Tug of War

"Oh?"

Zhang Shi exclaimed with delight: "Come, let's go take a look."

Although taking the Linjiang Shazui Water Village was the top priority at the moment and shouldn't be delayed by other matters, capturing it still relied on the love story between Shen Du and Su Lanxiang.

The collection of these love stories depended on Lu Shuang, who wasn't truly a professional and could only offer assistance.

Instead, someone coming to seek help was his actual specialty!

—This was the notice he had just issued!

Leading his personal guards with long strides, he reached the camp gate and saw a young man standing there, restless and anxious.

This young man appeared to be quite impoverished, dressed in coarse linen clothes and straw sandals, with an ordinary, unremarkable look—nothing striking about him.

"Is it you?"

"Are you here to seek help?"

"Yes, yes, I am..." the young man said, both excited and fearful, pulling a notice from his bosom. "I, I saw this notice and also heard of the Lord Duke's great reputation."

"Everyone says the Lord Duke fights against lovesick foolishness and rescues us who are tormented by it. I, I truly have been driven half-mad by such people, so..."

"So I came to give it a try!"

Zhang Shi first took the notice he offered. It was the one he had dictated himself, sorted by the scribe, and handed to Lady Lu Shuang for distribution.

The text on it was clear and direct:

"I, General Zhang Shi, respectfully follow the Lord Duke's command, specifically tasked with correcting the scourge of lovesick foolishness. Anyone who has suffered injustice due to another's lovesick delusions may come forward to file a complaint."

"No matter if the fool flees to the remotest corner of the world or the grasslands beyond the frontier, I will lead troops to hunt them down and mete out strict punishment. Those wronged will be fully protected by me."

Zhang Shi nodded.

This young man had presented the notice upon meeting him and showed trust in the Lord Duke—that settled it. Regardless of how grievous the injustice this young man had suffered, or how terrifying the force behind his tormenter, he, Zhang Shi...

would protect him to the fullest!

"Speak, young brother!" Zhang Shi said. "Tell me what happened to you."

"Once you lay it all out, I can assure you that your troubles will disappear in the blink of an eye."

The young man was overjoyed and quickly knelt to thank him: "Thank you, General! Thank you, Lord Duke!"

"Everyone says that with the Lord Duke here, justice has arrived, and we no longer have to suffer under those lovesick fools in Yunjing. It's true!"

"It's true!"

The young man clearly hadn't seen much of the world; once excited, he grew nervous. However, he had a bold and daring spirit about him.

Otherwise, he would never have come to Zhang Shi for help based solely on a notice.

After calming himself a little, he said: "My name is Guo Zhou. I live nearby, and my family has been fishermen for generations. I learned fishing skills well from a young age and stood out among the locals, earning quite a bit of recognition."

"Originally, with my conditions, in a couple more years with some help from my parents and my own efforts, I might have had a chance to find a wife."

"To settle down properly through an arranged match and get married!"

"Then, have children and live a normal life."

Zhang Shi nodded.

That kind of life was the everyday existence of ordinary folks—though not romantic, it was stable and harmonious.

"But..."

"By chance, I met a woman named Yu Zhen. She wasn't a local but a newcomer from elsewhere."

"She was extremely beautiful and gentle."

"Especially, she loved to smile."

"When she came to our area, she would occasionally smile at people—it was like flowers blooming—and it drove many young men, including me, somewhat crazy."

"Without realizing it, we were drawn to her."

"Then, some bold ones actively approached her."

"She welcomed everyone who came."

Hearing this, Zhang Shi already sensed something fishy. That woman, Yu Zhen, was off, very off.

But with his understanding of lovesick foolishness, he couldn't yet precisely define this behavior.

Still, he guessed that this young man, Guo Zhou, had also fallen into her trap.

As expected, Guo Zhou continued: "At first, Yu Zhen was kind to me too."

"She always smiled at me in the crowd."

"My mind started to wander."

"I don't know if it was me making the first move or Yu Zhen, but before I knew it, we got closer and closer."

"Every day, I bought things for her."

"Her breakfast was bought by me."

"When she went out, I hired a carriage for her."

"Whatever she needed, whether under the scorching sun or in pouring rain, I would rush without hesitation to take care of her."

"This went on for over half a year."

As Guo Zhou narrated miserably, Zhang Shi's face grew dark, sensing something was off.

Wait, brother, you came to seek my protection, right?

But from what I'm hearing, this sounds like the behavior of the Heart Union—you're not one of them, are you?

However, Zhang Shi was no longer the naive man he once was. He had undergone a transformation and gained far greater endurance against lovesick foolishness.

So, he steadied his mind and continued listening to Guo Zhou.

"I felt Yu Zhen was truly good to me, and I thought I had a chance. So, I didn't just sit idly—I tried to confess my feelings to her."

"The first time I confessed..."

"I was rejected by Yu Zhen."

"She said she wanted to take things slowly with me."

"She wanted to test me."

"As soon as I heard that, I got excited. I felt even more that Miss Yu Zhen was a wonderful woman—she wouldn't casually give away her lifelong happiness. She was steady and reliable, a perfect match for me."

"So, I gladly accepted her test."

The feeling in Zhang Shi's gut grew stronger. This Guo Zhou was probably off.

But if he was off and still came to him for protection, it sounded absurd—but not if he was a member of the Heart Union.

"And did you pass her test?" Zhang Shi asked.

"No, no!" Guo Zhou said. "I, I couldn't pass her test!"

"I would never pass her test!"

"Yu Zhen's so-called test was simply an insurmountable hurdle. She was the examiner setting the questions, but the judging criteria were entirely up to her."

"And she never truly cared for me—she was just... enjoying the benefits I could give her!"

As Guo Zhou said this, his expression was firm and resolute, tinged with hatred.

"After accepting Yu Zhen's test, I worked even harder to treat her well."

"I practically wanted to rip my heart out for her, but no matter how hard I tried or how well I treated her, she never agreed."

"Instead, she would deliberately keep her distance."

"And whenever I felt that Yu Zhen and I could never be, that I should let go of this unreal fantasy and settle down to marry someone proper and live a peaceful life, Yu Zhen would seek me out again."

"A charming smile and a gentle, water-like tenderness, she lavished me with care and gave me plenty of hope.

But once hope arrived and I spared no effort in being good to her, she would then become distant and uncertain, giving me hope without fully granting it.

I would choose to leave again.

Then she would return to being utterly gentle with me once more.

..."