Northern Liang's eastern military camp!
Hearing Wang Ziwen speak of his son, Lin Rusong's pupils contracted. He could hardly believe his ears. Was his son really that formidable?
[A tooth for a tooth, dealing a heavy blow to the Ran father and son.]
[Purifying toxic salt, earning ten thousand strings of cash a day.]
[Sharing the profits with the people, winning their hearts.]
[If you do not hold the office, do not meddle in its affairs!]
[He who would wear the crown must bear its weight!]
Taken together, these were definitely not things his good-for-nothing son could have accomplished, leaving him unable to make sense of it.
The Ran Clan had deep roots in Northern Liang City, yet his son had actually dared to send men against them, even leaving Ran Zijin unconscious. He truly had the courage to defy the heavens.
And then the boy had somehow learned to make salt, earning ten thousand strings of cash a day. Wasn't that a little too outrageous?
He couldn't help looking at his old partner Wang Ziwen. "Wang Half-City," he said gravely, "you aren't telling me stories, are you? Is my son really that formidable?"
"Haha, the heir's transformation took me by surprise as well. But I think that saying, 'If you do not hold the office, do not meddle in its affairs,' might explain it," Wang Ziwen said with a smile.
To be honest, he also found it somewhat absurd. He had even wondered whether someone had swapped the heir for another person.
After investigating, however, he had come to a conclusion. The problem wasn't with the heir, but with everyone else from the very beginning. They simply hadn't seen the heir's strengths.
"Hahaha, that makes sense!"
Lin Rusong burst out laughing. Though Wang Half-City hadn't answered him directly, he had given him an answer.
That raised a question!
He looked at Wang Ziwen and said gravely, "Wang Half-City, since my son has gone to Xiliang Commandery, why aren't you holding the fort in Northern Liang City? What did you come all the way here for?"
"Hmph. If your son hadn't asked me to bring you something, I wouldn't have come here at all!"
Wang Ziwen spoke irritably.
He and Lin Rusong had known each other for nearly twenty years and were as close as brothers, so they naturally understood each other.
Lin Rusong wasn't angry at all. That shameless bastard was probably feeling smug right now and wanted to show off his son.
My son sent me something?
Lin Rusong's eyes lit up. His son had actually sent him a gift. He wondered what it was, for the chief steward to deliver it in person.
Smack!
Wang Ziwen tossed a box down in front of Lin Rusong and said irritably, "This is a gift from the heir. He told you to take care of your health!"
"What is it?"
Lin Rusong froze for a moment and picked up the box without thinking. When he opened it, his pupils contracted. "Good heavens," he cried, "this ginseng must be five hundred years old!"
Heavens, my son gave me this?
For some reason, he suddenly felt like crying. His son had finally grown up.
He was just about to show off when he saw Wang Ziwen pull another box from his robes. "I forgot to tell you," Wang Ziwen said in a drawn-out voice. "The heir gave me one too!"
Pfft!
Lin Rusong's expression went through a series of changes. This fellow had planned it all along.
His son was far too extravagant. He had actually produced two five-hundred-year-old ginseng roots. The boy had really kept himself hidden too well.
But if it were only a ginseng root, there should have been no need for the chief steward to come in person. There had to be something else.
Ahem!
Wang Ziwen glanced around and coughed lightly twice, as if nothing were amiss.
"Leave us. I have some matters to discuss with the chief steward," Lin Rusong said. He understood immediately and sent his subordinates away.
Wang Ziwen took a book from his robes and handed it to Lin Rusong. "According to the heir, this is a peerless book on military strategy. It's even said that whoever obtains it can win the world. The heir was worried about you, so he asked me to give it to you."
At that, even he felt a little envious. Why wasn't Lin Yi his son?
What?
Lin Rusong's pupils contracted as he stared in shock at the book in his hands. It was actually a book on military strategy, and one that could supposedly let its owner win the world. Wasn't that terrifying?
The Legacy of Wumu!
He couldn't wait to leaf through it. Only after a long while did he raise his head and exclaim, "What a book The Legacy of Wumu is! Yue Wumu was truly a god among men. With this book of military strategy, the Northern Region barbarians will probably be in tears!"
The strategies recorded in it were profound enough, but it also contained tactics specifically devised against cavalry. They could be said to completely counter mounted troops.
With it, they could overcome every obstacle in their battles against the Northern Region barbarians.
His own grasp of military strategy had already been extremely profound. After reading the book, he had brought everything together into a coherent whole. He felt that many problems had readily fallen into place, and his entire being had reached a higher level.
"That formidable?" Wang Ziwen was taken aback. He had refrained from reading it to avoid suspicion, and he hadn't expected the prince to praise it so highly. That really was something.
At that moment, he thought of the heir, Lin Yi.
By giving The Legacy of Wumu to the prince, he would surely make the prince even more formidable. It seemed father and son truly cared deeply for each other.
Lin Rusong nodded and handed the book to Wang Ziwen with a smile. "Since Yi'er asked you to give it to me, he must trust you, you old fellow. Take a good look at it. But this book really must not be passed around. Otherwise, it would be very disadvantageous to Northern Liang as well."
As ill luck would have it, Northern Liang's forces also consisted mostly of cavalry.
Though they were not the same as the Northern Region barbarians, they would still suffer heavy losses if someone seized the chance to counter them.
Wang Ziwen didn't stand on ceremony and began studying it closely.
After a long while, he couldn't help sighing. "If we had seen such a divine book sooner, Northern Liang wouldn't have suffered such heavy losses back then. Several of the tactics recorded here are enough to strike fear into the hearts of the Northern Region barbarians."
"But it's not too late even now. At least, with this book, Northern Liang can suppress the Northern Region barbarians for thousands upon thousands of years to come."
The Prince of Northern Liang was beside himself with excitement, and his voice trembled as he spoke.
Once such an army was built, it would be the barbarians' bane. Then it would be enough to suppress them, avenge his princess consort, and avenge the people of Northern Liang who had died unjustly.
Wang Ziwen took a deep breath and said gravely, "It seems the heir truly is chosen by destiny. Otherwise, such a divine book would never have fallen into his hands. This is the heir's destiny!"
"Perhaps so. I've already sent a memorial to Li Anlan and secured Yi'er's position as commandery governor. I also took the opportunity to ask Li Anlan for the portion controlled by Great Ning, but the emperor has already refused."
Lin Ruci laughed it off as he spoke.
Hearing this, Wang Ziwen's mouth twitched. "Hahaha," he said irritably, "that's Great Ning's gateway! Li Anlan is already wary of you, Your Highness. Why would he hand that entrance over to you as well? Your Highness, you really opened a lion's jaws with that demand."
That place was so important that Great Ning had fought the Northern Region barbarians fiercely for years over it. How could it possibly give it up so easily? The prince had really put the emperor in a difficult spot this time.
"Haha, even if I didn't make things difficult for him, he'd still be wary of me. I gave him two choices to give him a way to save face. If he wouldn't give me the territory, then he had to make my son's position as commandery governor official. I, the Prince of Northern Liang, need to save face too."
Lin Rusong wore a sly expression as he spoke.
Even if the emperor was wary of him, he wouldn't dare go too far in targeting him openly, unless he wanted to throw the world into chaos.
Rejecting one request was one thing, but if he refused both, neither side would look good.