Li Yunting staggered behind him, feeling uneasy like a tide. She didn't know who Dozier was going to take her to see, and she didn't know what conspiracy was hidden behind all this.
The two walked out of the tent one after the other. The cold night wind blew in their faces, making Li Yunting shiver. She looked up and saw only stars twinkling and a bright moon hanging high in the sky, but it could not illuminate the darkness in her heart.
Doziger led her through rows of low tents and came to a corner of the tribe. There was a single tent there that looked much simpler than the other tents.
Dozier stopped and turned to look at Li Yunting, with a sinister and cunning look in his eyes. "Can you tell me who is in there?" He pointed at the tent and said in a low voice.
Li Yunting's heart tightened, and she subconsciously wanted to retreat, but Doziger pushed her in. She stumbled into the tent, looked up, and was stunned.
In the dim light, Li Yunting stared at the man in plain clothes who was tied up in front of her.
Although his clothing and demeanor were very different from what she saw at the Qianqiu Banquet in the palace, Li Yunting still recognized him as Xue Yuanchu by his unique brows and demeanor.
Her heart was full of doubts, and she didn't understand why the eldest son of the Xingyuan Marquis's Mansion had fallen to this point.
But at the same time, the past grievances and hatreds with the Xingyuan Marquis Mansion also surfaced in her mind. She thought of the plans that were thwarted due to the obstruction of the Xingyuan Marquis Mansion, and the contempt and suppression they had shown her.
A complex emotion flashed in Li Yunting's eyes. She wanted to solve the mystery, but also wanted to take the opportunity to make Xue Yuanchu suffer.
Xue Yuanchu's eyes were dark. The black cloth covering him made it impossible for him to see the outside world. He could only rely on his hearing and smell to perceive the surrounding environment.
When he heard the footsteps approaching, he immediately became alert. Although he could not see, he could tell that the person was a woman from the scent of cosmetics.
"Who? Since I'm in your hands, just come and kill me if you want. Don't play tricks here." Xue Yuanchu's voice was firm and indifferent, revealing his unyielding will.
Li Yunting originally wanted to make a sarcastic remark, but when her lips opened slightly, she suddenly fell silent.
Her gaze penetrated the gap in the tent and fell on the figure outside, and a wave of consideration suddenly surged in her heart.
Li Yunting realized that she could not stay in this Western Rong land for long, but she could not find a suitable reason to return to the Great Zhou. Her eyes fell on Xue Yuanchu again, and a new idea flashed in her mind.
In this world, there are no eternal enemies, nor long-term friends. Everything must start from one's own interests.
She took a deep breath, turned and walked out of the tent.
There was a hint of anxiety on Dozier's face, and he was waiting for Li Yunting's confirmation.
However, when she came closer, she spoke with an unprecedented calmness: "Is this the person you asked me to see? Just a beggar, what do you want me to see?"
Dozier pinched Li Yunting's chin tightly with his fingers, applying a little force, causing her to feel a sharp pain.
"Don't try to play tricks on me," he said viciously. "The person who sent him here claimed to be the eldest son of the Xingyuan Marquisate. As long as you confirm his identity, when the two armies confront each other, you can bring him to the front of the battle and sacrifice him to the flag. This will definitely boost our morale!"
Li Yunting waved his hand away fearlessly, with a sarcastic look on her face.
"You are too naive. The eldest son of the Marquis of Xingyuan is such a noble person. If he really went to the military camp, he would at least be a deputy general. How could he end up in such a miserable state?"
Upon hearing this, Dozier frowned, a hint of doubt flashing across his face.
"Is it really not?"
"If you take it for granted that it's him, that's fine." Li Yunting sneered. Her voice was crisp and pleasant, penetrating the fabric of the tent and clearly reaching Xue Yuanchu's ears inside.
"However, if the soldiers of the Great Zhou Dynasty find out that you have found an imposter to sacrifice to the flag, it will be a laughing stock."
Xue Yuanchu had no impression of Li Yunting's voice. In the past, at palace banquets, they, the male outsiders, were also arranged to sit in the outer hall and would not have direct contact with the female members of the harem in the inner hall.
However, the voice that reached his ears at this moment clearly had the unique accent of the capital. The lazy and natural nobility made Xue Yuanchu involuntarily think of the Princess Xianning, Li Yunting, who was married to the foreign princess.
Although he could not see the speaker's face with his own eyes, his suspicions grew stronger.
Outside the tent, Li Yunting's words made Dozier fall into deep thought. The confusion on his face gradually turned into gloom, and he was obviously weighing the pros and cons.
Xue Yuanchu in the tent was startled. He realized that Li Yunting might be trying to give him a chance to survive. Although he didn't understand her true intention, this was undoubtedly his only hope at the moment.
"Well, since you say so," Doziger finally spoke, a hint of reluctance in his voice, "then I'll spare his life for now and throw him into the sheepfold. He's not even worthy of sleeping in a tent."
After Doziger finished speaking, he waved his hand to call over several soldiers and ordered them to take Xue Yuanchu away.
Li Yunting stood aside, watching all this coldly, but secretly breathed a sigh of relief in her heart. For the time being, she had won a glimmer of hope for Xue Yuanchu, but she had to be more cautious on the road ahead.
Xue Yuanchu was roughly dragged by the soldiers through the tribal camp and came to the sheep pen.
The environment here is even more rudimentary than the tent, with sheep dung and grass everywhere, and the air is filled with unpleasant odors. But for Xue Yuanchu at this time, it is a blessing to be able to keep his life.
He was thrown into the sheep pen and the ropes on his body were not untied. He struggled to sit up and leaned against a wooden fence, his heart filled with helplessness and anger.
Xue Yuanchu originally intended to find military supplies, but carelessly fell into the hands of the Western Rong people.
Judging from the current situation, the people who hijacked the military rations and kidnapped him are most likely the same group.
The man who had talked with Li Yunting before seemed to be the leader of this group.
Xue Yuanchu rubbed the wooden railing carefully and finally loosened the black cloth covering his eyes.
In the dim moonlight, he looked around, trying hard to see his surroundings clearly.
At this time, a Xirong man came into his sight. He had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, but also a thick beard. He had a half-smile on his face, looking a little cynical.
He leaned against the wooden railing on the other side, looking at Xue Yuanchu with amusement and scrutiny.
"Are you awake?" the man asked in a teasing tone.
"Who are you?" Xue Yuanchu asked with gritted teeth as he felt pain in his back due to the dragging just now.
The man stood up, walked slowly towards Xue Yuanchu, and then bowed to him respectfully in accordance with the etiquette of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
"Brother-in-law, your brother-in-law greets you!"
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