Chapter Fifty-Three: Brother Feeds Me

Lu Hu didn’t mind at all. In his previous life, he’d bragged to his classmates that he could gnaw on a free roast chicken even in the restroom. With the service staff at the cafeteria, if you cared about such things, you’d starve.

Bodily functions are unavoidable; humans are simply machines for producing waste. If hearing those words makes you lose your appetite, you might as well plug yourself up and be done with it.

But the whole imperial family was used to refinement; they all felt nauseated, and couldn’t eat another bite.

“On the battlefield, corpses litter the ground, chaos and filth everywhere—what disgusting things haven’t we seen? Are you saying you’d stop eating because of that?” Lu Hu stuffed his mouth with food, mumbling as he ate. Though it sounded like self-talk, it was meant for Quan Pearl’s family.

Quan Jade gritted her teeth, picked up her little golden spoon, and continued eating.

Quan Pearl imitated her sister but couldn’t swallow no matter what she tried. With a sigh, she fed the meat from her spoon to Little White.

“Eat your fill, and we’ll go hunting in the mountains this afternoon,” Lu Hu said, grabbing a wild pheasant leg and preparing to bite into it.

“Brother, I want to go hunting with you!” Pearl cheerfully leaned in, took a bite out of the pheasant leg, and all her earlier displeasure vanished into thin air.

“Eat properly and I’ll take you,” Lu Hu said, biting into the spot Pearl had just gnawed.

Pearl snatched the chicken leg from him. “Alright, I’ll eat till I’m full!”

Little Guanyin pulled a stern face, scolding her beloved daughter. “Pearl, can’t you feed yourself? Why are you stealing your brother’s food?”

“I want to steal Brother’s food, I like it! I’m feeding Little White too, my hands are busy—Brother, feed me!” Pearl acted spoiled, taking another bite from the chicken leg and offering the rest to Little White, not even checking if he ate it. She turned back to Lu Hu, mouth slightly open, her beautiful, watery eyes fixed on him in playful challenge.

“You little rascal!” Lu Hu obediently scooped up some venison and carefully fed her, his eyes full of affection.

Little Guanyin exhaled deeply, her heart warmed—her precious girl had her divine son-in-law wrapped around her finger.

“Lu Hu, I hear you’re helping Shi Zhenxiang seize the position of leader of Xilot. Is that true?” Quan Dounan picked up his spoon again, ladling some meat soup, and after asking Lu Hu, took a sip.

“That’s right. Years ago, Shi Zhenxiang’s father was hunted down by order of King Xilot. Now that Shi Zhenxiang has joined me, this vengeance must be repaid.”

“King Xilot, Ashina Moben, is the eldest son, so inheriting the throne is only natural. Shi Zhenxiang’s father was the fourth son, trying to vie for the throne—his fate seems self-inflicted.”

Quan Dounan understood the power struggles on the steppe very well.

“Helping Shi Zhenxiang is only part of it. Xilot harbors ill intentions toward Grand Sheng. I want to show them the might of our nation.” Lu Hu revealed his true purpose to his future father-in-law.

“My ancestors have seen Grand Sheng’s power, but today’s Grand Sheng is not what it used to be. Xilot is thriving in the north, and not easily dealt with.” Quan Dounan cautioned Lu Hu.

Both your daughters are nearly yours—aren’t you going to betray your homeland for me?

“If Grand Sheng can’t handle it, I will. If Grand Sheng cannot destroy their nation, I will,” Lu Hu declared, brimming with spirit and confidence.

Across from him, Jade cupped her fragrant cheek, gazing at Lu Hu in a daze, her peach-blossom eyes dreamy.

Little Guanyin gave a thumbs-up. “A true man!”

“With such courage and insight, I greatly admire you, Divine Nephew,” Quan Shenan said, clasping his hands in respect, but then frowned thoughtfully. “Xilot is extremely powerful; without strategy, it will be difficult to take them down.”

My future father-in-law wants to offer me advice, to act as my counselor or strategist.

All the better; I’d love to be a hands-off boss. Wealth and power mean little—since I’m in this world, why not live boldly? “Uncle, please share your thoughts.”

“Xilot is divided into three factions, forming a triangle of power. The Left Wise King is weakest, the Right Wise King is much stronger, and the headquarters of Ashina is the strongest of all, their military power terrifying.”

“How strong? Is it really so dreadful?” Lu Hu’s face was all smiles, his tone full of mockery.

“Xilot’s numbers are less than a million, but over three hundred thousand are trained soldiers.”

“Three hundred thousand soldiers—can they really feed them? That alone should bankrupt them.”

“They don’t all serve at once; only the core are stationed at the river—very formidable. Left Wise King has ten thousand, Right Wise King fifteen thousand, headquarters twenty-five thousand. The rest return home to herd livestock unless called up for battle.”

“Temporary conscripts—what real fighting force is that?”

“Steppe people excel at mounted archery; every able-bodied adult is a potential warrior. If invaded, all but the elderly take up arms—three hundred thousand is an underestimate!”

“I don’t want to wipe out their entire tribe, just make their leader kneel and admit defeat. Uncle, don’t assume they’re united—didn’t I already absorb Sun Zi’s two thousand soldiers?”

“Nephew, you tempted them with promotions and wealth, inciting internal strife. I deeply respect that. This tactic could work for the Left Wise King’s faction, but the other two are more difficult.”

“Uncle, I understand your meaning. News from here will soon spread across the steppe—they’ll surely prepare defenses, and might even attack us first.”

“You truly are a rare genius.”

“If they attack, we’ll defend; if the tide rises, we’ll hold firm. I’ll cut my way through.”

“Nephew, you have just over a thousand soldiers; my own faction has little more than a thousand. Even if those two thousand were tigers, attrition would defeat us.”

“I can recruit more, expanding our strength along the way—surely I can wipe out those mongrels.”

“The key is winning hearts. I have a plan, though I’m not sure if it’s feasible.”

He really wants to be my adviser—then hurry up and speak, no need for airs.

Lu Hu grumbled inwardly, but outwardly presented an attentive demeanor. “Uncle, please, I am eager to hear your counsel.”

“Win over the shaman soldiers of Tongtian, send them across the steppe to spread the divine word. Let everyone know that destroying Ashina is the will of the gods. Steppe folk revere Tongtian shamans—if you do this, the grand cause will succeed!”

“Uncle, your strategy is brilliant. I’ll go persuade those shaman soldiers at once.”

“Brother, I’m coming too,” Pearl couldn’t stand to be apart from Lu Hu for a moment.

“Jade should go as well,” Little Guanyin said, seeing her eldest daughter’s gloom. She knew that if Jade couldn’t follow her divine brother, it would be as if her soul had left her body. She granted her wish.

Jade looked gratefully at her mother, stood up, and followed Lu Hu as he prepared to leave.

“Wait, it must be done like this,” Quan Dounan called Lu Hu back, walked over, and, with an air of secrecy, whispered in his future son-in-law’s ear: “…”