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墨書 Inktalez
Thinking about it again, it seemed impossible. Most likely, she was a scout, and the person he wanted to meet was also a scout.
But this was fine; it saved him the trouble of not knowing how to approach the commander.
Following the soldiers into the commander's tent, Zhong Xue was discussing military matters with several generals. In front of them lay a map, but it was not of Qi State or Wei Kingdom; it looked very much like the terrain of Chu.
She stole a few glances and couldn't help but feel suspicious. Was he leaving a strong force here to attack Chu?
With the Chu army gathering to build a city, the interior of Chu must be vulnerable. If he wanted to take advantage of this weakness to capture Ying City, it would be the best opportunity. In such a situation, could he really miss this great chance just to help her?
Lost in thought, she didn't even hear someone asking her a question until that person asked for the third time, and she hurriedly replied, "Yes—yes—"
A general chuckled and said, "Who sent out this scout? Not only is she not very bright, but she's also deaf."
The one who had asked was Kazama. After asking her twice without getting a response, he became annoyed and scolded, "Are you deaf?"
Just then, San Chun thought he was still asking questions and hurriedly responded twice; at this point, it would be hard for anyone not to misunderstand her as being deaf.
Kazama snorted twice; he certainly didn't think she was deaf and asked again, "Where are you from as a scout? What news have you gathered?"
"Sir, what do you mean by where?"
"Building the city."
She knew quite a bit about building the city. San Chun excitedly sniffed and described the situation in the city-building area, especially depicting how miserable the common people were. If the Chu army were to massacre the city, it would surely be a scene of carnage.
She spoke vividly as if she had never expended so much saliva in her life, but these people clearly were not moved by her description.
One general excitedly said, "Lord Jun, since things have come to this point, the time is ripe. Why not give the order to attack Chu?"
San Chun gritted her teeth; she had indeed guessed correctly. Zhong Xue was clearly holding back to gain benefits from Chu.
Feeling anxious in her heart, she pretended to wipe away tears and cried out, "Lord Jun, no! The army cannot attack Chu!"
Zhong Xue had been focused on the map when he heard such a miserable voice, and he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. After hearing her exaggerated account of the city's plight, he felt something was off. Now, she actually dared to voice a rebuttal—what kind of scout had such audacity?
He lifted his head and glanced at San Chun, startled by her extremely unattractive appearance. However, the more he looked, the more amused he became, until a broad smile appeared on his face.
He asked, "Why can't we attack the State of Chu?"
Kazama knew Lord Jun well and could tell from his expression that something was amiss. His master seemed quite interested in this scout, but he couldn't see anything appealing about her; instead, she appeared rather suspicious. This person did not seem like a scout at all—could she be a spy sent by some other state?
He wanted to speak but didn't dare to interrupt Lord Jun's curiosity, so he could only watch quietly to see what this person would say.
San Chun raised her head and poured out her thoughts that she had been mulling over, "You must think that the State of Chu is weak and vulnerable, but have you considered that Song Ren is not a fool? When he was Feng Lingjun, he was very adept at disguising himself. Is it possible that he is now pretending to have internal strife while waiting for our forces to advance deep into their territory before striking back?"
"Oh?" Zhong Xue smiled, finding this person increasingly interesting.
San Chun felt uneasy under his gaze and wasn't sure if he was actually listening to her. She could only muster her courage and continue, "You are always measured in your actions, Lord Jun. Surely you wouldn't fall for a temporary gain and end up in a trap set by deceitful people."
Zhong Xue smiled even more deeply, "Then what do you suggest we do?"
"Assist the Garrison of the City in repelling the Chu Army, and crush their main force within Yan State. We can form an alliance with Yan State to launch a pincer attack, ensuring a great victory."
Zhong Xue chuckled and suddenly shouted, "You are not a scout from the Wei Army. Who are you then?"
Kazama also shouted, "Someone! Bind her up!"
Several soldiers came over to tie up San Chun, but she showed no fear and declared loudly, "Though I am not a Wei Person, I am wholeheartedly considering the interests of the Wei Kingdom. If Lord Jun is willing to heed my words, the Wei Kingdom will surely become the hegemon."
Zhong Xue laughed lightly; this person truly understood him. He indeed wanted to be the hegemon of the Seven Kingdoms, or perhaps unify them if time allowed.
One general said, "Lord Jun, this person is highly suspicious; we should interrogate her thoroughly."
The more Zhong Xue looked at her, the more familiar she seemed. He nodded and said, "Search her."
As Kazama approached to search her, he hesitated when his hand brushed against her chest. Turning his head to see that Zhong Xue was watching his hand intently made him feel even more uneasy. Not daring to proceed himself, he called over another soldier, "You do it."
The soldier did not dare to hesitate and took out an oil paper package and a badge from her arms.
The badge belonged to the Wei Army, and the package contained a piece of cloth on which was written a letter from the Governor of Jiancheng to General Pang Wan.
Zhong Xue took it and glanced at it; the gist was that Jiancheng was under siege and troops were urgently needed.
He had just learned about Jiancheng being besieged, which was why he had called the generals for a meeting and sent several scouts to gather information. It was also because of this that San Chun was able to smoothly enter the Central Army Tent.
San Chun kept stealing glances at his expression. Seeing him finish reading the cloth, she hurriedly said, "I am indeed the envoy sent by the State of Yan to request troops."
Zhong Xue lightly snorted, "You are quite honest. But why did you not go to Jicheng and instead ended up here?"
She thought to herself that it wasn't that she didn't want to go; it was just that she had taken a wrong turn. However, she could not say that, so she changed her tone to one filled with admiration for him, saying, "One believes that besides Lord Jun, there is no one else who can break the siege of Jiancheng."
What a flattering statement! If it were someone else, they would probably be so pleased they wouldn't know their own name. But Zhong Xue was not someone else; he calmly looked at her and said, "That sounds nice, but who exactly are you?"
"I am a soldier of the Yan Army." She pointed to her waist with her mouth.
The soldier reached to touch her waist, but Zhong Xue stopped him. He personally reached into her waist and pulled out a Pig Badge, which had an image of a fat pig engraved on it—this was indeed the emblem of the Garrison of the City. It seemed she was not mistaken about being a soldier of the Yan Army; however, aside from this identity, she likely had another one. If he wanted to find out, the best way would be...
He smiled slightly and instructed someone to untie her. Then he addressed all the generals in the room: "Today's meeting ends here; you may all leave."
"Understood."
A group of people walked out. Kazama looked somewhat worried and hesitated at the door, not wanting to leave.
Zhong Xue said, "You don't need to stay here."
Kazama asked, "Does Lord Jun need anything else?"
"Bring some food in; I believe this brother must be very hungry."
San Chun was indeed hungry. She had rushed here without taking time to eat anything along the way, and now she was extremely famished.
Before long, Kazama brought in a tray with a plate of chicken, a plate of beef, and a jug of wine.
Zhong Xue sat down, eating the meat and drinking the wine, but he showed no intention of inviting her to join him.
San Chun helplessly rubbed his nose; was this really considered offering her food? It was clearly just eating in front of her.
He wanted to sit across from him, pick up a chicken leg, and gnaw on it vigorously, as if he were chewing on his bones. However, if she really went over, it would mean revealing her identity, because a soldier from the Yan Army would never dare to be disrespectful in front of a Lord Jun from another country. Especially since this person was the renowned Chengyang Jun.
Zhong Xue ate a few pieces of meat and drank several cups of wine before wiping his hands with an exceptionally white napkin. He glanced at San Chun, who was standing aside with his head down pretending to be obedient, and a hint of a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. "Aren't you coming over to eat?"
"Yes." She almost cheered as she ran over. If he hadn't called her, she feared she wouldn't be able to resist throwing herself at him.
She picked up a chicken leg and began to chew vigorously; before long, both the plate of beef and the plate of chicken were nearly empty.
Zhong Xue chuckled lightly. "If you've been hungry for too long, don't eat so much at once."
She paused for a moment. "What did you say?"
"Have some water." He poured her a cup of tea instead of wine.
She felt somewhat choked and wanted to drink but thought it inappropriate. After burping, she said, "How can one dare to let Lord Jun serve himself?"
"Enough, stop pretending." He suddenly said.
San Chun also felt tired of pretending. She had initially thought that with her ability to bring the dead back to life, make iron men shed tears, and have two scarecrows fall in love and even give birth to twins, she could surely win him over as long as he didn't recognize her. As long as he didn't recognize her, it wouldn't count as meeting him, and she wouldn't go against her vow never to see him again in this lifetime. But clearly, he was more perceptive than she had imagined.
After taking several gulps from the tea he poured for her, she no longer felt so choked. She asked him, "When did you recognize me?"
"After you came in."
San Chun was surprised. "That quickly?"
He smiled slightly. "Do you remember what I once said? When you love someone, you can feel their voice, every breath they take, every step they make, even the sound of their clothes swaying when they walk. Especially when it comes to feelings; if you feel it's you, then it is you. Even if you dressed a hundred times uglier than now, those who can recognize you will still recognize you."
He conducted an experiment, asking people to search for her identity. He indeed felt a sense of discomfort in his heart, which further confirmed that she was San Chun.
In the past, she had disguised herself multiple times. The reason he didn't recognize her at first was that he wasn't familiar with her body yet. But now, he was more than familiar and would never mistake her again.
"Remember, from now on, no matter when or where, do not lie to me. Otherwise, I will teach you what punishment means," he said, tapping the tip of his chopsticks on her nose.
San Chun was taken aback, recalling how she had deceived him before. Faced with the undeniable truth, any argument seemed pale and powerless. At this moment, there was no other way but to remain unchanged amidst all changes.
She composed herself and said, "I have always been who I am since I arrived."
He raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
She nodded and replied, "Yes, I have always been; you just remembered it wrong."
He smiled subtly without showing any emotion. "You've even learned to play tricks; very good."
San Chun straightened her chest and said fearlessly, "If I'm playing tricks, then show me the evidence."
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