Chapter 63
Yao Chunnuan came quite fast, but when she saw the situation here from afar, she blinked and slowed down.
Because of Marshal Zhu's previous record of intimidating the military settlements, as well as his various misdeeds, the people in the military settlements were not very enthusiastic about the Yichun camp. Today, Shi Mei and his men arrived in a large group from the Yichun camp, but the residents were actually secretly wary.
As soon as the meeting ended, someone boldly came to inquire about Shi Mei and the others' intentions. Yu Chen, Yao Chunnuan, and the others did not ask the participants to keep silent, so the contents of the agreement between the two parties were quickly known to the villagers.
Looking at the contents of the agreement now, the Yichun camp was really going too far, actually requiring the military settlement to hand over so much grain every year. Farming is dependent on the weather, so who can guarantee that their land will always be productive? So when Shi Mei visited the new barracks and the new family quarters, the settlers were quite indifferent to him.
Later, Shi Mei wanted to take Wei Qiuyu away, and the matter was not kept secret. Many people knew about it along the way.
When the villagers saw them mixed together, they were very unfriendly to them. So when they passed by the military settlement office and saw them standing outside, they threw dirt, snow balls, and rotten vegetable stalks at Wei Qiuyu, and ran away after throwing them, regardless of how angry the guards around Shi Mei were.
Shi Mei asked, "You don't do anything about this situation?" It is true that poor and bad mountains produce unruly people. When did the Yichun military settlement become like this?
Wei Qiuyu was also very angry. She had no good feelings towards this military settlement at all.
The person in charge spread his hands and said, "You can see that there are only so many people in our Juntun Office, and those who hit you ran away very quickly. We have limited manpower and can't do anything about it." Who told you two are not good people and yet you insist on getting involved?
No matter how slowly she walked, she still reached the distance. When Yao Chunnuan arrived, she happened to see Wei Qiuyu half-hiding behind Shi Mei, portraying weakness and helplessness to the extreme. But when she looked at her, her expression was indeed timid, but her eyebrows were full of pride.
Yao Chunnuan raised her eyebrows. The sky is clear and the rain has stopped. Do you think you are okay again?
Yao Chunnuan ignored her. She hadn't even jumped out yet, and it was too early to be gloating. In fact, she had a premonition that Wei Qiuyu wouldn't die so easily. But it didn't matter if she wasn't dead. A lively and active woman wasn't dead, and a missing limb wasn't dead either. She wasn't even surprised that she'd found a better man. Think about it, Wei Qiuyu's official partner and now Han Jinan could both be considered good men. But they were all good stocks, but Wei Qiuyu was impatient and had a high opinion of herself, so she couldn't hide it.
"I heard that Lord Shi wants to take Wei Qiuyu away?" As soon as they met, Yao Chunnuan got straight to the point.
"Yes, she looks very much like my sister who died young. We hit it off right away, so seeing her suffer in the military settlement, I feel particularly sorry for her. I hope Chief Secretary Yao will be lenient with me."
Yao Chunnuan nodded. It was a good excuse. "Let's talk inside." As she said that, she took the lead and walked into the meeting hall of the military settlement office.
Shi Mei followed, and Wei Qiuyu followed naturally, but she was stopped by the soldiers guarding the gate, "You can't go in."
Wei Qiuyu looked at Shi Mei.
Yao Chunnuan turned around and said, "She has no right to come in here. Someone, take her to the next room."
Wei Qiuyu grabbed his sleeve tightly, shaking her head like a rattle, unwilling to separate from Shi Mei.
"If you insist on taking her with you, then we can just not talk about it anymore." Yao Chunnuan crossed her arms and said calmly. At this moment, she directly expressed her dislike for Wei Qiuyu.
Shi Mei frowned, realizing Yao Chunnuan's dominance. He patted Wei Qiuyu's arm and said, "Go next door and wait for me for a while." Then he called two more people to protect her.
Yao Chunnuan snorted in her heart, but was quite alert.
Xiao Jieming's figure flashed and walked away quietly.
After both parties sat down, Yao Chunnuan said, "Do you know that she is married and has a family of her own, and she is not alone. What are you going to do with her husband's family?" She was quite curious about what he was going to do with the Han family.
Shi Mei asked her back, "Minister Yao, by asking this, do you mean you've agreed to let her go?"
"Of course not. If she were a military dependent, it would be relatively easy to decide whether to stay or go. But she's a prisoner, so this is difficult. Even if I wanted to leave the military settlement, it would be impossible."
"Your situations are different. Her problem is easy to solve, just get a divorce. She hasn't committed any crime, and she was exiled here only because of the Wang family. After the divorce, she will naturally not be restricted by the original crime." Killing two birds with one stone.
Yao Chunnuan laughed in her heart, thinking that she was still following the same old path.
"Just let it go. I appreciate your kindness. Don't look so embarrassed. For people like us, it's just a matter of going through a few more procedures and getting a few more stamps."
"Then Master Shi, you can just complete the formalities first and come back later. There's no need to force me."
Shi Mei remained silent, fearing that something unexpected would happen and he would regret it to death. He hadn't expected that such a small matter, at his request, would be held up. Before Xing Changfeng arrived at the military settlement, transfers were a simple matter.
"Master Shi, let me be frank with you. This woman has tried to kill me time and again. She is my enemy. Are you sure you want to go against me?"
"Master Yao, your words are too serious. I've heard a little bit about your feud. But Master Yao, you're a man of great importance, and she's just a little girl. Why not make peace?"
"Impossible."
"I'd really like to meet General Xing. I wonder if he would be willing to let you offend the Yichun camp over such a small matter."
"It's no use looking for him."
The reason she toiled so hard in this world was that she refused to allow others to erode her strength, to force her to compromise and give in against her will. Her efforts were a constant effort to improve and equip herself, to become stronger and stronger, to push others aside and leave enough room for her own strength. Xing Changfeng's temperament was consistent with hers in this respect. She believed that Xing Changfeng would not force her to compromise based on just a few words from him.
Her stubbornness was truly irritating. Shi Mei withdrew her usual smile and said gravely, "What if I absolutely must take her away today?"
Yao Chunnuan raised an eyebrow. "Even at the cost of a big fight?" She knew someone close to him had gone back to get help. It seemed he was truly determined to win Wei Qiuyu over. She just didn't know what Wei Qiuyu had said to him that made him value her so much. As for what he had said before, that Wei Qiuyu looked a lot like his sister who had died young, she didn't believe a word of it.
"Yes!" He admitted it straightforwardly, even if he lost the battle, he would not lose the fight.
He did this to test the waters. He suspected that Xing Changfeng was not in the military settlement, and he was betting that Yao Chunnuan would not dare to confront him head-on...
"Master Shi, don't forget that our military settlements now have official designations, and the first perpetrator of the disaster will be killed. Are you sure you want to set this precedent?"
Just as he bet that she wouldn't dare confront him head-on, she was certain that Shi Mei wouldn't bring in too many reinforcements, otherwise it would be a taboo! Since ancient times, warlords have been forbidden to engage in infighting. Why did Marshal Zhu lead his troops to surround the military settlement gate last time, but didn't dare to order an attack? Wasn't it because he couldn't bear the guilt of being the first to cause trouble?
When she uttered these four words, Shi Mei's pupils shrank. This unwritten rule had rarely been mentioned in the past two hundred years. He thought she didn't understand, but she saw through his bluff.
The atmosphere suddenly became tense.
Some snacks were sent from the General's Mansion, and Yao Chunnuan ate and drank without any burden.
After a while, Shi Mei broke the stalemate and said softly, "Master Yao, please forgive me for my words that were offensive just now. But please understand my mother and my feelings. I really want to take her away. We are two people who look so similar, and seeing her suffer in the military settlement, I can't do it. You can ask for any conditions you want, as long as you can let me take her away."
At this moment, the meeting between Meng Yi and Zhou Yushu in the grove also came to an end. This time, Meng Yi won. The two groups returned one after another.
Yao Chunnuan's gaze fell on Xiao Jieming who was standing behind the crowd. He made a subtle gesture to her indicating that the matter was done.
"Now that Lord Shi has mentioned this, I do have a condition. If you agree to it, it's not impossible for Wei Qiuyu to let you take her away."
"What conditions?"
Yao Chunnuan pointed at Zhou Yushu and said, "He and Wei Qiuyu swapped positions!"
After Yao Chunnuan finished speaking, Zhou Yushu, who had originally looked relaxed, suddenly changed his expression and looked at Shi Mei nervously.
"I earned him in the first place, so why do I need you to offer me any conditions in exchange?" Zeng Yi said casually, "Or is it that the Yichun Camp can't afford to lose?"
Yao Chunnuan was speechless. This fool, the bet involved two young players. Did he really think he could cash it out if he won the sparring match? Shi Mei had probably already devised a plan to make this bet go away. But with this exchange, she increased the chances of the bet going through to 80-90%.
Shi Mei frowned, pondering and considering.
Yao Chunnuan remained silent; she wasn't anxious. Logically, Zhou Yushu's matter involved a young general serving three months away, which required the Marshal's approval. But Shi Mei was clearly capable of making the decision. Truly worthy of being the Marshal's trusted confidant.
"Master Shi, we can't agree to them." People from Yingchun Camp advised.
They didn't know who Wei Qiuyu was. It sounded like a woman's name. What kind of woman was she? What was so special about her that he would consider exchanging her for a young player?
"Can you replace him? Zhou Yushu is already a junior general. I don't have the authority to replace him."
"I didn't ask you to swap him out. I meant for General Zhou Yushu to fulfill his bet and serve in our military settlement for three months. Perhaps in your eyes, Wei Qiuyu's value is equal to General Zhou Yushu's, but in my eyes, she's only worth this bet."
Sowing discord! Totally sowing discord!
Shi Mei breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this. Putting aside her intention to provoke him, he could still accept this condition. He was about to agree when he was interrupted.
"But I have one condition."
"What conditions?"
"After General Zhou Yushu completes three months of service in the military settlement, he will decide whether to stay or go."
"What's the meaning?"
"That is to say, after three months, if he wants to go back, we won't stop him. If he doesn't want to go back, you won't force him to go either."
"I can't agree to that!" With this condition, he risked losing the person. Zhou Yushu was indeed a member of the Marshal's staff, but he had only been with the Marshal for a short time. Loyalty aside, but...
Yao Chunnuan spread her hands, "Then there's nothing to talk about."
By this time, the people at the Yichun camp had also noticed Yao Chunnuan's covetousness for their young general. Was this woman's vision so good? General Zhou Yushu was a skilled rider, and while his leadership skills were still immature, he already had a methodical approach.
Little did they know that at the beginning, Yao Chunnuan was attracted by General Zhou Yushu's chicken-raising skills.
Zhou Yushu didn't look at anyone else, but just stared at Shi Mei.
Meng Yi said unhappily, "You guys in the Yichun camp are really interesting. If you can't afford to lose, then don't gamble! It's okay that you've lost now, but you want to take Wei Qiuyu away from our military settlement, and our Chief Secretary Yao has agreed. We're just asking you to fulfill the bet. Could it be that you never even considered fulfilling the bet before?"
Meng Yi's words left everyone in the Yichun camp speechless and embarrassed. Although these words were unpleasant to hear, they were indeed what they had done.
Shi Mei was also weighing the pros and cons. Finally, he looked up at Zhou Yushu and said, "Come and serve in their military settlement for three months. After three months, the Marshal and I will come to take you back. You must remember that everything I do is for our Marshal and the camp!"
With these words, what kind of choice did Shi Mei make? Who among those present didn't understand?
Zhou Yushu lowered his head in disappointment when he heard this, his eyes dull. No matter how nice the words were, in the end, didn't he still give him up?
"Master Shi, shall we sign a document?"
Another written document! Shi Mei felt disgusted, but could only nod, "Let it stand."
Yao Chunnuan clapped her hands three times, "Pa pa pa!"
Not long after, someone presented pen and ink.
Then a clerk was drafted to sign the deed. After the clerk finished writing the document, Yao Chunnuan and Shi Mei confirmed that it was correct and signed and stamped it respectively.
*********
While Yao Chunnuan and Shi Mei were negotiating, Wei Qiuyu was escorted to the next room by two guards.
Wei Qiuyu went into the next room and complained that the tea was too bitter and then that the snacks tasted bad.
The maids could only apologize and keep replacing her snacks. But whether intentionally or not, the tea was not changed.
Wei Qiuyu ate a piece of dried fruit snack while anxiously waiting for the result. She was eager to leave Yichun Military Village and Yao Chunnuan's sphere of influence.
After an unknown amount of time, Wei Qiuyu felt extremely thirsty. She took a sip of the tea and found that the taste was still the same as before. She immediately spat it out and flew into a rage, "You are so arrogant, you can't even serve good tea?"
"Okay, let's do it right away!"
Wei Qiuyu had been paying attention to the movements next door. When she vaguely heard the words "sign a document", she probably knew that the matter was settled.
Just then, the maid brought in tea. She was delighted and took the tea and drank it all.
As soon as she took a sip of the tea, the joy on her face faded, leaving only horror. She threw the tea bowl to the ground and asked, "You—" What did you give me to drink?!
Her throat was burning and she couldn't even speak.
The two guards protecting Wei Qiuyu immediately drew their swords, "What did you do?! Quick, go notify Lord Shi to come over!"
The noise here soon alarmed Yao Chunnuan and others next door.
When the guards came to call for help, Shi Mei's face changed, and he rushed to the next room in two steps. When he saw Wei Qiuyu, crying and holding her nose, unable to speak, what was there to understand? Wei Qiuyu had been poisoned and silenced! Yao Chunnuan hadn't intended to let him take the person away intact. Those three claps were the signal for action. He had been careless.
"Okay, very good." Shi Mei looked at Yao Chunnuan and said through gritted teeth.
Yao Chunnuan smiled and nodded at him, looking innocent and asking for a beating.
Wei Qiuyu didn't know how to use things from later generations, but that might be different for someone else. She couldn't let her leave unscathed, so she had someone poison her and make her mute.
The military doctor arrived, and the result was just as everyone had guessed: Wei Qiuyu was mute and could not recover.
Upon hearing this, Wei Qiuyu completely collapsed.
Yao Chunnuan said, "She's mute, what a pity. But fortunately, she only injured her throat, and her appearance and figure are intact. Her hands are also fine and she can write. She still looks like your biological sister." Wei Qiuyu, Wei Qiuyu, it took a lot of effort to bring you down to earth, and I will never let you revive.
Wei Qiuyu looked at her in horror.
People from the Yichun camp: This woman is so cruel and ruthless.
Shi Mei gritted her teeth, "Yao, you've gone too far! We already have a written agreement, she's mine, and you're still trying to murder her!"
Yao Chunnuan asked with concern, "So are you still going to exchange it? If not, the document is right here, you can just tear it up." Originally, she planned to have someone cut the tendons in Wei Qiuyu's hands, but she was afraid that Shi Mei would leave in anger and not agree to the exchange, so she was just poisoned and made mute.
Shi Mei gritted her teeth and said, "Change!"
A smile flashed in Yao Chunnuan's eyes. Very good, this deal didn't fail.
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