When Yuwen Sheng first saw Gongshu Lan, whom he had forgotten, he naturally thought of Gongshu Jiruo.
The "Master Li" who was actually Gongshu Jiruo in disguise disappeared without a trace after seriously injuring Fu Rong at the Sang residence that day.
But Yuwen Sheng was not worried that he would leave Ye and return to Beiyuan.
With Gongshu Lan as bait, and perhaps now with Sang Xuanqing as well, he will eventually show himself.
But what exactly is the relationship between Gongshu Jiruo and Sang Xuanqing?
Was she truly loyal to the Mohists, the Gongshu School, or the Julu Kingdom, which she initially used as a smokescreen...?
Everything is still in a state of uncertainty, but that's okay, he'll find out soon.
Yuwen Sheng ordered someone to take the things from Gongshu Lan's hands.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a military deployment map. Regardless of its accuracy, the drawing style was remarkably similar to Sang Xuanqing's camp map at first glance.
Ordinary maps are divided into routes, sightlines, elevations, directions, and detours. Among them, six institutional principles are basically consistent with contemporary traditions. However, the maps drawn by Zheng Quchi are not entirely the same, and even have a new style of drawing that takes a different approach.
"Where did you get it?" Yuwen Sheng asked.
Seeing that Yuwen Sheng remained calm, Gongshu Lan was unsure whether this "military deployment map" was truly a potent remedy.
But she still followed the story she had prepared beforehand, saying, "Feng Qing gave it to me. Sang Xuanqing did come to the camp once, pretending to be looking for someone. At that time, Feng Qing suspected that she had other plans. That night, he secretly sneaked into her residence to investigate, but unexpectedly found this item."
"He said that this matter was of great importance. He did not fully understand the map. Knowing that I came from the Gongshu family and was skilled in crafts and tools, and had read through the drawings, he came to ask me if I understood it. However, it was the first time I had seen something like this, and I studied it with him for a while before I understood the various mysteries in the map."
"The defense map that the general is seeing now is the result of my deciphering the mystery and adding some details, which is why it is so clear. After that, I disappeared... The map has always been in my hands. I wanted to give it to the general, but I haven't been able to see him for the past few days. Only today have I been able to tell you the whole truth."
Upon hearing this, Fu Rong, Wei Yao, and the others all glanced at Gongshu Lan with somewhat subtle expressions.
Wang Zebang frowned. At first glance, Gongshu Lan's words seemed perfectly reasonable, but upon closer inspection, they contained a strange element.
At first, Zheng Quchi heard her mention herself and that she would be involved in something in the future, but the more he listened, the more confused he became and the more inexplicable it seemed.
She said coldly, "What do you mean by that?"
Is this woman joking? A defense map? Did she draw it while sleepwalking, or when she was possessed? If something this important were really lost, wouldn't she know it at all?
Yuwen Sheng seemed to find her current expression quite amusing, smiled, and answered for Gongshu Lan: "Military deployment map of Fu County."
Zheng Quchi wasn't really asking about the map. Instead of responding to Yuwen Sheng, she looked at Gongshu Lan and asked, "A military deployment map? You're saying that's mine?"
Gongshu Lan did not shy away from meeting her gaze, and she said softly, "Yes, it's yours."
Zheng Quchi pursed his pale lips and looked at her intently.
When Zheng Quchi first saw Gongshu Lan, he felt that she looked familiar, as if he had seen her somewhere before. Now, after taking a few more glances and trying to recall, he finally remembered her.
She had actually met Gongshu Lan once before.
It was in a workshop in Fuxian County that they were fighting over a piece of cold water stone (gypsum).
In retrospect, this may have been a tragic fate.
"You can determine it's mine based on just a few words? There shouldn't be my name or signature on it, and it wasn't caught at my residence."
Gongshu Lan saw that she was calm and composed, neither angry nor upset, but instead wanted to find a loophole to get herself out of trouble.
"If it's not yours, whose is it?" She looked puzzled, then explained her reasoning: "Feng Qing has no reason to wrong you, and neither do I. I once saw a design drawing of a ramming tool that you had drafted. Your drawings are different from those of ordinary craftsmen, and your style is unique and difficult for others to imitate. Also, you can have someone identify the handwriting on it to see if it is yours."
She presented everything in a very logical and organized manner.
In reality, every word he uttered was intended to kill her.
But Zheng Quchi really couldn't remember where "Sang Xuanqing" had offended her so badly.
She should be forced to frame me like this.
Although she couldn't understand the reason behind it, the other party's purpose in going to such great lengths to fabricate a fake "military deployment map" to frame her was obvious.
Zheng Quchi asked her, "You sound like you know a lot about this stuff. Who are you? Are your words necessarily reliable?"
Gongshu Lan smiled slightly. Although she was humble and did not show off her talents, the pride in her bones was engraved in her surname: "I am Gongshu Lan."
Gongshu...
Zheng Quchi was no longer the frog in the well she once was. She suddenly realized: "You are a member of the Gongshu family?"
"Yes, Gongshu Jiruo is my elder brother."
The implication is that her words carry authority.
Zheng Quchi thought he understood why Gongshu Lan had to kill her; perhaps it was because of the feud between the Gongshu family and the Mo family.
She stopped dwelling on why Gongshu Lan wanted to target her; what mattered now was getting rid of this "framing charge."
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