Chapter Thirty-Nine: Letter of Recommendation

  Man Chong's words immediately interrupted the unrealistic fantasy in Wang Xu's mind. Although he was eager to dig Cao Cao's corner, he didn't think that with a heroic spirit and a loud speech, he could move the other side to tears and make them follow him to death.

  Man Chong's previous words, on the surface, were worried about Wang Xu's safety and valued him quite a bit. However, the hidden meaning was that he was young and arrogant, unaware of the dangers of war! Although he had some knowledge, it might not be useful on the battlefield. He advised him not to be too proud, but rather to study diligently at home, and wait until he grew up before going out into the world!

  Who is Wang Xu? How can he look down on himself like that. Especially when he knows he's the one who's been spoiled, he's even more determined to give him a shock, although it's not possible to subdue him yet. At least he wants to leave a very deep impression, so as to facilitate future development of their relationship.

  "You are wrong, Mr. Benning! The rise and fall of a nation is the responsibility of every individual! Can one afford to be content with his own family and personal virtues? What's the use of having a belly full of knowledge if it doesn't serve any purpose? I understand your good intentions, but although I'm young and untalented, I also know something about military tactics and have some courage. If you don't believe me, Mr. Benning, you can test me!"

  "What a country's rise and fall, every individual has a responsibility! My younger brother's words are astonishing, making us feel ashamed!" Yuan Yi sighed and looked at Wang Xu with admiration, then turned his head and said: "Bo Ning really underestimated Wang Xu. Do you know that he led his family's army of three thousand to defeat more than two thousand Yellow Turban bandits just a few days ago, without a single casualty?"

  "Really? Is this true?"

  "That's a fact!"

  Man Chong, who was already shocked by Wang Xu's words, heard this and immediately re-examined Wang Xu from head to toe. The gaze he looked at him with also underwent a clear change.

  But Wang Xu humbly shook his head. "What's there to boast about? The three thousand soldiers I led were fully armed and elite, while the two thousand Yellow Turbans on the other side were just a mob. It doesn't prove anything! If it were Brother Bo Ye or Brother Bo Ning, they would definitely have achieved better results."

  When Wang Xu surprisingly did not take credit and was able to describe the actual situation without boasting, Man Chong was even more surprised. He immediately laughed and said: "The battle situation is changing rapidly, and it's impossible to determine the outcome until the end! Although I have this confidence, at least when I was 14 years old, it was absolutely impossible for me to do so."

  Having said that, Wang Xu looked at him calmly and steadily, with a flash of sharp light in his eyes. "Since you have such talent, I'd like to ask for your advice!"

  "Bo Ning's words are too serious, I dare to ask how, let's discuss it a bit and I can barely manage!"

  Seeing Wang Xu's confident appearance, Man Chong couldn't help but smile slightly. "Then what do you think is the main focus of the current war situation?"

  Seeing Man Chong couldn't help but probe, Wang Xu was actually very delighted in his heart. People like them are always proud and aloof, so it's only natural that they would take such actions if they held themselves in high regard.

  He immediately smiled without hesitation: "Of course, Jizhou is the main one. As long as the bandit leader is destroyed, what's there to fear?"

  "Can General Lu Zhi of the Left Central Army calm the situation?"

  This sentence is indeed a bit of a standard, frowning and thinking for a moment, Wang Xu couldn't help but say: "General Lu Zhi is a great Confucian scholar of the current era, with both literary and military talents that are not ordinary. If there's no unexpected event, he should be able to pacify it."

  But as soon as the words were spoken, a hint of regret flashed in Man Chong's eyes. He immediately shook his head and changed his tone: "However, he lacks the courage to advance, so the imperial court may not give him too much time. Therefore, I think it still depends on the two generals, Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun, on the Yingchuan front line."

  Upon hearing this, Man Chong finally smiled slightly and for the first time revealed his genuine admiration. However, he continued to ask, "Then why did the Yellow Turbans ultimately fail?"

  "The Yellow Turbans are a force that has gathered through deceitful words and heresy, mostly consisting of ordinary people who have not read military classics, and with their narrow-minded thinking. How can they possibly last long? Moreover, although our great Han dynasty is somewhat in decline due to the eunuchs' abuse of power, national prestige still exists. Now that the party ban has been lifted and we have the support of local aristocratic families, what reason is there for us not to win? These are just matters of time."

  Man Chong heard this and finally couldn't help but sigh: "You truly live up to your reputation as a genius! At the age of 14, you already have such insight, it's really admirable. You can conquer the world, I'm inferior to you, please forgive me!"

  He said with a serious expression and bowed deeply to Wang Xu, showing respect as if they were of the same generation!

  "It's too much praise, Wang Xu is just more fond of thinking and learning than ordinary people! Where can be called a genius." As he spoke, Wang Xu also quickly stood up and returned a courtesy.

  Having already gained a good impression, Wang Xu didn't want to waste any more time and turned to Yuan Yi instead: "Brother Bei Ye, I'll trouble you to introduce me this time."

  Yuan Yi, who had been lost in thought due to the conversation between the two earlier, finally came back to his senses, smiled faintly, and without saying much, immediately took up his brush and began to write. After a short while, he had already finished writing on a piece of silk, picked it up to review it, and after confirming that there were no mistakes, he immediately stood up and headed towards the rear hall.

  Wang Xu and Man Chong had not yet exchanged a few words when Yuan Yi quickly walked back, solemnly handing the neatly stacked silk to Wang Xu. "I have stamped the governor's seal, Brother Wang, please be careful with it."

  "Don't worry! I won't lose something as valuable as this." After saying that, Wang Xu carefully put the silk into his bosom. "Elder Bo Ye, Elder Bo Ning must have come to discuss something with you. I won't stay any longer, I'll hurry to Yingchuan and take my leave!"

  Xu Shu and Wang Fei, who were quietly sitting beside him, also immediately stood up upon hearing this.

  "Hmm? Leaving so soon, won't Young Master Wang take a few days' rest?"

  "No! Delay will lead to changes, it's better to hurry to the military as soon as possible." Wang Xu said, then turned his head and bowed to Man Chong: "Boning, I'll take my leave for today, and we'll have a chance to talk again in the future."

  "Haha! Brother Wang is swift and decisive, I admire you. When Brother Wang returns triumphantly, I will be waiting to pay my respects at any time." After finishing speaking, Man Chong also stood up and bid farewell with a bow.

  Yuan Yi saw that Wang Xu's mind was made up and didn't try to persuade him further. He quickly stepped forward, grasped Wang Xu's hand tightly and said: "Wang, my younger brother, take care on your journey!"

  "Hmm!" As Wang Xu left, Xu Shu and Wang Fei also bid farewell to the two with a bow, turned around and followed closely behind.

  Got the latest intelligence, and history has returned to its original trajectory. Wang Xu was also in a great mood, and with Xu Shu and Wang Fei, he hurried to Yingchuan. Although the journey was dull, the majesty of the beautiful rivers and mountains kept Wang Xu and his companions excited at heart. Moreover, the three of them chatted and laughed along the way, not feeling lonely at all!

  Ten days passed in the blink of an eye...

  "Third Brother!" With that, Wang Fei rode swiftly towards the woods where Wang Xu and Xue Shu were resting.

  As they approached, Wang Fei dismounted his horse with a familiar motion and said loudly: "I've already asked the villagers, this is the border of Chenliu County in Yingchuan Commandery, only over a hundred miles away from Yinquan Commandery!"

  After a moment's thought, Wang Xu also got on his horse and said quickly: "Then let's continue on our way! However, for the next few days everyone should be careful. Since we haven't seen any Yellow Turbans in these days, it seems they have all been gathered at the Yu Chuan battlefield."

  Xu Shu heard this and smiled carelessly: "Don't worry! These bandits, once I see them, they'll definitely turn around and run!"

  "Hehe!" With a faint smile, Wang Xu shook his head and said: "No more nonsense, let's hurry up! Since we're almost at Yingchuan County, we should speed up too. Otherwise, the possibility of encountering Yellow Turbans will greatly increase, it's better to find the imperial troops as soon as possible!"

  "Yes, Third Brother is right! Let's go!"

  As dusk approached, the three dusty travelers passed by a small mound and saw another village in the distance behind it.

  Wang Xu saw the situation and hastily pulled the reins to stop his horse, saying: "Today's weather is not early, I think we should go to this village to borrow a night's lodging! For two days, we have been eating in the wind and sleeping in the dew. Let's rest well tonight and leave again tomorrow, it won't be late."

  Xu Shu immediately nodded in agreement: "Yeah! That's right, I haven't taken a bath for three or four days, and my whole body feels uncomfortable!"

  As soon as the words fell, the three people suddenly discovered that the village in front of them had actually faintly emitted flames, and they were spreading very quickly. Because it was already dark at this moment, it looked even more dazzling!

  Wang Xu, who was just confused, suddenly saw clearly the situation in the village and exclaimed: "Yellow Turban bandits!"