Chapter 59: Only villains and women are difficult to deal with

"Your Honor does not understand. Those bandits of Liangshan are no ordinary outlaws; among them are many capable and exceedingly cunning individuals. Furthermore, there is a man named Wu Yong, known as the 'Wisewatcher,' who possesses genuine cleverness. Unless we meticulously devise a strategy, they will certainly never fall into our trap."

Su Wu had considered numerous possibilities, turning them over and over in his mind, and had repeatedly warned himself that Liangshan must never be underestimated. The slightest mistake could lead to utter failure on the verge of success.

This was something Su Wu constantly reminded himself of nowadays: he must never look down upon his enemies and opponents, nor should he ever truly believe that he possessed wisdom surpassing his era.

Cheng Wanli seemed somewhat annoyed as well. He waved his hand—not uttering any harsh words, but simply saying, "We shall discuss this tomorrow, discuss it tomorrow..."

Knowing when to advance and when to retreat, Su Wu pressed no further. He cupped his hands in a salute and withdrew.

He knew all too well that this matter was indeed rather demanding, yet the constant threat of being targeted by thieves was something that simply had to be resolved.

Aside from anything else, Su Wu could not keep his nerves strung taut forever to face this crisis; he had many other responsibilities. Should he be careless and allow the Liangshan men to succeed, the consequences would be unthinkable.

Cheng Wanli also stepped out of the back office study. After walking just a few paces, a voice suddenly called out, "Father..."

Startled, Cheng Wanli recovered himself and turned around to look. "What are you doing here? Sneaking about like that, you gave me quite a fright."

From around the corner of the eaves walked a young woman. First she curtsied, and then she spoke: "Father, I merely heard that a guest had arrived, so I came to take a look..."

"Take a look at what?" Cheng Wanli frowned.

"Just to take a look..." the young lady replied.

Cheng Wanli's frown deepened. "Didn't you already see him earlier? What else is there to look at?"

Cheng Wanli perhaps... sensed the stirrings of something rather unusual. What was a grown young woman doing, running out to look at men for no reason?

He knew, of course, that this daughter of his was indeed somewhat different.

Take the last time, for instance: when he himself was entirely at a loss, this very daughter had remained completely composed and had even offered words of comfort to him, her father...

From childhood, this daughter had been exceptional. The reason he doted on her so much was precisely because she had always been unlike other young women.

True to form, his daughter replied: "I merely came to look at that Su Wu. The last time I saw him, I hadn't yet had a good look before he discovered me. How could I have the nerve to stare then?"

"And you've seen him clearly this time?" Cheng Wanli asked with exasperation.

"I saw him clearly..." The young woman pointed toward the hinge on the window at the corner of the eaves.

Today she truly had seen him clearly. With the darkness outside and the lamps lit within, through the narrow gap of the hinge, she had indeed perceived him plainly amidst the fading lamplight: tall and sturdily built, with a resolute face, speaking without servility or arrogance, and with absolute clarity of thought...

"Very well, since you've seen him clearly, that's enough," Cheng Wanli said with a wave of his large sleeve, walking onward.

"Father..."

Cheng Wanli's footsteps halted. He turned back, feeling impatient—truly impatient. Ordinarily, he never felt such impatience toward his daughter, but today he was exceptionally testy. "What is it?"

"I think what he said makes a great deal of sense, and his plan is quite good," the young woman said softly.

"Nonsense!" Cheng Wanli flew into a rage, turned on his heel, and walked away again.

Naturally, his daughter followed at his heels. "If Father trusts him, then what he said is naturally understood by Father to be the ultimate strategy. If he is not worthy of Father's trust, why would Father use pretexts like 'let me consider it further' and 'let's discuss it tomorrow' to stall him?"

Cheng Wanli stopped once more. He turned around, gazed intently into his daughter's face, and fell silent for a moment.

The young woman said nothing, simply waiting...

Then, Cheng Wanli spoke, his tone extremely stern: "Let me make one thing clear first. Ours is a scholarly family. Although Su Wu's character and abilities are top-tier, he rose from the greenwoods as a man of martial force; how could he ever be considered our social equal? In the past, whenever you spoke of choosing your own husband and the like, your father regarded it as mere willful mischief and did not argue with you... But today, your father will not tolerate such talk. Tell me, where in this world is there a woman who behaves as you do? It is sheer nonsense! When the day comes that we return to the capital, you shall simply wait beneath the announcement boards outside the Donghua Gate to select a husband—that is a proper match!"

"Father, whatever brought up matches and husbands? It is truly mortifying! How can a father speak to his daughter like this? Husbands and what not—where on earth has Father's mind wandered?"

The young woman looked deeply aggrieved. Her eyes seemed to redden, tears swirling in her brims before instantly spilling over...

"All right, all right. When your father saw you sneaking about like that, I simply assumed you were... you were..." Cheng Wanli's tone immediately softened.

"Assumed I was what? Father, go on, say it..."

"Nothing, nothing at all," Cheng Wanli surrendered, quickly changing tack: "His plan cannot be called bad, but I simply cannot bear to part with you and let you court danger. That is out of the question."

"Very well then. Just have me hide at home every day and never step outside, and at night post extra squads of bailiffs to patrol and guard the place. I've only ever heard of those great master thieves scaling walls and crossing courtyards as if walking on flat ground. Best of all, have Su Wu stand guard outside my bedchamber door every single day. That way, we won't have to fear those bandits at all, and I can sleep in peace. I only wonder on what day Father will be recalled to the capital..."

The young woman had already stopped crying, though her eyes remained red. Following behind her father, she spoke in a soft voice, tinged with a pitiful grievance.

Hearing this tirade, Cheng Wanli could only heave a heavy sigh: "If I had known it would come to this, I would never have come here to take office! The moment I arrive, I run into such troubles. In the entire Great Song, where else could there be such a prefecture?"

Cheng Wanli was venting; these past few days had been a true psychological torture, and holding this official post was profoundly stifling and agonizing.

"Father, if not for the fact that a major bandit arose in Yuncheng under Dongping Prefecture, causing the former prefect Chen Wenzhao to fall into disgrace, how could such a vacancy ever have opened up? There is nothing wrong with this place either; it yields abundant grain, boasts thriving commerce, and is inherently a prosperous region. If Father serves out his term and cleans up the mess left by his predecessor, would that not also be a great merit? Upon returning to the capital, how could you fail to secure a promotion?"

As she walked, the young woman continued speaking, paused slightly to look at her father, and pressed on: "Could it be that Father truly wishes to end up like Chen Wenzhao—demoted instead of promoted, returning to the capital merely to be a compiler in the Academy of Scholarly Worthies? If you return to the capital in such a state, what talk can there be of selecting a husband beneath the announcement boards outside the Donghua Gate? What talk of a good match? Father would only be able to watch as high officials and nobles carry away their brilliant sons-in-law, while as for me... who would even deign to cast a second glance?"

"You wicked girl, what kind of talk is that?" Cheng Wanli turned to scold her, though his face held no genuine fury.

"Father, that Su Wu... he possesses both courage and strategy, fine character, and handles official business in an extraordinary manner. Perhaps he truly is the path to your promotion. Won't Father think on it?"

Having finished her piece, the young woman skipped a few steps ahead of her father, turned around to block his path, and simply stared at him.

"Can he really exterminate those great bandits of Mount Liang?" Cheng Wanli asked crossly.

"Perhaps he truly can... Does Father really not believe that he might pull it off?" This daughter seemed to have a remarkable knack for managing her father.

"You say all this, but do you think your father doesn't see through your little schemes? In any case, I will not let you take the risk." Cheng Wanli clasped his hands behind his back, displaying a profound and genuine affection.

And indeed, this daughter was simply impossible not to dote on—not merely because of her appearance and temperament, but because she possessed a wisdom rarely found in ordinary women.

"Father..." The young woman's eyes spoke volumes.

"Hmph?" The old father resolutely turned his head away to avoid looking.

"Sooner or later, through some carelessness, I truly might be seized by the bandits—seized by that Dongping. I don't even dare to imagine such an outcome..." The young woman played her trump card.

"Nonsense! Utter nonsense!" Cheng Wanli beat his chest in despair, coming very close to stamping his feet.

"And what of Dongping wielding a sharp blade? Father, just think... How fierce is that Dongping? In the dead of night, if he really were to scale the courtyard wall..."

"Sigh..." Cheng Wanli expelled a long breath. How could he not know his daughter's little tricks? He was merely helpless—helpless in circles.

He could not help muttering: "Has not the sage said, 'Only villains and women are difficult to nurture!' It speaks of you! It speaks of such difficult-to-nurture women as you!"

"Then why don't you hurry and think of a way to secure a promotion back to the capital? That way we can go select a good match beneath the boards outside the Donghua Gate, and out of sight, out of mind." As she spoke, the young woman smiled—a smile filled with deliberate, sly mischief.

Her father could not manage a smile at all. Should that day truly arrive, he feared he would weep for three miles straight. With a heavy flick of his official robe's wide sleeves to the left and right, he brushed his daughter behind him, grumbled under his breath, and strode away!