Chapter 307: Commandant, Don

Chen Wuji, this "true man," only remained "big" for less than two hours before he became "small."

The enthusiasm of his wives made him somewhat unable to handle it.

Before the expedition, they wanted it.

After the triumphant return, they wanted it even more.

And they called it: "Strike while the iron is hot."

Under Huo Sanniang's guidance, they all now had a deep obsession with having offspring.

Even Xue Hongdou had been forcibly included in this camp by Huo Sanniang, and Qin Zhanhong, who made a living by licking blood off the blade, had not been spared either.

In the past, they were all too shy to even have intimate gestures during the day.

But now, in the face of offspring, they had let go of their reserve and face, and even developed a set of extremely smooth division of labor.

Taking turns, with some keeping watch and some guarding the door.

After taking care of Huo Sanniang, the last one to take the field, Chen Wuji collapsed on the kang, limbs splayed.

He suddenly felt a bit of doubt about life.

When something that was originally very beautiful becomes a mandatory task that must be completed, it instantly ceases to be beautiful.

It wasn't that the thing itself had changed, but that one's mindset had a problem.

This was originally something Chen Wuji liked very much, but now...

Chen Wuji looked up at the pitch-black ceiling and suddenly discovered the problem.

He felt that the reason it was no longer beautiful seemed to be that he hadn't been taking the initiative lately, or rather, he hadn't had the chance to...

No, he had to find a way to fix this.

There weren't many joys in life; how could he let this beautiful thing lose its flavor?

Chen Wuji suddenly sat up, startling Huo Sanniang, who was lying on her side hugging her legs. "Wuji, what's wrong?"

Chen Wuji chuckled. "Nothing, I feel like I can still go."

He had to find that feeling of taking the initiative again.

"Ah? Weren't you exhausted?" Huo Sanniang asked with a blushing face.

In her current posture, being stared at by Chen Wuji's straight gaze made her heart flutter, her little heart beating like a drum.

"At my age, full of vigor, how could I be so easily tired? Just a little rest is enough." Chen Wuji smirked, moved to Huo Sanniang's side, and his hands began to roam.

"Ah... don't!" Huo Sanniang exclaimed shyly.

But how could she stop someone looking for beauty?

In the evening, Chen Wuji left home in high spirits, taking the two Chen Clan oxen to the county town.

After entering the city, he bought a jar of wine on the way and carried it to the county office.

It was just the time for the county office to end its shift, and the clerks were walking out in groups of three or five, chatting and laughing.

Chen Wuji casually stopped an assistant officer and asked him to report to Prefect Qin.

In the Yunan County office, Chen Wuji was considered an old acquaintance, so there was no such thing as an assistant officer looking down on him or demanding benefits before reporting.

Not only that, but some of the clerks and officers who were off-duty even greeted Chen Wuji politely.

This left those beside them who didn't know Chen Wuji quite puzzled.

"Brother Wu, who was that just now? Why did you suddenly look like a sycophant?"

"If you don't know how to speak, shut your mouth. That man is the new Commandant of Yunan. What's wrong with me paying him my respects?"

"The Prefect set up a Hongmen Banquet and beheaded three Commandants just to make room for him?"

"Understand now? Is there any problem with me bowing to him?"

"No, oh, you should have reminded me just now."

"It's fine. He hasn't taken office yet. It won't be too late to curry favor once he does."

Just then, someone nearby said, "You two, I'll tell you some incredible news. I heard that this new Commandant has already led two thousand troops and wiped out nearly ten thousand Qiang people before even taking office."

"How is that possible?! News of the Qiang invasion just arrived; how could they have won so quickly?"

"Believe it or not, it's up to you. Anyway, this is news from Chief Chen's side; it's guaranteed to be true."

"He's that powerful? And where did he get so many troops? The provincial soldiers haven't been handed over yet. This Commandant only has those few hundred troops from Tianchi Pass, right?"

"You two, Yunan isn't big, why are your ears so slow? Our new Prefect is surnamed Chen. Is it hard for his clan to scrape together a few thousand troops?"

"You mean he didn't use provincial soldiers, but his own clan troops? Using his own clan troops to protect Yunan... isn't this... a bit unusual? Will Yunan still belong to Da Yu in the future?"

"Shut your mouth quickly! How dare you say such things!"

Chen Wuji was personally welcomed into the county office by Qin Feng.

This Prefect, dressed in black robes and looking like a Daoist, started showing off the things he had prepared for Chen Wuji as soon as he entered: grain, weapons, and books.

The quantity wasn't huge, but it wasn't small either.

These things were stacked in a side courtyard of the county office, occupying almost the entire courtyard.

"Hearing that Commandant Chen swept away the invading Qiang with the force of thunder, I excitedly drank two large jars of wine. In this battle, Commandant Chen won truly happily. It was my small county office that held you back—authority wasn't implemented, troops weren't returned, and there was no grain to rely on. I hope Commandant Chen will be magnanimous. I really have been preparing very hard, but Commandant Chen's use of troops was truly too rapid."

From the moment Qin Feng saw Chen Wuji, his mouth hadn't stopped. After finishing his introduction, he started expressing his apologies again.

Chen Wuji waved his hand with a faint smile. "Prefect, there is no need to blame yourself. Everything on the battlefield is unpredictable, and the opportunities of war change in an instant. Being able to seize the chance to wipe out the enemy in one fell swoop, I could only bite the bullet and gamble. Fortunately, I luckily won the gamble and resolved the crisis in Yunan."

"The Canlang Qiang used elites in this battle. The Chen Clan members suffered heavy losses to barely win this battle. Although the battle was won, my Chen Clan has truly suffered a great blow to its vitality."

Qin Feng looked at Chen Wuji and laughed. "Commandant Chen, what kind of immortal herb do you think is needed to heal this vitality of the Chen Clan?"

Chen Wuji looked sorrowful and sighed gloomily. "The dead cannot be brought back to life; this vitality is not easy to heal."

"My Chen Clan has been exploited by various parties over the years. Although life hasn't been prosperous, our heart for the country has not died. Our ancestors were like this, and it remains the same today."

"When we do things, we actually didn't want to ask the Court for anything. After all, if we wanted something, it would have been appropriate to ask before using troops. Now that the war is over, wouldn't saying these things be gilding the lily? But watching so many clansmen die in front of me, it is truly heartbreaking. Prefect Qin, just take it as me complaining a few words."

"However, if Prefect Qin insists, tens of thousands in silver, over a hundred thousand shi of grain, and a few thousand mu of fertile land would probably barely be enough to treat this vitality. It's better than nothing; after all, how can worldly things be compared to life?"

Qin Feng's mouth twitched slightly. "Commandant Chen, why have you suddenly become so shameless?"

"Prefect, don't slander me. You asked for the prescription, and I told you truthfully. How is this shameless?" Chen Wuji said righteously. ***