My coming to the battlefield, apart from wanting to tell Wu Min Jun about the things that happened in the palace, the other purpose was to bring Liu Liang so that we can let Nan know that their plans have failed, and very thoroughly too.
So as not to raise suspicions, I did not stay with Wu Min Jun and went back to stay in my own tent.
The next day, Zhen er' came to see me with a lamenting face: "You actually really spoke to the Emperor yesterday, and the Emperor even took you along with him! Ah, it's really enviable..."
I faked a smile: " Yes, hehe."
Zhen er': "What did the Emperor say to you?"
I: "Nothing much, just to continue to work hard in serving the country."
Zhen er' looked at me with wide eyes: "So, you didn't get an opportunity to express your love to the Emperor?"
I: "..."
"I don't." I was at a loss for words, "You really think too much. "
Zhen er': " It's okay, at this time, you still want to lie to me?"
I: "Forget it, don't say this anymore. The Emperor just summoned me, so I'll leave first."
Zhen er': "Good. You, work hard!"
I: "What do you mean? "
Zhen er' looked at me and winked: "You know~"
I: "..."
This early morning, my mood has become very weird because of Zhen er'. On the one hand, what he said was true, but on the other hand, he has a huge misunderstanding...it was really frustrating.
I entered Wu Min Jun's tent and found Liu Liang kneeling in a corner writing. When Wu Min Jun saw me, he waved me over: "Come over."
I walked over and saw that Liu Liang was writing a letter to the Nan people to inform them that the plan failed and for them to quickly withdraw their troops.
"You're just letting him go?" I was amazed, Wu Min Jun was being so nice this time.
Wu Min Jun raised an eyebrow: "Of course not, just want them to withdraw their troops first. As for Liu Liang... Of course, they need to give me something in exchange, they already saw the case with Bei, there's nothing else I want, I can manage to accept just one city.
Liu Liang:" ... "
I laughed and said: "Liu Liang is only the son of the TaiFu unlike Wu Hao, also at that time Bei really needed him, Nan would not be willing to."
Liu Liang:" ... "
Wu Min Jun: "Liu Liang is the apprentice of Liu Shan, and the illegitimate son of the Nan Emperor. We'll see how the Nan Emperor handles it."
The brush in Liu Liang's hand fell, and he looked at Wu Min Jun with shock: "What are you talking about?
Wu Min Jun glanced at him, and then ignored him and continued talking to me: "Nan's troops will withdraw, we will go back soon."
Liu Liang was still in shock, seeing Wu Min Jun ignoring him, he became even more determined: "Xi emperor, what did you just say?! I am the illegitimate child of the Nan emperor?! Why would you indiscriminately make such a statement?!"
Wu Min Jun continued to talk to me: "Counting the months, Pingyang and Lu Lu's child will soon be born."
Liu Liang looked like he was about to pass out: "Xi Empress! You tell me!!! I am not born to my father?!! Who is my mother?! Isn't it like my father said, that she died from an illness when I was one year old? If my father is the Nan emperor, is my master my mother?!...No! this is impossible!!!"
Wu Min Jun said to me with a smile: "Which name do you think will be good?"
Liu Liang: "..." His eyes flipped and he fainted.
I looked at him, he was really helpless, and asked Wu Min Jun: "What you just said, is it true?"
Wu Min Jun did not care about the truth: "Of course it is fake, I just casually said it and he went ahead to speculate so much."
I: "..."
**(LOL Wu Min Jun is the kind of person that will shoot at you, then when you get hit, blame you for staying in the line of fire...there's nothing you can say to someone like this š )***
Wu Min Jun: "They were shameless enough to take my brother's body to raise. If my father in the afterlife finds out about this, I am afraid he will be angry enough to come back to life."
I said: "What is going on, listening to your voice...you seem to be looking forward to something?"
Wu Min Jun smiled at me, and then picked up the letter and looked at it and said: "There's still something..."
He sat down and imitated Liu Liang's writing: Since this subject has been trapped in Xi, often dreams of Master in tears, I don't know why. If this subject is unfortunate enough to perish away from the country, I hope that Your majesty can erect my tomb near Master's so I can comfort her spirit. If this subject is lucky enough to return to the country, this subject will visit Master's tomb to see the willows under the moon and listen to her grievances.
He happily scrutinized the letter with satisfaction, and then pulled Liu Liang's hand and put his thumbprint.
After that, he called people in to take Liu Liang away.
I did not understand: "What do you mean by adding this?"
Wu Min Jun: "Didn't you pay attention to what Liu Liang just said? He said that if Nan Emperor is his father, then Liu Shan is his mother. Therefore, it is true that the Nan Emperor loves Liu Shan. In this case, I decided to gamble and wrote some messy things in there to evoke the Nan Emperor's emotions for Liu Shan, perhaps seeing Liu Liang as the good disciple of Liu Shan, it will make him want to save him. Moreover...Liu Liang is the only disciple of Liu Shan, there are many things, probably only he knows..."
Then he proudly pointed to the words "Willows under the moon", and said: " Liu Tongliu is also a small strategy I used."
**("Liu Tongliu" roughly means to "communicate through the willows", apparently in the past, because of how unlikely it is to meet people again after parting due to poor transportation (not much has changed today despite so much progress though, the majority of goodbyes remain soš ). Anyway, people often used the willow trees as a symbol to maintain their bond despite their parting. My take on it is with how graceful and calming the hanging willow tree leaves are blowing softly with the wind, it can put one in the ideal mood to remember the good old days, remember forgotten friends, battles and loves)**
I: "... Oh, really smart."
Wu Min Jun: "I'm always smart."
Then he folded the paper, called for someone to rush to Nan to deliver it.
As was the norm, warring countries do not attack the messengers, so the person sending the letter did not need to be afraid, after delivering the letter, they returned immediately.
A few days after Nan received the letter, they withdrew their troops, the Nan army had suffered heavy damages and so some launched a sneak attack. Wu Min Jun immediately gave chase and turned and attacked Nan. The Nan emperor immediately went soft and took the initiative to placate and ceded five cities, of course, we also sent Liu Liang back.
The war between the two countries was over, and we will be returning to the capital tomorrow. Tonight, Wu Min Jun insisted that I sleep with him, I thought about it, since we're going back, there shouldn't be a problem, so I agreed.
In the evening, Wu Min Jun was very well behaved and did not make any unnecessary movements. I thought it was a little funny, but I did not dare to stimulate him. So, the two people laid on the slightly hard bed and didn't feel sleepy.
Suddenly, I heard unusual footsteps like someone was using martial arts to fly over. I straightened up and frowned and saw Wu Min also lazily sit up.
In the middle of the night, someone using qingqong skills to fly over, it was obvious they have ill-intentions. Wu Min Jun silently pulled out a dagger from under the pillow, one I was very familiar with - the one he stole from me.
The first time Wu Min Jun started monthly bleeding, we also encountered an assassination attempt, this time it was in the army camp, and the person who came obviously has very weak skills.
Wu Min Jun and I quietly got out of bed and signalled to each other and saw we have the same thoughts to proceed as we did last time and hid under the bed.
The two people were hiding under the bed, controlling their breathing. Gradually, the person entered, footsteps were gentle and body stature was graceful, it was a woman. She walked over and stopped at our bed but did not move and said: "I ask the Xi emperor to come out, this woman has a matter to discuss, and holds no ill will."
Wu Min Jun and I did not move.
She paused and continued: "I was originally Bei's crown prince's wife, I killed Wu Zheng, I also killed Wu Xu and I injured the little Marquis."
Wu Min Jun and I restored our breathing to normal and came out of hiding. I saw it was too dark and so lit the lamp.
The woman looks good, great figure, apricot eyes, cherry lips, but her eyebrows look too stern. Suddenly seeing two people, she was surprised and looked at me and said: "This is..."
Wu Min Jun: "Just a rabbit, to watch the fire."
I: "..."
The woman: "..."
Even if you don't want to expose my identity, don't use such a bad excuse, Okay?!
Wu Min Jun continued: "Go on, this person's presence doesn't matter."
The woman stopped looking at me and turned to Wu Min Jun: "Xi emperor, me coming here is because of one matter, I only wish that you... can find the whereabouts of Bei's little Marquis for me."
Wu Min Jun: "You have to tell me why, of the late emperor's three sons, two were killed by you, causing civil unrest in Bei, now it is simply an empty shell, exactly what is your scheme, huh?"
"My plan...is to destroy Bei country." The look of hate in the woman's eyes deepened as if we had crossed her and done something that made her unhappy and hurt.
Wu Min Jun: "It is needless to say that."
The woman: "..."
"Looking at your features, you don't look like someone from the Central Plains." Wu Min Jun pointed out.
The woman nodded: "I was from a nomadic tribe near Bei country. The people of Bei have always called us barbarians. When I was ten years old, Wu Xu - who at the time was only fifteen, wanted to please his father and so led an army and destroyed my whole tribe. At that time, I had followed my mother to go to Nan to purchase some clothes and so we were able to escape. After we returned, we only saw the devastation. My father and uncles were hacked to pieces, we could not even find their whole bodies. My aunts, even..."
She didn't seem to want to remember again and closed her eyes in pain and said: "Wu Xu was famous for being the Bei emperor's favorite, he was smarter than Wu Zheng and Wu Hao, he was courageous and intelligent, but this person has no heart at all."
Listening to her story, I also felt it was unbearable, but after listening to her last words, I couldn't help but whisper to Wu Min Jun: "Is she mocking you?"
Wu Min Jun: "... It seems to be."
I: "..."
Wu Min Jun then said: "But I never bully the weak. Initially, when I attacked Dong country, the two countries' army strength was about the same. It's just that Dong's morale was low and the soldiers were incompetent...Besides, surrender and won't be killed..."
I said:" It's Okay, it's okay, no one is going over old accounts with you, you are much better now."
Wu Min Jun: "Okay, I admit, it is all your credit."
I couldn't help but smile and said: "That's not what I meant..."
As I was saying this, I suddenly remembered that the woman was still here, so I quickly closed my mouth, the woman looked at me and then Wu Min Jun: "Xi emperor is quite close to this soldier."
Wu Min Jun: "Serves the country well, naturally will be close to the heart."
I: "..."
The woman: "..."
The woman coughed and continued: "My mother told me that I must avenge them, after saying that, she committed suicide. I lived alone and changed my name to a Central Plains name, Hu Fu. I studied everything in the Central Plains and worked very hard, I tried to figure out how to get close to Wu Xu. I later learned that he was actually very lustful, so I orchestrated an encounter to let him take me as a wife. After I entered the palace, I secretly planned - while ensuring not to raise Wu Xu's suspicions, to seduce Wu Zheng, and also discussed with the little Marquis on how to make Wu Zheng the emperor. Oh, yes, I also added something to the Bei emperor's medicine to let him die faster."
I: "..."
Sounds very busy...
She continued: "You know all the things that happened later. I have been very successful, Bei is dying. If not for Nan starting trouble, I believe you will not have hesitated and continued attacking Bei. At that time, how can Bei still maintain its status as one of the four big countries? At most, it may be on the same level as the small surrounding countries."
Wu Min Jun: "That is not necessarily true."
Hu Fu was stunned and asked: "Why?"
Wu Min Jun simply said: "My Empress does not like wars."
I did not speak.
Hu Fu suddenly revealed a sorrowful expression: "Xi emperor's heart is hot, but is not beneath Wu Xu's, in terms of intelligence and ability, probably even greater than him, but Wu Xu was killed by me, and the Xi emperor avoids war because of his Empress...How ridiculous this is ah?"
I thought about it and said to Wu Min Jun: "She started to really mock you."
Wu Min Jun: "Oh, I heard it."
Hu Fu: "This is probably retribution... I... Later, I also came to like someone."
I couldn't help but interrupt: "Who is it? It wouldn't be Wu Hao, would it?"
That's a great possibility, there are three sons, and each of them has a life and death entanglement with her.
Wu Min Jun tapped on my head: "Stupid, obviously it is the little Marquis."
Hu Fu smiled and said: "Xi emperor is right... It is the little Marquis. In fact, after killing Wu Xu, I planned on removing my hands, but then I discovered the little Marquis had great ability and was supporting Wu Zheng, and it was like Wu Xu being gone made no difference, Bei could still be strong again. I wanted to kill him, but I couldn't bring myself to... so I could only give poison to make him sick, and finally killed Wu Zheng while he was sick to frame him - I never thought about hurting him from the beginning to end."
I said: "Doesn't the little Marquis have a woman he likes?"
Hu Fu nodded: "That's right, that night I attacked the little Marquis, it was because I found out that he liked someone else, plus he kept provoking me by saying things like I couldn't even compare to a strand of that woman's hair..."
Wu Min Jun: "So, the news of the death of the little Marquis is fake?"
"Well, he was just seriously injured by me, and probably used this opportunity to release the fake news, so the forces against him in the Court can temporarily rest, while he recuperates in hiding, waiting for the time Bei is in crisis again, he can come out again like a deity who has come to save them." Hu Fu sighed, "But I can't find him now, I don't know where he is hiding. I just hope that the Xi emperor can help me find him - After all, if he is healed, Bei will be restored, this will be unfavorable for Xi, right?"
Wu Min Jun: "Find him, and then what?"
Hu Fu: "I have thought it through, since he does not like me and I also have the responsibility of my mission, I will kill him."
There is a poem that says, 'If I'm not in your heart, then I will break it'. This Hu Fu was obviously not an ordinary woman since he has no interest in her, she'll just kill him then...?
Wu Min Jun smiled and said: "I can't promise to find him, but if I find him, I will inform you."
The woman bowed and said: "Hu Fu thanks the Xi emperor."
Wu Min Jun waved to dismiss her, she straightened and left just as she came. I looked at her until she was absorbed by the darkness, sighed and said: "She is not simple..."
Wu Min Jun pulled me to the bed, put me down and said: "Don't think about it, sleep."