Chapter Forty-Eight: Leisurely Wielding the Brush with Ink of Snow and Sweat

Zuo Jun had long served at the Hua Gate. Though he lacked the formal education of the aristocratic clans, his perspective on matters was far more elevated than that of an ordinary man. "I fear it would not be easy for the Crown Prince to stage a rebellion," he said. "The Central Army in the capital alone is not something the Crown Prince's two guards could easily contend with. Furthermore, His Majesty is a man of grand strategies and vast military experience; he is not easily deceived. In my humble opinion, what you envision, sir, may be a bit too fantastical."

He Ru’s attitude toward Zuo Jun had changed significantly of late. He Ru was unskilled in martial arts, and Xu You was unable to fight, meaning all external threats in Qiantang had to be warded off by Zuo Jun. For someone with ability who made himself indispensable in a specific role, He Ru was always willing to show a degree of respect. He did not rush to refute him, instead asking in a mild, pleasant tone, "Feng Hu, have you ever read Han Fei?"

Zuo Jun replied with a look of shame, "I have not had the honor."

"Han Fei is a fascinating figure who spoke many truths. If you have leisure in the future, you should read him, Feng Hu."

Zuo Jun nodded. "You are right, sir! It is only that my learning is shallow, and I fear there are parts that may be obscure and difficult to grasp. Should I misinterpret them, I would hate to do a disservice to the sage's intent."

"That is a minor matter. If there is anything you do not understand, you may come to me for guidance; I am certain you will benefit greatly."

Most people, when offering to mentor others, would modestly suggest mutual exchange and common progress. But He Ru was not such a man; he could not be bothered with such superficial pleasantries. Given the gap between him and Zuo Jun, saying he would "provide guidance" was already a significant gesture of respect.

Zuo Jun was overjoyed. He Ru’s personality was not particularly endearing, but his scholarship was of the highest caliber. To receive even a little of his guidance was equivalent to ten years of diligent study. He rose at once to bow in gratitude, but He Ru reached out to steady him. "Spare me the grand formalities," He Ru said. "We shall all be serving under the Seventh Young Master in the future, bound by the oath to live and die together. Why stand on such ceremony for a trifle?"

Zuo Jun did not insist further. Just as He Ru had said, they would face countless storms of blood in the days to come; these were indeed mere trifles.

"Why did I mention Han Fei? It is because he once spoke a truth that fits our current situation perfectly." He Ru picked up a jade cup and tapped it gently against the edge of the table. Several clear, snake-like cracks appeared on the surface. "He said, 'A dike of a thousand feet can be destroyed by an ant hole; a room of a hundred feet can be burned by the smoke from a crack in the chimney.' The disbanding of the Crown Prince's two guards is like a great beauty lying exposed in a brothel with the doors thrown wide open—a man could practically meet a passerby in total intimacy. Anyone with a shred of shame would be enraged beyond measure, let alone one of the Crown Prince’s standing. If he is not harborng murderous thoughts against An Zidao in his heart, I shall pour tea for you right now, Feng Hu, and admit I was wrong!"

Xu You interjected with a laugh, "I wouldn't dare accept that; it would cost me my lifespan!"

He Ru shot him a sidelong glance, and Xu You quickly added, "Fine, fine, go on!"

"But as you said, Feng Hu, this one event alone is not enough to make the Prince so delirious as to kill his father and usurp the throne. He lacks the strength, it is too rushed, and he may not possess such audacity. But remember this: the thousand-foot dike of the State of Chu has already begun to rot from this single ant hole. Given the Prince's temperament, this hole will only continue to widen. The day it becomes unstoppable will be the day the entire State of Chu collapses."

Zuo Jun’s argument focused on the immediate concerns, while He Ru’s eyes were fixed on long-term perils. A man without long-term foresight will surely face immediate woe. Therefore, one could not rule out the possibility of the Prince rebelling, nor could one dismiss the potential for him to use the wealth and manpower of the Celestial Master Sect to secretly cultivate a force of dead soldiers and personal retainers.

Xu You sighed. "If only we had someone in Jinling. Perhaps we could find a way to have Zhan Wenjun share the intelligence from the Ship Pavilion with us..."

He Ru gave a cold snort. "Unless you marry her..."

Both men froze for a moment. Xu You was no saint, and Zhan Wenjun certainly held a certain attraction for him, but it was a very superficial interest, far from the point of discussing marriage. Hearing He Ru say such a thing so abruptly, he found it hard to process.

As for He Ru, his mind was already exploring a different landscape. "Hmm, that is not entirely impossible..."

Seeing that He Ru seemed to be seriously considering the matter, Xu You quickly stopped him. "Hold it! We are currently living in her house; what kind of delusions are you having?"

He Ru looked at Xu You thoughtfully. "Seventh Young Master, you don't seem to be entirely resistant to this idea..."

"I just said that, and you call it 'not resistant'? Do I have to cry and throw a tantrum for you to believe me?"

He Ru pulled Zuo Jun into the conspiracy. "Feng Hu, tell me, isn't the Seventh Young Master's response strange? He isn't worried about ruining her reputation, nor the troubles that would come with marrying a woman of the Zhan or Guo clans; his first thought was the house... There are houses all over Qiantang; wouldn't it be simple to go buy one another day?"

Xu You felt like weeping. Habits are terrifying things. Although he had owned several luxury villas in his previous life, in that world, housing and property prices were the constant obsession of society. It was not impossible to marry without a house, but the difficulty increased tenfold or a hundredfold.

"You speak as if buying a house is like buying vegetables. How light you make it sound! Go buy me a house tomorrow, then—not too big, just five or six courtyards, two or three times the size of the Zhan residence..."

He Ru pretended not to hear this and continued to Zuo Jun, "Not only is he obsessed with the house, he even said marrying Zhan Wenjun would be a 'fine thing.' Does this count as a tacit agreement with my proposal?"

Zuo Jun suppressed a smile but said nothing. He had made his stance clear: he would remain strictly neutral, neither participating in nor offending either side while Xu You and He Ru bickered!

"A fine thing your head!" Xu You snapped. "Zhan Wenjun would rather marry while clutching a spirit tablet than break her betrothal. She is a woman of iron will; how could she marry with ulterior motives? Let us hear no more of this!"

Though He Ru did not understand the idiom "fine thing your head," he caught the annoyance in Xu You’s tone and smiled faintly. "Moonlight across the bed, the lamp cold and dying—the heart of a young woman is not something the Seventh Young Master necessarily understands."

This was truly like brandishing a sword in front of Guan Yu. The array of feminine charms Xu You had experienced in his past life likely exceeded anything He Ru had seen in his entire lifetime. Yet, a hero should not boast of past glory; having transmigrated into this body, he was still a "crude man" who had never known a woman. What was even more shameful was that it wasn't for lack of opportunity; given Xu You’s family background and appearance, he could have had any woman he wanted. In the end, it was simply because he never had much interest in women—at least, not as much as in studying the White Tiger Vitality. Otherwise, he wouldn't have remained indifferent to the many beautiful maids in his household.

"The child knows not the height of the heavens, and foolishly smears the snowy brush with dark mud. You, a monk who has entered the secular world, what do you know of the purity of a woman?"

Being called a monk did not bother He Ru in the slightest. He asked with curiosity, "Why do these two lines of yours carry such a scent of rouge and powder?"

Xu You coughed drily. The two lines he had plagiarized were supposedly written by Feng Panpan to mock Bai Juyi before her suicide. He did not know if they were authentic, but they were certainly fitting.

"Your nose is quite sharp... Poetry of a woman's grievances has always required empathy. If a man cannot project himself into the feelings of the other, how could he ever write of such things?"

Just as He Ru was about to reply, a knock sounded at the door. Zuo Jun went to open it, and Zhan Wenjun stood outside.

Zuo Jun’s face flushed; he didn't know if the conversation in the room had reached her ears. While he had nothing to do with it, it was still deeply awkward to hear!

He Ru, however, remained perfectly calm. He stood up and pulled Zuo Jun toward the door. "Didn't you say you didn't understand the line from Han Fei, 'Clever deceit is not as good as clumsy sincerity; only sincerity can win the hearts of men'? Come back to the room, and I will explain it to you carefully."

Once they had left, Zhan Wenjun entered the room and smiled. "Why did Master He leave so hurriedly? Was he afraid I would hold him accountable?"

Even if Xu You’s skin were thicker, he knew the conversation had been overheard. "Shameful, truly shameful!" he said.

Even with his silver tongue, he found it impossible to argue his way out of this. If he claimed it was just banter, was it appropriate to joke about a woman’s reputation? Especially as a group of men in a private room? If he claimed it was serious, that was even worse—she was a widow, her husband had been dead for less than a year, the three-year mourning period was not over, and her father-in-law’s fate was still unknown. To say such things now was nothing short of preying on her misfortune.

So, every path of explanation was wrong. Suddenly, Xu You recalled He Ru’s parting words: "Clever deceit is not as good as clumsy sincerity; only sincerity can win the hearts of men!" Inspiration struck, and he remained silent, offering a sincere and humble apology.

To his surprise, Zhan Wenjun was not angry. Instead, she fixed her gaze upon him, her eyes shimmering as she said softly, "The child knows not the height of the heavens, and foolishly smears the snowy brush with dark mud. Has Master Xu ever experienced a love that pierced his heart, or a woman he cherished so deeply, that he could write poetry that understands the heart of a young woman so well?"