138. The Strategist of the Shen Family

Shen Residence, Creek Garden.

As dusk fell, when Lu Jin and Shen Yanxi returned to Creek Garden from the military training ground, Steward Su was already waiting at the entrance.

"Young Madam, Young Master, the person has been brought back, but..." Steward Su hesitated, unsure whether his young master would fly into a rage upon hearing the news.

Upon hearing that the person had been brought back, Lu Jin let out a sigh of relief. Everything else could be managed.

"Steward Su, if there is something to say, just say it directly," Shen Yanxi said.

"Young Madam, a total of five people were captured from that side. The other four were... were executed on the very same day. This last one also sustained quite severe injuries. However, this old servant has already had a physician examine him."

"We understand, Steward Su. Take me to see him," Lu Jin said. Such matters were entirely expected; given Lu Jin's judgment, the probability of them already being dead was much higher—after all, river bandits had no human rights to speak of.

"Husband, I will go with you to take a look as well," Shen Yanxi said.

Lu Jin instinctively wanted to dissuade her, but suddenly remembered that regardless of what his wife's past experiences were, he at least knew she had witnessed scenes far more desolate than this.

The group followed the steward to a small courtyard in the southwestern corner. As soon as they stepped inside, they saw Huang Sang come running over, a seven-foot-tall man weeping like a child.

"Second Chief, several of our brothers have died, and the Third Chief has been beaten all over, covered in wounds..."

"Yes, I know. Since he is back, it's already better than losing his life," Lu Jin comforted him.

"I'll go inside to take a look. Wife, you should wait outside." The interior might not be entirely suitable for her.

Shen Yanxi did not press further and simply waited outside for her husband.

Entering the room, Lu Jin was immediately greeted by a heavy stench of medicine. Hurrying to the bedside, he saw that Ma Su was barely recognizable, his entire body covered in bloody whip marks with not a single inch of skin left intact. A physician was currently dressing his external wounds—a sight so gruesome that Lu Jin could scarcely bear to look.

"Sec... Second Chief. I..." Ma Su's swollen eyelids left only a slit.

"Rest easy. I found out too late, and let our brothers die in vain."

"Ho... How can you blame... Second Chief...? None of the brothers ever thought... ever thought we'd make it out alive. It's all thanks to... thanks to the Second Chief's grace in saving our lives," Ma Su said laboriously.

"Alright, it's all in the past now. The most important thing is to recover properly from your injuries."

Ma Su managed an affirmative sound, his face beaded with sweat from the agony.

"By the way, Third Chief, why did they beat you like this?" In Lu Jin's understanding, captives would either be executed immediately or locked up; what value could a mere river bandit possess that would warrant such torture?

"They were interrogating... interrogating us for the whereabouts of the First Chief and the others. Otherwise, I wouldn't have survived until now..."

Lu Jin understood and quickly consoled him, "Then just focus on healing your wounds now. You don't need to worry about anything else; everything else can wait until you've recovered."

After offering a few words of comfort to Ma Su, Lu Jin stepped outside. With a physician and dedicated attendants arranged inside, Lu Jin no longer needed to worry about the details.

"How is he, Husband?" Shen Yanxi asked.

"To extract the location of their stronghold, he was tortured until not a single patch of his body is untouched," Lu Jin sighed.

"This Nanmen Yue certainly doesn't know how to pull his punches!" Shen Yanxi said indignantly.

Lu Jin: "..." He couldn't tell whether Shen Yanxi was genuinely acting out of emotion or merely putting on a show for the benefit of the river bandit brothers.

"General Nanmen was merely fulfilling his duty, and he had no way of knowing our relationship. We cannot blame him." Lu Jin spoke as much for Huang Sang's benefit as for Shen Yanxi's.

Besides, the root of this matter ultimately traced back to himself. Everyone stood on different sides, and Lu Jin truly could not blame anyone.

"Huang Sang, take good care of the Third Chief. I will log this as a contribution for you, and you must not slack off in the slightest."

"You can rest easy, Second Chief! I originally thought..." Today, Lu Jin had had Xiaobai oversee Huang Sang's cleanup, and Huang Sang, now dressed in the attire of a Shen family servant, looked considerably better than he had that morning.

"Alright, we will head back first. Steward Su, please take good care of him," Lu Jin patted Huang Sang on the shoulder and turned to Steward Su.

"Rest assured, Young Master, this old servant will keep a personal watch." Although Steward Su was not privy to every detail, as the steward of Creek Garden, Shen Yanxi and Lu Jin were his true masters, so naturally, he would invest proper effort.

"Steward Su, this matter must not spread outside Creek Garden," Shen Yanxi said coldly.

"Young Madam, rest assured!" Steward Su hastily agreed.

Lu Jin was actually rather baffled. Was something like this something you could just suppress by saying so? Never mind how the man was brought in, just think of how many people already knew. However, Lu Jin didn't dwell on it; if Shen Hao wanted to find out, then so be it.

Accompanied by maids and servants, Lu Jin led Shen Yanxi toward Cloud-Watching Tower.

"I just asked the physician; your brother will likely need to lie in bed for ten days to half a month before he can walk."

"Mm, keeping his life is already fortunate. Actually, they are victims of an undeserved catastrophe." Lu Jin said.

Shen Yanxi let out a light chuckle. Indeed they were. Yet, coming from an aristocratic background, if not for her husband's connection, Shen Yanxi would have found it exceedingly difficult to feel any sympathy for such people.

"By the way, Wife, I plan to go see Lu Wei in the next few days."

"What are you going there for?" Hearing Lu Jin say this, Shen Yanxi immediately grew anxious. What kind of place was that? How could Shen Yanxi possibly allow her husband to return there?

"Wife, do not be alarmed. At present, not many people in Jiangzhou know about the Southern invasion of the Bairong, let alone the river bandits. The reason I maintain this relationship is precisely in anticipation of it being useful at a critical moment, isn't it? Just think, if military forces across the country are mobilized in a few days, the Lancang River bandits will inevitably become active once more. If Lu Wei learns of this news in advance, he can make preparations early, seizing the opportunity to subjugate other bandit strongholds and strengthen himself first. Only then will your husband be able to make use of them later..." Lu Jin reasoned persuasively.

Shen Yanxi lowered her head in contemplation. The logic was sound, but the risk was simply too great.

"Then Husband, you could just send that Huang fellow back to deliver the message. Why must you risk going yourself?"

"Does my wife underestimate her husband? As the Second Chief, I haven't actually contributed much to the stronghold. But if I go there this time, relying on your husband's mastery of strategy, Lu Wei's forces will inevitably expand rapidly. As long as I hold this credit, who in the water alliance would dare refuse to submit to me? When I genuinely need to call upon them in the future, will they be able to disobey?" Lu Jin was no longer stationed there; without living and dying alongside the brothers for a prolonged period, what kind of influence could he maintain? He would be nothing more than a mere resident liaison officer in the city, which was not what Lu Jin wanted.

Furthermore, Lu Jin intended to bring a portion of them over to set up camp within the city, hiding them among the ranks of the escort agency. That way, he would possess a genuine force of his own, making future communications much more convenient.

"Then I shall accompany Husband."

"Wife, stop messing around. Is that any place for you to go?" Lu Jin was startled.

"If Husband can go, then this wife can go as well. And I am not being unreasonable or reckless." Shen Yanxi stated firmly.

Lu Jin stared with wide eyes. You call this not being unreasonable and reckless?

"Then let me ask Husband, since you will be gone for quite some time, how do you plan to explain it to the family?" Shen Yanxi looked at her husband with amused interest.

"..." Well, he hadn't figured that out yet. Besides, would bringing her along make it any easier to explain?

"Look, Husband does need me, doesn't he?" Shen Yanxi smiled.

"Then what excuse will you use?" Lu Jin refused to believe she could conjure up a valid pretext.

"It's very simple. I am going to stay at the Clear Wind Villa with my husband for a period of time." Shen Yanxi's eyes were filled with affection.

"..." Lu Jin was stunned, though he had to admit this method was remarkably clever.

"Wife, even so, can a bandit lair be a place for you?" How could a woman of his wife's standing go to such a place? Should any danger arise, it would be too late for regrets.

"Could it be that they would harbor ill intentions toward the Second Chief's woman?" Shen Yanxi asked with a smile.

Lu Jin pulled his wife closer. Don't say things like that; if you keep talking like that, I'll truly go mad. Such a thought was too terrifying to even entertain.

"They are currently being hunted and hounded to the point of utter wretchedness, hiding in who knows what godforsaken corner. My wife is as fair as a fairy—forget about whether you are willing or not, even I could never consent to letting you suffer such hardship." The more Lu Jin spoke, the more resolute he became. Yes, exactly like that.

"Mm, Husband's concerns are indeed reasonable. After all, for Husband's sake, this wife cannot afford to look too destitute either," Shen Yanxi said indifferently.

Lu Jin felt a wave of relief wash over him. Exactly, that was precisely the point.

"Therefore, this wife has decided to bring along several hundred family guards, with tents and all provisions fully prepared. Won't Husband's worries be resolved then?"

(⊙ꇴ⊙) Lu Jin stared fixedly at his wife. What on earth is going through your mind? Are you treating this like a vacation?

"No, a few hundred is still too few. Bringing a thousand should be just about right." Shen Yanxi's gaze grew dreamy.

(⊙ꇴ⊙) Lu Jin was speechless. How did this conversation become even more absurd?

"Wife, stop joking around. Just stay at home and wait for me for a few days. Your husband will make a quick trip and return promptly, guaranteed not to let my wife suffer the torment of yearning."

"But this wife cannot bear to be apart from Husband for even a moment."

Lu Jin: (⊙ꇴ⊙) Is she really being this exaggerated? It's not like she clings to him all day long, is it?

"So that my wife does not fall ill from longing, your husband has even prepared a farewell poem." As a modern, warm-hearted man upholding the family tradition of doting on one's wife, Lu Jin spared no effort when it came to coaxing his spouse.

"Oh, let your husband hear it first, and this wife will decide whether it is satisfactory or not." Shen Yanxi hadn't expected this unexpected bonus, and told him to recite it before she judged.

"That's easy. Lu Jin boards the boat and is about to set sail, when suddenly on the shore comes the sound of stamping and singing. The deep green waters of the Lancang River measure a thousand feet, yet they cannot compare to the depth of my wife's parting affection. How is that?"

"Pfft! That one won't do!" Shen Yanxi laughed uncontrollably.

"Ah, how can that be? Your husband racked his brains for days over this, specifically to use for bidding farewell to my wife." Lu Jin defended it desperately. This was a literary masterpiece, how could it possibly fall flat?

"It sounds too cheerful; it doesn't express this wife's feelings at all."

(⊙ꇴ⊙) Previously, she would have been ecstatic over any random verse, but now she was being picky. Ah, truly, one shouldn't spoil them too much.

"Then listen to this one, my wife: Standing alone upon the tall tower as the delicate wind blows, gazing afar at the sorrow of spring, a gloomy melancholy rises to the edge of the sky. Amidst the grass color, smoky light, and declining sunlight, in silence, who understands the intent of leaning upon the balustrade? ... The belt around my waist grows looser day by day yet I never regret it, growing haggard and worn for the sake of the one I love. How is this one?" Lu Jin had brought out his absolute trump card.

"Mm, Husband's lyric is exceptionally fine, and it truly captures this wife's sentiments. Since we've reached the room, why doesn't Husband write it down? Though, does Husband plan to go in the spring?" Shen Yanxi was overjoyed in her heart. Regardless of how good the lyric was, getting her husband to write down one more poem meant one more in hand, saving it from benefiting anyone else later.

"The character for autumn doesn't sound very pleasant, so I altered it." Literary works required careful refinement, and such a minor change wasn't abrupt at all.

Upon entering Cloud-Watching Tower, Lu Jin naturally wrote down Liu Yong's lyric "Butterflies Entangled in Flowers" while being served by Shen Yanxi.

Shen Yanxi looked at it with utmost satisfaction and instructed the maid to properly preserve it. Her beautiful eyes then turned to her husband.

"Husband, when do you plan for us to depart, then?"

Lu Jin: (⊙ꇴ⊙) Hm? What does that mean?

"Wife, you can't go back on your word now. Your husband racked his brains to come up with such a piece, how can my wife go back on her promise?" Lu Jin realized he had fallen victim to his wife's clever trap once again.

"This wife never made any promise to Husband, so how can you say I went back on my word?" Shen Yanxi spoke with absolute confidence, clearly having everything under control and not acting out of mere whim.

"Hmph! Tonight I'm sleeping by myself!" Lu Jin said in a huff.

Shen Yanxi's face flushed red. This blockhead—who uses that kind of threat against his own wife? The maids couldn't help smiling at the young master's antics.

"Husband, don't be hasty. Listen to what this wife has to say." Shen Yanxi pulled the huffy Lu Jin down to sit on the couch. Dealing with this overgrown child really required some patience.

"Husband's intention earlier was already clear to this wife. You simply want to seize this opportunity to rapidly expand Big Brother Lu Wei's strength and gain the initiative. Am I right?"

"Of course!" Lu Jin said.

"Then has Husband considered what their current strength actually is—how many men, how many boats, and how much armor they possess?" Shen Yanxi reasoned patiently.

"..." How could he know right now? Wasn't going there the only way to find out?

"Although this wife does not know the inside story, under the suppression of government troops, one can imagine it's hardly optimistic. So, does Husband possess the divine art of scattering beans to turn them into soldiers?"

Lu Jin: O_O???

"If Husband cannot do that, then if this wife and Husband lead a few hundred family guards under the pretext of an autumn outing and hunting trip in the city, sailing several dozen boats to join forces with Big Brother Lu Wei, with our family guards disguised as water alliance brethren, which band of river bandits could possibly resist? Not only will it temper the Shen family's guards, but it will also help Husband achieve an overwhelming merit. In the future, wouldn't the Lancang River water alliance look exclusively to Husband for leadership?"

Lu Jin: (⊙ꇴ⊙) "..."

"With this wife going together with Husband, not only will we have a legitimate reason, but we can also help Husband establish his career while eliminating Husband's worries and concerns, resolving this wife's yearning, and fulfilling our shared wish to view all the scenic wonders of the Lancang River. Please give this wife a single reason to refuse!"

Lu Jin: (⊙ꇴ⊙) "..."

There was no reason; he just wanted some peace and quiet!