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墨書 Inktalez
"Miss, if you leave, what will I do?"
San Chun thought for a moment and said, "Come with me. You can't go back to Ji Yan now, so just follow me. I will be your sister, and as long as I have food, I will never let you go hungry."
Sister? Winter Bamboo Shoot felt a mix of emotions. Since her parents passed away and she was sold around by others, she had never experienced warmth. Although Ji Yan had raised her, it was merely to make her work for him; there were many like her in the household. She had completed numerous missions, killed many people, and monitored several others. But this was the first time she was sent to a woman.
After spending more than half a year with San Chun, during those quiet days together, she gradually forgot what she had come for. Buying groceries, cooking, and tidying up the house brought her an unprecedented sense of peace. San Chun treated her very well, and it was precisely because of this kindness that she developed feelings for her, to the point where she didn't want to deceive her.
Ji Yan only instructed her to monitor San Chun. He knew that she had connections with Ji Xun and Zhong Xue; as long as he kept an eye on her, he could use her later. He only wanted surveillance and did not prevent her from helping San Chun, which gave her the courage to reveal Ji Xun's matters.
San Chun also guessed Ji Yan's intentions; since he dared to conspire with Zhong Xue, his ambitions must be significant. In such chaotic times, with so many ambitious individuals emerging, it was no wonder that the common people were suffering. Perhaps Dong Cheng was right; there was indeed a need for someone to step forward and end this chaos. And that person was most likely Zhong Xue.
This man possessed the qualities of a ruler: cunning, strategic thinking, ruthless, and deep-minded... At times he appeared noble and at other times treacherous; when charming, he could be utterly captivating, but when brutal, it could lead to bloodshed. One could not take his words at face value. If such a person did not ascend to the highest position to wreak havoc on the common people, it seemed unreasonable.
Winter Bamboo Shoot asked what she was thinking about. San Chun smiled and replied, "I was wondering who will be the next ruler."
Winter Bamboo Shoot was curious. "Isn't it supposed to be the Seven Kingdoms? How could it belong to one person?"
"Who do you think that person might be if it were to become someone's?"
"Of course it's Zhao Country Prince Ji Yan; he is the most capable person. He has been plotting for the throne for a long time and will naturally become the leader in the future." Suddenly realizing she had spoken too much, she fell silent.
San Chun's heart stirred; she suddenly thought that perhaps Ji Yan's deep schemes included sending assassins after Ji Xun back then. It was unfortunate that Ji Xun always regarded him as his best brother; it seemed he had truly misjudged him.
On their way to Chu Country, the two chatted casually and thus did not feel lonely. From Winter Bamboo Shoot's words, San Chun learned some things about Ji Yan that could potentially be useful for rescue efforts. Perhaps Zhong Xue would also be interested in this information.
She didn't know if Zhong Xue would help her, but he was her only hope. She really hoped that Lord Jun wouldn't be too angry, or else he might skin her alive.
...
Zhong Xue was indeed angry. Because of his anger, he fought fiercely in several hard battles, as if he wanted to unleash all his fury on the battlefield.
Due to his rage, this war was extremely brutal. A city that would normally take two to three months to conquer was taken by him in less than a month. After capturing Yancheng, he led his troops to conquer several cities and finally reached the capital of the Chu Kingdom, Ying City.
Sitting on his horse and looking at this once prosperous city of the Seven Kingdoms, he felt an overwhelming sense of emotion. He remembered how anxious he had been when he first entered through these gates, unsure of his future and how long he would live. Back then, having Yan Dan by his side had eased his nervousness considerably. And now, this city that had stood for a hundred years was about to belong to him.
As the saying goes, the world is ever-changing; a few years ago, he would never have imagined that he would be surrounding this place.
Dong Cheng rode forward a few steps and smiled, "Lord Jun, you won't turn back before reaching the capital this time, will you?"
"No," Zhong Xue sneered. "I have an irreconcilable feud with the Chu Kingdom; I will not spare a single blade of grass here."
A complete extermination? Such great resentment. Dong Cheng sighed; perhaps he could guess where Lord Jun's anger came from. Hearing that his newly married wife had run off with someone else, it was no wonder he was so filled with rage, adding a sourness to the air.
He coughed lightly, intending not to provoke him further, but as a strategist, he had to ask: "When does Lord Jun plan to attack the city?"
"Tonight."
Suddenly, the atmosphere grew even heavier with resentment, as if a wind had swept through, making the back of his neck feel cold.
Dong Cheng hurriedly urged his horse away; let him vent his anger on someone else—he didn't want to be anyone's target.
Three Armies After setting up camp, Dong Cheng immediately sent someone to deliver a message to King Chu Song Ren, urging him to surrender and come out of the city. Song Ren did not expect the Wei Army to arrive so quickly. However, he had worked hard for so long to obtain this throne; how could he possibly give it up after just sitting on it for a short time? Moreover, once the city fell, he would become a king without a country.
He resolutely refused to surrender and even killed the messenger who urged him to capitulate, hanging the body on the city wall.
This infuriated Zhong Xue, who immediately ordered an assault on the city.
Song Ren was determined to fight to the death. The citizens of the city did not want to be subjects of a fallen nation; united as one, they managed to fend off three fierce attacks.
Zhong Xue, filled with anger and nowhere to vent it, paced around the main tent for about ten rounds until his mood gradually calmed down. He realized that he had been too hasty; such a strong assault would not resolve the situation quickly and instead led to heavy losses for the Wei Army. Inflicting a thousand casualties on the enemy while suffering eight hundred losses himself was a strategy that was ultimately meaningless.
Just as he was discussing what to do with Dong Cheng, a soldier entered and reported that there were two women outside seeking an audience.
Zhong Xue frowned. "Do not let them in."
The soldier replied, "But those women have urgent matters to discuss."
"Do not let them in."
"Understood." The soldier turned and left to relay the message.
Dong Cheng was surprised. "Doesn't Lord Jun want to know who they are?"
He snorted lightly. "I already know."
"Then why not see them?"
"Just because I know, I won't see." He was afraid he would get distracted and couldn't help but feel anger, wanting to choke her, especially not wanting to hear the words that came out of her mouth. That would be like stabbing a sharp sword into his heart.
After thinking for a moment, he said to Dong Cheng, "Go outside and tell that person that if they want to see me, they should wait until we conquer Ying City. If I sit on the Chu Kingdom Royal Court, then even major matters can be discussed."
Dong Cheng was about to go out to see who had such great power to make his Lord Jun so unsettled. Upon hearing this, he quickly agreed and happily left.
Once outside the tent, he saw a woman standing there with a slightly worried expression. He couldn't help but widen his eyes; it was truly a pity that such a beautiful woman was not being seen by Lord Jun.
As he walked a few steps closer, the woman appeared even more beautiful up close. Her eyes held a faint sadness, her face was delicate and lovely, and her dark eyes were as clear as a stream.
"This young lady..." He had just begun to speak when the woman interrupted, "Dong Junshi, it's you."
Dong Cheng touched his nose, feeling quite famous; otherwise, how would this lady know him?
He asked, "You are..."
Before he could finish his question, she asked, "Lord Jun?"
He sighed; how could she not let him finish his words? It seemed she was completely captivated by Zhong Xue, and he thought there was no chance for him to pursue her.
"Lord Jun cannot meet you. If you want to see him, wait until we conquer Ying City. If he can sit on the Chu Kingdom Royal Court, then even major matters can be discussed."
"Thank you."
The woman bowed slightly and then walked away.
Dong Cheng called out from behind, "Hey..."
San Chun completely ignored him. He felt a pang of sorrow for being overlooked and rubbed his chin, wondering who this Girl was. She looked somewhat familiar.
After walking a distance, Winter Bamboo Shoot asked, "Miss, what are we going to do?"
"Let's return to the military camp."
"What are we going back to the military camp for?"
"To earn merit and atone for my sins."
Winter Bamboo Shoot was puzzled, "What sins do you need to atone for?"
What sins could there be? To atone for her sneaking away, to atone for her trip to Handan to secretly meet another man, and then seek leniency. Zhong Xue must be furious not seeing her. But this way, once he calmed down, it would be fine; if he treated it as if nothing happened, that would be the real cause for concern—like a thunderstorm about to break.
She already had matters to attend to; she needed to earn some merit before they attacked Ying City to help ease his anger.
Disguising herself back into that ugly appearance, she returned to the Yan Kingdom military camp. During this time, the Yan Kingdom had not engaged in battle and had been trailing behind Wei Kingdom, leaving the soldiers in the camp so idle they were almost getting lice.
Pang Wan was still being held in the Wei Army camp. When San Chun returned to the military camp and saw the Vice Commander, the Vice Commander was surprised to see her. "Why are you back?"
"What do you mean, sir?"
"Chengyang Jun sent word that you will not be returning anymore."
San Chun knew that this was probably Zhong Xue not wanting her to return, which was why things were like this.
She smiled, "I helped Lord Jun with a few matters and then came back."
Upon returning to her residence, she inquired about the news from the military and learned that Pang Wan was still being held by Zhong Xue. Because of this, the Yan Army had not dared to make any moves or return to the Yan Kingdom.
After all, it was a joint agreement between the two nations to attack the Chu Kingdom, and Yan wanted to gain some benefits from it. The king had sent orders that they must capture Ying City.
Upon hearing this news, San Chun immediately advised the Vice Commander that she had a way to breach Ying City and could even seize it before the Wei Army.
The Vice Commander was initially skeptical, but now he could only maintain this precarious situation, hoping someone would take this hot potato off his hands. With the General being detained and the Yan Army achieving no success, returning to the capital would only bring punishment. It would be better to distance himself from it all and wait until they returned to the capital, where he could blame everything on San Chun, claiming she conspired with Zhong Xue to imprison Pang Wan.
He thought he had a good plan but merely shook his head in resignation when asked about it, appearing as if he were being held hostage.
San Chun didn't have time to consider his thoughts. She had been observing the movements of the Chu Army for several days. Zhong Xue had launched a strong attack once, but after days of exhaustion, the Wei Army could not break in. Zhong Xue was also anxious and held urgent discussions with the generals overnight on how to breach the city.
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