Peace Order
Chapter 559 - 36: A Famous General or a Heroic Ruler

Chapter 559: Chapter 36: A Famous General or a Heroic Ruler

"Jiangzhou Qilin’er?"

Yuan Zhi burst into laughter, spat out the stalk of grass in his mouth, and patting the hilt of the sword at his waist, he said, "I know of him, he’s a ranger!"

Wen Lingjun replied, "Of the Duke Xue’s household, but from what I infer, he should be the son of Taiping Duke Li Wanli."

Wen He scoffed leisurely, "Looks like Zhou Pinglu is in for another unpleasant time."

Zhou Pinglu frowned and then slowly relaxed, saying quietly, "Why would I be displeased? Our nation’s youngest County Knight of Qin Wu, the champion of the grand martial competition, excels in bravery, and should have been Chen Country’s future Great General."

The drunken youth then mumbled, "That famed general, who as a boy made the Immovable Ming King, Yuwen Tianxian, stumble, is certainly known to me."

In the distant Central State, the best of the Academy all spoke of that young man’s existence, which on one hand shows they were not simply the white-haired toilers of the Academy, struggling with their studies year after year; on the other hand, it meant Pang Shuiyun’s strategy had succeeded.

His name had begun to stir.

Fang Ziqiao smiled and said, "So then, as we discuss the heroes of the world, what do you make of this person?"

Wen He replied, "Ziqiao, we’re talking about heroic rulers of the world. Although he’s achieved fame at a young age, he cannot yet be compared with the Regent King, Emperor of Ying, or the Turkic Great Khan."

Fang Ziqiao sat down composedly, having the closest relationship with Wen Lingjun, who brought him a cup of tea.

The senior disciple of Master Wang Tong smiled and said, "We’re just speaking in jest, there’s no need to take it so seriously. Why not discuss this person in more detail?"

He looked at the chessboard on the table and casually picked up a chess piece, saying, "After defeating Yuwen Tianxian, he led his army straight into the mountains, and now news has come that he has led the Qilin Army to shatter the Yin Yang Reincarnation Sect."

Wen He raised an eyebrow, a rare smile appearing on his face, "Holding a grudge."

"I think Xiao Zhi and he would have much to talk about."

Fang Ziqiao asked, "Oh, where is that guy now?"

Zhou Pinglu touched a zither string and smiled, "I heard he’s gone to visit his uncle, currently in the Capital of Ying Country. Apparently, under the Turkic Seven Kings, there’s a strategist who’s quite handsome but has a terrible temper. The moment they met, they seemed to clash."

Wen Lingjun expressed surprise, "Oh? Xiao Zhi clashed with him?"

Zhou Pinglu shook his head, smiling as he replied, "Hmm, seems like he’s at a disadvantage, and this young strategist seems extremely arrogant, so Xiao Zhi is pretty much infuriated. I guess the pages of his books are going to be worn out with that guy’s name."

"However, it seems he’s not driven solely by revenge."

The youngster lounging there swallowed a gulp of wine and let out a wine belch, murmuring hazily:

"His goal is, the... *hic*"

Wen He calmly stated, "Jiangnan Eighteen States."

Wen Lingjun said, "From a lone army to having a stronghold, thereby gaining a foothold in the world, they could also unite the soldiers’ hearts and minds while avoiding the encirclement of Chen Country and Ying Country. There’s no problem with the overall situation."

The oldest among these young men was no older than twenty-three or twenty-four, and the youngest, sixteen, who had never stepped out of the Academy, had managed to replay the distant youth’s strategy just based on fragmented information and vague hints.

Zhou Pinglu said serenely, "It’s risky, but it’s the right move."

"However, even so, it’s only evolving from a lone army to one controlling a state’s territory. For the Eighteenth State of Jiangnan, long and narrow, and mostly eroded by Chen Country and Ying Country, even if one occupies it, it’s merely about scraping by in the world."

"What do you think, Lingjun?"

Wen Lingjun laughed, "Indeed, such a strategic stronghold, if in the hands of a great power, would be extremely important. But in the hands of someone with no solid backing, it’s like a child holding a fortune, wandering in a troubled world, which I fear is not safe."

Wen He took a more casual stance, "It might not necessarily be so."

"If one seeks control of a place, then by leveraging military might for self-importance, when times of great change come, one could throw support behind a country and be positioned among the ranks of marquis. But a harsh end is likely, and only a fool would do so."

"However, if he’s cruel enough to move onward and seize the river ports upstream,"

"By filling large ships with corpses and sending them downriver, he could create an epidemic, and then distribute medicine to win hearts. With such an iron fist and a velvet glove, no one can easily fight a naval battle here. Between the south and the north... hmm?"

He looked up at his few friends, saying:

"Why are you all looking at me like that?"

The drinking youth looked as if he’d seen a ghost, his drunkenness startled away.

He shifted his bottom, moving close to the elegant Wen Lingjun, his face etched with an expression that read: What on earth is this man talking about?

Yuan Zhi hid his sword behind him and laughed heartily, saying:

"Nothing, I just suddenly felt that Wen He’s neck seems rather easy to chop."

"Careless of me to put my sword away."

Fang Ziqiao had discussed the Qilin’er with these men but did not delve deeply; he knew their nature well—if he promoted it forcibly, it wouldn’t spark their interest. What he sought was an upright tale; as long as these men knew of someone called ’Qilin’er Li Guanyi,’ it was enough.

In chess, there’s no need to hurry.

So, Fang Ziqiao left at his ease.

The others dispersed, each going their separate ways.

And with a newfound reticence, they had easily deduced the path Li Guanyi would likely take based on the overall situation. Yet, each harbored their own plans. Zhou Pinglu, after a long silence and as he played the zither, caused the strings’ sounds to become discordant. A beautiful girl beside him said: