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墨書 Inktalez
Qi was in a critical situation and did not want to complicate matters further. Feng Cheng was the person who understood the situation in Jian City the best, so he could not kill him at this time. He ordered some food to be prepared for Feng Cheng and waited in the tent, eating while asking about the situation in Jian City.
Feng Cheng explained in detail that the remaining guards in Jian City were still inside, and Chengyang Jun did not seem to have any intention of exterminating them; those soldiers were being held captive.
Qi was also puzzled by what Chengyang Jun was up to. Despite the fall of Jian City, he had not ordered a massacre but instead issued a proclamation to pacify the people, which was quite inconsistent with the Wei Army's usual iron-fisted behavior. However, it seemed that the Wei Army had recently changed its approach and no longer used brutal methods for suppression. When they captured several cities in Qi State, there had been no instances of massacres.
After discussing with Pang Wan, Pang Wan believed that negotiations were still necessary. Confronting Chengyang Jun would not be a good idea; only by understanding what he wanted could they figure out how to respond.
Qi agreed and sent Feng Cheng back into Jian City as an envoy from Yan State to negotiate with Chengyang Jun.
Feng Cheng accepted the order, but as soon as he stepped out of the tent, he was stopped by someone. San Chun immediately smiled upon seeing him, but her smile was so unattractive that it startled him.
Feng Cheng took a moment to steady his heartbeat and asked, "What are you doing here?"
San Chun replied, "Did you think I was dead?"
Feng Cheng sighed, "None of the messengers returned alive."
He had sent out eight people, and the Second Chu Army had left seven corpses at the city gate, their deaths gruesome. He had assumed San Chun was among the dead.
San Chun said, "I have a strong fate; I managed to escape. Otherwise, you wouldn't see me here today."
Feng Cheng nodded, surprised that she had brought reinforcements, but unfortunately, they had arrived too late.
"I have urgent matters to attend to; we can drink and talk later," he said as he tried to leave, but San Chun refused to let him go.
He frowned and asked, "What do you want?"
"Are you going to the city to build it? Can you take me with you?"
Feng Cheng was taken aback. "Do you have something to do?"
"Yes, there is someone in the city I want to meet, so I hope you can grant my request."
Feng Cheng thought about it and agreed with a nod.
Once they entered the city, San Chun went to see Young Master Rong, while Feng Cheng brought two warriors to pay respects to Chengyang Jun.
Zhong Xue was indeed courteous to the Yan Kingdom, hosting a grand banquet at the Prefectural Office to welcome this former master.
Sitting in his own home, Feng Cheng felt quite uncomfortable. However, having learned from his previous lesson, he dared not speak carelessly and only conveyed Yan Wang's intentions.
"The king hopes to have a good talk with Lord Jun. I just want to know Lord Jun's conditions for returning the city."
Zhong Xue smiled and said, "It's nothing much. As long as the Yan Kingdom is willing to cede the vital road leading to the Seven Kingdoms to Wei Kingdom, Wei Kingdom's people can conduct business through Yan Kingdom, and Wei Kingdom's army can pass through at any time. Then giving you the city would not be a problem."
Feng Cheng sneered, "Lord Jun is being unreasonable." If it were done this way, Yan Kingdom would become the gateway for Wei Kingdom. I could enter your home whenever I wanted, while you could enter mine at any time; there is nothing more unreasonable than that. Yan Kingdom would lose all credibility and gain no protection. Just imagine, if an outsider continuously passed through your home while you were having dinner or being intimate with your wife, how would you feel about being watched?
Though this statement was crude, it held a truth: one cannot allow others to sleep soundly beside their own bed.
Zhong Xue did not rush him for an answer but merely smiled and said, "You can think it over or go back and ask Yan Wang. Anyway, this Lord has plenty of time and is not afraid of dragging this out with you. However, let me make one thing clear: if the city remains in Wei Kingdom's hands, Yan Kingdom will always face crises."
Feng Cheng naturally understood that he was serious and sneered, "This matter is beyond my authority; I will report back to my king."
"Please." Zhong Xue gestured for him to leave, having no intention of stopping him anyway.
The State of Yan is a crucial route connecting the Seven Kingdoms, with numerous paths leading in all directions. If it were used for his purposes, traveling anywhere in the future would be much easier. He had long considered this; it was certainly easier than attacking the State of Chu.
The Wei Kingdom and the State of Chu have longstanding grievances, and a conflict between the two is inevitable sooner or later. However, he preferred to delay any confrontation for now.
*
Feng Cheng was at the Prefectural Office when San Chun was already seated in the hall of Young Master Rong's residence.
She had come uninvited, and the host had yet to appear.
After waiting for a while, Young Master Rong finally walked in, leaning on a Wooden Stick. His leg injury was not too severe, and he could now walk a little on his own.
Seeing her again brought him joy, and he smiled, saying, "I hadn't heard from you in a long time; I thought you might no longer be among the living."
San Chun smiled back. "I've always had a long life."
"It seems so." He instructed someone to bring tea and got straight to the point: "You seem to always come with matters at hand; what is it this time?"
"I truly have something to ask for."
Young Master Rong sighed. "I really can't help you with your matters."
San Chun was surprised. "You know why I'm here?"
He nodded. "The city of Jiancheng has been occupied by the Wei Army. As a Yan person, you naturally want to lift the siege of Jiancheng. Others might be able to help, but as for Chengyang Jun, I must apologize for my inability."
San Chun sighed; she had known he would respond this way. After all, persuading Zhong Xue was definitely not an easy task.
Young Master Rong pondered for a moment and said, "Perhaps you can try some other methods. Being emotional is the greatest flaw of a loser. You just need to do things that will make him emotional."
San Chun looked at him, suddenly doubting whether he had seen through her identity.
She knew that Zhong Xue only cared about her, but did that mean she had to seduce him?
A man and a woman meet, and when feelings run deep, suddenly stop him, then threaten Wei Army to withdraw from the city construction. This seemed to be the best idea at the moment. However, she needed help; she couldn't accomplish this alone.
Seeing her expression of delight, Young Master Rong smiled slightly, "Can I take it that you've come up with a good idea?"
San Chun nodded, "I need someone to help."
"What do you need help with?"
"Once the plan succeeds, I need someone to escort me out of the city."
"I can't help with that either. I'm a merchant, not a soldier, and I don't have enough warriors at home to spare. If you need assistance, you might as well go to the Prefectural Office. If you happen to run into Feng Taishou, there are a thousand soldiers in the city who can back you up."
San Chun understood he had his own difficulties; after all, he was a merchant and needed to survive without offending Chengyang Jun.
She said, "You've already helped me a lot. I'll handle this myself, but... thank you anyway."
Young Master Rong poured two cups of tea and handed one to her, "Then let’s toast with tea instead of wine and wish you success."
The two exchanged smiles.
After leaving Young Master Rong's house, she immediately went to the Prefectural Office. At this time, Feng Cheng had already left. Fortunately, he was preoccupied with how to respond to the king and was reluctant to leave the city, which allowed her to stop him at the city gate.
She briefly explained her plan to him. Of course, the one who was not seducing anyone was herself; she had only found a weakness of Lord Jun that could be used to hold him hostage.
When Feng Cheng heard this, he was naturally filled with mixed feelings of surprise and joy. Solving this matter in such a way was far better than any siege or battle. If it weren't necessary, the Yan Kingdom really did not want to confront Chengyang Jun, the man known for his devilish reputation, who instilled fear in everyone.
He asked, "Who is that woman of yours? Or can we capture her to threaten Chengyang Jun?"
San Chun's face darkened immediately. Perhaps it wasn't just him; many others might have similar thoughts. Capturing Chengyang Jun's weakness and using her to threaten him seemed like a viable plan.
She replied, "This cannot be done. Chengyang Jun may be tempted, but he would never compromise for a woman."
Feng Cheng thought about it and agreed, so he did not bring it up again. He knew his ambitions were too grand and naturally could not act alongside her, so he gave her the token on him, allowing her to mobilize the guards, provided she could rescue these people.
The Garrison of the City was locked up in the military camp built for the city. Several generals were imprisoned there; Zhong Xue probably thought these people posed no threat of rebellion and merely assigned someone to watch over them without executing them or throwing them into prison. Of course, on a deeper level, Zhong Xue had no intention of staying in the city for long.
San Chun did not claim she had the ability to rescue everyone, but she could bring out a portion of them. She found a centurion leading troops and selected thirty soldiers, changing them into ordinary citizens' clothes to escape under the cover of night.
After planning and preparing for their escape, she went to Young Master Rong to change her clothes.
Initially, she wanted to buy a set of female attire at a shop, but unfortunately, at this time, Main Street was deserted, and not a single clothing store was open. With no other choice, she had to seek help from Young Master Rong.
Young Master Rong had already prepared a beautiful set of female attire. Upon seeing her, he smiled and presented it, saying, "I knew you would come for this."
She sighed and asked, "Is there anything you don't know?"
"There is," he replied with a smile. "At least I don't know who you are."
That was true; fewer than five people knew she was Yan Dan. Those who weren't particularly familiar with her would never guess that she had come back from the dead. Even she herself didn't understand why she had revived; others would be even less likely to know. At most, they might guess that she was the Daughter of Ju Rong or Ju Dan.
Young Master Rong was just joking and did not ask further. He smiled and called over two maidservants to help her with her hair.
Having spent so much time in the military camp, her hair had not been taken care of for a long time. When the maidservant tugged at it, she winced in pain.
Seeing this, Young Master Rong walked over, supporting himself on the nearby furniture, and said softly, "Let me help you with your hair."
He took hold of her long hair and gently stroked it. "Your hair is very dry; no wonder it hurts. Would you like me to give it some care?"
San Chun was surprised. "You know how to take care of hair?"
He laughed. "Not just hair, but also skin. If I have some free time, I could help you out. You've been neglecting yourself lately; your skin has become a bit dry."
San Chun touched her face and realized it also lacked moisture. The spring in the north was very dry, and being outdoors for a long time would definitely damage her skin.
But he was just a man; how could he be interested in women's things?
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