Chapter 73 Betrayal
The cold wind from beyond the pass brushed against the soldiers' blades.
The Northern Chi army camp was solemn and orderly in the dead of night.
After Shan Chenjun changed his clothes and went out, he asked, "What is it?"
Mu Ge, who came to deliver the message, bowed to Shan Chenjun and explained, "We captured a prisoner of war during the previous battle. He claimed to be from Shanshan."
"We have come to invite you, young master, to take a look."
Mugo said gently, "If it is true, please investigate her background carefully, young master, and we will report to the emperor."
"If Your Majesty does not intend to deal with it for the time being, the young master may keep him by your side as an attendant if he needs him."
Mugo was confident that the Northern Chi King would not punish the Shanshan people he had captured at this time.
Shan Chenjun asked again, "Who was interrogated in prison today?"
"He Lanjun, General He Lan."
Shan Chenjun agreed, went back to his tent to get something, then turned back and said, "Lead the way."
Mugo turned and led the way to the prison.
A fierce wind howled through the night.
Shan Chenjun walked in front, with Mu Ge following behind.
Shan Chenjun asked casually, "I heard you suffered heavy losses in the battle today."
Mugo replied uneasily, "Yes."
Shan Chenjun looked at him, "Where's your brother?"
“He’s been arrested.” Mugo looked away. “It’s also his fault for being so eager to make a name for himself. He started an uprising at the slightest sign of trouble.”
Shan Chenjun took a deep breath. "You can't blame him. Your brother just wants to finish the war as soon as possible."
"Who knew that after a year of fighting, it would become increasingly difficult to win?"
Mugo remained silent for a moment before finally speaking, "This humble servant... would like to ask the young master for a favor."
"What."
With no one around, Mugo lowered his voice and said, "My two elder brothers and thousands of soldiers are trapped in the enemy camp."
Mugo temporarily omitted Yu Heyue's name, saying, "The enemy sent a letter saying they want to release the more than one hundred prisoners we captured. Not a single one can be missing, only then can the safety of my family and brothers be guaranteed..."
Mugo told him everything that was in the letter.
Shan Chenjun turned to look at him, "You released them all?"
Mugo lowered his head, knowing that this matter was not entirely aboveboard. "There is still one female prisoner left."
Shan Chenjun quickly understood the cause and effect, "So, the one in the prison is the last prisoner."
"You want me to help you protect her."
"yes."
Shan Chenjun pondered for a moment, then said, "It's possible."
"But you need to think this through. If you do this, it will be considered treason in the Northern Chi army camp."
Mugo dared not look Shan Chenjun in the eye.
“Of course I won’t tell anyone,” Shan Chenjun said slowly, “but this is the fourth piece of leverage the enemy has against you.”
"Once it's revealed, your entire army will either be executed by the king, or you'll have no choice but to defect to the enemy."
“But my family is all over there, I have no choice.”
Mugo stopped and watched Shan Chenjun's retreating figure.
He knelt on one knee with a thud, performing the deepest Northern Chi salute, "Please help me, young master. I know you must have a way."
"Over the years, whenever we made mistakes or got into trouble in the military, it was always the young master who devised the solutions and smoothed things over."
"If you can ensure the safety of my family, I will follow your lead from now on."
Shan Chenjun turned to look at him when he heard the sound.
She stepped forward and helped Mugo up. "Alright, let me arrange it for you if you're willing to listen."
"Yes, of course I'm willing."
Stepping into the prison, one can smell the dark and damp atmosphere, like a dimly lit hellish cage that binds one from the feet and drags one little by little into the abyss.
Shan Chenjun was taken to the depths of the prison, where he saw the stranger bound and gagged at a distance.
Qin Yuan leaned against the side, warily and vigilantly observing the newcomer.
Shan Chenjun was wearing a pure black cloak, making it impossible to see his face in the dark dungeon.
The interrogating officer greeted Shan Chenjun familiarly, "You've arrived."
Shan Chenjun casually tossed the items he had brought to He Lanjun.
He Lanjun grabbed it, "What?"
"Wound medicine," Shan Chenjun said casually. "It's hot in the Central Plains. You've been injured, so you need to be careful about applying medicine."
He Lanjun chuckled silently, "It's a wonder you still thought about that."
"Your Majesty has achieved great success, and you are a great and capable general on the left and right," Shan Chenjun patted his shoulder. "Work hard to earn fame and fortune. Perhaps your mother's illness will be cured after you go back."
He Lanjun sighed softly, "Several generals have already died on the front lines."
"Of the three Mu brothers who attacked the two leaders in Yanbei and Longnan today, only Mu Ge has returned."
"I might not be able to go back."
Shan Chenjun interrupted him, "Don't say such discouraging things."
He Lanjun smiled, "Anyway, I appreciate your kind words."
"If I can return safely, I will speak on your behalf before the Emperor and ask him to let you go home as soon as possible."
Shan Chenjun said casually, "Actually, I think staying in Bei Chi is not bad. With you all in the royal family, I am not lonely."
"Really?" He Lanjun looked at her. "I would like you to stay, but don't you want to go back to Shanshan?"
Shan Chenjun lowered his eyelids and shifted his gaze from him to Qin Yuan beside him.
She looked silently into the shadows, the darkness of the prison obscuring the light in her eyes. "I've long forgotten where my home is."
"Bei Chi is my home, and you are my family."
The deep, eerie sound echoed through the prison, striking the stone walls and bouncing back, gloomy and ghostly.
Shan Chenjun looked at the person imprisoned in the cell, "What happened to her?"
Qin Yuan lowered her eyes and remained silent.
In her memory, all the children who were sent as hostages were filled with hatred and all wanted to return home to seek revenge.
But from what she heard, this hostage seemed to have a good relationship with these Northern Chi generals.
They seem to be a group of people.
He Lanjun explained, "The prisoners of war captured by Mugo said they were just escorts, a profession where they would help for money, and they were from Shanshan."
"It's unclear whether she's trying to distance herself or if she really means it."
Shan Chenjun asked, "Where is Shanshan from?"
Qin Yuan frowned and remained silent for a moment.
Suddenly, a jailer lashed out with his whip, shouting, "The young master is asking you a question! Speak!"
Qin Yuan didn't know what places were in Shanshan, only one: "Danyunjing".
That was the destination for Yu Wanyin's message.
A barely perceptible glint appeared deep within Shan Chenjun's pupils. "What's your name?"
"Qin Yuan".
Shan Chenjun remained rigid and uncompromising in his question, "Why did you come to the Central Plains to become a bodyguard?"
"More than ten years ago, Shanshan was in turmoil, my home was destroyed, and my parents sent me away." Qin Yuan knew that if the hostage in front of her was really from Shanshan, she would know from looking at her token that it was fake and not from Shanshan.
No matter what she says now, she's afraid she'll be exposed. "After I got out, I followed my brothers and sisters to work as a镖师 (bodyguard/escort).
“If you go to the Wan’an Port Escort Agency to check the records, you can also find my escort routes over the years.”
"A bodyguard..." Shan Chenjun murmured about this identity, "Then who in the Central Plains are you helping with escorting goods, and how did you end up in this team?"
"The money given by Nanlong Rongsi is for escorting goods for his wife and bringing her home. He will also protect her safety along the way."
"Where does his wife live?"
"Shanshan." The Northern Chi King already knew all of this, it wasn't a secret.
But it seems the person opposite him is unaware of this. "His wife is from Shanshan?"
"Stop playing dumb," Qin Yuan said, a little annoyed. "Your lord tricked Yu Wanyin into coming here by impersonating her family and giving her a bunch of fake letters. He even asked me to come and pick her up."
"In the end, I did help you guys, doesn't that prove I'm just an ordinary bodyguard?"
Shan Chenjun paused abruptly, his body stiffening for a moment.
Qin Yuan's words reached her ears, and that name, which she hadn't heard in ten years, struck her again and again.
So long ago that it's almost like a stranger.
It felt like a lifetime had passed, as if a drop of water had fallen into the deep sea.
But in an instant, it stirred up a monstrous storm on the calm sea!
Yu Wanyin...
Distant.
Shan Chenjun stood there quietly for a long time, everything around him becoming somewhat blurry.
All that remained was the little girl who had ridden with her in the carriage home many years ago.
Yao Yao was born beautiful; at six years old, she looked like a glutinous rice ball.
She always loved to pinch Yao Yao's cheeks, and Yao Yao never got angry, just nestled in her arms and let her pinch them.
When her mother scolded her, Yao Yao would defend her, saying that her older sister could do anything to her.
But that journey home.
Yao Yao was unable to return.
She was never able to go back.
Qin Yuan explained the whole story in a serious yet somewhat impatient manner.
That way, Shan Chenjun's silence at this moment wouldn't seem strange.
Until Qin Yuan fell silent.
Shan Chenjun's long-absent gaze slowly turned.
His words remained calm.
"Your Majesty doesn't need to inform us, your subjects, of everything you do. It's normal that we don't know."
Her voice trailed off, “It doesn’t matter.”
Shan Chenjun continued, her demeanor completely devoid of any emotional fluctuation, "What evidence do you have that you're from Shanshan?"
Mu Ge, who was standing nearby, took the initiative to hand over the cloud-patterned handkerchief that Qin Yuan had given him earlier, saying, "She said it was something she wore when she was a child."
The handkerchief was rough in texture and somewhat worn and tattered, quite different from the clean and neat outfit Qin Yuan was wearing now.
It has indeed been around for quite some time.
Shan Chenjun took it in his hand and looked through it.
Qin Yuan, watching the person opposite her, felt her heart tighten little by little.
Shan Chenjun looked up at her and threw her handkerchief directly in front of her.
Qin Yuan closed her eyes, a chill running through her heart.
“The cloud scarf does have the pattern of Shanshan,” Shan Chenjun walked up to her and squatted down, “but how can such a tattered thing prove that you are from Shanshan?”
Qin Yuan suddenly opened her eyes and met Shan Chenjun's gaze directly.
Across from her, Shan Chenjun's gaze, honed through years of experience in enemy territory, pierced straight to her heart.
With just her gaze, she forced Qin Yuan to look directly into her eyes, to see her intentions, and to submit to her intimidation.
A brief exchange of glances at extremely close range.
“I can’t prove anything more,” Qin Yuan said tentatively, her eyebrows twitching slightly. “I am a citizen of Shanshan. If you say I am, then I am; if you say I am not, then I am not.”
"I will follow your instructions, young master."
Shan Chenjun looked her over again and sized her up.
Inside the prison, everyone awaited Shan Chenjun's instructions; the place was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Shan Chenjun stood up. "It doesn't matter where you're from, what matters is that you're obedient."
“Since you are my subject, then I will tell you that following the people of the Central Plains will not grant you freedom in my Shanshan.”
"In the end, we must submit to the sovereign and expand our territory together with the Northern Chi. In that case, Shanshan can also gain some benefits."
"If you want to prove to me that you are from Shanshan, you must obey my orders completely." Shan Chenjun slowly took out a secret order from his pocket. "Then copy this military order word for word in your handwriting."
"We will send someone to deliver the letter to your employer."
Qin Yuan reached out and took the letter, quickly flipping through it.
The letter was a secret document containing supplies.
It is said that the Northern Chi army was short of supplies, and what route they took to escort the supplies.
If Rong Si and his men can intercept the grain supplies, then their future attack on Bei Chi will be much smoother.
"This secret letter is..."
“It’s fake.” Shan Chenjun smiled. “Our people will be lying in ambush on this road. If you can successfully lure them here and let us capture them, I will take your words as true. I guarantee you will have boundless wealth and peace in Shanshan in the future.”
Qin Yuan's heart skipped a beat.
She found the person in front of her to be truly unpredictable.
Just when she thought this hostage was in cahoots with the Northern Chi, he began to show a subtle sense of alliance.
Just when she's about to believe, the person in front of her will become strange again.
Qin Yuan couldn't explain it.
However, several Northern Chi generals on the side were quite pleased with the way this hostage handled things.
This hostage appears to be completely loyal to the Northern Chi, treats them like brothers, and is also extremely intelligent and considerate.
They prepared paper and pen, and just like that, they made Qin Yuan write a letter.
Shan Chenjun reminded him again, "Not a single word is allowed to be changed."
Qin Yuan originally wanted to change a few words and secretly transmit the signal, but she gave up the idea under the watchful eyes of several people.
Qin Yuan had no choice but to write the words crookedly and awkwardly, making them look different from her previous handwriting, so that they could tell that this was a fake intelligence report.
A jailer standing nearby suddenly spoke up, "Is your handwriting always this bad?"
"You're a rough fellow, you can't write neatly." Qin Yuan handed him the pen. "Or will you do it?"
The jailer glanced at her but didn't say anything more.
Qin Yuan spent some time writing the letter.
Shan Chenjun took the letter, read it through, and then handed it to He Lanjun, saying, "You can deliver it when you go out later."
"Okay." He Lanjun didn't notice anything unusual and left with the letter.
"That's enough for today. The results will come in time." Shan Chenjun looked at the jailer. "May I go back now?"
"Yes, thank you for today." The jailer bowed and scraped as he saw Shan Chenjun and Mu Ge out. "Your idea was the best. No wonder His Majesty took you with him on his campaign."
Shan Chenjun chuckled silently. She now understood why the Northern Chi King had brought her along on his expedition.
It turns out that a while ago, they were talking about the beautiful woman that the King of the North had taken a fancy to.
It's 杳杳.
The jailer, unaware of her thoughts, simply said, "Young Master Chen Jun, please take care."
Qin Yuan was anxiously wrapping the handkerchief in her hands.
Suddenly, I heard that title, "Chen Jun Gong Zi" (meaning "refined and elegant young master").
She stopped abruptly.
After the jailer saw Shan Chenjun off, he returned to find Qin Yuan looking at him.
The jailer scolded, "What are you looking at? Behave yourself."
"It's nothing," Qin Yuan said, turning her gaze away. "I've only ever heard of Shan Chenjun before, but I've never met him."
"Now that I see it, I am overwhelmed with emotions."
“Now that we’re here, you can’t call me Your Highness anymore, you have to call me Young Master,” the jailer corrected her.
But the jailer did not correct Shan Chenjun's name.
So he really is Shan Chenjun.
The crown prince of Shanshan, imprisoned as a hostage, is none other than Shan Chenjun?!
Yu Wanyin's elder sister?
Shan Chenjun was not actually a young master; he probably disguised himself as a man to avoid trouble in the Northern Chi army camp.
Qin Yuan fell silent.
Everything that had just happened in the prison kept replaying in her mind.
Qin Yuan belatedly felt a chill run down her spine.
For ten years, she disguised herself as a man and infiltrated the prison of the Northern Chi army without being discovered, and even became friends with the officers.
While they appeared to be as close as brothers and extremely protective of the Northern Chi tribe, they were actually subtly manipulating the behavior of several of the Northern Chi's main generals through their words.
Is this person here to be a hostage, or to be the master?
Qin Yuan suddenly understood many of Shan Chenjun's unusual behavior.
And why the general's way of helping her was to specifically call Shan Chenjun over.
Because Mu Ge knew that once Shan Chenjun found out whose bodyguard she was, he would definitely help her.
That letter was definitely not as simple as it appeared on the surface.
Shan Chenjun was imprisoned in Beichi and guarded by multiple layers of guards.
She has no contact with the outside world; she needs to deliver letters, and she must rely on others to do so.
Send some messages out.
Qin Yuan thought about the contents of the letter again.
But she couldn't figure out anything unusual, except for a few typos.
It's estimated that the Northern Chi people weren't very good at writing Chinese characters either.
There will be some discrepancies if the characters of the Hu people are reversed.
The secret message, after being thoroughly investigated by the Northern Chi people, was successfully delivered from the camp.
The letter was delivered directly to the residence of the Prefect of Wan'an Port.
The prefect then found Rong Si's men and sent them back to the camp.
Rong Si opened it and read it. Inside was Qin Yuan's handwriting, along with a secret military order.
He walked into the tent while looking around.
Hearing footsteps, Yu Wanyin stood up and went to greet them. "Has news come from over there?"
Rong Si handed the secret letter to Yu Wanyin. "It was written by Qin Yuan. They said that a grain supply line from Bei Chi will pass through the area in three days. We can raid the grain and severely damage Bei Chi."
Zong Cheng hurriedly asked, "Really?"
“The handwriting is so messy it’s like a dog’s scrawle, it’s probably not a proper letter.” Rong Si leaned back next to her. “Even if she accidentally found out about this secret, she would have just happened to find paper and pen to write the letter.”
"And they were still able to deliver the letter to the prefect without incident..."
It sounds so unbelievable.
"The good thing is that it seems Qin Yuan is safe for now." Rong Si said, unconsciously glancing at Yu Wanyin, waiting for her reaction.
Yu Wanyin unfolded the letter and read it word by word, remaining silent for a long time.
His gaze swept over those familiar characters.
There are several obvious typos in it.
Qin Yuan had been a镖师 (bodyguard/escort) for many years. Although he was a martial artist, he also dealt with a lot of documents.
Qin Yuan wouldn't make such a basic mistake.
Unless someone deliberately made her commit the crime.
The misspelled characters are the "余" in "由左轮将尉护送粮草平安无余".
The "long journey" in "this journey is a long one".
What should actually be written is, "Safe and sound, from afar."
But what it is doesn't matter.
These misspelled characters together form: Yu Yaoyao...
Yu Yaoyao.
Suddenly, a voice pierced through the gap in time and space, "Yu Yaoyao, I've come to take you home."
"Don't you recognize me? I'm Shan Chenjun."
"You should call me 'elder sister'."
Sister...
It's my elder sister!
Yu Wanyin flattened the letter and read it carefully again.
Among the complex and intricate text, only these three were wrong.
It can't be a coincidence.
It couldn't be a coincidence that they specifically asked Qin Yuan to write out the wrong characters.
The Hu people generally did not notice anything unusual about the wording in these letters. Although they were misspelled words, the meanings were still understandable when translated.
So no one noticed.
Yu Wanyin's pupils trembled slightly as she stared at the contents of the letter, unable to recover for a long time.
Rong Si waited for a long time but Yu Wanyin did not speak.
Before he could ask any further questions, Chu Yu spoke up first, asking, "Is there anything unusual about the letter?"
Yu Wanyin raised her head, her dark eyes reddening, her voice unsteady, "This is a letter that my elder sister asked Qin Yuan to deliver."
Chu Yu took the letter from Yu Wanyin's hand.
Rong Si hurriedly stepped forward to check, "Is your elder sister in the Northern Chi army camp?"
Yu Wanyin calmed her thoughts and murmured to herself, "...It should be in the military camp."
This will make things clear.
Because her elder sister was in the Northern Chi army camp, the Northern Chi king was so familiar with her personality, tone of voice, and the situation of her hometown.
She could also use them to blackmail her with such ease.
He does indeed have leverage right beside him.
If one day the Northern Chi forces weaken, he only needs to bring up the fact that Shan Chenjun is in the Northern Chi army camp, and they will no longer be able to launch an attack.
He was certain that she would beg him for her sister's sake.
After Chu Yu finished reading it, Rong Si took it back.
Only when Yu Wanyin pointed it out could they see the key to it.
It's likely that only she and her older sister knew this title.
Yu Yaoyao.
Yu Wanyin sat there for a long time, her breathing becoming increasingly heavy.
She seemed somewhat excited, yet she had to remain calm at this crucial moment, making her appear somewhat unsettled.
Chu Yu said, "This is a letter my elder sister sent to you from the Northern Chi army camp, using Qin Yuan as a front, to tell you that she is here?"
Yu Wanyin did not believe that the letter was just to say that her elder sister was in the military camp.
“People who have been under house arrest for a long time, and who have finally been given the opportunity to deliver a message, are unlikely to convey such simple information.”
"She delivered a piece of intelligence."
“It’s fake.” Yu Wanyin couldn’t sit still. She stepped forward, took the letter again, and paced back and forth in the room. “This fake intelligence… is a smokescreen for the Northern Chi people.”
"The Northern Chi people agreed to deliver this intelligence, but their real purpose was to lure us there, and then... capture our people."
This is a very common bait trap.
"Since it's fake, many Northern Chi generals will be lying in ambush at this location three days from now, waiting for us to arrive."
"They want to capture us and take us to the Northern Chi tribe."
Chao Yue listened and said, "Then let's not go."
Yu Wanyin couldn't understand, "Then what's the point of this letter if we don't go?"
"If they won't let us go, sending this letter is no different than not sending it at all. Why bother? Is it just to tell me she exists?"
"If she were in the Northern Chi army camp and had the opportunity to send a message out, it would either be a plea for help or a request for assistance."
"Regardless of which one, they all need to contact us."
"If they don't go, then there's no contact; it can't be this."
Everyone in the tent fell silent.
Rong Si spoke up, "So we have to go, but only if we know there's an ambush on the other side."
Yu Wanyin hesitated, as if she wanted to speak.
Rong Si noticed her subtle movements. "Then I'll lead the troops there. What are the arrangements afterward? Will their people hand over the help your sister wants to us?"
Yu Wanyin looked at him, unsure, "That's just my guess."
"Is it possible that their ambush to capture our Northern Chi general in three days will allow us to make contact with her?"
Rong Si understood, "You mean, the general from that day and we were in cahoots."
Upon hearing this, everyone in the tent seemed to be deep in thought.
Yu Wanyin knew that the risk of this guess was too great, but since she had already said it, she decided to proceed.
Then we must finish: "On that day, if we go there, the opposing general can cooperate with us to stage a fake surrender."
"The opposing general can help our people get in and make contact with her."
"Perhaps we can coordinate an attack from within and without..."
*
The main camp of the Northern Chi tribe.
Shan Chenjun received the military order from Helan Jun and found Mu Ge. "Three days later, I mentioned you to the commanders who were lying in ambush on the supply route."
Mugo's heart pounded, "Will they really come?"
After all, that letter did look like a trap, and anyone with a brain on the march might not believe it.
"Perhaps." Shan Chenjun, unaware of the situation, leisurely handed the military order to Mu Ge. "But you're practically half on the opposing side now. They hold too many things over you. You're caught in the middle and have no other choice."
There's an old saying in the Central Plains: "Those who understand the times are heroes." If they really come, you know what to do.
Mugo looked at the military order in his hand and listened to Shan Chenjun's words, holding his breath for a moment.
“Bring them in, and you'll have the merit of defeating the Northern Chi tribe to balance out your mistakes and secure your career. You'll also be able to let them rescue the prisoners and protect your family.” Shan Chenjun patted his shoulder. “This can also be considered a way of rescuing you.”
Mugo vaguely understood what Shan Chenjun meant.
It was to have him conspire with the other side to create a false scenario of the Northern Chi tribe ambushing and winning, capturing the Central Plains soldiers.
In reality, they were using his military strength to lure the soldiers from the Central Plains into the Northern Chi army camp and plant informants.
Mugo couldn't accept it, "But if I do this, it's a complete betrayal of Bei Chi! And the consequences..."
"Is there a difference between betraying someone a little and betraying them completely?" Shan Chenjun looked at him. "In His Majesty's eyes, both are punishable by the execution of the entire family."
Shan Chenjun brushed the fallen leaves off his shoulder and coaxed meaningfully, "Mu Ge, actually I can understand you quite well."
“I have told you before that I am completely loyal to the king.”
"There is only one condition. I will only betray my sovereign if the price of loyalty to him is the destruction of my family."
“The Northern Chi tribe has vast territories that are not lacking even an inch from the Central Plains. Nor should they expand their territory at the cost of your entire family to complete their great achievements.”
"And you just made a choice that any human being would make."
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