Zhang San, please behave yourself!
Chapter 447 - 421: Kaihuang’s Secret Letter!

Chapter 447: Chapter 421: Kaihuang’s Secret Letter!

Dum dum dum dum...

"Ah—good wine!"

Inside the tent, Changsun Wuji secretly drank a small jar of wine and felt not only warmth spread throughout his body but also his soul seemed to float away.

"Such good stuff, why does Grandpa not allow drinking it in the military camp? Just outrageous!"

As he spoke, Changsun Wuji continued to gulp down the wine from the small jar with reckless abandon.

Just then, the tent flap was lifted, and frightened, Changsun Wuji quickly stuffed the wine jar into his clothes, pretending to clutch his stomach in pain.

"Ow, my stomach..."

"Big brother, Grandpa wants to see me."

The person who came in was none other than Changsun Wuji’s younger brother—Changsun Wugen.

Changsun Wuji turned to glance at his brother, gave a sly smile, then put on a pained expression and said, "I’m feeling a bit unwell in the stomach today. Tell Grandpa I will come over as soon as I’ve rested well."

"No way! Grandpa said it’s urgent; military orders are absolute!"

Changsun Wuji just didn’t understand why his brother was always so rigid when they were both sons of the Changsun Family.

I’m your older brother; how can you hoist me on your shoulder to see Grandpa?

Don’t I have any dignity?

"Third brother, stop practicing archery, Grandpa calls for us!"

Passing the archery range, Changsun Wugen shouted to the third brother Changsun Wudiao, who was practicing archery.

The moment the third brother heard that Grandpa was calling for him, he immediately put down his bow and arrow and ordered the guard squad to pack up while he quickly followed.

"Second brother, what’s up with big brother? His face looks really red!"

"Your big brother’s got a stomachache."

"Could it be... Whoa—"

Although Changsun Wugen didn’t know what had just happened, guessing by the odor in the air and the sound from his big brother, he sensed that the thing on his back could perhaps be used to brew some kind of broth.

Soon, dressed afresh, Changsun Wugen accompanied his big and third brothers to their father’s tent.

At that moment, the father of the three Changsun brothers, Changsun Bubai, had already dismissed all the guard squad from the tent, leaving only the four family members inside.

"We pay respects to Grandpa!"

The second son Changsun Wugen and third son Changsun Wudiao both bowed and saluted with respectful attitudes.

As for the eldest, Changsun Wuji, his hands were clasped together like chicken claws.

Changsun Bubai glanced at his eldest son and felt very helpless.

He had always thought that being methodical in everything he did had led to achievements but restricted his advancement because he remained within the rules. Therefore, he wanted his descendants to be able to break free from these constraints, surely resulting in their rapid rise.

That’s why he had named his eldest son Changsun Wuji, thinking it meant fearing nothing.

Instead, it resulted in his eldest son Changsun Wuji developing a character that was always unrestrained and unbridled in both actions and speech.

Sigh—

Thinking this, Changsun Bubai let out a deep sigh.

"Kaihuang just sent me a secret letter."

Changsun Bubai spoke while observing the reactions on the faces of his three sons.

The youngest, Changsun Wudiao, had a look of surprise; at only fourteen years old, the news struck him as exciting as the anticipation of the New Year, clearly not yet grasping the essence of the matter.

The second son, Changsun Wugen, maintained his usual expression, akin to hearing a standard military report—calm and even a bit indifferent.

It was only the eldest who, despite his unrestrained and outspoken ways, was truly intelligent. Among his brothers, he alone sensed that something was amiss and frowned slightly.

Changsun Bubai kept his sons by his side, meticulously instructing them. Whenever an issue arose, he used it as a lesson to challenge their thinking and foster their growth.

"Kaihuang’s secret decree stated that they would send someone to assist me as my deputy," he said.

Upon hearing this, the sons’ expressions largely stayed the same.

Only Changsun Wuji, the eldest, not only began to frown but his brows also furrowed with worry.

Changsun Bubai let out a slight smile and continued, "There are three candidates in total."

"The first is barely an Imperial Relative, adopted by the Empress and recognized as the younger brother by the Chamber Head of Changle. I’ve told you about the Chamber Head of Changle, so you should understand the significance of this person. What do you think of him?" he asked.

The youngest, Changsun Wudiao, shook his head, evidently too young at fourteen to deduce much from this information.

Changsun Wugen, the second son, said, "He’s not a true Imperial Relative and still has connections. To become our grandfather’s deputy upon arrival suggests he may be incompetent."

Changsun Wuji nodded in agreement, "Second brother is right. I could tell he’s a nobody the moment I heard it. Grandfather, find some pretext to shove him off to Mei Fei and his lot. Let him pander to those above as he loves to do—perfect for polishing boots..."

At a glance from Changsun Bubai, Changsun Wuji immediately shut his mouth.

"The second is suspected to be the mastermind behind the recent Floating Corpse Case in the Capital, entangled with the Heavenly Punishment Sect. But suspicion alone is not enough for conviction, and, in fact, this person has earned some merit. Thus, he is overtly sent to the military, yet in truth, it is a demotion, offering an explanation to the court," Bubai explained.

This time, Changsun Wudiao spoke up, "Grandfather, this person sounds dangerous!"

His son Changsun Wugen nodded slightly and murmured, "The Capital has its Magistrate of the Metropolitan prefecture, Ministry of Punishment, and the Town Martial Office, and they all failed to clarify this person’s true nature. Keeping him in the military is risky."

"Just send him to Mei Fei! If that villain tries to assassinate a superior, we’d kill two birds with one stone! It also spares us from Mei Fei, who flits about like a loose woman before us men every day."

Changsun Bubai glared at his eldest son for the second time, and Changsun Wuji silently bowed his head and closed his mouth.

"The third, a rising talent from the Town Martial Office and the first to reach the True Core Realm and become a Military Chief. He stirred up the Chuan-Yu Road initially, and upon arriving at the Capital, he even overshadowed the Four Young Masters of the Capital."

Upon hearing this, all three sons thought well of the person.

"Grandfather, is this person really that impressive? Can I learn from him in the future?" asked the youngest.

"Third brother, there’s no rush in learning. Nonetheless, anyone who can raise a storm in a single region proves to be capable. Having such a person as grandfather’s deputy is indeed a good choice."

"Grandfather, sending the first two to Mei Fei and keeping one to ourselves sounds reasonable, right? Mei Fei gets two, and we only get one—he will surely be pleased!"

Changsun Bubai glared once again.

Changsun Wuji shut his mouth once again.

"You three think you’re very clever, don’t you?"

The second and the third quickly lowered their heads, while only Changsun Wuji nodded, chuckling mischievously.

"You also think your analysis is correct, don’t you?"

The heads of the second and the third dropped even lower, while only Changsun Wuji, head held high and chest puffed out, apparently failed to detect any lack of praise in his father’s words.

"Let me tell you, the three candidates I just mentioned... they are actually the same person!"

"What!?"