Shen Tang only learned that Yun Ce was on her own territory the next day.
She was deeply impressed by this chief rider under Huang Lie.
Because that face was truly distinctive and had a unique aura, I just didn't expect that the person was related to my family.
"May I ask your name, General?"
"My surname is Yun, my given name is Ce, and my courtesy name is Yuanmou." Yun Ce was humble and polite. Judging from his demeanor, he didn't seem to come from a commoner's family. Instead, he seemed like a scion of a military family who had studied military strategy since childhood. Having a pleasing face is definitely an advantage.
This is clearly a very normal name, but—
Shen Tang asked with a strange expression, "Your name is Yun Yuanmou?"
Yun Ce hesitated and said, "Yes, Lord Shen, you've heard of it before?"
"No, it's the first time, but... pfft, the name General Yun suddenly reminds me of someone surnamed Bei, whose given name is Zhoukou..." She knew that Yun Ce's name came from "strategy," but adding the surname and the honorific "Yuan" in the middle made her think of something else entirely. Unfortunately, apart from her, no one else understood the joke or the humor behind it, which was a pity.
To everyone's surprise, Yun Ce looked astonished.
"Does Mr. Shen know Zhoukou?"
Shen Tang: "...Um, he's also your junior brother?"
Yun Ce shook his head: "She is not a member of our sect, but we hit it off immediately. The last time we met was two years ago."
Shen Tang: "..."
There really is a Northern Zhoukou.
The Beizhoukou people Yun Ce mentioned had ancestors who were skilled craftsmen for generations, having built mausoleums for several rulers. Legend has it that even the most skilled tomb raiders couldn't enter the main chamber of a mausoleum built by them; the intricate traps and mechanisms would cause even ordinary martial artists great harm. However, this profession was too risky, and later generations gradually stopped doing it. Because after the mausoleums were completed, there were always some foolish rulers who would discard them after using them. Killing just one person was one thing, but some would even go so far as to exterminate the entire family.
But without big projects, making a living has become a problem.
Sigh, it's a real dilemma.
Yun Ce had heard plenty of complaints from the other party.
Shen Tang: "..."
A historic meeting between Yuanmou in Yunnan and Zhoukou in Beijing.
(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
Knowing that one should avoid suspicion, Yun Ce understood the importance of avoiding any appearance of impropriety.
Because of his junior brother Xianyu Jian's earnest invitation to stay, he had no choice but to stay for two days to catch up, but he did not forget to send his personal guards back to report to his lord. On the third day, Yun Ce returned refreshed and smiling, and Huang Lie asked him seemingly casually.
"Yuanmou's junior brother is under Shen Jun's command?"
Yun Ce said, "Yes, Zi Gu and Shen Jun are destined to be together."
Huang Lie's expression turned somewhat gloomy at first glance, but then he showed concern and confusion: "Your master has invited us to come down the mountain to help us get rid of the tyrant several times before, but he has repeatedly declined, saying that the mortal world is dangerous and he does not want his disciples to enter the world. Why did he allow your junior brother to come down the mountain this time?"
Yun Ce spoke frankly: "Junior Brother Xianyu ran away from the mountain without permission. Master knows that he is concerned about his blood relatives. Keeping him tied up will only distract him and waste his martial arts talent."
There was one more thing he didn't say.
The master's reluctance to allow his disciple to leave the mountain doesn't mean he'll prevent the disciple from doing so. Firstly, life in the mountains is austere and monotonous; secondly, the disciples have different reasons for learning martial arts—they're all young and passionate, and who wouldn't want to leave the mountain and make their mark?
Yun Ce only descended the mountain when he felt the time was right.
Huang Lie nodded upon hearing this: "I see."
"If my lord has nothing else to attend to, I shall take my leave."
Yun Ce was forced to take a break for two days, with a backlog of tasks waiting to be dealt with. Huang Lie waved his hand at him, signaling him to leave.
After Yun Ce left, the black-clad warrior who was always by Huang Lie's side asked, "Does our lord value Yun Yuanmou highly?"
Yun Ce's talent is indeed remarkable.
But he was still too young, and Huang Lie's ambitions couldn't wait.
“Yuanmou is still lacking experience, so naturally he values the person behind him more.” It's a pity that despite his repeated requests, the person remained unmoved. Upon hearing that Junior Brother Yun Ce was with Shen Tang, he couldn't help but suspect that Master Yun Ce was trying to diversify his investments. Although he clarified that it was a misunderstanding, he still felt some resentment. “What a pity…”
If that old man comes out of seclusion, what is Zheng Qiao?
With Jiang Ao dead, power at Chaoli Pass fell back into Wei Shou's hands. This man continued his cowardly tactics, remaining unmoved despite the Dragon-Slaying Alliance's insults and probing attacks. Huang Lie even led his troops in a feint attack on Chaoli Pass to test the waters…
As a result, Wei Shou remained unmoved.
During the allied forces' meeting, everyone's eyes were on Shen Tang, specifically on Chu Yao. It was Chu Yao who had previously used a scheme to cause Wei Shou to lose power and launch an attack on Chaoli Pass. Now the situation was back to square one; did he still have a solution?
Wei Shou's wife is still in Chu Yao's hands.
They lacked Chu Yao's connections, and Wei Shou, being naturally wary and resistant to deception, was unlikely to be outmaneuvered. If all else failed, they should consolidate their forces as soon as possible and prepare for a general offensive at Chaoli Pass. Chu Yao, however, remained calm, reassuring them, "Don't panic, the time is not yet ripe."
Wu Xian frowned: "When will it be ready?"
Chu Yao calmly replied, "We have already successfully made Zheng Qiao suspicious of Wei Shou. With Jiang Ao dead, he can no longer use Wei Shou, and may even recall Wei Shou to question him. We can make a fuss about this. It will take some time for Zheng Qiao to receive the news and then question him. Everyone, please wait and see how things develop."
It will only take a few days anyway.
Upon hearing this, everyone had no choice but to suppress their anxiety.
Several more days passed.
Because of his relationship with Xianyu Jian, Yun Ce would visit his junior brother Shen Tang's camp whenever he had free time. After all, in this world, things are unpredictable, and every meeting between the brothers was one of the last. Over time, Yun Ce became somewhat familiar with Shen Tang.
Yun Ce usually arrives empty-handed.
But today they brought a living person.
"You insolent brat, let me go!"
Yun Ce spotted a man dressed as a commoner from afar, acting furtively as he tried to approach Shen Tang's tent, only to be caught red-handed. He said, "Hmph, you're incredibly rude. You act suspiciously yourself, and now you're trying to shift the blame?"
With that, he twisted the man's arms behind his back, rendering him unable to move. The man cried out in pain. Although he stopped struggling physically, he continued to berate him verbally: "You're a soldier under Lord Shen? Listen up! I'm a scholar who came to serve Lord Shen. Your rudeness and barbarity have offended me... You'll get what's coming to you, you brute!"
Yun Ce held the man captive with one hand, then loosened his grip upon hearing this, saying, "You've come to seek refuge with Lord Shen? You don't seem very respectable."
Indeed, this man had a somewhat sleazy appearance. His height was considered normal among commoners, but among the literati of Wenxin, he was considered "crippled." He was not good-looking, not tall, and had a fleshy growth on his shoulder, making his shoulders appear uneven.
The man was so angry his face almost twisted in rage.
"You brat! You barbarian!"
Seeing that the other party's cheeks were flushed with anger, Yun Ce had no choice but to let go of his hand, clasped his hands and said, "This humble one did not know that you had come to seek refuge with Lord Shen. I only took action to capture you after seeing your whereabouts. Please forgive me."
The man rubbed his red and swollen wrist, inwardly cursing his bad luck. However, burdened with heavy responsibilities, he had no time to argue with this brute. And it was precisely because Yun Ce was leading the way that he entered Shen Tang's camp without much trouble.
Due to limited resources, the camp appeared quite crude at first glance.
A hint of disdain flashed in his eyes.
Yun Ce's height is naturally not visible.
"Yuanmou has come to spar with Zigu again today?" Ning Yan saw Yun Ce from afar. She didn't have a good impression of the alliance leader Huang Lie, and she also harbored resentment towards Yun Ce for frequently entering and leaving their camp. However, since her lord didn't mention it, she didn't say much.
In Yun Ce's view, Registrar Ning was a kind person.
He said, "No, during the patrol, Ce discovered that this person was trying to spy on Shen Jun's camp. He arrested him and questioned him, saying that he was a scholar who came to seek refuge. Fearing that he would wander off, he personally brought him here."
Ning Yan's gaze fell on the short man next to Yun Ce.
Previously, Yun Ce's body had blocked her view, preventing her from seeing the other person's face clearly. This time, however, she could see him clearly, and their eyes met. Upon seeing that face, Ning Yan's heart skipped a beat, but she calmly revealed a hint of doubt on her face: "Who is this?"
The man seemed to have just come to his senses and grinned.
"My surname is Li, my given name is He, and my courtesy name is Shisong."
Ning Yan: "My surname is An, my given name is Lü, and my courtesy name is Shuangkou."
Yun Ce looked at Ning Yan with confusion, not understanding why she would fabricate a name, but as an outsider, he didn't say much. He said very naturally, "Could you trouble Registrar An to inform Lord Shen? Or should we lock him up first?"
Ning Yan: "Since they are insightful people who have come to seek refuge with our lord, they should be treated with courtesy. How can we be negligent? I will go and find our lord now."
She let Yun Ce and the other man rest in the guest tent.
Only after Ning Yan had left and gone did Li He reveal a thoughtful expression and ask Yun Ce, "How much do you know about this Registrar An, young brother? To be honest, he looks exactly like an old friend of mine. At first glance, I thought they were the same person."
Yun Ce: "I don't know, I'm not familiar with it."
Li He didn't believe the nonsense: "Aren't you colleagues?"
"When did you say we were colleagues? Registrar An is under Shen Jun's command, while I am under Alliance Leader Huang's command. We've only exchanged a few words."
Li He: "..."
Yun Ce, acting as the guest, probed Li He: "You said that Registrar An looks a lot like an old friend of yours? Perhaps they are blood relatives, who knows?"
Li He: "Well, that's hard to say."
He carefully recalled Ning Yan's face, becoming increasingly uncertain—although this Registrar An looked almost exactly like his old friend, Registrar An had a literary signature and was dressed as a scholar, while his old friend Ning Yan was a woman.
Could it just be a coincidence?
Li He shook his head, deciding not to think about it anymore. These two, a man and a woman, even if related, were relatives; they couldn't possibly be the same person.
Ning Yan didn't try to fool Li He; she went to find Shen Tang immediately. The main tent was quite lively at the time. Chu Yao was reporting to Shen Tang, and a beautiful woman was sitting next to him holding a pen. She was none other than Rui Ji, the wife of Wei Shou. Shen Tang had heard that Rui Ji was a very talented writer and was worried that she would be bored in the camp, so she invited her to help her and serve as a temporary scribe.
"Tu Nan is here. What's up?"
Ning Yan truthfully told Li He about his situation.
Shen Tang and Chu Yao both looked over, and Rui Ji also stopped writing. She was observant and asked Ning Yan, "It's a good thing that someone is coming to seek refuge, so why is Tu Nan frowning? Could there be something wrong with Li He?"
Ning Yan said, "My late husband severed ties with Li He."
Simply put, Li He and Yan An have some grudges.
She, Yan An, Kang Shi, and Li He were all classmates, but they couldn't get along with Li He. The reason was simple: Li He was opportunistic, ambitious, and had an almost pathological thirst for power, and he would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
She said, "I heard that Li He once used despicable means to ruin a scholar in order to gain a spot in the Sacred Land of Mountains and Seas. But without evidence, there was nothing that could be done to him. When my late husband heard about this, he confronted Li He and then severed ties with him..."
Shen Tang said with some disgust: "Is his character so despicable?"
Do you consider this place a dumping ground?
She's short of people, not short of garbage.
Shen Tang waved his hand and said, "Send them away!"
If the other party refuses to leave, then tell him to get lost.
To everyone's surprise, both Ning Yan and Chu Yao objected. Chu Yao said, "No, no, no, precisely because of this, our lord should meet him."
“What’s the use of meeting him? No matter how talented he is, we can’t use him. The temple is too small to contain such a great Buddha…” As Shen Tang was speaking, he suddenly remembered some details. “Wait, Tu Nan said that this person is a power-hungry person… He should be wherever power is… Why would he come to me?”
I was just about to seek refuge with them, and I was looking for the alliance leader, Huang Lie.
so--
Was the other party targeting me with a specific purpose?
Chu Yao was also deep in thought, vaguely understanding everything. He said to Rui Ji, "Sister, I need your help this time. After this matter is over, perhaps I can be reunited with Wei Yuanyuan."
Ruiji never expected that she would have something to do with herself.
"Brother Yu, just speak frankly."
When Li He was led over, only Shen Tang remained in the main tent, working at his desk. He bowed deeply to Shen Tang, but was quickly stopped. Shen Tang, looking delighted as if he had found a treasure, said, "Why are you being so polite, sir? Come, come, sit down."
Li He was somewhat critical of the simple layout of the main tent.
He lifted the hem of his coat and sat down without ceremony.
"Just now I heard Shuangkou say that you wish to come to me for refuge?"
"Li brought Shen Jun a bright future."
Shen Tang asked, puzzled: "A bright future?"
Li He said, "Of course."
Upon hearing that the other party had not come to seek refuge with him and was talking nonsense, Shen Tang's smile faded and his tone turned cold: "Mr. Li, I don't understand what you mean. I'm doing quite well now, why would I need to add to my already splendid life?"
Li He said, "No, no, no, it's 'providing timely help'."
Shen Tang looked at Li He with wariness: "Although my family is poor, we are not so poor that we cannot afford to light a fire. To offer help in times of need... Mr. Li, you are exaggerating."
Li He, however, remained calm and composed. His lewd eyes scanned the surroundings to make sure no one was eavesdropping before he said with relief, "Shen Jun, please don't rush. Let me explain in detail."
Shen Tang patiently rehearsed her lines with Li He.
Outside the main tent.
Ning Yan was still a little stunned. Chu Yao's assumption was too far-fetched. How could he think that Li He had come to persuade the lord to surrender?
Chu Yao said, "Even if he didn't come to persuade us to surrender, he's most likely one of Zheng Qiao's men. Otherwise, it's hard to explain why someone who's pursuing fame and fortune would suddenly take a liking to our lord, especially at this critical juncture. Since he's come all this way, we should make use of him."
Ning Yan remembered the favor Chu Yao had asked Rui Ji to do.
"Are you trying to turn Wei Shou against us by doing this?"
Chu Yao corrected: "It's not about turning him to defect, it's about forcing him to defect."
Li He is so thoughtful; he brought me a pillow when I was dozing off.
_(:з」∠)_
The comments in the last chapter were absolutely outrageous! Yun Ce, Yuan Mou, I thought you guys would say that Xiang Gu (a nickname) had great names, but instead we got a guy from Yuanmou, Yunnan… Fine, then I'll go along with your wishes and add another guy from Zhoukou, Beijing. Anyway, it's about time the Mohists made their appearance.
P.S.: That's the troublesome thing about writing historical romance novels. Even a minor character with little screen time has to have their name chosen. Sigh.
P.S.: The custom-made two-meter-long desk arrived today, and the installer will be here tomorrow to set it up. Time to redecorate the study! Yay! (＾－＾)V
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