Chapter 140: Lost Chinu and also lost Afang

This feeling, this scene.

If you asked Du Shanü to describe it in two words, it would be 'awkward'.

If you asked Du Shanü to describe it in four words, it would be... 'Nine Supervisors Nine Aides'.

After that moment, even the usually sharp-tongued Chinu inexplicably averted his gaze, looking at the treetop vine leaves turning yellow in the courtyard, his ear tips reddened to the point of almost bleeding.

What a mess this is!

Last night he kept pestering her without any shame, but now he's suddenly embarrassed.

Du Shanü snorted inwardly, but fortunately her skin was thick enough; after just a few breaths, she launched her 'turn the tables' move:

"Great!!!"

"Afang, you usually look all refined and proper, yet you spend half the night awake eavesdropping at the wall corner, right?!"

Chen Weifang wouldn't take this black, shiny pot; startled for a breath, she then blackened her face and scolded:

"Nonsense!"

He thought he already regarded reputation as nothing, but how could he forget that there's still someone who, when the door was blocked on first meeting, climbed through the window...

Could this be something an ordinary person could do!

If only I had known, if only I had known...

If only I had known, no matter what I said earlier, I wouldn't have gotten on that thief's ship with her!

Now look at that—not even a single good day has passed, the prospect of the plan is still far off, and he even lost Chinu!

That's Chinu!

This life really can't be continued!

Seeing Chen Weifang about to fly into a rage out of embarrassment, Du Shanü instead relaxed and said with a smiling gaze:

"Afang, you're not still angry with me about yesterday's matter, are you?"

Yesterday's matter...

It's naturally the matter where yesterday Afang tried to get a title for Chinu but failed, and the two almost argued but didn't.

Saying 'I didn't know then' or 'I had no such intention' are all just excuses.

The truth is, Du Shanü really doesn't want to be husband and wife with Chinu.

Chinu is that kind of person—sinister, jealous; even if he occasionally shows a gentle, obedient appearance, it's hard to hide his innate wicked aura.

Someone like him wouldn't just stay by the fire, obediently waiting for her to come home.

So, she even more wants...

Even more wants to do with Chinu, under the name of ruler and minister, the acts of husband and wife, in a sorry state.

Young couples may not necessarily stay united in heart and virtue, but partners in crime, in their sorry state, will forever be bound together by profit and desire, lifetime after lifetime, hard to part.

Even being despised and hated will only ever be spoken of together by everyone.

What title? On the contrary, it's the least important thing.

If Afang minds this, then Du Shanü really can't do anything about it...

"Afang."

Beside Du Shanü, Chinu, as if sensing something, also called out.

Under the sleeves, their ten fingers intertwined, skin touching skin.

In his mouth, Chinu's brows and eyes were gentle and mild, looking as if he held a few measures of youthful expectation and innocence:

"You believe me, she's certainly not some heartless, unrighteous poor girl."

"She promised me that once she gains the world, we'll together govern the rivers and mountains..."

"I don't care! I just want to become her live-in husband!"

What nonsense!

What nonsense!

A few steps away, the formerly elegant and handsome elderly scholar was once again so angered he fell over backward:

"Whose rivers and mountains are we governing?"

"It couldn't be the one we fought for her, could it?"

Is that even considered hers!

Does this world really lack a master?

Chen Weifang hadn't even finished her morning meal, yet she was already full from anger.

His gaze fell on their tightly clasped hands; after a long while, he gradually eased the anger on his face and said softly:

"Where in the world is there any reason for a strategist to be angry with his lord?"

He didn't say whether he was angry or not, only that there's no such reason.

But that also counts as stepping back a bit.

Du Shanü went along with it, one hand still holding Chinu's as they walked slowly toward the study, and said:

"Did Afang manage to dig out those old land-surveying scrolls from yesterday?"

What the two did yesterday, when you boil it down, really just comes down to the word 'money'.

Doing business can indeed make money, but Du Shanü being rich and the government being rich doesn't mean the common folk are rich.

If the common folk aren't rich, they won't stay in the area.

Then how can we talk about resting and recuperating to build up our strength?

So after thinking it over, we still need to find a way for the common folk to find work.

And the simplest thing ordinary common folk can do is actually farming.

Although it's already deep autumn, this place being in the extreme south is still somewhat warmer than the north; even entering winter, there are still many things that can be sown.

If you want to grow grain, you can plant future wheat and black wheat.

If you want to grow beans, you can plant foreign bean and military bean.

If you want to press oil, you can plant yellow mustard and the like.

If you want vegetables, there's also bok choy and radish.

As long as you find the land survey records from previous years, you can roughly know how many seeds to purchase, how to set up irrigation, and roughly what the harvest will be next spring...

These matters may seem trivial, but they are all measures to stabilize people's livelihoods; no room for carelessness.

Although Du Shanü is usually not serious, playing when she plays, laughing when she laughs, making a fuss when she makes a fuss, when faced with serious matters she has never been the slightest bit negligent.

Chen Weifang saw the seriousness in the person opposite's eyes, and that breath in her heart finally swallowed back down:

"Wise Lord, rest assured, the records have been found. Only a few days ago we just experienced a flood; we need to reassign people to inspect the siltation conditions and check whether it's still suitable for planting."

Du Shanü's heart eased a little, and she asked again:

"Cang Cheng side..."

Official affairs are complicated, so I can't help but ask more.

The three walked slowly to the study, and this time it was Chinu who spoke:

"Yesterday I opened the letter from Cang Cheng; Leitie, following the Wife Master's orders, has begun recruiting diligent and honest apprentices to try mass-producing the primordial military crossbow, but the apprentices' skills are crude, progress is slow, and there are no iron mines around Cang Cheng, so we can only use the city's stockpile... Now we can at most make one or two crossbows per day."

"Soon I'll send a letter to Cang Cheng, letting them follow Afang's example in implementing policies. If they copy and still make mistakes, then those people are not fit for heavy responsibility; dismissing them would be fine."

Chen Weifang, standing two steps away from the two, also nodded slightly upon hearing this, evidently agreeing.

Chinu and Chen Weifang have always been completely reliable.

Being too reliable, too capable, occasionally has a downside: it's inevitable to feel that others are not reliable.

Du Shanü nodded, considering this matter settled, then recalled something and asked:

"Has the party sent to scout Ju Cheng returned?"

Ju Cheng has always been on the front line of disaster; presumably it's also the most severely affected city.

Now that the water has receded, she is surely going to take over Ju Cheng again.

If I remember correctly, we sent people to scout two days ago, but we haven't received any report yet.

At that time they rode horses; from Ju Cheng to Dun Cheng is only a day!

This time, Chinu didn't answer, looking toward Chen Weifang.

Chen Weifang took two steps, then noticed the pair of clingy wild mandarin ducks staring at her, and instantly felt a bit annoyed:

"After the disaster, everywhere is ruined and muddy; delays are normal... I'll just pay attention."

This time, Du Shanü can be said to have finally put those seven or eight hearts that had risen to her throat back down into her belly.

She strode into the study, pulling Chinu to flop onto the arhat couch.

Ink fragrance at the side, a beauty in the embrace.

Du Shanü finally realized belatedly that she had lived half a life.

As for the remaining half of life...

She sighed:

"Ah, other matters are all said; finally we can talk about Ruansizong."

"What kind of person is he? Let's set that aside for now. I'll ask you one thing: can this person be killed? If not now... then when could he be killed?"

?? These three people, in a sense, also form a family of three...