Within Dayu lies a large river, the Yellow River, which runs diagonally southeastward from the center. Zeng State, situated in the south and bordering the sea, has a lower elevation in its southeastern region than elsewhere, with less sand and rock. Consequently, flooding is common during rainy seasons and as snow and ice melt, requiring annual repairs to the embankments built there.
Shang Yuwan and Xiao Qingxu were not looking at how to march and fight on the sand table of Zengguo's terrain, but thinking about how to solve the flood problem.
"Dayu has repeatedly sent talented individuals to repair and improve the country's water conservancy projects, and has allocated considerable funds. Do you know why there has been no success?"
Shang Yuwan took a quick look and took a small flag and planted it on the Youkou Kingdom near Zeng Kingdom.
She thought for a moment and replied, "It's located in the east of our Great Yu. Although it's just an island nation, its national strength cannot be underestimated. It has endless sinister tactics and is a shameless top nation. Eight out of ten children could be raised to be murderous weapons."
"The Youkou Kingdom has been harassing Zeng Kingdom for the past few years. Construction of canals and dams has often been interrupted. They appear like loaches, quick to flee, making it difficult to find fault. General Zhendong cannot send troops to suppress them without a legitimate reason. Otherwise, how can we silence the public outcry? Dayu does not want to be known for its brutality and murder. How can we repair the damage if we continue this way?"
When Shang Yuwan mentioned the silver, he thought of the account book he had read that day, and he couldn't help but feel angry. "The silver you are talking about...didn't it all go into the prime minister's pocket?"
However, before Xiao Qingxu could speak, Shang Yuwan immediately suppressed his anger and denied what he had just said.
"Not necessarily. The Prime Minister might just be a money bag, a bag with a hole in it. The person behind this must have made a lot of money. Although she and the Crown Prince seem to have different minds now, they are still birds of a feather."
Xiao Qingxu reached out and planted a small flag in a city southeast of Zeng State. "Perhaps the Crown Prince is going there to lead us. I wonder what order that person gave to make the Crown Prince willingly go to Zeng State."
He just said it casually, but it aroused Shang Yuwan's doubts again.
Emperor Chengming was the monarch of Dayu and would not do such a despicable thing as embezzling the money of his own people. But if it wasn't him, who was it?
Who in Dayu has the ability to make the prince so obedient?
Xiao Qingxu didn't wait for Shang Yuwan's reply. He lowered his head and looked at the sand table, his eyes slightly changing. "When you went to Zhang Jiuquan to 'do business' earlier, were you sure he wasn't on the side of the traitors?"
Shang Yuwan came back to his senses and understood the hidden meaning in his words, "Master, have you ever heard a saying? Trust the people you employ, and don't employ the people you don't trust."
"I'm not suspicious of you. Besides, no matter how much I doubt your identity, I won't be able to find out anything, right?"
Xiao Qingxu's tone was calm, and he reached out and inserted another small flag into the sand table.
He knew Shang Yuwan's identity from the beginning, and he also understood her personality a little. If he showed complete trust in such a "person of suspicious identity", Shang Yuwan would only think that the owner of Baijialou was a fool and would not make a deal with him.
Shang Yuwan said, "Just out of curiosity?"
Xiao Qingxu nodded, "Yeah, curious."
"Didn't I say it? Zhang Jiuquan is conceited and jealous of Yang Qianmo." Shang Yuwan was not disgusted by Xiao Qingxu's little test, but felt that this man was cautious enough.
She smiled faintly, "But it's just human nature, isn't it?"
Xiao Qingxu remained silent, and Shang Yuwan continued, "If he only possessed surreptitiously acquired martial arts and ruthless tactics, General Shang wouldn't have allowed someone with such ulterior motives to become his deputy. Would a deputy general under General Shang necessarily be an accomplice of a traitor?"
"Surely not?"
"Not necessarily." Shang Yuwan shook his head, picked up the small flag and looked at the sand table. "I was just gambling, and luckily I won."
Xiao Qingxu watched Shang Yuwan's movements, and finally the second flag she inserted was inserted together with his second flag.
They really had a tacit understanding and both attacked Luzhou City in Zeng State.
Luzhou City is the place most seriously affected by floods in Zengguo and currently has the largest number of refugees.
Shang Yuwan looked at the Luzhou City on the sand table, her thoughts drifting away. She thought of her mother Lu Xu.
"I once heard someone say that the essence of human beings is selfish, calculating, and desperate to plan for themselves." Shang Yuwan lowered his head slightly and pursed his lips lightly.
“Everything in the world is ever-changing, and among them, humans are the most changeable.”
"But fortunately, Zhang Jiuquan hasn't completely changed beyond recognition."
Xiao Qingxu was silent for a moment, then asked, "You asked Ah Ying to go to that secret room that day, were you also curious?"
Shang Yuwan pulled back his thoughts and hummed, "Yeah, I'm curious."
"I'm curious what a deceased general father, who hadn't seen his daughter for years, would put in the little secret room where she grew up."
Xiao Qingxu naturally wouldn't believe it completely, "You think of the darkest place under the lamp. Although the secret room is somewhat hidden, it is not unknown to everyone. No one would think that there might be some treasure hidden in a child's secret room, but it is even easier to hide things."
"Well, I guess so." Shang Yuwan nodded and did not deny it.
In fact, Shang Yuwan could have gone to the secret room to see it with her own eyes after finishing her "business" with Zhang Jiuquan, but she didn't dare.
Her family was her most vulnerable point, and Shang Junhu was her father, a person she had missed for years. She knew without a doubt what he would have added to her secret room. If she really saw him, she wouldn't show it on her face, but she would still feel pain in her heart.
But that day, Shang Yuwan couldn't help but ask Lu Heying.
Sixteen jars of girl’s red wine, sixteen jars of girl’s red wine.
Xiao Qingxu chewed his words for a few seconds before finally speaking: "I'll have someone find a way to move the things in the secret room upstairs and have the Twelve Monk Mingqi and that kid keep them together."
Shang Yuwan still nodded, his expression unchanged.
Seeing this, Xiao Qingxu changed the subject: "What's the first step on this journey?"
Shang Yuwan thought for a while, "First, find someone. One group will follow the prince to find him, and the other group will search secretly. Don't alert the people."
"He acted secretly this time to lead us there. Perhaps he already knew that our people have been following the Fifth Princess."
Xiao Qingxu also agreed. He said, "The Fifth Princess has traveled among the common people for many years and is not stupid. Who knows where she is hiding."
Shang Yuwan frowned as he looked at the sand table.
It's impossible that the Crown Prince went to Zeng State just for the Fifth Princess. He must have other purposes...
“Knock knock.”
"Owner, we've packed up and it's time to go."
Xiao Qingxu and Shang Yuwan looked at each other.
"Let's go."
"Go to Zengguo, Luzhou City."
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