After several contacts with Tingting, Liu Sicheng began to have a strong interest in the other party's life experience.

Taking the opportunity of small talk, Liu Sicheng tried to inquire about Tingting's background from Kong Ming.

After some inquiry, Liu Sicheng learned at this time that Tingting and Kong Ming were not related. According to Kong Ming's description, Tingting took the initiative to come to the door a year ago and asked to spend the night in the grass house. Because he and Kong Ming are from Xuzhou, and they both left their hometowns to avoid trouble, Kong Ming took her in out of pity for Tingting.

When Kong Ming asked her name, she only said that her name was Tingting, and because her parents were dead and fortunately Kong Ming took her in, she changed her surname to Zhuge .

After Kong Ming took Tingting in, he found that she didn't seem to be short of money, and she was personally responsible for all her expenses.

And Tingting is good at dressing up as a man, and she dresses up vividly, and she can't see any flaws at all. In addition, she also brought a horse of her own, and often traveled between Longzhong and Xiangyang, and others did not know what her purpose was.

After listening to Kong Ming's words, Liu Sicheng only felt that his mind was blank.

In his opinion, Tingting is not only a mystery of identity, but also behaves strangely, completely unlike what an ordinary girl should be. Of course, in troubled times, etiquette collapses, and it is difficult to evaluate a person's behavior by the standard of governing the world.

In order to understand the doubts in happiness, Liu Sicheng decided to find Tingting herself directly to find out.

In the evening of that day, Liu Sicheng heard a rapid sound of horses' hooves from outside the courtyard in the east wing, presumably Tingting returned from going out. Liu Sicheng hurriedly put on his head, came to the courtyard alone, and happened to bump into Tingting who walked out of the cow and horse shed head-on, because of the rush all the way, her hair bun was a little scattered, and there were still a little beads of sweat on her forehead.

Liu Sicheng didn't plan to beat around the bush, so he asked:

"Tingting, can you tell me your last name?"

Tingting patted the floating soil on her body and replied casually:

"My surname is Zhuge ."

Liu Sicheng knew that Tingting was just perfunctory, so he asked:

"I mean your original last name!"

Tingting's eyes rolled when she heard this, then she looked at Liu Sicheng with a smile, and deliberately replied in a long tone:

"My original last name? My original surname was a single surname, which could be split into two Chinese characters that would form an adjective that you would never use on me. ”

"Hey, Tingting, don't come up with anagrams, okay?" Liu Sicheng protested.

"You're such an idiot! If you can't guess, I won't tell you! Tingting covered her mouth and said proudly.

Seeing Tingting's complacent look, Liu Sicheng was angry, so he said recklessly:

"Don't deceive people too much! I'll guess it for you! ”

Having said that, Liu Sicheng is not good at guessing word puzzles at all, and he was vetoed by Tingting several times in a row.

Tingting pursed her lips, like a child who had succeeded in her prank, and mocked Liu Sicheng:

"Guess no more, stupid! I don't have time to waste time here with you! ”

After saying that, Tingting bypassed Liu Sicheng in a big way, and then went straight back to the house, leaving Liu Sicheng alone and stunned in place.

was teased by Tingting one after another, which made Liu Sicheng angry and annoyed, but in this way, it deepened Tingting's impression in Liu Sicheng's heart.

All night, Liu Sicheng was desperately pondering the anagram left by Tingting, but it was in vain. He tossed and turned that night and eventually lost sleep.

Early the next morning, a servant knocked on Liu Sicheng's door, and it is said that Kong Ming invited Liu Sicheng to the study to discuss something.

Because Kong Ming likes to read, the study on the east side of the main house is an extremely important place in the grass house. Because engraving printing had not yet been invented at that time, and the paper quality was not good, it was not easy to write, so the books were mostly hand-copied bamboo slips (note: paper completely replaced bamboo briefly and waited until the end of the Eastern Jin Dynasty), which was not only expensive, but also extremely heavy. Kong Ming himself had an excellent memory, and every time he read a book from elsewhere, he would write it down silently, so all the books in his study were written by himself.

Before entering the study, Liu Sicheng first took off his head and shoes on the porch, tidied up his clothes, and then rubbed his eyes that were still a little tired with his hands, straightened his chest and stomach, and tried his best to appear in front of the world's first wise man with a perfect image.

Kong Ming saw Liu Sicheng stepping in, so he put down the bamboo slip in his hand and said warmly to Liu Sicheng:

"Bowen, you're here."

As he spoke, he also gestured to Liu Sicheng and motioned for him to sit down and speak.

Liu Sicheng nodded, then sat down in front of Kong Ming's case, and tried to straighten his body, not daring to be rude. When he sat down, he said respectfully:

"Brother Kong Ming, you can call me Sicheng."

"By all means, it's rude to call him by his name." Kong Ming waved his hand and refused.

Liu Sicheng knew that the ancients usually did not call each other by their first name as a sign of respect, but by their words. Liu Sicheng's words were originally casual nonsense on a whim, but now he is often mentioned by others, and he can't help but feel a little embarrassed in his heart. In order to avoid this embarrassment, Liu Sicheng decided to continue to make up a reason. So he said to Kong Mingzheng:

"Brother Kong Ming, in fact, in my hometown, people of similar generations call him by his name to be kind, so you still call me Sicheng."

Kong Ming stroked the beard on his chin, smiled slightly, and then responded:

"I see, your hometown is really interesting."

Liu Sicheng was afraid that Kong Ming would continue to ask and expose his stuffing, so he quickly changed the topic and said:

"By the way, Brother Kong Ming, why did you come to me this time?"

Kong Ming smiled when he heard this, and said with a straight face:

"Sicheng, I admire you. That's why I want to pass on to you all the art of war that I've learned all my life. ”

"Teaching the art of war?" Hearing this, Liu Sicheng couldn't help but open his mouth wide and was surprised.

"Exactly!" Kong Ming said, suddenly got up, looked at the green bamboo forest outside the window, and muttered, "I am good at governing the country and the army, and I need to stay in the rear to control the overall situation." As far as I know, Sicheng, you are good at adapting and skilled in martial arts. So I want to teach you the art of war, and I hope you can help me in the future. In this way, I will govern internally, and you will fight externally, and the two will cooperate with each other, and they will inevitably dominate the world. ”

Liu Sicheng never expected that he would be praised by the world's first wise man, and he couldn't help but be a little overwhelmed, and hurriedly thanked him:

"Brother Kong Ming, you are really too famous! Is it difficult for Sicheng to have such a ability? ”

I saw Kong Ming wave his hand and said with sincerity:

"Sicheng, I believe in Clumsy Jing's ability to recognize people. She told me that you have great potential, but you lack theoretical knowledge. I can help you fill in the gaps, so you will have a bright future. ”

It turned out that this matter was actually facilitated by Yueying. Originally, Liu Sicheng had a good impression of Yueying, but now when he heard this, he couldn't help but be greatly moved.

Despite this, Liu Sicheng had a serious rejection of the war because of his past experience. The tragic scene on the battlefield after that fire attack once again appeared in his mind, and the bleak figure of Tian Duwei also resurfaced......

In a trance, Liu Sicheng seemed to see that his hands were stained with blood, and the air seemed to be filled with a pungent smell of burnt paste again.

Commanding thousands of armies and sweeping through the United States is the ultimate dream of countless hot-blooded men; However, for Liu Sicheng, all this is an endless nightmare that he is afraid to avoid.

"Sicheng, are you willing?" Kong Ming's voice pulled Liu Sicheng back from his contemplation to reality.

Seeing Kong Ming's eyes burning, Liu Sicheng couldn't bear to refute Kong Ming's face, so he had to politely decline:

"Brother Kong Ming, you are already a great talent in the world, why do you need me, such a mediocre person to help?"

The smart and wise Kong Ming was naturally able to hear the meaning of Liu Sicheng's words, and he patiently advised:

"Sicheng, when it comes to governing the country and the army, you may not be as good as me, but when it comes to charging into battle, I will not be as good as you. The ruler is short, and the inch is long. Xiang Yu was unparalleled in the world in martial arts back then, but he was defeated by Emperor Gao, why? The power of one person is limited, and the energy source is inexhaustible, so I need your help! ”

Kong Ming's words did not impress Liu Sicheng, but they made him more anxious. The words related to the war deeply stimulated Liu Sicheng's fragile nerves, and he couldn't suppress the emotions in his heart for a while, and responded excitedly:

"Brother Kong Ming, I don't want to participate in any war anymore!"

Kong Ming saw that Liu Sicheng was angry, so he sat back on the seat and asked in a gentle tone:

"I wonder if Sicheng can tell me the reason for this?"

Liu Sicheng shook his head with a painful expression and said excitedly:

"I already have a lot of blood debts on my body, and I can't bear to kill in vain!"

Kong Ming sighed when he heard this, and comforted him with kind words:

"As long as there is war, there will be casualties, but we must not be afraid to retreat. Now it is a troubled time, and the people have been displaced and left dead due to the war. All you and I can do is to assist a wise monarch to stop the war with war. Although it is inevitable that the bones will wither, for the people, it is the greatest achievement to enable them to live a stable life. Therefore, I implore you to help me create a great cause and return peace and prosperity to the people! ”

Kong Ming's eyes were burning and his words were sincere, but Liu Sicheng did not agree in his heart. He took a deep breath and shook his head in denial:

"Nope! Even wars in the name of justice cause a lot of casualties, and I don't want to be involved in any more wars! ”

In the face of the so-called righteousness, Liu Sicheng chose to escape, because the reality was too heavy, and without the "oasis" of Xiaoxue beside him to wash his soul, his body alone was unbearable.

Whenever Liu Sicheng thinks of war, his heart is covered by an endless black curtain, and he fears this suffocating and desperate darkness.

Kong Ming didn't understand the trauma in Liu Sicheng's heart, and still persuaded him vigorously:

"Sicheng! Don't be so pessimistic! ”

Liu Sicheng didn't want to continue to dwell too much on this topic, so he suddenly got up and hugged his fist towards Kong Ming:

"Sorry! I can't accept it! ”

After speaking, I saw that he rushed out of the study without saying anything, and did not respond no matter how Kong Ming called.

On the porch outside the study, Liu Sicheng bumped into the elusive Tingting. Tingting glanced at Liu Sicheng with disdain, and said coldly and mockingly:

"Selfish ghost!"

Liu Sicheng was upset at this time, and Tingting's words made him even more angry, and he didn't care about the so-called gentlemanly demeanor, so he scolded Tingting loudly:

"Hey, Tingting, Hugh is going to slander here!"

"Slander? What I say is true! Tingting snorted coldly and replied sharply.

"You scolded me for no reason, isn't it slander?" Liu Sicheng asked.

"You don't know why I'm scolding you? You're a fool! Tingting reprimanded angrily.

Liu Sicheng was angry and anxious when he heard this, so he took the initiative to fight back:

"Why are you eavesdropping on my conversation with Brother Kong Ming?"

"Eavesdropping? How could I do such a thing? Tingting pursed her lips, her expression was very disdainful, and replied sharply, "I'm listening in the open!" ”

Liu Sicheng took a closer look and found that Tingting was indeed sitting on the porch, with a straw mat under her, and there was no hint of sneaking. Seeing this, Liu Sicheng asked rhetorically:

"Since you claim to be listening, why don't you go into the study and sit on the porch?"

Tingting raised her hand and pointed at Liu Sicheng, and responded confidently:

"I was afraid that you wouldn't dare to show your true feelings in front of others, so I decided to sit here."

is a clever little girl, but she is still quibbling so far. Liu Sicheng sneered.

Without waiting for Liu Sicheng to speak, Tingting continued to add:

"But that's why I learned your secret."

"What's the secret?" Liu Sicheng asked.

"So you're a selfish ghost!" Tingting said loudly.

"Enough!" Liu Sicheng protested.

Looking at Liu Sicheng's angry appearance, Tingting laughed unscrupulously, ignoring Liu Sicheng's feelings at the moment. Seeing this, Liu Sicheng clenched his fists and tried to restrain the anger in his heart, if he didn't know that he couldn't beat Tingting, otherwise he really wanted to teach this arrogant little girl a "real" lesson.

The laughter stopped suddenly, and I saw Tingting pointing out with a proud face:

"As far as I can see, with your IQ, if I don't explain, I guess you won't be able to figure it out in this life!"

Liu Sicheng knew that this was Tingting's trickery, but driven by curiosity, he had to pretend to be very honest and say to Tingting:

"Tingting, I wonder if you can explain a thing or two for me?"

Liu Sicheng's move made Tingting's self-esteem instantly satisfied, so she suddenly got up, crossed her hands on her waist, and said with a full spirit:

"Well, for your sake, I'll explain it to you. Let me ask you, why did you refuse Brother Kong Ming's kindness?"

Liu Sichang sighed and replied frankly:

"I've already had a lot of blood debts, and I can't bear to kill in vain. When I think of those who died, I feel depressed. So ......"

"So you're a selfish ghost!" Without waiting for Liu Sicheng to finish speaking, Tingting grabbed the white road.

"Hey, Tingting, what does this have to do with me being a selfish ghost?" Liu Sicheng's face was displeased, and he protested loudly.

"Of course it's related!" Tingting raised her hand and pointed at Liu Sicheng's nose, and reprimanded very unceremoniously, "Your rejection of Brother Kong Ming's kindness is not because you are kind, but because you are afraid and don't want to be hurt twice!" Why don't you think carefully about how many people will die if this troubled world does not end? But you choose to escape just for peace of mind, what do you say you are not a selfish ghost? ”

Tingting's words were like a slap in the face, waking Liu Sicheng up instantly.

Liu Sicheng knew at this time that his evasion was not a benevolent act, but simply out of selfishness. In Liu Sicheng's heart, he has always measured what he does with absolute good and evil, so he deliberately avoided the war. Because in Liu Sicheng's subconscious, all wars are evil and dishonorable. And now, Tingting has bluntly punctured the unrealistic fantasy in Liu Sicheng's heart, exposing the cruel reality to Liu Sicheng without concealment.

It is true that war inevitably brings casualties, but if the deaths and injuries of a small number of people can be exchanged for lasting peace, such sacrifices are worthwhile.

Since we are in troubled times, we must learn to face all this.

Unconsciously, Liu Sicheng found that the dark curtain in his heart became very light, and even revealed a few rays of sunshine.

Maybe this is the so-called Daigo empowerment. Liu Sicheng sighed secretly.

At this time, Tingting let out a soft snort from her mouth, turned around and brushed her sleeves away.

Liu Sicheng, who was grateful, looked at Tingting's back and said softly:

"Thank you."

Unexpectedly, Tingting's hearing was extremely sensitive, she turned around suddenly, smiled at Liu Sicheng, and said softly:

"No thanks, just understand."

Liu Sicheng couldn't help but be a little stunned when he saw this. This was the first time he had witnessed Tingting's sincere smile, and it was also the first time he felt that Tingting's smile was beautiful. Maybe she has a kind heart like Xiaoxue, but she is far less gentle than Xiaoxue.

Because of Tingting's nudge, Liu Sicheng finally agreed to Kong Ming's request. In hindsight, being able to be personally taught the art of war by the world's wisest man will surely envy future generations.