He Xin noticed his unusual behavior. Although it was a bit unfair, seeing Qi Yuanliang get his comeuppance was genuinely enjoyable.
He expressed his concern with a sincere expression.
"Yuanliang, has something come to mind?"
Or perhaps, you've thought of some nemesis who might be trying to trip you up.
Knowing Qi Shan as He Xin did, it wouldn't be surprising if this guy offended some monsters or demons; it would be extraordinary if he were to behave himself and avoid making enemies. Judging from Qi Shan's reaction, he had most likely locked onto his target. He Xin's eyes lit up with interest, but Cui Xiao, his true enemy, couldn't muster a shred of schadenfreude. Being happy to see Qi Shan suffer or even be humiliated didn't mean he wanted to see Kang Kingdom suffer.
Who is that person?
The four characters "Cui Xiao" implied murderous intent.
Qi Shan gently shook her head: "I have no clue."
His pause stemmed from a realization of his subconscious arrogance. In this era where the abilities of scholars were unpredictable and ever-changing, his own abilities were not unique. For instance, someone like Luan Gongyi could replicate the "Masterful Painting," easily creating convincing fakes. Furthermore, the enemy's scheme wasn't flawless; while forged military orders could deceive, what truly allowed this situation to proceed smoothly was the inherent flaws in Kang's military system. These flaws were also prevalent in other countries and among warlord factions.
Soldiers often only recognize their superiors.
Ordinary soldiers obeyed the squad leader, the squad leader obeyed the platoon leader, and the platoon leader obeyed the centurion. A military order was usually passed down level by level. The centurion told the platoon leader, the platoon leader informed the squad leader, and finally the squad leader gathered the ordinary soldiers.
Even if the higher-ups rebelled, the elite soldiers would mostly be unaware that they were engaging in some kind of nefarious activity; they would only know where to fight and kill. Even if the soldiers realized something, they wouldn't bypass their squad leaders to question the platoon leaders or centurions. The enemy exploited this characteristic, greatly increasing the success rate of their assassination plots.
If we don't address the root of the problem, it's not impossible to fall into the same trap again—it's okay to keep using the same old tricks, as long as they're effective; one well-executed trick can be enough to defeat the enemy. He said, "Although we don't have any clues, we can be sure it wasn't an idea from Wu Zhaode's strategists."
Luan Xin, whose reaction was even less responsive on the battlefield, also had his opinions.
"...It's neither entirely in Gao's favor nor a complete attack on Shangnan. It seems more like a neutral stance, with both sides suffering greater losses." If Gao's intelligence is this advanced, it could deliver a heavy blow to Shangnan, rather than simply delaying Yun Ce's troops.
The range of eligible criteria has been greatly narrowed.
Qi Shan guessed, "Could they be from the Southwest Branch?"
Although it's currently a war between Kang and Gao, several other forces have gotten involved, each with their own ulterior motives and objectives. The Southwest Branch is the prime suspect, but not the only one!
Qi Shanxin turned around twice.
He told Luan Xin, "After this battle, I'll secretly go see someone."
Luan Xin asked, "Who?"
"A woman named Mei Jinghe, who is also a literary scholar belonging to the Southwest Branch. Take a look at her approach to literature and see if there are any problems." Qi Shan spoke of this matter with some regret.
Luan Xin was summoned by his lord to take on a mission as soon as he arrived from Fengluo, while Mei Meng kept a low profile during this time, spending her days either playing with Cui Hui or drinking at her lodgings, and was thus overlooked for a while.
During this period, Luan Xin also had no opportunity to contact Mei Meng.
"Mei Jinghe?"
This name caught the attention of both He Xin and his old friend Fang Yan.
Cui Xiao asked, "Do you know her?"
Old friend: "This name sounds familiar, I've heard of it before."
Intermarriages were frequent among aristocratic families. If you randomly picked two seemingly unrelated people from this circle and checked their family genealogies, you might find that they were distant relatives. Mei Jinghe was also a rather unconventional female ruler from an aristocratic family, and her reputation spread far and wide, so naturally, she was known to everyone.
He Xin replied, "She and my mother-in-law are from the same clan."
Mei Meng was younger than his mother-in-law, but by seniority she was her great-aunt. Moreover, because Mei Meng was famous in Sibao County during her youth, had a rich romantic history, and acted in a bold and unrestrained manner, she had many admirers. The elders in the clan had some reservations about her private life.
She is considered a typical negative example in the industry; those who admire her highly approve of her, while those who dislike her think she is too presumptuous.
Her mother-in-law didn't like her.
It is said that Mei Meng's influence affected her remarriage.
She later used her as a bad example when teaching her daughter about proper conduct.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. Congratulations to his wife, who actually admired Mei Meng, whom she had never met, and believed that marriage was like wearing shoes—the most important thing was that they fit and didn't rub. As long as the feet were comfortable, a man could have three wives and four concubines, and a woman could have three husbands and four servants.
As long as the wives, concubines, and husbands don't object, it's fine.
He Xin also remembered Mei Meng's name because of this.
but--
He couldn't connect the three words "Mei Meng," "Southwest Branch," and "Wenxin Wenshi," let alone apply them to a single person.
Luan Xin asked, "Do you suspect it's her?"
"She is one of the suspects."
Enemies must be eliminated one by one!
He Xin didn't have the extra energy to pay attention to this matter. His gaze turned to the distance, and he abruptly warned, "They're here!"
As Yun Ce appeared, the thunderclouds ceased their movement, but they didn't dissipate either, remaining silently shrouded in the sky above, like a pair of dark eyes watching over the every move of all living beings. Not long after Yun Ce arrived, an army also arrived, kicking up dust.
Yun Ce glanced at it: "They're one of our own."
Leading this army was the Grand Master of the Imperial Workshop.
A hint of warmth appeared on his cold face: "Open the city gates."
Although the troops they brought were few, they could at least make up for the shortage of defenders inside the city. The Gao Kingdom's army would have no chance of success!
Do you think you can succeed?
Heyin County, its seat of government, was the residence of Fugu people.
Mei Meng turned around and looked at Cui Hui, who shouldn't be there.
She smiled faintly and said, "Isn't Ke Wu taking a nap?"
Cui Hui took a few steps forward, supporting himself on the long pillar of the connecting corridor.
Her steps were unsteady, she seemed to have little strength, and her face was paler than usual, but her gaze was resolute. She gritted her teeth and said, "Mei Jinghe, have you been using me these past few days?"
Mei Meng smiled and said, "Why do you say that?"
After saying that, he sighed again: "You shouldn't have come."
Whatever Cui Hui discovered, the wisest course of action would have been to pretend not to know, take a nap, and wait until his usual wake-up time before getting up, rather than rashly coming over to tell himself, "Those who know too much often die young."
The dead are more reassuring than the living.
Mei Meng had no intention of harming Cui Hui; she had only given her a small dose of medication to put her into a deep sleep, and by the time Cui Hui woke up, she would have already escaped. Now that she had been caught red-handed, Mei Meng could only ask Cui Hui for advice: "What should I do?"
His tone was full of distress.
Cui Hui was horrified to see that the other person's hand had touched the hilt of the sword.
I instinctively wanted to take a half step back, but I stopped myself.
The two faced each other across the corridor for a few moments.
The next instant, a sharp pain shot through my neck.
Before Cui Hui lost consciousness, a familiar skirt swept past her eyes. Her body went limp and collapsed to the ground, her eyelids growing heavier and heavier as if filled with lead. Besides the receding footsteps, there was a slightly annoyed reply: "Wouldn't it be better to just sleep until you naturally wake up? Why did you have to suffer like this? Why did Ke Wu have to do this?"
Before long, only darkness remained before my eyes.
Mei Meng went out and turned into the alley.
Once outside the city, they successfully rendezvoused with their own people.
"We encountered a little trouble on the way and were delayed for a while. How is the security outside?" Mei Meng boarded the carriage and bent down to enter the compartment. Before her confidant could respond, a sense of crisis had already taken over her mind, and she retreated without thinking.
The train carriage suddenly exploded.
The shockwave scattered the wreckage of the train car all over the ground.
Mei Meng's smile faded, her eyes darting left and right, alertly scanning her surroundings. The rest of the convoy quickly surrounded her; all that remained of the driver's position was a pool of blood and flesh, his internal organs hanging from branches. Had she not dodged in time, she would likely have been caught in the crossfire: "Who?"
The other party did not respond.
No, the other party's answer was a flying head.
One by one, the outermost guards fell dead, leaving only three in the blink of an eye. One of them shouted, "You traitor, do not harm my lord!"
Then came the clanging of weapons clashing.
The strongest of the three men couldn't even last twenty moves.
A whip-like afterimage flashed by, and the guard's body flew backward like a cannonball, crashing into four large trees before coming to a stop.
Those with better hearing could clearly hear the sound of bones cracking. The guard coughed up a mouthful of blood, while the other two corpses were impaled on the tree trunk above their heads by a long spear. Blood flowed down the tree trunk, mingling with the blood of the seriously wounded guards to form a pool of blood.
The guard said with difficulty, "Master..."
Mei Meng, standing rooted to the spot, seemed stunned by the sudden turn of events, remaining motionless like a wooden statue, her gaze fixed on one particular spot.
puff--
The weapon that had pierced the two corpses was pulled out by a large hand.
As the corpse hit the heavily wounded guard on the ground, the newcomer revealed himself. This person had a face Mei Meng knew all too well—who else could it be but Lü Jue? Lü Jue dragged his blood-stained spear and slowly approached Mei Meng, asking as he went, "Where is Madam going? If you are going on a long journey, why not give me a chance to see you off?"
Looking at Lü Jue, who was covered in blood, Mei Meng smiled radiantly, like a blooming peony, and calmly said, "Shou Sheng, are you going to see me off?"
Lü Jue said, "Of course."
Mei Meng didn't seem to see the corpses scattered on the ground.
Where will the banquet be held?
Lu Jue's eyes darkened slightly: "You'll know once Madam arrives."
Mei Meng placed her hand on the hilt of her sword: "People say that 'all good things must come to an end.' We don't know when or where we'll meet again after this separation. You should know that I've always hated this kind of thing. Have you forgotten, or do you remember? But no feast is ever truly good."
Lü Jue gave the same answer as always.
"You'll know when you get there, Madam."
Mei Meng shook her head: "What if I answer 'no'?"
"Madam may say 'no,' and I may also refuse."
Judging from Lü Jue's posture, he wasn't planning to release them.
Mei Meng showed no surprise at this.
She knew Lü Jue too well; it would be strange if he were to agree to let her go. But precisely because she knew him, she was even more certain that Lü Jue had no good intentions in taking her away: "I won't attend the banquet, and you won't release me. Shousheng, what do you think we should do?"
Lü Jue's response was to raise his weapon and point it at her.
In a flash, the cold, sharp spikes were already pressed against his skin.
A distinct coolness was felt at the point of contact.
The smell of blood from the weapons was overwhelming.
Mei Meng was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter.
A genuine smile appeared in those charming and affectionate eyes.
"Shousheng really didn't disappoint me."
Mei Meng winked at him slyly.
"However, I'm going to disappoint Shousheng."
Lu Jue realized something was wrong. When he tried to thrust his weapon out again, he found the sensation was off. It wasn't the characteristic feel of injuring flesh; instead, it felt more like the stiffness of splitting wood. He looked again, but Mei Meng was nowhere to be seen. Not only was Mei Meng fake, but even the corpses lying on the ground were fake. Only one sentence remained in the air: "The person sent to kill me shouldn't have been you."
As long as it's Lü Jue, he's bound to fail.
Of course, it wasn't because Lü Jue would show mercy.
Mei Meng clutched her neck, the lingering hallucinations making her frown. If she hadn't prepared a backup plan, Lü Jue's move could have truly sent her to meet her ancestors. She glanced out the window in a certain direction, then lowered the carriage curtain: "Let's set off, don't worry about it."
Unexpectedly, the carriage stopped again after only a short while.
Mei Meng raised an eyebrow: "What happened?"
Could it be that Lü Jue has caught up with us?
The driver said, "Master, someone's here."
Mei Meng lifted the carriage curtain and found someone blocking the path. This person was beautiful, with delicate features but no ostentation. The moment their gaze met, she felt a subtle sensation—a secret joy at seeing a kindred spirit. It was this feeling that made her realize the newcomer was no ordinary person. Mei Meng sighed softly to herself.
All I wanted was to get away, why all this trouble?
"May I ask your name, Madam?"
Mei Meng wore a faint, inquisitive smile.
The convoy's guards were on guard against the other side.
The visitor replied, "I am Wu."
Mei Meng pondered this strange name carefully. It didn't seem like a proper name; it sounded more like a casually chosen pseudonym.
The newcomer seemed to have read her mind.
He opened his mouth and explained, "I am a fictitious person, and my name is 'Nothingness.' Your Majesty, you seem to be in a hurry. Where are you going?"
Mei Meng said, "Go home."
Why be so secretive when returning home?
Wu You's words seemed to have a hidden meaning, and Mei Meng understood. She smiled and said, "If no one had stopped me, I wouldn't have had to go through all this trouble. If Lady Wu You is willing to do us a favor, why don't you let us pass?"
Wu You shook his head and refused: "That won't do."
Mei Meng's smile disappeared for the second time.
"That's a real pity, we have no choice but to leave today."
Fugu, a residential house.
Ning Yan was about to pat Cui Hui awake, who had collapsed and was unconscious.
Cui Hui was not only drugged, but also underwent a profound spell, experiencing seven or eight terrifying dreams within dreams in just a quarter of an hour.
When I slowly woke up, I thought I was still dreaming.
"...She's strangely good-looking."
She didn't know what was wrong with her previous dreams; the people in them were either faceless or incredibly ugly, and their sudden appearance could frighten her so much that it left her traumatized. The face before her was breathtakingly beautiful, making her sigh in admiration.
"Beautiful lady."
This time it was finally a beautiful dream.
Ning Yan: "..."
She watched as Cui Hui propped himself up on his elbows, clutching his neck with one hand and wincing as he gasped for breath: "Ouch! You damned Mei Jinghe, so heartless in destroying a flower..."
Why do my dreams hurt so much?
She murmured to herself.
The beautiful woman beside him said, "Because it's not a dream."
Cui Hui: "..."
The beauty said, "You are still alive."
Cui Hui wanted to ask something else.
The beautiful woman before him seemed to suffer from a chronic illness; her brows were slightly furrowed, and her eyes were misty with tears. Her complexion was visibly paler. Cui Hui murmured, "Even Xi Shi holding her heart couldn't compare to this."
Ning Yan: "...It's all gone."
|ω`)
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