Qin Yunuan read the two documents in her hands. After comparing back and forth, she suddenly smiled and looked at Leng Changxi. It seemed that the two people could understand each other without speaking.
In the morning half a month later, the mist dissipated gradually. The profile of the city wall, which was getting clearer little by little from afar, was outlined by the morning sun with a golden rim. The Royal City in the distance was the largest power center of Qi. Gold worshippers and desperate gamblers gathered here, crowding in the tiny space and thinking that they could gain fame and fortune. However, they all became the playthings of power.
“The world is supposed to be governed by the strong authority,” a man in silver armor stood in the golden morning light on a high mountain from afar. The black iron spear in his hand glowed with cold murderous intent. The solemn atmosphere made people breathe cautiously.
“General Leng, it is me who helps you come to the hinterland of the Royal City. However, you’ve treated me like this. I’ll announce to the world that your army is clearly a rebel force. I must let everyone in the world know how shameless and untrustworthy you are.” A middle-aged man kneeling on the ground covered his bleeding heart. The blood constantly seeped between his fingers as if it were unstoppable. It had stained his clothes and wet his knees.
“Announce to the world? Let everyone in the world know?” Leng Changxi’s words were full of mockery. He turned his head to look at the breathless man lying on the ground, “Official Chen, you need to know one thing before you accuse us of being shameless and immoral. Wasn’t it you who sent a surrender letter to me to announce your loyalty? Your letter is still with me. Nevertheless, you won’t live long. How can you announce to the world?”
The man on the ground wasn’t convinced. He just fumbled for the flare that had been hidden in the sleeve with a trembling hand. However hard he fumbled, though, he felt nothing. There was nothing in his sleeve. Suddenly, his heart also became empty.
“Are you looking for this?” Qin Yunuan, who had been waiting for good news from afar, walked over with a bamboo tube as thick as a pen tube in her hand. She shook the bamboo tube in front of the eyes of the senior official of Qingzhou as a provocation, “Do you want to report to Yu Haitang, oh no, Sima Ray? It’s too late.”
Qin Yunuan was also dressed in a long dress, white and innocent. When she stood with Leng Changxi, the two looked like flying fairies, or like a miraculous couple. For an instant, they looked as if they were too noble to be touched. Qin Yunuan deliberately put the bamboo tube for reporting news by the hand of Senior Official Chen, where he happened to fail to reach. Seeing him struggling desperately, she couldn’t help but smile.
“When you and Officer Shi both surrendered to me at the same time, I felt weird and assumed that one of you must be a fake.”
“But didn’t you kill him already?” the dying Senior Official Chen couldn’t understand. In the beginning, he clearly remembered that Leng Changxi had set a trap, inviting him and the officer, Shi Ruisheng, to the banquet. At the banquet, Leng Changxi exposed the conspiracy of Shi Ruisheng on the spot, reprimanding him as the spy from Sima Ray and executing him there. At that time, he felt lucky because he knew that Shi Ruisheng really listened to Sima Ray. He was the same, too. Sima Ray had been doing things rigorously. Since Leng Changxi was a careful man, he must have expected part of the truth. However, never could he think that Sima Ray would send two spies at the same time.
It was good that Shi Ruisheng had died. Thinking that Leng Changxi wouldn’t doubt about him, Senior Official Chen became much bolder when delivering information and directing the way.
“As for your previous information,” Qin Yunuan opened her mouth slightly. Yuanyang behind her opened a log-colored brocade box in her hand. What was shaking inside was all the information that Senior Official Chen had tried hard to spread. However, they were now in the hand of Yuanyang, which meant that every move of him was under the supervision of Leng Changxi and Qin Yunuan. It was a pity that he was still complacent, thinking that the reputation of the two people being wise was vain.
“As for Shi Ruisheng, Officer Shi you have mentioned, he is not dead at all,” while Leng Changxi was speaking, a man dressed in Confucian costumes came here from a distance. He was at the age of 24 or 25 with tall stature and the elegance and dignity between his eyebrows. He moved slowly with the immortal-like temperament.
“He… How can it be?” Senior Official Chen dared not to believe his own eyes. One of his eyes had been covered by blood clots. He opened the other eye wide. As expected, he saw that Officer Shi, who had worked with him for three years, came alive from afar. Had he been deceived?
“Sima Ray can arrange spies, why can’t I?” Leng Changxi pointed to Shi Ruisheng, “Shi Ruisheng has been listening to me ever since ten years ago. After that, for many reasons, he didn’t always follow me. Instead, he had a successful official career after he arrived in Qingzhou. Sima Ray didn’t check his background details clearly enough before taking him in. I have been clear about what Sima Ray asked him to do throughout the years. The only one who didn’t know about it was Sima Ray.”
Senior Official Chen was a little surprised. Leng Changxi’s precautions had beaten him mercilessly. He simply couldn’t compete with the non-human being in front of him.
“I’ve lost. I’ve lost completely,” Senior Official Chen lowered his head slowly, looking down at the injury on his heart in a lifeless posture. Suddenly he raised his head, drew a shimmering dagger from his boot, stabbed directly towards Leng Changxi, and secretly made up his mind, “But my defeat doesn’t mean that I have to obey.”
Before Leng Changxi could move, Shi Ruisheng and Zhuge Qingtian not far away had arrived together. One used the jade-colored flute in his hand, and the other used two broadswords. Both of them blocked Senior Official Chen’s dagger. Zhuge Qingtian was even more powerful, kicking Senior Official Chen directly in order to prevent him from attacking anymore.
Leng Changxi took a cold look at Senior Official Chen, who could be called a corpse, “Kill him. No need to keep him alive anymore.”
After speaking, Leng Changxi took Qin Yunuan’s hand and prepared to leave. Unexpectedly, Qin Yunuan kept still the first time he took her hand, having some resentment in his eyes. Leng Changxi knew why she was blaming him, and then dragged her hand with strength, speaking with both tenderness and prestige, “If you have any words to say to me, speak after you go back.”
It was the first time for Qin Yunuan to have such a great dissatisfaction with Leng Changxi, because he didn’t tell her about his cooperation with Shi Ruisheng until last night when the secret was about to come to light. No. Not a cooperation. It was a trap set by them ten years ago. However, only Leng Changxi knew that Shi Ruisheng was a spy. He even didn’t tell Qin Yunuan about it. Qin Yunuan had come up with ideas for Leng Changxi at the banquet on that day. She still remembered that on the night before the banquet, she had confirmed the truth to Leng Changxi many times.
“In fact, I don’t think Shi Ruisheng is a spy despite his closer relationship with Sima Ray’s party compared to Senior Official Chen. However, have you found out yet? Every time he does something treacherous, he looks very sinister. But after that, innocent people all have a good end. For example, Song Yuntian, a death row prisoner, was released by him secretly. The old lady selling eggs in the west of the city was framed as a murderer, and the people rebelled against the corrupt officials in Qingzhou. They were supposed to be handed over to him for trial. He sentenced them to be hanged, but the prison got fire suddenly. All the people were dead with incomplete, unrecognizable bodies. I suspect that he tried to release them deliberately.”
“No. Shi Ruisheng is definitely Sima Ray’s person. I’m sure of it. Nuan, I know that you’re clever, but you have to listen to me on some issues.”
In the beginning, Leng Changxi was so sure that Shi Ruisheng was the spy, but now…
“Let me go,” Qin Yunuan dared to start struggling only after being pulled into the camp. She used her strength to shake off Leng Changxi’s hand. However, Leng Changxi’s strength was too great for Qin Yunuan to get away. Instead, she was held in Leng Changxi’s arms.
Leng Changxi was holding Qin Yunuan tightly. He was not afraid of Qin Yunuan being angry or jealous, because he knew that it meant that she cared about him. However, he was only afraid that after knowing Shi Ruisheng’s real identity, she would alienate herself from him. It was the thing that Leng Changxi couldn’t stand the most. He couldn’t bear Qin Yunuan’s indifference to him at all, even with the slightest sign.
Being held by Leng Changxi tightly in his arms, Qin Yunuan seemed to have lost most of his anger. Her voice softened. She merely pouted, “You should explain to me well. Don’t say that you want to keep me from worrying. The result of hiding the truth is making me feel more worried. Also, do you think I am such a hot-headed, narrow-minded woman?”
“I know you’re not,” Leng Changxi’s tone was a little low. As soon as he spoke, Qin Yunuan didn’t know what to say.
Leng Changxi put his chin on Qin Yunuan’s forehead, where her hairline was. He rubbed back and forth like a small deer craving for the smell of its owner, “It’s just that I’m afraid that you will ignore me after you know who he is.”
“He? Which one? Shi Ruisheng? Who can Shi Ruisheng be? It’s just himself,” although Qin Yunuan said so verbally, her heart was beating fast.
At this moment, someone reported from outside that Shi Ruisheng had come. Leng Changxi slowly released Qin Yunuan, glanced at her meaningfully before said to the man outside, “Let him in.”
The curtain was lifted. Shi Ruisheng who entered this time dressed similarly to the one they saw in the morning. He might have been to the wounded battalion. Although he had changed his clothes, the tip of his shoe was stained with blood. It was surprising that the officer of Qingzhou was not only good at martial arts, but also medical skills.
“I’m Su Chenghai. My greetings, General Leng,” when Shi Ruisheng spoke, Qin Yunuan was stunned.
Leng Changxi was really calm. He merely waved his hands to quit his manners. However, Qin Yunuan’s heart was overwhelmed. She stepped forward, pulling Shi Ruisheng’s sleeve unbelievably and staring at him blankly, “What did you say just now? What’s the name you used to call yourself? Say it again. Say it out loud again.”
Shi Ruisheng had moved slowly to look gently at the little sister, who was as innocent as pure jade, and said word by word, “Su Chenghai. My younger female cousin, long time no see.”
