Chapter Ninety-Seven: The Second Young Master's Defeat

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Shen Hezhi nodded. “The Second Young Master’s words are not without reason. Since both sides hold opposing views, why not put both our ideas into action?”
Dongfang Ming frowned. “You mean…”
“We’ll do both. We’ll each send people from our own circles to vote and see which of these two is truly more suitable to be the Company Commander. This way, the choice reflects those of us with some standing.
Another option is to let the soldiers file complaints or express which candidate they expect to be the Company Commander.
This approach seems quite reasonable for now. What does the Second Young Master think?”
After hearing this, Dongfang Ming looked at the person beside him, unsure of what to choose. Yet that person lowered his head, seemingly deep in thought.
Dongfang Ming cursed inwardly: When I don’t need you, you’re bossing me around relentlessly. Now that I need your advice, you hide like a turtle with your head tucked in, saying nothing. Hmph.
Since the person beside him gave no guidance, he decided to act entirely according to his own judgment. He nodded and said, “I think the Ninth Prince’s idea is very reasonable. Let’s proceed as he suggests.”
The moment he finished speaking, the man beside him looked up in surprise, puzzled. As Shen Hezhi was preparing to vote, he quietly asked, “Why did the Second Prince decide so quickly? I haven’t even suggested how we should proceed. He agreed just like that—is he harboring rebellious thoughts?”
“That remark scares me. I saw just now that you gave me no options, and the Ninth Prince was waiting for my answer the whole time. I can’t leave him hanging indefinitely—that would arouse suspicion.” Dongfang Ming spread his hands helplessly.
He wanted no part in this but had no choice, so he acted out of necessity and shouldn’t be blamed no matter what.
The man beside him was so annoyed by Dongfang Ming’s reaction that he didn’t know what to say. He had only pondered briefly, yet the Second Prince blurted out the decision without giving him room to think.
But now the words were spoken and couldn’t be taken back. All they could do was quietly await the voting results.
Qi Mo, having heard this, felt that Dongfang Ming had truly suffered a silent loss, but the smug smile on his face suggested otherwise.

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Soon, the voting results came in. In the end, regardless of the method, Qi Mo emerged victorious.
This outcome left Dongfang Ming utterly dumbfounded, while the person who had been following him cast him a disdainful glance.
Shen Hezhi noticed this companion who hadn’t been with Dongfang Ming before. His sudden presence suggested that perhaps Dongfang Ming’s previous actions had drawn this person’s reprimand.
It was likely that this individual felt Dongfang Ming’s current behavior diverged too much from what he intended, so he sent someone close to keep watch and prevent further foolishness.
If Shen Hezhi followed this lead, he might uncover why the majority of the Dongfang family supported Dongfang Ming instead of Dongfang Qing.
A new idea flashed in Shen Hezhi’s mind, which he noted silently before focusing on the matter at hand.
“Second Young Master, the results are quite clear now. No matter which voting method was used, Qi Mo received the most support. Therefore, the Company Commander should still be him.”
Shen Hezhi looked at Dongfang Ming apologetically, as if this was not the outcome he wished to see.
“Ah… Since this is how it is, there’s nothing more to say. Let Qi Mo continue as Company Commander.” Dongfang Ming strode away, displeased.
His irritation was not because his nominee hadn’t won but because the man behind him kept arrogantly ordering him around.
Watching Dongfang Ming’s retreating figure, Shen Hezhi smiled softly. At that moment, Yan Heru, who had been hiding behind the crowd, approached and stood beside Shen Hezhi.
“Was that person just now trying to oppose the Prince?” Yan Heru asked, unaware of the shock her sudden appearance had caused.
Especially among the soldiers who had paused their training—they had never seen such a celestial beauty in the camp before, and all were stunned.
The Ninth Prince saw the soldiers staring at his young wife and was displeased. He quickly pulled her into his arms and glared at the crowd.

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Yan Heru hadn’t yet received the answer she sought when her husband embraced her, causing her to look up in slight confusion. “My Prince…”
“My dear, how could such a useless person ever be my enemy?” Shen Hezhi replied, his tone dripping with disdain.
None of those present were strangers to the wine industry, which gave him the confidence to say such words.
Yan Heru, hearing his domineering yet endearing tone, suddenly laughed. “I understand. So… does my husband have any other matters to attend to? If not, can we go have a little something to eat? Just a tiny bit.”
Shen Hezhi glanced at his young wife in his arms and smiled. How could he refuse her wishes?
Thus, the two left hand in hand under the watchful eyes of everyone present, dealing a heavy blow to the soldiers who had just been staring.
They had thought a fairy had descended to the mortal world, only to discover she was the Ninth Prince’s wife. None dared to keep looking at her, fearing the seemingly kind prince might exact a heavy toll on them.
“Why are you all still standing around? The matter is settled—get back to training!” Qi Mo shouted.
He worried that his newly trained soldiers might be punished for lingering too long gazing at the prince’s wife, which would be counterproductive. So he hurried them back to their drills.
Ah Nuo, watching the soldiers train, lowered the gleam in his eyes and left with Yan Heru.
Shen Hezhi and Yan Heru noticed this Ah Nuo following them, sensing something amiss. They exchanged a glance, preparing to probe carefully.
“Ah Nuo, go check on Captain Qi and invite him to join us for a bite to eat,” Shen Hezhi instructed.