The Idle Man of Zhenguan Intercepts Wu Zetian at the Start

The vegetable and melon team drank until they were completely drunk, after all, this was the only time Old Cheng had ever treated them specially. Wei Shuyu was especially reluctant to leave. Even when he wasn't in the army camp, he had never eaten such delicious braised meat. For him, the recurve bow wasn't anything that excited him, but the allure of this braised beef was no less than that of discovering the most magical treasure. He licked his fingers clean and then stared longingly at the other people's tables.

Du He was not good at drinking, but he always had a high opinion of himself. Apart from his fathers, Changsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling, who planned the Xuanwu Incident, and his own grandfather, Du Ruhui, he didn't take most people seriously. As for Changsun Dan, although he was also a descendant of top strategists, he was a good-for-nothing illegitimate son who had suddenly become very intelligent and was also known as a disciple of a celestial master. At least in the eyes of these military generals, he was definitely superior to him. Even the other good-for-nothing, Fang Yi'ai, had a grandfather who was still active in the court and was favored by the emperor. He would probably be more prominent than him in the future. Under the influence of alcohol, a sense of frustration at being born at the wrong time spread in his heart, and he was the first to get drunk.

Although Yuchi Baolin was the oldest, he was much simpler-minded, so the vegetable and melon team was implicitly centered around Du He. At this moment, he took the initiative to offer to send Du He back to his tent to rest. Wu Heita could no longer drink and also felt that the wine was tasteless. He gave Changsun Dan a meaningful look, and then staggered away with the jar of wine that he had snatched.

As everyone left, Old Cheng gave them a warning: anyone who mentions the recurve bow will be dealt with according to military law!

In the end, only Wei Shuyu and Cheng Chuliang remained in the commander's tent, while Changsun Dan couldn't leave even if he wanted to. Fortunately, the wine didn't hold much appeal for him, and he hadn't even drunk a single bowl. By this time, he was exceptionally sober. Old Cheng, having eaten and drunk his fill, glanced sideways at Cheng Chuliang and the other man:

"You two get out too."

He then said to his personal guards:

"Get a pen and ink and have the county magistrate draw up the blueprints for this bow."

Changsun Dan gave a wry smile. The plum garden already had the draft of the recurve bow, and he could bring it tomorrow. But Old Cheng was in such a hurry, insisting on waiting until everyone had eaten and drunk their fill before bringing it up, thinking he could leave as soon as he finished the drawing. He had no choice but to pick up his brush.

After Cheng Chuliang and his companion left, Cheng Yaojin approached with a smile and asked, seemingly casually:

"Kid, I know Wu Heizi best. Although he speaks harshly, he never makes baseless accusations. Is it because your grandfather dislikes you so much that the blueprints for making this bow were stolen from him? Tell me honestly, do you have any other treasures?"

Changsun Dan was taken aback. Did Old Cheng suspect Changsun Wuji of plotting a rebellion? Although he and Changsun Wuji disliked each other, and Changsun Chong had tried every means to harm him, they were still family in name only. If he were to speak carelessly, countless heads would roll. He immediately said solemnly:

"This bow was created by me on the spot based on my own needs. The first drafts I drew are still in the plum garden and have nothing to do with Changsun Wuji."

Cheng Yaojin chuckled:

"That old fox Changsun Wuji openly supports the Crown Prince, but Changsun Chong is mingling with a group of aristocratic disciples, seemingly indulging in eating, drinking, and merrymaking, but secretly accumulating a large amount of wealth. It seems that the aristocratic families don't have much enthusiasm for the Crown Prince!"

"Moreover, His Majesty has suffered greatly from the pain of fratricide and will certainly not allow his children to follow in his footsteps. I think your methods towards the Prince of Yue are quite good, which is why I am reminding you: as a subject, one should only serve the monarch. No matter how strict His Majesty is with the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince is still the Crown Prince, the only future monarch of the Tang Dynasty. This kind of gamble on multiple fronts may seem shrewd, but it has actually sown the seeds of future problems for the court."

Changsun Dan looked at Cheng Yaojin in surprise. Was this really the same Cheng Yaojin, the troublemaker? If Li Er hadn't told him, how would he have known that Changsun Wuji was betting on two sides? He even knew about Changsun Chong's accumulation of wealth. Sure enough, Li Er had no weak soldiers. Any one of them was a force to be reckoned with. This muddle-headed general, in particular, completely overturned his understanding of the world.

He had no intention of getting involved in these matters; all he was doing was trying to avoid dying at the hands of Wu Zetian.

Seeing Changsun Dan's dazed expression, Cheng Yaojin smiled and patted him on the shoulder:

"Everyone says the imperial family is heartless, but His Majesty is different. He has been enduring immense pain, waking up countless times from nightmares. I have also stood guard for His Majesty many times..."

Changsun Dan asked in a daze:

"You mean, Changsun Chong supports the King of Yue."

Cheng Yaojin chuckled:

"Besides the Prince of Yue, the Emperor Emeritus left His Majesty many brothers, which may be exploited by those with ulterior motives. It is illogical for Changsun Wuji to turn against you and your father. I see that you are a talented person, and I sincerely hope that you can cure the Empress and be a good disciple of your immortal master!"

That old fox! Changsun Dan was taken aback by his ambiguous words. Could Changsun Wuji really be that complicated? Do these people who are used to being chess players see everyone as a pawn?

Changsun Dan gave a helpless wry smile. It seemed that Wu Heita's words had aroused Cheng Laohei's suspicion, but the fact that he said it to him like this made it seem like he meant well. While absentmindedly drawing the bow diagram, he replied:

"Rest assured, Your Excellency, I have no great ambitions and little interest in these matters. If the opportunity arises, I will certainly remind my father not to be too clever for his own good!"

Cheng Yaojin nodded approvingly and said slowly:

"I come from Wagang and once had some influence. It was only after meeting Master Yuan that I decided to join the Tang Dynasty..."

Changsun Dan felt his hair stand on end. So, everyone here had met Yuan Tiangang, while he, his own disciple, hadn't. Aside from a little historical knowledge he'd brought from later generations, he felt like he was giving himself away, but he could only bite the bullet and reply:

"Master is concerned about the people of the world and dislikes war. The Duke is a man who cherishes blessings, so his good fortune will surely continue."

Cheng Yaojin turned around, seemingly recalling some past events:

"When I met Master Yuan, Wu Heita was by my side. Master Yuan said to me, 'He who assists the ruler with the Way does not conquer the world with military might.' Wu Heita was a stubborn man, so Master Yuan also gave him a piece of advice: 'Surrender when you encounter the Nine-Bend Formation.' He really took your advice to heart when you mentioned formations."

Changsun Dan felt a cold sweat pour down his back. What did Cheng Heizi mean by that? He was speechless for a moment. Was Cheng Heizi suspicious? Or was he telling him that Yuan Tiangang believed Li Shimin was the true ruler of the land and suspected him of rebellion?

After Cheng Yaojin finished speaking, he turned around and looked at the drawings made by Changsun Dan:

"What Master Yuan said has always come true, but the prophecy he gave to Changsun Wuji is unknown. In addition, your prophecy of Wu Zhou replacing Tang may not necessarily fall on Wu Xu, after all, she is a woman... But someone will always die because of this. Since you are Master Yuan's disciple, you should be careful with your words and actions in the future... Although I don't have much of a relationship with Changsun Wuji, I also have no enmity with him. You should weigh the consequences yourself."

Changsun Dan sorted out his thoughts and nodded. The reason why Cheng Laohei was able to get to his current position and finally land safely was not because he was stupid, but because he was harmless to others!