When the old man went to Jiang Ji Antique Soup, Jiang Yanyi happened to receive news that the young owner of the noodle shop was willing to discuss the transfer of the shop with her, so she went out with Yang Xiu.

Upon learning that his sister had gone out to negotiate business, Chu Yangu worried that there would be no one to oversee the accounts, so he asked Chu Zhong to move to the counter in the front shop, while Chu Zhong took Yang Xiu’s place as a waiter inside the main hall.

An ox cart belonging to the old man came out from Fengfu and stopped at the shop’s entrance.

He sat on the cart, hands hidden in his sleeves, and called out, “Is the owner in? The wine I ordered has arrived!”

Chu Yangu peeked outside and saw that the driver was a white-haired old man.

Unaware of Jiang Yanyi’s wine purchase, he said, “My sister is out on business; please come inside and have a seat, warm yourself by the fire.”

He then turned to instruct Chu Zhong to move the wine jars from the ox cart into the courtyard, planning to settle the payment for the wine after Jiang Yanyi returned and inspected the goods.

After winter set in, Jiang Yanyi had hung a bamboo curtain at the shop entrance to block the wind.

Once inside, every table had a charcoal brazier underneath, filling the air with warmth.

It was still early, and the shop didn’t have many customers yet.

Upon entering, the old man felt the warm air rush toward him and sighed comfortably.

He was raggedly dressed, but the staff in the shop didn’t show any signs of disdain.

Instead, they offered him hot tea and invited him to warm himself by the large stove in the kitchen.

The old man developed a favorable impression of the shop.

As he scanned the shop’s decor, he noticed a piece of poetry by Feng Shuo and couldn’t help but shake his head and smile.

His gaze lingered on the young man seated behind the counter for a few seconds, but when he saw the book in the young man’s hands, his expression immediately grew serious.

What Chu Yangui held was indeed The Six Secret Teachings: Annotation by Mu Zi.

Years ago, the son of the Martial Marquis, Mu Xuanqing, had outstanding military strategy skills, and his annotations of The Six Secret Teachings were highly regarded by many strategists.

After the Mu family was implicated, major bookstores feared being caught in the fire and burned all copies of the works authored by Mu Xuanqing.

Those that remained were hidden away, so this was the first time in years he had seen someone studying the books left by that old friend.

The old man casually asked, “What book is the young man reading?”

Chu Yangui noticed that although the old man was elderly, his eyes were bright, and his demeanor seemed exceptional, making him somewhat suspicious of the old man’s identity.

Next to him was a bamboo basket filled with various poetry collections, which could conveniently hide the forbidden book he held.

Chu Yangui did not reveal any signs of panic and simply replied, “Just some light reading to pass the time.”

His doctor had said that he would never be able to stand again, and his official career was over.

Chu Yangu had thought that if he wanted to make a name for himself, he could only become a subordinate aide to others.

However, Mu Xuanqing’s annotations of The Six Secret Teachings were considered essential by all strategists.

Previously, he had been spoiled by Madam Jiang, and Minister Jiang rarely inquired about his studies.

In the academy, he had mingled with the idle sons of wealthy families, and his knowledge was pitifully limited.

Writing an essay was like pulling teeth, and most of the time, he had to ask the family’s book boy to write for him.

Now, it was impossible for him to become talented overnight, and he struggled even with this military book compilation.

Still, he forced himself to read it every day.

Whenever he encountered something he didn’t understand, he would ask the old scholar, who could provide literal explanations, while Chu Zhong, Yang Xiu, and others who had served in the military could describe some concepts that both he and the old scholar didn’t know in vivid detail.

Thus, while the military book compilation was tedious, he gradually began to understand it.

Seeing Chu Yangui’s serious expression, the old man felt a measure of admiration for him.

Although he no longer served others and was hiding away selling wine, he still kept up with news from the outside.

The Chu family had left the capital, and the emperor was furious.

Now the Chu family had settled in Xizhou, and the owner of the antique soup shop was a young girl with the surname Jiang.

The old man quickly guessed Chu Yangu’s identity, as the young man bore a resemblance to that girl.

He asked, “In the battle of Huaixi years ago, when the Marquis of Huaian fled in the face of battle, the son of the Martial Marquis tied brooms to the tails of livestock to buy time for the people of Huaixi to evacuate, leading two thousand personal guards to confront the enemy.

From a distance, the enemy mistook them for an elite force, and the ensuing dust clouds gave the illusion of a cavalry of tens of thousands, ultimately leading to the enemy retreating without a fight. Was this plan brilliant?”

This was a famous battle that made Mu Xuanqing well-known in his youth, and many military strategists regarded this tactic as a classic example.

Although Chu Yangu had previously been ignorant, the capital was small enough that he had certainly heard about the heroic exploits of the young son of the Martial Marquis.

In the annotations of this military book, Mu Xuanqing had cited many historical battles from both the current and previous dynasties as examples.

The battle the old man mentioned was among them.

Chu Yangui didn’t know why the old man suddenly asked about this, but looking into his sharp, aged eyes, he felt compelled to share his true thoughts: “It was indeed brilliant, but I think it was somewhat risky. If the enemy general had been more aggressive, this battle would have certainly ended in defeat.”

The old man slowly probed him, “Then what do you think should have been done in that battle?”

Chu Yangu found it difficult to look away, as if his heart and soul were captured by the old man’s sharp gaze. “Block the main road at Huaixi, lure the enemy across the river, and then open the river to flood them.”

The old man’s gaze became sharp and severe: “Would the enemy not be drowned in the flood, and what about the farmland and houses in Huaixi?”

Even though he knew the old man’s reprimand seemed unfounded, Chu Yangu still felt an inexplicable shock, as if a thunderclap had exploded in his ears, leaving him shaken to the core.

Facing the old man’s penetrating gaze, Chu Yangu’s expression turned wary yet stubborn.

Just then, Chu Zhong finished moving the wine jars and noticed the subtle tension between the old man and the young man at the counter.

He stepped forward and said, “Old sir, why don’t you go inside to warm yourself by the fire?”

The old man’s air of authority vanished without a trace, and he instantly transformed back into the kind-hearted, gluttonous wine seller he had been.

He turned to Chu Zhong and said, “Make me a lamb hot pot; after warming up by the fire, I want something comforting to eat.”

The old man went to the back courtyard, and only then did Chu Yan Gui’s hands, which had been resting on the counter, tremble slightly.

He secretly placed the military book under the counter.

After revealing the answer, the old man’s gaze filled him with an inexplicable fear, even greater than when he had been caught skipping school by his teacher years ago.

He couldn’t help but wonder, was this really just an ordinary wine seller?

Before Chu Yangui could think further, Chi Qing entered the shop.

Chu Yangui didn’t recognize him, but Chu Zhong did.

Noticing Chu Zhong’s respectful demeanor towards Chi Qing, Chu Yangui quietly asked, “Who was that young gentleman who just came in?”

Chu Zhong lowered his voice and whispered, “He’s the strategist under the Prince of Liao Nan.”

A favored figure of the Prince of Liao Nan was someone everyone in the entire Xizhou would try to curry favor with.

Chu Yangui nodded subtly, pretending to casually pick up a poetry collection from a nearby basket.

Before long, the old man returned from the courtyard, animatedly sitting at a table with Chi Qing to eat lamb hotpot and ordered several signature dishes from Chef Yao.

Chu Yan Gui remained calm at the counter, but inside, a storm was raging.

Did the old man and Chi Qing know each other?

Rumors had circulated that the emperor was at odds with the Prince of Liao Nan, but since the king hadn’t acted against the court yet, if these two decided to make a move, it could bring trouble to his sister.

For a moment, Chu Yangui regretted his earlier decision.

How could he have known that the old man would immediately see what book he was reading?

While he was feeling anxious, the old man and Chi Qing were happily eating lamb soup together.

The old man asked Chi Qing, “What do you think of that young lad at the entrance?”

Chi Qing picked up a slice of lamb and put it in his mouth. “He’s quite handsome, but he falls short compared to the young master.”

The old man continued, “During the Battle of Huai Creek, he suggested using the waters of Huai Creek to attack the enemy.”

Chi Qing paused, turning to glance at Chu Yan Gui just as the latter was looking over as well.

Their eyes met briefly before both quickly turned away.

Casually pushing around the fish soup on his plate, Chi Qing commented, “His approach is rather fierce.”

In the military, there’s an unwritten rule that if a problem can be solved through gentler means, they would avoid extreme measures.

Historically, there had been instances of cities being massacred in war, which were condemned by later generations, so current military doctrine emphasized “benevolent warfare.”

In the past, during the Battle of Huai Creek, Mu Xuanqing and the Marquis of Huai’an suppressed rebels, and even when the rebels were attacking and seizing land, they aimed to win the hearts of the people by claiming that they wouldn’t harm the citizens once the city was taken.

If the defending soldiers obstructed their advance and harmed the citizens’ interests, they would naturally lose the people’s support.

Chu Yan Gui’s method could defeat the enemy, but the people would resent it.

Even if they won, they would leave behind a mess to clean up.

Feng Shuo had gained a reputation for being ruthless in battle because he often resorted to extreme measures.

The old man looked at Chi Qing, a hint of melancholy in his eyes. “When your brother left, you were about his age.”

Chi Qing picked up a bowl of soup and sipped from it.

Perhaps it was too hot, as he grimaced, but his eyes had a hint of redness. “If my brother had been a bit more ruthless, he wouldn’t have met such an end.”

The son of the Wu Hou family, Mu Xuanqing, had always been the epitome of elegance.

He was the ideal match for many noble ladies in the capital.

In his final battle, it was precisely because he was too benevolent and honorable that he fell into someone else’s trap, almost taking Feng Shuo down with him.

Hearing the old man speak, Chi Qing guessed that Feng Shuo must have told him something. “If you want to take a disciple, just do it. Why are you bothering me? I won’t go behind your back and make things difficult for him.”

The old man replied, “I heard he hasn’t even finished reading the Four Books. Naturally, you’ll need to guide him in the beginning.”

Chi Qing nearly choked on a piece of meat, glaring at the old man. “You take on this task, don’t push it onto me.”

As he drank tea, the old man casually remarked, “The girl from the Xie family sent another letter.”

“Spit—!”

Chi Qing sprayed most of his tea out, coughing heavily as he wiped his face with a handkerchief. “I can teach him, but don’t reply to her in the capital.”

Chu Yan Gui didn’t understand what the two were discussing, but he noticed them glancing his way from time to time, causing a sense of unease within him.

If they really intended to make things difficult for his sister, he had Chu Zhong and Bing Shao in the shop, both of whom were quite capable.

They could handle the situation, but figuring out how to deal with the aftermath was beyond Chu Yan Gui’s current abilities.

He couldn’t think of a solution at the moment.