C13.2. Sandbox Fighting (2).

C13.2. Sandbox Fighting (2).

Ouyang Ting quickly prepared a chessboard, intending to use chess pieces as troops and the board as a battlefield for Yuan Li and Chu Hechao to engage in strategic play. However, Yuan Li was not skilled in chess and stopped Ouyang Ting, instructing Lin Tian instead.

Lin Tian hurriedly departed and returned shortly with two guards from the Yuan family.

Two Yuan family guards cooperated to carry a box to the pavilion. Upon reaching the pavilion, they placed the box down and revealed a neatly squared sand table from inside.

The moment Ouyang Ting laid eyes on the sand table, he immediately stood up in excitement.

The sand table was positioned on the stone table in the pavilion, and the guards carefully filled the rivers on the sand table with clear water.

In an instant, the mountains, rivers, cities, and forests came to life on the sand table, with the cliffs and mountain ranges clearly visible, all captured within one's sight.

Ouyang Ting, with his beard quivering in excitement, exclaimed, "What is this?"

"It's a sand table," Yuan Li explained succinctly, "I made it in my spare time. The terrain on this sand table represents the landscape of Ruyang County."

Zhang Liangdong gasped in awe, gently caressing the sand table, murmuring, "It's incredibly realistic..."

As everyone's gaze focused on the sand table, Yuan Li produced three small flags of different colors, saying, "General, choose a color representing your army, and let's engage in a game on the sand table."

Upon seeing the extra flags, Jian Shaoning eagerly exclaimed, "I want to join too! I'll play with you!"

The three flags were distributed among them, with Jian Shaoning choosing to defend, positioning his troops within the city. Chu Hechao opted to attack, while Yuan Li requested the mountains and plains to the south of the river.

Zhang Liangdong and the others couldn't help but gather around the table to observe closely.

With ample food supplies within the city, Zhan's army defended staunchly behind sturdy walls, repelling Chu's attacks effectively. Jian Shaoning couldn't help but wear a smug smile, knowing that defending a city was easier than attacking one.

Despite Chu's large forces, the limited food provisions meant that as long as he held the city well, no one could defeat him!

However, Chu's forces soon switched tactics, continuously harassing the city from all directions. Jian Shaoning found himself overwhelmed, trying to fend off the attacks from multiple sides.

By the time he reacted, Chu Hechao had diverted the river waters into the city, resulting in the flooding of Ruyang City and the collapse of its walls, leading to the defeat of Jian's army.

"Oh, what a pity!" Zhang Liangdong exclaimed, pulling out a few beard hairs in frustration, shaking his head and lamenting, "He employed the strategy of 'attack in the east while striking in the west'!"

Dejected, Jian Shaoning left the battleground.

Chu's forces took control of the city, confiscating Jian's provisions and soldiers to replenish their own troops. After recuperating, they prepared to march and conquer Yuan's army.

However, as the two armies clashed, Yuan Li had already started cultivating crops and building new cities leveraging the terrain.

The two armies met on the banks of a river, with Chu's repeated challenges and Yuan's defensive stance. Unable to overcome the river barrier due to their soldiers' lack of expertise in aquatic warfare, Chu Hechao furrowed his brow and divided his forces to launch a surprise attack on Yuan's rear from the mountain range.

Yet, this ambush fell into Yuan's trap, as his army had already planned and executed strategies like 'baiting the hook to reel in the fish' and 'cross the sea under camouflage.'

Yuan's troops divided into three detachments, swiftly reacting to Chu's movements. One unit feigned defeat, luring Chu's forces into a valley, blocking both entrance and retreat with large stones, trapping the portion of Chu's troops in the valley.

Meanwhile, another unit utilized boats fashioned from felled trees in the mountains to cross the river clandestinely.

By the time Chu's forces realized the situation, they were cut off from their food supplies. Half of the soldiers were stranded on one side of the river, while the other half were trapped in the mountains.

With no provisions, Chu's army would gradually starve to death.

Yuan Li raised his head, gave a smirk towards Chu Hechao, and said, "General, my tactics are lacking, so I have to target the logistics and slowly wear down Chu's forces."

Chu Hechao glanced at the sand table, set down the flag, and suddenly chuckled, "Impressive, Sister-in-law."

This remark was only heard by Yuan Li. The others were still immersed in the riveting process.

"Brilliant," Jian Qibo exclaimed, "The general was defeated by the river after all."

Zhang Liangdong sighed, "Indeed."

After a while, the group finally came back to their senses.

Ouyang Ting cut to the chase, "Zhang Liangdong, you're not cut out to be his teacher."

Zhang Liangdong opened his mouth to retort but ended up giving a bitter smile, "Yes, I'm indeed not the right fit to be his teacher. But you, Ouyang Ting, are perfect for the job."

Ouyang Ting's appointment as the Minister of Works was one of the three positions in the government, responsible for water conservancy projects, city defense construction, palace construction, and other affairs. He was not only a great scholar of his time but also a renowned general of the Northern Zhou dynasty.

He had previously quelled unrest in the south and was known for his talents in both civil and military matters. However, he rarely took on disciples.

It was because of this that Yuan Li had never imagined becoming Ouyang Ting's disciple.

But at this moment, Ouyang Ting chuckled and stroked his beard. "Zhang Liangdong, you've hit the nail on the head with that statement," he said. He then fixed his gaze on Yuan Li and asked, "Young Master Yuan, are you willing to become my disciple?"

Yuan Li, of course, was willing!

Although Ouyang Ting had led troops in the past, he no longer held military power and only carried the title of Minister of Works. Whether Yuan Li became his disciple or Zhang Liangdong's disciple yielded the same result.

Yuan Li was overjoyed and immediately performed the ceremony to become Ouyang Ting's disciple, declaring, "Disciple pays respects to Teacher!"

Ouyang Ting's eyes crinkled in a deep smile as he helped Yuan Li to his feet. It had been a long time since he had felt this happy.

Zhang Liangdong and Jian Qibo also congratulated him, mentioning, "Congratulations to Lord Ouyang for gaining such a talented disciple."

"Lord Ouyang's bond with Young Master Yuan as teacher and disciple is truly profound. He even managed to take on an apprentice during a casual visit to the Grand Marshal's Mansion," remarked Jian Qibo with a chuckle. "Look, the Grand Marshal's face has turned green!"

Zhang Liangdong let out a bitter laugh, his heart still filled with regret.

However, compared to him, Ouyang Ting was indeed a more suitable teacher for Yuanli. Zhang Liangdong thought with a sigh, he and Yuanli were destined to have a slight lack of destiny.

Yuan Li stood up from the ground, his face beaming with a smile. At that moment, the system in his mind also sounded a notification.

[The Encyclopedia of All Things System has been activated. The apprenticeship task has been completed, and the reward has been issued. Please explore it yourself.]

[Task: Enter the service of the government.]

[Reward: Cotton.]

Thinking about gaining not only a formidable teacher but also knowledge on refining cotton, Yuan Li couldn't contain his excitement, shedding his previous calm demeanor and confident boasts of martial prowess on the battlefield gradually dissolved.

Ouyang Ting smiled and said, "Li'er, starting tomorrow, you will come to my residence, and I will teach you diligently. Don't think about escaping at the last moment, alright?"

Yuan Li's expression changed, firm and resolute as he replied, "Teacher, rest assured, disciple will be there on time."

Ouyang Ting nodded approvingly, then cleared his throat, "Li'er, about that sand table..."

Suddenly, Chu Hechao clapped his hands and instructed Yuan Li's two guards, "Why don't you pack up the sand table?"

His tone was forceful, and the guards instinctively obeyed him, draining the water out of the sand table and placing it in a box.

After Chu Hechao locked the box, he smirked and provocatively addressed Ouyang Ting, "Minister of Works, is there anything you'd like to say?"

Ouyang Ting replied, "...Nothing."

"Since there's nothing, we'll take our leave then," Chu Hechao said as he bid farewell and left with Yuan Li and the sand table.

Ouyang Ting and his companions watched the box being taken away, all sighing in disappointment.

When Yuan Li returned to the mansion and was still basking in his joy, he realized that Chu Hechao had followed him. Understanding the situation, he pretended to be puzzled and asked, "General, what's this about?"

Chu Hechao adopted a courteous tone, softening his voice, "Sister-in-law, I would be grateful if you would consider letting me have this sand table."

Yuan Li explained, "This sand table represents the geographical layout of Ruyang County. It wouldn't be of much use to you, General."

Chu Hechao was patient, saying, "No problem, let's leave it as a display."

But the usually generous Yuan Li blinked and appeared somewhat innocent as he replied, "But I don't want to give it to the General."

A moment of stiffness appeared on Chu Hechao's lips, and his eyebrows furrowed, exuding pressure. Yuan Li had freely given away the Black Armor, so he didn't think he was inferior to someone named Wang Er.

He asked, "Why?"

"Do you really not know, General?" Yuan Li sighed lightly, presenting a sorrowful expression, half-real and half-fake. "Since I arrived at the Prince Chu Mansion, General, you've always been targeting me, even saying you'd find an opportunity to return big gifts to me. With your treatment towards me, I can't help but feel a certain degree of discomfort and fear towards you, making it difficult to be close to you."

Chu Hechao smirked, with a hint of amusement as if waiting to see what else Yuan Li had to say.

But with lowered eyelids, the young Yuan Li's eyes conveyed a sense of sadness. The wind blew his scarlet hair back, and his gentle side profile displayed a palpable sense of sorrow, a stark contrast to his previously confident demeanor.

Suddenly, Chu Hechao remembered their shared drink experience and was about to make a remark when he held back, showing a hint of impatience as he said, "What does sister-in-law wants?"

He then chuckled and, with a hint of icy sarcasm on his handsome face, suggested, "How about I apologize to you?"

Yuan Li lethargically responded, "Sure."

After a pause, Chu Hechao said, "Sister-in-law, I have been offensive to you recently, and I apologize."

Yuan Li listened attentively, then replied insincerely, "We're family, no need to be polite, little brother."

With that said, he walked into the Wending Courtyard with a radiant expression and turned to close the courtyard door.

Chu Hechao extended his hand to block the wooden door.

With each tap of his abnormally long fingers on the door, the sound echoed like a drumbeat, creating a tense atmosphere.

"Have you forgotten something?" he asked.

Leaning over the door crack, locking eyes with Yuan Li, Chu Hechao's intimidating masculine presence invaded the space, and he gestured towards the wooden box behind Yuan Li, saying, "The sand table."

Yuan Li, no longer jesting, cheerfully had his guards lift the wooden box and hand it over to Chu Hechao.

Chu Hechao's tone softened as he thanked Yuan Li, appreciating him in a new light. "Thank you, sister-in-law."

He now felt that Yuanli was a good person.

Despite lingering doubts about Yuan Li's connection to the shipment, having a sister-in-law who could provide a sand table, understand military matters, and manage farms efficiently held greater value than the goods themselves.

Chu Hechao's eyes flashed as he left with the box.

In the following days, Yuan Li diligently attended Ouyang Ting's residence for learning.

Ouyang Ting not only taught Yuan Li the classics but also trained him in martial arts for combat. Yuan Li worked hard, arriving at Ouyang's residence before dawn, sweating profusely on his return to the Chu Wang Mansion at sunset, without uttering a word of complaint in Ouyang Ting's presence.

Although Ouyang Ting didn't express it verbally, he was extremely satisfied with Yuan Li and began to regard him as family within a few days.

Given Yuan Li's exceptional talent and his strategic and rational approach to matters, Ouyang Ting believed that Yuan Li might one day rise to a prominent position within the Three Public Offices and become a renowned statesman.

If Yuan Li could achieve such a feat, their master-disciple relationship would become a tale of two exceptional figures, a story that others would envy.

Driven by these expectations, Ouyang Ting became incredibly stern in his guidance of Yuan Li, even prompting his wife, Madame Lu, to send fruits as a gesture of support.

After a few days, Yuan Li not only continued his studies under Ouyang Ting but also began attending the Imperial Academy.

On the day before he was set to go to the Imperial Academy, as Yuan Li was about to visit Ouyang Ting's residence, Chu Mingfeng unexpectedly sent a letter through a messenger, requesting Yuan Li to deliver it to Ouyang Ting.