inspire-indiana Chapter 19 Your behavior and speech are really unlike that of an 89-year-old child.
Chapter 19 Your behavior and speech are really unlike that of an 89-year-old child.
Lunch was simple yet heartwarming.
A plate of stir-fried seasonal vegetables, a bowl of tofu soup, a pot of brown rice, plus a small plate of cured meat brought by Zhang Yuan.
Chen Wenyuan ate without speaking, while Chen Yurong carefully served Zhang Yuan the dishes.
In the soft whispers, Zhang Yuan felt a warmth akin to "home" for the first time in this strange world.
He ate silently, and the tension in his heart, which had been constantly taut due to his thirst for power, gradually eased a little.
The afternoon's lesson was an introduction to military strategy.
Chen Wenyuan unfolded a simple "Geophysical Map of the Nine Provinces," pointed to the mountains and passes, and explained the basics of troop deployment, grain transport, and the art of offense and defense.
When discussing the concept of "warfare is based on deception," emphasizing the need for a balance between the orthodox and the unorthodox, and the combination of the real and the unreal, Zhang Yuan naturally recalled the essence of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, such as "feinting to the east while attacking the west" and "secretly crossing the Chencang pass."
Based on the terrain on the map, he tried to say, "Teacher, if the enemy is holding a fortified city with ample supplies, a direct attack would only result in heavy casualties. It would be better to send a small elite force to flank them from the rear, burn their supplies, and cut off their water supply."
"The main force would feign exhaustion and relaxation, showing weakness to the enemy, luring them out of the city to pursue, and then ambush and annihilate them at a strategic location? This could perhaps be called... waiting in comfort for the enemy to tire themselves out, and attacking when they are forced to defend?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Wenyuan stared at the map, his finger tracing the lines between several passes, his eyes flashing with a sharp light!
Although Zhang Yuan's insights were immature, they combined "deceptive tactics" with the use of terrain, demonstrating clear thinking and a clever approach. They almost touched on the essence of the "siege and reinforcement" and "bait tactics" that he planned to teach later!
This is no longer a simple application of knowledge to other situations, but rather an almost innate military intuition!
"Excellent! What a brilliant 'wait and see' strategy!" Chen Wenyuan finally couldn't help but clap his hands in praise, his gaze towards Zhang Yuan filled with undisguised admiration and joy. "Qingyang, you truly possess extraordinary talent in military strategy! This approach perfectly aligns with the principles of military deception! Given time, you will surely achieve great things!"
He immediately used this as an example to conduct an in-depth analysis, explaining the intelligence, timing, and execution details involved one by one. Zhang Yuan benefited greatly from the lesson.
As the sun began to set, Zhang Yuan respectfully took his leave.
Chen Wenyuan not only didn't take back the set of writing materials from that morning, but also gave him two new pens, a ream of good paper, and several volumes of basic sutra manuscripts.
They also assigned the task of copying the first chapter of "On Learning" and reflecting on "What is meant by being cautious in solitude".
Zhang Yuan carried books and stationery out of the study, and Chen Yurong saw him off to the courtyard gate.
Watching the boy's slender yet upright figure disappear into the alley, she returned to her father's side and whispered, "Father, I have never seen you so... so happy for your student. Qingyang is truly a prodigy."
Chen Wenyuan stood with his hands behind his back under the corridor, the twilight casting a golden glow on his lean figure.
He gazed in the direction Zhang Yuan had left, his deep eyes gleaming with a mixture of relief, anticipation, and an indescribable complexity.
He nodded slightly, his voice low, as if speaking to himself, yet also as if answering his daughter:
"This child is indeed a gem, his intelligence, comprehension, and temperament far surpass his age. Given time, his achievements will be limitless. I have been carefully nurturing him, partly out of a desire to cherish his talent and out of respect for an old friend, but also... I have my own selfish motives."
He paused, his gaze drifting to the distant horizon where shadowy mountains seemed to rise one after another: "Fengming County is too small, and the chessboard of Dayu is too chaotic."
"I only hope that one day, when he has grown strong enough to reach greater heights, he will remember the bond between teacher and student we share today and help me..."
He didn't say anything more, letting out a barely audible sigh that disappeared into the deep twilight.
The oxcart creaked as it carried Zhang Yuan, laden with a bountiful harvest, back to the Zhang family's old house in the fading light of dusk.
From afar, a short, stout figure could be seen pacing anxiously in front of the mansion gate; it was Wang Quanfu.
Upon seeing the oxcart, Wang Quanfu's face instantly lit up with an exaggerated, seemingly heartfelt smile of surprise. He jogged over to greet it, wiping non-existent sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.
"Oh, my good nephew! You're finally back! I've been waiting for you!" His voice was loud, with a hint of deliberate panting. "I've been running around like crazy for your important cultivation matter."
"We begged and pleaded, searching every pharmacy, big and small, in Fengming, Linxian, and Hejian counties, as well as those seasoned pharmacists who had traveled all over the country!"
As he spoke, he took a small, foot-long sandalwood box from his servant behind him, which emitted a faint, peculiar wood fragrance, and carefully presented it to Zhang Yuan, his face full of "Look how thoughtful your uncle is!"
"Persistence pays off! We've finally found a treasure that will greatly benefit your strengthening of muscles and bones and the growth of your vital energy—a 'blood-patterned ginseng' that has been cooked for a hundred years'!"
"It is said to originate from the mountain range on the edge of the Eastern Azure Wood Dynasty, the region among the 'Four Extreme Heavens,' where spiritual energy is most abundant. Its medicinal properties are mild yet potent, best nourishing the very essence!"
"Nephew, come and see!"
He carefully lifted a corner of the box lid, and a rich yet non-irritating medicinal fragrance with a hint of warmth immediately filled the air.
Inside the box, on a red silk lining, lay a ginseng root about the thickness of an infant's arm, dark red in color, with its surface covered with golden patterns like flames. It was plump and had gnarled roots, clearly an extraordinary product.
Zhang Yuan's gaze lingered on the golden flame pattern for a moment, then he suddenly seemed to remember something and looked up at Wang Quanfu.
His tone carried just the right amount of youthful curiosity: "Uncle, this ginseng is indeed extraordinary. However, I read about it in the book 'A Study of the Customs and Things of the Great Yu' taught by my teacher, Chen Wenyuan. It mentions that in ancient legends there were 'Four Extreme Heavens,' among which the place with the most abundant spiritual energy was called 'The Eastern Extreme Green Wood Dynasty.'"
"But the book also says that it's just an ancient legend. Now the world is in chaos, and only the Great Yu, Southern Zhao, and Northern Qi stand as the three powers. I wonder where this treasure from the 'Eastern Azure Wood Dynasty' came from, my cousin?"
The smile and smugness on Wang Quanfu's face froze instantly, as if he had been frozen in place, and the muscles on his chubby face twitched involuntarily.
His eyes flickered, and he subconsciously avoided Zhang Yuanqing's clear yet seemingly insightful gaze.
"Ahem, um, um..."
He coughed lightly, and fine beads of sweat seemed to seep from his forehead.
Zhang Yuan did not press further, nor did he show any sarcasm or dissatisfaction. He simply remained calm, gently closed the lid of the sandalwood box containing the blood-patterned ginseng, and steadily accepted it, saying, "Thank you for your trouble, Uncle."
After saying that, he turned around, carrying the wooden box, and walked deeper into the courtyard.
Wang Quanfu was taken aback for a moment, then quickly jogged to catch up, a smile returning to his face, but now tinged with embarrassment and eagerness: "Hey, hey, nephew! Look at your uncle's mouth, always spouting empty platitudes!"
"This ginseng... this ginseng is certainly not that legendary divine object. It comes from the ancient lands, ethereal and mysterious. Who can say for sure? Hehe..."
"But it truly is a rare and precious medicine! I spent a full ten taels of silver and went to great lengths to persuade an experienced old herbalist who had traveled all over the country to give it to me!"
"Ten taels! That's definitely some really good stuff that will be of great use to you!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuan stopped in his tracks, turned around, and looked at Zhang Gu behind him, his tone serious: "Master Gu, give ten taels of silver to my cousin. He has gone through a lot of trouble to find this medicine, we can't let him suffer a loss."
Zhang Gu quickly bowed and replied, "Yes, young master."
He turned to get the money.
"No! Absolutely not!" Wang Quanfu exclaimed as if he'd been burned, quickly reaching out to stop Zhang Gu, his face showing exaggerated panic and embarrassment. "My dear nephew! What are you doing? Are you trying to slap your uncle in the face?"
"Your uncle gave you some things because he cares about you and wants you to be well! Mentioning money is too formal! Too formal! If I accept this money, how can I ever show my face again? Take it back! Take it back!"
He waved his hands repeatedly as he spoke.
He spoke urgently, as if Zhang Yuan's offer to give him money meant he looked down on him.
Zhang Yuan looked at him, then didn't insist further, only nodding slightly: "In that case, thank you, Uncle."
Wang Quanfu breathed a sigh of relief, a smile plastered on his face, and followed Zhang Yuan into the courtyard. As they walked, he couldn't help but look Zhang Yuan up and down, clicking his tongue in amazement: "Nephew, it's not that your uncle is being nosy, but your behavior, your way of speaking... you really don't seem like an eight or nine-year-old child."
"In all my years of traveling around, I've seen many child prodigies, but someone like you... well, acting like a little adult, is a first. Even when I talk to you, it feels like I'm discussing something with an adult!"
These words pierced Zhang Yuan's heart like an ice needle, instantly putting him on alert.
He suddenly stopped and turned around.
Wang Quanfu wasn't paying attention and almost bumped into it.
The gentleness on the boy's face vanished instantly, replaced by a deep, weary grief.
A layer of mist quickly welled up in Zhang Yuan's clear eyes, and his voice trembled slightly.
"Uncle... if you were like me, losing your father who sheltered you and your brother who depended on you for survival overnight, being driven out of the familiar camp, and wandering alone in the outside world."
He took a deep breath, and even the sound of his breath trembled.
"I almost lost my life to bandits again, and barely managed to struggle back to this unfamiliar 'home'..."
"Uncle, you probably also feel that everyone around you, everything they say and do, is shrouded in a fog, hiding thoughts you can't understand, right? You probably also... dare not trust anyone, right?"
Zhang Yuan's voice wasn't loud, but every word struck Wang Quanfu's heart, instantly extinguishing his tentative curiosity.
Looking at Zhang Yuan's pale face, with its heavy and sorrowful expression so disproportionate to his age, he felt a pang in his heart and was at a loss for what to do.
Zhang Yuan's gaze was fixed on Wang Quanfu's evasive eyes, his voice carrying a barely perceptible vulnerability and a hint of questioning: "Uncle, tell me, can I trust you? Can I trust that you're doing this entirely for my own good, without any selfish motives?"
"That...that is! Of course! Of course!" Wang Quanfu felt uneasy when asked the question. His eyes darted around, and he dared not meet Zhang Yuan's gaze. He could only nod repeatedly, repeating the question in a dry voice.
He scratched his head subconsciously, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace, and sighed deeply, "Alas! It's just... it's just that my cousin's business is having a tough time right now, it's really... sigh!"