Li Yao seemed to have heard some kind of joke as he questioned Wen Yu: “May I ask what the Wengzhu intends to accomplish this with?”

Wen Yu said: “Yu believes that Tao Commandery is the answer sheet Yu has submitted to the Master.”

Under Li Yao’s indifferent gaze of someone proud of their talent, she continued calmly and composedly: “When my father was alive, he often praised the Master as the Guan Zhong of this age, possessing strategies for great governance. That the Master is unwilling to assist Yu is simply because you’ve determined Yu is inadequate for great responsibility and not talented enough to compete for the realm. Rather than making empty promises to the Master, Yu believes that producing actual results can better show the Master Yu’s sincerity.”

She bowed with clasped hands to Li Yao: “Yu has already taken Tao Commandery. I wish to respectfully request the Master to strategize for Yu. I wonder if the Master is willing?”

Li Xun assessed Li Yao with his eyes, thinking to himself that the Wengzhu’s propriety was already thorough to the utmost—this foul-tempered old fellow better not fail to appreciate this kindness. He chimed in: “Lord Li has a chest full of ambitions—aren’t you also worried about having nowhere to display them? The Wengzhu is intelligent and eager to learn. Though she arrived in Pingzhou not long ago, she has already taken over all matters large and small within Pingzhou prefecture. After Lord Chen went to Tao Commandery, she managed Pingzhou in perfect order. If she gains Lord Li’s assistance, why worry that in the future she won’t be able to compete with Pei Song on equal terms and execute these traitorous dogs of the Ao faction who brought chaos to the realm, avenging the Prince?”

Li Yao paid no attention to Li Xun’s interjection, only looking at Wen Yu: “You are indeed quite different from your brother. Back when this old man refused to take your brother as a student, he came morning and evening to pay respects to this old man’s residence, cleaned this old man’s study, and diligently asked about learning. He persisted like this for over three months before finally ceasing to come after this old man drove him away with harsh words.”

He snorted with laughter: “If this old man wanted to take students, such foolish ones showing sincerity are as numerous as ministers crossing the river. Those Confucian pedantic scholars eat up that sort of thing, but this old man has no interest. If sincere diligence could make one greatly talented, then the oxen plowing the fields could all achieve enlightenment and ascend to immortality. Why would they be yoked and driven with whips?”

Having said this, he stared at Wen Yu assessingly: “Your temperament suits this old man’s taste. But if you want this old man to strategize for you, strategize for what? Kill Pei Song? Or reclaim your Wen clan’s imperial power?”

Wen Yu’s eyes were dark and deep: “The enmity of killing my father, mother, and brother—Yu must avenge it. But this realm has always belonged to the capable, never to any particular family. From the Xuantong reign to the Shaojing reign, the Wen clan was emperor, but before this, the Wang, Chen, and Jiang clans were also emperors. The realm ultimately belongs to all the people. Only those with benevolence and great governance can unify the four seas and territories. What Yu wishes to accomplish is the great aspiration my father and brother left unfinished—to remove old Liang’s chronic illness, restore the rivers and mountains of the state, rescue all people from fire and water. It’s not争 for authority to rule this realm.”

Li Yao stared at Wen Yu for a long time. That gaze was sharp and penetrating, as if it wanted to see through that physical appearance and pierce straight to the soul.

Wen Yu maintained calm, resolute eye contact with Li Yao throughout.

After a long while, Li Yao spoke: “Offer me a cup of tea.”

Li Xun, who had been anxious throughout, hearing this, finally turned from worry to joy and hastily called to attending servants: “Quickly! Bring a cup of tea!”

Since ancient times, there has been a tea-offering ceremony for taking on a teacher. Li Yao asking Wen Yu to offer tea meant he was accepting her as his student.

In the past, the Heir Apparent hadn’t even entered his eyes, yet now the Wengzhu had become his student. Beyond his excitement, Li Xun’s eyes grew hot and teary—he even felt like weeping, believing the Wen clan’s revival was hopeful.

Servants quickly brought a cup of tea.

Li Yao simply sat on a stone block beside the seedling bed. Wen Yu’s long skirt trailed on the ground as she took the teacup and handed it to him: “Master, please have tea.”

Li Yao accepted the tea but didn’t immediately drink. Instead, he said: “This old man has been selective for half a lifetime and finally accepted you as a student. If you fail to accomplish something in the future, this old man will be ashamed. Starting tomorrow, no matter how busy you are with administrative duties, you must come to this old man’s place to study at the fifth watch. This old man will randomly quiz you on scholarly matters at any time. If you can’t answer, the next day you’ll come one watch earlier to review.”

Zhao Bai, worried about Wen Yu’s eye condition, frowned and was about to speak but was stopped by Wen Yu’s gaze. She nodded: “Yu has noted this.”

Only then did Li Yao use the tea lid to skim the tea foam and took a sip.

Li Xun was more adept at reading the moment than Zhao Bai. He quickly said: “That Lord Li督促 the Wengzhu to improve so strictly—this subordinate knows Lord Li’s intentions are良苦. It’s just that recently the Wengzhu has常 studied by candlelight and injured her eyes. The physician specifically instructed that she cannot read for long periods. For this morning review, could a reading companion accompany her to recite for the Wengzhu?”

Only then did Li Yao learn about Wen Yu’s eye injury. He said: “Acceptable.”

Then he looked at Wen Yu again: “Since you honor this old man as teacher, from now on this old man will be严苛 with you in scholarly matters. But if you’re ill, speak directly. In this old man’s place, we don’t practice hanging from beams or stabbing thighs with awls. As long as you can complete your coursework, even coming when the sun is high in the sky is fine.”

Wen Yu nodded: “Yu thanks the Master.”

Li Yao then nodded as well, telling her to return first to handle other affairs.

Thus Wen Yu began learning statecraft from Li Yao. Li Yao assigned extremely heavy coursework. She was常 so exhausted that while Zhao Bai read beside her, she would fall asleep listening. Whenever facing Li Yao’s nearly nitpicking random quizzes, though she managed to answer, she was still常 criticized by Li Yao as worthless.

In just three days, Wen Yu had lost a significant amount of weight.

Li Yao’s teaching method was not something ordinary people could endure, yet she stubbornly persevered. Beyond physical exhaustion, her mind had no余暇 to think of anything else.

What was gratifying was that facing many thorny affairs, she no longer felt the previous sense of being at a loss and could quickly sort out procedures for handling matters.

Li Xun had to report to Wen Yu daily on many urgent matters regarding Pingzhou and Tao Commandery. He could most directly感受 Wen Yu’s progress. While happy for Wen Yu, he also felt Li Yao was pushing Wen Yu too hard.

On this day, when he was reporting to Wen Yu that Tao Commandery Governor Yao Zhengqing was unwilling to submit, Wen Yu was so exhausted she fell asleep listening again.

Seeing this, Li Xun let out a sigh.

He quietly退 out and after informing Zhao Bai, went to find Li Yao.

He and Li Yao could be considered friends despite the age difference. Speaking privately, there weren’t so many taboos. He said directly: “Lord Li, are you perhaps being too harsh with the Wengzhu?”

He wrinkled his face: “What you’ve assigned the Wengzhu—how could it be learned in just a few days and nights?”

Li Yao sat in the vegetable plot, tending the vegetable seedlings there. He said: “Originally I didn’t expect her to finish learning it all. As the old saying goes, ‘The master leads you through the door, but cultivation depends on the individual.’ I was originally afraid she’d be impetuous, so on the first day I deliberately increased the coursework, wanting to knock some sense into her. Who’d have thought that though she learned with difficulty, she actually finished chewing through all that material.”

Li Yao’s gaze became distant: “Perhaps she is that seedling for reviving the Wen clan. But the times wait for no one. Her opponents are Pei Song, Wei Qishan, and that old Queen Dowager of Southern Chen who has controlled court politics from behind the curtain for so long. If this old man给 her breathing room, I’m pushing her toward a dead end in the future.”

Hearing this, Li Xun sighed again, knowing he also meant well for Wen Yu. He said: “Very well, I’ll report to the Wengzhu later about Yao Zhengqing’s unwillingness to submit.”

Li Yao knew of this person and wasn’t very concerned: “This person has some talent. He was demoted to Tao Commandery in the first year of Shaojing. His heart is with Wei Qishan, mostly because he resents Great Liang.”

Li Xun said: “The Wengzhu also said this to this minister, so she first had this minister go persuade him. If he’s unwilling, the Wengzhu will personally go counsel him. This extra step can also let him see the Wengzhu’s eagerness to recruit worthy people.”

Hearing this, Li Yao snorted through his nose: “That pedantic, arrogant old thing—his calculations are good, wanting to paste himself with a reputation of being personally invited by Ziyu as an honored guest. He should look at whether he’s worthy!”

He washed his hands in the water bucket beside the vegetable plot and stood up: “This old man will go take a look!”

—

When Wen Yu woke from this sleep, she heard that Yao Zhengqing had already agreed to submit.

She was quite surprised. After asking Zhao Bai, she learned that Li Yao had gone to “persuade” him, cursing him until he was thoroughly humiliated—only short of being able to point at Yao Zhengqing’s nose through the prison door to tell him to crash his head against a pillar and apologize with death.

Zhao Bai was obviously very happy, saying: “Previously on the journey south, with those wavering advisors, Lord Li was also this harsh and stern, scolding them until their faces were red and they wished to burrow into the ground with shame.”

Wen Yu rubbed her temples: “Continue reading to me. If I can’t finish studying the upper volume of ‘Jingshun Political Instructions’ before tomorrow morning, the one who’ll be scolded into wishing to burrow underground with shame will be me.”

The candles in her room were again lit until midnight.

—

Outside the city at the Pingzhou army garrison, the candlelight in Xiao Li’s military tent also burned through the night.

When dawn approached, Fan Yuan was making his patrol rounds and, seeing the light in his tent, wanted to stop by to instruct him on some patrol and defense matters after the Southern Chen envoys entered the city. Lifting the tent flap to enter, he saw Xiao Li with both arms braced on the table, concentrating intently on a map spread out on the table.

His completely束 hair had come loose with one strand hanging over his forehead. His chin also sprouted many short, fine whiskers—he looked like someone who hadn’t slept well in a long time.

Fan Yuan was startled: “How long has it been since you’ve slept?”

Only then did Xiao Li seem to notice someone had entered the tent. His sharp eyes只 lifted to sweep a glance at the newcomer before falling back on the map, his entire person highly concentrated.

Fan Yuan walked closer to look and only then discovered that the map in his hands was already densely covered with annotations only he himself could understand.

He asked in confusion: “What is this?”

Xiao Li used a bamboo splinter burned at the oil lamp to draw one final stroke on the map. He pressed his brow, and his cold, stern expression finally eased somewhat. He said: “I’ve been war-gaming for many days, trying every possible scenario, and finally found the only method that would allow Pingzhou to achieve victory in this sand table war game.”

Upon hearing this, Fan Yuan’s expression in looking at that map changed.

—

The day the Southern Chen envoys came to Pingzhou to fetch the bride was rare good weather—bright sun, not a cloud for miles.

Chen Wei rushed back from Tao Commandery and together with Fan Yuan received the envoys at the city gate.

The wedding party allowed through the pass numbered only several hundred, all wearing red festive clothing, a black mass stopped at the city gate.

Standing before and behind the bridal sedan chair were those holding gongs, drums, and suona horns, playing and beating loudly. Behind them, stretching endlessly, were those carrying betrothal gifts.

In the clamor of gongs and drums, Chen Wei clasped his hands toward the Southern Chen envoy on horseback: “Envoy, you’ve come from afar—we apologize for not welcoming you properly from a distance.”

The Southern Chen envoy didn’t dismount, speaking rather arrogantly: “Our king honors the marriage agreement with the Wen clan of Great Liang and is willing to marry Wen clan’s Hanyang, forming matrimonial ties with Great Liang. He specially commanded this general to come fetch the bride. The journey to Southern Chen is far—we shouldn’t delay too much. Please respectfully request Hanyang Wengzhu to board the sedan chair.”

Such contemptuous attitude immediately made the faces of many former Liang officials at the city gate turn ugly.

The Southern Chen envoy held the reins, contemptuously sweeping over those former Liang officials whose expressions had changed, arrogantly curving his lips.

A gaze so cold it carried killing intent drew his attention.

The Southern Chen envoy followed that gaze and locked eyes with a cold, stern youth in armor among the crowd.

That gaze was truly fierce—rather like a wild wolf from savage lands coldly staring at an invader who had stepped into its territory, just waiting for an opportunity to bite through the invader’s throat.

He met the other’s gaze for two breaths, then sneered: “What? Has Great Liang changed its mind? Planning to break the engagement?”