My classmate Zhu Houzhao

Chapter 12 Sworn Brotherhood

After Fang Heng finished making the desserts, he presented them to Zhu Shou, who ate one of each and was very satisfied.

"Your skills are truly exceptional; I've never tasted such delicious pastries in the entire capital."

Zhu Shou looked at Fang Heng and couldn't help but praise him.

"Young Master Zhu, you flatter me. These sweets contain a lot of icing sugar and ghee, so they shouldn't be eaten in excess; it's bad for your health."

Fang Heng glanced at Old Wang beside him, somewhat surprised.

"Don't worry, my Zhu family loves sweets. My ancestors all loved sweets, and some of them ruined their health because they ate too many sweets. I know that."

After finishing his snacks, Zhu Shou took a sip of tea to moisten his mouth.

"That's excellent."

Upon hearing this, Fang Heng said nothing more.

"This old gentleman is very knowledgeable, and I had a very pleasant conversation with him."

Zhu Shou noticed Fang Heng's gaze and explained.

Fang Heng looked at Lao Wang with some surprise upon hearing this.

Although Fang Heng hadn't been with Lao Wang for long, he could sense from Lao Wang's words, actions, and demeanor that Lao Wang seemed to have an extraordinary past.

However, Lao Wang never mentioned these things, and Fang Heng didn't feel comfortable asking.

Unexpectedly, Old Wang and this Young Master Zhu could get along so well.

Fang Heng was not upset by this. To Fang Heng, the more capable Lao Wang was, the better. Keeping such a person by his side meant that he could always come up with ideas for him in critical moments.

"This young master Zhu is interested in the art of military command. When I was young, I led troops for a period of time, so we chatted a bit."

Old Wang looked into Fang Heng's eyes and explained.

"The art of leading troops? May I listen in?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Heng's eyes lit up. Every day, new memories of those two people would appear in his mind. In the past two days, there had been many more memories of the older man about leading troops. It seemed that the man and his brothers had been driven to desperation by forced labor and eventually went into a mountain to hide for a while. After that, it seemed that the whole world was in rebellion, so they joined the rebellion.

Later, the man and a group of people followed a man named King Huai of Chu. King Huai of Chu said that whoever entered Guanzhong first would be king, and the man became aroused. In Fang Heng's memory, King Huai of Chu gave the man a title: Marquis of Wu'an.

Upon learning of this title, Fang Heng was shocked. Although he hadn't read many books, he had heard a lot of operas and knew very well that there weren't many people in history who could be granted the title of Marquis of Wu'an, but they were all extremely capable in major battles. Moreover, this title seemed to carry some kind of curse, and those who were granted the title of Marquis of Wu'an generally did not have a good ending.

King Huai of Chu, Marquis of Wu'an—these titles reminded Fang Heng of the time when heroes vied for power at the end of the Qin Dynasty. His memories seemed to closely match those of Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang. However, Fang Heng was unsure whether Emperor Gaozu had actually been granted the title of Marquis of Wu'an.

In the past two days, Fang Heng has had too many memories of fighting in his mind. In his memory, the man was not good at large battles at the beginning and had to rely on persuasion to surrender in order to advance all the way. But later, he became more and more skilled and composed in battle. He was even able to defeat the tens of thousands of troops led by General Yang Xiong when they encountered them.

Yang Xiong?

Fang Heng had never heard of this name before. He would definitely find out more about this person's military skills when he returned to school.

These memories struck Fang Heng as incredible. Although the man had been a wandering knight in his youth, he was nearly fifty when he raised an army. To learn to lead troops and fight battles from scratch at nearly fifty, and to make such exaggerated progress, seemed a bit too terrifying.

"Of course, we can discuss it together."

Zhu Shou did not object upon hearing this.

"Then let's move to the backyard; this isn't the place to talk."

Fang Heng gestured for him to enter.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Shou didn't stand on ceremony and got up to follow Fang Heng and Old Wang to the backyard living room.

"Cough cough."

Seeing that both of them were looking at him, Old Wang coughed. Zhu Shou picked up the teapot next to him and poured Old Wang a cup of tea.

Old Wang didn't refuse, took the teacup, and took a sip.

Seeing this, Fang Heng thought to himself that there really is a way of dealing with someone. This young master Zhu was unruly just now, but now he is like a well-behaved child in front of Old Wang.

"To be honest, I am not good at leading troops into battle."

Old Wang's first words greatly surprised Fang Heng and the other man.

"Sir, you flatter me. From what you just said, I can tell that you must have been a seasoned warrior in the past."

Zhu Shou subtly flattered her.

Upon hearing this, Fang Heng glanced at Zhu Shou with a hint of disdain, thinking to himself, "How can this kid be so good at flattering me? He even used my lines!"

Fang Heng didn't say anything. Since Old Wang said that, there must be more to it.

"I am not being modest or being polite. What I am saying is to tell you that when it comes to leading troops into battle, you don't necessarily have to be the most capable one. As long as your subordinate generals are capable enough, that is enough."

Old Wang said calmly.

Upon hearing this, Fang Heng combined it with the memories in his mind and suddenly felt enlightened.

Old Wang naturally noticed Fang Heng's expression.

"Young master, what have you thought of? Tell me."

Upon hearing this, Fang Heng did not speak immediately. Instead, he took a sip of tea and composed himself.

"In my view, when it comes to war, who leads the troops is not the most important thing, or even that important. The most important things are the morale of the people, the comparison of the national strength of the two sides, and logistical supplies."

Fang Heng carefully considered his words before speaking.

When Old Wang heard this, his eyes lit up. He hadn't expected the young man in front of him to have such comprehension.

"That's right. In a war between two armies, unless it's a quick battle, most wars are difficult to end quickly. Therefore, the national strength of both sides is particularly important. When a large country fights a small country, it's basically a matter of overwhelming national strength. As long as the general leading the troops doesn't make any fatal mistakes, victory is almost guaranteed. As long as the logistics and supplies are well-supported, and professional tasks are left to professionals, I may not be good at large-scale battles, but the generals under my command back then were all good at them."

When Old Wang said this, his eyes were full of memories.

"All I need to do is ensure logistical support and soldiers' pay. As for major battles, I'll just find a few capable generals and let them handle them."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Shou suddenly understood. After careful consideration, he felt that Fang Heng and Lao Wang's words were truly brilliant. In just a few simple words, they had revealed the most important part of military operations.

"Wonderful!"

Zhu Shou couldn't help but pat his folding fan and say.

"Of course, besides national strength and supplies, the popular support you mentioned earlier is equally important. Since ancient times, even rebels have sought a legitimate cause. As the saying goes, those who follow the right path receive much help, while those who stray from it receive little. Take Emperor Gaozu of Han, for example. On his way west to Xianyang, most cities surrendered without a fight. Do you two gentlemen know why?"

Old Wang looked at the two of them, seemingly considering their options.

"I know that, because after Emperor Gaozu of Han raised his army, he always treated the people well and was kind to them. Even Han Xin called him a loyal and kind elder. Naturally, the people would want to follow such a person."

Zhu Shou replied.

"Does the young master have anything to add?"

Wang Zhi did not immediately offer his comments, but instead looked at Fang Heng standing to the side.

"What Young Master Zhu said just now is not wrong, but it is not comprehensive enough."

Fang Heng didn't hide anything and glanced at Zhu Shou before speaking.

"Oh? Please speak, Young Master Fang."

Zhu Shou said somewhat unconvinced.

"When Emperor Gaozu of Han raised his army, the Qin Dynasty was still the legitimate dynasty. Even if Gaozu had a good reputation, the people and governors of those cities had no reason to surrender without a fight, since they had the Qin Dynasty to their backs."

Fang Heng said calmly and unhurriedly.

"good."

Upon hearing this, Old Wang nodded, signaling Fang Heng to continue.

"The reason why the prefects of those cities surrendered at the first sign of trouble was not because of anyone else, but because of Xiang Yu. Since he raised his army, this King of Chu has been massacring cities at every turn, leaving no one alive. When Emperor Gaozu marched west to Xianyang, those prefects and people knew very well that if they did not surrender to Emperor Gaozu, they would probably not survive when this King of Chu attacked."

Fang Heng paused here.

"This is the main reason, and it reflects the will of the people."

In fact, Fang Heng was not very clear about this history before, and had only heard some words from others. But now his memory of this period was exceptionally clear, and Fang Heng naturally understood the reasons why those prefects surrendered.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Shou lost all his previous resentment and stood up to bow.

"I have benefited greatly from Brother Fang's words."

"I never expected you to have such knowledge and vision, young master. You must have read a lot in the past."

Old Wang couldn't help but praise it.

"I didn't have time to read books before, but I did read some history books and was particularly interested in this period of history."

Fang Heng told a lie.

After saying this, Fang Heng looked at the sun outside.

"Please continue your conversation, it's getting late, I need to go get something to eat."

After saying this, Fang Heng left the living room and went straight to the kitchen.

Zhu Shou watched Fang Heng's retreating figure and fell silent.

"What does the teacher think of this kid?"

Zhu Shou looked at Old Wang beside him and couldn't help but ask.

"He has exceptional comprehension and a natural, methodical approach to everything he does; he is destined for greatness."

Old Wang thought for a moment and then said.

Zhu Shou's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this.

"Will he be able to serve me in the future?"

Upon hearing this, Old Wang fell silent, seemingly deep in thought.

"It's hard to say. It depends on how Your Highness treats him. If Your Highness can take this boy under your command in the future, it will probably not be difficult to consolidate military power."

On the other side, Fang Heng took the venison and other ingredients he had bought from Wang Xiao'er and began to cook. Venison is different from other meats; it must be simmered over low heat. The longer it is simmered, the softer it will become. Otherwise, if the heat is not high enough, it will be tough.

Fang Heng stewed the meat for a full hour and a half before opening the lid. As soon as the lid was lifted, a strong aroma of meat wafted out and quickly spread throughout the courtyard.

Smelling the aroma of meat, Gou Dan and the others couldn't help but sniff it.

Soon, Fang Heng served a large bowl of venison and radish to Zhu Shou and Old Wang.

"The venison smells delicious."

Zhu Shou couldn't resist the aroma of the venison in front of him and his mouth watered.

"Please enjoy your meal, both of you."

Fang Heng left the guest room again and looked at the expectant crowd in the backyard.

"Dog Egg, take some people to serve the food, let's eat."

Upon hearing this, everyone rushed towards the kitchen.

Zhu Shou and Lao Wang only ate vegetables; Fang Heng did not give them any steamed buns. Fang Heng knew very well that these two were not ordinary people and probably rarely ate steamed buns on a regular basis.

However, Gou Dan and the others each had at least two steamed buns.

Zhu Shou and Lao Wang didn't have big appetites, and there was still quite a bit of venison left over that night. This made Fang Heng even more convinced of his judgment. Young masters from wealthy families like Zhu Shou, who usually live a life of luxury and never lack for food, would naturally not eat too much if they didn't practice martial arts.

As for Lao Wang, Fang Heng could tell from his previous meals that Lao Wang ate very refined food and probably couldn't eat much.

"Young Master Fang's cooking skills are superb. I've eaten at many restaurants, big and small, in the capital, but none of them serve venison as delicious as the ones you stew."

Zhu Shou couldn't help but give a thumbs up.

"From now on, you can just call me Fang Heng, Mr. Zhu. Calling me 'Mr.' all the time seems too formal."

Fang Heng thought for a moment and then said.

"That's wonderful! We get along very well. How about we become sworn brothers?"

Zhu Shou recalled what Old Wang had just said. While Fang Heng was cooking, Zhu Shou had been thinking about how to win over this extraordinary young man. After much thought, he decided to use the simplest and most direct method: to become sworn brothers.

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei swore brotherhood in the Peach Garden; one could do the same.

In fact, after reading Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhu Shou had been thinking about finding someone to become sworn brothers with, but he hadn't found a suitable candidate until now.

"Since you have shown me such kindness, I cannot refuse."

Upon hearing this, Fang Heng smiled nonchalantly and did not refuse.

The two then compared their ages and discovered that Fang Heng was a few months older than Zhu Shou.

"Brother, please accept my bow."

Zhu Shou didn't put on any pretense and immediately bowed in greeting.

"Between brothers like us, there's no need for such formalities. By the way, do your guards want to eat? I've saved some for them as well."

Fang Heng glanced at the guards on duty outside and said.

"No need, they'll have food when they get back, brother, you don't need to worry about them."

Zhu Shou laughed heartily.

Upon hearing this, Fang Heng did not press the matter further.

"I am especially happy to be here with my elder brother today. I met this old gentleman and even became sworn brothers with my elder brother."

Zhu Shou looked at Fang Heng and Lao Wang with great interest.

"I have to go back now. I've been out for too long, and my father will scold me when he gets back. I'll come and bother you again tomorrow, elder brother."

Zhu Shou stood up as he spoke.

"Since you call me 'Big Brother,' you can come over for meals anytime. As for money, you don't need to worry about it."

As Fang Heng spoke, he took out a silver ingot that Zhu Shou had given him earlier and was about to hand it to Zhu Shou.

"Brother, what are you saying? Don't you need money to buy meat? If that's the case, I'll have no face to eat here again. You must accept this money. As the saying goes, even close brothers should keep clear accounts, one thing at a time."

Zhu Shou hurriedly pushed the silver back.

"My family is quite wealthy; this little bit of money is nothing to me."

Zhu Shou added.