By now, I was used to how bleak Liyang was. There were tens of thousands of soldiers stationed here and now that we were in a standoff, everyone was bored and were less alert as a result. Some people played Cuju, others played chess, and because the army had almost equal numbers of men and women, there were a fair number of couples. It wasn’t surprising that some soldiers would use this chance to date and advance their relations.h.i.+ps. However, the atmosphere just wasn’t there with the cold winter and the dry air.

(TL: Cuju is the earliest recognised form of football. If you watched the Red Cliff movie, you will know how it looks like.)

As for me, I was summoned to Ben Chu’s tent first thing in the morning for G.o.d knows what.

What could it be…

“Xuan De… It’s okay now.” After about 20 minutes, Ben Chu pulled open the curtains and poked out her head, “Dang dang dang dang!”

Seeing that she had drawn my attention, she parted open the curtains and revealed a set of luxurious clothes.

I don’t know what the official name for these clothes are but they are much more luxurious than any ordinary clothing I’ve seen before. I’ve seen Ben Chu in similar clothing before but this set was the best fit.

“How is it? Does it suit me?” Ben Chu said as she struck poses with her curvaceous body.

“Un, it suits you.” I nodded.

I’m not sure if it’s her aura but these clothes wouldn’t bring out the beauty in anyone, and wouldn’t feel right on someone like Yi De for example.

“That’s it?” But to Ben Chu, my opinion was not satisfying to her, “Come on, praise me more~~” Ben Chu pouted as she said so.

“I don’t really know what to say…”

So what she summoned me for was just to see her new clothes… Sometimes, I really don’t understand how girls think.

(TL: Sometimes is an understatement.)

“Xuan De doesn’t know how to make a girl happy at all~” Ben Chu said helplessly as she pointed her folding hand at me, “Shouldn’t you come up with some flattery at a time like this?”

“That huh… Perhaps I should have.”

“Hai~~” Ben Chu sighed, “How are you going to get others to do things for you if you’re like this huh~”

When I heard this, I couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

How should I put it? … Yes, I’ve received training in that area before.

After hearing what Ben Chu said, I couldn’t help but think back to the beginning of my return to Xu state after the slaying of Che Zhou.

… Yaw~~~n.

It was about to be autumn soon and the weather was clear as I sat in the town hall doing nothing. The words in the scroll just wouldn’t enter my eyes as I stretched my back and yawned.

As the saying goes, autumn is a good time for sleeping. Though many strange things tended to happen in autumn, people don’t pay much attention as they are too lethargic. And autumn days as nice as today are truly comfortable.

Though this era uses the Lunar calendar, if I were to think of it in terms of a Gregorian calendar, it should be National day soon. That said, it’s been like a holiday every day since I returned to Xu state since I basically do nothing every day.

“… My lord, have you finished the doc.u.ments?”

“*Ahem*… Un, I’m doing them now.” I jolted up and took a scroll which I pretended to read when I heard Gong You’s voice.

Did Gong You come in through the back door? She really was quiet about it.

“Un…” Gong You came over and looked at me, “It hasn’t moved at all.”

She saw through me?!

I turned back and looked at Gong You with trepidation and saw that she was frowning and looked like she did not know what she should do.

“Gong You, show me some mercy.” I put down the scroll and began pleading with Gong You, “When it comes to these scrolls, I can’t read them nor do I know how I should deal with them. What do you want me to do~”

“Un… I guess I can help…”

“Really?!”

“But I don’t know how to explain it to Zi Zhong and Xian He…”

What Gong You was referring to was the arrangement the Xu state 3 made on their own to watch over me in turn so that I would concentrate on my work.

But what the heck… Am I a prisoner?

“Gong You, help me out here…”

“I came here to check things out because I was worried, and found a problem as expected.” Just as I was about to successfully persuade her, a lazy voice came in from outside. I looked out and saw xiao Yong with her clothes in a state of disarray walking in as she dragged her shoes.

From her state of attire, she probably just woke up.

“Eh? Why is xiao Yong here?”

More trouble is here, I thought.

“Xuan De is always being like that. Whenever you meet with something that doesn’t go easily, you seek help from others. How are you going to grow up huh~~” Xiao Yong admonished me before turning to Gong You, “Gong You you are another one. How can you be convinced by this level of persuasion by Xuan De?”

“… Wu.” Gong You’s expression became sullen as she took a step back from the mental blow by xiao Yong.

“Eh? Did xiao Yong hear everything?”

“Of course I have! I’ve been squatting outside for almost half an hour now!”

This person really has a lot of free time huh.

“Alright alright~ I’ll do my work.” I gave up and picked up a scroll.

“No!” But xiao Yong immediately rejected what I said.

“Then what do you want from me…”

Tch tch tch. Xiao Yong shook her index finger at me as though she were lecturing me as a proper adult member of society, though in my eyes she was just a girl about my age.

“Xuan De, before you learn how to do work, you must learn how to deal with people.”

“Deal with people?”

“Not everyone will be easy-going as Gong You. What Xuan De has to do is to learn how to get along with people, and after that, how to convince people to help you do things willingly.”

“… Wu.” Gong You took another step back as she suffered yet another mental blow from being used as a bad example.

Xiao Yong seems to really know what she’s talking about, almost as if it’s from personal experience… Eh? Wait, does that mean this is how she always gets to slack off?

“In any case, what Xuan De has to do now is to practice how to make someone promise to do something for you.”

“Eh? Like just now?”

“Gong You’s difficulty is way too low. Of course, mine is too high.” Xiao Yong looked outside as she said so, “Un… I have to find someone suitable…”

What? She’s already looking for someone? I haven’t even agreed to it!

“Wait, what about the work?”

“That stuff isn’t important!”

Eh?!~~~~