Fish Meat – Chapter 108

The Tenth Year of Shenchu

Iron horses and golden spears (10)

Zhen Wenjun cautiously followed behind the Huben soldier, not daring to get too close, fearing that the sound of horse hooves would expose her whereabouts, only able to track with difficulty based on the faint hoofprints ahead.

            

This person indeed reached Mengliang.

As the sky grew darker, it became increasingly difficult to find hoof marks. Zhen Wenjun did not carry a fire starter, and it was the damp spring season, with snow melting and everything reviving, everywhere was moist, she simply couldn’t light a fire. Fortunately, tonight the clear breeze and bright moon, and the northern trees had not yet had time to grow leaves, allowing the moonlight to abundantly shine on the ground without any obstruction, Zhen Wenjun managed to follow the Huben soldier using only the moonlight and faint traces.

When she brushed off numerous thorns and various withered branches and weeds from her body, she discovered the last line of hoofprints.

            

Not far away, a few wisps of blue smoke swayed left and right in the wind and quickly dissipated, voices were clear, and from time to time, one could hear the hearty laughter and shouts of men.

Having been with the army for several months, Zhen Wenjun immediately understood that ahead was the military camp. According to the battle report sent back from the front, when the main force of the Da Yu army branched to support Xie County, Ha’erci broke into Mengliang City, once again reversing the situation. Ah Xin was already anxious, but she had been enduring, needing to ensure Li Ju’s life before returning to Mengliang. Ah Xin fought her way back, Wei Jing’an followed closely behind with troops to suppress. They both had heard of each other’s reputation but had never met, Ah Xin’s bravery was known throughout the entire Da Yu, and Wei Jing’an’s prowess exceeded Ah Xin’s expectations.

In the battle yesterday, Wei Jing’an pierced through the wrist of the Chongjin leader Ha’erci with a spear, captured his two princes alive, and beheaded three vanguard generals. Although Mengliang City could not be captured back in one go, it was considered a great victory. Wei Jing’an boldly set up the Wei family army camp five miles outside Mengliang City, distributed fine wine and meat to the troops, and issued military orders to set off before dawn to catch the enemy off guard.

            

The Chongjin army lost their general leader and prince, and was in chaos, while the Da Yu army also lost several thousand soldiers. Wei Jing’an anticipated that Ha’erci would think the Da Yu army would need at least a few days to recuperate before launching the next attack, but if they stormed the city overnight, they could catch the enemy off guard.

Upon learning of Wei Jing’an’s strategy, Ah Xin marveled that he was not only a valiant dragon on the battlefield but also a spirited and capable commander. She was willing to temporarily incorporate her troops into the Wei family army, wanting to retake Mengliang together with Wei Jing’an.

Wei Jing’an knew that Ah Xin was the daughter of Xie Fuchen and understood the numerous contributions she had made to defend the Da Yu. Faced with a formidable enemy, even Ah Xin did not mind who commanded the army and was willing to be subordinate, so he had nothing to argue about.

            

“Okay!” Wei Jing’an said heartily, “Today, our Wei and Xie families are not lifelong enemies, we are all warriors of Da Yu! Tomorrow at the hour of Yin, before the sun rises, we will storm into the city to retake Mengliang and take Ha’erci’s head! To comfort the souls of the war dead!”

“Good! This bowl of wine, I toast to you!” Ah Xin and Wei Jing’an drank three cups together, Wei Jing’an said:

“You are different from the Xie family.”

            

Ah Xin said: “Let’s talk about this after killing Ha’erci!”

Wei Jing’an drank six bowls of wine, feeling warmth all over his body, slightly suppressing his heated killing intent, and feeling some drowsiness, he prepared to sleep. Escorted by guards, he arrived in front of the tent.

“Young master.” A soldier from the troop came forward and whispered in his ear, Wei Jing’an’s eyes widened, and he laughed heartily:

            

“Is there really such a thing? Since this is the goodwill of fellow countrymen, it would be too impolite to refuse.” A layer of excited blush appeared on Wei Jing’an’s handsome face, “Come, come, come! Send it into the young master’s tent!”

Wei Jing’an was the first to enter the tent, and two soldiers brought a woman wearing a veiled hat and draped in a black cloak to the front of the tent, lifted the curtain, and let her in to be alone with Wei Jing’an, while the others stayed outside.

Hiding behind a bare tree trunk not far away, Zhen Wenjun saw that Wei Jing’an actually brought an unknown “woman” into the tent and was truly anxious. This second young master seemed brave, but he didn’t have half the vigilance of Wei Tingxu! Where would a village woman come from in the wilderness! To say she came to “console the general” and was directly brought into the tent? Zhen Wenjun was extremely anxious, wishing to rush in immediately.

            

That’s right, the one in the black cloak was not a woman, but the Huben soldier who had traveled a long way from Li Ju’s side.

Three quarters of an hour ago, Zhen Wenjun watched as the Huben soldier tied his horse in the woods, took off his men’s clothing and changed into women’s garments, even preparing two pieces of dough and a girdle. This person was definitely not disguising on a whim for fun; it was not plausible. When he disguised himself as a village woman and headed to the camp, Zhen Wenjun had already guessed his intentions and secretly mocked Li Ju for his lowly tactics. How could such a petty trick possibly deceive Wei Jing’an?

But the reality in front of her told her that she indeed did not understand men…

            

That Huben soldier swaggered into Wei Jing’an’s tent, alone with him. If he drew his sword to assassinate in a moment of passion, there might really be a chance of success.

Thinking of this, Zhen Wenjun could no longer stay put and rushed toward the tent.

“Who!” Wei Jing’an’s attendants were indeed alert this time. Seeing a shadow sneaking in from the outside attempting to head toward the second young master’s tent, they immediately surrounded her, intending to seize her. Zhen Wenjun shouted loudly:

            

“The village woman in the tent is an assassin in disguise! Why don’t you hurry to save the second young master!”

These attendants would not heed the random shouting of a young lady who appeared out of nowhere and prepared to arrest her with weapons drawn. Zhen Wenjun had anticipated this situation, and anxious, she didn’t have time to tangle with them. She stepped on a carriage, leaped up, and jumped to another carriage, then onto the top of the tent, weaving through, leading the whole camp of soldiers to chase her but making it difficult for them to catch her. This move was imitating the technique Ah Xin from the Xie family used when she escaped from Li Yanyi’s camp, except Ah Xin was skilled in Qinggong, leaping gracefully and effortlessly like a swallow, jumping over ten steps in one bound. Zhen Wenjun’s foundation in Qinggong was decent; her mother taught her martial arts with a solid foundation, and she hadn’t neglected her practice over the years, always training hard. However, she didn’t have the large blocks of time to delve into martial arts deeply, learning bits from one person and a couple of moves from another, resulting in a disorganized technique, not to mention her Qinggong. Zhen Wenjun’s ability to run across the tops of tents and carriages was entirely due to her courage and momentum; if she hesitated even slightly and stopped, she would be caught immediately.

Just as she was about to reach the center of the camp where Wei Jing’an’s tent was, a few cold arrows shot from behind. Zhen Wenjun spun in place to dodge them one by one, and when she landed back on the carriage, a row of crossbowmen had already prepared their next wave of attacks. Zhen Wenjun grabbed the horsewhip from the carriage, swung it horizontally, and hit the crossbowmen from handle to lash, driving them back a big step. But another row of crossbowmen had their arrows nocked, ready to fire. Zhen Wenjun was prepared to take a few arrows, as she was wearing soft armor, thinking the pain would only be temporary.

            

Without hesitation, she continued to rush toward Wei Jing’an’s tent. Just as hundreds of arrows were about to be loosed, someone shouted: “Wait! Are you the lady’s savior Zhen Wenjun, Lady Zhen?”

Zhen Wenjun had already leapt dozens of steps away. Hearing someone recognize her, she was particularly moved, and when she relaxed her mind, she didn’t land well and sprained her ankle. She stood up, enduring the pain, and saw that the person who recognized her looked unfamiliar; they probably hadn’t officially met. That person said he was the second young master’s little attendant and had seen Lady Zhen at the Wei Mansion… As he spoke, his lips curled slightly, appearing to show some friendliness, but Zhen Wenjun was reminded vividly of herself singing loudly while holding Wei Lun’s hand after drinking.

“Cough, it’s good that you recognize me.” Zhen Wenjun quickly shifted the topic to the most urgent matter, “The one who just went into the tent with the second young master is an assassin! A Huben soldier! I’m afraid the second young master is in danger, hurry to rescue him!”

            

The surrounding people, upon hearing her words, all laughed, making the genuinely anxious Zhen Wenjun feel like a fool.

“Lady Zhen, no need to worry. The second young master had already seen that the person was an assassin and deliberately let him into the tent. It’s like catching a turtle in a jar, that’s the principle.”

Zhen Wenjun had just understood when she heard the sound of fabric tearing, and someone rushed out from the tent, somersaulting into the crowd. Even though it was spring, the north was still cold, and that person wore only a pair of narrow trousers, with his upper body bare, making people shiver.

            

The private soldiers immediately surrounded him to capture him. Although this person looked lean, he was exceptionally skilled, repelling the first wave of private soldiers who tried to seize him, and even snatched one of their long knives.

“Bah!” At this moment, Wei Jing’an slowly walked out of the tent, holding his spear, full of disgust and said angrily, “At least you’re an assassin; if you’re going to disguise as a woman, can you at least do it convincingly! You didn’t even shave your beard clean, are you mocking the young master!”

Wei Jing’an was furious, but everyone else couldn’t stop laughing.

            

It turned out he intentionally let the assassin into the tent to play with him. Zhen Wenjun saw that Wei Jing’an’s personality was bold and unrestrained, different from his brother, a famous general, and completely different from the gloomy and suspicious Wei Tingxu. She wondered what Wei Tingxu’s nature would have been if she had never encountered the troubles of Rangchuan in her childhood.

The assassin, of course, knew how difficult it was to approach the camp and intended to use “seduction” to kill Wei Jing’an when he was most unguarded. He gambled his dignity on the disguise, only to become the subject of Wei Jing’an’s mockery. Now, not only was he heavily made-up and dressed in a skirt, but he was also bare-chested with loose hair, looking like a madman.

Wei Jing’an asked everyone to step aside, as he wanted to duel the assassin one-on-one.

            

Wei Jing’an was indeed like a fierce tiger out of the gate, full of endless strength. The assassin couldn’t withstand even ten moves before being stabbed with three bloody holes. The more Wei Jing’an fought, the more invigorated he became, striking the top of the assassin’s head heavily with his spear. The assassin’s vision flashed, and his consciousness drifted for a moment. Wei Jing’an turned and thrust his spear straight at the assassin’s heart.

Zhen Wenjun flicked her fingers, sending a pebble towards Wei Jing’an’s eyes. Wei Jing’an tilted his head to dodge, and the pebble hit his face, not causing much pain.

The assassin took the opportunity to roll and crawl away to escape. The private soldiers quickly surrounded him, while Zhen Wenjun secretly helped him break through the encirclement. The assassin sensed someone was assisting him and, with a desperate struggle, broke out of the siege, escaping down a wild path and quickly vanishing into the night.

            

“Forget it, don’t chase.” Wei Jing’an said, “It’s just a small assassin, not worth mentioning. If we chase and fall into a trap like ‘luring the tiger away from the mountain’ or if there is an ambush, it would be a loss.” He calmly withdrew all the troops, arranged three patrols for the night, and urged everyone to rest quickly since they had to attack the city at the hour of Yin.

“Hey, that young lady is gone.” The person who had recognized Zhen Wenjun earlier said.

Wei Jing’an pondered for a moment, then smiled and pulled him closer: “A young lady, who knows what she’s thinking. Let her go; maybe she went back to Xie County to find my sister.”

            

The assassin, panting heavily and enduring pain, ran wildly, looking back as he went.

Unexpectedly, the one who wanted to kill him was not behind but above him.

Zhen Wenjun was laboriously leaping from treetop to treetop, occasionally breaking off dead branches to throw behind the assassin, making him think there was constant movement behind him. When she was sure no one was following him, she jumped down and hurled a stone at the assassin’s head. The assassin groaned and fell to the ground, and Zhen Wenjun grabbed his hair, pulling him up, with the Golden Cicada Knife pressed against his neck.

            

“Why did Li Ju send you to assassinate Young Master Wei? Aren’t you afraid that if Young Master Wei dies, the Chongjin army will invade the Central Plains?”

The assassin smiled faintly, and just as his teeth were about to bite down, Zhen Wenjun pinched his cheeks.

“Trying to bite the poison pouch and kill yourself? Do you think I’ll let you die so easily?” Zhen Wenjun applied some force, and dislocated his jaw. She drew a dagger from her waist, inserted it into his mouth, and slowly explored his gums. The assassin couldn’t move, glaring fiercely at Zhen Wenjun.

            

The dagger felt a string tied to a tooth, and with a twist of her hand, Zhen Wenjun extracted the poison along with one of the assassin’s teeth.

In extreme pain, the assassin was furious, and seeing his emotion, Zhen Wenjun found it easier to deal with him. She slapped his jaw back into place.

“Speak, why does Li Ju want to kill Wei Jing’an?” Zhen Wenjun actually had an answer in her mind, but strangely, she wanted the assassin to say it himself.

            

Knowing she could control the enemy and hold his life, there was a trace of excitement in her heart. This excitement was rare before, but as her opportunities in battle came one after another, the excitement grew stronger and more uncontrollable.

The assassin, of course, didn’t speak, so Zhen Wenjun, without a word, cut off two of his fingers.

The assassin screamed in pain, and Zhen Wenjun aimed the dagger at his eyeball:

            

“Because Li Ju doesn’t want Wei Jing’an to defeat the enemy and gain merit, doesn’t want to give him any rewards or titles, so he wants to kill him, right?”

The assassin held his hand and still didn’t speak. Zhen Wenjun was not joking; she was about to stab his eye.

“I don’t know!” the assassin finally spoke, “I’m just a small assassin! How would I know!”

            

Zhen Wenjun thought for a moment, nodded, and said, “That’s true.”

“I know nothing, I’m just working for the emperor, I…”

Zhen Wenjun’s hand swept across his neck, and with the Golden Cicada Knife, she killed the assassin before he could finish his sentence. The assassin twitched a few times, blood pooling on the ground, and quickly died.

            

Breathing heavily, in the dark depths of the forest, Zhen Wenjun sliced open the skin on the corpse’s face and peeled off the entire facial skin from the back of his head.

This time was very successful, much more complete than the human skin she tore during her last infiltration into the Xie Mansion.

However, this person’s clothes were left in the camp, making it inconvenient to retrieve them. But it didn’t matter; she remembered the assassin was wearing an ordinary military uniform when he arrived, which she could easily replicate once back in Xie County.

            

She tucked the human skin into her sleeve, found her horse, Xiaoxue, in the dark, and rode back to Xie County overnight.

By the time she returned to Xie County, it was already bright. Without resting, she processed the human skin, found a set of military clothes, disguised herself, and went to the county office.

The Huben army had surrounded the county office tightly inside and out. Zhen Wenjun walked in, and the guards at the gate glanced at her without saying anything, so she confidently proceeded to find Li Ju, to “report back” to him.

            

Li Ju was very easy to locate; wherever there were the most guards outside a room, that’s where he would be.

Zhen Wenjun walked into the room guarded by more than ten Huben soldiers. Li Ju, hearing the sound of someone entering, immediately turned around and, seeing it was the assassin who had set out last night, exclaimed with joy:

“Is Wei Zilian (Jing’an; might be a typo) dead?!”

            

This was Zhen Wenjun’s first time facing Li Ju so closely. This current emperor looked thin and short, never having fully recovered his health after being severely injured, still appearing emaciated and gaunt.

The emperor, the supreme ruler above all, the emperor with divine right, was nothing more than this.

If it weren’t for the many Huben soldiers outside the room, she could easily have killed Li Ju with her bare hands.

            

Zhen Wenjun presented a wooden box, which he opened to find two fingers inside, giving him quite a shock.

“These… are these Wei Zilian’s fingers?”

Zhen Wenjun nodded.

            

“Why aren’t you speaking?” Li Ju noticed his abnormality.

He pulled his collar, revealing a deep bloody wound in front of Li Ju. Li Ju exclaimed, “Ah”: “So you were injured. Indeed, Wei Jing’an is no ordinary person, attempting to assassinate him is no easy task. If you only cut off his fingers, I won’t blame you. However, after alerting him, it will be even harder to kill him. But he must die. If he remains alive, Li Yanyi will further win over people’s hearts, and another great general will emerge from the Wei family. How could we fear the demoness gaining power?”

Zhen Wenjun took a pen from her bosom, dipped it in the water from a small pool in the room, and wrote on the ground:

            

“What other plans does Your Majesty have?”

Li Ju only smiled without speaking, not telling her anything.

Zhen Wenjun did not kill Li Ju on the spot; of course, killing him on the spot was not a good plan.

            

She couldn’t let Li Ju or Xie Fuchen seize any handle against the Wei family.

When Zhen Wenjun came out of the room, Li Ju called out to her.

She hesitated and turned back, seeing Li Ju personally holding a box of medicine, handing it to her: “You are a brave one, daring to go alone to take Wei Jing’an’s life. Now that you’re wounded, take this medicine and treat yourself well.”

            

Zhen Wenjun accepted the medicine box. Li Ju coughed a few times and smiled at her, saying: “I have also passed through the gates of hell, with many people waiting to take my life, hoping for my death. It’s not easy for me to have a capable and loyal minister like you. Take good care of yourself, you may leave.”

Zhen Wenjun retreated, closing the door behind her.

Li Ju was not quite what she had imagined.

            

In the mouths of Wei Tingxu and Li Yanyi, Li Ju was muddle-headed and talentless. If it weren’t for Xie Fuchen alone supporting him, they would have long since dragged Li Ju off the dragon throne and whipped him into mud. He was the foolish and incompetent ruler recorded in countless historical books, as her mother had said, a wine sack and rice bag who only made mistakes and was unworthy of the title of true dragon.

Today, she came to see Li Ju, bringing him a box of hell incense, with the intent of holding him in contempt to see what kind of waste he really was. Unexpectedly, he was gentler than she imagined, without much of the airs of an emperor, quite unlike what she thought.

Li Ju was much younger than she had expected, and without the crown of an emperor, he was just like a young gentleman from the neighborhood.

            

But he was not.

As she left the county office, she looked back at the place, as if seeing a silent tomb.

She hadn’t left without a trace. Those two fingers were not merely tools for reporting back.

            

She had sprinkled poison on the fingers.

This poison was called “Soul-Chasing Fragrance.” Soul-Chasing Fragrance had a distinct aroma, which she had blended into the wooden box with the scent of blood, making it undetectable to Li Ju. This fragrance wouldn’t kill immediately, otherwise Zhen Wenjun herself would be at risk, and there was even an antidote. But if one did not take the antidote in time after exposure, after seven days, once the poison acted, no medicine could cure it.

She had given it to Li Ju, who kept it by his side, unknowingly sniffing it repeatedly. Meanwhile, she had taken the antidote early on.

            

The opportunity lost last time must be completely reclaimed this time.

After Zhen Wenjun returned, she told Wei Tingxu about Li Ju’s plans. Wei Tingxu caressed the small hand warmer in her palm, as if stroking a gentle little cat.

“The wandering flowers in the Wei Mansion of Runing should have been planted by now,” Wei Tingxu shifted the topic, “Sister, when we return, the courtyard should be in full bloom with beautiful flowers.”

            

From Zhen Wenjun’s understanding of her, a strong intent to kill had already formed in her heart.

She not only wanted Li Ju dead but also wished to see him die with her own eyes.

Wei Jing’an and Ah Xin launched a night raid on Mengliang City, using flesh and blood as ladders to forcibly storm the city.

            

While the Chongjin soldiers were still asleep, they suddenly heard loud shouts of killing. In their panic, they couldn’t even get to their horses. Wei Jing’an fought his way through the main road of the city, while Ah Xin and Guo Xiao led troops to encircle from two sides. Before dawn, they had already annihilated over ten thousand Chongjin soldiers. Ha’erci fled in panic without even having time to put on his shoes, and Wei Jing’an pursued relentlessly, almost beheading Ha’erci ten miles out before being stopped by reinforcements.

Wei Jing’an’s three hundred elite troops were surrounded by two thousand Chongjin reinforcements, yet he fought his way out of the encirclement, taking lives in the chaotic army as easily as taking something out of a bag.

All the Chongjin people were terrified, not daring to attack further, and they all retreated.

            

Wei Jing’an was drenched in the blood of his enemies, looking up to the sky and letting out a long cry with tears streaming down his face. For himself, for the Wei family, and especially for his elder brother.

When Ha’erci retreated to the three northern counties, he had less than ten thousand troops left, a truly disastrous defeat.

“The people of Ural cannot admit defeat just like this!” Ha’erci was unwilling to give up; he wanted to make a comeback! Once he recovered from his injuries, he vowed to face off against that Da Yu man again!

            

While Ha’erci was recuperating and continuing to recruit soldiers, and Ah Xin was returning to Xie County, Xia Jing was killed.

That morning, Li Ju awoke from a nightmare, where he dreamed someone was trying to kill him, and Xia Jing along with the Huben army had all died in battle to protect him.

Upon waking, he realized it was not a dream.

            

The bedroom door was wide open, bodies scattered everywhere, Xia Jing lay with eyes open at his feet, and someone stepped over the corpses and walked in.

“Wei… Wei Zizhuo…”

When Li Ju saw the true face of the visitor, he was so startled that he jumped up from the bed immediately.

            

“Your Majesty.” Wei Tingxu walked on her own legs and came to stand before Li Ju.

Behind her, Zhen Wenjun, Xiaohua, Lingbi, and all the Wei family’s attendants and skilled shadow guards lined up one by one. They all glared at Li Ju menacingly, like a pack of wolves eyeing a defenseless fawn.

Li Ju was trembling all over. With a loud cry, he picked up Xia Jing’s knife and swung it at Wei Tingxu’s head. Just as the knife was raised, he felt excruciating pain in his abdomen, and a mouthful of blood spurted onto the ground.

            

Li Ju collapsed to the ground, his internal organs feeling as if they were being gnawed on, causing him to vomit blood violently.

Wei Tingxu walked to his side, crouched down, stared at him, and said with a smile, “Your task is complete, Emperor Shenchu. Prince Huai’an will soon join Your Majesty.”

Li Ju’s chin was covered in black blood. He lifted his head to look at Wei Tingxu, who was so close, and tears slowly filled his eyes.

            

Finally, it had come to this…

He had finally lost to Li Yanyi.

No, it wasn’t Li Yanyi.

            

Li Ju saw something different in Wei Tingxu’s eyes, something he had never considered before.

Li Ju grasped Wei Tingxu’s hand, and Zhen Wenjun and Xiaohua immediately rushed forward to pull him away, but Wei Tingxu indicated it was fine.

“My prince…” Li Ju vomited blood with each word, veins bulging on his forehead, his face covered in sweat, tears streaming down like rain. Uttering just a few words seemed to exhaust all his strength, “Spare… my child… he is, innocent…”

            

Li Ju’s eyes bulged as if they were about to pop out, just waiting for Wei Tingxu to agree with him so he could swallow his last breath.

Wei Tingxu showed no struggle; instead, she leaned forward and whispered something in Li Ju’s ear.

Li Ju’s expression suddenly changed, his body instantly stiffened. This stiffness didn’t last long before he fell to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.

            

Dead, Li Ju was dead. Seeing his terrifying death, Zhen Wenjun’s heart raced.

Wei Tingxu propped herself up and gave an order:

“Close the door!”

            

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