Chapter 254: Fifty steps laugh at a hundred steps

Damn it!

I'm usually quite nimble, but today I can't even jump down from a ballista cart...

This isn't embarrassing in front of my good slave, is it?

Du Shanü eased the discomfort in her body, shook her head, and said:

"I rushed out without breakfast to see the ballista cart, ran a few steps and felt uneasy... I'll be fine after eating something back home."

Chinu looked Wife Master up and down several times, their expression growing stranger.

The two walked a few steps home with linked hands, then Chinu lowered their voice and said:

"Was it because last night's fun device was too...?"

Du Shanü finally recovered, then punched Chinu three times:

"Say less!"

That's probably what it means.

Chinu, though struck, didn't dodge but let out a few muffled laughs, then hooked Du Shanü's palm again.

After the old year's belated return, autumn kills, winter kills.

Morning breeds hatred, evening breeds hatred.

The heavens and earth drift, about to die; only a hint of spring remains.

Chinu's stunning looks have long bored Du Shanü.

But whenever I see Chinu smile, I can't help wanting to smile too.

Du Shanü curled her lips and asked:

"What's the good slave laughing at?"

Chinu laughed for a while, then stated:

"Wife Master struck A Nu...... A Nu hates you."

Chinu is always like this, Chinu is always like this.

Every three sentences a grievance, every five sentences a hatred.

But you can always tell what he actually wants to say.

Du Shanü gave a few instructions to the guards watching the equipment, then took Chinu's hand and walked slowly home, all the while putting on a pretentious sigh:

"There's nothing to be done, as the saying goes, 'beatings are kisses, scoldings are love'; even at seventy or eighty I couldn't help wanting to kiss my slave...... so hate me as you like."

Chinu immediately let out a series of hums to express the depth of their hatred.

As they stood close, each hum from Chinu made Du Shanü's ear itch a bit more.

Finally, unable to stand the itch, Du Shanü grabbed the person's hand beside her, forced them to lower their posture, then opened her mouth to bite Chinu's ear:

"I can't take it, I can't take it—I never said I'd hate you this much......"

"Come on, let your Wife Master hate you a few bites!"

Chinu still hadn't had enough hatred, and in public was bitten on the ear again, naturally unwilling.

Du Shanü tried to speak again, but he clapped his hands over his ears, holding back tears, and turned aside.

Du Shanü went to the other side to find him, but he fidgeted, wiping away invisible tears, and clung to Du Shanü's shoulder......

Then he came again to 'sneak attack' Du Shanü's ear tip.

They kept up this mutual 'sneak attack' all the way, and by the time they entered the Xian Xie gate, both their ears were covered in tooth marks.

It hurts, yet it doesn't.

But you can't bear to look truly a mess.

Du Shanü couldn't hold back any longer, and surrendered first:

"Good slave, forgive your Wife Master this once, and your Wife Master won't dare hate you again......"

"We're already home; when Afang sees us wasting away like this, he won't want to scold you, he'll definitely come scold me."

Although Afang is a worrisome old lady in private, when she scolds people she's still rather frightening.

If he finds out she's bullying Chinu......

"Afang certainly has no time."

Chinu, fuming, after being bitten several times, the ear tip was suffused with an unyielding blood-red, and the lips, teeth, cheeks, and neck were all a light red.

It hadn't been apparent outside, but after entering, he let out a voice, panting:

"Afang isn't skilled in military affairs; the task Wife Master gave him last time is enough to keep him busy and frazzled."

Du Shanü froze, then recalled the task she had set Afang to do a month or so earlier——

At that time, she had just obtained from Ouyang An the portrait scroll of the King of An Nan's household, and after thinking it over, she still decided to strike first......

Or rather, to startle the snake by beating the grass.

Since ancient times, the four words 'startle the snake by beating the grass' have never been considered pleasant.

But now, with the situation chaotic, what Du Shanü wants is the remarkable effect of startling the snake by beating the grass......

Of course, not to startle An Nan, but to startle the various cities of Yongzhou Zhoufu.

Yongzhou Zhoufu lies far from An Nan's homeland; if An Nan people wish to march north, they will surely rest and recuperate before departure, stockpile provisions, and strive to gain a foothold in one go.

But what if many already knew they were coming?

An Nan's spear against Yongzhou's shield—who would win or lose is unclear, each side having some chance of victory.

Therefore, Du Shanü's first reaction earlier was to order Chen Weifang to build a cavalry unit to suitably harass the outskirts of the prefecture, leaving traces of witnesses, in order to startle the snake by beating the grass.

However, the trouble is, a cavalry unit isn't something you can just have.

The poor study literature, the rich study martial arts; since ancient times, practicing martial arts has been the privilege of the wealthy.

Ordinary families may go a lifetime without ever touching a horse, and if we were to select from recruited soldiers, we'd have to start training from scratch.

Generals like Yu Lve are hard to come by; Chen Weifang is not a general either—she excels in domestic affairs, marching and fighting, but military matters often leave her completely bewildered.

Du Shanü then delegated the matters back to Cang Cheng again; the harassments to the southwest of Yongzhou Zhoufu were all handed over to her and Chinu, while the harassments to the northeast two directions fell entirely into the hands of Yu Lve and his clique.

Chinu guessed that her indisposition today was due to the curious device, but Du Shanü also vaguely felt it was because she had been out and overworked these past few days.

After all, before returning last night, she and Chinu had already been out, traveling nonstop for nearly seven days.

Chen Weifang...

Perhaps seeing the two exhausted, or perhaps she had long wanted to win some face for Chinu.

During this period, he has been diligently recruiting talent, vaguely showing a competitive spirit against Yu Lve....

Once a person tries to walk in a domain that doesn't belong to them, isn't that just being exhausted to the extreme?

Du Shanü sighed in her heart, and Chinu then panted:

"Never mind him; we've finally come back, let's first rest......."

Wow!

Fortunately Afang isn't here; otherwise, hearing this, she would surely cry, right?

She would surely cry!

Du Shanü couldn't hold back and burst out laughing with a puff:

"...... You're just greedy for food!"

Chinu naturally wouldn't accept that, and began muttering, recalling to Du Shanü, saying that when he was out, he didn't know who insisted on using him as a pillow to sleep......

Then, he was lightly punched twice by Du Shanü again.

Du Shanü laughed and scolded:

"Those who retreat fifty steps laugh at those who retreat a hundred—do you really insist on sleeping alone?"

The two, still messing around, walked inward; before they even reached the study, they saw Chen Weifang with a rare anxious expression.

Chen Weifang was about to go out, but upon seeing the two, she clearly looked relieved and called out:

"Just coming back is fine; I have something to find you for—let's talk in the study."

Du Shanü had long grown accustomed to the days of 'once this busy period ends, the next begins'; hearing this, it was no surprise, she composed her smiling face and followed Chen Weifang into the study:

"Afang is so urgent—what major matter is it?"

Chen Weifang took a deep breath, weighed her words, and said:

"Something major has happened."

Du Shanü had already found a random seat and sat down, but seeing his over‑the‑top reaction, she couldn't help but straighten her posture.

After all, that's Afang—she's usually very steady!

He says it's a major matter, so......

Before she could even ask, two letters were already delivered to her——

Both letters had already been opened; Chen Weifang obviously already knew their contents.

Chen Weifang once again carefully weighed her words and said:

"The first is a letter sent by Fuzouzi, which informs that the Crown Prince of An Nan will launch an attack on Yongzhou Zhoufu on February 24."

Du Shanü was stunned upon hearing it, and for a moment found it hard to believe, turning to ask Chinu:

"What day is today?"

Chinu's scarlet ear tips had already faded, evidently he also knew the seriousness of the problem:

"...... Today is exactly, February 24."