My Cultivation Starting from Archery

"My lord, didn't you know?"

Zhao Kang frowned, "Mr. Xu transferred out, a couple of days ago..."

They recounted the occurrences preceding this.

"My lord, it was already enough that Xu Wencai was putting on airs..."

Feng Yong stated, "He was about to leave and he didn't even come to inform you?"

"Pah!"

Wu Da cursed, "This old thing, if not for my lord, what would he be? When he first enlisted, he was almost hauled off to build walls, he might as well have been buried in one!"

"..."

Chen Sansi didn't rush to respond.

Instead, he analyzed the content he'd heard in his mind.

Assistant General, plus the title of Wo Long...

The imperial grant was indeed ruthless.

It seemed the Emperor truly intended to cultivate Xu Wencai as the next Fang Qingyun, and a more controllable Fang Qingyun at that. Currently being an Assistant General was probably only the beginning; if he could indeed make achievements in You State, he would likely be promoted even higher afterward.

'I have indeed underestimated the court's intelligence capabilities.'

In the memorial, Chen Sansi had written in great detail about Xu Wencai's contributions since enlisting in the army, but since he didn't have credits earned independently, he dared not write outright the request for the title "Wo Long." He planned to secure an official position first and then proceed slowly. After all, sometimes being raised too high too swiftly isn't a good thing, especially if you're staying in the Eight Camps, where people from the other camps would create a commotion if they heard he had a Wo Long under an Assistant General, as it might diminish Fang Qingyun's status...

Unexpectedly,

the Emperor not only knew Xu Wencai's lifelong ambitions but also directly and decisively transferred him to partake in warfare in You State. If he couldn't establish meritorious deeds, it could well lead to his beheading.

Of course, Chen Sansi believed Old Scholar still had that capability.

As for why he didn't come to bid farewell, Find more to read at My Virtual Library Empire

the reason was straightforward.

Severance.

The Emperor gave him this opportunity because he valued that he had no Cultivation and no factional ties.

If he continued to be deeply bound with me, it would be impossible for him to climb higher.

"This old chap is too infuriating."

Feng Yong grumbled, "He hasn't even made a name for himself yet and he's already disregarding my lord. Imagine if he really does succeed, wouldn't he be looking down on everyone?"

"Enough."

Chen Sansi stopped them, "Old Xu has his own path to pursue; let's not bring this up again."

He understood Old Scholar; the man was cunning but not a villain.

The behavior of villains who achieve success isn't something Xu Wencai would do.

He noticed Wang Zhi, standing at the back of the crowd, signaling him with his eyes so he drove the rest away.

After closing the door, Chen Sansi inquired, "Sixth Brother, something's up?"

"Yes."

Wang Zhi pulled out a sealed letter from his robe, "This is from Old Xu for you. I thought he was acting strange. He's not usually like that—there must be some hidden issue. These past few days you were training without even eating or drinking, I was watching by your side and didn't dare to disturb you. How is it, did you achieve Meridian Passage?"

"Yes."

Chen Sansi did not conceal the truth.

After he opened the envelope and saw the neat script, he began to mentally recite it.

The opening sentence alone flustered him.

"I, a humble man, idle about in Po Yang, fortunate to not be abandoned by you..."

The first part was mostly about how grateful he was for finding a benefactor.

The latter part, however, began to describe grand ambitions.

The summary of the meaning

was that the severance was just for show, hoping not to take offense, and only by acting the part could he truly gain control of military forces, being an Assistant General was far from enough. He mentioned that he should be given a chance, promising to bring back twenty thousand elite troops within a year...

"Why would I need so many troops?"

Chen Sansi's own goal had merely been to lead one camp, that is, just over ten thousand men; here was Old Scholar talking about bringing him over twenty thousand men.

And that "Your Servant" term.

Using it in their conversation, wasn't it a bit inappropriate?

What was he up to?

The last sentence of the letter went as follows:

"Now as I leave far away, tears flowing down as I write, I'm at a loss for words!"

"..."

After reading it, Chen Sansi found himself momentarily unsure of how to judge the situation.

"How is it?"

Curiously, Wang Zhi asked, "What did Old Xu say in the letter?"

Chen Sansi apologized, "Please forgive me, brother, he asked me not to share it."

"By saying that, I understand; just knew there was something off about that old chap."

Wang Zhi nodded knowingly, lowering his voice, "I estimate the Emperor had the Jinyi Guard investigate Xu Wencai and, after confirming he could be controlled, decided to try and won him over. Moreover, you can't even talk about it. If you show discontent, you'll be seen as petty, as restricting your subordinate's prospects, and to put it seriously, it can be labeled as forming cliques for personal gain."

"As for our Emperor, he doesn't have many skills, but he is masterful in dividing and balancing power, just like it used to be."

"Just wait, after the expansion of the camps, at least half of the military officers will belong to the court rather than being from the Eight Camps."

"Yes,"

Chen Sansi was well aware.

But these issues weren't for him to worry about now; even if distressed, he could not get involved.

He dared not let a third person see Xu Wencai's letter, many words inside were simply treasonous. If word got out, it could bring great trouble and turmoil. He immediately threw the letter into the furnace and turned it to ash.

Wang Zhi was ready to leave.

"Brother,"

Chen Sansi stopped him, "Wait for me, I believe there definitely must be a way to cure the meridians."

"I..."

Wang Zhi felt somewhat embarrassed, "Brother, you need not worry about me, I'm quite content as is; fewer people under me, less responsibility, and I sleep soundly."