My Wife is Unbeatable in the Whole World, Touch Me If You Dare!

Father's study room, Li Nuo has been here many times, but he had never seen this book before.

He walked up to the desk and opened this introduction to "Vertical and Horizontal Strategies".

This book is much thicker than the ones Li Nuo had read before about strategic diplomacy.

The book not only detailed the origins of the strategic diplomats but also described various branches with great care, including techniques for entering the field and methods of cultivation, with detailed annotations in important sections.

The earliest strategists were actually a group of wise and brave diplomats.

During the Warring States period, various states were in conflict, with numerous heroes rising, and the lords engaging in power struggles. Wars were frequent, and each state aimed to unify the world, requiring a vast number of talents to devise strategies for them.

The Hundred Schools of Thought emerged in this context.

The Confucians and Legalists focused on internal governance, the Militarists and Mohists on external affairs, the Agricultural School ensured food supply, the Medical School saved lives, and the strategists controlled the overall situation.

At that time, there were hundreds of states on the continent, providing stages for each school to showcase their abilities.

Strategists were undoubtedly the most sought after.

They often helped states grow and annex others, instantly enhancing national strength, thus becoming honored guests respected by various states, marking their peak era.

Strategists excelled at manipulating situations, never sticking to conventions or adhering to worldly rules.

They were intelligent and eloquent, adhering to the principle of picking a worthy tree to roost in and a worthy master to serve. Their ultimate goal was to promote the annexation of great nations and the reunification of the world.

As the Warring States period ended, the five great dynasties that emerged from the chaos chose to recuperate, leaving only a few small states as buffers between the major powers, and strategists gradually became obsolete.

To adapt to the times, different factions emerged within the strategists.

The traditional faction still aimed to promote the unification of the world.

The radical faction, on the other hand, was devoted to splitting the five great dynasties, hoping to return the continent to the Warring States period, so they could once again showcase their talents.

There were also some centrists who gave up the dream of unification and offered their strategies in various scenarios, from family power struggles, business rivalries, and official promotions to the struggles for the throne, their presence could be seen.

Wherever there was a power struggle, there would be their figure.

For strategists, small schemes were for minor affairs, great schemes were for the state.

In the current era, convincing various states was a highly challenging task, and aiding the princes of the five great dynasties to ascend the throne was their biggest achievement.

This book not only offered techniques for entering the field but also provided several cultivation paths.

The current strategists were adept at using schemes and conspiracies, stopping at nothing to achieve their goals.

However, the earliest strategists were masters of open strategies.

It was not uncommon back then for some to practice both Legalism and strategic diplomacy, and even Confucianism, Legalism, and strategic diplomacy simultaneously, among other combinations.

Li Nuo read for a while and took the book with him.

Some famous works and annotations in the book were very useful to him and were an indispensable part of cultivating his strategic diplomacy skills. He could ponder them carefully on the way to Zhao Country.

As for the next three days, he had to cherish them.

Three days later, it would be a good day for the delegation to set off.

Then, they would leave together with the delegation from Zhao Country.

For the first time being away from home for so long, Li Nuo felt a bit melancholic, spending nearly all his time from morning to night with Jiaren and Anning, and even took half a day to play with Ning'er and Mumu.

The thirty-fifth year of Zhisheng, the sixth day of the first lunar month, was auspicious for traveling.

At this time, the court departments had not yet opened, but envoys from various countries were ready to return.

From early morning, many convoys lined up and left the city gates.

In front of the Li Mansion.

Jiaren helped Li Nuo straighten his belt and softly said, "Take care of yourself over there, we will await your return."

Li Nuo nodded and kissed her on the forehead.

Jiaren stepped back slowly, and Anning rushed up, to the astonishment of the two female doctors, and gave Li Nuo a heavy kiss on the face, saying, "Think of me every day over there, don't flirt with other women, I'll have Yiren keep an eye on you…"

Song Yiren, carrying a small bundle, nodded slightly to Anning, looking committed to the task.

Li Nuo crouched down and hugged Mumu and Ning'er one by one, saying, "Be good and listen at home."

The two little girls nodded reluctantly.

Phoenix was the last to step forward, hugged Yiren, whispered a few words to her, then walked to Li Nuo's side, hugged him gently as well, and said, "I wish you a successful journey. I will take good care of Jiaren and Anning..."

Li Nuo and Yiren boarded the carriage, waving goodbye to them.

It was only when the carriage had traveled so far that they could not be seen anymore that Li Nuo slowly lowered the curtain.

Unlike Li Nuo's melancholy, Song Yiren sat across from him holding a sword, looking down at her toes, with a hint of a smile on her lips.

At the city gate, watching the delegation's convoy disappear on the official road, a figure turned around and walked into the city gate, took a carriage to a mansion, and said, "Lord, they have left..."

...

Chang'an.

The delegation to Zhao Country had already left for seven days.

All the departments of the court had also successively opened their offices.

The officials at the government offices where the envoys were posted felt immensely envious of them being able to serve in Zhao Country.

Although Daxia had envoys in various countries, the mission to Zhao Country was entirely different. It was said to be a mission, but in reality, it was an enjoyment.

When they arrived there, not only was the Daxia court unable to control them, but even Zhao Country couldn't manage them. As long as they didn't break the law or regulations, they could do anything they wanted without fear of impeachment from the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Censor.

After playing for two years, they could return and get promoted. Countless officials dreamed of such an opportunity.

Unlike them, in the new year, they had to start dealing with some troublesome matters right after the offices opened.

At the end of last year, the Second Prince of Liang Country was assassinated in Daxia, nearly causing a serious diplomatic conflict.

Fortunately, the case was eventually solved, and the murderer turned out to be a member of Liang Country's own delegation, clearing Daxia of suspicion.

But just recently, trouble arose again.

Last night, a Liang Country envoy died at the peak of excitement while visiting a brothel in Chang'an.

And just the day before, another Liang Country envoy accidentally choked to death while dining at a certain restaurant.

The death of the Second Prince of Liang Country was only resolved on the surface because the Liang Country delegation later discovered that the Chief Historian who killed him was actually from Daxia.

But they didn't pursue the matter further since Liang Country was too weak and was a vassal of Daxia. Investigating it deeply would not benefit anyone.

The Second Prince was already dead, and within Liang Country, pro-Daxia forces prevailed, so there was no need to investigate further.

The two recently deceased officials were both close confidants of the Second Prince and important pro-Wei Country officials in the Liang court.

One choked to death, and the other died at the peak of excitement, both seemingly accidental deaths. But even as Daxia officials, they did not believe these were accidents.

They wondered what higher-ups were thinking, completely disregarding Liang Country.

Although Daxia's strength allowed it to disregard Liang Country, pushing Liang Country towards Wei Country would not be beneficial for Daxia.

This was entirely unnecessary.

Even they didn't believe it, and of course, the Liang Country delegation didn't believe it either.

They believed these two officials were murdered and immediately requested the Daxia court to solve the case quickly.

To show its commitment to the matter, the court ordered the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Justice, the Imperial Censorate, the Spiegel Bureau, the Chang'an County Government, the Capital Prefecture, and the Six Departments to jointly investigate the case, but no results were found...

No matter how they investigated, it was still ruled as accidental deaths.

Some officials thought of Li Nuo from the Ministry of Justice, who had solved several important cases previously.

But they were quickly informed that Li Nuo had already left with the delegation to Zhao Country.

From Daxia to Zhao Country, they could travel by water, reaching thousands of miles in a day on a Mohist-modified treasure ship. By now, they were already within Zhao Country's borders, so it was impossible to send someone to Zhao Country to bring him back.

Moreover, there was not enough time.

The Liang Country delegation had already decided to depart for Liang Country early the next morning.

A mission to Daxia resulted in the death of a prince and three envoys. One could imagine the turmoil this would cause in Liang Country upon their return.

In recent years, Liang Country had leaned towards Daxia, and Wei Country had always wanted to win over Liang Country.

The death of the pro-Wei Second Prince of Liang Country seemed beneficial on the surface, but because he died in Daxia, it might backfire and incite anti-Daxia sentiment in Liang Country. It was said that the Right Prime Minister had already prepared to send a delegation to Liang Country to appease them...

Thousands of miles away, in Zhao Country.

Li Nuo was unaware of what had happened in Chang'an after they left.

He was sitting in his room on the passenger boat, playing Go with Yiren.

There wasn't much entertainment on the boat, and there was no space to practice martial arts. It was one of the few ways to pass the time.

At a certain moment, there was a knock on the door.

Li Nuo glanced at Yiren and said, "Don't move my pieces; I can remember where they are."

Song Yiren rolled her eyes at him and said, "Don't underestimate me..."

Li Nuo left the Go board and walked to the door.

Opening the door, he saw a woman standing outside.

The woman was about the same age as Yiren, dressed in palace attire, with a delicate appearance and an air of nobility between her brows. She stood at the door, smiled slightly at Li Nuo, and asked, "Lord Li, may we talk?"