Chapter 52: "Discussing Military Strategy and Diplomacy"

Qin Yang left Tianxin's room and hesitated for a moment before closing the door.
The faint and pure aura that was present before seemed to be nearby. It seems that the experts who are protecting Tianxin are also not idle. They have all followed to Hanyin.
Roughly estimated, there are at least twenty people. Of course, if a real fight broke out, Qin Yang thought that the other party would not be his opponent. However, these experts lurked in the dark and had the element of surprise on their side. Even he could only vaguely sense their presence but could not pinpoint their whereabouts.
Bored, Qin Yang came downstairs and asked the innkeeper, "Can I have two bowls of millet porridge made by the kitchen?".
The innkeeper glanced at Qin Yang and said, "I'm sorry, but most of the guests staying at my inn don't eat millet porridge."
He realized that the shopkeeper was secretly disdainful of him. It was usually only the poor people who would eat coarse grains, while people of a certain status prefer fine wheat flour and thin noodles.
However, he didn't stoop to the level of this shopkeeper who judged people by their appearance and walked out of the inn alone.
Randomly turning around, I found a house by the street with the lights on inside, so I knocked on the door.
Before long, the door was opened and an elderly lady looked at Qin Yang hesitantly.
"Young man, who are you looking for?"
"Master, I live in the nearby Guangxuan Building. A fellow traveler is suffering from a cold stomach illness. This time, I bothered to ask if you have any corn at home. If so, please kindly help me cook two bowls of porridge - this is my way of showing gratitude."
After saying that, Qin Yang took out some broken silver.
At this moment, a middle-aged woman walked over, with a smile on her face, apparently having heard the conversation between Qin Yang and the old woman just now.
"Please come in quickly, sir. I will cook porridge for you."
Qin Yang gave the fragments of silver to the woman and then entered the house and sat down. The house appeared rather humble, and upon entering, he discovered that the host was not at home.
In the illumination of the candlelight, Qin Yang noticed several coarse cloth bags piled up in the corner, with some refined flour scattered next to them, so he asked, "I didn't expect that the common people's households in Hanyin City could be so prosperous, with surplus fine grains before the year-end."
The old woman seemed to have poor hearing and did not respond. The woman was busy making a fire and cooking porridge while answering, "Sir, you are absolutely right. We were born in a good place. Just take a look -"
Qin Yang immediately looked over and found that there were more than ten pieces of cured meat hanging in this kitchen. He couldn't help but walk forward and take a closer look, then nodded.
"What a scene of prosperity and peace."
When the woman finished making the porridge, Qin Yang took out a piece of silver and said, "Madam, can you sell me a piece of cured meat?"
"This... "
The woman hesitated for a moment and said, "I'm afraid I can't... We have to wait for my husband to come back to eat these meats, otherwise he will surely scold me-"
Without waiting for Qin Yang's answer, the old lady suddenly started crying: "My son...my son...haven't seen him in three years..."
The woman hurriedly ran over and patted the old lady, whispering, "Mom, what are you talking about?"
Then he turned around and said to Qin Yang, "My mother is getting old and occasionally talks nonsense, please don't mind, sir."
Qin Yang smiled, put away the money, thanked the lady, and then carried the two bowls of porridge and left.
He hurried back to the inn and luckily the porridge was still warm. Shortly after, it was delivered to the Tianxin room upstairs.
Tianxin looked at his hair covered with snowflakes and asked, "Where did you get them from?"
Qin Yang laughed and said, "Corn is good for the stomach, but unfortunately the inn doesn't have any. So I went out and bought two bowls from a household."
Tian Xin's eyes brightened, "Did you also inquire about something?"
Qin Yang nodded and pushed a bowl over: "Let's talk while we eat."
Then, Qin Yang recounted what he had seen and heard to Tianxin.
Tianxin thought while drinking his porridge. After Qin Yang finished speaking, he couldn't help but ask, "Except for the old lady crying at the end, everything else seems reasonable. But why did you buy their preserved meat? Can it also nourish your stomach?"
Qin Yang shook his head and said, "I just had this idea randomly. Let's go to someone else's house tomorrow."
Tian Xin nodded and said, "If every household in Hanyin area is like this, I will definitely remember Lu Siyuan's achievement."
Before long, the two of them finished drinking the porridge. Tianxin couldn't help but sigh, "In the past, I dared not eat too much at night for fear of not being able to sleep. Today feels so comfortable that I even feel like it's not enough, I want to eat some more."
Qin Yang negated: "No. You have just recovered a bit and still need to continue recuperating. Stomach ailments cannot be recovered overnight. If you do not pay attention again, it would be equivalent to exposing yourself to the cold after experiencing a brief respite."
"Hmph, I was just kidding. Come..."
Tianxin stood up and walked to the edge of the bed. "You... give me a good massage."
Qin Yang smirked. He naturally hoped Tianxin would ask him for help. Since he had nothing to do that night, it would be a great thing for him to improve his relationship with Tianxin.
Unexpectedly, Tianxin seemed to have read his mind. After taking off his shoes and socks, he coldly said, "Don't think that this will please me. You made a promise, and now you're just fulfilling it. I don't owe you anything."
"I understand. However, please wait a moment."
Qin Yang moves the stove next to the bed and then turns around to leave.
Tianxin covers herself with the blanket and doesn't know what he is planning to do.
After a while, Qin Yang came in with a wooden basin filled with hot water.
Tianxin noticed and suddenly felt unhappy: "Do you think my feet are dirty?"
"Where did you get that idea?"
Qin Yang was taken aback for a moment, and then put down the wooden basin: "If I despised you, why would I carry it in my chest during the day? Soaking feet in hot water can ward off the cold and benefit health. Persisting in this practice will definitely promote longevity."
天心这才坐起来，将脚尖轻轻点在水上，猛地一缩——
"Bold? Do you want to scald me?"
秦扬蹲下身，头也不抬：“大人，你莫要怪罪，我是为了你好。如您之前喜欢的方式，咱们用结果说话。”
Without waiting for Tianxin's response, Qinyang pressed his feet into the basin.
"Hey hey hey hey hey--"
Tianxin made a string of cries, indicating that he wanted to struggle desperately, but Qinyang didn't let go. Tianxin raised his arm, wanting to hit him, but he didn't dodge.
After the initial sharp pain, Tianxin took a few deep breaths and her struggling weakened, gradually adapting.
"Hoo..."
Tianxin took a long breath, and Qin Yang let go of her hand, shook off the water, and then stood up.
"Please punish me, Your Excellency."
Tianxin glanced at him disdainfully and scolded, "Don't try to act cute to get away lightly. Even if you did the right thing, your methods were extremely rebellious. It wouldn't be unjust to punish you."
Qin Yang smiled bitterly and said, "If I hadn't come against your will, would you be willing to try?"
Tianxin no longer argued with him, and patted the bed, saying, "Sit down."
Seeing that Tianxin was not really angry, Qin Yang obediently sat down.
Tianxin continued soaking his feet and suddenly asked, "Have you seen the Flying Eagle Cavalry and the Sky Wolf Cavalry of the Jin Kingdom? In your opinion, how do they compare to my Daqin's Golden Peng Guard?"
Qin Yang pondered for a moment and replied, "The Flying Eagle Cavalry is skilled in long-range raids, while the Sky Wolf Cavalry is skilled in defending cities. I am not familiar with Daqin's Golden Peng Guard, but when they first encountered you, those Sky Wolf Cavalrymen fled decisively, indicating that they consider themselves inferior to the Golden Peng Guard."
"The answer is too moderate, but it can be considered honest. Feiyingqi is a world-renowned cavalry. You have previously achieved victory with fewer numbers and weaker forces. Why don't you share your tactics for warfare?"
At this moment, Tianxin's face was serious, and Qin Yang didn't dare to be negligent. After considering for a while, he slowly said, "I think that soldiers can be divided into visible soldiers and invisible soldiers."
"What is visible army? What is invisible army?"
Qin Yang smiled and replied, "Visible army refers to soldiers carrying spears and bows, engaging in combat with their physical bodies, risking their lives. Invisible army refers to the utilization of natural elements such as wind, clouds, water, fire, mountains, and rivers, where the entire universe can become a weapon. Taking the ambush on the Feiying Riders in Huailing as an example, our troops waited patiently for the enemy to be exhausted, while setting traps and using explosive arrows for a sudden attack. On the other hand, the Feiying Riders had to travel long distances, enduring fatigue, and were unable to defend against falling into our trap. Comparing the two, it is clear who is the winner and who is the loser."
Tianxin heard and exclaimed, "What a magnificent display of the forces of nature and the universe as an army!"
"Thank you for your praise, Sir," replied the person.
Tianxin asked again, "However, I have always believed that the timing of events is unpredictable, and mortals can only resign to fate. What is your perspective on this?"
Qin Yang smiled and said, "Our ancestors divided the year into more than 360 days. However, few have studied how the celestial phenomena change over time. Even those who have studied it mostly do not understand the flexibility of it and rely on the rigid methods recorded by previous scholars. Such people lack true understanding and are just conservative fools."
Tianxin listened with great interest and couldn't help but move closer to him: "How about the insightful one?"
Qin Yang, full of enthusiasm, said: "The insightful one is familiar with the laws of heaven and earth, integrating them into his heart. He constantly observes the mountains and looks forward to the clouds, knowing when the rainbow will disappear, when the thunder will cease, when the soil will become moist and the fog will rise. Mastering this art is more powerful than having a million soldiers."
"Wonderful!"
天心一向高高在上，也忍不住拍手称快：“你有如此才能，我甚是喜欢。”
Qin Yang bowed and paid his respects: "Thank you for your praise, sir. If you are interested, I am willing to teach. However, the laws of the world are incredibly complex, and it took me ten years to achieve a little enlightenment."
Tianxin waved his hand in disgust: "I'll pass, I've always detested those obscure and difficult things. Instead of sitting there, graying my hair and racking my brains, I'd rather just take someone like you, a talented individual, into the fold. Wouldn't that be faster?"
"Well... I am a Chu person," he said.
Tianxin withdrew her feet from the wooden basin and placed them on his legs. She said, "Give me a foot rub. And don't forget, three years from now, you won't be a Chu person anymore."
Qin Yang awkwardly responded, "Don't forget, sir, the condition is that Emperor Qin agrees to my request--"
"I naturally remember."
Seeing Tianxin's displeasure, Qin Yang quickly pulled over the towel hanging on the nearby wooden rack and wiped the water off his feet for him.
Then, Tianxin lay down and covered herself with a blanket, no longer paying attention to Qinyang.
Qinyang sighed helplessly, stopped thinking about it, and massaged his feet for him.
After Tianxin breathed evenly and fell asleep, Qinyang gently covered the blanket and took the wooden basin out.
After he left, Tianxin slowly opened his eyes.
"Interesting."