After returning to Bian Prefecture, Zhu Youning first paid an audience to Zhu Wen and reported how Wang Shifan had been dealt with, along with the arrangements. ReadingМ
But Zhu Wen seemed utterly uninterested in the matter. He was wholly immersed in wine and women, and merely told Zhu Youning to bring him more of those potent aphrodisiac pills before dismissing him.
Zhu Youning said little in reply. He presented a bottle of Great Buddha Stick and obediently took his leave.
After leaving the imperial palace, Zhu Youning did not return to his residence right away. Instead, he took Wu Yi to visit the families of the fallen soldiers, offering his condolences at every door.
This was an age when human life was worth next to nothing.
Whether they were generals, nobles, or wandering heroes, no one paid much heed to the lives of ordinary people. For instance, some chivalrous fighters who claimed to be loyal subjects of the Tang Dynasty killed Liang Soldiers without batting an eye. They fancied themselves champions of righteousness, never realizing that everyone was cut from the same cloth.
They said the Liang Soldiers were abetting a tyrant and were traitors to the Tang Dynasty. But if they could have lived well, who would have chosen to become a rebel?
At that thought, Zhu Youning was reminded of a scene from a television drama he had watched in his previous life: driven to desperation, the common people were forced into rebellion. Zhu Yuanzhang asked one of them why he had not reported it to the authorities, and the man retorted by asking Zhu Yuanzhang why he had not reported his own rebellion.
If reporting it to the authorities worked, who would rebel?
The people under the Tang Dynasty had no good days, sometimes no days left to live at all. Their lives were no more than blades of grass, and so the Tang Dynasty fell.
Of course, the people of Liang State were not exactly living in bliss either, but at least they could still survive.
The past was a lesson for the future.
Zhu Youning felt that if he wanted to keep Great Liang stable, the first thing he had to win was the people's hearts. But for now, that was not his place to meddle in; doing so would be overstepping. So he had to focus on winning the loyalty of the army first.
The reason Zhu Youning went from house to house to comfort the families of the dead and wounded was that he wanted his men to willingly give their lives for him.
By the time Zhu Youning had finished arranging condolences and compensation for the dead and wounded soldiers, two days had passed.
During that time, Zhu Youning had not even returned to his own residence. He spent his nights in the military camp, leaving the Longxiang Army soldiers both astonished and deeply moved.
As soon as he returned to his residence, Zhu Youning sent people to buy tonic medicines from pharmacies in the major cities. He himself resolved to focus on his cultivation and gradually familiarize himself with his martial arts.
But it was obvious that Zhu Youning could not settle his mind at all.
Two beautiful, dewy-eyed women were still in his residence, after all.
Miaocheng Tian and Xuanjing Tian!
He had actually forgotten about those two!
Zhu Youning slapped his forehead.
The two were among the Nine Heavens Holy Concubines of Huan Yin Workshop, and they had returned to Bian Prefecture with the army. They had now become Zhu Youning's personal maids, though not of their own free will.
So Zhu Youning summoned Miaocheng Tian and Xuanjing Tian to his room.
"My lord, what would you have this servant do?"
Zhu Youning glanced at them. Half-sitting, half-reclining in his chair, he said, "Come over and rub my shoulders and knead my legs."
Zhu Youning had indeed been exhausted these past two days. It was only reasonable to relax a little.
But he was doing this more to test Xuanjing Tian and Miaocheng Tian.
Xuanjing Tian and Miaocheng Tian exchanged a furtive glance, then walked over to Zhu Youning and gently kneaded his shoulders and legs with their soft, boneless hands.
Zhu Youning closed his eyes and rested, thoroughly enjoying this decadent, corrupt service.
Truthfully, Zhu Youning was no longer worried that Xuanjing Tian and Miaocheng Tian would attack him by surprise.
Over the past twelve days, he had already converted all the massive inner force he had absorbed from Li Cunxiao into Northern Dark True Qi.
Zhu Youning was now a bona fide Great Heavenly Rank expert!
And with the Northern Dark Divine Art, he also had Northern Dark True Qi automatically protecting his body.
If someone struck Zhu Youning with a palm or fist filled with inner force, his Northern Dark True Qi would pursue them like a vengeful ghost, following the attacker's meridians all the way to their dantian and draining every last bit of their inner force.
In other words, if Xuanjing Tian or Miaocheng Tian harbored ill intent and dared to attack him by surprise, all their power would be devoured by Zhu Youning.
But after observing them for so long, Zhu Youning had realized that the two did not seem to intend to harm him.
Several times, he had deliberately left himself open, even closing his eyes, yet they had never seized the chance to attack. They had simply devoted themselves to rubbing his shoulders and pounding his thighs.
What exactly were these two planning?
Zhu Youning gazed at Miaocheng Tian, who was pounding his legs, pondering the question.
"My lord, is something wrong? Does the pressure feel comfortable?"
"The pressure's fine." Zhu Youning gave his honest assessment, then shook his head. "But your position isn't right."
"What's wrong with my position?" Miaocheng Tian asked, puzzled.
"Kneeling like that is bad for your knees. You should lie on your side instead."
"Thank you for your concern, my lord." Miaocheng Tian lowered her head in feigned embarrassment, but a flash of anger crossed her eyes.
She had been kneeling to pound Zhu Youning's legs. If she lay on her side, her fair, crystalline thighs would be on full display.
Zhu Youning was a lecher through and through!
Though Miaocheng Tian privately cursed him, she did not dare do anything to Zhu Youning, mindful of the Empress's orders. She could only follow his request, lie on her side, and continue pounding his legs.
That only made Zhu Youning more curious.
Miaocheng Tian was one of Huan Yin Workshop's Nine Heavens Holy Concubines. Why was she so obedient to him?
After thinking it over, Zhu Youning formed a vague suspicion.
If he was not mistaken, Miaocheng Tian and Xuanjing Tian intended to go undercover at his side and use the opportunity to steal secrets from Liang State.
As Prince An of Liang State and one of its de facto rulers, he had access to numerous military and political secrets.
And those were exactly what Qi State wanted.
But if they wanted to get secrets from Zhu Youning, they would have to pay a price.
And what that price was—that was for Zhu Youning to decide, wasn't it?
Just as Zhu Youning was about to make his move, Wu Yi came in from outside to request an audience.
"Marshal, I've sent men galloping to Xu, Wei, Huai, Cao, Ru, Meng, and Song Prefectures to buy medicine. They should begin returning to Bian Prefecture in about half a month."
"Very good. You may leave." Zhu Youning deliberately put on an impatient air, not even glancing at Wu Yi as he waved him away.
Wu Yi showed no reaction. He cupped his fists and left.
Only after Wu Yi had gone did Miaocheng Tian ask softly, "My lord, may I ask what kind of medicine you're buying?"
Zhu Youning opened his eyes and glanced at Miaocheng Tian, who was pounding his legs. "Why? What do you want to know for?"
Miaocheng Tian had a sudden inspiration. "Ever since I was young, it's been my wish to heal the sick and save lives. That's why I've always been interested in medicine."
"I never knew Miao'er had such a benevolent heart."
Zhu Youning looked Miaocheng Tian up and down, then suddenly pulled her into his arms.
Miaocheng Tian had not expected him to do that. By the time she reacted, Zhu Youning had already drawn her into his embrace.
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