Chapter 159 – Old Acquaintances

Xu Chun and his party had only been there for two days when Fang Zijing wasted no time issuing orders to Sheng Changtian to head to Fujian Province to raise military funds. He then went to Xu Chun’s tent privately and said to Xu Chun, “Since your injury hasn’t fully healed, why don’t you go to Fujian with him to recuperate?”

Xu Chun thought to himself that if Fang Zijing really wanted him to go to Fujian to rest, he wouldn’t have just given the order to Sheng Changtian. He figured Fang was still hesitant and said with a grin, “It’s a rare opportunity to learn from Marshal Wu Ying. How could I bear to leave? Even if Brother Zijing kicks me out, I won’t go.”

Fang Zijing said, “I’m not joking with you. If you stay here, you’ll have to work. I don’t keep idle people around. The Emperor’s intention was probably for you to learn some things from me, but I’m not a babysitter. Here, you have to follow my rules, obey orders without question, and never act on your own initiative. You mustn’t take risks like you did the other day. If something happens to you under my watch, the Emperor will surely blame me.”

Xu Chun had originally worried that Fang Zijing would dislike him knowing about his injury. Now, hearing that he was willing to let him stay, he felt like he had struck gold. He agreed readily, “Yes, yes, yes. Good, good, good. Everything you say is right.” When Fang Zijing mentioned that the Emperor would definitely be angry, Xu Chun didn’t pay attention and replied, “That’s natural.” Realizing he had answered incorrectly, he hastily said, “I’ll listen to everything Brother Zijing says!”

Fang Zijing gave him a look and instructed, “This battle must be quick; we can’t drag it out. That’s why I’ve sent Sheng Changtian back to Fujian to continue raising military funds. He needs to do his best. Otherwise, like in the previous dynasty, if it drags on indefinitely, it will only waste our national strength. To this day, there are still people who claim that the decline of the previous dynasty was due to the seven-year war against the Japanese pirates. Moreover, if it takes too long, the north will inevitably become peaceful. I saw in the gazette the other day that Helan Jingjiang has indeed gone to the north urgently. The Jurchens won’t miss such a golden opportunity. If both fronts go to war, how much money will we need to fight? Our national strength often weakens because of this.”

“Now that we’ve won a victory, the opposition within the court is less. But if we drag our feet and can’t win, the voices of opposition will rise. There will be no shortage of censors criticizing the current Emperor for being warmongering and seeking glory.”

Xu Chun thoughtfully said, “The pressure on the Emperor must be considerable, so we need to win quickly.”

Fang Zijing was speechless. “The Emperor isn’t incapable of handling this amount of pressure.”

Xu Chun smiled. “And Brother Zijing can also return earlier to accompany Princess.”

Fang Zijing: “…”

He ordered, “Take off your clothes so I can see your injury.”

Xu Chun blushed. “No need. It’s just a minor scrape. No big deal.”

Fang Zijing coldly and unsympathetically said, “I just said orders must be obeyed. How can I know how to arrange things if I don’t see your injury? Do you think war is a game? If it’s serious, lie down and rest well before discussing tasks. Don’t expect me to assign you missions.”

Xu Chun was at a loss for words and had no choice but to take off his clothes for Fang Zijing to see.

The wound was on his shoulder. Fang Zijing examined it carefully, reaching out to untie the bandage to look at the wound while saying, “It was quite dangerous. This must have been caused by shrapnel flying over, right? A little higher and your face would have been disfigured. A little lower and it would have been your heart. The stitches are good. Your servant Donghai is quite talented. It looks like there might be a scar. However, the medicine is indeed excellent. The Sheng family’s medicine is truly remarkable. Last time, I got a lot of it, and I brought most of it with me this time.” As he said this, he skillfully re-bandaged the wound.

As they spoke, they heard Dingshai report from outside the tent, “Prince, General Nong has arrived, accompanied by Third Master Sheng.”

Xu Chun was taken aback and looked at Fang Zijing, who remained calm and composed. He straightened Xu Chun’s collar. “Come in. It’s rare that we have time today. Let’s catch up.”

Xu Chun said, “Let Xia Chao bring in tea, refreshments, and fruits. I’ll go out to greet them.”

Just as he stood up, the tent flap was lifted, and Nong Siji’s cheerful voice came first. “Don’t get up. I heard you were injured. Don’t exert yourself, don’t catch a chill from the wind.” Sheng Changtian accompanied Nong Siji inside. Nong Siji was still wearing his armor, a sword hanging at his waist, and his beard unshaven. As soon as he entered, a chill mixed with the scent of leather and rust filled the air. He was worlds apart from the pampered prince of the capital he had been a few days ago. His whole person now exuded a rugged and destitute aura, but his eyes shone brightly, and his presence was imposing.

As soon as he entered, he immediately spotted Fang Zijing and exclaimed in delight, “Island Lord, you’re here! I’ve searched high and low for you!” He immediately took Fang Zijing’s hand, his face filled with pleasant surprise. “At that time, I heard your servant say that your wife was going into labor. How is she now? Is she alright? I went to find you twice and brought some gifts, but I don’t know if your servants delivered them to you. That donkey-hide gelatin, bird’s nest, and fish maw are all beneficial for pregnant and postpartum women.”

Today, Fang Zijing had come to visit the injured and wasn’t wearing armor. Instead, he wore a scholar’s robe with a fox fur coat, looking somewhat like the carefree island lord. He had been busy with military affairs recently, almost to the point of being stretched thin. Seeing Nong Siji now, he couldn’t help but be reminded of the leisurely days they spent together in the South China Sea, feeling a myriad of emotions. He replied, “We’re all fine. Thank you for thinking of us. We received everything. They are all top-quality items. My wife finds them very helpful. I heard eating them makes the baby look better, so she eats them every day. The taste of the fish maw stew is also good.”

For a moment, they sat down. Nong Siji’s face was filled with joy. “Today, we should celebrate! This truly is meeting an old friend in a foreign land.” Then, he looked at Xu Chun with deep gratitude. “It must have been Prince’s intention. Knowing that I said I couldn’t find the master last time, he specially invited him here, preparing this surprise for me. I wonder where you met? How did you end up coming to the capital? It’s dangerous here. Has the master now come out of seclusion to serve the court?”

Fang Zijing: “…” He held the teacup in his hand to hide his awkwardness. “Something like that.”

Nong Siji praised, “The master is a man of great strategy and talent! His emergence will certainly make him a hero! I hope the Emperor entrusts him with important responsibilities. Unfortunately, you’ve ended up here. It’s hateful. You’ll inevitably have to endure the nonsense of that bird-like man, Wu Ying! The master is of noble character and prefers a leisurely life. You’ll have to bear with it for now. Don’t take that bird-like man’s actions to heart.”

For a moment, silence fell over the tent.

Xu Chun coughed lightly. “Brother Nong, have some tea? Is the war not going well? Actually, Island Lord…”

However, Fang Zijing put down the teacup and interrupted, “Oh? What kind of trouble did Wu Ying give you?” His voice carried a hint of icy sarcasm.

Nong Siji didn’t notice at all. Having been friends with Fang Zijing for a long time overseas, he naturally held nothing back. “He sees me as an outsider and keeps giving me extremely difficult missions! The troops he assigns to me are mostly new recruits! Almost all of them are new soldiers freshly trained by the naval academy in Fujian Province, inexperienced in battle! They lack morale, and leading them is incredibly arduous!”

“I finally won and returned, expecting to receive commendation this time. Yet, he gave me a new mission again! One after another, he doesn’t even let me catch my breath. Most infuriating of all, as an outsider, I naturally hesitate to demand provisions and equipment. And he really doesn’t give them to me! Isn’t he supposed to be a masterful commander? Doesn’t he know how much provisions and equipment my soldiers should receive according to regulations? In this freezing weather, lacking supplies, the battles have been incredibly tough! I have been eating cold buns for two months!”

After finishing, he angrily grabbed an apple from the table and bit into it. “Tonight, we brothers must have a good feast. I heard you brought a lot of supplies this time, but unfortunately, when they were distributed among the armies, there wasn’t much left. Also, I was out, and by the time I returned, they had already been mostly divided. I had to consider my subordinates, so I gave everything to them. Ah, I’ve never suffered such hardships in my life. I’ve never fought such a grueling battle. Although my father is a scoundrel, he never withheld supplies from me. He must favor his own trusted generals and the court’s troops!”

Xu Chun’s face showed reluctance to witness the scene.

Sheng Changtian hesitated to speak.

Only Fang Zijing said, “How is he favoring his old generals?”

Nong Siji slapped his palm. “Two months! He hasn’t seen me once! I’ve won so many battles. Shouldn’t he meet with me and discuss strategies? Doesn’t he ask about my difficulties? I heard he leads by example and personally summons even the captains of other units to inquire about the battle situation. Why does he avoid seeing me? Clearly, he’s intentionally making things difficult for me, doesn’t like me, and deliberately leaves me to fend for myself! He probably wishes I’d lose a battle so he can kick me out!”

Fang Zijing: “…”

He sneered. “Is there a possibility that because you’re an outsider, the old generals and veterans have already formed factions, and he fears you might have difficulty leading them, so he lets you lead the new soldiers trained by the naval academy, which would be easier to handle?”

“The Fujian naval soldiers’ academy has been meticulously cultivated by the court in recent years, producing elite soldiers. They are young and strong, eager to achieve, courageous, and have a strong learning ability. If you adapt to them, you’ll get the hang of it. In the future, it’ll be easier to cultivate confidants, isn’t that better than leading others’ loyal subordinates? Your father isn’t dying anytime soon, and you still need to establish a firm foothold here. With troops and capable officers under your command, your position as Crown Prince will be as stable as Mount Tai, and it’ll be harder for others to trip you up.”

Nong Siji said, “You’re thinking too highly of him! Look at how he treats me like a beast of burden, driving me to the brink of death. They’re all new soldiers, fighting one battle after another for two whole months without any rest, and he doesn’t provide enough provisions. He’s using me to train his new soldiers.”

“I’ve seen this trick too many times. After the hard work of training the tactics, watching the veterans perform well, he’ll find an excuse to nitpick and replace the commander easily. I’ve been doing all the hard work for nothing.”

Nong Siji gnawed on the apple, grinding his teeth. “You don’t know how I’ve been living during this time. I haven’t been able to sleep properly, always on edge, never daring to lose! Afraid that losing would give others an excuse… Without a single trustworthy subordinate, I had to do everything myself, overseeing every detail, reviewing tactics in my dreams repeatedly. Otherwise, someone else might trip me up, and I wouldn’t be able to fight!”

Fang Zijing interrupted him. “Is there a possibility that he trusts you greatly, knowing that you have exceptional abilities, and believes that you can complete those missions with these soldiers without any problems? Moreover, military forces and provisions are limited, so they can only be allocated sparingly, and everyone is in a tight spot. Since you excel in naval warfare, you naturally bear more responsibility. You’re an outsider, and if you don’t have any achievements, how will you stand your ground in the court in the future? Precisely because you lack experience and trusted subordinates, you must work harder. Under the main commander’s impartial distribution of provisions, the accomplishments you earn will be solid and convincing. It’s tough at the beginning, but after suffering for a few months and achieving concrete results, you’ll have a better path ahead.”

“Could he be that kind?” Nong Siji snorted, but suddenly noticing Xu Chun giving him a meaningful look, he also saw Sheng Changtian sitting silently with an embarrassed expression. Suddenly, he looked at him suspiciously. “Why are you speaking up for Wu Ying? Do you know Wu Ying?”

Fang Zijing said with a cold expression, “Is there a possibility that I am Wu Ying.”