Cunning General Si Ning

Chen An took his seat opposite Si Ning. "Jiang ChenMu decided to train in our army alongside Jiang Ye, you remember Jiang Xi said we should allow his son Jiang ChenMu to train with us." He explained after collecting the profile. "Jiang Ye later informed me that he doesn't want to return to the Jiang army because Jiang ChenMu will lead the army after completing his training and Jiang Ye was supposed to support him but Jiang Ye's ambition is to become a Commander of the Si army."

"So are Jiang Ye and Jiang ChenMu brothers?" Si Ning asked, he never thought his army do render the services of training some heir of some noble family only for them to leave to lead their army. He realized there must be a reason Jiang Ye wanted to be a Commander of his army and for him to know means he had to see Jiang Ye and ask him directly.

Chen An seemed a bit confused. "No, Jiang Ye's father and Jiang ChenMu's father are brothers but Jiang ChenMu is from the main family and the successor of the Jiang army while Jiang Ye is from the branch family but he had been living with Jiang Xi ever since he was a child."

Si Ning nodded in understanding. "But why did you bring Jiang ChenMu's profile when you know I might assign him to the Imperial army?" He had to ask.

"Jiang ChenMu training is going well and I thought General might want him to train under the Imperial family because I don't think we have anything more to train him, we will just state it that when he completed his training he will be set free to go back to lead his family army since we all know that the Jiang family is a noble and strong family, the Imperial family wouldn't want to offend them by keeping their heir and we Commanders thought it might be good for him to broaden his knowledge." Chen An explained and handed the profile back to Si Ning.

"What do I gain from training him?" Si Ning asked.

It seemed training Jiang ChenMu was a special case. He had no idea who Jiang Xi was and he was sure he wasn't part of the Ministers in the court. No one by the name Jiang Xi also drops by the Si residence bringing gifts which means if he had accepted to train Jiang ChenMu on the Jiang family's behalf then there must be a catch because he doesn't think the Jiang and Si family were close.

"I do not know General, you didn't tell any of your Commanders you only told us to train Jiang ChenMu." Chen An told him. "But General is your memory perhaps still damaged from the war?"

"Eh?" Si Ning blinked. His memory wasn't damaged, the problem was he came from another timeline but he wasn't about to tell Chen An that.

It wasn't surprising for Chen An to suspect him when he always asked questions of things he should know. It would be weird for him not to be suspected but Si Ning doesn't know how to reply, he doesn't want to admit to the loss of memory he never had nor does he want to say his memory was still intact.

"I have been suspecting it, I am not the only one that thought so even Su Heng and Ji Ran brought it up because General used to be so strict and close off but since after the war you became more friendly and genuinely want the best for the army, you have also allowed us Commanders to help with your work and we were very happy to be of some use to you. That is why we were glad to help you with the details of the army." Chen An told him. "But if General have forgotten about the details of the deal between you and Jiang Xi, I can find out." He offered.

Si Ning shook his head. It was still a little unbelievable that he was always closed off, it almost seemed like Chen An just described his past self when he was still an Actor. "No need just come with Jiang ChenMu tomorrow and let Jiang Ye accompany you so... how is the progress of the list, you know tomorrow is the last day we compile the list." He reminded Chen An.

"The process is going well, we have prepared more than half of the list." Chen An informed him.

Si Ning pointed to the two piles of papers. "This I will be retaining them in my army." He pointed to the right pile. "This will join the Imperial family, find a way to tell them I think hmmm." He quickly checked the pile to see if it was right. "That will be all."

Chen An packed the profiles of those that will join the Imperial family. "General, Xiao Pei told me that you haven't been training."

"Hmmm." Si Ning had no excuse, he couldn't voice out that he doesn't want to train and wasn't interested in swinging a sword about every morning, that form of violent exercise was something he wasn't interested in.

"If General think Xiao Pei is too inferior to spar with you then I don't mind dropping by every morning to spar with you." Chen An suggested.

"Oh, no-no-no." Si Ning shook his head. "That will only add to your workload." He pointed out.

"General I don't mind, I want to drop by every morning to spar with you. It will be an honor." Chen An insisted.

"I said no need to do that, we are both busy for that." Si Ning said briskly to prove his point that they would be better off than to spar in the morning or even spar at all.

"Then after we are done with the list I will drop by alongside Su Heng and Ji Ran." Chen An informed him.

"Eh?" Si Ning's face turned pale. "Why do you want to bring Su Heng and Ji Ran?"

"Because General might be thinking I am too inferior to you so we the three Commanders will spar with you, three on one." Chen An declared.

Si Ning's mouth fell. Here he was trying to avoid training yet Chen An suggested him to spar with the three of them.

Do they want to kill him?

"No no no, none of you will be dropping by because I will be sparing with Xiao Pei and Jiang Ye." Si Ning lied as he wore an extremely serious expression to make Chen An back down.

Chen An frowned, he stood up with the pile he packed. "But..."

"Do not drop by to train with me, why don't you use that time to check those to be promoted in the army because from this assessment I noticed the levels of the Soldiers were updated a year ago." Si Ning told him. It seemed he had surrounded himself with hardworking people that don't want to stay idle and it was his duty to give them something to do if they asked of it.

Si Ning didn't miss the dejected look Chen An wore but he wasn't about to give him when he would be the one to suffer later by waking up early to spar when at that moment if he didn't perform well Chen An might detect he was lacking or he doesn't know how to will a sword in terms of fighting seriously. He had been busy that he wasn't able to find out if he might be able to take a life with his sword and he doesn't even want to think about it.

If one day he met himself in a position of sparing with Xiu Zhicheng then he might find a means to avoid that but till then.

"Yes General, I have also been thinking about it." Chen An told him and saluted. "I will be taking my leave."

Si Ning watched him leave and he sighed, relieved no one would be dropping by to wake him early to train. He pulled the new profiles towards him. Now was the time to work.