Chapter 315 The Spy
"What is this? Am I going to die?"
As she spoke, her face grew increasingly pale, and she was on the verge of fainting completely. Lady Li could no longer sit still.
"Princess, this is... how could you be so careless and get injured like this?!"
Li Niangzi gritted her teeth, but ultimately did not utter the words "Red Bone Grass." She looked at the Red Bone Grass on the ground, then at the bloodstains on Qi Yuxuan's fingers, feeling annoyed.
Red bone grass grows widely on the border of Qi and Yue. The whole plant is slightly poisonous. If you are accidentally pricked by the sharp thorns, strong and healthy people will not be afraid, but people with poor constitution will not be spared. The burning pain on the skin is a minor matter. In severe cases, it may directly suffocate and die.
The solution was quite simple. The people of Qi peeled the red bone grass, boiled it in water, and drank the decoction. The people of Yue, on the other hand, were accustomed to crushing the roots and stems of the red bone grass and then applying them to the wound, using poison to fight poison.
Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages, but the latter is more effective. Qi Yuxuan looked at Li Niangzi, whose eyes were filled with complicated emotions. What would she choose?
If she were truly a spy sent by the Yue Kingdom to infiltrate Qi Yuxuan's side and the Qi Kingdom's military camp, her primary task would undoubtedly be to protect herself and not let herself die in such an unworthy way. The first method is common knowledge in Qi, so it is not surprising. However, the latter is a method known only to the people of Yue.
Qi Yuxuan's breath was weak: "Madam Li, I... I don't know, I've never seen this before, what should we do..."
As soon as she finished speaking, her head lolled to the side, and she fainted on Li Niangzi's body.
Having faked fainting so many times, Qi Yuxuan was quite adept at it. Even when a proper doctor came to take her pulse, she could fake it flawlessly.
This is the most remote part of the military camp. The soldiers are still doing their morning exercises and won't come here at all. That's why red bone grass grows in the grass that hasn't been completely cleared.
As Li Niangzi supported the unconscious person, her mind raced.
Qi Yuxuan didn't know how much time had passed, but she still felt something mashed up being applied to her fingertips, and she understood.
This was back in the Yue Kingdom, near the border, when Ren Shun was scratched by the Red Bone Grass. He taught her how to use it, and she never expected to put it to use so quickly.
Li Niangzi wrapped the mashed roots in a handkerchief around Qi Yuxuan's fingers and half-dragged, half-carried her back to the tent, exhausted.
Many people in the military camp witnessed this scene, and they thought that the delicate girl was too weak and had fainted after walking for only a short time.
The news also reached Duan Wei and Xiahou Zhong.
The two exchanged a glance, both somewhat puzzled.
The military doctor came this morning and said that the princess's health was improving day by day and that she could set off to return to the capital in three to five days. Why did she faint again now?
After pondering for a moment, Xiahou Yin returned and brought in a young man who was bound hand and foot.
"General Duan, General Xiahou!"
In public settings, whenever outsiders are present, Xiahou Yin always addresses the two as generals directly, never putting on airs.
He gave a simple bow and said, "As expected, we've caught him."
Three days ago, he was angrily driven out of the main camp, and many people watched the spectacle. Some of them, whose hearts were agitated, couldn't wait to reveal their true colors.
This man, who was tied up and gagged, was one of them.
He was bribed by the Yue people to search for information in the Qi army and send it back. He thought that Xiahou Yin had lost the favor of two generals three days ago, which was an opportunity to take advantage of. However, he did not expect to fall into a trap and be kidnapped.
"For three days in a row, he has been spreading rumors in the army to disrupt morale. Last night, he threw this thing into the outhouse where I used to urinate, and this morning he was lurking suspiciously outside my tent..."
Xiahou Yin recounted the changes in the military camp over the past few days, while tossing out the piece of cloth in his hand.
The fabric of the cloth piece appeared to be the material of the undergarments issued by the military, probably torn from a garment. Several large characters were scrawled on it in charcoal:
Duan has been won over; action can now be taken.
If Xiahou Yin truly had a rift with Duan Wei because of the marriage alliance, then this piece of cloth would be a perfect tool to sow discord. But the truth is, Xiahou Yin knew he was still young and didn't understand much about the political situation in the court. His sorrow over Qi Yuxuan's marriage alliance was just a momentary impulse, and he would never blame Duan Wei.
That piece of fabric is quite intriguing.
Xiahou Yin didn't make a fuss. Regardless of whether the other party did it on purpose or if there was another inside agent who threw it into the wrong latrine, he acted as if nothing had happened and slept well. This morning, his confidant caught the spy.
At the time, he was busy visiting Qi Yuxuan and showing her around the military camp when he learned that she had been captured. After finding Lady Li to pick her up, he hurriedly ran away.
Upon seeing that the man was just an unfamiliar soldier, Xiahou Yin lost interest in interrogating him and brought him here directly.
Duan Wei frowned as soon as he saw the piece of cloth.
It's one thing to slander anyone, but to directly throw mud at him? Isn't that a bit too audacious? Or is it that the more improbable something is, the more cautious people become, and their goal isn't really to make the people of Qi believe that their commander-in-chief could be turned, but simply to muddy the waters?
Duan Wei felt increasingly choked up. If it weren't for the many people around him, he would have loved to chop the traitor to death to vent his anger!
"General Duan, I trust your character. It is utterly despicable that the Jiaozhi people would try to disrupt the morale of the army with such despicable means!" Xiahou Zhong quickly stated his position.
Other generals, who were still somewhat confused, quickly echoed, afraid that if they spoke too slowly, people would think they were doubting General Duan.
When two armies are facing each other, the worst thing they can do is to lose their composure. If they cannot unite as one, how can they work together to defeat the enemy?
Duan Wei pinched the bridge of his nose, then raised his hand to have someone remove the object from the mouth of the man who was being held down on the ground; he wanted to ask him questions.
With his mouth freed, the man immediately spat out a mouthful of saliva: "General Duan! The Prince of Xiaoyao has treated you well, how can you be so two-faced? You promised me the position of centurion, but you keep delaying..."
Before he could finish speaking, Xiahou Yin kicked him in the chest, causing his face to contort in pain and rendering him unable to utter a single word.
If we let him continue, the morale of the troops that we have just stabilized will crumble again.
As expected of the carefree prince, several generals looked serious.
They all knew that if one spy appeared in the army, it meant that there were already countless spies.
If they can send in one, it means they can send in countless others. Their military camps are probably already completely infiltrated, and their secrets are about to be exposed.
On the other side, Qi Yuxuan also "slowly woke up," looked at Li Niangzi who was sewing clothes beside her, and softly cried out in pain.
Madam Li immediately got up and walked over.
Qi Yuxuan raised her bandaged finger, somewhat puzzled: "Eh, Madam Li, what's this?"
Lady Li smiled and said, "The princess accidentally cut her finger on a blade of grass, and then fainted from exhaustion. I bandaged it for her."
Qi Yuxuan gave a meaningful "oh".
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