Chapter 1190: A Matter of Time

After distributing the prizes to the winners, Chen Xi considered the matter resolved. He invited those who wanted to stay for a meal, while those who wished to leave were free to go.

Zhen Mi naturally stayed behind, while Wu Yuan left with Gan Ning, as he had claimed her to be his distant cousin, and naturally, he had to take care of her.

Wang Yi wanted to speak more since what she won was quite lucrative, but Chen Xi wasn’t in the mood, so she and Jiang Ying returned to the Fa family.

By the end, only a few people remained from the original group: Li Yuan, Jia Yun, Chen Shuang, and Zhen Mi. As for Cai Yan, she remained her usual calm self, offering a polite farewell before leaving with the last group.

After a quiet meal, Li You’s carriage arrived at Chen Xi's residence right on time, as was typical for him.

"Zi Chuan, I heard you were handing things out randomly again this morning," Li You said lazily from within the carriage. "I’ve already ordered the military supplies to be delivered to the camp on the western outskirts of the city."

"It wasn’t exactly random," Chen Xi shook his head. "Those weren’t important things. The important part was that I helped Zi Zhong solve a problem. As for the supplies, I’ll leave those to you."

"Mi Zhen may seem playful, but she’s actually quite perceptive. Aren’t you worried something might happen?" Li You chuckled. "Anyone who can manage the assets of one of the Five Great Merchants is far from ordinary."

"I’m not worried. At worst, my disciple will be toyed with for a bit," Chen Xi said nonchalantly, unaware that not long before, Lu Xun had been dragged to Mi Zhen’s house, thrown into a bathtub, and prepared for a thorough scrubbing.

Li You let out a cold laugh. Chen Xi didn’t pay attention to details, but Li You could guarantee that Mi Zhen was more than capable of pulling off something Lu Xun wouldn’t forget anytime soon. Since both the Lu and Mi families, as well as Lu Xun’s master, approved, the marriage was just a matter of time.

"Your disciple has a soft side. It’s very likely he’ll be wrapped around her finger. Especially since Mi Zhen is far more experienced in terms of age, maturity, and life experience. You know women mature faster than men," Li You warned, not wanting to see Chen Xi regret the situation later.

"Don’t worry. Bo Yan is smart," Chen Xi said, confident in his disciple.

Li You chuckled again but said nothing more. If Lu Xun had no interest in Mi Zhen, it might have been fine. But once he had thoughts about her, he was bound to be completely captivated. And unfortunately, Lu Xun was too clever to be indifferent.

Chen Xi and Li You traveled by carriage to the western military camp. Before they could approach, they were stopped by a patrol of Xiliang soldiers. The camp was now almost entirely populated by Xiliang troops. Even though it was the holiday season, many of them preferred not to stay with their relocated families in Ye City. They would deliver money home and then return to camp.

"Halt! Who goes there?" A knight on horseback rode up to block their carriage. "This is a restricted military area. Please keep your distance!"

Both Li You and Chen Xi poked their heads out of the carriage to look at the rider. The knight immediately recognized Li You and saluted him. "I see it is the military advisor. Please dismount, sir."

"And you are?" Li You asked, frowning. The Xiliang troops had this quirk—he had personally recruited many of them but still wasn’t sure how many knew him by face.

"I am Wang Liang!" the armored knight saluted formally, a surprising display of etiquette for someone of his rough background.

"Wang Liang, the one who defeated the Cold Qiang and captured their flag during the Sanfu campaign?" Li You asked after a moment of thought. Wang Liang was overjoyed to be recognized. "Yes, that’s me, sir!" His loyalty surged instantly, a clear advantage of being recognized.

"Lead the way," Li You ordered as he settled back into the carriage.

"I have a feeling the Xiliang soldiers might expose your identity one day," Chen Xi remarked, amused. He suspected that many of these soldiers knew Li You’s true identity.

"Some will know, but not many. Mostly the officers, and they won’t tell others," Li You said casually. By now, it didn’t matter much. As long as appearances were maintained, it would be fine. Even among Liu Bei’s close associates, many had already guessed his true identity.

"They may be tight-lipped, but their respect for you is real," Chen Xi pointed out, a little concerned. "Liu Bei might figure it out."

"And what if he does?" Li You glanced at Chen Xi. "At this point, the more Lord Xuande wants, the more talent he needs. As for me, I’m one of the best in the land. Getting rid of me would be pointless. Besides, I’ve just been given a layer of protection."

Li You sneered. By now, Liu Bei had no reason to get rid of him. With his capabilities, Li You could easily make up for any past mistakes. And after the recent manifestation of his virtuous image, it was clear that any stains on his past were more a matter of circumstance than intent.

Even if Liu Bei found out the truth, the worst that would happen is that Li You might admit to being Li Ru. But as a strategist, he was merely a tool in the hands of his lord. His actions in Luoyang were far more ruthless than they were now. He was playing the role of a virtuous strategist under Liu Bei, which only made his past mistakes seem like they were simply due to being under the wrong master.

In his spare time, Li You had even analyzed how Liu Bei might react if he discovered his past. Given Liu Bei’s character, ideals, and Li You’s current contributions, he was fairly certain he would be safe. At worst, he might be sidelined for a while.

But most likely, Liu Bei would pretend not to know, and the matter would only come up when either Liu Bei or Li You was near death. With Liu Bei’s ambition and determination to surpass the ancestors, he could handle this kind of issue.

"True, that makes sense," Chen Xi nodded. The manifestation of virtuous imagery had indeed given Li You a protective shield, making it much easier for him to deflect blame.

Upon reaching the camp, Chen Xi and Li You were briefly stopped for verification before being allowed inside. As they approached, they could hear the constant sounds of shouting and fighting within the camp.

"You’re quite good at military management," Chen Xi remarked, glancing at Li You.

"It’s simple," Li You replied with a cold smile. "All that matters is strict adherence to military orders. Everything else is irrelevant. As long as the soldiers understand and follow commands, it works. Just like how you use your personal seals to validate everything, ensuring the people trust the government. As long as the soldiers understand military orders, and follow them, that's all that's needed."

"Easier said than done," Chen Xi commented, rolling his eyes.

"It’s very simple. When training new recruits, teach them battlefield survival tactics as military orders. Then, regardless of whether they fully grasp it, send them into battle. If a tenth of them die, they’ll understand the importance of those orders by the next time they’re deployed," Li You said nonchalantly. "After that, everything becomes much easier."

Chen Xi was momentarily speechless. It turned out Li You had been quite ruthless in the past. Using life-and-death situations to drive home lessons was a brutal method. Even a man like Li You, who aimed to serve the common people, harbored a certain indifference toward individual lives. To him, it was likely seen as a necessary sacrifice.

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