CH 45

Liu Xian’an actually didn’t know the specific situation in Sanshui City right now, but he knew which situations might occur, and for each possibility, the corresponding treatment methods were carefully listed. This was why the whole plan seemed so long. However, because the plan was so long, it couldn’t be helped – after speaking, he could only use his arms to gesture as far as possible, trying to convince His Royal Highness Xiao Wang through visual effects.

The result was of course useless.

Liang Shu said: “You’re not going.”

“But this can reduce the casualties of war, which is good for both the common people and the Yan army,” Liu Xian’an said. “And even if A-Ning and I do not succeed in persuading one person after sneaking into the city, it will at least save the prince a few days’ rations.” Thus, no matter how you looked at it, this was a good business that could make money rather than losing money.

Liang Shu didn’t expect that the entire plan could be cut from this angle. He naturally knew that due to Lu Xiang’s corruption, there was a serious shortage of food in the army. This was also one of the reasons that Sanshui City must be captured quickly. But no matter how short of food they were, the reason for going to the enemy camp in order to save a mouthful of food was too bizarre.

He asked: “Do you know what sort of life a refugee lives?”

Liu Xian’an replied: “I know. Unkempt, deprived of food all day long, filthy and smelly. But the prince can send a few more people with me. This can somewhat act as a deterrent, and I will not be bullied easily.”

“What if someone asks about your identity?”

“I’ll just say that I’m from Yayue Village, and I’m going to Qingyang City to join relatives,” Liu Xian’an said. “Although Yayue Village was also affected by the floods this time, because it is very close to Wanhe City, the local officials moved the entire village there early, and none of them drifted abroad, so no one will expose me.”

“You’re a villager, and A-Ning can be considered a younger brother, but what about the guards?”

“There used to be many villagers living in Yayue Village, which is a village of doctors,” Liu Xian’an said. “I’ll pretend to be an ordinary doctor from a wealthy family. Bringing my younger brother and assistants with me won’t be out of place, and the prince doesn’t need to send too many people with me.” He calculated, “Three will do.”

Liang Shu couldn’t laugh or cry: “I haven’t agreed yet, but you have clearly arranged the number of people.”

“But the prince will definitely agree with me after weighing the pros and cons.” Liu Xian’an mentioned that he was thirsty, and before he could look for water, Liang Shu had already handed over the cup. 

“On the march, there is only the one.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Liu Xian’an said. “When the sages lie drunk in the bamboo forest, they don’t know which wine cup is which. I often drink with them.” He bowed his neck to drink water, and his neck was as smooth and graceful as a crane’s. Liang Shu, as the lead commander, naturally knew that if at this time someone could infiltrate Sanshui City and instigate a rebellion, it would be beneficial and without drawbacks for the whole war. And Liu Xian’an was indeed capable of doing all this.

However, it was one thing to know, and another thing to personally send him to the refugees and to Sanshui City. Liang Shu looked at Liu Xian’an, and waited until he finished drinking the water before asking: “Is there no better way?”

Liu Xian’an shook his head: “There is not.”

Liang Shu was familiar with the art of war, and knew that there was not. This was already the best way to defeat the enemy that he could think of right now, but he still frowned with dissatisfaction: “You are forty-eight thousand years old, why can’t you think of a better way?”

Liu Xian’an thought that this person could really make trouble out of nothing, but he still dealt with it with a good attitude. Yes, ah, yes, ah.

Liang Shu laughed angrily and stretched out his hand, calling to him, “Come here.”

Liu Xian’an set down the water cup and walked over. Liang Shu grasped his waist with both hands, wanting to get closer to him in this moment where the candlelight was restless and people’s hearts were anxious. But the tenderness and worry in his heart hadn’t had time to ripple out when his fingers seemed to be pierced by the sharp teeth of a kitten: “Hiss!”

Liu Xian’an swiftly moved his hand away: “There is a needle. I didn’t have time to get it just now.”

Liang Shu stretched out his hand: “It’s bleeding.”

A round drop of blood hung on his fingertip, only slightly worse than a mosquito bite, but Liu Xian’an still helped him bandage it very cooperatively, using his own handkerchief to tie a grand knot.

Liang Shu asked: “Can you protect yourself?”

Liu Xian’an nodded: “En.”

Liang Shu sighed: “I will dispatch three masters to protect you. If there is any danger, don’t worry about anything, and come back as soon as possible.”

“Okay,” Liu Xian’an said.

After a moment, he spoke again: “While I’m not around, the prince must take his medicine on time.”

In fact, he didn’t really want to go to Sanshui City. It had nothing to do with whether he would suffer or not, and nothing to do with the danger. Rather, it was mixed with the emotion named “reluctance to part” in many poems. In short, at this moment, there was no trace of the solemnity of defeating the enemy alone between the two. On the contrary, there was a bittersweet farewell, an inch of tenderness and a little parting tune. Liu Xian’an exhaled slightly. Although as far as he was concerned, there was always a Royal Highness Xiao Wang in the three thousand worlds and he could see him any time he wanted, that was different from the one in front of him, after all.

The night was already very deep.

At this time, it was not appropriate to talk about love. Even if it was necessary to pull the Sleeping Immortal from the sky and clouds back into the world of mortals, Liang Shu also wanted to catch him steadily with a beautiful and prosperous country, instead of the devastated and suffering territory in front of him, so he swallowed his words back.

A-Ning was taking a nap in the tent. When he heard movement outside, he ran to have a look, and just happened to meet the prince sending his young master back.

“Rest early,” Liang Shu said. “I will send you into the city after I arrange the manpower.”

Liu Xian’an nodded, watched Liang Shu leave, and returned to the tent with A-Ning.

A-Ning asked: “The prince promised to let the young master go to Sanshui City?”

“Yes,” Liu Xian’an said.

“Then why doesn’t the young master look happy at all?”

“Because I don’t want to go to Sanshui City, but I must go.” Liu Xian’an wiped his face with a handkerchief. “And I don’t want to be separated from the prince.”

A-Ning commented: “The second half of the young master’s sentence sounds a bit strange.”

Liu Xian’an didn’t think it was strange. After hastily washing, he lay back under the blanket and calculated the days with A-Ning. If everything went according to plan, under the smoothest circumstances, it would take at least half a month for the Yan army to break through the city.

Half a month was really too long.

A-Ning wondered: “A long time? Even in the history books, fighting a battle in half a month is considered very fast and capable. Moreover, when the young master was in a daze before, he often stayed that way for half a month and then shook his head and said after recovering that it was only a short while.”

Liu Xian’an said: “It’s not the same.”

A-Ning got to the heart of the matter. What is the difference?

Liu Xian’an couldn’t tell what was different. It seemed that the only difference was that there was now a Liang Shu. He pondered for a while and then said to A-Ning: “His Royal Highness Xiao Wang has many injuries on his body.”

“When marching and fighting, everyone gets hurt,” A-Ning said. “Once, the prince was stabbed in the ribs with a scimitar, and it is said that he fell into a coma for ten days. The military doctors were at a loss, and Lieutenant General Gao was so anxious that he went to the desert to find a witch to help.”

“How do you know so much?”

“Because the young master always rides a horse with the prince recently, and I have nothing to do, so I go chat with others.”

Everyone liked A-Ning very much. They felt that he was clever, hard-working, and capable, and he looked very fair, so they told him many things about marching and fighting. Liu Xian’an exhorted: “Then write it down first, don’t forget. When you are free, tell me all about the prince.”

A-Ning asked: “You only want to hear about the prince? But the stories of other people are also very interesting.”

Second Young Master Liu flatly refused: “I don’t want to hear about other people.”

A-Ning choked for a moment. That…..that is also fine, ba.

He put out the candle, got under another blanket, and soon fell asleep. He wasn’t nervous about entering Sanshui City, and slept soundly and peacefully until the next morning. It wasn’t until there was a rustling sound outside the tent that he opened his eyes and gently lifted the corner of the blanket, planning to wake his young master after preparing the washing utensils.

As a result, he was halfway up when he heard a faint voice behind him: “I didn’t fall asleep last night.”

A-Ning was unprepared, and almost jumped up in fright: “Young Master!”

Wrapped in a blanket, Liu Xian’an squeezed out a nasal “En.”

A-Ning’s heart was beating wildly and hadn’t slowed down yet, but the fact that it didn’t slow down didn’t delay his shock: “Insomnia?”

Liu Xian’an nodded slowly.

A-Ning’s eyes widened, and he asked again uncertainly. The young master would actually suffer from insomnia? He was someone who could fall asleep when walking by the edge of the pond, ah! He was very worried, and grabbed his wrist, testing it for a long time, but found nothing unusual. Then he dragged him to a bright area outside the tent and checked him over and over again. Gao Lin saw this from a distance, and asked the prince wonderingly, “What are they doing?”

Liang Shu glanced to the side. “Why don’t you ask them yourself?”

“Then I’ll ask.” Gao Lin started to leave, but Liang Shu said, “Get back here.”

Gao Lin folded his arms. Look, ba, I just knew it. I must avoid arousing suspicion in the future.

Liang Shu was unwilling to talk nonsense: “Go and find Wang Fan, Wang Guan, and Zhou Yi.”

“The three of them?” Gao Lin stored away his teasing. “What, is something the matter?”

“It’s not a big matter, nor a small matter.” Liang Shu glanced in Liu Xian’an’s direction. “He’s going to Sanshui City.”

Gao Lin was taken aback for a moment. When he could react, he said in disbelief: “The prince agreed? That is no place to take a rest. Although the Wang family brothers and Zhou Yi are all first-class masters, there are tens of thousands of rebels inside the city. They hate the Yan army deeply, and are rather careless…..well, never mind, ba.”

“Then you go and persuade him,” Liang Shu said. “Persuade him to stay, and I will note your first-class merit and give you as many mansions and fields as you want.”

Gao Lin: “…….”

He still remembered the other’s sonorous and forceful speech when he went back to find A-Ning, “Will the disciples of Baihe Mountain Village retreat because of difficulties?” It was like he was stepping on the moral high ground while he himself was stepping in mud. To this day, the feeling of shame still lingered for a long time, and he could hear echoes of it when he dozed off. So he promptly changed the subject and asked: “What will he do in Sanshui City, instigate a rebellion?”

Liang Shu nodded.

“That’s one method,” Gao Lin said. “I think Second Young Master Liu is really capable of subduing others without fighting. That man surnamed Huang is cruel and arrogant, and he doesn’t have any brains, so he should be easy to clean up. Maybe we won’t even have to fight in this battle, and the other party will take the initiative to surrender.”

Liang Shu said, “What, you don’t think it’s dangerous, so you won’t go to persuade him?”

Gao Lin said, there is still danger, it’s only that even the prince couldn’t persuade him.

If I go, but can’t persuade him, it’s equal to not going at all.

Is it okay if I just seem like I’m going to persuade him?