TPATTHU Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Am I Not Making an Appearance Again?

Two days passed in the blink of an eye. Huai Wen went out to do some shopping as Shen Zhejiang had instructed. Feeling idle and noticing Shen Zhejiang was feeling a bit better, he accompanied him on the outing.

Inside the carriage, Shen Zhejiang had a gilded, floral-patterned green brocade box on his lap, containing a short sword with a silver frost-like sheen.

Forged from Xuan Iron and Cold Silver from Dragon’s Roar Mountain, this sword could slice through hair with a single draw, its sharpness unparalleled. Its decorations mainly consisted of slender leaves and intertwined bamboo, radiating a dazzling brilliance from hilt to tip.

“My lord, His Majesty has already arranged everything for your wedding. Why are you personally preparing another valuable gift for Miss Wang?”

Huai Wen sat on the carriage board, driving the horse through the bustling crowd, chatting with Shen Zhejiang.

Shen Zhejiang retracted his gaze, closed the box, and said slowly, “Miss Wang has followed her father in and out of military camps since she was young, aspiring to fight on the battlefield and earn a name for herself. I admire her as a remarkable woman, but it’s a pity that she will never get the chance.”

Yan Country had never allowed women on the battlefield. Shen Zhejiang lamented that such an extraordinary woman was troubled by worldly constraints, her lofty ambitions difficult to fulfill, much like himself.

The meaning behind his gift was that he hoped Miss Wang would never extinguish the desires in her heart.

Just then, a shadowy figure swiftly entered their path.

“Clang—!”

An arrow, as swift as lightning, grazed Shen Zhejiang’s face and embedded itself in the carriage board behind him, the arrow’s tail vibrating with a buzzing sound.

It had missed piercing Shen Zhejiang’s head by a hair’s breadth!

The carriage abruptly halted.

Still in shock, Shen Zhejiang was thrown forward by the sudden stop, hitting his forehead. He rubbed it and asked, “Huai Wen, what’s going on?”

“My lord, someone is blocking our way.”

“Shen Zhejiang, come out here!”

The shout was loud and clamorous.

Shen Zhejiang lifted the carriage curtain and saw a handsome young man standing in the bright sunlight. His black hair was tied up high, his face arrogant. He held a fully drawn bow, dressed in a fitted black outfit, looking dashing and heroic.

The arrow just now was shot by him.

Shen Zhejiang did not recall ever meeting this person, let alone offending him, so he asked, “Who are you?”

The young man struck an arrogant pose, raising his bow-wielding arm, and announced himself, “Wang Chengming, second young master of the Ministry of War’s residence. Aren’t you going to quickly kowtow and pay your respects?”

“What is the reason for Second Young Master Wang blocking the road in public?”

Although he asked this, Shen Zhejiang quickly guessed that he was probably here because of his elder sister’s marriage.

It was just as he thought.

Wang Chengming’s temper was extremely volatile. “Heh, you’re the one my sister is going to marry? Looking so sickly, you’ll probably be lying in a coffin before long. My sister doesn’t want you! Go and cancel the engagement!”

Shen Zhejiang was not one to be easily bullied, but he also didn’t want to argue with a junior. His voice was very calm as he said, “If there is some misunderstanding, please come with me to my residence, Second Young Master Wang, and we can discuss it.”

“What is there to discuss with you? My father said that you are a criminal of this dynasty, a rat in the gutter! I am upright and righteous; how could I associate with someone like you! If I were you, I would have already run headfirst into a wall and died!”

These words were too extreme.

The pedestrians on the street were drawn over, stopping to join in the commotion. Spectators in tea houses and taverns also poked their heads out to watch. A tide of discussion surrounded them.

“Isn’t that Shen, the well-known talent of the capital? I heard that he single-handedly persuaded the Qing Kingdom’s 100,000 enemy troops to retreat when he was fifteen. He was so promising in his youth; it’s a pity he’s come to this.”

“Heh, why are you sighing for him? My whole family, five people, five people! Died under the A bad knife of his father and the rebel army! This kind of person should be drowned in spittle!”

“…”

Shen Zhejiang’s face paled for a moment, as if countless thorns had pierced his back, and the fingers gripping the carriage curtain trembled slightly.

Seeing that his master was being berated, Huai Wen immediately argued with him, “Is this the Wang family’s upbringing? We’ve said it nicely, but my lord is the current Crown Prince’s Grand Tutor, and soon to be your brother-in-law! Second Young Master Wang doesn’t even have an official title. Just because you’re basking in the Minister of War’s glory, you act like a dog relying on its master, pointing and cursing at people in the street. Are you going to dare to insult His Majesty in the imperial court one day?”

Wang Chengming was like a powder keg, ready to explode at the slightest spark, “Are you calling me a dog?!”

“Otherwise, why are you barking and howling randomly?” Huai Wen retorted, holding his head high and puffing out his chest.

The surrounding crowd immediately burst into laughter.

Shen Zhejiang got out of the carriage and said softly, “Huai Wen, you go back into the carriage first.”

Huai Wen hesitated for a moment, “Yes, my lord.”

“Second Young Master Wang, my servant’s words were unrestrained. I apologize to you on his behalf,” Shen Zhejiang made a formal bow to him, then raised his eyes, his calm expression mixed with sharpness, “What you just said was truly offensive. Second Young Master Wang must not read the books of sages and worthies, so I will use military texts to question you. Please tell me which chapter and verse of which military text mentions that people are divided into high and low classes?”

Wang Chengming’s expression stiffened for a moment, then he raised his voice and shouted, “Bullshit! Military texts talk about training troops and deploying formations; how could they have any of that?! I will be a general of the Yan Dynasty, revered by thousands of people; how could it be your turn to lecture me?!”

“Since Second Young Master Wang doesn’t understand, then I will explain it to you,” Shen Zhejiang calmly swept a glance over the people who were watching the show with relish, his gaze falling on Wang Chengming again, “Sun Tzu’s Art of War, Chapter 1, ‘Laying Plans,’ says, ‘The general stands for wisdom, sincerity, benevolence, courage, and strictness.’ Wisdom means resourcefulness, benevolence means love and compassion. Second Young Master Wang acts rashly, only wanting to publicly block me to demand an explanation, which is a lack of wisdom. Furthermore, your language is crude, and you believe that people are divided into high and low classes, which is a lack of benevolence. Without wisdom or benevolence, it is difficult to be a general.”

“What nonsense is this?!”

Wang Chengming immediately nocked an arrow, drawing back the bowstring and aiming at Shen Zhejiang’s chest. With a whoosh, the arrow shot out, heading straight for Shen Zhejiang’s life.

“My lord, be careful!” Huai Wen cried out in alarm.

The rapidly approaching arrow neared in the blink of an eye, forcing Shen Zhejiang to involuntarily take a step back, the arrowhead reflected in his eyes growing larger.

Shen Zhejiang’s mind went blank, and he forgot to dodge.

In a flash of lightning, the arrow suddenly hung in mid-air, and then retreated backward at an odd speed.

“You brat! Looks like your skin is itching, doesn’t it?”

A woman, also dressed in a fitted outfit, stood on the roof closest to Wang Chengming, her hair tied into a high ponytail, half-curled and fluttering in the wind.

Her fair face was pretty and resolute, especially her sharp, blade-like eyes, adding three parts of piercingness. Her figure was extremely tall and straight. From afar, she looked like a solitary, upright red plum blossom.

Shen Zhejiang quickly regained his senses and saw the woman holding a slender rattan whip in her hand, dragging it along the roof tiles, the whip’s tail lazily entangling an arrow.

The one who had just saved his life was this woman.

Before he could thank her, any expression on Wang Chengming’s face froze abruptly, and he turned his neck stiffly.

“Elder… Elder Sister?”

Actually, he didn’t need to look; he knew who was coming just from the voice.

This woman was Wang Chengming’s elder sister, Wang Xiuyi. Since she was young, she had liked to wield swords and spears, and had developed a whip technique that ordinary people couldn’t match. However, her whip technique could only reach such a superb level with Wang Chengming’s help.

“I told you to stay honestly at home; why did you have to cause trouble for me?”

Wang Xiuyi jumped down to the ground, flicked her wrist and waved her hand, and the rattan whip followed the momentum and lashed out hard at Wang Chengming’s face.

“Elder Sister, I was wrong! Ah! Don’t hit me!”

The arrogant Second Young Master Wang immediately shrunk into a turtle, dropped his bow and arrows, and fled down the street with his head in his hands, shouting loudly.

The scene was extremely comical, causing everyone to laugh.

It seemed that there would be another after-dinner topic in the capital tomorrow.

Shen Zhejiang: “…”

Seeing Wang Chengming being chased and beaten, he did feel a little sorry for him. It was much worse than the punishments he usually gave Xiao Zhinian, so he couldn’t bear it and said, “Miss Wang, hitting him further might cause bone fractures.”

“Don’t worry, he won’t die,” Wang Xiuyi grabbed Wang Chengming’s ear and dragged him directly in front of Shen Zhejiang, her eyebrows raised in anger, “Apologize to him!”

“Elder Sister! He… Ah! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!” Wang Chengming’s face was twisted in pain. As the saying goes, a wise man submits to circumstances, so he immediately shouted loudly at Shen Zhejiang, “I’m sorry!!” Elder Sister, let go!”

Wang Xiuyi slapped the back of her younger brother’s head, “You better behave yourself! Go home and I’ll deal with you later! See if you dare to do it again? Go back!”

Then she turned around, as if her face had changed, and said to Shen Zhejiang, a hint of embarrassment mixed with politeness, “Master Shen, my younger brother is ignorant. I’m really sorry. I will visit and apologize another day.”

Shen Zhejiang felt a hint of doubt, “Has Miss Wang forgotten that I am still engaged to you?”