Without a doubt, this person was the one who had bewitched Yuwen Sheng so much that he led his troops to invade the city of Julu just to find her.
They had assumed she would be stunningly beautiful, like the infamous Daji who brought ruin to the country, or a beauty so captivating that she would instantly bewitch anyone, like the goddess Luo.
But she is neither of them.
It's not that she's unattractive, but she doesn't seem like the kind of woman who's scheming or knows how to charm. Instead, when she opens her big eyes, they're like the rising sun, innocent and adorable.
What makes her so special that Yuwen Sheng treats her differently from everyone else?
Outside the tent, besides Zheng Quchi, there were only two guards inside.
The chief eunuch straightened his clothes, then put on his airs again, deliberately raising his voice and shouting, "Where is Madam Zheng? Why aren't you here at once to receive my orders?"
“The Zheng family is here.”
Zheng Quchi leaned on the table and slowly stood up, looking "extremely weak".
"How dare you answer like that? You have no manners whatsoever! Why aren't you kneeling down to receive the King's decree?" Lord Liu reprimanded.
Upon hearing this, Zheng Quchi realized, "Oh no, I'll have to kneel again."
Just when she thought she'd finally become a general's wife and could kneel to fewer people, the Prince of Ye appeared above her. It seems she'll never escape the old society's hierarchical rules, no matter how far she goes in her life.
"Yes, it is Zheng who has lost her manners. She was shot by an arrow just two days ago and her old wounds have not yet healed. She really cannot kneel down to receive the imperial decree." She lowered her head and said apologetically.
It's one thing for the Prince of Ye to come in person, but who are these two?
She won't kneel.
They had heard something about the general's wife's injury.
If it were half an hour ago, they would have definitely given Yuwen Sheng's new wife a good lesson. But now they were thirsty and tired, and just wanted to finish their business and go back to rest. They simply didn't have the energy to deal with her now.
Moreover, seeing her thin and frail appearance, it's possible that this injury won't last much longer.
"Listen carefully. My beloved daughter, Princess Sheng'an, was heartbroken by Yuwen Sheng's heartlessness and went to Fuxian County. However, she encountered bandits there and has been missing ever since. Fuxian County is under the jurisdiction of General Yuwen. Such a terrible thing has happened. This matter is a dereliction of duty by the Fuxian County government and Changxunpo. If Princess Sheng'an is not found within a month, all those involved will be detained and brought back to the capital to await punishment!"
This must be their second wave of urging us. First they sent a message, and this time they came directly to deliver the order.
What will you come for next time?
Should we directly lead troops to capture them?
Through these observations, Zheng Quchi gained some understanding of what kind of person the King of Ye was.
She maintained her sickly appearance, curtsied slightly, and whispered, "Zheng Quchi accepts the decree."
The chief eunuch finished reading the imperial edict in one breath, his mouth even drier. He swallowed hard and said in a high-pitched voice, "Is there any tea to serve? This place is so dry and barren, it really is a poor, desolate place! Even if you beat me to death, I will never come here again."
After Zheng Quchi stood up leisurely, seeing that the important business was finished, he decided not to entertain him any further.
"Oh, I don't have any here, Xiao Sun."
Xiao Sun is a guard.
He immediately stepped forward and said, "Yes."
Zheng Quchi covered his mouth and coughed a few times as if to hide his mouth: "Take the chief steward and this Lord Liu to Xixi for some water, and then see them off. Make sure they are seen off properly and watch them walk away. Don't neglect our distinguished guests."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Sun lowered his head and suppressed a laugh, saying, "Yes."
The chief eunuch was taken aback and said, "What did you say? Go to the stream to drink water?"
Zheng Quchi said apologetically, "It's all because our poor rural area is short of water. We only have one muddy stream to supply water, and we can't store it. Usually, we don't care about the water and we all drink from and bathe in this stream. Otherwise, since it's getting late, why don't you two stay overnight in our simple camp and have some wild vegetable soup before going back?"
Hunxi, we drank and bathed together, and even shared wild vegetable soup...
Just hearing those words gave them goosebumps: "Who wants to live in this lousy place!"
Zheng Quchi nodded in understanding and said, "Alas, I think so too. Our shabby place really can't keep such precious people as you, Grand Steward. Little Sun, let's see the guests out."
Before leaving, Lord Liu suddenly turned back and said, "Zheng Quchi, the deadline is one month, and several days have already passed. If you insist on getting involved in this mess, then you'd better find someone to help you. Otherwise, all of you combined won't be able to compensate Princess Sheng'an."
Zheng Quchi had been feigning illness quite convincingly, but upon hearing his words, her eyes couldn't help but change: "In the eyes of the Prince of Ye and you, are we soldiers who guard the frontier and protect our country so cheap?"
Lord Liu was momentarily stunned by her sudden change of heart.
The chief eunuch narrowed his eyes and said sarcastically, "Heh, don't be so smug. Without Yuwen Sheng, the Ye Kingdom will not acknowledge any wife of a high-ranking general. If you're willing to take the blame for them, then take it well. In any case, it's a thankless task in the end."
In a secular sense, Zheng Quchi was Yuwen Sheng's acknowledged wife, and she was even listed in the family genealogy. Everyone recognized her, except for the Prince of Ye. However, the Prince of Ye was the one who set the rules for the entire Ye Kingdom, so if he didn't acknowledge her, no one could refute him.
The reason they didn't publicly confront her and denounce her as an imposter was simply because Yuwen Sheng had publicly acknowledged her in Julu Kingdom and in front of the soldiers in Fu County.
They haven't reached the final stage with Yuwen Sheng's troops yet, so they plan to save this trump card for a crucial moment.
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