Su Ziji pondered for a long while, then smiled. "Mr. Wen, what you've said makes quite a bit of sense. Draft a detailed plan for me."
This was exactly what Wen Xunpeng had been waiting for. He immediately bowed. "Yes!"
Seeing that Prince Dai had nothing further to say, he respectfully withdrew.
Once he left the wooden tower, he felt utterly refreshed, as if cool air were seeping from every pore. In the summer heat, it was like downing a great bowl of iced drink.
After this period of contact, Wen Xunpeng had come to approve of Prince Dai more and more. He felt this was a rare enlightened lord, and only by following him could he fulfill the aspirations burning in his heart. Now that he had finally weathered the bitter days and earned his trust, gaining the chance to take part in such great matters, joy naturally filled his heart.
Up in the wooden tower, Su Ziji watched the man depart through the window. He then returned to the desk, poured a little water onto the inkstone, and slowly ground the ink stick, stroke by stroke. Gradually, a chill appeared in his expression.
"War fears nothing more than passivity. If there had originally been relatively fair rules, I could have fought for my place within them. But regrettably, from the looks of it, the player moving the pieces has long since favored one side."
"No matter how well this chess piece moves, I fear it cannot truly contend for the dragon throne."
"Enough. Raise an army for a thousand days, use it for a single moment. It is time to summon Zeng Nianzhen back."
As the ink grew darker, Su Ziji finished murmuring to himself and hesitated no longer. Once his mind had settled, he lifted his brush,