Zheng Quchi stared at him blankly.
Dan Bian gritted his teeth and continued, "Because of this man-made barrier, these fierce grassland barbarians on the border of Fu County cannot gain a foothold in the interior and cannot shake the foundation of Ye Kingdom. Like other countries, it is like a dike at the throat, protecting Ye Kingdom."
Zheng Quchi understood immediately.
She had read a sentence in a book.
Even the most severe tinea cannot penetrate to the very core of the body.
The true function of the city wall of Fuxian was to limit the speed of barbarian cavalry and cut off their reinforcements. Invaders might be able to concentrate their forces and occasionally break through one or two passes to launch a large-scale invasion, but as long as a strong army was stationed along the entire section of the city wall, they would always face the risk of being ambushed and unable to return home.
This is similar to the role the Great Wall played in China during her era.
Her throat was dry, and after swallowing a few times, she said, "Do you know what the consequences will be for the Mo family doing this?"
Dan Bian's expression was indifferent. He simply said, "What do these things have to do with us? Chizi, Ye Kingdom is not our homeland. If it is destroyed, so be it. As long as we can complete the mission, that's all that matters. You don't need to worry about anything else."
Zheng Quchi found it amusing and actually laughed. She told him, "But Shan Bian, I am a human being, not an animal. How could I not think about how much innocent blood I have stained my hands after doing something heinous?"
When Shan Bian heard her description, his face immediately turned very ugly.
"But what good is thinking about it? What can you do? What can you change by yourself? Don't let your soft heart lead you to your own doom."
Zheng Quchi felt there was nothing more to say to him.
She turned away with a cold expression, but Shan Bian grabbed her arm.
"Did Yuwen Sheng and the others say something to you? Ruler, don't believe him. Yuwen Sheng is a man who can't tolerate any nonsense. No spy or assassin he finds out can survive, regardless of whether they chose to betray him or surrender to him."
Zheng Quchi was alert. She remained calm and replied as if she were giving in, "He did suspect my identity, but that's normal. After all, we thought of this consequence when we risked attracting his attention. As you said, if he really believed I was a spy, would I still be standing here?"
He was taken aback by her half-truth.
“I fooled him, but perhaps not completely. At least he spared my life. But from now on, you should keep your distance from me. If he follows the trail, he could easily wipe us all out,” she earnestly advised.
Dan Bian listened attentively and thought about it for a moment.
"You're right. Did he say anything else to you when he saw you?"
“He was very interested in the earth-moving tool I made before. He thought I was good at carpentry, so he asked me to consider joining his group of craftsmen.” She made up a story.
Dan Bian didn't doubt her: "So, did you agree or not? Since you have such a good opportunity to get close to him, you must agree."
"Today I saw an assassin in the main camp..." Zheng Quchi didn't want to recall the bloody scene from today, but when she looked into Shan Bian's eyes, she couldn't help but reveal a smile that was very similar to Yuwen Sheng's.
It was an expression of extreme calm that came from being driven to the brink of madness.
"He was cleaved in two by Yuwen Sheng's sword. Have you ever seen someone die like that? Because the sword strike was so fast, when he was split in two, his eyes and fingers were still moving. He was still alive, but he could only wait to die in agony..."
Dan Bian's face paled, and he was forced to take a step back under her gaze.
She lowered her eyes: "If you're so capable, then go for it. I admit I'm scared. As for the other tasks, we'll see how things go when the time comes."
——
After a night of sleep and a night of chaotic dreams, Zheng Quchi woke up the next day with sore and swollen eyes and rubbed his temples.
Um?
Her hand seemed to be able to move again, but the soreness when she swung her arm made her gasp.
Ouch, ouch, ouch...
How can we start working like this?
Just when she was feeling down, her coworker brought her some good news.
It is said that the county magistrate, knowing that she was injured while saving someone, ordered the soldiers to tell her not to rush to work, but to rest and recover first.
There was also a man named "Master Li" whose head injury had not yet healed and who was unable to move easily, so he sent someone to deliver a small plaque to her.
The brand is not made of jade, wood, or stone; it is made of a very special material, like some kind of refined metal, with great hardness and a light black color resembling brown.
Why did you give her this brand nameplate?
She picked up the string and swung it around. The plaque, only the size of a mahjong tile, didn't look special at all. There weren't even any words engraved on it; it was just a smooth, flat plaque.
Does it have some commemorative significance or is it very valuable?
Unable to discern anything, Zheng Quchi put the item in his pocket, intending to return it to the man the next time he saw him.
She has no use for this thing; it might be something she finds tasteless and regrettable to discard, but it might be something special to others.
She's been getting paid for nothing these past two days, just lying around doing nothing, but she's always preoccupied with something, tossing and turning over in her mind.
I thought of Liu Fengmian for a moment. I didn't run into him when I went to the camp this time, and I don't know where he is.
A moment later, I thought of what Wei Yao had said, and my heart settled down.
Then he thought of the task Shan Bian had mentioned, and he was overwhelmed with worries.
She got out of bed in a huff and heard several soldiers passing by outside the shed. They were talking: "I heard from the magistrate that General Yuwen's Seven Constellations Army is coming to garrison Guixu Ridge."
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