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墨書 Inktalez
"Why are you being so uncommunicative?" Sun Shi shouted, his speech slurred as if he were truly intoxicated. "Can't you just speak to His Majesty for me?"
"We all serve in the court together. How can you be so lacking in sympathy?"
For seventeen years, I have submitted memorials to the court every year. In the beginning, I sent two or three a month, but in recent years, it has gradually decreased to twice a year.
Calculating it all up, I have submitted hundreds of memorials, yet the court has never responded. Do you think I don't know why? Someone must be obstructing me.
Since the path of submitting memorials is blocked, I have no choice but to turn to you.
Sun Shi restrained his arrogance and lunged forward, grabbing the eunuch's shoulders and shaking him vigorously, nearly dislocating them. "I don't care; I have no other options left. You must help me!"
Faced with Sun Shi's unreasonable behavior, the eunuch felt a surge of fear. In his panic, he spotted a young eunuch holding an imperial edict retreating to a corner, which gave him back some confidence. "Sun Shi, how dare you! I am an envoy of His Majesty's orders. To lay hands on me is akin to slapping His Majesty's face!"
Sun Shi looked bewildered. "Did I lay hands on you? Cai is framing me; it's your own weakness that's the problem."
The eunuch was unwilling to continue entangled with this drunken man and shouted, "Sun Shi, receive the edict!"
Tsk, just when it seemed like the fun was about to begin, Sun Shi had no choice but to kneel.
The eunuch snatched the edict from the young eunuch's hands and, out of anger from witnessing the earlier scene, kicked him hard before turning to deal with Sun Shi. However, he was tripped by Qilang, who had disguised himself and was lurking nearby. The edict fell into a nearby fire where soldiers were roasting sweet potatoes.
Sun Shi sprang into action and snatched the edict from the flames, shouting hoarsely, "Cai! You have destroyed His Majesty's edict!"
The eunuch was frightened; if this crime fell on him, it would mean certain death. He screamed, "No! It wasn't me; someone tripped me!"
"Someone? Who?"
Qilang had already silently moved away.
Sun Shi pointed at a stone on the ground. "You were indeed tripped in a strange manner; it was likely that stone. But ultimately, this is still your own mistake."
Tsk, look at how your eyes dart around. Are you trying to shift all the blame onto us in front of His Majesty?
In your dreams! Although His Majesty may not see my memorials, you are aware of this place of exile's peculiarities. In emergencies, messages can be conveyed to His Majesty within half a day through special means.
However, this channel cannot be used during ordinary times. Burning an imperial edict is a grave crime; my entire family would not survive it. I would have no choice but to risk everything and use this channel to expose you as the culprit.
Cai, you cannot escape this; why don't we think of a countermeasure together?
Finally cooperating somewhat, the eunuch replied irritably, "It's not that complicated. Just pretend this incident never happened; I'll recite the contents of the edict to you."
"That won't do!" Sun Shi spread out the edict before him. "Look here; key information has been burned away. Who can verify that your recitation is correct?"
I heard from my subordinates that you came to request someone on behalf of His Majesty. Black Flame City has existed for over a hundred years without any emperor ever ordering someone released. They are all a bunch of villains; without solid proof, who would dare let anyone go?
"What do you suggest we do?"
With this turn of events, Sun Shi realized that the city lord might have some ulterior motives as he cast a furtive glance at Qilang.
At that moment, Qilang finally spoke up, "General, I have a proposal."
"Go on!"
"We should send someone to meet with this Cai person and go to the capital to see His Majesty. By using the excuse of requesting Military Pay, we can test His Majesty's intentions. If we receive a direct order from him, this person can be released."
The eunuch replied sarcastically, "I just felt like I was tripped up by someone. Sun General, what a clever plan! To request Military Pay while setting me up to achieve the goal of an audience with the emperor."
Sun Shi was furious. "I could say that you deliberately destroyed the imperial decree! Although there are villains in Black Flame City, those who have survived until now are all capable individuals."
"The court has been fighting for years; perhaps you have other masters behind you. Using this opportunity to request people from Black Flame City could allow you to smuggle capable individuals for your master’s benefit!"
"Sun Shi, you're talking nonsense!"
Yet Sun Shi was no longer angry. "Calm down; this is a reasonable suspicion. If you don't trust me, I don't trust you either. With the decree burned, none of us in this room can escape responsibility. Right now, we are all in the same boat."
"Without His Majesty's order, I dare not open the city gates to request Military Pay; that is merely incidental. We indeed need an excuse to meet His Majesty."
"How about we help each other out and get through this crisis together?"
The eunuch thought for a moment and eventually compromised. "I spent nearly a month coming from the capital. If His Majesty urgently needs someone and we miss the timing, neither of us will benefit."
"Cai, don’t worry. We’ve managed to acquire some swift horses; we can reach the capital in just five days. After receiving His Majesty's order, my people will return via Pigeon Post within two or three days with news. All in all, it should take about seven or eight days; that shouldn’t delay anything."
"If His Majesty thinks that’s too slow..."
"The gates of Black Flame City haven’t been opened in over ten years. The mechanisms have long been inactive and need maintenance and cleaning. A few days' delay should be understandable for His Majesty."
Sun Shi had considered every aspect. Under another's roof, one must bow their head; whether it was being schemed against or his own mistake, the eunuch had no choice but to cooperate. However, deep down, he silently noted Sun Shi's actions as a debt owed.
Sun Shi also noticed the hatred in the eunuch's eyes that he hadn’t managed to conceal in time. "So what if you hold a grudge? If he dies on his way back, the hidden danger will disappear."
Seeing that the eunuch agreed on the surface, Sun Shi cheerfully pulled him closer with one hand and exchanged pleasantries before handing him paper and pen. "Cai, please help us by writing down your observations from the camp and voicing our grievances."
"Observations? I haven't seen anything yet."
"Cai," Sun Shi insisted, "the Military Pay shortage is real. The horses have already been brought over; they are eager to set off. Stop dawdling! Once you finish writing, I'll take you around for a bit."
Surrounded by a circle of watchful eyes, the eunuch put pen to paper once again. He was impulsively considering returning to the capital, but he knew that Sun Shi would not let him go just yet. At this moment, he was merely a hostage.
When Sun Shi took out the letter written by the eunuch, he spotted Qi Xiaomian, disguised and riding a horse. Sun Shi recognized this kind of disguise and identified him through his eyes.
A shock ran through him, followed by joy. He hurried over and whispered, "Lord, are you planning to seize the city?"
"Don't think too much; I'm just going to take care of some matters."
But Sun Shi remained delighted. "You must be going to seize the city! Lord, you absolutely must succeed; I don't want to keep bowing and scraping to a eunuch."
"And before you seize the city, could you please retrieve that Military Pay?"
"Do you think I lack your money? Or do I need your food and clothing? That little bit of Military Pay isn't even enough for you to squander for five days."
"It's different, my lord. That should have been ours. Retrieving it would be a way to account for our past efforts."
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