After he agreed, Vice General Luo turned around and left the tent. He most likely went out looking for them. In the tent, Xu Ran and King Yan sat and waited.
When it was only the two of them, Xu Ran could finally ask King Yan, "Why don't you remember the rules you set yourself? Why didn't you tell me about this from the beginning? Don't you know that Tongtong and Baozi are still in the cold wind outside now?"
At first, King Yan didn't appear to be guilty, but as he heard Xu Ran's words, his face darkened.
He rubbed his nose in embarrassment, "I was hoping you'd come by yourself, and I just wanted to tease you. I had no idea Zheng and Baozi were both coming. Besides, I'd established a slew of regulations. How could I remember them every day?"
He appeared to be a little irritated, leaving Xu Ran speechless. The first portion was irrelevant; what mattered was that he couldn't recall them. When Xu Ran heard footsteps outside, he was about to refute King Yan.
"Dad, Dad."
Tangtang and Guoguo was calling him before they had showed up.
Xu Ran didn't care about King Yan anymore and got up to greet them.
At the tent's entrance, the father and his two children met. King Yan was envious when the two kids ran up to him and told him how much they missed him. And this picture reminded Xu Ran of how every time he went out, they would all gather at the village's entrance, waiting for him to return.
At the time, they were still young and short, and they could only reach his chest. When they saw him get out of the carriage, they would run up to him, and he would grab the two youngsters who approached him, take them in his arms, and kiss them on the cheek.
And now, the two children were so tall. Only when they ran to him did Xu Ran realize that they were almost his height.
Something flashed through Xu Ran's mind, but it was too fast that he was not able to catch it.
Xu Ran felt a little embarrassed to kiss them since they had grown up. So he just patted their shoulders and asked them, You haven't been home for two months. Do you want to go home?"
The home Xu Ran mentioned naturally meant their home in Yanzhou. Tangtang and Guoguo nodded certainly. How was it possible that they did not want to go home?
Xu Ran smiled and asked, "How about your days in the military camp? Are you getting used to it? Can you bear these sufferings?"
He asked a series of questions, and the two children were patient enough to answer him one by one.
They had just finished practicing before they ran over here, both of thyem were still sweating. Tangtang wiped the sweat on his forehead and said, "Dad, don't worry about us. Me and brother lived very well in the military camp. We lived together every day and got along very well. Everyone would take care of us because since we were still young. We are fine here."
It's human nature to keep bad information from those who care about you and whom you care about, and Tangtang and Guoguo did exactly that. For a long time, Xu Ran squinted and stared at them intently. When he realized they weren't going to say anything else, he nodded to signify that he understood.
Although there were no expressions on Tangtang and Guoguo's face, they all felt relieved.
So did the Vice General Luo. Because when King Yan had sent them over, he had only left them to him and did not explain anything else. Therefore, he had only left them with the Old Veteran and never cared about them.
He'd heard a lot of news about the two kids in the last two months. There was news that they had been bullied, and that they had retaliated by bullying others. Vice General Luo, on the other hand, never inquired about the news as long as it was not serious.
When Xu Ran questioned, he was scared that the two children would tell him the truth, but thankfully, they didn't appear to be telling the truth. Xu Ran merely had to look at Vice General Luo to realize what was going on. However, he made no mention of Vice General Luo. Instead, in front of Vice General Luo, he began to educate his two children.
Xu Ran said, "It's good that you didn't suffer. No matter what, I know that both of you are fine when I hear you say that. You must take it one step at a time down the road. No one can help you, and you will not take any less steps because someone else has stopped you. In this military camp, it's the same. Instead of using your fists to solve problems, you can use your brains. I've taught you since you were very young, remember?"
Xu Ran emphasized the word "brain" in particular, pointing to his temple to draw the attention of the two children.
Xu Ran didn't say who did wrong . He just asked his two children to do everything with their own strength, but when Vice General Luo heard it, he thought that Xu Ran was hinting at something.
He saw that King Yan had already come next to Xu Ran to talk to the two children. It was better for him to not chip in and ask what Xu Ran just meant, so he could only guess by himself.
Vice General Luo had brought them here, indicating that he had consented for Tangtang and Guoguo to return home and check. They didn't chat for long because Liu Tong and Baozi were still waiting outside the camp, so they went out of the camp to look for them.
Liu Tong was alright; he was simply overjoyed. Baozi, on the other hand, dashed straight to Tangtang and Guoguo. He requested that they both hug him simultaneously. Tangtang and Guoguo finally had no choice but to cross their four hands and allow him to sit on top. Baozi expressed his longing for the two of them and inquired about the military camp's circumstances.
He also told them what he had learned in King Yan's residence. He literally told them everything, no matter how big or trivial it was.
When he was finally done and Tangtang Guoguo had answered him, the two of them only had time to greet Liu Tong.
Liu Tong touched the heads of the two children with a loving expression. "I haven't seen you for two months, and it's dark now."
Parents would always say something like this when a child who had been gone returned home. Xu Ran had a strong impression of it. His mother would repeat that when she saw him, even if he had only been gone for a few days.
Looking at Liu Tong now, he really felt that he was like his mother.
Xu Ran rubbed his nose and looked at the sky, feeling a little upset. He hadn't thought about her for a long time. Why did he suddenly miss his mother?
Liu Tong did not notice his emotions and was still immersed in the joy of seeing Tangtang and Guoguo.
It was still a little cold in April and they didn't stand for long before heading back.
Tangtang and Guoguo claimed they wanted to eat hotpot at Red Tower, while Xu Ran said he wanted to go home and cook great meals. It had been two months since the family had eaten together. It was also pleasant and delightful to eat hotpot as a family, and there were more foods to choose from than when preparing at home. Because Xu Ran had no objections, they all proceeded to Red Tower.
Xu Ran said to King Yan, "Why don't we call Lu Qi and Yan Hao over? It would be more lively with more people, and they must miss Tangtang and Guoguo too."
There was nothing better than sharing a dinner with your family. At the same time, King Yan nodded in accord. However, when he emerged, he did it alone, and Yan Chuan was not present. However, as a king, he would not invite anyone else. Not only could Xu Ran not accomplish it, but he couldn't do it himself, so Gao Quan was assigned the duty.
Only Gao Quan, Tangtang and Guoguo ran fast among them. But they could not at the two kids to do it, so they had no other choice except Gao Quan.
It was not a big deal, and Gao Quan wouldn't have any objections.
As a result, Gao Quan went to invite these people. While Liu Tong and Shao Yu prepared the dinner in the kitchen. Tangtang and Guoguo had been bugging Baozi, and they were eager to spoil their younger brother. Xu Ran and King Yan were utterly unable to contribute since they were answering his inquiries one by one.
The two of them just looked at each other in helplessness.
Since they had no chance to chip in, they could only look for fun on their own, so Xu Ran and King Yan started to talk about the factory building.
The location had been determined, and the iron had been extracted from the iron mine. All that was left was to build the plant. This was not a simple task, and it would take a long time to complete. Three to four months, at the very least. Making the iron sheet was the most difficult part.
Although Xu Ran had told him about this during the New Year, he had not prepared anything in the past, so it would be very efficient to be able to build it before this winter came.
King Yan said to Xu Ran, "Despite the fact that the plague in the south has been eradicated, the people of the region still lack basic necessities. They are in need of food and clothing. A group of at least a hundred people arrived from the south not long ago. Yanzhou is where they wish to live and work. I was trying to figure out where these people came from. I'd send them to build the plant if there was no problem. They are not mistreated, as you stated, as long as they are fairly compensated. After all, these people do not have a lot of money. They can only be beggars if they arrive in Yanzhou. I think they should be very happy to do it."
Xu Ran nodded and said, "It's true, but you have to confirm the identities of these people first. Otherwise, what will be leaked out is that there were iron and coal mines in Yanzhou. Then you will be in trouble if someone really wants to get in your way."
King Yan smiled and said, "I'm not worried about this. According to my people in the capital city, the Emperor is about to be dying. He could only live no more than a year or two. I've been waiting for so many years, so I could wait another year or two. When he sent our family to Yanzhou, why didn't he think that we might stage a comeback?"
However, Xu Ran frowned after hearing this. He felt what King Yan said a little strange. Staging a comeback? was it meant to be rebel?
Perhaps the expression of the Xu Ran was too obvious, King Yan could see it. King Yan said, "It's not what you think. I just need justice from the new emperor. I'm not interested in the throne and don't have time for it. I'm getting lazy after so many years in Yanzhou, but I have to ask the new emperor for justice nevertheless. This must not have an impact on the children's future."
You can't appreciate your parents' love unless you have your own children. Xu Ran believed he could communicate with King Yan. Xu Ran, on the other hand, was relieved. There were around 70,000 words left. He was thinking if he should write more about some of the primary text's elements because they were not explained well.
The original topic was diverged because of the words just now, Xu Ran returned to it and asked King Yan, "How's the investigation of those people? Where are they now?"
King Yan said, "They are still outside the city. I have someone arrange a temporary place for them to stay in and not let them enter the city. As for their backgrounds, I'm not sure yet. I've already asked someone to investigate. I should have heard from them within a few days, barring accidents."
Xu Ran thought for a moment and said, "I believe you may identify several trustworthy beggars and become acquainted with them. They will always give the game away if they are not too sophisticated. Those beggars have a keen sense of which way the wind is blowing. They are, without a doubt, more useful than your men."
After hearing Xu Ran's words, King Yan started to think seriously. He said to Xu Ran a moment later, "You're right. Whether it works or not, my men have already been sent out and the news will definitely come from them. As for finding some beggars to do these things, it won't be a loss for me even if they can't do it."
Xu Ran nodded. "That's the point. You have nothing to lose."
King Yan cast an appreciative gaze at Xu Ran and said, "I really want to know where you learned all these crooked ideas. It's not some harmful, but it can always trick people."
Xu Ran rubbed his nose and thought to himself, "What kind of trick did I make to let King Yan think so?"
Before he could understand, King Yan spoke again, "As for the factory, I'm going to break ground on it these days, but we don't know what to do exactly. I guess you'll have to talk to the people who will build it."
Thinking that he had nothing else to do except to start thinking about summer dishes, Xu Ran nodded in agreement.
It was time to build the factory once and for all. It could also be used as a future reference for other things. What was more essential was that cows and sheep would soon be grazing on the grass near the camp. In the event of bad weather, they will require shelter. They may have built the cowshed and sheepfold in the same way. It was not only a shelter for cows and sheep, it was also a kind of defense.
However, Xu Ran did not say it, and it was useless to say it now. King Yan would not believe it, so he'll have to wait until this is fixed before he can be convincing.
Lu Qi and the others arrived shortly after the two of them finished talking. They were already on their way to the Red Tower when they happened to run into Gao Quan, so they walked over together, saving time. Liu Tong and Shao Yu brought up the hotpot condiment after everyone had arrived. They used the largest iron basin and it was filled with red hotpot condiment, which looked very delicious.
The food in the military camp wasn't horrible, but it was far from ideal. It couldn't compare to hot pot in terms of taste, so Tangtang and Guoguo were ecstatic. Due to their age, they could only experience the excitement in their hearts. They still had to deal with Xiao Qingyun, Yan Lan, and Yan Hao, after all. Even Lu Qi and Du Xin came over to ask them about the military camp.
What was more, the most terrible thing was Du Xin's eager appearance, which had obviously shown that he also wanted to have a try.
Lu Qi would never allow Du Xin to attend a military camp, so he taught him yet another valuable lesson. Du Xin was thick-skinned enough to be unconcerned. But he was also astute enough not to bring it up again. He simply assumed that if they were alone, he could talk to him.
No one knew about this at first, but Du Xin unconsciously muttered it to himself. Then everyone heard it, but everyone pretended not to hear it. Lu Qi was so angry that he really wanted to punch Du Xin.
Even Xu Ran thought Du Xin was becoming increasingly foolish. He was even more foolish today than he was when they first met! When they were at Halfmoon Town, he could still fool him. But, for some reason, he had changed now. Xu Ran couldn't help but smile as he looked at Lu Qi.
Lu Qi lowered his head to eat himself, pretending that he didn't see Xu Ran's sympathetic gaze. But his heart was filled with bitterness.
There were a lot of people and it was the hot pot they were eating, and they would talk with each other while eating and drinking. In the end, this meal lasted for two whole hours.
All the dishes and meat were eaten, and they had no idea how many pots of tea they had drunk.
After the meal, Gao Quan and Shao Yu continued to work, while Xu Ran went home. King Yan and Lu Qi also had their own things to do, so only Xiao Qingyun took the two children with him to go to Xu Ran's home.
They were in a hurry when they first moved here. And since they had just arrived, they did not have any banquet. So Xiao Qingyun and the rest had never been here. It was the first time they came, the three of them were so excited and Xu Ran showed them around the house.
Xiao Qingyun didn't have much to say to Tangtang and Guoguo because they had grown up, so she pestered Liu Tong to view the Red Tower staff uniform that he had embroidered. Lu Qi had created it, and he had drew the styles so that Liu Tong could embroider them.
Liu Tong accidentally let the cat out of the bag once when he went to pick up Baozi, so Xiao Qingyun remembered it and he had always wanted to have a look.
Now that he had finally come here, he would not let go of this opportunity.
Liu Tong thought that Tangtang and Guoguo had three days at home and agreed.
Xiao Qingyun handed Yan Lan and Yan Hao to Baozi and let Baozi take them to play. He followed Liu Tong and entered the house, and he was still muttering something.
On the other hand, Xu Ran could only get together with the two children, but it was just right. He was just about to talk to them, Guoguo and Tangtang also seemed to have something to say to him.
Instead of talking what he was about to say, Xu Ran asked Tangtang and Guoguo, "Tell me! What do you want to ask me?"
The two children pushed each other a little, and finally decided that Guoguo would speak first.
Guoguo took out the piece of paper that Xu Ran had written for them about the Thirty-Six Stratagems and put it on the table. "Dad, we still don't understand a lot of it. I hope you can tell us about it."
Xu Ran saw that they had drawn a lot of circle on it with pen, so he pointed at a drawing circle and asked Guoguo, "Is this what you don't understand?"
Guoguo nodded. "Yes, Dad, I have been thinking about it with my brother for a long time but we can't figure it out. As for the some of others, although we can understand the meanings of them but we don't know how to use them. Do you have any ideas abou it?"
Guoguo frowned when he said this, he was obviously distressed. His wrinkled expression made Xu Ran laugh.
Xu Ran, on the other hand, did not laugh too loudly. His son, after all, was still waiting for his response. The circle around "Relieve the state of Zhao by besieging the state of Wei" was visible to Xu Ran. He had not changed the words that he had written from memory. It's understandable that they don't comprehend because there was no State of Zhao and Wei here.
So Xu Ran told the two children the story of "Relieve the state of Zhao by besieging the state of Wei", so that they could not only hear the story, but also remembered the essence of this story.
In fact, understanding the Thirty-Six Stratagems was not difficult. The meaning of each stratagem may be deduced from its name, but understanding them would be difficult if no one explained them to you. Furthermore, because they had never experienced anything like this before, Tangtang and Guoguo had no idea what they were talking about.
On the Thirty-Six Stratagems, there were 20 circles. Because he had plenty of time, Xu Ran went over each and every one of them. After Xu Ran explained it once, the two children recalled it since they had good memory. They just needed a little more time to think about and comprehend the importance of this.
When he saw the last one stratagem "honey-trap", Xu Ran was a little uneasy. He said, "Don't you understand that this is the simplest and most useful one?"
Perhaps Xu Ran sounded too surprised, Tangtang and Guoguo were stunned for a moment, but they still shook their heads. The words looked simple but they didn't know how to use them.
Xu Ran felt speechless and felt that his education had failed. People had already started to talk about love and marriage at their age, but they didn't even know what "honey-trap" was.
The two children stared at Xu Ran eagerly, waiting for his answer. Xu Ran had no choice but to give them a few examples.
After he said this, the two children looked at him strangely. In the end, Tangtang spoke first, "Dad, is this 'honey-trap' only for childe?"
Xu Ran looked at Tangtang seriously, then at Guoguo, who looeked exactly liked him, and said, "You two can also use it as long as you look good. If you raise your temperament again, you will definitely charm everyone."
Although it sounded a little exaggerated, Xu Ran really thought that Tangtang and Guoguo had such potential, especially Tangtang.
Of course, it was not that he had a preference for Tangtang, but that ruffian aura from Guoguo was very unappealing!
What Xu Ran didn't expect was that after he said that, Guoguo said something that shocked him, "Brother, I agreed with Dad. You look better than those childe."
"Was he teasing him?" Xu Ran thought.
Tangtang, "..."
"Don't you forget, you look exactly like me.," Tangtang said angrily.
Guoguo became annoyed right away and remained silent. Xu Ran grinned as he looked at the two brothers, but he knew the two kids must have known what "honey-trap" meant. Tangtang's words were the reason they said they didn't grasp it.
They both knew how to hurt each other the most, thus they knew what words would do the most damage. Xu Ran was amused and amused by this sensation of mutual harm.
08.23.21