17 The strategist, Han Ryu is here!

"Milady, you knew about our history. Why did you lie to our young lord?" The elder was worried.

But Wei Xia Ri ignored his worries and finished writing down her summary instead. On the paper was a structure and filled with different bullet points. The elder had never seen this type of writing before!

" Could this be another of those new ideas you learned?"

"Uhhh-yes. As for what you previously said, I did not lie. I just wanted to show him a more detailed presentation for ease of understanding."

"Milady is really sincere, oh how long did it take? The young lady is kind again," he sobbed. After her first heart break, Wei Xia Ri would grow colder and more cruel from every return after her victories. She became the tyrant that people feared, no longer was she the blunt and honest child who always had a foot into the grave. The difference was big, it almost made him take his little life for failing to educate the young lady properly!

Wei Xia Ri sighed but did not stop him from sobbing. Anyways, he should have a troublesome reason for crying like that. Not that Wei Xia Ri would entertain him. "Elder, regarding the business plans from my proposals? How is it going?"

"We were able to sell the businesses you wanted to rid off such as the slave ring. Here are the complete documentations milady. Your clauses scared the buyers but they bought it nonetheless after believing the bargains."

"Good. Then Elder, I plan to reform both the General's Den and the Flowers Pavillion. Our courtesans are no longer in that trade. I want to make a booming business, a reverse host club."

"Reverse host club? Which? What is that?"

"The Flowers Pavillion will become a Conqueror's Joy Pavillion in name. Then that reverse host club, it just means that our business will boom from making our customers drink as much as possible. We will get all sort of alcohols and have them on a menu for the men to select. Of course, food is also available. The more they are convinced to drink, the more they are to pay for."

"Oh, that is a very new idea milady!" The elder's eyes sparkled at the sound of money clanking in his head. "Then should we get all ranges and have exclusive spirits from other countries?"

"Our Conqueror's Joy Pavillion will be among the best. However, we have to make rules unless we want to run into trouble."

"Of course milady! I shall draw some good ideas and will get the paperwork permitted and registered in the bureau as soon as possible."

"I will work on it tonight and bring it over. Moving on, I want you to locate every man of my Sun Dao Corps and report their current activities to me, elder Jin. I can have my best men help you out if your people needs more assistance."

"Milady, what are you planning? You have just returned and is already under the emperor's eyesight again."

"It should be alright if all I want to do is something almost equal to common sense. I need people to spread the fact that the Sun Dao Corps died from an ambush. Before returning, I have gone through the bodies and saw the terror, Elder Jin. Many swords were definitely broken! Have you inspected the three weapons I brought home with me? Can you track down the people who were in charge?"

The elder having heard such heavy information trembled, not in fright but anger. 'How come I don't know about that? Did the emperor completely abandon the Weis after their generations of meritorious services to the empire?!'

"Absolutely, milady."

"Hmm, then here's a paper." She passed a scroll filled with her writing that fairly looked as messy as the originals who preferred handling blades over brushes. "That is filled with information of my common-sense plan. I just want people starting from the farthest lands to know that the men sacrificed their lives for the sake of confronting an irrational dispute against the northern empire. The general Wei have volunteered instead of the appointed fifth prince as a last wish to show her devotion to him only to end up leading her men into a trap! It will be questioning whether the fifth prince knew about it or not. That will include his affairs to avoid questioning the general. Also, to avoid bias, have them learn that the General made a mistake choosing to volunteer due to being misled by feelings. A little bit of scandal won't hurt."

Elder Jin shook his head. "Won't they question your qualifications then, milady?"

"Yes, I have thought about but I can't come up with a better way to smear myself a little."

"The young Wei lord would also be impacted. Every one of the Wei supporting faction's credibility will be questioned. We have to find a way! We need to find more minds."

Fortunately, a shadow guard was always kept close to Wei Xia Ri and she did not hesitate to call the man down. "Milady?"

"What do you think we should do?"

"..." The man gulped, unable to believe that his superiors asked for his opinion. "If this humble servant may suggest, my hometown used to listen to storytellers. They are famous for delivering stories from far and wide. Most of the time, they were stories about rumors that go around so that people feel satisfied."

Elder Jin and Wei Xia Ri looked at each other and nodded in agreement. The Elder guffawed and slapped the shadow guard's back vigorously. "Why didn't you say that earlier? Huh? Hahahahahaha! We could have avoided brainstorming too much! See this lady, she hates thinking the most! You just wasted her endangered ability!"

'Endangered ability? Was thinking the last thing the original would do?!' A nerve popped in her head. "Excuse this balding old man. Regarding the storytellers, are they everywhere in the empire?"

Elder Jin scoffed. "Of course! You used to summon three of them every day when you were younger, after belittling my stories."

"Oh~! Did I?" Wei Xia Ri forced a smile. "Then we will make the event from my memories be the story. Include that I am planning on retrieving the bodies. Add drama too, make it sound like I am in distress because my movements are basically restricted due to the recent surveillance. Have you warned all those who were caught?"

Elder Jin pursed his lips with a "Pah!" while slapping the air. "What use is a warning? I got rid of them! They are nowhere to be found!"

"You killed them?" Wei Xia Ri felt irritated. "Elder Jin, we can't be making more enemies when I am already starting to fix our lives here! Send them back to their masters, dead, almost dying or freshly tortured!"

The elder's eyes widened but turned to a shadow guard summoned with a gesture. "You heard our lady, do what she said."

"Okay, I think everything has been discussed. I will leave you to that and I expect result within a week." Seeing that her guard has left but the elder remained, Wei Xia Ri knew he was here for more. "Is there anything that elder Jin would want to discuss?"

"The strategist is here milady. I have been tracking them ever since I heard about the transactions ongoing with the northern empire."

"What? Since when?"

"Since after the massacre," his voice trailed off.

Wei Xia Ri's chest tightened. As a leader, even as the new general, she was Wei Xia Ri and the massacre also affected a person like her. She had been taking on her responsibilities since the last life and something as big as this gave her huge regrets wishing she had been there before the three thousand even began marching out of the empire's gates. "I see. I will be in my best behavior. I expect no hostility from our side but keep our blades sharp."

"Milady," Elder Jin began, "Our young lord Wei is a gifted scholar. Now that we have a person who can handle diplomacy better than us in the house, would you consider including him in our plans?"

Wei Xia Ri remembered the look of desperation in his eyes back at the pavilion. "Not yet. And you have me."

Wei Xia Ri then gathered her materials to pack and head for the Palace where he was teaching. It was said that he was currently in-charge of letting the guests adapt to the empire's culture and societal views. "My honey has been demoted to a tourist guide," she grumbled. Wei Xia Ri loved his job as a teacher and he obviously did too, judging by his proud expression when he answered her numerous questions back then in the bridal chamber.

'The sight of little Jin suffering for doing someone else's job, I can't bear it!' Wei Xia Ri had an untouchable status and if the situation calls for it, might as well wield it!

"General Wei, greetings!"

"Princess Ruge, greetings."

Many who met her would quickly exchange greetings with her. And it blew their unexpectant eyes off when she smiled or returned a salute after greeting back. 'Could it be because of her scholarly husband?'

'Did the general suffer a head trauma?'

'Was the general switched?'

Many conclusions arrived in their heads.

But Wei Xia Ri only wanted to show off her hard work. When not so many people were around, she climbed over the roof and used her qigong to locate Cai Jin.

Today, he wore a half hairdo and a fish-tail braid behind his left ear. His light blue robes printed with the clouds were a huge discerning trait too.

On the right side where eunuchs were gathered by the scholars' royal academy was a pair followed by many. Even Yu Xuan Xuan, the infamous ghost doctor was beside the foreign man. Not that Wei Xia Ri minded especially that she stood by the foreigner's and not little Jin's. With the papers in a cloth bag, she landed in front of them. A pearly-white smile aimed for the scholar melted Jin's cold facade.

"Darling," Wei Xia Ri greeted. He looked so good and sounded great when working. 'if it was modern times, I would kiss you and hug you.'

"Noo- Xia-er," he smiled, a bit shaken as he almost slipped calling her noona!

"I just brought the materials over but it seems like you're busy," the general said and passed to him the cloth bag. Right then, she noticed two pairs of eyes looking at her.

"Y-you!" Yu Xuan Xuan was first to react. She looked at the lady who was dressed down to a contemporary hanfu and without a bit of armor on.

Given that she bore little to no obvious grudge towards Yu Xuan Xuan, Wei Xia Ri greeted back with a grin. "Xiao Yuan Yuan? How are you? I have another business proposal!"

"You married the kid!" Because she had been sent to escort the ambassador, Yu Xuan Xuan had missed the entire wedding. She had heard about it but did not think that it would possibly occur given that Wei Xia Ri was of a way higher standing than any men in the empire aside from the royal family; seeming to have forgotten that she herself was of low status.

"I married a gorgeous and kind man, don't you dare!" she teased, needless to say, Wei Xia Ri came to the Palace for a good time!

Right then, she noticed the quiet guy who had been observing them. He was a good-looking foreigner who was a head shorter than Cai Jin but his stance was of a soldier's. His gait while he walked was as if he was marching too.

"You must be the king's ambassador, Han Ryu," Wei Xia Ri greeted. "It's me, the general." if it wasn't for the public, she would have added, 'you failed to kill!'

Han Ryu finally met the tyrant without her armor. He initially felt disbelief to see that she behaved less like a soldier on civilian grounds. The maniac on the battlefield who laughed as she cut down and counted her enemies, could not be detected. Then he saw her 'husband' and came to realize some of his questions, 'That is why she refused the concubines.'

Cai Jin exuded 'beauty, virtuousness and brains' from his appearance and temperament alone despite the womanizing profile report that Han Ryu had received. Whenever he talked and answered the ambassador's question, he was eloquent and humble.

'If I had a woman like this to come back to, maybe I would drop the concubines too,' he thought inwardly.

But Wei Xia Ri had been his greatest enemy for so many years that he could not resist announcing himself. "Han Ryu, the strategist is here!"

Wei Xia Ri nodded, pretending to be amused. "Oh I see, did you ran to any of my men? I'm warning you, don't because they are bearing grievances for such a cowardly trick.".

"You know the story of the eagle's nest?"

'On how the eagles raise their young? Or is it the law of the jungle? I am not sure.' If not for Wei Xia Ri's unmoved expression she would have been caught. "I am well aware. Nevertheless, may you have a good time. If you excuse me, my husband and I have been called by the fifth prince, Zhong Lei," she lied. Wei Xia Ri figured that to escape them, it was better to lie and use the name of a less harmful acquaintance compared to the emperor.

Unfortunately, Han Ryu caught on because of Yu Xuan Xuan's flabbergasted face. Who doesn't know that the prince was wrapped around her fingers and would listen and report to her at all times?

"What a coincidence, lady Yu also discussed about heading there? Please join us, General Wei."

Wei Xia Ri pulled a forced smile. "My, what a shocking coincidence. Ambassador Han and Lady Xu should head first because you are an important guest. Please go ahead!"

"No, no! I am not so important, besides I would like to have a discussion with the two great generals."

"I am not actively on duty, Ambassador Han."

"General Wei, no need to be so generous with others," Yu Xuan Xuan decided to interfere with a small smile. "Please join us. Having your expertise heard would bring a significant contribution to the table."

Wei Xia Ri felt speechless. They were too persistent! 'If exchanging blows do not lead to bloodshed-'

Suddenly, an arm was raised and a body came forward to put her behind him, as if to protect her." Ambassador Han, Lady Yu, please excuse my wife because of the lack of rest. She is clearly exhausted due to her work and has only come here to bring forth a message."

"Young lord Wei," Han Ryu smiled. "You are a man filled with virtues and a good influence on your wife!"

He sounded to be complimenting the scholar and bringing him under the good light but Wei Xia Ri, Yu Xuan Xuan, and Cai Jin could detect his ridicule to the general. Fortunately, Wei Xia Ri grinned then took a step forward until her chest was touching Cai Jin's protective arm. "Please be wary of your words, ambassador. Slighting a princess is already commendable for an execution. Please heed my warning," Wei Xia Ri reminded him. Since she was a well-known tyrant, it wouldn't hurt to act like one.

The ambassador was silenced. Reports said that she did not like the title nor the status that barely anyone would address her so. But this time she used it shamelessly. It was fair though as he underestimated her too much.

He dug into his pocket and brought out a pink, diamond brooch. "I got this from the southern continent from the west. It is my final gift for the newlyweds. I hope you accept this gift to symbolize my sincerest apologies."

Wei Xia Ri was puzzled but accepted the gift nevertheless. "Ambassador Han Ryu is too generous. Might we invite you for a tea in the Vast Bamboo Pavillion tomorrow?"

"I accept."