Su Wan came up with a way to expose Bai Zhiyi's lie and excitedly went to find Wei Jingzhuo.
Wei Jingzhuo was sharpening his sword on a whetstone. After listening to her, he lowered his head again to sharpen his sword.
Su Wan grabbed his arm: "Ah Jin, stop fiddling with your sword for now. How about this idea?"
Wei Jingzhuo said, "It's a good idea. But simply revealing that Bai Zhiyi is a fake goddess isn't enough. Chu Yi's attack on the Great Jin is not something Bai Zhiyi can easily persuade him to do. As the next emperor of Southern Chu, he already has the ambition to expand his territory. Bai Zhiyi just gave him a push."
Su Wan said, "So you mean this matter isn't important?"
“More important than this is preparing an army,” Wei Jingzhuo said. “Do you know where the Southern Chu army is right now?”
Su Wan said, "Of course I know, they are stationed at Xiping Pass."
“They might attack Shangjing when the weather warms up,” Wei Jingzhuo said, holding his sword upright and gently stroking the blade with his fingers. “I cannot tolerate Southern Chu doing that.”
“I understand,” Su Wan walked around behind Wei Jingzhuo and punched his shoulders with her fists. “You’re such a busy man, you’re raising an army. I’ll go to the capital myself then.”
Wei Jingzhuo said, "What are you going to do? This matter can be accomplished by sending a messenger."
Su Wan thought about it and realized it made sense. She stuck out her tongue and said, "Then let's send an envoy to the capital."
Wei Jingzhuo sent two messengers to the capital. A week later, the two messengers returned and told Wei Jingzhuo and Su Wan that the Duke and Duchess Bai of the Duke's Mansion had fallen ill with grief and were staying at home, refusing to see anyone.
Su Wan asked, "Didn't you tell them that Bai Zhiyi was in the Southern Chu army?"
“I did,” one of the messengers said, “but the gatekeeper said that someone had been coming to spread false information about Miss Bai Zhiyi, swindling a lot of money from the Duke’s mansion. The Duke no longer believes it.”
Su Wan said to Wei Jingzhuo, "Look, in the end, after all this trouble, I, the goddess, still have to personally handle it."
Wei Jingzhuo said, "You just can't stay idle. You can go, but you'll need someone to protect you."
Su Wan already had a plan, and said, "I'll have my sworn sister accompany me."
"That's not enough. Have Lin Qingfeng lead a group of guards to protect you in secret. They won't show themselves unless there's a problem, then I can rest assured."
"That's great," Su Wan hugged Wei Jingzhuo and gave him a big kiss. "I've always wanted to help you. If we can uncover Bai Zhiyi's identity, I believe it will definitely be helpful."
Wei Jingzhuo shook his head with a wry smile: "You are really different from other women."
“Of course. I’m not the kind of woman who only knows how to act cute and charming,” Su Wan said, putting her hands on her hips. “I’m a virtuous wife who can help my husband, hahaha.”
She set off without hesitation, calling Meng Ruliu along. They prepared enough food and water, and set off.
Two weeks have passed since the fall of Xiping Pass. Early March is the time when the earth awakens and all things revive.
Su Wan rode Xuehua, and Meng Ruliu rode a fine horse given to them by the Western Rong army. The two rode their horses with gusto, traveling day and night, and after four days, they arrived at the outskirts of Shangjing City.
It was early morning, and the two dismounted at a roadside eatery. Su Wan said, "Sister Yi, let's eat something first, we're hungry."
Meng Ruliu took off the pouch containing her double whips from beside the saddle and hung it on her back, laughing, "What my sworn sister said is exactly what I was thinking. We've been eating dried meat and flatbread all the way here; it's time for a change of pace."
Her hammer had been broken by Chu Yi's curved blade, leaving her without a suitable weapon. Su Wan commissioned craftsmen from Xirong to forge a pair of bronze whips for her. They weighed the same as her previous hammer, were easy to use, and could also be thrown to strike people.
Meng Ruliu performed a few moves and was quite satisfied.
Most importantly, the copper whip is longer than the iron hammer, so you don't have to get too close to the enemy and risk your own safety when fighting.
The two entered the restaurant, which was almost full. Shangjing was the capital of the Great Jin Dynasty, and even the outskirts were bustling with activity. The diners chatted animatedly, sharing their experiences from all over the world.
There was only one empty table in the corner, and Su Wan and Meng Ruliu sat down facing each other. The waiter came over to wipe the table and said with a smile, "What would you two ladies like to eat? Our shop has steaming hot buns on the stove, freshly made braised noodles, porridge from the bucket for yourself, and various side dishes."
Meng Ruliu asked, "What kind of filling do the steamed buns have?"
"Pork and scallion, cabbage and pork, pork and celery..."
Su Wan asked, "Why is it all meat?"
In Xirong, vegetables are scarce, but meat is plentiful. After beef, there's mutton, and after mutton, beef. Every meal consists of roasted or stewed meat, served with potatoes. She's gotten so sick of meat that she loses her appetite at the mere mention of it.
"Everyone loves pork," the waiter said, draping the towel over his shoulder after wiping the food. "If the two ladies would like vegetarian filling, we have cabbage filling."
Su Wan asked, "How much are the vegetarian buns?"
"Eight in one steamer, forty coins," the waiter said, glancing at the two girls. "One steamer should be enough for the two ladies. We can also add two bowls of porridge and two side dishes. That'll come to eighty coins in total."
"Alright, bring five steamers of vegetarian cabbage-filled buns," Meng Ruliu said, "along with four side dishes and four bowls of porridge."
The waiter was startled and looked Meng Ruliu up and down: "Miss, you're not wrong, are you? Even a grown man couldn't finish five steamers of food."
Su Wan smiled and said, "My sworn sister has a big appetite, so you can do it."
The waiter walked away, half believing and half doubting.
Su Wan said, "Sister-in-law, are you planning to eat your fill here? This is breakfast. Once we get to the capital, we can find a restaurant and have a proper meal."
“It’s alright,” Meng Ruliu patted the copper whip on the table. “We’re still more than ten miles from the capital. After we finish eating, we’ll find a secluded spot to practice this. I’ll be hungry again soon.”
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