Chapter 252: The Scheme Fell Through

Although Qin Zhanhong refused to admit that her choice to stay was related to Chen Wuji, Chen Wuji still saw the reason from her bearing.

Chen Wuji didn't press further; since she chose to be stubborn, he respected her stubbornness.

He called Xue Hongdou to boil a pot of tea, Chen Wuji sat down at one side of the stone table and asked, "What are you planning to do next?"

"I don't know." Qin Zhanhong sat sideways, crossed her legs carelessly, her round buttocks snug against the stone bench, the curve soft and alluring.

She has always preferred this posture.

Chen Wuji was somewhat surprised, "Didn't His Majesty give you a specific order?"

"Yes, His Majesty ordered me to wait for an opportunity and clearly distinguish loyalty from treachery." Qin Zhanhong said this quite candidly, as if she had no intention of hiding anything.

Chen Wuji teased, "Do you think someone like me can be considered loyal?"

"You? You put me in a difficult position." Qin Zhanhong laughed with a puff.

Chen Wuji's face darkened slightly, "Don't treat a steamed bun as dry rations; although I'm just a low-ranking official, this post was personally granted by His Majesty. How many Brigade Commanders personally appointed by His Majesty the Emperor are there in the world?"

Qin Zhanhong smiled brightly, "That's true, but your loyalty is really hard to judge."

"Is it because I'm surnamed Chen?" Actually, that's exactly what Chen Wuji wanted to ask.

He wanted to know how His Majesty the Emperor viewed him, a Chen from Xishan Village.

In other places, His Majesty the Emperor would certainly not care about the Chen clan, but in Nan Jun, the Chen clan there, he would likely pay more attention, and perhaps the Imperial City Department had already sent his detailed information to the Emperor's desk.

In this tumultuous autumn, Chen Wuji needed a rough answer to define his subsequent actions, and also degree.

"I don't know." Qin Zhanhong shook her head, "I know what you want to ask, but I really can't talk about this matter, and I can't give you a definite answer."

"The only thing I can tell you is that your identity hasn't been leaked from my side. As for whether His Majesty might form some associations because of your native place, that's not something I can know."

After a pause, Qin Zhanhong's clear eyes, which could draw one in, suddenly fixed deeply on Chen Wuji: "Officially, I hope you let go of past grudges and serve the country. Da Yu is currently in a tumultuous autumn, beset by internal and external troubles; although the present Emperor has grand ambitions, he is being manipulated by corrupt courtiers and unable to display his aspirations."

"His Majesty promotes based on talent alone; with your ability, perhaps in the future you could restore the Chen clan's former glory."

"But privately…"

Saying this, Qin Zhanhong suddenly paused, she released her entwined long legs, leaned her body slightly forward, her expression somewhat torn.

Chen Wuji didn't rush to press further; he simply picked up the steaming teapot and poured Qin Zhanhong a cup of hot tea.

Qin Zhanhong instinctively grabbed the teacup, hesitated a moment, then said again: "Privately, I hope you make two-handed preparations; the court can be trusted, but there's no need to trust it completely."

Chen Wuji nodded, "Alright, I've got it figured out; you're not leaving tonight, right?"

"Why? Not welcome? I'm not leaving these few days." Qin Zhanhong rolled her eyes slightly.

Chen Wuji chuckled, his gaze gradually becoming wanton.

Tonight, the kang in another room might perhaps collapse.

……

Chen Wuji's scheming plot failed to succeed.

After dinner, his sneaky act of dismantling the kang was caught by Qin Zhanhong.

At first Chen Wuji still resisted stubbornly, claiming the kang was smoking, and he wanted to smash it open to see where the problem was.

As a result, Qin Zhanhong shouted and summoned Huo Sanniang.

Whether the kang was actually smoking or not, Huo Sanniang would surely know.

With just a slight turn of her mind, she understood what scheming idea Chen Wuji was cooking up.

If they dismantled this kang, the few of them would only be able to crowd together into the neighboring room.

That chaotic scene…

Huo Sanniang merely thought of it and felt ashamed, wanting to dig herself a three-bedroom, two-living-room hideaway.

In Huo Sanniang's annoyed reproach, Chen Wuji's foolproof plan came to naught.

The Big Blanket Co-sleep didn't work out; instead it became him guarding an empty pillow alone.

Properly speaking, trying to steal a chicken ended up losing the rice.

Originally, sleep at night was already poor; just as he opened his eyes in the morning, Qin Zhanhong gave him a close-up big move.

"You little rascal, did you sleep well last night?"

Seeing that flawless face reflected before him, Chen Wuji seized Qin Zhanhong's neck, about to plant a big strawberry on her fair neck, when Shen Youwei's head suddenly popped out from Qin Zhanhong's embrace, saying, "Husband, what are you doing?"

Chen Wuji: ……

"Kiss! You two, who goes first?" Chen Wuji said with a dark face.

Shen Youwei giggled and broke free from Chen Wuji, "We're not, Hong Jie, let's run!"

Qin Zhanhong leaned in and quickly gave Chen Wuji a kiss on the face, then fled the room.

Chen Wuji laughed helplessly.

Indeed, people of the same type can attract each other.

Just……

How exactly does Qin Zhanhong endure being called "Hong Jie"?

Doesn't she feel that being called that makes her seem old?

Chen Wuji stretched and got out of bed.

Last night's plan fell through, this morning's plan also didn't work out; he seems somewhat defeated these two days.

Go somewhere else to find a sense of accomplishment.

After washing up, Chen Wuji simply ate a breakfast and hurried to the ancestral hall.

Besides the camp's edge, another wave of people had arrived, not many, about thirty or forty; Chen Luozi and Chen Li were talking with them.

No surprise, this is definitely another branch brought by Chen Bushi.

"Family Head, the people from the Bitter River branch and the Two Li Temple branch have arrived." Chen Li saw Chen Wuji approach, went forward to greet him and briefly introduced him.

Chen Wuji frowned slightly, "These two branches only have this few people?"

"The population of these two branch veins has always been sparse, and now it's also the time for grain harvest, so they can't spare many hands. However, these two are more obedient than the plateau branch veins, and their relationship with our main vein has always been neither far nor close." Chen Li explained, taking out a short bamboo tube and handing it to Chen Wuji.

"They also brought a letter from Lao San; you take a look first."

Chen Wuji broke the wax seal on the bamboo tube and poured out the letter inside.

The letter was written on Fire Hemp Cloth; this cheapest fabric's ink easily bleeds, using this cloth as paper wastes material and requires leaving enough gaps.

The cloth is large, but Chen Bushi wrote little, only a few sentences.

He wrote down the route he plans to visit next, and told Chen Wuji that if there is an emergency in the village, they can send someone along that route to find him.

Another matter: he told Chen Wuji that although the Bitter River branch veins and the Two Li Temple branch veins have sparse populations, they still follow the Ancestral System, emphasizing both literary and martial pursuits; the clan's younger generation, versed in both literature and martial arts, can be given important roles.

Chen Bushi added, explaining that these two branch veins had severed ties with the main vein due to the Court's strong repression, which is understandable and not their wish.