Chapter 43 The Strategist

Lan Suting did not have a mount, so Zhu Wen pulled her toward his horse, hoisted her up into the saddle in one swift motion, and then swung himself up behind her. The two of them were squeezed together in the narrow saddle, making it look as though Zhu Wen was holding her tightly in his arms.

A trace of self-consciousness flickered in Lan Suting’s eyes.

"My luggage is still with the caravan," Lan Suting said to Zhu Wen.

"Are there any important things in it?" Zhu Wen asked as he spurred the horse into a gallop.

"No," Lan Suting shook her head. "All my important belongings are in the pouch on my person."

"Then it's no problem. We can get you whatever sundries you need once we reach the military camp."

Changing the tone of his voice, Zhu Wen asked, "Little brother, you are actually a woman, aren't you?"

Lan Suting’s body shuddered like a sensitive plant.

"N—no..."

She wanted to lie still, but Zhu Wen directly grabbed her headscarf and turned her face toward him so their eyes met.

At such close range, coupled with the gaze of a man that seemed to pierce straight to the bottom of her heart, she was instantly rendered speechless.

For such a sincere and earnest girl, lying was not an easy task.

She could only let out a helpless, light sigh, which served as tacit confirmation.

Zhu Wen smiled and released his grip.

Lan Suting’s disguise wasn't bad. At sixteen or seventeen, youths of that age sometimes genuinely had looks and voices remarkably similar to a woman's.

Therefore, even a seasoned veteran of the jianghu like Yan Jingming had failed to see that Lan Suting was a genuine maiden.

He had simply had an intuition that the other person ought to be a young lady and decided to test the waters, never expecting his guess to hit the mark.

"Actually, the caravan leader figured it out as well," Lan Suting sighed, "but he didn't tell anyone. In the profession of account-keeping, women are traditionally not permitted."

"I haven't beaten fewer women, because my second brother told me there's no need to be polite to them," Zhu Wen said candidly, while recalling the tactile sensation of the fierce beating he had administered to Chen Liqing not long ago. "Still, to brutally beat a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old maiden was indeed going a bit too far."

Lan Suting did not reply; she only used her hand to gently rub the bruise on her face.

Her slender body pressed against Zhu Wen's chest, emitting a faint, youthful fragrance.

It was not as intense as the scent carried by Junior Sister Duan Hongyan, but it possessed a quality that brought peace to one's heart.

"Is 'Suting' your real name? Not the 'Ting' from 'graceful and poised'?" Zhu Wen asked.

"Yes," Lan Suting nodded. "My late father loved the calligraphy of the Sage of Calligraphy, Wang Xizhi, during his lifetime, but I ended up studying Lady Wei's smaller regular script in the hairpin style somewhat more."

Wang Xizhi was the most famous figure of the noble Wang clan of Langya during the Eastern Jin dynasty. Leader Wang Xianzhi, whose family had completely lost the scholastic heritage of Confucian classics, was also rumored to be a direct descendant of Wang Xizhi.

"Ah, so it's an allusion to the *Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Collection*," Zhu Wen nodded. "It's a good name, suitable for both men and women."

Lan Suting murmured an acknowledgment, then added, "When you said you wanted me to be your Wei Zheng, did you mean for me to offer remonstrance and advice? Given your current status, you don't seem to need such a dedicated position."

Although Zhu Wen was currently a chief strategist for Huang Chao's army, he was still only a garrison commander leading five hundred men, and indeed had no need for a designated imperial censor or advisor of remonstrance.

"Then be my military strategist and help me brainstorm strategies and the like."

"Suting has indeed read the *Spring and Autumn Annals* thoroughly; there are many military tactics recorded within, but I'm afraid they no longer suit the present times," Lan Suting said softly. "Moreover, I am not very clever..."

The *Spring and Autumn Annals* was one of the Five Classics. Zhu Wen's father, Zhu Cheng, was known as "Zhu the Five Classics" and was well-versed in all five. However, Zhu Cheng had passed away when Zhu Wen was only five years old, and Zhu Wen had only managed to memorize the *Classic of Poetry* before discontinuing his studies.

"I think you are reliable." Zhu Wen pulled out a gold ingot and stuffed it into Lan Suting's hand. "This piece of gold is worth ten strings of copper coins, considered an advance on your salary for this month. If you don't work, don't blame me for beating you again."

The gold ingot came from the spoils seized when Huang Chao's army previously killed Pingzhang Jiedushi Xue Chong; it was recast from the horse-hoof gold that Xue Chong had acquired through grave-robbing.

Lan Suting was dazed for a moment. "So much? No, this won't do. When I worked as an accountant, I only earned two strings of coins a month..."

Zhu Wen could not help but find this girl somewhat adorably foolish, though upon second thought, she was essentially just half a child. "How could an accountant's salary compare to that of a military strategist?"

"But Suting cannot yet perform the duties of a strategist well," Lan Suting sighed softly, accepting the gold. "Are there any accounts in your army for me to manage?"

Zhu Wen scratched his head. "That sort of thing has always been handled by my second brother."

Though Zhu Chu looked like a blockhead, he was actually quite meticulous and unafraid of trouble.

"Then I shall hold the title of military strategist and look around to see what else I might be able to do," Lan Suting said earnestly.

She was clearly very worried that the work she did would fall short of deserving her pay.

"Then, would you be willing to employ me for a lifetime?"

The young girl slowly turned her head, casting a gentle gaze upon Zhu Wen's face.

She had a delicate and pleasing face, though not breathtakingly gorgeous. Straight, level eyebrows, slender and delicate facial features, and a small mouth—Zhu Wen instantly imagined her wiping away the bruises on her face and changing into women's attire: the quintessential gentle maiden of a scholarly household.

Yet her serene gaze was purer and clearer than the waters of the Lijiang River in Guilin, giving one the urge to cherish her and making it impossible to bear deceiving such a serious and innocent girl.

Lan Suting's question left Zhu Wen momentarily stunned.

His hand immediately released the reins, causing the fast-galloping steed to lose control and nearly plunge headfirst into a river.

In reality, that was impossible; horses are living creatures with eyes. Before rushing in, the bay horse turned its direction on its own and continued galloping full speed along the path back to the military camp.

"The jobs I've had in the past never lasted long," Lan Suting said softly. "There are always many people who do not trust a girl to manage accounts. Once enough people discover my female identity, I have no choice but to seek a living elsewhere."

Hearing this, Zhu Wen finally let down the heart that had been hanging so high.

What a foolish girl who didn't know how to choose her words.

At the same time, Zhu Wen felt that for an educated person who happened to be a woman, life was indeed exceedingly difficult.

If she were a martial artist, things would be much easier. Whether going into battle to kill the enemy, acting as an armed escort, or hunting fierce beasts as a hunter, as long as one could prove that their martial prowess was no inferior to a man's, their peers would rejoice in having gained another combat asset.

Yet for a daughter of a family, many men believed that being unlettered and illiterate, honest and obedient, was the utmost expression of virtue and kindness.

At the same time, these very men would frequent pleasure quarters and brothels to seek romance and entertainment with courtesans who possessed outstanding talents yet were hardly known for being virtuous and submissive.

"You can rest assured. As long as I am alive, you will be able to work by my side for a very long time," Zhu Wen smiled. "I reckon that before I turn thirty, I will be able to secure a position at the level of a Jiedushi. By then, you, my strategist, will truly live up to your title."

For a young man who dared to compare himself to Li Shimin, wanting to become a Jiedushi was not the least bit strange.

As for who would sit on the Son of Heaven's throne after the overthrow of the Great Tang court—would it be Leader Wang Xianzhi, or his teacher Huang Chao? Zhu Wen did not wish to ponder this question too deeply.

No matter what, climbing up above the clouds would make him feel all the more exhilarating.