Chapter 1 Countermeasures
one,
The taverns in Kuanglan City were unusually prosperous during Peng Yuancheng's siege. The war had brought most businesses to a standstill, leaving bored citizens with no choice but to while away the time in the taverns. As is often the case with people, gossip far outweighs genuine insight, and the taverns became places where neighbors exchanged rumors and discussed the war. Among them were naturally pessimists, deeply worried about the situation, and also those passionately vowing to fight to the death for the city.
With the war over, abandoned businesses reopened, but the habit of spending time in taverns every day, once formed, was hard to break. The victories of the Peace Army soldiers in Chen and at Kuanglan City became the talk of the town. Now, whether previously pessimistic or passionate, everyone unanimously declared that they had always believed the Peace Army would hold Kuanglan City and achieve victory, completely forgetting the whispers they had shared with their wives those nights about how to welcome Peng Yuancheng. This was understandable; in this chaotic world, only by obeying the strong could they survive. Up to this point, Li Jun and his Peace Army, whether facing external threats or internal strife, had maintained their composure as strong leaders, which was why the people trusted them and were willing to follow his reform measures.
"Danglu" is an old establishment by the docks of Kuanglan City. Back when Kuanglan City was still called Tonghai, the owner, Zhuo Tian, settled here and built his business. Although there weren't many merchants from all over the world at that time, it was enough for him to make a living. Now, merchants gather here and guests fill the restaurant. The store has long since been replaced by a three-story building with painted eaves and upturned corners. There are more than ten chefs and waiters, but the food and drinks in the restaurant are still the same as they used to be—generous portions and absolutely genuine. And Zhuo Tian, just like in the old days, is at the bottom counter, wiping the counter so clean it reflects your face, while listening to the dockworkers and small merchants from all over the world chatter about all sorts of things.
"Boss Zhuo, another jar of your finest Shaoxing wine."
Zhuo Tian smiled and agreed. Without waiting for instructions, the waiter quickly brought over a jar of yellow wine. The person who had ordered the wine broke the clay seal on the jar, took a deep sniff of the aroma, and then filled the jars for his friends at the table.
"Business is pretty good." A young man sitting near the counter took a sip of his drink and raised his glass to Zhuo Tian.
Zhuo Tian was taken aback when he first saw him. The young man had come in with three companions, and it was his companions who had been calling for wine and dishes. Only now had he spoken. Zhuo Tian felt that the young man's voice was quite familiar, and when he saw his face, he couldn't help but be startled.
"TOEFL, TOEFL, I'll just barely pass," he replied cautiously.
The young man and his seatmate exchanged a glance, then lowered their heads again. The middle-aged man, who was already somewhat drunk, stroked his disheveled beard and hiccuped as he asked, "According to this guest, there was a great battle in this city not long ago. May I ask what caused this battle?"
The waiter who had been delivering wine to the guests was returning when he overheard this and interjected, "What caused this? It's naturally because that Peng Yuancheng is ungrateful and doesn't know what's good for him."
“Wrong, wrong,” a customer shook his head and said, “Young man, your understanding is far from correct. The cause of the war is the wickedness of people’s hearts and the rampant desires of human beings.”
All eyes turned to him. Seeing everyone's attention, he seemed quite pleased with himself. He picked up his wine and took a long sip, saying, "If people's hearts were not so treacherous, why would Peng Yuancheng, entrusted with such an important task by Commander Li, rebel? If people's desires were not so rampant, why would Peng Yuancheng, who already possesses two cities, still be dissatisfied and want to annex Yuzhou?"
"Sir, you are right. Let's drink, let's drink." Zhuo Tian glanced at the young man who had lowered his head and interrupted the drinker. But then a scholar-looking man next to him said, "That's wrong. Peng Yuancheng's rebellion was certainly driven by his wolfish ambitions, but Li Jun is also partly to blame!"
The room fell silent immediately. Kuanglan City was originally a nearly abandoned, dead city. In the two years since Li Jun arrived, he had opened the sea route, pacified Yuzhou, encouraged commerce and industry, and promoted migration, bringing it to its current prosperity. Although there had been some setbacks, including three sieges by enemy armies, the city had always survived unscathed. Therefore, the city's inhabitants had a very deep affection for Li Jun and the Peace Army. While they wouldn't necessarily die alongside the Peace Army, they would still rise up and attack anyone who criticized Li Jun.
Sure enough, one of the porters shouted first, "You pedantic old man, you've wasted your time reading books. Commander Li is wise and brilliant, how could he be wrong?" As soon as he took the lead, others immediately echoed him.
The scholar, who had been sitting down, stood up again and said, “You are all grateful for what Li Jun has done for Kuanglan City, and therefore you are on his side. I, Lu Yuan, have traveled here from Su State. I have neither received any favors from Li Jun nor have any enmity with him. Therefore, I am able to offer a fair and just opinion. If you are truly doing this for Li Jun’s good, it seems that you should not all agree and not tolerate any criticism from others.”
The restaurant fell silent. The Peace Army, operating in Kuanglan City, generally didn't restrict speech, so the usual "Do not discuss state affairs" signs were nowhere to be seen. Although everyone secretly sided with Li Jun, they had to admit the scholar's words made sense.
"As far as I know, Li Jun has only recently acquired Yuzhou. Apart from Kuanglan City, Yinhu City, and Leiming City, the people of the other cities are not yet loyal to him. Yet he has recklessly advanced his army, solely because of the incompetent ruler of Chen, leaving tens of thousands of soldiers of the Peace Army in a dilemma and causing millions of households in Yuzhou to suffer from the ravages of war. With Li Jun's intelligence, how could he not be prepared for the likes of Peng Yuancheng and Jiang Runqun? There is only one explanation: he knows there are tigers in the mountains, yet he still chooses to walk into the tiger's den. He himself is highly skilled and daring, so naturally he is not afraid of this, but why should the people of Yuzhou follow him into danger?"
The scholar named Lu Yuan became more and more enthusiastic as he spoke. After drinking all the wine in his cup, he continued, "Therefore, either Li Jun disregarded the lives of millions of people, or Li Jun lacked wisdom and foresight. In short, Li Jun is by no means a hero!"
Zhuo Tian shook his head upon hearing this, left the counter, grabbed his sleeve, and said, "Sir, you're drunk. You should go back and rest early. There's no point in saying more."
"Words are useless; a single word can bring prosperity to a nation, or it can destroy it." The slightly drunk middle-aged man laughed heartily, raised his glass to Lu Yuan, and said, "Sir, your insightful words have enlightened me. I see that you have excellent eloquence and extraordinary knowledge. Why have you fallen to this state?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan immediately blushed. He had traveled far and wide, originally seeking a place where he could display his talents, but fate seemed to always be playing tricks on him. He wandered around aimlessly, always frustrated and unsuccessful. Therefore, before Peng Yuancheng's rebellion, upon hearing that Li Jun of Yuzhou was recruiting talented people, he rushed from Su State, only to encounter war again. Li Jun himself was in Chen State, and Feng Jiutian was busy with military affairs and had no time to meet him, which was why he was destitute in the tavern. His words just now were largely an expression of his frustration with Li Jun and the Peace Army's neglect.
"Hahahaha..." The people in the tavern laughed good-naturedly when they saw his disheveled state. Lu Yuan glared at the middle-aged man for a long time before finally relaxing his brows and shaking his head, saying, "How can a swallow in the courtyard know the ambition of a roc soaring over rivers and seas?"
"How can a frog in a well see the world?" the middle-aged man retorted without any politeness. This rebuttal made Lu Yuan solemn. He stood up, bowed deeply, and said, "So you are a master, sir. I was too impetuous."
The middle-aged man returned the greeting, which eased Zhuo Tian's worries, who had been etched on his brow. He smiled and said, "You two are extraordinary people. The food and wine on these two tables are on my treat."
The middle-aged man turned to look at Zhuo Tian, smiled slightly, and said, "Boss Zhuo's insight is sharp, and not just anyone can match it."
For some reason, Zhuo Tian lowered his eyes and said, "I dare not. I just have a good memory. I can remember people I have met once and voices I have heard once for the rest of my life."
“Let’s go. How about we invite Mr. Lu to join us for a talk?” the middle-aged man asked the young man, turning back to him.
"Hmm." The young man straightened up, placed a gold coin on the table, and said, "I should treat you to these two tables of food and wine. It should be my treat."
Everyone watched them leave. The waiter went to collect the gold coins from the table and asked curiously, "Why did that young man say that he should pay for these two tables of food and wine?"
Zhuo Tian smiled wryly: "Because this young man is Commander Li Jun, and that middle-aged man is Mr. Feng Jiutian."
Li Jun left the restaurant. He didn't have much desire for alcohol or women, which was quite rare among soldiers. So, getting away from the smell of alcohol in the restaurant and breathing in the fresh air outside made him feel relieved.
Most importantly, the people's support for him and their tolerance for his strategic missteps made him feel at ease. Although Lu Yuan criticized him for being responsible for Peng Yuancheng's betrayal, the people didn't take it seriously. He himself had always felt that he was indirectly responsible for the suffering of the people and the deaths of generals like Xiao Lin and Su Xiang, a feeling that made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Once outside, Lu Yuan asked, "May I ask your honorable names, gentlemen?"
Li Jun looked at him for a while, then smiled and said, "I am Li Jun, who is inextricably linked to this matter."
Lu Yuan's eyes widened in an instant. He had long heard of Li Jun's fame, and although people had told him how young Li Jun was, he had never expected that the young man with a short mustache but still a hint of childishness in his brows was the already world-renowned Li Jun. He bowed deeply to the ground and said, "I offended Commander Li with my words just now. I hope Commander Li will not take offense."
Li Jun and Feng Jiutian exchanged a smile. He had returned to Kuanglan City from Leiming City without alerting anyone; he had practically slipped back quietly. The reason he was in this tavern was because he had accepted Feng Jiutian's suggestion to observe the people's sentiments and understand their opinions on the recent upheavals. Their trip to the tavern had been very satisfying, and they were even more pleased to have met Lu Yuan, a man of considerable eloquence who could be of use to the Peace Army.
“Mr. Lu, there’s no need for such formalities. If I were to blame you, I wouldn’t have asked you to leave with me,” Li Jun said gently. “Besides, what you say is true. I do have a responsibility. Peng Yuancheng could have chosen not to betray us, but I pushed him onto the path of rebellion. This not only caused the Peace Army to suffer heavy losses, but also made the people of Yuzhou suffer.”
Lu Yuan bowed again. He had traveled extensively and seen and learned a great deal, and there were countless people whose pomp and circumstance far surpassed Li Jun's. But there was none who made him feel as deep and vast as the ocean as Li Jun. He exchanged a glance with Feng Jiutian, and the two smiled knowingly. Lu Yuan cupped his hands in a salute and said, "The frog at the bottom of the well has finally seen the world today."
Feng Jiutian grabbed his arm and said, "It was just a little argument, Mr. Lu, please don't be offended. I was busy with worldly affairs, so I only got to see you today."
Lu Yuan suddenly realized: "So it's Mr. Feng. His cry echoes throughout the heavens and resounds across the land; he is truly extraordinary. And these two are..."
"Lei Hun." The tall and slender Lei Hun merely bowed slightly, his expression remaining as deep and somber. It was the boy beside him, whose face still bore a youthful air, who bowed to Lu Yuan and said, "Junior Lü Wubing."
Lu Yuan didn't know much about Lei Hun; of course, he didn't know that Lei Hun was just an alias. But the young man Lü Wubing made him pause, and he said, "That day when we defeated Peng Yuancheng, the young general Lü Wubing, who followed General Tu Longziyun and beheaded more than fifty enemies, was it you?"
Lu Wubing chuckled sheepishly, scratching his head somewhat embarrassedly. He was originally from the Su Kingdom, but by chance, he followed Lei Hun to Kuanglan City. He distinguished himself in the battle against Peng Yuancheng, and Li Jun and Feng Jiutian no longer treated him like a child. However, he himself still felt that he was just Lei Hun's guard and dared not speak much in front of others.
After settling Lu Yuan in, Feng Jiutian stared into Li Jun's eyes and asked, "How will the commander settle Lu Yuan?"
Li Jun subconsciously wiped his upper lip, thought for a moment, and then smiled, "What is Mr. Feng's intention?"
Feng Jiutian bluntly said, "I think Lu Yuan may have some eloquence, but his ability to actually handle problems is mediocre. He is more than capable of being the lord of a city or region, but he is not capable of handling things on his own. It would be best to use him as an envoy to form alliances and win battles in the imperial court."
Li Jun nodded slightly. His opinion on Lu Yuan was almost identical to Feng Jiutian's, but he believed that Lu Yuan still had great potential.
"The master once said that I have the heart to recruit talents but lack the practice of treating the virtuous with respect," Li Jun said slowly, his eyes flashing a few times as he stared at Feng Jiutian.