Chapter 1072: Yesterday Cannot Be Retrieved, Today Must Be Cherished

If Chen Xi were to teach Zhang Fei military strategy through Wei Liaozi and other such texts, he estimated that even if Zhuge Liang himself possessed him, he still wouldn't be able to explain it to Zhang Fei.

As for the three principles covering pre-battle preparation, mid-battle planning, and post-battle review, it didn’t matter whether Zhang Fei fully understood them or not. He just had to follow them. Military strategy is something that, once experienced repeatedly in battle, will eventually be grasped—moving from learning to comprehension and finally transcending it.

In any case, Zhang Fei was being sent to fight the barbarians for practice, not someone like Cao Cao. Even if there were issues like famine and desperate fighting involved, the battles wouldn’t be too difficult. As he fought more, he would start to get a feel for it, and by then, he would naturally handle things better.

Although Zhang Fei didn’t fully comprehend these concepts, he memorized them rigidly. As for understanding them, he would leave that to when he actually stood on the battlefield.

After that, the two of them chatted about other things. Zhang Fei once again invited Chen Xi to join him for drinks, but since there was still the banquet to welcome Tai Shi Ci and Chen Dao in the evening, Chen Xi politely declined.

Not wanting to overstay his welcome, Zhang Fei left shortly after. Once he was gone, Chen Xi returned to his reclining chair, pulled his blanket over himself, and Zhen Mi gracefully walked out from the hall.

Zhang Fei’s earlier mention of his “niece” had been more for teasing Chen Xi, as Zhang Fei had sharp ears and could easily hear Zhen Mi and Chen Xi talking through the wall. His earlier words had been purely to mess with Chen Xi.

"Zichuan, what exactly are you reading?" Zhen Mi asked curiously, placing her hand on Chen Xi’s shoulder and glancing at the book he was holding.

"I’m reading a book I wrote myself," Chen Xi raised the book for her to see. It was a printed volume, but Chen Xi still liked to occasionally go over it.

"‘The amount of wealth is not fixed, but rather...,’" Zhen Mi read aloud, bending slightly to see the words on the page.

"Take a closer look. It’s quite biased. When I first passed through it, I didn’t notice it. But when I went back and read it carefully, I found a few issues. Writing is something that requires patience. It can’t be done hastily," Chen Xi said with a smile. "If this book were published in another era, it would be nothing more than entertainment."

"It’s already impressive," Zhen Mi said with a bright smile. "At least you put your thoughts into writing, and you did a good job. By the way, Zichuan, what name did you choose for your daughter?"

"My daughter? I haven’t even seen her since she was born, but I did pick a name for her—Chen Qian. What do you think?" Chen Xi said lazily, lying on the chair, not bothering to lift his head as he reached behind him to give a casual pat, only to hit nothing but air.

"I’m not that little girl anymore, you can’t just pat me whenever you want," Zhen Mi playfully retreated a few steps, smiling cheerfully.

"You haven’t grown much anyway... in every aspect," Chen Xi said with a laugh. "My wife and daughter are coming soon. Have you thought about how things will go?"

"Perhaps some of the things I’ve done in the past will make Sister Fan think I had ulterior motives," Zhen Mi said with a wry smile, though she didn’t seem too concerned. Since Chen Xi had promised, there would be a resolution. After pausing for a moment, she asked, "Zichuan, should we tidy up the furniture and decorations in the house before they arrive?"

"Let’s leave it as it is. The furnishings in Taishan were arranged by Jian’er, the ones here were done by you, and when we get to Chang’an, we can let Lan’er arrange things. That’s the plan," Chen Xi said calmly. Everything was already in place, and there was no need to fuss over it. Besides, he actually thought Zhen Mi's arrangements were better than Fan Jian’s.

"Lan’er is clearly more important, right? After all, she was the one who stood by you through the hardest times," Zhen Mi said with a smile, though she seemed a little resigned. Still, she acknowledged the importance of remembering old ties.

"If I had to put it into words, it's probably the sentiment of ‘not forgetting those who stood by me in adversity’ and ‘a wife who has shared my hardships cannot be cast aside.’ When I made Chen Lan my principal wife, I was under a lot of pressure, but in the end, it was worth it," Chen Xi reflected, recalling the time when his family had been reduced to just him, Chen Lan, and the housekeeper. What the former Chen Xi had left him, aside from this devotion, was little else.

As for the Fan family, the connection had been somewhat distant in Chen Xi’s inherited memories, especially since Fan Liang hadn’t visited in years. However, Fan Liang's actions later on had reconciled the estranged relationship, putting both parties at ease. There was no longer any resentment, though the sense of a childhood bond had faded.

"Zichuan, I want to ask—who am I to you, really?" Zhen Mi hesitated for a moment before asking the risky question.

She couldn’t quite shake the feeling of dissatisfaction. Although Liu Liang’s hints had given her plenty of clues, she wanted to confirm the truth.

"Why are you so interested in this question? For now, at least, it’s you I’m looking at," Chen Xi said, a bit awkwardly, pointing to his own eyes. "Look, right now, you’re the only one in my sight."

Zhen Mi was pleased by this, but she still showed a look of dissatisfaction as she grabbed Chen Xi’s shoulder. "I’m glad you say that, but I want to know who you first saw when you looked at me."

Chen Xi’s expression darkened, clearly troubled. But the past was already in the past, and he had moved on from that shadow. He had even named his daughter Chen Qian, so what was there left to hide?

"Forget it if you don’t want to say," Zhen Mi sighed. She had pieced most of it together, but she really wanted to confirm her suspicions. After all, Chen Xi seemed to carry an air of someone who was wise beyond his years.

"Don’t you already know?" Chen Xi said helplessly, taking Zhen Mi’s hand and pulling her to sit beside him. "Didn’t you already observe how people look at you, comparing their gazes with mine? I’ve never tried to hide this."

Zhen Mi felt a headache coming on as she pressed her temples, running her fingers through her hair. After a long pause, she pointed at herself and asked, "Your daughter?"

"What do you think?" Chen Xi teased, as though he had completely walked out of the shadows of his past. If not for Zhen Mi bringing it up, he wouldn’t have reacted.

"Chen Qian? The timing matches up with when you had that episode!" Zhen Mi raised an eyebrow.

"I didn’t say that," Chen Xi replied calmly, turning his head away to avoid giving a direct answer.

"No wonder my mother told me that the way you look at me is exactly the same as how she looks at me. You liar," Zhen Mi said, slightly displeased.

Chen Xi looked up at Zhen Mi, who stood beside him, and pointed to his clear eyes. "By then, it had already passed, I just hadn’t fully adjusted. But now, I’m over it."

He then added, almost as if hinting at something, "Today must be cherished."

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