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He is indeed the leader of the children from humble backgrounds!
Seeing Huang Li's serious demeanor, Xiao Chen couldn't help but smirk. General Huang must have recognized his identity.
"General Huang, I have some matters I would like to discuss with you regarding our upcoming battle against the enemy," Xiao Chen said confidently.
Before he could finish, Huang Li interrupted him. "For the upcoming battle, we have our own arrangements in the army. You just need to wait for orders. I need to meet with Young Master Chen Anlin now."
At that moment, everyone behind Xiao Chen understood that Huang Li hadn't come to find him; he had merely passed by on his way to see Chen Anlin.
Xiao Chen's face turned a mix of green and white, feeling a sting of humiliation. However, he wasn't ready to give up just yet. "General, I suggest you keep your distance from someone like Chen Anlin!"
"Oh? What do you mean by that?" Huang Li asked with interest.
"His reputation in the capital is well-known! For instance, not long ago, he broke off an engagement with a friend of mine and then demanded a bride price!"
Huang Li's expression turned peculiar. "Isn't it normal to ask for a bride price? If she isn't marrying him, why should she keep it?"
Xiao Chen was taken aback, staring at Huang Li in disbelief. He never expected Huang Li would defend Chen Anlin.
Huang Li continued, "For example, if a girl accepts a bride price but doesn't marry, isn't she just collecting money from many suitors? Where's the logic in that?"
"Well, General Huang, you're right," Xiao Chen replied hesitantly. "But giving a bride price is something Chen Anlin did. He's from a wealthy family; does he really care about this?"
Huang Li was left speechless. "Should wealthy families be bullied? Is their money just blowing in from the wind?"
To them, it might seem like money comes easily since they are already so rich and powerful; why should they still pressure others?
After a moment of silence, Huang Li asked, "So you really think their money comes easily?"
Shaking his head, he added, "I can't seem to communicate with you on this matter. I won't discuss it further; I need to meet Young Master Chen now."
With that, he ignored Xiao Chen and headed toward Chen Anlin.
Xiao Chen stood there in shock, disbelief written all over his face. General Huang actually disregarded him! He was the leader of the humble children here—how could he be ignored?
What was going on? He must be someone who flatters those in power; all the rumors about him were false—absolutely false!
Xiao Chen's expression darkened as he spoke.
Xiao Chen, what just happened? Why does General Huang seem so unhappy? Zhao Yao rushed over, anxious.
Xiao Chen sighed and said, "I didn't think much of it. The rumors about Huang are false; he’s just a sycophant."
"What? What’s going on?" Zhao Yao asked, confused.
He just defended Chen Anlin without any reason at all.
Xiao Chen shook his head. "Forget it; I must be blind."
Zhao Yao opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say. At that moment, she looked over at Huang and Chen Anlin, who were chatting enthusiastically. The respect Huang showed towards Chen Anlin was evident.
Suddenly, she believed Xiao Chen's words a little more.
"Young Master Chen, your father knows you’re here and specifically asked me to take care of you," Huang said with a smile.
In his eyes, someone like Young Master Chen needed special attention. After all, behind him was not only the Chen family but also the powerful Empress as a backing. If something happened to such a person, his position would be in jeopardy.
"General Huang, I’m here for training. If you take too much care of me, I won’t be able to improve," Chen Anlin replied humbly.
He had heard from his parents that Huang was considered one of their own, having been secretly promoted by his father. In reality, whether in the court or the military, if you wanted to rise through the ranks, you needed someone to support you.
It was all about choosing sides!
Otherwise, like Jet Li's character in "The Warlords," after achieving fame as the Governor of Liangjiang, he ended up being assassinated due to lack of connections and support among the court officials.
Although Huang came from a humble background, he understood the ways of governance well. That’s why he was able to rise steadily and gain the Chen family's favor.
After chatting for a while, Huang frowned and said, "However, when I came over just now, that guy named Xiao Chen seemed to want to cause trouble for you."
"Well, I’m not surprised," Chen Anlin shrugged nonchalantly.
"Rest assured, Young Master. If you want me to deal with him, just say the word." As he spoke, Huang secretly thought to himself: That guy really has issues; gathering a bunch of lowborn youths to try and push Young Master out is just laughable.
For now, there's no need to take action against him; I have my own plans.
Chen Anlin shook his head. He still needed Xiao Chen to take him to that ancient tomb, a place rumored to hold the legacy of great masters.
"Since you say so, Chen Shao, I’ll let him off this time. By the way, I’ve prepared some fine wine and delicacies for you. You must be tired; why not come over for a drink?"
"Sure!"
As someone in a position of power, Chen Anlin would never indulge in pleasantries. The more courteous you are, the more those beneath you might think you're easy to bully.
Hearing that Huang Li was inviting Chen Anlin for drinks only solidified Xiao Chen's suspicions. Indeed, he was just another sycophant.
In the following days, Chen Anlin was placed in the most luxurious tent within the camp. While others were busy with training and outdoor experiences, he spent his time leisurely wandering around with Su Menghan.
When he found the opportunity, he also visited his parents. His parents' army had set up camp on a mountain outside the city. Behind that mountain lay another small city, which along with Huang Li's location formed a strategic alliance—if anything happened in one place, the other would come to its aid.
During his visit to his parents, Chen Anlin discreetly observed some people but found nothing amiss. It seemed that if there were any defeats ahead, they wouldn't originate from this area.
Having found nothing suspicious, Chen Anlin returned to his tent. In the dead of night, he suddenly felt a presence and swiftly embraced a figure in the darkness.
It was naturally Su Menghan. This girl couldn’t sleep at night and seemed to be looking for trouble again.
"Aren't you afraid of being discovered?" Chen Anlin scolded as he playfully swatted her.
"What’s there to be afraid of? Do we really need to worry about others finding out about us?"
Su Menghan clung to him like an ornament, unfazed by his words.
"You’re quite bold!"
"Are you really sure you don't want me to stay here? Are you really sure?" Su Menghan twisted and turned as she spoke.
Hiss, hiss, hiss.
Chen Anlin took a sharp breath, his eyes rolling in exasperation. "I'm really angry right now."
The next morning, bright and early, Chen Anlin pried the clingy Su Menghan off him. After tidying up his clothes, he stepped out of the tent.
Upon seeing him, the others around looked at Chen Anlin with envy. They toiled every day, training hard and risking their lives outside, while he spent his days in leisure and even had a beautiful woman by his side at night!
They were genuinely envious. Su Menghan was so shameless.
Zhao Yao watched as Su Menghan clung to Chen Anlin's arm, her heart boiling with anger. At the same time, she felt a pang of jealousy. Back when Su Menghan had persuaded her to break up with Chen Anlin, she never expected that Su Menghan would end up in his bed so quickly.
What a despicable person, she cursed inwardly. Yet, alongside her anger, there was a hint of envy. Su Menghan's cultivation had originally been inferior to hers, but after being with Chen Anlin, she had actually reached the seventh rank. Meanwhile, Zhao Yao was still stuck at the eighth rank.
The key difference was their treatment; Su Menghan and Chen Anlin were always together, enjoying fine food and comfortable living arrangements in a private space. Zhao Yao, on the other hand, had to share her living quarters with over ten others, which was incredibly inconvenient.
Most importantly, the bathroom situation was a nightmare—there were no gender-separated facilities. Recently, someone from Nan University had been frequently bothering her.
But it didn’t matter; Xiao Chen had said that he would soon gain an opportunity that would allow her to rise alongside him. Now, all of Zhao Yao's hopes were pinned on Xiao Chen.
Once Xiao Chen took her to new heights, she would have the power to boast. She would show Su Menghan that relying on men like Chen Anlin meant nothing. As a woman, one must depend on oneself! Now, she was just waiting for Xiao Chen to elevate her!
"Zhao Yao, hurry up and move the stones to repair the city wall!" Suddenly, a squad leader shouted.
"Ah, I'm a girl! Why do I have to move stones?" Zhao Yao immediately protested.
As a martial artist, she was certainly capable of moving stones, but after working hard for the past few days, her hands were already calloused. A woman's appearance was of utmost importance; she needed to maintain her fairy-like looks and take good care of her delicate hands. How could she do such rough work?
"Why? Everyone here is in training. We don't have enough manpower right now. What's wrong with asking you to help repair the city wall?" The squad leader frowned and reprimanded her.
"But I'm a girl, I—"
Before she could finish her sentence, the squad leader interrupted her, "So what if you're a girl? I remember you said before that who says women are inferior to men? You also said that men and women should be treated equally. We’ve given you that equality, so why don’t you work like the men?"
"That’s not the same! You’re just deliberately bullying me!" Zhao Yao's eyes turned red with grievance.
Letting Zhao Yao do the work was one thing, but why wasn’t that woman doing anything?
Suddenly, Xiao Chen rushed over angrily and pointed at Su Menghan, who was standing not far away with Chen Anlin. "I've been watching Su Menghan for days; she hasn’t done any work at all! What’s going on here?"
Xiao Chen snorted coldly, "Are you all deliberately bullying us commoners? Let me tell you, although we come from humble backgrounds, we are not to be trifled with."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yao perked up. "Exactly! Why should we do all the work while they just stand around? It’s unfair!"
The squad leader glanced over at Chen Anlin and Su Menghan with a sneer. "Are you two idiots? Young Master Chen's family has provided us with a hundred thousand taels of silver in support and donated equipment and food. Are you really suggesting we repay their kindness with ingratitude by making Young Master Chen do manual labor? What are you thinking?"
Xiao Chen was displeased and retorted coldly, "Just because you have money doesn’t make you special! Having money doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want!"
"I'm sorry," the squad leader replied dismissively. "I don’t know about other places, but here, money truly does allow one to do as they please."
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