Chapter 345: Chapter 345: Discussing strategies with

Second Brother_l

Clearly, Wei Jinyi had guessed that the innovative device used today was made by Wei Ruo.

Wei Ruo had already accepted Wei Jinyi’s explanation, but looking at his overly serious demeanor, Wei Ruo couldn’t resist a desire to tease him.

“It would be better if I take a look at your injury, just in case. Some injuries might not feel much at the moment, but there could be some problems beneath the surface. If discovered later, it could become serious.” Wei Ruo argued convincingly.

Having said that, Wei Ruo was about to move forward to help Wei Jinyi take off his shoes.

Wei Jinyi stepped back to avoid her.

“Ruoruo, no! A woman shouldn’t casually look at a man’s feet.”

“You’re not just any man, you’re my brother. We shouldn’t worry about these taboo issues as siblings.”

Wei Ruo’s adherence to rules was only in public. Her soul, which had received modern education, didn’t think it inappropriate to see her own brother’s foot.

Having said that, Wei Ruo suddenly moved forward, causing Wei Jinyi to hesitate for a moment whether to avoid her or not.

If he avoided her, he was afraid that Wei Ruo would stumble and hit the wall.

After hesitation, he finally decided to grab Wei Ruo’s restless hands.

At the moment he grabbed her hands, Wei Jinyi was a bit startled. He lowered his head to look at the delicate hands held by him, a sense of bewilderment overcame him.

Wei Ruo, however, felt nothing and instead laughter burst out of her.

“Brother, look how nervous you are. I never thought someone like you who is usually free-spirited and spontaneous would become so pedantic when it comes to these formalities, just like a schoolmaster.”

“No.” Wei Jinyi denied, while also letting go of Wei Ruo’s hand.

He wasn’t pedantic, he was just… towards her…

Wei Ruo chuckled, then sat down at the round table in the room, ready to discuss serious matters with Wei Jinyi.

Wei Jinyi shut the door. He knew Wei Ruo had sought him out, most likely to discuss today’s events.

“Brother, do you think today’s incident has anything to do with the Anti­Japanese Army?” Wei Ruo asked.

Instead of giving a direct answer, Wei Jinyi said, “Even hundred-year-old trees can harbour rotten branches. Even the Anti-Japanese Army isn’t immune to corruption.”

“I’m wondering, if there really are people within the Anti-Japanese Army who don’t want the supplies to be replenished in time, what would their motives be? Are they colluding with the Japanese Pirates, or are they planning to use this opportunity to target Chu Lan?”

Lack of food in the military camp directly affects the fight against the Japanese Pirates. The indirect effect is the meritorious deeds of Chu Lan.

Everyone knows that the Emperor is testing the abilities of the two princes by assigning Chu Lan to fight against the Japanese as a military governor, and by dispatching the Sixth Prince to Jiangnan for disaster relief. The Emperor is seeing how much they can achieve.

Chu Lan is currently performing well in the military camp and also helping Taizhou prefecture with disaster relief.

The Sixth Prince has been in Jiangzhe Road for some time now, but so far there hasn’t been any significant achievement. The disaster relief effects are far poorer than those of Taizhou prefecture’s self-rescue efforts.

Basing on the current situation, the Sixth Prince is likely to lose this competition.

“Both are possible.” Wei Jinyi agreed with Wei Ruo’s speculation, then he asked Wei Ruo, “If that’s the case, what’s your plan?”

Wei Ruo sighed: “The power struggle in the court is not my concern, nor do I bother about who will become the Emperor. But if they harm the soldiers who are defending our homeland and exploit their fellow countrymen for the sake of power struggle, I cannot just sit by and watch.”

“Let alone there are people I know involved. Even if there weren’t, how could I let the morale of the soldiers fighting the Japanese Pirates be dampened?!” “Additionally, if the soldiers were defeated, and the city gates fell, and the Japanese Pirates invaded on a large scale, how many innocent people would be affected considering their cruel and inhumane ways? How could I possibly ignore that? They stop at no evil!”

A deep sense of helplessness and a touch of anger were evident in Wei Ruo’s voice.

Wei Jinyi watched her, feeling a certain emotion being stirred deep inside him again.

“Ruoruo, do you plan to find the mastermind behind this?” Wei Jinyi asked.

Wei Ruo nodded, “I have this idea.”

“I’ll help you,” Wei Jinyi said.

“But don’t you have your own matters to attend to, Brother?”

“I can put off my affairs for now. You are right. The morale of the fighting soldiers shouldn’t be dampened and the country’s gate should not be left wide open,” Wei Jinyi said.

Wei Ruo rested her chin on her hands, looked at Wei Jinyi, and smiled: “Brother, are you giving up your own affairs for me? Does this mean that I, as your sister, hold a certain weight in your heart?”

Wei Jinyi’s cheeks reddened slightly, then he quietly replied, “Mm.”

Not just a little weight.

The smile on Wei Ruo’s face grew warmer. Despite his cold exterior, her brother clearly stood by her side. He put aside his own affairs to help her with something she wanted to do.

Wei Jinyi watched Wei Ruo’s smile, and for a moment, the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but raise slightly.

“What’s Ruoruo’s plan?” Wei Jinyi asked.

“Brother, what do you think of the new plaything used to kill the ambushers today?” Wei Ruo asked.

“It’s incredibly powerful and unexpected.” Wei Jinyi replied.

“What about applying it to the battlefield?”

“It could change the war situation.”

“I had been debating whether to introduce this weapon because it could potentially make an already cruel battlefield even more brutal,” Wei Ruo said.

“Mm.”

“Now I’ve changed my mind. I’ll use this weapon and the supplies as a bait to draw out the puppeteer.”

Wei Ruo planned to set a trap for the puppeteer in the hopes of exposing their true colors.

###

Early the next morning, Wei Ruo and others set out to return to Taizhou prefecture, and reached there by noon.

Wei Ruo had not informed the mansion beforehand that she wouldn’t return home last night. So she was inevitably questioned by Madam Yun when she got back. But with the excuse of disaster relief preparation, stating that she had spent the night at the Yuan Residence, Madam Yun stopped asking further questions.

When Wei Ruo left the Cangyun Garden, she ran into Wei Qingwan, who was going there.

Wei Qingwan, assisted by her maid, moved slowly and with difficulty.

Upon seeing Wei Ruo, Wei Qingwan stopped. After a brief gaze, she immediately lowered her head.

Wei Ruo chuckled lightly, and thought about how worried Wei Qingwan was about her place in the mansion that even her injuries weren’t fully healed, and she still desired to come to the Cangyun Garden. She really was persistent.

Then Wei Ruo ignored Wei Qingwan and walked away.

Wei Qingwan couldn’t help but clench her fist. Wei Ruo had a look of contempt and disdain when she saw her! all her current predicament was thanks to Wei Ruo! Why should she look down on her?

“Sister.” Wei Qingwan called out to Wei Ruo, who was about to leave.

Wei Ruo stopped and turned around.

“Sister, you’ve treated me so ‘well’, I won’t forget this. I promise to repay you in full in the future,” Wei Qingwan said.