Traveling through an ancient military camp: Bao'er's survival song

After seeing Shi Liujie off, Madam Wu jokingly told her maid that her distant nephew was being overly cautious. Later, while having dinner with Wu Peng'en, Madam Wu recounted the incident to her husband as a joke: "When I heard Liujie was coming, I was a little uneasy, afraid he might bring up something that would put you in a difficult position. But it turned out to be just this. Husband, don't you think my nephew is being overly cautious, a bit too paranoid?"

Unexpectedly, Grand Tutor Wu stopped eating. His face was ashen, and after pondering for a moment, he didn't eat dinner. As he stood up, he praised his adopted nephew to his wife: "Sixth Master's concerns are not unfounded. Although he is not particularly quick-witted, he has always been conscientious in his duties as the Prefect of the Capital. A small child should not have disappeared in the capital in just one day, and there should be no trace of him." After saying this, he told his wife not to wait for him and went out.

Wu Peng'en did not send a servant to invite Shi Liujie; instead, he went directly to the Shi residence by carriage.

Shi Liujie was at home, unable to eat or drink properly. The short day of waiting felt like a month. He was afraid that Lord Wu wouldn't take his words seriously, yet he was also afraid that Lord Wu would take them seriously and then find out he had been worrying unnecessarily, thus developing a dislike for him. Before he could even sigh his eight hundredth time, the steward came to report that his uncle, the Grand Tutor, had personally come to his door. Startled, Shi Liujie didn't even have time to tidy himself up; the over-sixty-year-old man ran to the front hall with the speed of a young man.

Lord Wu was already seated in the front hall, with tea served by the maids on the table beside him. Although Shi Liujie had met Lord Wu several times before, seeing his uncle's appearance again still made him want to exclaim: "Like jade piled high, a gentleman is like a carved stone." This handsome man, as beautiful as a painting, immediately calmed Shi Liujie's panicked and uneasy heart. He quickly stepped forward to exchange pleasantries, and after sitting down, he told Lord Wu in detail about the process he had gone through that day and his uneasy thoughts.

Wu Peng'en showed admiration for his nephew-in-law, even jokingly saying that Shi Liujie had been hiding his talents, and that with his keen senses, he shouldn't have been limited to the position of Prefect of the Capital. The over-sixty-year-old Shi Liujie, like a six-year-old child who had just received candy, couldn't hide his excitement.

Wu Peng'en then gave Shi Liujie a detailed analysis and instructed him on how to verify the information. Shi Liujie listened attentively to his instructions.

The next day, the Prefect of Jingzhao ordered the Military Advisor to lead a large number of yamen runners to quickly surround all the theaters and entertainment venues in the capital, and to search for the dwarf entertainers. All the theater owners and theater managers were arrested and thrown into jail. Regardless of who their masters were, they were simply accused of harboring spies from the enemy country. In less than two days, they actually found the dwarf who had disguised himself as a child and tampered with General Peng's horse.

Afterwards, everyone associated with the dwarf was thrown into the imperial prison, and the case was quickly transferred to the Court of Judicial Review. Shi Liujie didn't feel that his credit had been stolen; on the contrary, he felt relieved to have gotten rid of a troublesome person. He once again sent a visiting card and gifts to the Wu residence to thank his uncle, who was almost supernaturally wise, for his guidance.

This time, it was Wu Peng'en who met him.

When Grand Tutor Wu saw his wife's nephew with his gray hair, he found it somewhat amusing for the first time. He said, "Sixth Prince, do you really not want to move up the ranks? Even if you don't, you should at least consider your children."

Shi Liujie wiped non-existent sweat from his forehead and said humbly, "Uncle Meng thinks highly of me, but I know my own limitations. I and my good-for-nothing children don't have the talent to hold high positions. We've only managed to get where we are today through our diligence and attentiveness. I really don't dare to dream of anything else."

Grand Tutor Wu's eyes once again revealed an expression of admiration: "There are many scheming and opportunistic people in this officialdom, but there are very few officials like you who adhere to their principles and constantly reflect on themselves. Liu Jie, you are still underestimating yourself; your future is very promising."