Nanyi brushed away Xie Queshan’s hand and stormed off in a huff.
Just then, she brushed past Tang Rong who was entering.
Tang Rong, who hadn’t had time to remove his armor, rushed hurriedly into the hall. Having returned to active duty, he normally didn’t stay at Wangxue Cottage, so his sudden return surely meant urgent business.
“Young Master, an envoy has come from the court. Master Song requests your return to the military camp for discussion.”
Glancing around and seeing everyone’s expressions were somewhat tense, Tang Rong quickly explained: “It should be good news.”
…
The envoy was Zhang Zhicun.
He had once been the consort of Princess Imperial Xu Kouyue. When he was captured along with the imperial clan and taken to Great Qi, Wanyan Jun, to humiliate him, made him his horse groom.
Probably beaten into submission, Zhang Zhicun was as obedient as a dog before Wanyan Jun, even willing to kneel on the ground and let Wanyan Jun step on him to mount his horse. He became the laughingstock of the entire city, but he simply discarded all dignity. When people laughed at him, he laughed along, completely lacking his former spirited and outstanding demeanor.
However, in reality, his survival in such a humiliating guise was to prepare for a long-planned emergence. He secretly joined the Bingzhu Division, becoming another important intelligence line for Shen Zhizhong within the Qi forces. The existence of “Daman” was intelligence he had transmitted back. After Wanyan Jun’s death, he found an opportunity to escape and returned to Jinling.
Xu Zhou had waited long for Song Muchuan to enter the capital, realizing that Xie Zhu might not have delivered his personal letter to Li Du Mansion. Regardless of Xie Zhu’s considerations, his unwillingness to save Li Du Mansion was already clear. Among all the court officials, Xu Zhou didn’t know whom else he could trust.
At this point, Xu Kouyue recommended the recently returned Zhang Zhicun to Xu Zhou. Having received secret orders from His Majesty, he immediately departed overnight for Li Du Mansion.
In the military camp, Zhang Zhicun conveyed His Majesty’s oral decree to Song Muchuan and Xie Queshan, hoping they would both enter the capital to prove their innocence. The court, to prevent the Qi forces from breaking through Li Du Mansion and crossing the river, had already assembled heavy troops in the neighboring Huaishuo City. As long as the court agreed to send troops, the army in Huaishuo City could immediately march toward Li Du Mansion, giving them the strength to battle the Qi army.
However, this matter was already several days late. The best opportunity had slipped away in an instant. Even if Song and Xie entered the capital now, the officials already had preconceived notions. They would need to spend much more time proving their innocence and still face the possibility of failure. How much time would this consume? The two armies were facing each other at a critical moment. Forget whether they could afford to wait this long—with two key generals leaving the army, Li Du Mansion would probably be in grave danger.
Another dilemma. The camp fell into contemplation.
The enemy was also racing against time to break through their defenses. It seemed that every time, what they were struggling against was time itself. Or perhaps this was simply fate’s cruel game.
“We can only gamble,” Ying Huai broke the silence. “If reinforcements don’t come, with our lone army fighting, we simply cannot hold Li Du Mansion!”
“With so many citizens’ lives and fortunes at stake, do you dare gamble?” Xie Queshan asked.
Ying Huai fell silent.
Three days was already his limit for defending the city. With current military morale unstable, even three days might be optimistic.
Zhang Zhicun seemed to want to say something but hesitated, showing uncertainty on his face. Perhaps wanting to calm down, or perhaps inexplicably buying time, he picked up the boiling kettle and poured water into cups, preparing tea for everyone.
Song Muchuan noticed Zhang Zhicun’s unusual behavior and said: “Master Zhang, if you have any thoughts, please speak freely.”
But Zhang Zhicun said nothing, only rapidly whisking the tea.
Xie Queshan watched his movements and was unexpectedly absorbed. While everyone’s tea-making process was roughly similar, their techniques were individually distinct. Zhang Zhicun’s hand had apparently been injured—his technique was quick but used only thirty to forty percent strength, causing the tea foam to rise more slowly. He recalled the last time he’d watched someone make tea in a military camp—that encounter when confronting Wanyan Puruò. He inevitably remembered Wanyan Puruò’s skillful technique, and suddenly, an shocking thought struck his mind like lightning.
Too similar.
Wanyan Puruò’s movements almost perfectly overlapped with his memories of Third Uncle’s tea-making technique. His own tea-making skills had also been learned from Third Uncle—he was too familiar with them. It was just that at the time, his attention had been entirely elsewhere, completely missing these subtle details.
The birth of this thought made Xie Queshan feel chilled to the bone.
“Did my Third Uncle say anything about Li Du Mansion’s situation?” Xie Queshan suddenly asked.
“Master Xie has remained silent to avoid suspicion…” Zhang Zhicun responded following his question, but quickly realized that Xie Queshan’s question at this moment seemed to have implications. “His Majesty actually found it strange too and tried to probe Master Xie indirectly, but discovered nothing unusual—do you think he has problems?”
Xie Queshan didn’t answer. His mind was already rapidly reviewing everything. He had been wondering who “Daman” could be, whether he was dead or alive, but had completely overlooked the person closest to him. Yet when he understood at this moment, he wasn’t surprised.
Everything made perfect sense. “Daman”—finally, in this code name, he glimpsed Third Uncle’s unwillingness and ambition. He had once been an idealist who raised his voice high, contributing his strength to the dynasty without seeking fame or profit. But from when had he stopped shouting? The betrayal of such people was terrifying—they forcibly stripped away their own ideals and forcibly created an extreme new ideal. This was also the most unguardable thing. When night fell, only the former night watchman knew the dynasty’s weak points best.
Xie Queshan finally knew who his opponent was. But he had missed the best opportunity.
If his Third Uncle, who was like a teacher and father to him, wanted him to lose, what chance of victory could he still have?
Seeing Xie Queshan’s prolonged silence, Song Muchuan also realized, his face rapidly turning deathly pale.
“Master Xie is Daman?”
“If he is, then our path to prove our innocence in the capital has probably already been blocked.”
Zhang Zhicun looked down at the teacup in his hands—this was an extremely poorly made cup of tea, just like his state of mind. He sighed, the thought in his chest almost bursting forth. He had chewed over this idea repeatedly on his journey here—it was the last resort when there were no other options.
He had also been undercover in Great Qi and was probably one of the few who could truly empathize with Xie Queshan. Only with Xu Kouyue speaking for him could he now have a good ending that cleared his name.
He equally hoped Xie Queshan could see the light of day.
Only his method was too dangerous.