Chapter 46: Military Strategy Book
Yan Jiu glanced at the ‘book’ stained with sweat and dirt, her eyebrows raised, a hint of disgust flashing in her eyes, and warned her younger brother:
“Stay out of King Li’s affairs.”
Yan Shiyi laughed heartily, “I’m just watching the show. Who cares if he’s an imperial prince or a rebel king? What does it have to do with us?”
Seeing that her elder brother didn’t want to look at the book, he opened it himself to show his elder brother:
“I don’t understand what this book is about. Look at these characters, Elder Brother. What kind of font is this? It’s printed so neatly, like little squares.”
Yan Jiu casually picked up her teacup, glanced at the paper her younger brother had opened, and her eyes instantly narrowed. She glanced again.
She abruptly put down her teacup, snatched the ‘book’ of only a dozen pages, but still disgusted by the dirt, she held only a corner with two fingers and flipped through it.
Yan Shiyi was startled by his elder brother’s reaction. Since becoming the Head of the Yan Clan, his elder brother had rarely shown emotional fluctuations.
This reaction meant nothing to the servants, but only he, his own brother, knew how significant his elder brother’s reaction was.
“Elder Brother, what does this book say? Could it be a royal secret? I thought it was a new book from Chang’an.” Yan Shiyi Lang also craned his neck to look.
Yan Jiu looked at her brother helplessly, “This is a Military Strategy Book.”
“It’s a Military Strategy Book I’ve never seen before. It’s either a rare book from the royal collection, or…”
Yan Jiu didn’t finish, because the other possibility was hard to believe.
However, when King Li was the Crown Prince, he spent a long time in the Military Camp. If he had compiled this ‘Thirty-Six Stratagems’ with his strategists, it wouldn’t be impossible.
She quickly finished reading the dozen pages of the book, still wanting more, her heart itching with impatience, because it only contained ten stratagems, clearly not a complete work.
She read it again word by word, then couldn’t help but go to the desk and copy it again, only then did the heat in her heart subside.
Yan Shiyi was completely shocked, “Elder Brother, is this book that good?”
Yan Jiu said seriously, “How can a Military Strategy Book be described as good or not good? Who wrote this book? It can be passed down for a hundred generations and be a must-read for military strategists.”
Unfortunately, it wasn’t a complete work. She was about to ask Yan Shiyi to go to King Li’s place to inquire if it was complete. If there was a complete version, no matter the price, she would be willing to buy it to read.
But looking at her impulsive younger brother, and then thinking about King Li’s actions since arriving in Yandi, if these two got together, they might end up fighting.
King Li had a bad impression of the Gentry of Yancheng due to the matter of Besieging the city to demand funds. It was better for her to go in person with gifts. She believed King Li would not refuse to see her.
Since Yan Jiu became the Head of the Yan Clan, she had not felt such a strong desire for anything. This Military Strategy Book was the first time she had such an intense feeling of longing.
It felt like a thorn had grown in her heart, and she couldn’t find peace without obtaining it.
She ordered a horse and gifts to be prepared, intending to go to the Border City herself.
Yan Shiyi Lang reminded her, “Elder Brother, just send a Butler. If you go in person, others will see it and think our Yan Clan is cooperating with King Li!”
You just reminded me not to get involved with King Li’s affairs, and now you’re going to the Border City with valuable gifts. It’s like the pot calling the kettle black.
Yan Jiu snorted coldly, “Why should I, Yan Jiu, care what they think of my actions?”
Yan Jiu changed into her going-out clothes and left the mansion with her subordinates.
Yan Shiyi slapped his hands in regret. What else could he have picked up but a few pieces of broken paper, which had driven his elder brother mad.
Right, there was still someone at home who had lost their mind. He went to the backyard to see his sister.
Miss Yan was looking at the garden with a forlorn expression, her eyes unfocused, and she had visibly lost a lot of weight.
Yan Shiyi said with heartache, “Haven’t you found that person yet?”
Miss Yan was startled, “Second Brother, how do you know?”
Yan Shiyi chuckled, “Baozhu has been asking people everywhere to find him. If I didn’t know, would I still be your Second Brother?”
“Baozhu was vague, only saying she was looking for a young man. What does that man look like? How did you meet him?”
Miss Yan immediately fell into memory, her cheeks flushing, “He was very handsome. In all sixteen prefectures of Yandi, there’s no other young master more handsome than him.”
“He was very gentle, his voice like shattered jade in an empty mountain. Elegant, noble, and courteous…”
Yan Shiyi raised his hand to interrupt his sister, “Wait! Are you looking for someone, or are you looking for your dream lover? Where in the world is such a perfect person?”
Miss Yan stubbornly said, “There is! He’s also my savior. He saved me and Baozhu, and didn’t ask for any reward.”
Yan Shiyi touched her forehead, thinking his sister must have a fever.
Seeing that she wasn’t actually sick, he wanted to distract her and said with a smile,
“Elder Brother is going to see King Li. Do you want to go? Speaking of which, King Li is also very handsome. I wonder if he’s as good-looking as your savior?”
Miss Yan snorted disdainfully, “I don’t want to see any king. There’s no man in this world more handsome than him!”
…
At this moment, what was Lord Li, who was being discussed by the Yan siblings, doing?
He was looking at a large cesspit, speechless.
Jin Sui, wearing a double-layered mask, could still smell the pungent odor. She beckoned the farmer who had come to complain forward:
“Is this cow dung from your family?”
The farmer looked at the pile of fresh cow dung, smooth on the surface, half-submerged in the cesspit in the corner, and said happily:
“It’s from my family! I collected it before dawn, and in the blink of an eye, it was gone. With only this outsider entering the village, if he didn’t steal it, who did?”
Captain Liu of the Tuntian Camp pulled Crazy Dave, no, Niu Da, forward to plead guilty:
“Your Highness, Niu Da is willing to pay for it, just please don’t chase him away.”
Niu Da’s large body hid behind the thin and dry Captain Liu, chattering something.
Working in the farmland during the day and stealing dung everywhere at night, he truly lived up to being Dave.
Jin Sui asked the farmer whether he wanted to take the cow dung back and be compensated ten coins, or be compensated eleven coins and leave the cow dung there.
The farmer was quite smart and immediately understood the difference, “Your Highness, are you saying that this basket of dung is worth one coin?”
Jin Sui nodded, “If there’s more in the future, bring it here. One coin per basket, the price will never change.”
The farmer was overjoyed, “Then I want the money! I’ll go home and collect dung!”
Captain Liu quickly gave him eleven coins, and the farmer left happily.
Jin Sui thought about visiting the tomato seedlings today, and indeed, only Dave’s seedlings were growing well, while others had just sprouted, his already had four leaves.
Then, listening to Hei Hu translate, the mentally challenged Dave gestured and said, “You have to treat seedlings like you treat women. These leaves are like women’s legs, you have to hold them carefully…”
Holding his nose, he asked Crazy Dave speechlessly, “Is your planting secret just finding cesspit fertilizer everywhere to water the fields?”
Niu Da nodded nervously. Jin Sui waved her hand, “Alright, you don’t have to farm anymore.”
Niu Da immediately knelt down, weeping profusely, chattering something that sounded like he was about to have his head eaten by a zombie.
Captain Liu also pleaded for him repeatedly. Even Hei Hu, who was completely unaffected by the smell and was constantly poking the cesspit with a stick, stopped his actions.
The Prince had never been angry with them before; this was the first time they saw the Prince angry.
Seeing the reaction of the three, Jin Sui said helplessly, “I’m not going to chase him away. I’m saying he doesn’t have to farm anymore. From now on, he’ll be in charge of fermenting fertilizer!”
“His skill in fermenting fertilizer is much higher than farming.”
Chief Clerk Liu was overjoyed and quickly pressed Niu Da’s head for him to express his gratitude. He grabbed his ear and said,
“From now on, you are forbidden to steal peasant fertilizer! If there’s a next time, the Prince might spare you, but I will break your legs.”
It felt like Chief Clerk Liu was more like his father than his superior.
Life was hard for Border Soldiers; only by sticking together could they survive.
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