Chapter 3: Formulating Thoughtful Strategies

Diao Chan smiled and said, "Hehe, stop talking. Aren't you supposed to be writing? Hurry up and write." With that, she went to the side to prepare the ink for him

Jia Renlu angrily said: "No, this is that guy... whom I choked?"

As he pondered, he drew a large cross, then crossed out Liu Biao, Liu Zhang, Zhang Lu, Zhang Xiu, Gongsun Gong, and others one by one, continuing until he reached "Ma Teng" and stopped. He thought to himself: "The geographical position of this person is truly remarkable. I always start playing the Three Kingdoms game from him, and it turns out to be effortless. He has fierce generals like Ma Chao and Pang De, yet lacks wise strategists. He possesses the strength to compete with Cao Cao, and he is resolutely determined to restore the Han dynasty and oppose Cao Cao. It would indeed be a wise strategy to seek his support. However, Xiliang is thousands of miles away from here, and with Diao Chan by my side, I fear we wouldn't even make it past the gates of Xu City before being captured and dealt with. What should I do?" As he contemplated strategies, he thought and thought until his head ached, yet he could not come up with a single idea. Just as he was lost in thought, suddenly a person came to mind, and he exclaimed: "Alas! How could I have forgotten him!"

Jia Renlu understood that if he continued speaking, he would not know how he would be portrayed, so he hurriedly changed the subject, adopting the demeanor of a fortune teller, and said: "Hold on! Do not interrupt my train of thought; this decision concerns the lives of the entire family and is no trivial matter! You should stand quietly by and not disturb me as I enter a state of deep contemplation, like an old monk in meditation. If you are tired, you may go to sleep first."

Diao Chan could not help but nod, and then as if recalling something, she hurriedly shook her head, her expression filled with sorrow and self-pity, which left Jia Renluo utterly entranced. Jia Renluo raised his large hand and struck his own horse-like face with four crisp slaps, one after another. In an instant, his cheeks swelled, burning with pain.

Jia Renlu unfolded the bamboo slips, focused his mind, and planned his layout. After a long while, he finally lifted his pen, heavy as a thousand pounds, and awkwardly wrote the two characters "Yuan Shao". Upon seeing this, Diao Chan couldn't help but laugh out loud, quickly covering her mouth with her hand. Jia Renlu's face turned crimson; he coughed to mask his embarrassment and ignored her. With strength in his wrist, he let the pen dance like a dragon and snake, writing down the two characters "Sun Ce". These characters were greatly influenced by the calligraphy master Zhang Xu, embodying the essence of wild cursive script, to the point that he himself could barely understand what he had written. With a sense of accomplishment in his calligraphy, he continued in one breath, listing the names of the lords who ruled the various regions at that time on the slips. Finally, he set down the brush, struck a pose as if he had just finished a performance, and waited for applause.

Diao Chan giggled and said, "I won't learn from you; even the characters written by three-year-old children in Xu Du look much better than what you, a so-called calligrapher, produce"

Diao Chan suddenly realized and laughed, saying: "Hehe, have you forgotten? The lord has specially allowed you to serve as a guard only after the New Year, considering that we are newlyweds."

Tears glistened in Diao Chan's eyes, falling directly down as she said, "I accidentally fell to the ground and bumped myself."

Jia Renlu chuckled foolishly and said, "Rest assured, I will not break my vow, and thus it will not come to pass." He thought to himself, "In that previous era, I had to make dozens of vows each day, these nonsensical words can only deceive ghosts. Moreover, this time I am serious."

Jia Renlu said: "What time do I need to go to work?" He thought to himself: "I am currently working for Cao Cao, so I cannot be late. If I am late, it won't just be a matter of a salary deduction; it could be a serious consequence."

Diao Chan shook her head again to indicate that she did not understand his words

Jia Renlu thought to himself: "It seems that the benefits and treatment at the Cao family conglomerate are quite good, including marriage leave. Unfortunately, this company may not last long; staying here might not last more than six months. I need to change jobs quickly, but which company should I go to?" With this thought, he stood up, walked to the desk, and said: "Bring me some paper and a pen."

Diao Chan covered his mouth and said: "Do not make vows; it is only natural for a humble servant to serve her master. There is no need to swear over such matters, for one must be cautious, as it may come true."

Jia Renlu said: "Big Ears!" He picked up his brush and added two more characters at the end of the bamboo slip: "Liu Bei." Thinking of this man, who was seven feet five inches tall, with ears that reached his knees and eyes that could see his own ears, a descendant of the Han Zhongshan Jing Wang, he felt a surge of excitement. He thought: "This child, burdened with deep grievances, had been relentlessly pursued by Cao Cao before he met Kongming, left in a state of utter disarray, wandering from place to place like a beggar. He could be said to be irreconcilable with Cao Cao, and his fate is extremely resilient. As long as I follow him steadfastly, even Cao Cao would not be able to do anything to me. Now he is in Xudu, most likely hiding in his own backyard planting vegetables. This kind of strategy of biding his time can only be conceived by this long-suffering Big Ear Liu Bei. Currently, he only has Guan and Zhang with him, lacking a strategist. I wonder if I can use my thousand years of insight to assist him; after all, sitting idly is just waiting for death, so I might as well take a bold gamble. However, I am just an ordinary soldier of Cao, not Zhuge Liang, nor do I have a high-level figure like Sima Hui who can come out and say: 'Fulong, Renlu, if one of the two is obtained, peace can be achieved in the world.' How can I make this eager-to-recruit Big Ear believe in me?"

Upon seeing this celestial script, Diao Chan's admiration for him was as boundless as the flowing Yangtze River, and for a moment, she could not find suitable words to describe the exquisite nature of his calligraphy. She stood there in a daze, carefully choosing her words, and after a long while finally exclaimed: "Sir, what is it that you have written?"

Diao Chan was startled by his sudden roar and asked, "Who were you thinking of?"

Jia Renlu sighed, "Alas, just take anything at random, as long as it can be used for writing or drawing."

Just past the fifth watch

A large cross was drawn over the two characters "Yuan Shao," and I thought to myself: "Next is Sun Ce. The Little Overlord Sun Boshu was indeed decisive and courageous, daring to use the imperial jade seal, which his father refused to surrender even at the cost of his life, to exchange for the foundation of Jiangdong that would last for generations. As the saying goes: 'You can't catch a wolf without parting with the child, and you can't catch a rogue without parting with the daughter-in-law.' Such a decision is not something an ordinary person can make, and it is truly admirable. Unfortunately, he was overly bold and did not perish in a grand battle but rather capsized in a small ditch. Two years later, he too would meet his end, and then Sun Zhongmou would take over, losing the excellent opportunity to launch a surprise attack on Xudu, ending up with only a small corner of territory. Sun Quan was merely a talent in internal affairs and was not adept at expansion. Moreover, he had once surrendered to Cao Cao, leading to the death of my revered deity, Guan Gong, so he need not be considered.

Jia Renlu felt quite embarrassed and exclaimed, "Hmph! You, a mere woman, cannot appreciate my extraordinary work as a master of calligraphy; it is naturally not your fault. When my husband has time one day, I shall impart to you this unparalleled and astonishing calligraphic skill that surpasses both ancient and modern styles. If you diligently study for three years, you will surely achieve some success, not inferior to Wang, Liu, Yan, or Zhang." This grandiose boasting was something he had long practiced to perfection in the company, often claiming that his thick skin was thicker than a city wall. If you diligently study for three years, you will surely achieve some success, not inferior to Wang, Liu, Yan, or Zhang. This grandiose boasting was something he had long practiced to perfection in the company, often claiming that his thick skin was thicker than a city wall.

Jia Renlu gritted his teeth and said angrily: "That Jia Fu from before was not a human, but a beast! I beat him fiercely to vent your anger. Rest assured, I, Jia Renlu, am determined to rectify past wrongs and make a painful change. I will never treat you that way again; I will do my utmost to protect you, cherish you, and treat you well. If you do not believe me, I can swear: 'Heaven above, I, Jia Renlu, swear here that I will wholeheartedly protect my wife, Diao Chan, and make her the happiest person in the world. If I break this oath, let me..." He finally understood the feelings of Zhong Wanchou in the book. Originally, he would never have said such sentimental words, even if it meant death, but at this moment, these words flowed out like a flood breaking through a dam. He felt that saying this was only right, and he couldn't help but want to do something for this pitiful beauty, so that she would no longer suffer even the slightest grievance.

Jia Renlu said: "When should I report to Lord Cao?"

As the bookkeeper Diao Chan turned and withdrew, a moment later she brought over a tray containing the Four Treasures of the Study: brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. Approaching closely, she handed him the bamboo slips and the brush. Jia Renlu reached out to take them, but inadvertently brushed against her wrist, causing her to shudder in pain and step back. Jia Renlu thought to himself: "Could it be that I have mastered the Nine Yang Divine Skill, and this light touch has inadvertently carried internal force, causing her internal injury?" After some reflection, he felt that this was not the case. He hurriedly stepped forward, rolled up her sleeve, and looked closely. He couldn't help but gasp in shock, for her snow-white arm was covered with dark purple bruises, interspersed with many deep nail marks.

Jia Renlu rolled up his sleeves, instinctively wanting to check the time, only to find his wrist empty. It was then that he remembered there were no watches in the Three Kingdoms period, and he asked, "What time is it now?"

Diao Chan looked surprised and said, "Why do you sound so strange today? What does 'going to work' mean?"

Jia Renlu exclaimed, "What is going on?"

Jia Renlu inquired again, "What time is it now?" He couldn't help but feel that conversing with ancient people was truly exhausting.

Diao Chan, seeing his serious demeanor, dared not speak further and quietly stood to the side. Jia Renlu picked up his brush and pointed at the two characters "Yuan Shao," thinking to himself: "Yuan Shao requires no consideration; he sits on Hebei, with the situation looking very favorable, and originally had hopes of unifying the world. Yet he is strong on the outside but weak on the inside, timid and ineffective. With strategists and fierce generals like Tian Feng, Ju Shou, Zhang He, and Gao Lan at his disposal but not utilizing them, and favoring sycophants over capable ministers, he will surely face disaster in the Battle of Guandu two years from now. To go now would be akin to seeking death."

Diao Chan expressed surprise and said, "Paper is very expensive; our family cannot afford it"