Chapter 52: From Weakness Conquering Strength

“Theoretically, in busy restaurants with lots of people, a method like this should show results in three or four days. We're not recruiting permanent staff, but if we consider the cost of hiring people temporarily, each restaurant would likely cost no more than two *guan*. We currently have four restaurants, and selling 60 to 80 pine-patterned eggs daily is very easy. In terms of profit, each egg should bring in eight *wen*, so the investment can be recouped in a little over half a month.”

The click-clack of the abacus echoed in the room as Ning Yi continued speaking, casually making calculations. “If the market expands too quickly, and we haven't cured enough eggs, we might face a shortage. So, I don't think we need to consider further expansion for now. But no matter what, introducing a new product and opening up sales channels should be fine.”

Kang Xian took a sip of tea and raised an eyebrow. “I've seen the results these past few days. I thought you had some brilliant strategy, but it turns out you’re just hiring people to act as shills. It's quite a simple tactic.”

“Heh, in warfare, there are orthodox and unorthodox strategies. You only resort to the unorthodox when the orthodox isn't effective. It’s a simple matter; if it solves the problem, why overthink it?” Ning Yi chuckled.

“That’s true,” Kang Xian nodded. “But Li Heng, would you say this tactic is orthodox or unorthodox?”

Elder Qin laughed. “Both orthodox and unorthodox. If we're just talking about the tactic itself, it might be considered unorthodox. But in this context, it’s not surprising at all, so it counts as orthodox.” He thought for a moment. “Li Heng, you mentioned selling them for fifty *wen* each earlier. How would you do that?”

“Heh, fifty *wen* and above—then there’s no limit. You’re selling more than just the pine-patterned egg,” Ning Yi smiled. “Call it the ‘Wealth Egg’ or the ‘Jadeite Egg.’ If I had my own lavishly decorated restaurant, I’d heavily promote the symbolic meaning of this egg. If you place a bowl of them at every banquet, say a few auspicious words, and perhaps write some little stories, people won't be eating the egg anymore. They'll be displaying it as a symbol of wealth. Fifty *wen*, a hundred *wen*, even one or two *guan*—those would just be the asking prices. If a wealthy person like Elder Kang were to display a few bowls at a banquet and say a few words, its value would naturally increase, and the rich would flock to it. There's nothing strange about that.”

“When I heard Li Heng mention fifty *wen* each that day, I expected some astonishing plan, but it turns out to be this rather ordinary idea,” Kang Xian said with a chuckle, shaking his head. Then he mused, “But, it truly makes sense.”

Ning Yi laughed. “There are no astonishing plans in this world. Ultimately, it’s just about setting a goal and then solving problems. It’s like on the battlefield: while troops may employ orthodox or unorthodox strategies, and one might speak of the weak overcoming the strong, in reality, there's no true 'weak overcoming strong.' When you really get down to it, it’s always the strong overcoming the weak.”

“I’ve never heard such a notion,” Elder Qin frowned. “While military treatises may suggest that orthodox methods are preferable to unorthodox ones, advocating for straightforward approaches and avoiding risky maneuvers, all military strategies strive for the weak to overcome the strong. After all, if I am strong and the enemy is weak, the presence or absence of military strategy holds little meaning. I cannot agree with Li Heng’s assertion.”

“Huh, there’s no such saying?” Ning Yi paused, slightly surprised.

“Indeed, there isn’t,” Kang Xian chuckled. “As Li Heng said, if strategies are meant to solve problems, then a problem arises when the enemy is strong and we are weak. When we are strong and the enemy is weak, what need is there for military strategy? Therefore, what is recorded in military treatises, beyond the fundamentals of military formations, largely explores situations where the disadvantaged confront the dominant.”

“That’s true,” Ning Yi nodded with a smile. “The difference in phrasing is merely me theorizing, hehe, forgive my presumption.”

“We are all just theorizing. I myself am not well-versed in military strategy…” Elder Qin took a sip of tea, seeming to recall some past events, a complex expression briefly crossing his face after the smile. He then said, “Since there's nothing else to do, why don't you elaborate on where your idea came from, Li Heng?”

Ning Yi pondered for a moment, then pulled over the nearby chessboard. “It’s fundamentally a difference in perspective, though the underlying situation is the same. When military strategy speaks of the weak overcoming the strong, what it’s actually focusing on is how to reverse the relative strengths and weaknesses of the two sides.”

He took ten white pieces from the opponent’s chess container, then five black pieces from his own side, and began dividing the white pieces. “Simply put, if the enemy has ten units and we only have five, we can’t defeat them head-on. But through strategy, we can trick them into dividing their forces into four groups—say, one, two, three, and four units. Then, with our five units, we attack their four units, crushing them. With our advantage, we lose one unit, leaving four. Then, with four against three, then three against two, then two against one… The battle is decided. When it appears the weak overcame the strong, if you break it down, each individual engagement was actually the strong overcoming the weak.”

Elder Qin smiled. “What Li Heng says is too ideal…” He was about to finish his sentence when he suddenly paused, then looked at the chess pieces, frowning in thought. Elder Kang, who had also been about to say the idea was overly idealistic and purely theoretical, saw Elder Qin’s expression and also fell into contemplation.

Ning Yi smiled. “It is too ideal, that's true.” He reached out to gather the white pieces again. “Actual battlefields are too complex to achieve such an ideal state. However, this is just a way of looking at things, not a precise calculation from the outset. But if you work backward from the result, every war where the weak overcame the strong, or the strong overcame the weak, when broken down, presents this kind of situation. There’s no true state where weaker forces can defeat stronger forces, because strength and weakness are themselves determined by their ability to defeat and kill the opponent. Here, success determines greatness. If the enemy is strong and we are weak, we find ways to isolate, divide, and manipulate the opponent, striving to ensure that every battle, at a local level, involves the strong defeating the weak. At a detailed level, it can even apply to individual soldiers. Of course, even the best general cannot control the entire situation to this extent, but for each unit, when facing an opposing unit, whether they win or lose can ultimately be simply grasped.”

“In business, on the battlefield, in how one conducts oneself and carries out tasks, I don’t believe there’s truly such a thing as the weak overcoming the strong. Of course, many unseen factors are also part of strength and weakness: intelligence, morale, preferences, and even luck. The goal is set before you. The path might be unseen, or there might be many paths. How to reach the step before the goal can be reverse-engineered like this. If broken down into steps, you might find each step is very simple—just solving a problem. That’s why I don’t believe in ‘miraculous strategies’.” He thought, pushed the chessboard back, and chuckled self-deprecatingly. “Of course, this is just theorizing. Generals who lead armies, even if they don’t think this way, will still be very capable. In short, it’s just about how one views things; it doesn’t solve practical problems.”

“Yet, at the detailed level, it is indeed the strong overcoming the weak; there is never a principle of the weak truly overcoming the strong,” Elder Qin sighed. “Li Heng’s explanation is indeed simple, but it aligns quite well with the Great Way. Military strategy… is truly about the weak becoming strong, not the weak overcoming the strong. If one clearly distinguishes between the two, then that is…”

When a matter is presented, how one perceives its underlying principles might be of little use to an ordinary person. But for individuals like Qin Siyuan and Kang Xian, its significance is different. While Elder Qin pondered deeply, Kang Xian gently shook his head.

“Such a perspective is too clear-headed. Li Heng values the study of the principles of things, which sets him apart from others. To achieve such an insight is indeed thought-provoking. But have you ever considered what humanity is in such calculations? Or even human nature, worldly affairs, and these many other factors…”

Qin Siyuan was pragmatic, yet he also clearly understood human nature and social etiquette. Perhaps some past events weighed on him, as he showed a hint of emotion upon hearing Ning Yi’s words. Kang Xian, on the other hand, valued human relationships even more than Qin Siyuan, and these were the first things he perceived. After Kang Xian spoke, Ning Yi glanced at the chessboard, smiled, and shook his head, offering no reply.

In his past life, Ning Yi’s actions were guided by a modern analytical framework, where all things and events were treated as data points or chess pieces, and luck and accidents were simply probabilities. Beyond a certain point, the concept of a "miraculous strategy" ceased to exist for him; it was merely a distinction between having a big appetite, a bigger appetite, and an excessively big appetite. But things were different now. The *I Ching* stated, "As Heaven maintains vigor through movement, a gentleman should unceasingly strive for self-improvement." Confucianism was an extremely moderate, conservative, and rigorous discipline, yet a certain aspect of it offered an extreme upward hope, demanding the utmost affirmation of one's cultivation and effort, affirming individual meaning, and affirming the principle of "if I examine myself and find no fault, then though thousands oppose me, I will go forth." The reasons for this were complex, but to some extent, this might be why Confucianism curbed the study of natural science and diverged further from the rigorous, cold logical system of the West, with its "because, therefore."

The conversation could not delve any deeper at this point, and subsequently shifted to mundane matters. Ning Yi casually inquired about Song Xian, the captain of the Wulie Army. To the curiosity of Elder Qin and Elder Kang, Ning Yi frankly admitted it was due to the Lantern Festival incident. Kang Xian then laughed, “Haha, ‘I sought her in the crowd a thousand times, I sought her in the crowd a thousand times.’ I originally thought Li Heng used this phrase to express his aspirations, but I never imagined there really was a ‘sought her in the crowd a thousand times’! I wonder what people would say if they knew… But Li Heng, you’re actually interested in the ways of martial artists and wandering heroes? That’s not good. The best they can be is a match for ten men, or a hundred. You’d be better off with your earlier idea – even though it has some flaws, if you develop it, you could become a scholar-general, someone who can command thousands. Oh, Gui, come here.”

Though he said this, he still called in his attendant named Ah Gui. While the man’s name sounded common, his status was likely not low; he was merely respectful in Kang Xian’s presence. Ning Yi knew his full name was Lu Ah Gui. Kang Xian then asked about the assassination attempt on Song Xian, and the man thought for a moment.

“I don’t know much about Song Xian himself, but if Young Master Ning is interested in martial arts, it is said he indeed possesses profound martial skill. Ordinary folk numbering over ten cannot approach him. In the Wulie Army, he is highly valued and currently commands the most elite personal guard battalion. However… his personal conduct is not well-regarded. It is said he is arrogant and vindictive, having come from the underworld in his early years, and to gain fame, he reportedly killed many former companions. Young Master Ning, while interested in martial arts, if you are not well acquainted with him, I advise you to try and avoid him. After all, such skills on the *jianghu* are fraught with taboos.”

“Then… Brother Lu, do you know if there are many people with such profound martial arts in the *jianghu*?”

“By ‘profound martial arts,’ Young Master Ning refers to internal energy that can truly fell trees and shatter stones. Such people are exceedingly rare. At this time, various military camps might have a few, and some bandit armies might also have such strong individuals. As for the assassin who attacked Song Xian that day, though I did not see them, I heard what happened. This person missed on the first strike, then went on a killing spree in Flying Swallow Pavilion, injuring over ten people, including Song Xian, before leaving. The injuries were still not severe. Song Xian himself is a master, so this person is already a top-tier expert in the *jianghu*. But even so, I cannot guess their identity.”

He paused. He had met Ning Yi many times and sometimes exchanged a few words, holding him in good regard. He cupped his fist and said, “Actually… forgive my frankness, but profound internal energy mostly only works if practiced from a young age. And setting aside whether Young Master Ning can find such a person, even if you could, it would be useless now. Moreover… even if it were useful, the truly miraculous aspect of martial arts is not internal energy. A powerful set of boxing techniques, even if practiced for decades with astonishing talent, would still be useless when developed. Such skills require constant refinement in combat and killing. When an opponent attacks, your response must be instinctive, without needing to think, only then is it useful. And then, what’s important is speed, ferocity, and precision, along with an aura of murderous intent and vitality. Internal energy is merely a method of exerting power. If one only practices these, they still cannot defeat a veteran who has experienced real battlefield combat. Young Master Ning is a man of great talent; in the future, whether as an official or a general, you will command thousands. Why pursue trivial matters when you have such potential?”

No matter how romantically martial arts novels depicted it, in reality, who would genuinely yearn for a life where they didn't know if tomorrow would come? Most people still held the ambition of acquiring literary or martial skills to serve the emperor. Lu Ah Gui, having followed Kang Xian for a long time, likely also felt that Ning Yi was extraordinary and that wasting time on martial arts was a pity. His meaning was simple: you're a scholar; you don't even have opportunities to fight, no environment to truly master martial arts, so practicing it is as good as not practicing it. Ning Yi knew his words were sincere and quickly thanked him.

After chatting for a while longer, Ning Yi excused himself. The afternoon sun was pleasant, and the spring scenery along the Qinhuai River was delightful. He walked along the riverbank for a bit, still pondering martial arts. As he neared the small building where Nie Yunzhu lived, he saw a black plume of smoke rising from that side of the river bend, looking almost like a fire.

He hurried over. When he reached the front of the small building, he saw thick smoke billowing from the kitchen. A figure was engulfed in the smoke, flailing, fanning, coughing, appearing and disappearing, and then finally rushed out of the room.

It was a disheveled Nie Yunzhu, her face streaked with black from the smoke. Even in the cool spring, her head was dripping with sweat. She held a large palm-leaf fan and stood on the corridor, glumly looking back at the smoke-filled kitchen, likely still wondering how to re-enter. When she turned her head, she saw Ning Yi on the path ahead and paused, slightly surprised.

Ning Yi couldn’t help but laugh, and then Nie Yunzhu also chuckled, awkwardly wiping her cheek with the back of her hand, leaving a more pronounced black-grey smudge in the sweat.

Her smile held a touch of shyness, but for some reason, combined with the black smudges on her face, it only made her appear more pure and delicate…

(End of text. Please continue writing. There's another chapter in the morning. Please be active!)