Hearing this, Manna gave Wu Youren a look: You really have time on your hands, taking up the cudgels for Liang's knights?
Ailin's reaction, however, was quite different. She asked blankly, "Since ancient times, haven't knights always earned their living through fighting and killing?"
Wu Youren rubbed his temples and spoke in a muffled voice, "Just because something has been around since ancient times... does that make it right?"
Then he glanced at the female knight from Red Pine. "If you don't believe me, ask Sister Manna whether she wants land and a business of her own!"
"Who wouldn't!" Manna answered instinctively. If one could live a stable life, how many would actually want to spend their days fighting and killing?
Yet it was extraordinarily difficult. "Talk is easy, but where would the land come from?"
"Don't ask me that," Wu Youren waved a hand. "A proposal only needs to offer suggestions; it isn't responsible for solving the problems."
"You're being completely unreasonable," Manna pushed back immediately. "Anyone can spout nonsense!"
"Solving problems isn't my job," the youth replied with righteous conviction. "If I were the Chief Minister of Liang, that would be a different story!
"I'll just say one thing: there's a reason why taxes can't be collected, isn't there?"
He was truly ignorant of how the Liang imperial court operated.
However, Ailin had previously explained the structure of the National Treasury Bureau to him and mentioned in passing that tax revenue was deficient.
She hadn't explained the specific reasons, and Wu Youren strictly adhered to his principle of never taking the initiative.
Still, there was no doubt about it: where there was smoke, there was fire!
Hearing this, Manna fell silent at once, and Ailin said nothing either.
Wu Youren didn't say any more either. As an enemy hostage, spouting a couple of lines of nonsense was enough; if he said any more, it could get him killed!
Taxes that even the Liang imperial court couldn't collect... was it his place to run his mouth?
The two women remained silent for a long while, looking at each other without a word.
Finally, Ailin let out a soft sigh. "This stepping stone is a bit heavy."
Her family certainly had some influence, but they were only slightly better off than Cynthia's.
Such a shocking and radical suggestion was truly beyond her authority to decide.
"More than just a bit heavy," Manna shook her head and sighed softly, saying no more.
"You're the one who insisted I speak," the youth said, his eyes clear. "I suggest you act within your means and consult more with your family."
"Yeah," Ailin nodded. "I need to mull this over carefully. I'm leaving."
Previously, she had wanted nothing more than to cling to the youth at all times, but now it wasn't even noon and she was taking the initiative to leave.
This showed just how massive a shock the suggestion had dealt her.
Once she left, Manna muttered, "You rascal, your intentions aren't good!"
"I was completely passive the whole time," Wu Youren spread his hands—he had truly strictly adhered to the Four No's!
Manna nodded. She had witnessed the entire interaction between them, and the facts were exactly as the youth said.
Thinking about the scenario he had described, she couldn't help feeling a surge of emotion herself.
The female knight let out a long, wistful sigh. "You have no idea what you've just uncovered."
"I was just talking nonsense," Wu Youren stated, refusing to be roped in. "I know nothing about how the court works!"
"I know," Manna was certain of this point. "The problem is, even knowing nothing, you still saw through it."
"I didn't see through anything!" Wu Youren spread his hands again; when making this kind of clean break, one had to emphasize it repeatedly.
"I can't tell whether what you're saying is true or false," Manna said, choosing not to press him. "But you should have warned her not to spread it around!"
Wouldn't that just be drawing more attention to it? Wu Youren smiled and didn't bother answering.
Some people in Liang were truly lacking in the brains department.
Still, he believed Ailin understood the gravity of the matter—her grasp and design capabilities regarding mechanisms were indeed far beyond ordinary.
Unfortunately, facts proved that the intelligence of someone in the technical sciences was not the same as that of someone in the humanities!
The former was IQ; the latter leaned more toward EQ!
That evening, the rain fell heavily, a torrential autumn downpour that was quite rare.
Most martial artists in the military camp turned in early to rest.
With Ailin absent for once, Wu Youren enjoyed the rare tranquility, sitting under the eaves and listening to the rain.
Not far away, a few martial artists were also drinking under the eaves, chatting and laughing boisterously.
However, the curtain of rain was thick, obscuring the view, and the sound of the downpour muffled much of the clamor.
Just as he was letting his mind wander, someone approached briskly under an umbrella and sat down with a thud on the stool beside him.
The umbrella came down, revealing Commander Jeff.
Manna, who had just been heading back inside to rest, froze when she saw him. "I thought you were a knight."
If knights chose to release their battle qi, they wouldn't get wet at all. Did a grand knight walking in the rain really need an umbrella?
Jeff glanced at her and said softly, "Go and rest. This isn't something you can afford to get involved in."
"Okay." Manna nodded and obediently returned to the room—if one wanted to refuse, one needed at least the strength of a grand knight.
Besides, Xia'erzi was around right now anyway, so why poke her nose into things?
Seeing her enter the room, Jeff's lips twitched slightly as he focused his voice into a beam, humming like a mosquito, "You truly gave me a surprise."
"I don't understand," Wu Youren shook his head, his gaze fixed on the rain streaming down from the sky.
"That little girl isn't one of ours," Jeff said, proving himself to be an adept conversationalist.
He got straight to the point before adding, "She's a bit foolish, though, going around asking questions everywhere."
Wu Youren thought for a moment and sighed softly. "Hong Da told you?"
His train of thought took a leap; an ordinary person hearing this might not have known what he was talking about.
Yet Commander Jeff kept up seamlessly. "Naturally. I have so much on my plate every day; why would I go out of my way to investigate you specifically?
"I have no interest in dealing with those folks from the Intelligence Bureau or the Court of State Ceremonial either. Tiny bit of authority, huge pile of nonsense!"
As expected of one of the Eight Tigers of the New Army, his mind was sharp and his tone grand.
Though he seemed arrogant and overbearing, when handling serious matters, his sense of propriety was finely tuned.
Wu Youren could only smile bitterly. "You're being a bit too polite to me, Commander."
"You're worth it!" Jeff declared without hesitation. "Others might not understand your value, but I do!"
Wu Youren fell silent for a while before speaking up. "You flatter me, Commander, but it's impossible for me to join the New Army!"
"I'm not asking you to join the New Army this time," Jeff stated flatly. "I'm here to verify some ideas with you."
Wu Youren pondered for a long time before replying, "I still feel she ought to be one of yours!"
Swallows, ravens, and such... he had heard of them in his previous life, but he hadn't expected to encounter one in this life!
"That's not important!" Jeff remained noncommittal. To him, playing vague at critical moments was basic operating procedure.
Whenever he could dig a pit or lay a mine, he would never show mercy. It wasn't an addiction to screwing people over, nor was it an occupational disease.
It was because he wanted to stay alive!
Rather than dwelling on such matters, he cared far more about: "Tax exemption—how would it be exempted... Tell me your thoughts."
Wu Youren fell silent for four or five seconds before asking, "Can you send me back to Jin?"
"Who do you think I am?" Jeff chuckled, revealing a flash of stark white teeth.
Yet it was a bitter laugh. "Even if the Chief Minister spoke up, it couldn't be done... You think too highly of me!"
Then his expression shifted, instantly replaced by an amicable smile. "Daring to make such a request means you definitely have a solution, right?
"I hope you answer prudently. Don't play petty tricks; I cherish my friends!"
"Me... a friend?" Wu Youren pointed at himself, asking in disbelief.
"Of course," Jeff replied without hesitation. "When I make friends, I only befriend smart people... It has little to do with cultivation level.
"Those who aren't smart enough don't deserve to be my friends, and you are smart enough!"
"That is... quite unique," Wu Youren nodded, though he felt dismissive inwardly.
It was nothing more than a histrionic personality—as if he hadn't seen someone like this before.
If a genuine Divine Might Knight were standing in front of you, would you have the guts to say they weren't qualified?
Still, that wasn't the main point. The man was convinced Wu Youren had a solution and had begun using both the carrot and the stick, which was genuinely a headache.
Wu Youren sank into silence. Jeff didn't press him, sitting there quietly.
Amidst the rustle of the rain, the silence added another layer of bleakness to the autumn night.
After a long time, the New Army commander slowly uttered three words, "Unwilling to speak?"
After three or four seconds, Wu Youren replied softly, "Even if you don't know my past experiences, Commander, you can easily guess them.
"I couldn't possibly understand even the basic policies of Liang."
It was hard for outsiders to empathize with the true feelings of hostages in their daily lives, but anyone could guess their general experience.
However, Jeff snorted dismissively. "Kid, don't try to fool me. Hostage Manor has academic classes!"
Clearly, he had taken some trouble to look into it.
"Academic classes..." Wu Youren smiled wryly with resignation. Who the hell dared to take those classes seriously?
More crucially, "Everything taught in those classes felt like pure self-praise; I couldn't even tell what was real and what was fake."
"Damn..." Commander Jeff was clearly caught off guard. Could things really work like that?
Yet on second thought, if things hadn't been like that, it would have been abnormal instead.
His mind worked exceptionally fast. "You mean your solution is based on certain assumptions?"
"I only have a rough assessment," Wu Youren sighed.
"The moment you heard the words 'tax exemption,' Commander, you must have already thought of things. Your solution would surely be far more comprehensive than my assessment."
"Oho, interesting." Commander Jeff laughed again. "A child who is so smart yet knows how to stay reserved is truly rare."
He nodded. "I do have some ideas, but one can never have too many solutions. Right now, I want to hear yours."
"Commander, as I said, I only have a rough assessment."
"It's fine. Speak." Hearing only these words, one might think the New Army commander was very affable.
Yet immediately after, he casually added, "I don't have much patience."
Wu Youren pondered for a moment before slowly uttering six words: "What do I get in return?"
"Heh." Jeff laughed again, a dark edge to his chuckle.
"You really dare to dream, don't you? Do you know what happened to the last person who tried bargaining with me?"
Daring to make death threats against a knight of Marquis Tanyong's Estate while Instructor Xia'erzi was absent proved that his reputation for ruthlessness was no empty boast.
Chapter 140