Chapter Sixteen
She passed through a round, moon-shaped doorway and discovered that behind it was a small ancestral hall. On the offering table in front of her were the memorial tablets of the Qin kings of past dynasties, and Zhou Yanqing was kneeling in front of those tablets.
The inscription facing him reads: My Mentor, Qin Zixiu.
"You...miss your master?"
The woman's voice came from behind him, but he neither turned around nor responded.
When the woman revealed the relationship between his master and Grand Tutor Mo today, he was initially curious and gossipy, but as he thought about it, it turned into longing.
He could not forget that day when the snow was falling heavily and the spear in his hand was icy cold.
Zhou Yanqing used the wrong tactics, and the Qin army was completely surrounded by Sak's army.
On that cold winter day, the low murmurs of the Sak army before the battle lines were like ghosts from the underworld, as if they could drag them all into an endless abyss at any moment.
He wanted to salvage the situation, so he led a group of men to break through the encirclement, allowing most of the Qin army to escape.
Qin Zixiu stopped him, "Kid! Your master has more experience dealing with these bastards than you do."
He mounted his horse, gripping the long spear with its frosty tip.
Qin Zixiu looked at the boy on the ground, his eyes filled with satisfaction and affection, and his hearty laughter echoed in the snow, "You've grown up."
Qin Zixiu pushed off the stirrups with both feet, and the fiery red horse beneath him led him and his small group of men into the ambush hidden in the heavy snow.
"Master!" Zhou Yanqing didn't have time to react. He knew better than anyone that this trip was a matter of life and death.
The master's last words were not spoken to him, but to all the Qin soldiers who remained: This is your future King of Qin.
On the battlefield, soldiers must obey their generals, apprentices must obey their masters, and sons must obey their fathers...
He escaped with the remaining Qin army, but his "father" remained in the snow, his bright red blood unable to melt the white snow of that day.
Zhou Yanqing knelt before her master's memorial tablet, her back trembling, her cries and laughter mingling together: "It's me who deserves to die, it's me..."
It was him, the one who was merely clinging to life, the one whose achievements were outstanding; it was him, all alone, the one with family and friends by his side; it was him, a cursed lone star, the one beloved by all…
But why was it that this jinx, this good-for-nothing, survived?
"No." A pair of fair and slender hands rested on his shoulders.
When Zhou Yanqing looked up, the woman's concerned eyes were bathed in the setting sun.
“No, Zhou Yanqing.” Her voice could calm a person’s chaotic mind. “He saved you because he knew you would manage Qin very well.”
"But the truth is I failed." The man laughed self-deprecatingly.
“You will,” Si Yanmo said earnestly and firmly, “You will!”
“If you survive, you have to do what you’re supposed to do, so you will, you definitely will.” She spoke each word as if she were a guiding deity in a play.
"Really?" He himself didn't believe it.
Yes, it will.
Why do you believe me?
“I trust my own judgment.” Si Yanmo crouched down to look him in the eye, a fire seemingly flickering in her eyes. “I have always believed in myself, and you should believe in yourself too.”
"Since you can't bring your master back anyway, why not do it to show him that saving you was the right thing to do?"
"……good."
As the sun set, a man and a woman knelt before the ancestral hall. He said, "Master, these are the allies I have chosen for myself."
I will lead Qin to a better future...
The next day, Si Yanmo went to the divination academy by carriage to study. Zhou Yanqing received a message from Chen Wu: "Your Highness, Sak's hostage has arrived."
——
As the carriage continued its journey, Si Yanmo couldn't help but ask, "Where do you plan to place the hostage?"
Zhou Yanqing lowered her eyes: "The Prince of Qin's residence."
"The Prince of Qin's residence?" the woman asked, puzzled. "Why?"
"First, this hostage needs a good environment and must not be gossiped about by Sak; second, no matter who the hostage is or how old he is, he could be a spy in addition to being a hostage. Qi Gu's spies have not been completely eliminated yet, and we cannot afford to have another spy like Sak."
"But what does this have to do with him living in the Prince of Qin's mansion?"
"If we arrange for him to be placed elsewhere, will he need someone to watch over him?"
Zhou Yanqing patiently explained, "If someone is watching him, wouldn't they have to keep an eye on him wherever he goes? What would that Sak say? It certainly wouldn't be anything good. He might even go to the Southern Emperor to complain. But the Qin Prince's Mansion is different. Although we can easily see what he does, I can also keep an eye on him."
“He lives in the Qin Prince’s mansion, so it’s normal for him to be watched every day! Going out can also be seen as protecting his safety, after all, the Qin Prince’s mansion is in the bustling city, and he’s still a child.” After saying that, he raised an eyebrow and smiled confidently.
Si Yanmo, having never read any books on strategy, brightened up after hearing his explanation. "I didn't expect you to be so capable!"
"I am, after all, the King of Qin." The man leaned back smugly, swaying the jade pendant at his waist.
Upon reaching the city gate, Chen Feng, who was guarding the gate, led the three to the hall, where the hostage Sak and the envoy had been waiting for a long time.
As soon as he entered, the envoy from Nasak stood up, walked over angrily, raised his chin, and said in broken Qin dialect, "We have sent the hostage from afar, and this is the attitude of the King of Qin? He made the hostage wait for an hour?"
Si Yanmo stepped forward and stood in front of Zhou Yanqing, saying, "Travel between the city and the outside takes time. The King of Qin is not deliberately delaying us. Please do not be too anxious, after all, you are currently within Qin territory."
"Who are you to dare speak on behalf of the King of Qin?" The envoy stared at Si Yanmo with a contemptuous expression.
Just as Si Yanmo was about to lash out, Zhou Yanqing grabbed her hand and pulled her behind her back.
"This is my wife, envoy. Please be careful with your words." His gaze was sharp, just like when he was fighting on the battlefield. It made the other person feel a chill down his spine, and his attitude softened a bit. He silently retreated to his seat.
Seeing that he had become obedient, Zhou Yanqing pulled Si Yanmo down to sit as well. Covering her face with her sleeve, she whispered, "I'm more familiar with these kinds of situations than you are. Don't stand in front of me next time. What if you run into someone with a bad temper and they start a fight?"
Si Yanmo stopped talking and just nodded silently.
That's true, what's she trying to prove? He's the King of Qin, he'd definitely handle these things better than she does!
To be honest, she was indeed a little afraid that the envoy would make a move.
She had never seen such a scene before. If she became a witch doctor in the future, she would definitely have to face these troublesome guys often. Fortunately, she had Zhou Yanqing behind her.
For some reason, thinking about this made her feel much more at ease.
After Zhou Yanqing sat down, he nodded slightly to the hostage next to the envoy as a gesture of respect. He then explained to them that the hostage would be settled in the Prince of Qin's residence. Naturally, the envoy was unwilling, and a heated argument ensued.
During this time, Si Yanmo secretly observed the hostage opposite her. He did look quite young, around the age of 18, with dark skin and a thin body, which contrasted sharply with the burly envoy next to him.
The boy was dressed in traditional Sak attire, a blue and white robe, a leather belt adorned with silver patterns around his waist, and a forehead ornament made of agate. It looked quite ornate, but something just felt off.
His posture and the way he bowed were very awkward.
Si Yanmo had never met a Sak person, but judging from the behavior of the envoy and the hostage, there was a clear difference. It was as if... as if the hostage wasn't a Sak person at all.
Si Yanmo couldn't help but secretly pinch her fingers; sure enough, there was a problem!
She tugged at Zhou Yanqing's sleeve and whispered to him, "The hostage is not the son of the Sakfan Khan."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yanqing gently patted her hand and replied, "Don't panic, I have a plan."
Seeing his calm and composed demeanor, Si Yanmo had some doubts but said nothing and slowly lowered her hand.
After several rounds of negotiation, the envoys finally compromised and complied with their arrangements. Zhou Yanqing then ordered his men to arrange a farewell banquet for the envoys. After much fuss, the two of them finally boarded the carriage back to the Marquis's residence with the hostage as night fell.
The hostage's carriage followed behind the two carriages, and Si Yanmo finally had a chance to ask about the situation.
"He is not the son of the Khan, so why do you still want to keep him?"
"Did you look at his destiny?" Zhou Yanqing asked her calmly.
"Otherwise, how would I have known!" Si Yanmo crossed her arms. "Did you already figure it out a long time ago?"
Zhou Yanqing hummed in agreement. "You think I'm really stupid? They sent someone even an idiot could see something was off."
That doesn't sound quite right...
Si Yanmo frowned. "Then why did you keep him here?"
“Sack was just waiting for me to make a mistake. What would they do if I actually decided to turn against them and say that the proton was wrong?”
Si Yanmo bit her lip, "Hmm... deny it to the death, and then use it as an excuse to start another war?"
“You guessed right!” Zhou Yanqing snapped his fingers. “We have no witnesses. As long as I said it at the banquet, they will have another reason to attack Qin.”
He sneered, "Ha, this Sakfan Khan is really determined to oppose me!"
"So what do we do now?"
"What do you mean, what to do? Sending a fake hostage is deceiving the emperor!" Zhou Yanqing said seriously, pretending to be heartbroken as if he had really been deceived. "As the King of Qin, it is only right that I, having discovered the clues, take the fake hostage to the Southern Emperor to report to him."
"You mean, you want the proton to admit it itself?"
"Yes, but we can't rush things. The faster this matter is exposed, the more prepared Sack will become. We need to lower their guard. Take it slow!"
"Aren't you afraid they'll attack again?"
“If they fight back, they’ll be in the wrong!” Zhou Yanqing said innocently. “Besides, I beat them up like that last time, it will take them at least a year or two to recover, so there’s no rush.”
He's really confident!
Si Yanmo chuckled.
But thinking about it, Zhou Yanqing is definitely much better at diplomacy than I was a year ago, when I couldn't even tell east from west. I should trust him on these matters.
Thinking this way, Si Yanmo felt much more at ease and even started humming a song happily on her way back, only to receive a disapproving look from the person opposite her.
"What's wrong?" she asked, pouting unhappily.
Zhou Yanqing had an indescribable expression on her face: "Has anyone ever told you that you sing terribly?"
"You sound good? Come on over here!"
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