Chapter 701: Fighting Chao Li (15) [Two-in-One]

Li He remained in Shen Tang's main tent.

Even though no one was around, he didn't rummage through the animal parts. Instead, he sat upright in his original spot with his eyes half-closed, seemingly dozing off to rest. In reality, he was mentally reviewing the scene with Shen Tang just now, not letting go of any detail, from their actions to their expressions.

The memory of literary figures is indeed excellent.

He meticulously reviewed each point ten times or more, going back and forth, ensuring there wasn't a single flaw before opening his eyes. His scholarly approach was to bewitch people, and he was adept at exploiting weaknesses. Combined with his silver tongue, he was a persuasive speaker who always succeeded.

"...There should be no chance of anything going wrong."

Li He is confident in his abilities and eloquence.

Next, just wait for news.

If he could persuade Shen Tang to serve King Zheng Qiao, it would be secondary to adding another achievement to his record; the most important thing would be to be able to dismantle the Dragon-Slaying Alliance from within and without. With such a great contribution, Li He could fully imagine himself being promoted and ennobled, with power, status, wealth, luxury cars, and beautiful women all within his grasp!

Thinking of this, he laughed inwardly, but remained calm on the surface.

As night fell and it was time for dinner, the night continued.

Shen Tang personally delivered food to Li He.

He stood up, flattered and surprised, and said, "How can this be?"

Shen Tang put down the food box: "How can it not be? It is already my fault for not being a proper guest and for neglecting you by letting you hide here. I would not feel at ease if someone else were to bring the food."

Li He subtly sowed discord among the Dragon-Slaying Alliance.

He feigned surprise and said, "This is, after all, Lord Shen's camp, heavily guarded. Logically, it should be the safest place, so there's no need to be so cautious. Unless... Lord Shen also has his own difficulties?"

This difficulty must originate from external factors.

Who are our neighbors now?

It's just the Dragon Slayer Alliance!

Shen Tang's expression did indeed change slightly, and Li He knew when to stop. He could speak ill of the Allied Forces, but not openly; he could only hint at it to let the parties involved figure it out themselves. Because the smarter a person is, the more confident they are in their own judgment.

Due to limited conditions in the military camp, Shen Tang's meals were not very good.

For Li He, who was used to delicacies, the coarse millet soup and wheat porridge were really hard to swallow; his delicate throat and picky tongue were protesting. He finished his meal elegantly without changing his expression, then chatted with Shen Tang for a while before the latter finished her unfinished military duties and went to another camp to continue her work as a corporate slave.

Gu Chi, acting as a human-shaped simultaneous interpreter, is forced to work overtime.

He commented, "This Li Shisong is quite cautious."

When the opportunity was presented to him, he was able to remain calm and composed.

Shen Tang was a little worried that Li He wouldn't take the bait: "He won't just obediently not search anything, will he?"

If Li Shisong doesn't search the things, how will he take the bait?

"My lord, please calm down."

If it were a scholar who had come seeking refuge in a normal place, he would naturally understand the importance of refraining from touching anything belonging to his host. However, Li He harbored ulterior motives, and it was impossible for him to completely restrain himself. Of course, being as cautious as he was, he didn't do anything foolish like rummaging through the boxes and shelves, let alone touching the books and scrolls that had already been dealt with. He simply picked up a few frequently read military books and looked at them for a while.

It's easy to get me hooked at first glance.

I added oil twice and trimmed the burnt wick five times.

When he picked up a military treatise and opened it to find a corner of a letter, Li He was startled, his brows twitched, and he sat bolt upright. He looked around to make sure no one was listening or watching before quietly taking out the letter, the sealing wax already removed.

Li He took out the two thin sheets of paper inside.

The current papermaking technology is poor, and the production capacity is low. Ordinary people simply cannot afford paper that is even suitable for writing and painting, let alone for communication. Li He opened it and read it quickly, his brows furrowing more and more, much like the frowning Psyduck No. 2.

"...You, Wei Yuanyuan..."

Li He's heart pounded like a drum. He hurriedly folded the letter and stuffed it into his robes. He then rolled up the military treatise and placed it at the bottom of the pile of books. He stacked the scrolls one by one, returning them to their original positions.

This is a letter of treason!

Ironclad evidence of Wei Shou, the garrison commander of Chaoli Pass, colluding with the enemy!

It was indeed this savage who colluded with the Dragon-Slaying Alliance to kill Jiang Ao!

This group also planned to wipe out Zheng Qiao's elite troops!

The letter didn't explicitly explain how the two sides coordinated their actions, only mentioning the exchange of information. However, this detail was enough to show that Wei Shou and Shen Tang had long been colluding. Li He's eyes darkened, and several thoughts raced through his mind. He now faced two choices: use this treasonous letter to threaten Wei Shou into working for him, or give the letter to Zheng Qiao in exchange for greater merit?

Choosing the former option, Wei Shou might become an ally, but it could also drive him to desperation and threaten one's own life, which would be undesirable. Choosing the latter option, however, eliminates Wei Shou, removing future threats and potentially gaining fame and fortune…

After much thought, the latter is more stable and advantageous for me.

Gu Chi was amazed by Li He's inner thoughts.

"This man can't stop talking about power."

Upon learning that Li He had taken the bait, Shen Tang finally felt relieved.

He said, "If Li He doesn't covet power, how can this charade continue? I just wonder how things are going with Wu Hui? Wei Shou suffered such a heavy defeat at his hands last time, I'm afraid he'll kill Wu Hui as soon as possible... Can Chu Jie stop him?"

Chu Jie said he really couldn't stop him.

It's not that he can't beat Wei Yuanyuan in a fight. In terms of strength, Chu Jie also has the spirit of a martial artist who will fight to the death, so his overall chance of winning is higher than Wei Shou's. Plus, with Chu Yao by his side, if it really came down to a real fight, it would definitely be Wei Shou who dies.

But why do we say it can't be stopped?

Because Wei Shou's attacks were trash talk attacks.

When Chu Jie covered for Chu Yao, the two of them secretly sneaked into Chaoli Pass and appeared in front of Wei Shou. Wei Shou jumped up as if he had been hit by a firecracker and started cursing Chu Yao. He cursed from head to toe and then from toe to head, making accusations without repeating himself.

As they continued their tirade, they even started insulting Chu Jie.

Pointing at his nose, she said, "Chu Wuhui, you dog! Didn't you say you and he had broken up for over twenty years? How come you're still with him? So you two are even wearing the same pair of trousers? You were just lying to me before, weren't you?"

Chu Jie: "???"

etc--

Chu Jie, standing behind the background screen, couldn't help but ask a question.

"When did I ever wear the same loincloth as Wu Hui?"

Even if a family is poor, they shouldn't be unable to afford two pairs of trousers.

Wei Shou said, "You two have a good relationship!"

Chu Jie: "A good relationship is like being in cahoots."

Wei Shou, furious, retorted, "What's the difference?"

Chu Jie said, "There is a difference, and a significant one."

Even if they are brothers, it's still abnormal for them to wear the same pair of shorts.

Wei Shou choked, then retorted shamelessly, "That's not important. What's important is that you two are shameless! Chu Wuhui, you dog, you're the most shameless one! You schemed against me and even stole my wife! If you still consider me a brother, then give Arui back to me!"

Chu Yao calmly replied, "Impossible, I won't return it."

Chu Jie was suddenly struck by a major piece of gossip.

He thought Chu Yao had lived a quiet and austere life these past few years and had long since seen through the vanities of the world, never expecting him to have such a peculiar hobby. Logically speaking, Chu Yao was in the wrong. But if Wu Hui really wanted Wei Shou's wife, Chu Jie would still strongly support his brother: "So what if you snatched her? You'd better try to snatch her back from Wu Hui!"

Upon hearing this, Wei Shou was filled with grief and indignation, and his anger flared up.

Chu Jie was Chu Yao's childhood friend, and if he said that, it meant that Chu Yao's abduction of Rui Ji wasn't just a scheme, but also had ulterior motives. In that instant, Wei Shou's murderous intent surged, his eyes turned red, and he wanted to kill Chu Yao.

Um--

Chu Yao also wanted to kill Chu Jie.

If you can't help, at least don't make things worse!

Left with no other choice, Chu Yao could only try to appease the lovestruck man before him, lest he really disregard everything and fight him to the death.

"I have no romantic relationship with Ruiji."

Wei Shou's murderous intent lessened slightly: "No personal feelings involved?"

“She is my elder sister.”

Chu Jie looked at him in surprise, truly unaware that Chu Yao still had any blood relatives alive; he had assumed that Chu Yao was already all alone.

Wei Shou retorted: "You've long since crossed the fifth degree of kinship! Besides, even if you hadn't, there are quite a few cousins ​​who are related by marriage."

Chu Yao's mother and Rui Ji's mother were cousins.

"If there really was an affair, why didn't you take her away back then?"

Ruiji once confessed her feelings to Chuyao, but was rejected.

In the battle of the Northern Desert, Wei Shou surrendered on the condition that he take Rui Ji with him, but Rui Ji had already been taken away by Chu Yao. Given Chu Yao's temperament at the time, he would have preferred Wei Shou to die sooner rather than later. However, upon hearing this, Rui Ji proactively told him that she wanted to go to Wei Shou's side.

It wasn't because Ruiji liked Wei Shou at that time, but because Ruiji clearly saw that Wei Shou could protect her better than Chu Yao. Although Chu Yao had recognized her as his relative, he had no memory of her from his childhood, so how could there be any sibling affection? Even if there was some affection, it couldn't compare to Wei Shou's infatuation and obsession with her.

"...Brother Yu, I am but a weak woman. Though I possess great learning, I am limited by my female nature, ultimately merely a flower adorning a man's achievements. Without nourishment, I will wither. If you do not favor me, Brother Yu, you may choose Wei Shou."

She chose Wei Shou because he was more advantageous to her.

Seeing that Chu Yao wasn't lying, Wei Shou snorted, "Don't be so sure of yourself. Even if the lady has an affair with you, I can still take her away. You yourself have been unable to protect yourself for half your life... Tell me, what are you doing here today with this brother who's practically inseparable from you? Are you perhaps planning a slaying of a general?"

Chu Yao said, "I forced you to rebel against Zheng Qiao."

Wei Shou sneered disdainfully: "Using your wife as a bargaining chip?"

Chu Yao shook his head: "I have always disdained such things."

Wei Shou said arrogantly, "Then you can't do anything to me."

Unexpectedly, Chu Yao said, "Do you know a scholar named Li He? Zheng Qiao sent him to persuade my lord Shen Tang to defect."

Wei Shou's eyebrows twitched violently.

He certainly knew Li He, the newly appointed military supervisor sent by Zheng Qiao, but he was unaware that Li He had been tasked with turning Shen Tang against his cause, a matter that Li He had never told him about. Such a crucial matter, yet he knew nothing about it—meaning that both Zheng Qiao and Li He were keeping it from him.

Wei Shou clenched his fists tightly to steady himself: "And then?"

"By this time, Li Shisong should have 'accidentally' seen a letter revealing your collusion with the Allied Forces. Based on your understanding of Li Shisong and Zheng Qiao, how do you think he will exaggerate and attack you? And how will Zheng Qiao kill you? Don't say that Zheng Qiao doesn't kill powerful military officers; he only avoids those who pose no threat to him. The evidence of your 'collusion with the enemy' and betrayal is right in front of him, and there's Jiang Ao's life involved..."

Wei Shou's face resembled an overturned palette.

They come in all colors.

"You, you despicable bastard! Chu Wuhui, you dog!"

They killed their adoptive father back then, and now they're doing an even better version of it. They're truly shameless to the extreme!

"What does Jiang Ao's death have to do with me!"

Chu Yao said, "But he's dead, so there's no way to verify it."

Chu Jie quietly added: "Sixteenth-grade Grand Master!"

Losing one of them would be heartbreaking!

Chu Yao smiled as he looked at Wei Shou, who was practically bursting with rage: "Yuanyuan, have you ever heard the saying, 'If mud falls into your crotch, even if it's not shit, it'll still be shit.' That's exactly what you're going through now. If you don't rebel against Zheng Qiao, then Zheng Qiao will definitely kill you! Don't worry, after you die, I will properly arrange Rui Ji's later life. Whether she wants to live alone or keep seven or eight male concubines, that's fine with her..."

Wei Shou couldn't hold back any longer: "Keeping male concubines, seven or eight at that? Chu Wuhui, you dog, have some decency!"

Chu Jie said quietly, "You've already called him a dog, how can he be a human being? Naturally, he'll act as dog-like as possible."

Wei Shou was almost driven to the brink of madness by these two.

Despite his volatile temper, he still maintained his rationality.

“Zheng Qiao isn’t so easily fooled.” If Wei Shou were to truly rebel, he would be cutting off his own escape route. But seeing the confident smile on Chu Yao’s face, he felt a vague unease and couldn’t help but ask, “Did you do something else?”

Chu Yao nodded shamelessly.

"Yes, Yuanyuan has improved since then."

Wei Shou's tone was as if he had seen a ghost: "What have you done!"

"Before Zheng Qiao learned of your 'betrayal,' he sent letters to your family members. I estimate they are safe by now. If Zheng Qiao finds out, do you think he will believe it?"

Wei Shou: "..."

This completely blocked all of Wei Shou's escape routes.

If he doesn't rebel, he'll die.

His beautiful wife kept seven or eight male lovers.

He was so angry that his internal organs ached: "Chu Yao!"

Chu Yao said calmly, "Since it's still early, let's sit down and discuss when to launch a coordinated attack from within and without to open Chaoli Pass!"

Wei Shou's anger, which had reached its peak, subsided. He was both angry and annoyed, and heartbroken. He asked, "Is this what the lady wants?"

Whether it was the first time she forged a letter of treason to lure Jiang Ao, or the time she used a family letter to trick Zheng Qiao into taking away his children who were being held hostage, or the time she forged a letter to deceive Li He, one link was indispensable—that is, Rui Ji's all-out assistance.

Because of the unique nature of literary talent and martial prowess, letters bearing personal imprints are not easy to forge, and Ruiji had the means to do so.

Chu Yao said, "My sister just wants to protect herself and her family to the greatest extent possible, and that family naturally includes you."

Ruiji had no reason to help Chu Yao.

They are siblings, but they don't have much of a bond.

Wei Shou was her husband, and they had children by blood. In terms of kinship and connections, Chu Yao was the one who was "distancing" and "outsider." The fact that she hadn't allied with her husband but instead turned against Chu Yao was out of consideration for their past relationship. Her willingness to help was naturally because Chu Yao had told her which option was more beneficial to her and her family.

Whether back then or now, Ruiji has always been very rational.

Reason will lead her to make the most advantageous decision.

"Wei Shou, what is your decision?"

Wei Shou sneered, "Do I have a choice?"

“Of course there are options. The first option is to seek refuge with my lord Shen Tang; the second option is to seek refuge with my lord Shen Youli.”

Wei Shou: "..."

A thousand words can be summed up in one damn!

finally--

He said ruthlessly, "I'll do it!"

_(:з」∠)_

(End of this chapter)