Ning Yan thought Shen Tang would be angry about this.
Shen Tang suddenly burst out laughing.
This kind of laughter reaches the eyes, not it's a laugh born of extreme anger.
Ning Yan asked, puzzled, "Why is Your Majesty laughing?"
Shen Tang could barely suppress the smile on her lips.
"Why isn't Tu Nan laughing? Don't you find this quite amusing? Wu Zhaode must have been a whetstone in his past life, otherwise how could he be so popular? Brother Zhaode, Brother Zhaode, how terrible can you be to act like this? He's a bad ruler, forcing Gong Su Dayi to leave; he's an incompetent husband, causing estrangement between husband and wife; he's an even worse father, his two sons turning against each other because of his foolishness, and now there's Mei Jinghe. We at least have a past of 'close sibling affection,' we shouldn't be laughing at him like this..."
She's a pro at suppressing laughter, unless she can't help it.
Following Shen Tang's words, Ning Yan reviewed Wu Xian's messy past and found it quite amusing. Then, recalling Wu Xian's early reputation, Ning Yan could only sigh, "To think that Wu Zhaode was once a hero..."
She remembered that Wu Xian had visited Xingning three times to recruit him.
If Wu Xian hadn't repeatedly denigrated Zheng Qiao to the point of worthlessness—at that time, Xingning felt guilty towards Zheng Qiao, blaming his junior brother's misfortune and downfall on his senior brother's negligence—given Wu Zhaode's display of respect for talent and righteousness, Xingning might well have agreed to assist him. If Xingning hadn't been tempted, why would he have given Wu Xian two more chances after his first misstep?
That's why the contrast between the before and after is so poignant.
Even Wu Xian back then probably couldn't have imagined that he would become like this so many years later. Gone were his lofty ambitions; he had become a complete puppet manipulated by power. He could have played the role well, but he played it poorly. Time and again, he compromised to maintain temporary stability in his power, but compromise inevitably led to increased constraints, trapping him in a vicious cycle.
If it were Wu Xian back then, he would have had the courage to burn his bridges and make a brave sacrifice; now he only knows how to cut off his own flesh to mend his wounds.
Shen Tang said, "A true hero doesn't dwell on past glories."
She added insult to injury: "But he's hardly a hero either."
Aside from his past glories, which still offer some talking points, what else is there for Wu Zhaode to boast about these days? What is there to praise him for? That he inexplicably caused the deaths of his wife and two sons?
If only he hadn't been so capricious and unpredictable, changing his orders constantly, he wouldn't have driven his own brothers to fight amongst themselves. Leaving aside recent events, what did Gong Su gain in terms of righteousness?
"If Mei Jinghe wants to complete the perfect ceremony, then Wu Zhaode is doomed." Shen Tang's eyes darted around, clearly calculating something. She was never a magnanimous person; on the contrary, she held grudges. Otherwise, why would she have such a bad impression of Wu Xian because of Qin Li and Zhao Feng? Why would she have repeatedly tripped up Wu Xian?
She not only holds grudges, but also dislikes being taken advantage of.
Even if Mei Meng's "usurpation of the country" was in her own best interest.
Shen Tang had an idea in mind.
He laughed and said, "We were once 'close brothers,' and I really can't bear to see Brother Zhaode die without knowing the truth. If there's a chance, he should die knowing the truth, instead of remaining confused forever."
Ning Yan asked, "Now?"
If Wu Xian were told now that someone close to him wanted to climb to power over his corpse, Wu Xian wouldn't believe it at all. Instead, he would be convinced it was a clumsy attempt by his lord to sow discord and wouldn't work. Besides, Kang State was at war with Gao State; it would be a miracle if he believed it.
Shen Tang shook his head and replied, "Of course not now, but when Wu Xian's army is in complete defeat, give him a chance to die knowing why. It would be even better if we could sabotage his advancement... Tu Nan, do you know how to disrupt the advancement completion ceremony?"
The only reference she knew was Jiang Sheng. Back then, Qi Shan disguised herself as Xian Deng's wife and betrayed Jiang Sheng when he wasn't looking. Xian Deng's attempt to succeed backfired, and he was trapped in Luxia County for several years. Could this example offer any lessons?
Ning Yan pondered for a moment and then came up with a solution.
"Just destroy the most critical link."
"For example?"
Ning Yan stated firmly, "Mei Jinghe's rites of the scholar are only considered successful if she personally kills the 'thief who stole the hook and usurped the throne.' The former can be replaced by any petty thief, but the latter is the most crucial element of the entire ceremony. This person must be personally killed by her. If this person is killed by someone else, commits suicide, or rightfully inherits the throne and does not conform to the status of a 'traitor,' then Mei Jinghe's rites of the scholar are considered a failure."
Shen Tang asked in surprise, "It's that simple?"
Ning Yan smiled wryly and said, "Precisely because destruction is extremely simple, all the scholars throughout history who have been able to perfect the way of the literati have been lucky ones favored by heaven. Perfection is not an easy thing."
"In other words, if I capture Wu Zhaode, and Mei Jinghe chooses someone as the 'traitor,' I will have Wu Zhaode write an edict to pass the throne to that person. As long as I beat her by one step, I will have succeeded?"
Ning Yan nodded: "That makes sense."
He added, "But we also need to be wary that she has multiple preparations."
Which literary scholar doesn't have multiple burrows?
If you guess wrong, Mei Meng will be the winner.
"Hmm, let's take a gamble."
As long as she doesn't gamble with Kang Jishou, her luck isn't too bad.
Although Ning Yan seemed to be in good spirits, Shen Tang still urged her to rest early. As soon as Ning Yan returned to her tent and loosened her belt, soldiers brought her a pile of items. These items all looked like armor, and each piece was quite heavy.
Ning Yan picked it up and weighed it in her hand.
Judging from the shoulder pads, the armor was made of sturdy materials, weighing around fifty jin (approximately 25 kg) – standard heavy armor, not including the weapon. The weapon delivered by the soldiers was an excessively long sword; the blade alone was as tall as Ning Yan. Had they sent the wrong weapon?
This heavy armor looks brand new; the plates don't even have any knife marks.
It was supposed to be a reward for some military general, but it ended up being sent to me instead?
Ning Yan put down her shoulder and gestured for the soldiers to close the large box: "Send it away. Don't be so careless next time."
Although martial arts masters can conjure their own unique armor, and at a certain level, this armor's defensive capabilities and agility far surpass those of armor crafted by artisans, it doesn't mean that generals don't need armor. Such armor often carries special symbolic meaning and honor. A single suit of armor is quite expensive, and armor bestowed as a reward can become a family heirloom.
If the general who was mistakenly sent this to knew about it, he would probably be displeased. But the soldier said, "It wasn't sent to the wrong person; this is the Attendant-in-Ordinary's.
Ning Yan almost thought she was hallucinating.
The soldier repeated it again.
Ning Yan: "..."
Besides the armor and the incredibly heavy weapon, there were several crudely drawn booklets. The figures in the booklets were depicted with only simple lines, and Ning Yan had to scrutinize them for a long time before she could discern that the tiny figures were mimicking martial arts moves. Just by looking at the drawing, one could tell who had created the booklets.
"This is?"
Even though I recognized it, I still needed to confirm.
“Drawn by His Majesty himself.”
Each military clerk received a copy of the "Civilian's Mind" book.
Ning Yan: "..."
Her mind was a bit of a mess; she needed to sort it out.
This is quite easy to understand. Simply put, there's an old man with peculiar abilities among the enemies. To avoid being caught off guard, everyone needs to familiarize themselves with the reversed skills beforehand. Ning Yan, as a scholar, also needs to learn how to fight in melee combat, and this armor is for her to get used to it in advance.
Ning Yan: "..."
Shen Tang smiled somewhat awkwardly: "I was worried that there would be too few Martial Warriors after the reversal, but Tu Nan's arrival was just in time. Your swordsmanship is much better than Wang Chao's and the others. Maybe we'll be counting on you to take the lead, charge into battle, and be the first to kill the enemy generals."
Ning Yan: "..."
Although the physique of a scholar was far superior to that of an ordinary person, it didn't mean she could wear over fifty pounds of heavy armor, wield a forty or fifty pound sword, and immediately wreak havoc. Just taking a few steps and wielding her sword a few times, she felt her inner garments were soaked with sweat.
"Has Tu Nan studied those booklets?"
In less than a quarter of an hour, the refined and elegant scholar was covered in dust and dirt, sweat constantly dripping from his forehead, leaving streaks of dust on his face. Since the armor couldn't be removed like the martial armor, Ning Yan needed the soldiers to help her carry it to lighten the burden of its weight if she wanted to rest: "Was the booklet drawn by His Majesty?"
"These are the moves I carefully observed and memorized." When asked how others found them, no one paid any attention. "I intend to extract their essence and compile them into a martial arts manual, which will surely make me famous for generations to come."
It might even create a legendary martial arts skill.
"...But fighting a war isn't about matching moves."
Regardless of the lord's artistic skill, these techniques offer little benefit in actual combat. Throughout history, few renowned generals have won through skill alone. Their deadly moves are instincts honed in life-or-death situations, aiming for a single, decisive strike.
She felt that the booklet drawn by the Lord was not very useful.
Shen Tang: "..."
Ning Yan sighed as she spoke.
"How much of the spiritual power of those scribes has the Lord truly mastered?"
Shen Tang: "..."
Even without the master's reply, just by looking at her shifty eyes, one could tell that the master was also slacking off, much like his own daughter who, relying on her amazing talent and fast learning speed, would sometimes sneak off to daydream halfway through her studies. When caught red-handed, she would look around guiltily.
Ning Yan adapted to the heavy armor in just two days.
Although her movements were still a bit clumsy, they were quite impressive. In Bai Su's opinion, Ning Yan's talent for martial arts was far superior to that of Gu Chi and the others. Teaching Gu Chi and the others would drive her crazy, but teaching Ning Yan wouldn't require much effort. It was a real pity that she didn't pursue martial arts.
"If only one could cultivate both literary and martial arts skills," Bai Su sighed.
Ning Yan, however, was quite easygoing: "Don't bite off more than you can chew."
She only stayed in the martial arts crash course for two days. It wasn't that Ning Yan was transferred to another battlefield, nor that the crash course was ultimately useless, but rather that she "graduated" after only two days—simply because Wu Xian issued a challenge to Shen Tang.
Upon hearing this news, Shen Tang almost lost his composure, unable to suppress his smile: "Wu Zhaode finally couldn't hold back anymore?"
A challenge was issued, and the two armies faced off.
Why so suddenly?
Could it be that he's hiding something bad?
Little did they know, Wu Xian's actions were out of desperation.
Shen Tang's feint attack has kept him tied down here, half of Tianhai County has been lost, and the troops sent to raid Shangnan have yet to report back. His attempts to send reinforcements to Tianhai have been repeatedly thwarted by Shen Tang. So far, Wu Xian's losses haven't been too great.
However, the fact that his losses were not significant does not mean he was without pressure.
Tianhai County was the stronghold of many ministers of the Gao Kingdom; most of the veteran officials who assisted Wu Xian in the past came from here. What did this mean? It meant that their ancestors' graves were all in Tianhai! With half of their ancestral property falling into the hands of the enemy, how could they sit idly by?
What's worse, Zhao Feng started settling personal scores after conquering half of Tianhai, and arranged for his soldiers to patrol near their ancestral graves.
This action is a demonstration.
Zhao Feng would dig up their ancestral graves whenever he was in a bad mood.
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, graves are dug up; on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, they are filled back in, allowing the ancestors' remains to "see the light of day" again and again! This news would enrage any descendant!
"I doubt Zhao Dayi would dare!"
Upon receiving the news, the Tianhai faction couldn't sit still. Even though reason told them that Zhao Feng wouldn't do something so despicable, they were too emotional to gamble. Which warlord hadn't dug up ancestral graves to make money while on campaign? Wu Xian hadn't done it before only because he wasn't short of money, and most ancestral graves belonged to powerful families; it wasn't worth offending them for such a small gain.
"You think he wouldn't dare? What wouldn't he dare? Do you think we're still forcing Zhao Feng's brothers to their deaths and keeping his family locked up in his mansion, refusing to say a word?" Zhao Dayi was different; he came from humble beginnings and had a grudge against Tianhai. Who knows, he might just do something rash on a whim.
"This, this—"
The minister from the Gao Kingdom, who was born in Tianhai, was speechless.
Zhao Feng knew best how to stir up the nerves of Tianhai's former colleagues. He ordered the news to be widely publicized, ostensibly to strengthen patrols under the pretext of protecting the ancestral tombs of noble families from thieves. What he did behind the scenes remained unknown to outsiders. People are prone to judging others by their own standards, so naturally they wouldn't think the best of it.
One by one, they couldn't sit still and went to Wu Xian to come up with a solution.
They said they were coming up with a plan, but in reality, they were just trying to force Wu Xian to send troops.
Bring Tianjin back to China!
Wu Xian's idea was to wait a little longer.
Once news arrives from Shangnan, a three-pronged attack will be more likely to succeed.
He managed to calm the officials whose ancestral tombs were on the verge of destruction, but before things could settle down for long, news of another landslide came from Tianhai. The landslide occurred at the very site of the ancestral tombs of a prominent family nestled against a mountain and facing the water. Who would believe this was a coincidence?
Not only did Tianhai's group not believe it, but Wu Xian also didn't believe it.
So he was forced to send troops.
Although the Tianhai faction's influence has diminished considerably due to the resource allocation resulting from the capital relocation and Wu Xian's suppression, they remain a force to be reckoned with once they band together, especially now that Wu Xian is at war with Shen Tang. If Wu Xian ignores the crisis at the ancestral graves, he shouldn't blame them for not contributing their manpower and resources later. The words weren't explicitly harsh, but the meaning was the same. Wu Xian's face instantly turned as black as soot.
He seemed to have never expected that a long-time minister would embarrass him so much.
Little did they know that Rome wasn't built in a day.
The resentment within the Tianhai faction did not accumulate overnight.
Their situation in Gao Kingdom was very similar to that of Qin Li's faction back then. In order to restrain the Tianhai faction, Wu Xian promoted and gave important positions to the newly rich. These newly rich had caused them a lot of trouble. They could tolerate it once or twice, but as it happened more often, the friction and conflict naturally escalated.
From the time Gao Guo established his capital until now, deep-seated resentment has accumulated.
Seeing that Wu Xian remained unmoved about their ancestral graves, it was impossible not to feel disheartened, and in desperation, he said some harsh words.
Even after regaining their senses and realizing they had uttered treasonous words, feeling guilty and fearful, the words spoken were like water spilled—unrecoverable. Wu Xian looked at them with a gloomy expression, and finally relented to send troops, but no one could breathe a sigh of relief.
"mob."
Inside the tent, an unassuming scholar uttered a cold sneer.
＿|￣|●
What a chaotic day!
I got up at 5 a.m., went to the airport more than 40 kilometers away, took a flight to the capital at 8:10 a.m., landed before 11 a.m., checked in, went to a photo studio to take a headshot, and then went to the community hospital for a physical examination... Also, why is the capital so much warmer than Wenzhou?
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