Chapter 659: Scholars on a Spring Outing

Linglu stared at Wenjie, "What did you just say?"

"Besides the blacksmith suspected to be Yang Pojun, everyone else is a bunch of chickens and dogs!" Wenjie said earnestly, "Those under Chen Wuji I've all come into contact with; the so-called number one general's clan has long ceased to live up to its name, it's completely an empty shell."

"If it weren't for their clan being more numerous, I would have already killed him back when we were in Yunan!"

Linglu stared at Wenjie for a moment, then suddenly laughed, "You say his followers are just chickens and dogs, yet he now commands nearly a hundred thousand troops while you've fallen to this state? Wenjie, my friend, I appreciate your character, but you can't treat me as a fool and deceive me, am I right?"

Wenjie's face suddenly flushed red, and he hastily explained, "Linglu Sir, how dare I deceive you? What I said is all true. I merely meant that when Chen Wuji first raised his troops, I actually could have killed him; I now definitely cannot compare with him, and I am still clear about that in my heart."

"What I mean is that in your presence, Linglu Sir, Chen Wuji is nothing but chickens and dogs; under his command only that suspected Yang Pojun person is somewhat troublesome, the rest are nothing to worry about."

Linglu waved his hand, "No need to talk about these things any further; when is your foster father coming back?"

"Not clear, my foster father only told me the return date is tentative, he didn't give a specific day." Wenjie still felt a bit dazed; we were chatting nicely, how did we suddenly stop talking about this?

"You're afraid of a mere feather with nearly sixty thousand troops? Now you're charging straight through, killing all the way—how could Chen Wuji possibly do anything to you?"

"Aren't Qingzhou, Hezhou, Guangtongzhou, and Guangyuan Prefecture just your pastures for horses?"

"Coward!"

"The Qiang People are indeed a bunch of uncivilized barbarians, they don't even use their brains."

Linglu nodded, then suddenly asked, "When did you acknowledge that person as your foster father?"

"Some years have passed; back then my foster father came to my home and recommended himself as a Western Seat teacher, and the following year my grandfather had me become his disciple." Wenjie said, "Linglu Sir, this is unrelated to the war we were discussing, right?"

Linglu chuckled, "Unrelated, I just remembered and asked casually; you should know your foster father's real name, right?"

"This... I really don't know. He said he has long severed ties with the past, and now he calls himself Snake Staff Elder; my grandfather repeatedly warned me not to inquire about this, and I never did." Wenjie said.

As it turns out, this young scholar is none other than Gu Wenjie, who has already slipped from Chen Wuji's grasp four times.

And sitting beside him is precisely the Qiang person Linglu Langdu that Chen Wuji has been wanting to meet.

Langdu nodded, "Let's go back; this rundown hill really has nothing to see, I ought to consider meeting and chatting with Chen Wuji—such enthusiasm is hard to refuse."

"Linglu Sir, after all I've said, why do you still want to go? Chen Wuji, being a petty person, must have some scheme." Gu Wenjie hurriedly said, "Right now we should bypass this front-and-rear blockade situation, dragging them onto other battlefields to fight."

Langdu gave Gu Wenjie a sharp look, a flash of contempt and impatience crossing his eyes, "I don't want to explain some things to you, but your suggestion really isn't very useful; let's leave it at that."

Gu Wenjie felt somewhat bewildered; what's wrong with his tactic?

"This isn't reasonable at all?!"

Just as the group was packing up and preparing to leave, suddenly a squad of scouting cavalry charged up from the other side of the hill, "What are you doing?"

Gu Wenjie immediately stepped forward and cupped his hands, saying, "Sir, we are scholars who came from Zhongyuan for study; we heard that Commander Chen Jieshuai here defeated the Qiang people and erected a victory monument, so we came specially to take a look."

"Scholars from Zhongyuan? Do you have any identification? Produce it so I can see!" The officer on horseback was very cautious, always keeping his hand on the hilt of his horizontal blade, not even dismounting his warhorse.

Gu Wenjie hurriedly produced a stack of forged travel permits and verification documents, presenting them respectfully with both hands.

The officer on horseback gave a glance, and more than ten Knights instantly formed a half-circle, surrounding Gu Wenjie and the others; this action instantly tightened the atmosphere.

Especially the few people beside Langdu, although they weren't holding weapons, they had instinctively made defensive moves.

The officer seated on his horse didn't immediately open those travel permits and verification documents; instead, his gaze, carrying a hint of scrutiny, swept over Gu Wenjie and the others one by one, "How do I smell the same kind of aura on you all? You're deceiving me, aren't you?"

Gu Wenjie hurriedly accompanied his smile with words: "Sir, you've misunderstood; several of my companions indeed have undergone training in the military. To explain would take a long story; in fact, we just went through a back door and stayed in the military for a period."

The officer again cautiously glanced, then opened the travel permits and verification documents, "Are you from Yan Zhou?"

"Yes, yes, yes."

"All over Lingnan there is warfare; why would you think to come here for study?"

Gu Wenjie straightened his chest with a hint of sorrow in his tone, saying, "Sir, don't blame us; we also have some talent and ambition. My classmates and I, in private, have spoken of the calamity of the Lingnan Six Commanderies, deeply regretting our inability to serve the country and contribute for the Lingnan people."

"Later a friend suggested, 'Why not study in the Lingnan Six Commanderies and find an opportunity to serve the country?' We came on a whim, but... after arriving, we were indeed afraid, several times nearly dying under the swords of rebel troops, and after great effort we finally made it here."

The officer on horseback, his wary gaze finally easing, said, "You mean you've come to offer your service to my lord?"

"This... for now isn't certain yet." Gu Wenjie gave an embarrassed laugh.

The officer on horseback gave a light snort, "Lingnan, I will recommend my lord to you."

"My lord, though he holds the title of Regional Inspector Commander of Nan Jun, has always been easygoing and will certainly not make things difficult for you; feel free to follow me."

Upon hearing this, Gu Wenjie felt like dying inside, "Thank you for your kindness, General, but today we have nothing prepared; to simply show up and request an audience with the commander would be improper."

"General, go about your business; after we prepare for two or three days, we will certainly come to pay our respects to the commander."

The officer on horseback waved his hand, "My lord won't care about these things—go, go, go!"

"Don't, sir, today really isn't possible; at least let us make a little preparation." Gu Wenjie hurriedly said, Chen Wuji is someone he absolutely dare not see; if they met, would he still have a chance to survive?

Chen Wuji would definitely have him chopped into minced meat and fed to the dogs.

Gu Wenjie still has self-awareness of that.

The officer on horseback gave a speechless glance, "You scholars are so troublesome; it's just meeting a person—what's there to prepare? Fine, since you insist, I won't press further."

"When the time comes, simply come to pay your respects; my lord has lately been eager for talent, he greatly likes you scholars—don't bother with empty formalities, just come directly."

Gu Wenjie hurriedly cupped his hands in thanks, secretly letting out a sigh of relief in his heart.