Chapter 50 The Transaction
Yangcheng, military camp.
"General, we've caught a fine fellow!"
The boy lay prone on the ground. Even though he was dressed in the winter clothes of the common people of Da'an, his Xianbei features were still evident. He had high eyebrows and deep-set eyes, and when he glared at people, he was full of arrogance.
“No, I didn’t sneak here. I have something to say to General Lin!” Rakar shouted in broken Da’an dialect.
Seeing that he was resisting the soldiers with all his might, Lin Quan suddenly had an idea.
Judging from the general's expression, it was clear that he had taken a liking to Rakar's talent. The adjutant quickly reminded him, "General, the Princess, the Princess!"
The army was already embarrassed enough by uncovering a bunch of spies, yet the general still dared to defy the law and commit crimes.
Lin Quan sighed and told the soldiers to release him: "Speak, what do you want with me?"
"I know about the Khan's siege plan, and I want to make a deal with you!"
Facing the ever-victorious war god of Da'an, the nightmare of the grasslands, Lakar felt somewhat timid. To show his strength, he stiffened his neck and cheered loudly.
As Lin Quan listened to his words, he looked directly at the wolf cub in front of him, which was wary of everything around it and seemed ready to bite at the slightest disturbance. Its fierce nature was truly suited for the battlefield.
"Tell me then, what kind of deal?"
“I heard that there is a doctor in Yangcheng named Yan Qing who is a miracle worker and has superb medical skills. I want to ask him to treat my sister.”
General Lin, who only had an impression of military affairs, remained silent and decided to request outside assistance. He turned to his adjutant and asked in a low voice, "Is there such a person in Yangcheng?"
The adjutant pondered for a moment, then whispered back, "Yes, but he went south to find a friend and is no longer in Yangcheng."
This man was highly respected among the people of Yangcheng, and the adjutant took notice of him. He originally wanted to find an opportunity to ask Doctor Yan to treat the general's chronic illness, but when he went to find him, his subordinates told him that the man had already left Yangcheng.
Lin Quan didn't hide anything and relayed the adjutant's words to Rakar.
Rakar had prepared himself for the possibility of failure and no return, but it seemed that General Lin was willing to talk to him. He tentatively suggested, "You can also take the medicinal herbs from your exchange."
The tea-horse trade brought not only tea, but also shrewd merchants who seized the opportunity to make money and brought in other goods.
Medicinal herbs are one of them.
There are more medicinal herbs in Da'an than on the grasslands, so there must be some medicine that can cure my sister.
Trading medicinal herbs for information is a sure-fire way to make money.
Lin Quan agreed to the deal with Lakar.
"The Great Khan will lead his troops into Yangcheng in the second month of winter!"
After saying this, Rakar noticed the strange expressions on Lin Quan and his adjutant's faces, and thinking they didn't believe him, he quickly added:
"It's true, I heard the Khan say it with my own ears in the tent!"
First, Lin Quan and his adjutant exchanged glances. The adjutant understood and then spoke with Lakar, asking him to name the medicinal herbs he needed, and they would prepare them for him.
The adjutant opened the tent door, and a gust of north wind rushed into the tent. Lin Quan called to the departing young man.
Rakar turned around and saw General Lin's dull eyes parted and hidden by his wind-blown hair: "Have you ever considered working in my army? The soldiers of Da'an are treated quite well. At least your sisters can be taken care of by the relatives of other soldiers."
His lips twitched slightly, and he subconsciously retorted, "I'm a grassland person, aren't you afraid I'll betray you?"
Lin Quan laughed loudly: "You dare to break into my army alone, unafraid of losing your head, so what do I have to be afraid of?"
"And you told us about the Khan just for your sister's sake, which shows you're not exactly loyal to the grasslands."
Upon hearing this, Rakar turned away in silence without replying.
After dealing with Rakar's matter, the adjutant returned to his tent.
"General, you don't actually intend to recruit him in the end, do you?"
"Give it a try. That young man is quite good; he's courageous and resourceful. What if he succeeds?"
"He's from the grasslands."
Lin Quan laughed out loud: "He is clearly a grassland person, but he asked Da'an for help to save his sister. Perhaps his situation is not good on the grassland. Looking at it this way, he might come back."
The adjutant voiced his concerns: "To be able to hear news inside the Khan's tent, his status must be quite high... I heard that the Khan recently found the young prince who was away. Judging from his age, could it be him?"
Lin Quan took out the letter from the eldest princess, placed it on the table, and gestured for his adjutant to look at it:
"Instead of all that, we should read the princess's letter: 'In the second month of winter, the entire army shall be on high alert...'"
The letter did not explain the reason, so at first, Lin Quan suspected that Princess Chang was going north to attack the grasslands.
But after hearing what the boy said today, looking at it from a different perspective, it might also be...
In the second month of winter, the Xianbei entered the pass, so the entire army was on high alert for defense.
Seeing the boy's appearance, the Khan decided that entering the pass was a recent event, but the princess's letter had been delivered to him a month earlier.
Could it all be a coincidence?
.
***
Zhou Chaoyun stared at the man who entered the mansion as if it were his own home. His blue-purple clothes and stunningly beautiful face made him look like a gorgeous venomous snake hiding in the shadows, waiting for people to relax for a moment before suddenly emerging, biting them, and taking their lives in an instant.
Apart from her residence, the surroundings seemed to be shrouded in a deathly silence.
Even the wind stopped at that moment.
This is the heart of the mansion; to enter, one must pass through numerous checkpoints. But where has everyone else gone?
A bead of cold sweat rolled down Zhou Chaoyun's face; he knew who he was.
"What, my second brother finally couldn't take it anymore and sent you to take my life?"
The man tilted his head, the bells on his body ringing crisply. He fell silent for a moment. Zhou Chaoyun felt as if a dangerous string was circling around him. If he made a move, he would be cut by the string and his whole body would be shattered on the ground.
He finally matched the second brother she mentioned with the second prince Zhou Ao, who had asked him to do things.
"Ah, yes..." The hoarse voice was harsh and unpleasant. After thinking for a moment, he slowly said, "No, yes."
"He wants you dead. No, now." He couldn't remember how to pronounce some of the words, and after thinking for a while, he managed to finish the sentence in fits and starts.
This person looked stiff and rigid, but Zhou Chaoyun dared not underestimate him.
Jiang Xi Qu...
Zhou Ao obtained it from the Jiang family; it's a venomous snake from the southern border.
In the witchcraft case, she has been severely restricted, and since he found Jiang Xiqu, she has suffered repeated defeats.
A man who uses Gu poison with uncanny skill...
As his enemy, it is impossible to know when or where he died.
"I should thank my second brother for his kindness, which allowed me to live a little longer."
Jiang Xiqu, who had been idly twirling the bone flute in her hand, stopped upon hearing this and asked curiously:
"I want to kill your entire household. Your heart is kind."
His words contrasted sharply with the silence outside the courtyard. After a long pause, Zhou Chaoyun finally came to his senses and asked, "Are all the people outside dead?"
He shook his head: "No, there is. Late."
He may not be alive now, but he will still face death later.
"No, however, some people say that he died in exchange for your life."
Zhou Chaoyun's face was grim. Seeing that the man had no intention of making a move, she forced a smile: "If my second brother can cooperate with you, so can I? How about it, are you interested in making a deal?"
"trade?"
"...When the time comes, I will die, and you will spare them."
"Strange, weird. I don't understand." Jiang Xiqu didn't understand why these people were willing to die for each other, but it was rare for someone to talk to him for so long.
Those who were killed by Jiang Xi at Zhou Ao's request have all died.
"I am the lord, and as subjects of the ruler, I must plan for their future. As for the reward, after I die, you can take whatever you want from the manor."
"Um……"
Something flew into her sleeve and bit her before she could react.
She felt no pain, which nearly caused her to pass away unknowingly.
Fortunately, she kept an eye on him, but unfortunately, it was impossible to guard against everything, and she still fell for his trick.
Jiang Xi turned over and stood firmly on the courtyard wall: "Your life. Mine."
After saying that, he took a few light steps and flew out of Zhou Chaoyun's residence.
Zhou Chaoyun lifted her sleeve and found red spots on her arm.
It seemed like some kind of omen of death.
At that moment, a guard rushed into the courtyard, shouting in a flustered manner, "Your Highness, everyone in the manor has fainted. Are you alright, Your Highness?"
...
"You went to the Princess's residence? The Second Prince didn't tell you to hurt her at this time."
The newcomer was a man with dark circles under his eyes and dressed in a gray robe. He was waving a bamboo fan that he hadn't changed in a long time and whose edges were tattered.
Jiang Xi walked back to the lush courtyard: "No, kill."
Cui Shu breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully, no one was around.
He wouldn't let anyone discover that although he was in the Second Prince's residence, his thoughts were on the Eldest Princess's residence.
As for Jiang Xi going to inform on them
He didn't even understand what informing was; as long as you didn't ask, all the secrets would quietly melt away.
"She is strange. She traded her life with you."
Cui Shu was also puzzled; he was willing to exchange his life for the princess.
Jiang Xi looked at the somewhat bewildered person in front of her and gradually gathered her chaotic thoughts.
Ruler and subject?
"Jiang Xiqu, why are you working for the Second Prince?" Cui Shu couldn't guess and decided to get the answer directly from the person in question.
"...always, give, him, work, things."
What's so interesting about asking that?
He initially worked for Zhou Ao, and he still works for Zhou Ao now, and he should continue to do so in the future.
It used to be like this.
This will continue in the future.
"Come here, people."
Cui Shu knew how anxious Zhou Ao was about Jiang Xiqu, and there must be something fishy about it. Unfortunately, he had been at the Second Prince's residence for many days but still couldn't figure it out.
After he arrived at the Second Prince's residence, he discovered that Jiang Xiqu, whom everyone feared, was nothing more than an ignorant child with only witchcraft skills, kept by the Second Prince.
Ironically, this man, who was almost devoid of common sense, morality, ethics, and self-awareness, was used to eliminate many people who disagreed with the Second Prince's political views.
To avoid being discovered, Cui Shu slipped away before the guards arrived.
Soon, a guard came into the courtyard, and the one in the lead asked, "Lord Jiang, is there anything unusual in the courtyard?"
Jiang Xi stared straight at them with her dark, almost lifeless eyes. The guards felt a sense of crisis urging them to run away, but their feet seemed to be nailed to the ground, unable to move.
After an unknown amount of time, with beads of sweat appearing on the guard's forehead, Jiang Xiqu finally spoke slowly: "No, there is."
The guards, worried that they might become the protagonists of the strange incident "Mud in the Flower" in the manor, wished they could run away immediately upon hearing his reply: "Then we won't disturb you any longer, sir. We'll take our leave now."
After a moment, the courtyard returned to deathly silence, with only the occasional chirping of insects.
His eyes were fixed on the black insects crawling among the branches, his body motionless, until the sky darkened.
Watching insects was his third habit since he watched the sun and shadows at the Jiang residence when he was a child.
...After eating longevity noodles last night, Aji wouldn't let him rest with her. Jiang Xi woke up from his sleep and sat listlessly on the bed.
The memories from the dream faded quickly, leaving him with a profound sense of loneliness, as if he had instantly returned to the days when he was still living in the Jiang family mansion.
It seems to be a dream without Aji.
It was a nightmare.
There was a knocking sound on the windowpane; there was only one person who would knock on his window.
He quickly got out of bed and opened the door.
As dawn broke, Shang Yuji, dressed in her fiery red wedding gown and with her hair flowing freely, smiled at him from the wooden window.
"Help me fix my hair, Xi Qu."
Jiang Xi nodded vigorously, her unbound hair swaying with the movement: "Mmm!"
Today is a beautiful day.
He thought.
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Author's note: I didn't use commas to increase the word count (please forgive me [crying]) because Xiao Jiang can't speak in a physical sense, it's all Xiao Jiang's fault!
To beg for mercy, here are some minor additions [rose emoji]
Cui Shu had a room specifically for storing various kinds of fans. Every day, he would choose the fan that accompanied him based on his mood. Because he never forgot to fan himself even in winter, Gongsun Ming repeatedly called him a "summer insect." It wasn't that Cui Shu was short-sighted, but rather that he thought it looked really silly for him to fan himself in winter.
A Shuang tried frying insects a few times at the Princess's residence, always scaring everyone into screaming. Sun Wang was the biggest victim, once even fainting from fright. A Yi, on the other hand, had a blank expression and couldn't tell the difference after eating the fried insects, so A Shuang thought she had finally met someone with similar interests. In fact, the one who truly enjoyed eating fried insects was Cui Shuxin, who pretended to be calm and ate them to refute A Shuang's claim that "people from Da'an are timid." She found them quite delicious and often used the excuse of visiting her brother to go to A Shuang's residence and freeload off the insects.
Yi'an and Yi'ning are sisters. If both of them are present, calling "Miss Yi" will make both of them turn around, but calling "Miss An" or "Miss Ning" will not cause any problems. Fortunately, the two live in different places due to work, so there are no more embarrassing situations caused by calling each other.
That's all for now! Happy Qixi Festival to all my lovely friends! [Roses][Roses][Roses][Sprinkling flowers][Roses][Roses][Roses]
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