Chapter 14: A Game of Life and Death – Promotion and Fortune!!

Zhu Qing gripped the mattress beneath her, trying to convince herself it was just a dream, lest she scare herself and alert Feng Huaihe.

She took a half breath, trying to make her smile look less guilty: "Men and women are different. Is it inappropriate for me to look like this?"

"Oh," Feng Huaihe seemed to suddenly realize, "I was too anxious and overlooked it."

With a hint of apology, Feng Huaihe turned his back and examined the golden lotus pattern on the screen in front of him. What came to mind was the image of Zhu Qing sitting on the couch just now.

Her black hair was disheveled, and her sleepy eyes still held the panic of a nightmare, as if she had been frightened to tears by a nightmare. Her almond-shaped eyes were watery and misty.

It's incredibly lively.

It made him want to touch it with his finger to see if it was as glistening as morning dew.

She is only sixteen years old now, the most beautiful age, and every frown and movement is as full of vitality as spring.

During the Battle of Luzhou that year, she was already over thirty years old. Although she no longer possessed the youthful vivacity and elegance of her youth, she had the composed charm of someone in their thirties.

When Feng Huaihe first saw her, he knew perfectly well that she and Zhang Yin must be very much in love and that they were living happily together, because there was no weariness in Zhang Yin's eyes from the chaos of the world.

Zhu Qing and Zhang Yin were mutually devoted, loving and nurturing each other.

Unlike him.

"You just said you were in a hurry, what are you in a hurry for?" Zhu Qing suddenly asked from behind.

Feng Huaihe snapped out of his reverie and saw that Zhu Qing was already dressed and walking towards the door. She brushed past him, leaving only a faint fragrance in her wake.

Feng Huaihe caught up with her, "It's Tian Lingzi."

Zhu Qing stopped in her tracks, standing on the veranda and turning back in alarm: "He's here so quickly?"

Weren't you supposed to be busy with Huang Chao's affairs? The deadline we agreed on last night was two days!

Feng Huaihe calmly gave a soft "hmm": "Finish up and come with me."

Zhu Qing immediately lost all interest in Feng Huaihe's dark room and nightmares. She didn't even dare to keep Tian Lingzi waiting. She took a basin of water from the water vat, splashed it on her face a few times, and that was it.

Afterwards, she casually tidied her hair in front of her reflection in the basin and hurried to the secretary's office.

Throughout the journey, Zhu Qing felt tense, uncomfortable, anxious, and afraid.

Fear of Tian Lingzi.

This person had only appeared in her books and exercises before; she would circle and mark them with a red pen, and that was how she lived out the glorious but treacherous life of this great eunuch.

This person, who was once so distant, now stands alive before her, holding the reins of her life.

As Zhu Qingyan watched the secretary's office getting closer and closer, his face became more and more furrowed.

When Zhu Qing actually stepped into the secretary's office, her legs began to tremble and her palms were covered in cold sweat.

She clenched her fists, her eyes darting around, and saw that in the half-sized secretary's office, Tian Jiuzhu, Bao Fu, and Hua Ning, who was lying on a sickbed with an injured leg, were kneeling in the middle.

As soon as Zhu Qing arrived, the three of them turned to look at him, their eyes filled with deep sympathy.

Zhu Qing avoided their gaze.

The atmosphere inside the room was tense. The Shence Army soldiers stood in rows on both sides, each with a serious expression and a fierce look in their eyes.

Zhu Qing felt immense pressure, as if a thousand-pound mountain was pressing down on her head.

Feng Huaihe walked past her, slowly walked to her office, and sat down.

At the highest point, on the general's seat, Tian Lingzi sat casually, looking at Zhu Qing with a forced smile.

He asked, "Was it you who said last night that you had a way to catch the spies and obtain the superstition?"

His voice carried the authority of someone in a high position, yet was also warm and deep, unlike the shrill voice portrayed in TV dramas.

How could someone who could soothe the heart of Emperor Xizong of Tang, who was unloved by his father and mother, not have a sense of warmth and kindness?

But Zhu Qing was not fooled by his gentle appearance. She forced herself to stay clear-headed. The person sitting in front of her was Tian Lingzi, who not only controlled the Tang court but also held Emperor Xizong's life in his hands.

Zhu Qing was so nervous that she started to scratch her toes. Feng Huaihe had promised to help beforehand, but the two of them hadn't had a chance to talk to each other yet. What should she say now?

While pondering, Tian Lingzi urged, "Why aren't you saying anything?"

Although her voice was gentle and mild, Zhu Qing still couldn't ignore the ruthlessness within it.

She couldn't help but look up at him.

Tian Lingzi wore a three-tiered crown adorned with a gold hairpin, a purple silk robe, and a jade belt. In the not-so-bright secretary's room, the six-ring pattern woven with interlaced gold thread on the cuffs of his sleeves shimmered faintly, exuding unparalleled nobility.

As expected of the person who now dominates the court, if we ignore what he did in history, he is truly extraordinary!

Perhaps due to the busy military affairs, Tian Lingzi needed to leave manpower in the capital. He did not bring any other eunuchs, but only a dozen or so strong Shence soldiers, who were clearly there to take lives.

After all, the killing intent emanating from him was no joke!

Tian Lingzi suddenly looked over.

A pair of extremely sharp, narrow eyes, like a knife cutting through, seemed to be able to precisely uncover all of Zhu Qing's secrets.

Zhu Qingdong immediately knelt down!

“I did say that last night. The letter…the letter is in my hands; I intercepted it.”

Zhu Qing remained relatively calm; the words of her sophistry were clearly on the tip of her tongue, but she simply couldn't stop trembling.

“That day, the clerk asked me to deliver a letter. As I was about to leave, I noticed someone lurking around and watching me suspiciously. I was worried that this person had ulterior motives, so I took the opportunity to switch the letter. Sure enough, your letter disappeared afterward! I was afraid that the person would find out that I had stolen a fake letter and come after me. I was afraid of dying, so I kept quiet!”

Zhu Qing made up a story and kowtowed several times to Tian Lingzi. Anyway, this person was over a thousand years old to her, so kowtowing wouldn't hurt!

I just hope Feng Huaihe can keep up with my ability to make things up, otherwise he'll definitely be exposed!

"Please spare me, please spare me!" Zhu Qing kowtowed, not daring to lift her head, her forehead pressed against the cold ground.

Tian Lingzi narrowed her eyes, watching Zhu Qing kowtow repeatedly without stopping, and pondered, "You mean, you still have the real letter in your hand? Where is it?"

"In my quarters!"

Tian Lingzi hesitated for a moment, glanced at the Shence Army soldiers beside him, and the soldier understood and went out the door.

A short while later, the soldier returned with the letter and presented it to Tian Lingzi with both hands.

Tian Lingzi looked at it for a while and confirmed that it was indeed his letter. He then looked at Zhu Qing and asked, "Who is that sneaky person?"

Zhu Qing's head was still pressed against the ground, so her expression couldn't be seen, and it was impossible to tell whether she was distracted. Tian Lingzi said impatiently, "Raise your head and speak."

Zhu Qing looked up obediently, "Yes..."

She glanced at the people in the room; they were all innocent, and she couldn't implicate anyone. As for the judge's side, she didn't recognize many of them.

As Zhu Qingzheng hesitated, he remembered the official whose neck had been chopped off by the Shence Army the previous night.

I'm sorry, I'll burn paper money to apologize later. Zhu Qing thought to himself, "She was an official, but I don't know her. However, I remember her face. She passed away last night."

Tian Lingzi suddenly laughed.

Zhu Qing was stunned and stared at him blankly.

What are you laughing at?

Did he believe her, or...? Zhu Qing looked at him cautiously, while Tian Lingzi smiled and squinted: "You did a good job, preventing the real letter from leaking out and falling into Huang Chao's hands."

Does this mean... he believes her?

Zhu Qing's tense scalp finally relaxed slightly. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief, and her clenched fingers loosened, only to realize that she had been too nervous and had pinched her palms so hard that they were red and burning.

She quietly rubbed her palms, thinking that it was finally over—

Snap!

Suddenly a teacup flew over and hit her on the forehead with a thud.

Caught off guard, Zhu Qing cried out in pain, "What is this?!"

Her relaxed scalp tightened suddenly, and she looked on in alarm to see Tian Lingzi glaring angrily, as if he were a balloon that would have burst. He abruptly rose from his general's seat and strode towards Zhu Qing with lightning speed.

As he walked, he gritted his teeth and said, "You appear panicked on the surface, even struggling to speak properly, but in reality, your eyes show no sign of panic at all. They're as calm as the horse I used to own! No matter how I brushed its fur, fed it, or gave it water, it would just stare at me with those big eyes, as if mocking me!"

When Tian Lingzi reached Zhu Qing, she grabbed her by the collar and lifted her up, staring into her eyes with hatred, and said, "What I hate most is eyes like yours, those lifeless, emotionless eyes! Are you mocking me for being stupid or idiotic? You think I'd believe you after just a few words?"

Tian Lingzi's face was contorted, like something out of a horror movie. Zhu Qing was suddenly grabbed by him, and looking at his hideous face so close to her eyes, she trembled uncontrollably, her eyes filled with tears of fear.

"I...I...I..."

"Gouge out her eyes!" Tian Lingzi shoved her away and ordered coldly.

Zhu Qing was thrown to the ground, her internal organs felt like they were about to rupture. She clutched her chest, her face deathly pale.

She saw Tian Jiuzhu standing to the side with a blank expression, while Feng Huaihe, like her, sat calmly and upright, as immovable as a mountain.

However, the hand he placed under the table had its fingers digging deeply into the wooden table, with nails so hard they were almost turned upside down.

A suppressed sob reached my ears.

Zhu Qing looked over and saw that Hua Ning was crying. Immediately, two Shence soldiers came up. One pressed down on the back of Zhu Qing's neck, while the other bent two fingers and poked them into her eyes.

"Wait, wait, wait! Let's talk this out!" Zhu Qing shouted. "If you don't believe me, I can argue... I can explain. Spare my life, sir! Don't worry about the misunderstandings getting out of hand!"

Tian Lingzi ignored her words, remaining silent and looking down at her.

Zhu Qing had to strain her neck to see him, but his eyes were menacing, and his aloof demeanor was like a mountain pressing down on her, or a demon demanding her life.

At that moment, she suddenly understood deeply how oppressive and exhilarating power can be; with just a command, there is nothing it cannot do.

As Zhu Qing watched the soldier's fingers magnify before her eyes, before they even reached her, she already felt a pain in her eyeballs, as if they were being ripped from her body. Unable to hold back, she felt a phantom pain and tears welled up in her eyes.

She closed her eyes in fright, her eyes trembling with tears.

"Would the lieutenant be willing to listen to me?"

Feng Huaihe, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up.

The voice was gentle, soft as willow catkins, light and airy, yet it instantly silenced the chaotic recording room.

Zhu Qing opened her eyes and watched as the soldier, whose fingers were about to touch her eyelashes, slowly moved away.

She let out a deep breath and looked expectantly at Tian Lingzi.

Tian Lingzi sat back in the general's seat and said coldly, "This matter arose because of your mismanagement. Do I need to hear what you have to say?"

Feng Huaihe lowered his eyes, not refuting the responsibility, but said, "Since the lieutenant said that this secretary appears flustered on the surface but has clear and calm eyes, why not recruit her? Her outward appearance and demeanor make her most suitable as a spy. With Huang Chao's army pressing in, there is no way to resolve the situation. If she can find out the enemy's military situation, it will be beneficial to the subsequent battles."

Upon hearing this, Tian Lingzi began to ponder carefully.

That's one way. It's impossible to force Huang Chao to retreat now; we can only outsmart him.

But Huang Chao's soldiers were all brave and fierce, while this secretary looked weak and frail. What could she possibly do? She also smelled of medicine and seemed like a walking pharmacy. She might as well have been blown over by the wind.

Feng Huaihe, observing Tian Lingzi's expression, said, "Lieutenant, don't forget, she is a strategist. It's just that here, she is the lowest rank, just one of the many strategists. But if we can create momentum for her, she can become one of Huang Chao's most outstanding strategists."

Feng Huaihe stopped short of making a point, and before others could understand what he meant, Tian Lingzi had already figured it out.

This means that since they couldn't defeat Huang Chao militarily, they launched a counterattack from within.

By portraying Zhu Qing as a high-ranking strategist and gaining Huang Chao's trust, she was confident that Huang Chao would heed her plans.

At that time, if Zhu Qing could devise more schemes to trap Huang Chao, he might be able to win and defend Chang'an.

Thinking about it this way, Tian Lingzi suddenly realized that Zhu Qing's eyes weren't so bad after all.

He scoffed, "How do you build momentum for her? You handle it."

Feng Huaihe shook his head: "This matter can only be handled by the lieutenant."

Tian Lingzi frowned: "Me?"

"Now the whole world knows that I am assisting you, and all the powerful figures of the time want me to defect. But what if you abandon me at this time and instead take Zhu Qing under your wing?"

Tian Lingzi pondered for a moment.

That is, he was telling the public that he had discovered a strategist even more capable than Feng Huaihe. He also instructed his secretaries to write numerous scathing articles, denouncing Huang Chao and claiming that he had found a strategist who could save the Tang Dynasty!

In this way, the momentum will be successfully created, and it will also serve as a deterrent to Huang Chao's army!

Tian Lingzi laughed: "Wonderful, wonderful. In that case, I'll reward her... What's your name?"

Zhu Qing hurriedly replied, "Zhu Qing!"

"I will reward Zhu Qing with jewels and silver. Seeing how sickly you look, I will also give you some rare medicinal herbs. You should also change your clothes; you don't look like a wise strategist. I've been thinking about it, and I can't let you continue as a secretary. It just so happens that the judge has been making frequent mistakes lately, so I will replace him and you will be the judge, on equal footing with Huaihe."

After Tian Lingzi finished speaking, he added, "But don't forget, you have to play your part convincingly. Once you've received the benefits, you have to act like a wise strategist. I think Taoist Jingwan does it very well; you can learn from him. Alright, things are busy in the palace. Huaihe will take care of the rest."

Upon hearing the name "Taoist Jingwan," Zhu Qing was completely bewildered. Who was this? But her sharp eyes noticed that when Feng Huaihe heard those four words, his body stiffened abruptly, as if he were undergoing a sudden stress reaction.

However, Zhu Qing didn't have time to think deeply because Hua Ning cried tears of joy and called her Judge Zhu!

Zhu Qing was stunned.

Not only did he not die in this round, but he also got promoted and made a fortune?

Get promoted and make a fortune!!