Lighter Than a Goose Feather, Heavier Than Mount Tai

In this era, most women had to rely on men to survive. Even the exceptionally skilled Lu Lingqi was no exception; before marriage, she relied on her parents. To suggest she could strike out on her own based solely on her martial prowess was undoubtedly a fantasy.

Lan Ziyu wanted to change her fate, but he currently lacked a good point of leverage. After much thought, he realized he could only start with Gao Shun, who was right in front of him.

Gao Shun was an undeniably competent soldier and a loyal, capable subordinate. However, he was far too upright and possessed a near-foolish sense of loyalty, making it incredibly difficult to change his mindset.

While waiting for the physicians, Lan Ziyu decided to probe Gao Shun's thoughts.

"I walked through the camp just now and saw the soldiers looking formidable, with their formations and defenses arranged with great method. I wonder what methods the General uses to train his troops and govern his army?" Lan Ziyu asked with a smile.

To build a rapport through conversation, the most convenient method is to discuss things the other party is familiar with, as familiarity breeds confidence.

If one cannot find a topic, starting with local customs or delicacies works well. If one discusses the other party's professional field and asks for advice with the humility of a fan, the other party will quickly open up.

Gao Shun was stunned for a moment. He had not expected Lan Ziyu to be interested in military governance, so he shared generously, "It is actually quite simple: be strict with oneself, be clear in rewards and punishments, and when charging into battle, always lead from the front."

Lan Ziyu nodded. These sixteen words were simple to say but extremely difficult to execute, especially being strict with oneself.

"Can an army like this ever be defeated? Can the General help General Lu conquer the world?" Lan Ziyu asked intentionally.

"Why must you tease me, sir? Is there any army in this world that has never known defeat? As for the Lord's ambitions, I cannot say," Gao Shun replied. Reflecting on his time in the military, victory and defeat had always been his constant companions; his defeat in Yanzhou had been quite severe.

"When I spoke of the Legend of the Condor Heroes earlier, the General once said that he did not understand how to benefit the people and could only remain loyal to his Lord. I wonder, how does the General define such loyalty?" Lan Ziyu continued.

"What do you mean by this, sir? It is simply to serve one's Lord with loyalty and never betray him," Gao Shun replied, feeling puzzled.

"If the Lord is alive, you do not betray him. But if the Lord were to perish, what then?" Lan Ziyu pressed.

"There is only death; I would follow him into the earth," Gao Shun said firmly.

Upon hearing this, Lan Ziyu thought to himself, This is bad. This fellow really is this 'stubborn'.

How could he persuade this man not to be so foolishly loyal?

Lan Ziyu pondered for a moment before saying, "The General's heart of loyalty is as clear as the sun and moon. However, death is inevitable for everyone. Some deaths are lighter than a feather, while others are heavier than Mount Tai. The General must consider this carefully."

Seeing that Lan Ziyu's words today were pointed, Gao Shun asked, "What exactly are you trying to say, Mr. Lan Ziyu?"

Lan Ziyu stood up and, with his back to him, said, "Just like the characters in the Legend of the Condor Heroes, the death of Li Ping was heavier than Mount Tai. She made Guo Jing remember the hatred of his family and country, ultimately leading him to serve the nation and the people, becoming a great hero. Then there is Qu Lingfeng; after being expelled from Peach Blossom Island, he entered the imperial palace to steal paintings to please Huang Yaoshi and was hunted down. Fortunately, he did not die, but had he died, it would have been lighter than a feather."

"Though Li Ping was a woman, she was truly a hero. As for Qu Lingfeng, I despise his petty, thieving ways," Gao Shun shook his head.

"In truth, both possessed loyalty. Qu Lingfeng's loyalty to his master was a 'small loyalty,' while Li Ping's loyalty to her country was a 'great loyalty.'"

"Your words today are very strange, sir. I hope you will explain further."

At this moment, Lan Ziyu turned around and said with a serious expression, "General Lu has many grievances with the various warlords. I predict that one day he will reach a dead end. Although we met by chance, we have gotten along quite well. If that day truly comes, I hope the General will not practice 'small loyalty' and will not emulate Qu Lingfeng."

Gao Shun was stunned. Lan Ziyu's predictions had never been wrong. If he now prophesied that Lu Bu would reach a dead end, it was highly likely to happen.

Gao Shun suppressed the surging waves in his heart and asked with a dark face, "Then whom should I emulate?"

"The Seven Freaks of Jiangnan," Lan Ziyu said decisively.

Lan Ziyu's words today contained too much information for Gao Shun to digest at once. Most importantly, this fellow's predictions were truly too accurate, leaving the commanding general unable to sit still.

The two remained silent for a moment before Gao Yuan returned from the city with two physicians.

Night had already fallen. Concerned about Gan Ji's condition, Lan Ziyu bid farewell to Gao Shun to return home, promising to come back to the city tomorrow to pick up Gan Qian.

The city gates were already closed, so Gao Shun ordered Gao Yuan to escort them back to the manor, while he himself remained to ruminate on Lan Ziyu's words.

With Gao Yuan leading the way, the group soon left Xiaopei and returned home to find the room sweltering.

It turned out that Li Yang had set up two charcoal braziers to keep Gan Ji warm. The man was sweating profusely, yet he still refused to leave the bedside.

Seeing this, Lan Ziyu was deeply grateful and urged Li Yang to go home and rest.

Seeing that Lan Ziyu had brought back two physicians, Li Yang agreed to return the next morning.

After the physicians examined her, they determined that Gan Ji had been invaded by cold air, and combined with the shock of her daughter being trapped in the city, she had developed a condition where worry turned into illness, complicated by a fever. It was an ailment that could not be cured in a short time and required long-term bed rest.

Lan Ziyu did not understand medicine and could only follow the physicians' advice.

Gao Yuan left one person to keep watch and returned to the city with the other physician to fetch medicine, keeping them busy until midnight.

By the time the medicine was brewed and Gan Ji had taken it and fallen asleep, it was already past midnight.

Seeing that Gao Yuan had been running around for him all night, Lan Ziyu intended to cook something for him to eat, but there was no food in the kitchen. He then remembered that the supplies were all in the Sanctuary.

"General Gao, please come with me. I will get you something to eat," Lan Ziyu said.

"Oh, alright." Gao Yuan had been helping Lan Ziyu all day and had indeed not eaten dinner. He was famished, so he did not offer any polite refusals.

Lan Ziyu held a torch and walked behind the house. Gao Yuan followed, feeling very confused, wondering if he was going to borrow food from another household.

After walking a few steps, Lan Ziyu stopped and squatted on the ground.

"General Gao, please hold the torch for me," Lan Ziyu said.

Gao Yuan took the torch with a puzzled expression. He watched as Lan Ziyu pulled upward on the grass, lifting a square lid.

"Mr. Lan Ziyu, what is this?" Gao Yuan asked, surprised to see Lan Ziyu preparing to climb down.

Lan Ziyu's feet were already on the ladder as he reached out and said, "This is a hidden place. Please hand me the torch."

After Gao Yuan handed over the torch, Lan Ziyu climbed down the ladder into the Sanctuary.

"Mr. Lan Ziyu, may I come down and take a look?" Gao Yuan asked, his curiosity piqued, as he shouted down.

"Come down," Lan Tian shouted from below.

Gao Yuan climbed down the stairs and was surprised to find a hidden world down here; with a bed, bedding, water, and food, it was exactly the same as the room above.

Lan Tian took out a few cold steamed buns and said, "These are leftovers from this morning. Let's take them up and heat them up."

Gao Yuan was already starving by now. He took a bite and found the taste quite decent, so he said, "We aren't picky; having a bite to eat is enough. This place of yours is truly remarkable. I couldn't even tell from the outside just now."

Lan Tian laughed, "Xu Province has been plagued by war for years. Building this Sanctuary was a move of desperation, but it is hardly a long-term solution."

Gao Yuan nodded. He looked around the Sanctuary again and again, thinking to himself that if this were applied to the battlefield, it might have miraculous effects. He would have to inform his general about it later.