"You can’t hold your liquor. You were drunk yesterday, so I had to bring you back."
Wen Lingjun looked at Wen He.
The gentleman couldn’t help but give a kick.
Wen Lingjun’s face twisted, Wen He, unswayed, wiped his sleeve. Underneath the hem of his garment was the cold light of ink-colored chain armor. He said calmly, "Who reads without wearing armor, Lingjun?"
"You’re still not thinking comprehensively enough."
Wen Lingjun took a deep breath, and after understanding the situation, Li Guanyi invited Wen Lingjun, Wen He, and Ling Pingyang for tea. Wen Lingjun said, "The Lord, yesterday on the Imperial Path, was impressive and displayed a heroic spirit, but there was an unfortunate aspect."
"This unfortunate aspect was instigated by Ji Daochun. By sacrificing himself, he set the aristocratic family, the royal family, and the Lord against each other, and as a result, many young scholars have been coerced and cannot come here to join."
"If I’m not wrong, no scholars came to offer their names and join the Heavenly Strategy Mansion today, did they?"
Wen He said, "No, there were."
Wen Lingjun was surprised, "Where?"
He took a deep breath and said, "This is not because of right or wrong, but because the Lord is new here while the aristocratic family has been entrenched here for a long time, overpowering you in influence, which has prevented scholars from coming here."
"I am willing to offer a strategy to the Lord."
"It may enable the Lord to conquer the world and rival the prestige of the aristocratic families."
Li Guanyi said, "Please proceed."
Wen Lingjun said, "Thank you, Lord, for your understanding. However, I have heard that the Lord possesses a fine wine called Thousand-Day Drunk. May I have some?"
"I know there is a great talent in the Academy called Feng Xiao, whose strategies are ever-changing and who excels in assessing the overall situation, with clever schemes and unpredictable military tactics, agile as an antelope’s horns, elusive."
"He is naturally my counter in others’ situations. I don’t feel at ease sleeping or enjoy my meals without him. I hope the Lord will grant me Thousand-Day Drunk so I can bring him back."
The last sentence was spoken by Wen He.
He mimicked Wen Lingjun’s tone.
Wen Lingjun looked at Wen He and said with a smile:
"Qingyu, if you continue this nonsense, I’m going to lose my temper."
Wen He sipped his tea, observing decorum.
Wen Lingjun turned to Li Guanyi and spoke earnestly: "Yuan Zhi is skilled in military formation, Wen He is adept at assessing the overall situation, and what I am skilled in is not as specific, but Feng Xiao’s innovative strategies, combined with Yuan Zhi, one standard and one unique, can compensate for our army’s deficiencies."
"Please give me Thousand-Day Drunk."
"I will invite this great talent for the Lord."
Wen Lingjun left with Li Guanyi’s wine jug.
The next day, the Qilin had not returned.
And Li Guanyi saw the same youth in the same place, drunk as mud. Despite being drunk, his brilliance radiated brightly through the Qi Observation Skill, yet he was still profoundly inebriated.
The elegant Cavalry General hesitated, staring at the table. When he left the State City later, he took the table with him, telling others it was a blessed object that could foster top-tier strategists and would bring good fortune if taken back.
Li Guanyi looked at Feng Xiao, his mouth twitching. He turned to Wen Lingjun:
"How much did he drink?"
Wen Lingjun held up one finger.
Li Guanyi sighed in relief: "One cup?"
Wen Lingjun said, "He kept drinking."
Li Guanyi’s expression froze. He remembered that this wine jug contained three dou, three liters of the strongest liquor. Even if some had been used before, it was not much, and Feng Xiao had been drinking for an hour.
Li Guanyi was somewhat amused and helpless but had to use the "Imperial Pole Worldly Scripture" to detoxify him.
These three strategists, one had consumed Powder for Anesthesia mixed in his drink.
One found a little blood in the liquid of his drink.
And he himself also had to keep helping and detoxifying."
Hmm? Why does it seem like everyone else had a tough time but only one guy didn’t suffer?
Li Guanyi looked at the young, unassuming strategist.
The young strategist smiled gently.
Staying silent, he took half a step back amid the others.
Feng Xiao, merely drunk, grabbed Li Guanyi’s arm upon waking and said as long as he was given alcohol, he would do anything, repeatedly calling him ’Lord.’
This was truly tempting.
Li Guanyi grinned, realizing that his cheap elder brother was truly a good man!
One jug of Thousand-Day Drunk brought in Wen He, Wen Lingjun, and Feng Xiao, three young leaders of the generation, two of whom, in terms of grand strategies, matched the top-tier strategist Breaking Army, though Breaking Army differed in other areas.
Especially in fights, where he was a bit more eager.
Hence, Wen Lingjun was appointed Chief Historian of the Heavenly Strategy Mansion.
Feng Xiao was appointed Heavenly Strategy Mansion’s Military Adviser.
Only Wen He staunchly refused to accept a high position in the Heavenly Strategy Mansion, only willing to take a position as a Scribe, the most basic civilian post, and then—
No one else came to the Heavenly Strategy Mansion.
It’s not that no one came, but that they dared not come.
Li Guanyi had seen many scholars watching from afar, hesitant and reluctant to approach, ultimately just sighing. Feng Xiao joined Li Guanyi for drinks, laughing and saying: "Do not worry, Lord."
"From what I see, it’s a minor issue, let’s drink."
"The aristocratic families are vast, and while the scholars have aspirations, they also need to protect themselves. You, Lord, are like a drawn sword, but the aristocratic families have been entrenched here for a long time, with Chen Country, Ying Country colliding like giant rocks, and scholars in between risk getting crushed."
"However, from what I see, the Lord will surely win, and the aristocratic families will surely lose."