Chapter 54 Attendant Twenty-Two
Shinju returned to his tent and sat on the small couch that King Zhen had arranged for him. This small couch was right next to King Zhen's temporary bed, but King Zhen had never slept on that bed. Instead, he often occupied King Zhen's small couch to rest. But thinking about it, it made sense. The small couch was more upright and less soft than the bed, which suited King Zhen's habits better.
With no one around, Zhen Su sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and looked inward. He discovered that his damaged dantian had been repaired by 80%, and success was in sight.
However, he had mixed the six-fingered poison he had refined earlier with immortal blood and sprinkled it away. Now, there was very little refined poison left in his body, so he needed to refine some new poison for later use.
Just as Zhen Su was preparing to refine it, there seemed to be some unusual activity on the watchtower outside. Zhen Su's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he quietly projected his divine sense out.
Two people are talking on the watchtower.
"Is there a fire over there?"
"Not a beacon fire?"
"There's still smoke. That direction is within the territory of Maple Kingdom. Wait, is Dawn City behind that fortress?"
Is there a fire in Dawn City? Shinju immediately got out of his tent, put on his shoes, and ran towards the watchtower.
As he approached the tent, he brushed past a soldier. The soldier, who had been staring blankly at the empty tent, hurriedly turned away and walked off with his head down when he saw Shinju pass by. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Shinju seemed oblivious to him, and the soldier let out a heavy sigh of relief, gritting his teeth inwardly: this was the third time he had failed. At the beginning of the war, he had searched the entire camp for this vixen without success, only to have her later personally sent back by the Emperor, and then she spent all her time with a young girl. Now that the Emperor had left the camp, he had finally managed to catch her alone, but she was still restlessly wandering around.
Although the Yan family did not explicitly state that they intended to take this person's life, he had been immersed in powerful and aristocratic families for many years. How could he not understand the unspoken message of the eldest son of the Yan family? If he could get rid of this treacherous eunuch who was bringing disaster to the country, it would be a great achievement. When he returned to the capital, he would naturally be able to gain the protection of the Yan family and rise to prominence!
Shinjuku had no idea what the soldier was thinking; he only sensed a hint of murderous intent directed at him. However, since the soldier wasn't making a move, he couldn't very well strike first. So, Shinjuku climbed the watchtower and unleashed his divine sense domain to its fullest extent.
Beyond the simple lines of sand and rocks, there was a massive border wall. Behind the wall was a small city with its gates open. Flames were shooting into the sky from the granaries inside the city. Many soldiers went to the moat outside to fetch water. The civilians inside the city were in chaos, and many took the opportunity to run out of the city. When the soldiers tried to stop them, they were surrounded, intercepted, and even killed.
Shinjuku frowned, a chill creeping down his spine.
The counterattack was too fast.
The ruthlessness of their attacks and the skill in their use of martial arts were clearly not those of ordinary people; they were most likely soldiers mixed in among them.
Masakatsu had the sentries inform the Lieutenant General about the fire at Dawn City, but the sentries scoffed, "Fire? How can you tell it's a fire? Sir, even though you're a favorite of the King of Poison, how could you possibly know such things as us? Don't cause trouble here; lying about military intelligence is a capital offense!"
The other sentry looked hesitant. "Is it really a fire?"
Shinju had no time to argue with them, and went straight down from the watchtower, intending to find the Lieutenant General.
However, just as they found General Yan's tent, a soldier suddenly dismounted and rushed in from the camp gate, shouting, "Your Majesty! The granary in Liming City is on fire!! We urgently need supplies!!"
Yan Zhonglang strode out of the tent, and when he met Zhen Su outside the door, he nodded slightly and hurriedly walked towards the soldier.
Masakatsu frowned. Something was wrong; this information had come far too quickly.
Therefore, Shinju kept a close eye on things and quietly approached General Yan.
General Yan was not confused. He first checked the soldier's waist tag and token, but after asking around, no one knew whether the person's name matched the name on the waist tag.
General Yan Zhonglang personally climbed the watchtower and looked through the telescope. He clearly saw the raging fire, but unfortunately the border city wall was too high, blocking out the situation behind it. Apart from the thick smoke and fire, nothing else could be seen.
"It's true, sir!!" The soldier looked like he was about to cry. "The people in the city have already started to organize a resistance. The fire is not yet under control. If we don't get supplies, let alone attacking two more cities, Dawn City might be lost..."
The soldier's words were true, but it was precisely because they were true that Shinju felt something was amiss. Even riding at full speed from Dawn City, it would take at least half an hour, and the glimmer of light had only recently appeared…
The soldier was still trying to persuade him, "It was General Xi who ordered me to risk my life to deliver the order. I am truly a general of Wucheng, and every word I said is true! If you don't believe me, I will cut my own throat in front of you and guarantee it with my life!" After saying that, the soldier drew his knife and held it to his neck.
Bystanders immediately stepped forward to stop them.
The soldier's eyes were brimming with tears. "General Xi said, 'The supply of provisions must never be cut off.' We have 10,000 troops stationed in Dawn City, and more than 20,000 civilians. Please arrange for the replenishment of provisions as soon as possible, sir!"
Shinju knew perfectly well: this man never mentioned supporting the suppression of the rebellion or the firefighting, yet he kept mentioning "supplies." This was clearly a calculated move! Their target was the supplies!
Shinju's divine sense covered the entire camp, and in no time, he found a clue.
Inside the temporary grain warehouse.
"Are we really going to send this batch of grain to provide support?"
"What's wrong with that? It's going to feed those people in Dawn City anyway. Our army will keep the good parts for our own people. Stop dawdling. If we don't get rid of this batch of moldy grain while things are in chaos, we'll both lose our heads!"
"I still think..."
"You're not still thinking of reporting this, are you?! You son of a bitch, have you forgotten about your family? I'm warning you! If you dare report this, I'll have someone deal with your family right now. Don't you even know who you are? Who's going to sympathize with a nobody like you? Isn't it normal for the grain to get a little moldy? Are you stupid to risk your life for something like this? You might as well die, but don't drag me down with you!"
"But the grain was moldy in a strange way... It didn't seem like it was stored improperly, but rather it suddenly became moldy overnight..."
"Shut up! Do you want the whole camp to hear you? Come on, help stuff the moldy stuff to the bottom and mix it in!"
Fifteen minutes later, the granary door was suddenly pushed open, and a group of soldiers filed in.
The leading general raised his voice and said, "Is everything prepared? Is this all the grain? Hey, go and check it."
"yes!!"
"Reporting to Your Excellency, the count has been completed. Due to time constraints, we were unable to conduct a full check, and only a rough verification of the numbers was performed. The overall count is correct."
"Okay, load it quickly, and be fast!"
The grain convoy slowly drove out of the camp, and before it was halfway there, it suddenly heard the clear sound of horses' hooves behind it.
Immediately, a snow-white steed leaped down, and a young man with skin even whiter than the horse, seemingly defying frost and snow, appeared. His crimson-purple embroidered robe perfectly complemented his complexion. When he turned his face, his bright golden eyes, straight and delicate nose, and lips as red as plum blossoms against snow all seemed to have been sculpted by the hands of celestial beings. The grain transporters felt as if the dusty frontier before them had instantly transformed into a magnificent palace.
Although there was no supervising eunuch in the army camp, the presence of a handsome, otherworldly eunuch by the side of the King of Zhen was already a topic of conversation among the soldiers. Therefore, even though most of them were seeing Masatsu for the first time, they had already guessed his identity. Upon seeing him today, they realized that the rumors were not exaggerated at all; he was indeed exceptionally handsome and possessed the appearance of an immortal.
Shinju showed his waist badge and said directly, "Lord Yan has entrusted me, his attendant, to inspect the grain and fodder."
The leading officer, slightly displeased, replied, "We have already sent someone to count it. This batch of provisions is extremely urgent and cannot be delayed. We hope you will do us a favor."
"Military orders are absolute, and I am merely following orders. It won't take much time; a cup of tea will suffice."
General Lang was anxious, but he also knew this man was not to be offended, so he was about to give in when two junior soldiers beside him suddenly reacted strongly, clamoring, "Hehe, sir, the grain has already been inspected, there's nothing wrong with it. Besides, a cup of tea isn't enough to check it very thoroughly, why bother with unnecessary work?"
Mayuki glanced at the two of them, recognizing them as the granary guards, and smiled. "I originally only intended to go through the motions, but since you two are reacting so excessively, I have no choice but to take a closer look."
The two men were immediately struck dumb, their faces turned deathly pale, their lips trembled, and they were speechless for a long time.
"Someone, remove the cloth." Shinju, mimicking the way the King of Poison gave orders, slightly raised his chin and commanded.
Although the general looked unwell, he had no choice but to cooperate. As each waterproof sheet was peeled back, bags and bundles of rice, fried cakes, and dried grass and millet were revealed underneath.
Shinju gently brushed them one by one with his hand, making the two soldiers tremble with fear, their legs go weak, and they shook like leaves.
Then, Shinjuku had someone untie the two bundles of dry grass that were at the bottom, spread them out on the ground, and squatted down to examine them.
The soldiers held their breath, cold sweat pouring down their backs. One of them knelt down, closing his eyes and not daring to look, while another looked dejected, his vision blurred by tears.
Those slender, jade-like fingers teased the surface of the dry grass, then suddenly reached deep inside, grabbed a bunch, and let the wind carry it away, scattering it into strands that drifted to the ground.
Shinju patted the grass clippings off his hands and nodded, saying, "Indeed, this batch of provisions is of good quality. Thank you for your hard work in transporting it, General. Please ensure it reaches Dawn City safely."
The general was puzzled, but since nothing was wrong, he didn't show any displeasure. He nodded and said, "My lord, there's no need to be so polite. This is my duty. I'll take my leave now. Please go back, sir."
It wasn't until the grain transport team regrouped and set off for the border that the two soldiers came to their senses and looked at each other in disbelief. They had been utterly astonished and couldn't believe that not only had they not been found to have any problems, but they had been let off the hook just like that—it was simply unbelievable!
As he watched them walk away, Masakatsu mounted his horse and slowly strolled back to the camp, gazing down at the faint ink stains on the palms of his hands.
With a slight smile, Zhen Su refined the essence into his body. A red light inadvertently began to flow in the depths of his golden eyes, gradually filling his entire pupils and casting a crimson hue on the bright white horse's back.
Inside Dawn City.
The fire at the granary burned for more than an hour before it was extinguished. In the chaos, many civilians and soldiers were trampled and murdered. The bluestone slabs, soaked in blood, gleamed eerily coldly under the silvery moonlight.
After the grain transport team delivered the grain into the city, the heavy city gates slammed shut, and the riots in the city finally subsided.
Most of the rebels who fled the city were captured and brought back. General Xi originally intended to hang their corpses outside the city, just like that of the remnant general, but was stopped by the strategist.
The strategist shook his head, his expression grave, and said, "Don't provoke the people in the city to resent us. They don't know those people are soldiers; they just think they are ordinary villagers."
Xi Tongzhao frowned deeply, the image of his subordinates' tragic deaths flashing through his mind. He suppressed his anger and nodded in resignation after a long while.
"Invading a city is like this; governing it is a hundred times more difficult than conquering it. Even one's own land is difficult enough. Back then, it took a tremendous amount of effort to reclaim ten border cities. Three cities were burned down, resulting in countless casualties and a shortage of supplies. It took His Majesty a full ten years to restore and rebuild all ten cities and get them back on track."
General Xi was well aware of this, and upon hearing it, he finally calmed down.
The strategist continued, "I heard that His Majesty initially only planned to conservatively capture one city, but for some reason, he later changed his mind and decided to capture three border cities. We cannot disobey His Majesty's orders. If His Majesty wants to capture three cities, we can only accompany him with our lives."
General Xi turned his gaze to the grain convoy below the watchtower, his eyes deep and thoughtful.
The grain convoy was surrounded by a group of people who were crying and cursing, making quite a commotion.
"What do you mean by 'we are both from the borderlands'?! Although we have exchanges between our two sides and our cultural habits are somewhat similar, do you dare to say that you will never capture and enslave us Feng people in the future?!"
"Exactly! If you want to kill or torture someone, just do it! Why pretend? Anyone can say nice things. You've seized our land, yet you're acting like good guys. It's disgusting! Brothers and sisters, don't you agree?"
Many people with their families didn't dare to speak up, but some people were quite passionate, and seeing someone take the lead, they couldn't help but join in the fervor and denounce Nian Jun.
The number of Nian soldiers here was far less than the number of civilians in Feng Kingdom. The civilians chattered amongst themselves, their voices drowned out by the massive din. However, strict orders had been issued that they were not to attack the people at will, leaving them quite helpless.
Just then, some people started shoving the soldiers transporting the grain, trying to unload the grain from the carts, while shouting: "Why can't we open them and look! Didn't you say this grain was for us common people? Why can't we touch it? Is there something bad or moldy mixed in? Are you trying to fool us, to eat us all to death so you can vacate this city! You murderous maniacs!!"
"They didn't sincerely want to take us in! They can't tolerate us at all! If you have the guts, open these grain sacks and let all the villagers see them—"
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Author's note: This week I only need to update 10,000 words to reach the rankings, and I have already written nearly 4,000 words.
My mindset isn't right, so I'll just keep it simple for now. Writing is really hard.
[Edited] Polished a bit.
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