I was living in the Five Dynasties period, just after crossing the Zhongdu Bridge.

Even as night deepened, the rooms in the Li residence remained brightly lit.

As soon as Li Congxi returned to his residence, he changed out of his official robes and rushed over, insisting on having a drink with Shen Lie on the couch.

This drinking session was quite frank and open.

For those in the military, friendships forged over drinks are certainly more genuine than those for official documents.

If the banquet table also holds the sentiments of camaraderie and gratitude for mentorship, then the wine will taste even better.

After a few rounds of drinks, a slight flush appeared on Li Congxi's face, and his words naturally became less cryptic and manipulative, typical of officialdom.

"happy!"

Li Congxi tore open his clothes, picked up the wine bowl, and took a big gulp.

"Lately, I've been wasting my time talking all day in this city of Daliang. It's much more comfortable to drink with my brothers."

Shen Lie served him a bowl and asked, "Commander, is your meeting at the Privy Council about the campaign against Du Chongwei?"

"What else could it be?"

Li Congxi put down his wine bowl, wiped the wine stains off his beard, and said, "Gao Xingzhou said there was a shortage of food and pay, Murong Yanchao said there was a shortage of men and horses, the two Grand Secretaries Yang and Guo were trying to smooth things over, and Commander Shi was slamming his fist on the table and cursing. Anyway, it was just a lot of noise."

At this point, Li Congxi suddenly stared at Shen Lie and sighed.

"Brother Shen, I have something I've been keeping to myself for a long time."

Li Congxi held his wine bowl, his eyes somewhat unfocused. "Back in Daizhou, the reason I took you in as a disciple was, to be honest, not because I valued your abilities."

When the Fengguo Army was mentioned, Shen Lie's eyes dimmed slightly.

"At that time, I thought, after all, you came from the Fengtian Army, you know the rules, and you've seen big scenes."

Li Congxi hiccuped and continued, "I put you in the Fuwei Army because I wanted to use your seniority to put on a good show. If a real fight breaks out, I'll be grateful if you can help me keep things in check."

"But who would have thought..."

At this point, Li Congxi put down his wine bowl and grabbed Shen Lie's hand, clearly showing that he was genuinely moved.

"You gave me such a big surprise! You went into Yaozhou alone and not only did you survive, you even managed to earn me a command position! I'm truly impressed by your skills."

"The best decision I ever made in my life was leaving you with the Fuwei Army."

There was seven parts drunkenness in his words, but ten parts sincerity.

Some bosses fear that their subordinates are incompetent, but that's because they fear being dragged down by them.

A boss's fear of a subordinate being too capable stems from a fear of being usurped.

But Li Congxi wasn't afraid, because Shen Lie knew how to share the credit and how to save face for him.

"Commander, you flatter me."

Shen Lie subtly withdrew his hand and poured wine from the pot.

"If it weren't for the Commander's guidance that day, Shen Lie would probably be a withered skeleton by the roadside by now. Shen Lie will never forget this kindness."

"Oh, let's not talk about that!"

Li Congxi waved his hand and said, "Do you know why Commander Shi values ​​you so much? He even went so far as to speak well of you before the Emperor, transferring you back to Daliang from that poor, remote place of Yaozhou?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Lie paused slightly in the hand holding the wine bowl.

"Could it be because of that batch of tribute sent from Yaozhou?"

As the saying goes, money makes the world go round. Shi Hongzhao was notoriously greedy, so there was no reason why Shen Lie wouldn't make a fuss after sending over cartloads of gold and silver.

"It's so tacky! It's so tacky!"

Li Congxi chuckled, picked up a piece of stewed mutton from the plate, and mumbled, "General Shi naturally likes money. But among all the officials in the court, there are many who want to give money to General Shi, but very few can catch his eye."

"Coach Shi values ​​you because you resemble him."

"Like him?" Shen Lie was taken aback.

"Yes, it looks like it."

Li Congxi pointed to the horizontal sword lying to the side, "Commander Shi is known for his strict discipline in managing his troops. Do you still remember those soldiers who trampled the fields when we marched to Daizhou?"

Shen Lie nodded.

He remembered that scene very clearly.

As the army passed through, several soldiers did not control their horses and wreaked havoc on the fields by the roadside.

Upon seeing this, Shi Hongzhao, without saying a word, immediately ordered his men to remove the heads of those men and hang them on the flagpole as a warning to the public.

The entire army was silent and no one dared to utter a sound.

In those chaotic years of war, it was common for soldiers to plunder the people; what did it matter if they trampled on the crops a few times?

But Shi Hongzhao was an anomaly; he killed ruthlessly, yet he had his own set of rules.

"In Commander Shi's eyes, soldiers must be managed and killed. Only when heads roll can these rules be upheld."

Li Congxi sighed, "Commander Shi knows about your killing of Zhang Heng in Zhangjiawu and the killing of the Khitans in Danzhou."

"He thinks you're a ruthless person, someone who knows how to speak with a knife."

"Benevolence and righteousness may win people's hearts, but only ruthlessness can secure the country. Commander Shi thinks you are one of his kind, which is the fundamental reason why he is willing to promote you."

That made it possible.

There are plenty of skilled warriors, but generals who can control their subordinates' belts and swords are truly rare finds.

After saying that, the two of them finished another bowl.

As the alcohol took effect, Li Congxi suddenly changed the subject and talked about another person.

"By the way, how has Zhao Yuanlang been doing, following you all this way?"

"A dragon among men."

Shen Lie put down his wine bowl, wiped his mouth casually, and gave this four-word evaluation without any attempt to conceal his feelings.

"He is the bravest in the army and possesses great strategic vision. If Yaozhou were not by his side, I fear I would have had to go through much more trouble."

"I knew it."

Li Congxi's expression turned strange, as if he found it funny, yet also seemed to be sighing.

"After the meeting at the Privy Council today, Zhao Hongyin, the Commander of the Imperial Guard, deliberately pulled me aside and chatted on and on about trivial matters for quite some time!"

"Finally, he mentioned indirectly that his good-for-nothing second son was now working in my army to help those in distress, and asked me to take good care of him."

"This Zhao Husheng..." Li Congxi shook his head and chuckled.

"This is what father and son are like."

Upon hearing this, Shen Lie couldn't help but laugh, "A strict father in public, but a kind heart in private. If Yuan Lang knew this, he would be mortified."

"Who can argue with that?"

Li Congxi also laughed, "Most fathers in this world are like this. They're clearly in pain inside, but they have to act as hard as a rock."

During the day, at the city gate, Zhao Hongyin was extremely cold to Zhao Kuangyin, as if he were not his own son, but a complete stranger.

Who would have thought that in the blink of an eye, this veteran general who had served three dynasties would bow his head and speak softly to Li Congxi, a junior, for the sake of his son?

The contrast is indeed interesting.

As night deepened, the wind outside the window grew stronger.

The drinking session was a great success, with both hosts and guests enjoying themselves immensely, and many interesting insights were also gained from the experience.

"Go to sleep."

Li Congxi, slightly drunk, stood up and waved his hand. "Tomorrow we still have to go to the Privy Council to argue. This army probably won't be able to move for at least half a month. These next few days, you can stay here with me and get to know all the heads in Daliang City."