"Good, good, good! Gongyu, oh, Gongyu, you truly are my Zhang Liang! How did that saying go again?"
Kong Changyu bowed and prompted him. "Devise strategies within the command tent, decide victory a thousand miles away."
"Yes, yes, that was it. With Gongyu at my side, I need have no worries!"
The Prince of Badong felt he had handled things poorly last time. Scolding Li Jingxuan was not the problem; rather, since Wang Yang's death was already a foregone conclusion, he should not have needlessly alienated a subordinate over an outsider doomed to die, especially at such a critical juncture. Li Jingxuan could be irritating at times, but his talent was beyond question. If the prince intended to rely on him, he ought to offer reassurance at the right moments, lest resentment take root.
Thus, the Prince of Badong had lavished praise on Li Jingxuan that day. Ordinarily, after receiving such compliments from the Prince, Li Jingxuan should have responded with either a few modest words or a declaration of loyalty. Yet he seemed to have heard nothing at all. He merely stared at the sand table, showing no intention of answering.
Kong Changyu tugged at Li Jingxuan's sleeve. Only then did Li Jingxuan seem to wake with a start and apologize to the Prince of Badong.
The Prince of Badong smiled. "What were you thinking about?"
Li Jingxuan focused his gaze. "I was thinking that this death trap I have devised is not without its flaws."
Kong Changyu glanced at Li Jingxuan.
The Prince of Badong asked curiously, "Oh? Where is the flaw?"
Li Jingxuan pressed his index finger against the blue silk ribbon, his fingertip sinking slightly into it. "Here, at the Ju River."
The Prince of Badong froze for a moment, then chuckled.
"Aren't you overthinking it?