Even before he approached, he could smell the strong scent of wine coming from Jiang Pengji’s body.

“Why did the lord drink so much wine?”

She replied, “Huang Song visited. Since he came to offer me fine wine, I obliged him by drinking. If I hadn’t, wouldn’t I have been at a disadvantage?”

Feng Zhen nodded, not wanting to dwell on this matter. His purpose for coming hadn’t been hearing whatever advantage the lord gained.

“My lord, you must head to the drill ground immediately. Hanmei, that punk, got into a dispute with someone.”

Hanmei?

Quarreled with someone?

She recognized every word in this sentence, but she couldn’t understand them when all these words were put together.

“Hanmei has such a good-temperament, why would he start a fight with someone for no reason? Moreover, they really fought until they reached the drill grounds?”

Li Yun was known to be angelic. When everyone heard that he’d gotten into a fight with others, many of their first reactions were to suggest that a foul mouth or wretched hands must have provoked Li Yun first.

Although Jiang Pengji wasn’t blind, she was still biased in her heart towards her own kinsmen.

Li Yun was loved by the masses. He was also on par with Wei Ci in terms of good looks.

Even if she wasn’t biased toward her own family member, why should she side with an outsider who’d bullied her family?

On the surface, Feng Zhen wasn’t anxious. This was evidently not a serious matter.

“My lord, I cannot explain this matter concisely. Let us talk as we walk.”

Feng Zhen was afraid that Li Yun would be at a disadvantage, so he’d hastily rushed over to get help.

His lord’s fighting abilities were unparalleled. How would any common thug be her match?

This time, Feng Zhen completely forgot the fact that his lord was a woman.

When the truth hit him later, his expression turned conflicted.

It wasn’t that he didn’t remember the lord’s gender, but truthfully, the lord’s mannerisms were so manly that they caused one to misjudge.

Jiang Pengji did not say much. She exclaimed, “Lead the way!”

Prior to setting up the barracks, she hadn’t had any drill grounds here. The drill grounds Feng Zhen spoke of were located near the barracks of another group.

All the campsites she walked past were neatly arranged. The soldiers were full of vigor and high spirits, all filled with valiant courage.

Her eyes swept across them, briefly knitting her brows.

“Are these people from the south? Based on their looks, they should be adept at water combat.”

Feng Zhen was used to her accurate observations. He was not surprised by this comment.

“The lord is wise. This is the campsite belonging to the county military chief of Zhangzhou’s eastern gate. These soldiers are elites accustomed to water battles. I’ve heard that there are 15,000 strong men under his command, every one of them capable of wrestling amid the waves and storms. They swim with ease thanks to their streamlined physiques. Once they enter the water, it is an easy feat for them to deal with 10 enemies at once…”

After she heard this, she paused her footsteps, turning to look at Feng Zhen. “Are you unaware that Yang Jian is being ostracized by the others?”

Feng Zhen laughed hysterically. “Befriending evil isn’t like befriending on intimate terms. The outsiders will not be able to fault us.”

Jiang Pengji started to be suspicious. Was it Feng Zhen who had intentionally incited Li Yun to pick a fight?

If not, how could it be so coincidental that he’d gotten into a squabble with Yang Jian’s men?

Feng Zhen understood Jiang Pengji’s expression. With all seriousness, he righteously defended himself. “My lord, an upright and honest person like me is a scarcity in the world. Why would I purposely scheme to frame someone? Even if I had such intentions, I would never choose Hanmei. He isn’t naturally equipped for such a task. He’s unsuited to carrying out such evil deeds. This is purely coincidental. If the lord does not believe, there is nothing I can say.”

Who would believe it!

She muttered to him, “The words that proceed from your mouth cannot be completely trusted, but they should not be ignored. Speak, what schemes do you have?”

Feng Zhen brazenly answered, not showing a hint of embarrassment.

“My lord joined the alliance meeting for business purposes and to recruit talents… Your business hasn’t taken form. However, our search for talents should be prioritized.”

Jiang Pengji retorted, “What are your views on potential candidates?”

“Yang Jian has a centurion under him. His looks are rather… ugly. He was born with an exceptional appearance… But facial features aren’t a problem. Critically, his talents are highly sought after… His swimming abilities are unparalleled. I once secretly observed him training his troops and discovered that he has many ideas and an agile mind. The means by which he trained were completely different from the norm. Surely it wasn’t mainstream… Coupled with the fact that his appearance is unsightly, it makes sense that he hasn’t risen to prominence yet.”

He tucked both his hands into his sleeves, the cold engulfing him so much that he trembled. Nonetheless, he still bore with it.

She took notice of it. She threw her heat pack to him to warm his hands.

“A group of elderly men is actually more dainty than any young ladies.”

Feng Zhen rebutted, “Are they more dainty than young ladies? Then we must determine who that young lady is.”

For someone like his lord who was unprejudiced and free-spirited, was there any man that existed who was more manly than her?

After some time, Feng Zhen asked her hesitantly, “Would the lord despise someone for his looks?”

If she loathed a talent based on his appearance, Feng Zhen was worried it would breed enmity.

She heard these words and laughed awkwardly. “Have I ever despised you?”

Feng Zhen was silent. What the heck!?

“I am asking a legitimate question! If the lord doesn’t mind the person’s hideous face, I will fetch him here immediately.”

She replied with all respect, “As for your lord, those who are capable with four limbs and decent brains are considered human. Can good looks put food on the table? With regards to those who are pleasant-looking but have the intelligence a 3-year-old, they don’t even deserve to be admired! Speaking of beauty, is there anyone more pleasant to behold than Zixiao? If you think this person can be of use, try to engage them. However, Yang Jian’s choice must be respected to prevent a strained relationship.”

Outward appearances were never important from her viewpoint.

Good-looking people were pleasant to the eyes, but if they were not practically useful, she would reject them.

If one couldn’t fulfill his task, anyone less beautiful than Wei Ci was but a useless vase to her, only taking up space.

With her assurance, Feng Zhen felt secure in his heart. He contemplated how exactly to abduct these talents away.

Jiang Pengji recalled an incident and asked Feng Zhen, “Training soldiers isn’t top-secret, but it also isn’t something for everyone to watch. How did you manage to sneak into Yang Jian’s campsite?”

Without sneaking into Yang Jian’s camp, how had he been able to watch the other party train his army? How were they to discover talents?

Feng Zhen didn’t mean much when he said, “Merry-making friends, surely you know about it.”

At this, Jiang Pengji recalled that Feng Zhen was also from Zhangzhou’s Anshan County.

Anshan County and the eastern gate county were neighbors, so Feng Zhen enjoyed boundless freedom. Every day, he was either drinking wine incessantly, gambling uncontrollably at the gambling den, hugging a prostitute at the brothel lustfully, or merrymaking with friends from all walks of life, wasting his life away. Thus, Feng Zhen knew a myriad of friends. Some of them serving under Yang Jian which was not surprising. Jiang Pengji had no response. Feng Zhen was not ashamed, he was proud of it. He had friends all over the earth, she should be afraid!

She wrapped her hands around her chest and remarked, “That is certainly such a pity. Huang Song just came over with Cheng Jing to pay a visit.”

Cheng Jing and Feng Zhen were friends, first acquainted through Wei Ci.

Even though they hadn’t met, they admired each other’s talents and shared a tacit understanding.

Using modern terms, these two were like pen-pals. However, they had not met face-to-face yet.

When he heard Cheng Jing’s name, Feng Zhen’s expression showed some minor changes.

He commented, “He won’t run away. Therefore, I am not anxious to meet him.”

As they conversed, both arrived at the drill grounds.

The periphery of the drill grounds was surrounded by three internal layers and three external layers. A series of yells sounded from the crowd, their thunderous shouts filling the scene.

“General, beat him into a pulp!”

“The general is so awe-inspiring!”

“General! General! General!”