RWNEFE -Chapter 118 Do You Think Zhou Ruyuan Is a Fool?

The moment Shen Yuanjing heard he still had to read, his shoulders slumped at once.

“Eldest Sister, to be honest with you, I’m really not cut out for studying. If Father, Grandfather, and Grandmother hadn’t kept forcing me, I wouldn’t even have passed the tongsheng exam!”

Others might not know it, but he knew himself very well.

Back then, people were always flattering him—saying he was the County Princess’s son, the Empress Dowager’s favorite grandson, His Majesty’s beloved nephew; that his father was a leading scholar among civil officials, so talented in his youth, and that he would surely inherit his father’s brilliance… They lifted him so high that if he failed, it would only disgrace the family.

In truth, he had always known his own limits. Now that no one was praising him anymore, and no one was chasing after him to push him into the imperial examinations, he secretly felt relieved every time he practiced martial arts.

He never expected that when Grandfather, Grandmother, and Father no longer cared, it would be his Eldest Sister who stepped forward to urge him to read.

Could it be that in this life, he could never escape the fate of studying and taking the imperial exams?

Reluctantly, Shen Yuanjing opened the box. When he saw the characters on the books inside, his eyes widened in disbelief.

“Eldest Sister, are these the books you mean?” His lips curled upward uncontrollably.

A trace of a smile flickered in Shen Lanxi’s eyes. “Yes. With that attitude—are you saying you don’t want to read them?”

Afraid she might regret it, Shen Yuanjing hurriedly grabbed two books and hugged them to his chest.

“No, I want to read! I really want to read them. Eldest Sister—no, no… Eldest Brother, I won’t disturb you while you eat. I’m off!”

Shen Lanxi watched in amusement as her eldest younger brother left, sneaking away like a thief clutching his loot.

Like a watermelon thief, really. Judging by that energy, his back injury was clearly nothing serious.

Time passed swiftly, and the heavens were kind. Just as the ship’s freshwater was about to run out, a heavy rain fell. For three consecutive days the skies did not clear, and every container on the ship was filled to the brim. The freshwater they collected was more than enough to sustain them until they reached Xiguan.

During this time, Xiaoxue delivered several messages—news from the capital, from Ghost Valley, and from Tianjin, Xiguan, the north, Dongchuan, and the northwest.

Shen Lanxi summoned Liu Yanhui, Wei Dongzhu, Cheng Zheng, and the others to discuss matters.

“In the past few days, I’ve received three letters from the northwest.”

“The first: three more cities in the northwest have fallen.”

“The second: the Northern Expedition Army’s grain supplies were burned.”

“The third: the court intends to open peace talks with the Turks, the Tatars, and Persia.”

This was official military intelligence. How did she know about it?

Wei Dongzhu glanced at the three letters by Shen Lanxi’s hand, then quickly withdrew his gaze.

News like grain supplies being burned was a humiliation; the court would certainly seal such information and never let outsiders know. Could it be that the Shen family, while appearing to obediently accept exile, still had hidden means?

“Since we’re idle anyway, let’s discuss it,” Shen Lanxi said calmly. “What do you think about the peace talks?”

Wei Dongzhu slammed the table immediately.

“The Turks, Tatars, and Persians have repeatedly invaded Great Zhou’s territory and slaughtered our people. There can be no peace talks with them—only war!”

Liu Yanhui and the others glanced at Wei Dongzhu, curious why his reaction was so intense.

After all, among those at the table, some had been framed, others harmed by imperial relatives. Frankly speaking, the fact that they didn’t openly wish for a dynastic change already showed great restraint.

Among them, only Hu Zhu—Wei Dongzhu—was an exception.

Liu Yanhui spoke up at once. “War requires grain supplies. Right now, we face a great drought in the north and refugee uprisings within, and three powerful enemies without. With troubles both internal and external, we don’t have the conditions to wage war.”

As expected of someone from the Ministry of Revenue—he never strayed from his professional instincts.

Cheng Zheng had already written his conclusion: There is no path but peace talks.

Sang Guo also wrote: The burning of the grain—this was their handiwork.

Wei Dongzhu, a military man, burned with anger at the word “peace,” yet he had no way to refute it.

Autumn was approaching, when grass and water would be plentiful. The three tribes would surely take advantage of their strong troops and sturdy horses to launch attacks—seizing cities and looting grain and wealth to prepare for winter.

Although the northwest was not as cold as Dongchuan, winter there was still harsh. If they negotiated peace now, they might at least secure one winter of breathing room.

“Since peace talks can’t be avoided, then accountability must follow,” Wei Dongzhu said. From his experience, something as critical as grain supplies would be guarded with extreme vigilance. It would be impossible for enemies to succeed unless there were two possibilities: an internal traitor, or negligence on the part of those escorting the supplies.

Liu Yanhui nodded. “Indeed. The people responsible for escorting the grain should be held accountable.”

Cheng Zheng and the others voiced their agreement.

Shen Lanxi’s expression turned subtle as she raised an eyebrow. “The one escorting the grain… was Zhou Ruyuan.”

Liu Yanhui and Wei Dongzhu both stiffened.

Cheng Zheng and the other scholars reacted a beat later—this grain escort official shared the same name as Great Zhou’s God of War.

“Cough, cough—” Liu Yanhui awkwardly coughed twice, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Don’t look at me. I’ve eaten too much salty fish these past two days to save water. Drank less water,” he said hastily.

Wei Dongzhu instantly understood—he knew Shen Lanxi’s true identity.

“It won’t hurt to drink a little more water,” he said sternly, lifting the teapot and pouring Liu Yanhui a cup.

Liu Yanhui quickly took it and covered his mouth.

Mentioning Zhou Ruyuan again stirred no ripples in Shen Lanxi’s heart.

Wrongs had their culprits, debts their owners. She had already settled their past score. If Zhou Ruyuan came knocking again, that would be a different account altogether.

“Do you think Zhou Ruyuan is a fool?” Shen Lanxi asked.

The moment her words fell, Liu Yanhui burst into a fit of heart-wrenching coughing—this time, he had truly choked on water.

Wei Dongzhu, seated close to him on his right, was sprayed half-soaked. His face darkened like the bottom of a pot.

Liu Yanhui nearly coughed his lungs out. After finally calming his throat, he casually grabbed a handkerchief and wiped his mouth.

Wei Dongzhu’s face darkened even further as he yanked his sleeve back from Liu Yanhui’s hand.

Damn it—this Liu Yanhui usually dressed like a pampered young noble. How could he be so sloppy?

Staring at the damp sleeve, Wei Dongzhu’s face grew even darker. He stood up without the slightest courtesy and moved a bit farther away.

Shen Lanxi: “……”

“Sorry, I was too thirsty and drank too fast,” Liu Yanhui said awkwardly.

Shen Lanxi: Do you think I believe that?

“Zhou Ruyuan is definitely not stupid. If he were, how could he be titled Great Zhou’s God of War?” Liu Yanhui hurriedly steered the discussion back on track.

Shen Lanxi continued, “Then do you think he would collude with foreign tribes?”

“Even more impossible. He’s the Third Prince of Great Zhou. Losing cities brings him no benefit at all,” Liu Yanhui denied again.

Wei Dongzhu said angrily, “Then it must have been negligence.”

Cheng Zheng asked, “Why would the God of War be escorting grain in the first place?”

That question struck right at the core.

Shen Lanxi replied ambiguously, “He made a mistake that many men make.”

Those who knew the inside story understood immediately.

Wei Dongzhu and Liu Yanhui thought in unison: Don’t tell me this has something to do with her…?