Regardless of what was happening on Hua Xiong's side, the officials in Taishan continued with their year-end calculations. In fact, the civil officials of Taishan were confident that nothing could go wrong with Hua Xiong. After all, his army was almost immune to ambushes, and Hua Xiong was always cautious when setting up camp, ensuring that no one could catch him off guard.
As for the possibility of being completely defeated, none of them, including Chen Xi, believed that was likely. Moreover, Yu Jin, Zhang Fei, and Liu Ye were all within a two-day march from Hua Xiong. No one thought anyone could completely wipe out Hua Xiong's forces.
"Finish it quickly," Lu Su said, tossing a stack of documents toward Chen Xi.
"When will this end?" Chen Xi groaned, feeling overwhelmed. However, none of the others at the table paid him any attention; everyone was busy with their own tasks.
"Have some tea," Mi Zhen said, somewhat annoyed, as she walked over and refilled Chen Xi's cup.
"Hey, hey, shouldn't a court lady smile a bit? At least make us feel happy while we work!" Chen Xi joked as he looked at Mi Zhen's stern expression.
"If you don't want it, forget it," Mi Zhen huffed. She grabbed the teapot and even took away Chen Xi's teacup before storming off.
"Hey..." Chen Xi reached out from his chair, trying to stop her, but his hand was promptly slapped away.
"Zhen'er, stop making trouble," Mi Zhu said, glancing up as he saw his sister's antics.
"Why do I have to do this? Am I a servant girl just for pouring tea?" Mi Zhen complained.
"Because you're the only court lady here," Mi Zhu replied helplessly. He couldn't exactly say that it was because Mi Zhen had become overly carefree after spending too much time with Miss Cai, Zhen Mi, and Jia Yun. The well-behaved girl she once was had completely vanished, and Mi Zhu was now considering how to bring her back to her former self.
Mi Zhu recalled how dignified Mi Zhen had looked as a court lady during last year's New Year's celebration. That's why he had asked Liu Bei to appoint her as one again, but things had changed. Now, he could only sigh.
Ever since Mi Zhen had been dragged here by Mi Zhu while she was out shopping with Cai Zhenji, she had maintained a sour expression. While she was still somewhat respectful to Lu Su and the others, she showed no such courtesy to her brother or Chen Xi, whom she knew well.
"Is a court lady supposed to do this kind of work?" Mi Zhen retorted disdainfully. "Sister Zhaoji is a real court lady. What I am doing here feels more like a servant's job!" She turned her back on her brother, clearly displeased.
"And can you transcribe ten thousand volumes like she can?" Chen Xi muttered to himself.
"Hmph!" Mi Zhen glared at Chen Xi, suppressing her urge to pounce on him, mainly because Lu Su, Li You, and the others were present. She silently added another grievance against Chen Xi to her list.
Sun Qian, who was calmly studying maps and working on water management projects, could barely contain his amusement. Since Mi Zhen had arrived, she had been looking for trouble, initially targeting Mi Zhu but eventually settling on Chen Xi. Sun Qian couldn't help but find it hilarious, especially since Chen Xi's youthful appearance made him an easy target for Mi Zhen.
With a long sigh, Chen Xi sprawled out on the table, extending his arms as far as they could go while rubbing his face against the surface. "Mi Zhen, you should just get married already. If not, at least let Miss Cai or Zhen Mi take over as the court lady..."
"Ow..." Chen Xi winced as Mi Zhen pinched him again, deciding it was best to keep quiet. He realized that if this had been at his own home, he would probably be nursing a bruised head by now.
Mi Zhen inspected her thumb before giving Chen Xi another pinch. However, when Chen Xi remained motionless, pretending to be dead, she curiously examined her fingers again, then reached out to pinch him once more.
"Ah!" Chen Xi let out a loud yelp, drawing a sigh from Lu Su, while Zhuge Liang, sipping his tea, silently thanked his lucky stars that he had already arranged a marriage. Otherwise, if Mi Zhu had tried to match him with Mi Zhen, his life would have been a disaster.
"Zhen'er!" Mi Zhu scolded angrily, but then, realizing he might be overreacting, softened his tone and waved his hand dismissively. "Forget it, forget it. You can go play outside."
Delighted, Mi Zhen tossed the teapot toward Chen Xi, hitched up her skirt, and dashed out. It was only after she had left that Mi Zhu suddenly thought, "Did she bring any money?"
"I don't need money! I just need to write a note, and they'll send the items to our house," Mi Zhen called back with a grin as she ran out the door. Then...
"Bang!" Jia Xu, looking somewhat dazed, staggered a bit as he bumped into the doorframe and stood up. He glanced at the worried Mi Zhen, sighed, and waved his hand, signaling that he wasn't going to hold it against her.
"Uncle Jia, are you alright?" Mi Zhen asked cautiously.
"Go on, go shopping. I'm fine," Jia Xu replied wearily before striding into the room.
Mi Zhen lowered her head, feeling a bit troubled. After watching Jia Xu enter the room, she hesitated for a moment before following him inside.
"Brother Wenhe, let me apologize on my sister's behalf," Mi Zhu quickly said as he stood up to greet Jia Xu with a bow, throwing a stern look at Mi Zhen, who glanced back at him nervously.
"It's fine," Jia Xu replied impassively. Mi Zhen had bumped into quite a few people in the past, including Liu Bei, though that time had been far more dramatic. "Zi Chuan, come with me. I've gathered all the dog trainers in Fenggao, and there are quite a few dogs. The horse trainers are also assembled."
"Oh," Chen Xi replied, perking up. He turned to Lu Su and said, "Zi Jing, I've got something to do, so I'll leave the rest to you."
"Can you handle it, Kong Ming?" Lu Su asked without lifting his head, addressing Zhuge Liang.
"No problem," Zhuge Liang responded, still writing furiously.
"..." Chen Xi pulled a face. While Lu Su was a workaholic, Zhuge Liang was in a league of his own, capable of working ten-hour days without breaking a sweat. No wonder Chen Xi had managed to win a bet with Jia Xu and score a jade pendant.
"I'm coming too," Mi Zhen said, apparently unfazed by Jia Xu. The idea of playing with dogs had piqued her interest, and she was back to her usual playful self.
Chen Xi glanced at Jia Xu, who seemed indifferent to Mi Zhen tagging along. For Jia Xu, the main task was simply showing Chen Xi around, letting everyone pick a dog they liked to take home. Everything else was secondary.
"Fine, but don't cause any trouble," Chen Xi agreed, noting that Mi Zhen seemed bored lately. If she wasn't hanging out with Cai Zhenji and the others, she was tagging along after him. Among the handful of young men she trusted who weren't interested in her family's wealth, Chen Xi seemed to be her safest option.