Fish Meat – Chapter 113

The Eleventh Year of Shenchu

The Lamp Behind the Curtain, the Sword in its Case (3)

Let’s turn back time four months, Mengliang.

            

Before Chongjin attacked the city with kerosene bombs, Zhen Wenjun and Wei Tingxu were in conversation.

“…The grand endeavor of a thousand autumns is within reach, we can’t afford any negligence. Sister, no one is more suitable for this task than you.”

Zhen Wenjun knew Wei Tingxu had an extremely important mission for her.

            

“Chongjin is about to attack the city. I want you to disappear in the chaos of this battle.”

“Disappear?”

“Yes, to prepare for the Crown Princess’s coronation ceremony four months from now,” Wei Tingxu’s words suddenly jumped to four months later. “By then, Chongjin’s army will likely be severely weakened and retreated to the north. Even if they’re still causing trouble, the Crown Princess must ascend the throne at that time. During these four months, the princes of Da Yu will be assassinated one by one, and the current Empress will be pressured by the Crown Princess to relinquish the Crown Prince’s right to the throne. Completing this series of events in just four months is no easy task, but we can’t delay any longer. Any further delay will surely bring unexpected variables. Once the date of the Crown Princess’s coronation is set, Xie Fuchen will make his final counterattack.”

            

“What will he do?”

“In the worst-case scenario, a bloodbath in Runing, a ‘fish dies net splits’ situation. Don’t forget he still has an elite force of 100,000 troops. We’ve been fighting Chongjin for too long. Even if we win and return to Runing, we won’t be able to immediately muster enough strength to counter Xie Fuchen’s 100,000 elite soldiers, so we can’t engage in a head-on confrontation.”

Zhen Wenjun understood: “Sister, you want me to use the pretense of disappearing to secretly build up our forces, right?”

            

“That’s exactly what I mean, but it’s not just about building up forces. Now, it’s difficult to recruit troops from Da Yu or even from the surrounding Hu tribes willing to submit. Even if there are some remnants, the act of recruiting soldiers is too conspicuous and easily discovered. I want you to secretly build up military strength, quietly inserting your trusted soldiers into Xie Fuchen’s army of 100,000. Once Xie Fuchen launches an attack on Runing, join his forces to enter the city, but don’t reveal yourself until the final moment. Only when Xie Fuchen feels victory is certain should you make your move.”

Zhen Wenjun listened to Wei Tingxu with surging emotions. Wei Tingxu indeed had foresight and great patience.

“You’re the only one who can do this,” Wei Tingxu said. “In terms of ability, Second Brother would also be suitable, but if he disappeared for four months, it would certainly arouse suspicion from various factions and put Xie Fuchen on guard. He has been in military campaigns and served as Sikang Captain for many years. Many people inside and outside Runing city know him, and there are some capital soldiers in Xie Fuchen’s army, making it difficult to infiltrate. Zuo Kunda is a new face and quite clever, but I’m not familiar with him and can’t entrust him with such an important task. The same goes for Bu Jie. Wenjun, I promise this will be the last risky task I ask of you. Over the years, we’ve spent little time together, and I’ve always been sending you on missions. This isn’t what I wanted. It’s only because of the internal and external troubles that keep coming, and you, sister, are a rare talent, so…”

            

“Sister, you don’t need to say more. I’m willing to do this,” Zhen Wenjun said. “I’m willing to do these things for you, and I will eliminate those you hate. Four months from now, I will bring Xie Fuchen’s head to you.”

During the great battle with Chongjin, when Wei Jing’an was about to pursue Ha’erci, Zhen Wenjun saw the perfect opportunity and persuaded Wei Jing’an to let her go instead.

She wanted to catch up with General Ha’erci and kill him, but unfortunately, Ha’erci was too fast, and she couldn’t catch up despite her fierce pursuit. However, she didn’t come away empty-handed. She picked up a bow and shot wildly at Ha’erci’s back.

            

She had tried archery before and knew how to aim and exert force, but she had never tried it on horseback. With her excellent horsemanship, she instinctively gripped the horse’s belly tightly with her legs, steadied herself in the stirrups, let go of the reins, and shot all fifty-odd arrows from her quiver, four of which hit Ha’erci.

In this great battle, even if Ha’erci could save his life, he would likely need to recuperate for a long time. It would be difficult for Chongjin to stage a comeback anytime soon, temporarily eliminating the external threat.

What remained was to infiltrate Xie Fuchen’s army.

            

Zhen Wenjun was indeed the most suitable person for this task, perhaps even more suitable than Wei Tingxu thought.

She first assassinated a soldier and cut off his face, then infiltrated the army before finding an opportunity to kill Commander Guo Meng. Guo Meng was similar in height to her; she only needed to add a bit of padding in her combat boots. More importantly, Guo Meng was mute, as if tailor-made for her mission. After several previous experiences with disguises, Zhen Wenjun had accumulated some expertise. This time, she lurked within the army for a full half-month without arousing suspicion.

When she struck Xie Fuchen’s chest with her blade and tore off her human skin mask, it was utterly exhilarating.

            

As Xie Fuchen recognized who had just attempted to take his life, his wound began to throb intensely.

It turned out that the probing at the Wei Mansion earlier had been Wei Tingxu’s act.

Wei Tingxu had deliberately revealed her emotions in front of Xie Fuchen to ensure he would throw himself into this final battle without worrying about the consequences. She even used Alai as a knife, turning the tables to strike at the Xie mansion.

            

Countless heavily armed elite soldiers rushed out from within the Taiji Hall. Li Yanyi wasn’t even inside.

Xie Fuchen could have avoided this all-encompassing conspiracy.

If only he had told Alai the whole truth, told her that Wei Tingxu had long known Alai’s true identity, known that “Zhen Wenjun” was fake. This way, his daughter would certainly have hated Wei Tingxu, perhaps even risked killing her.

            

But he didn’t do it. He couldn’t do it. He had to protect the only flesh and blood he shared with Ah Qiong.

So in this final confrontation, Xie Fuchen, who had been cautious throughout, found himself outmaneuvered at every turn, falling far behind.

The plan to bring Alai to the Wei Mansion and to Wei Tingxu’s side was for revenge against the Xie family, and she had no reservations. Merely killing members of the Xie family couldn’t satisfy Wei Tingxu’s appetite for revenge; only witnessing the Xie family’s blood relatives tearing each other apart could truly delight her heart.

            

Wei Tingxu had laid such an elaborate scheme, willing to sacrifice countless lives, to exact revenge on the Xie family in the most manipulative way. This method of revenge could easily be exposed. Raising a fierce wolf by one’s side can have two outcomes: either being bitten to death due to careless nurturing, or having it become utterly loyal, using its sharp fangs to bite all enemies, including its own birth parents.

Wei Tingxu stood with Xiaohua and Lingbi at the top of Zichen Palace, from where they could clearly see the entire panorama of the main hall of Taiji Hall.

She saw Zhen Wenjun break through the chaotic troops and severely wound Xie Fuchen; she watched as Xie Fuchen’s seemingly invincible army was completely disrupted by long-hidden rebel forces. They were in a state of panic, not knowing where to run, unsure which comrade-in-arms might suddenly backstab them. When the elite ambush troops in Taiji Hall emerged, they immediately turned the evenly matched chaotic situation around, swiftly grasping victory in their hands.

            

The moment had finally come to reap the first batch of prey from this long-laid plan.

At last, Wei Tingxu witnessed with her own eyes the massacre in front of Taiji Hall. The scent of blood rose into the air with the misty rain, carried by the wind to every corner of Runing city.

For many years in her dreams, apart from being forced back to Rangchuan, which was more terrifying than hell, she often found herself in this Forbidden Garden now soaked in fresh blood.

            

This was her masterpiece, her lifelong aspiration since childhood.

Everything was as she wished.

A smile finally appeared on Wei Tingxu’s face, one that came from the depths of her heart.

            

Xie Fuchen watched as the plan he had prepared for so long was about to fail completely. This was the outcome Wei Tingxu had been waiting for; she would certainly be witnessing her success from somewhere.

Xie Fuchen looked towards Zichen Palace.

That place offered the best vantage point overlooking Taiji Hall.

            

Wei Tingxu must be there!

Zhen Wenjun turned her horse around and charged at Xie Fuchen again, but her seemingly unstoppable strike was blocked by someone.

“Ah Xun?” Zhen Wenjun had almost forgotten that Ah Xun was also in the Xie mansion. She hadn’t expected them to meet again like this.

            

“Traitor of the Xie family, traitor of Da Yu!” Ah Xun raised her whip and lashed out at Zhen Wenjun. Clad in armor, Zhen Wenjun wasn’t afraid of Ah Xun’s whip. In her memory, although Ah Xun had some martial arts skills, she wasn’t as good as herself. Every time they practiced together, Zhen Wenjun would get impatient for her. With an apple ten steps away, after a month of practice, Ah Xun could only hit it half the time out of ten attempts. Ah Xun wasn’t particularly clever, but she was kind. Zhen Wenjun liked her and never imagined they would face each other on the battlefield, fighting for their lives.

Seeing that Zhen Wenjun was only defending, Ah Xun grew angrier: “You dog thief! Don’t underestimate me!”

Ah Xun grabbed Zhen Wenjun’s horse’s head, kicked off the ground, and leaped onto the horse. She wrapped her whip around Zhen Wenjun’s neck. Zhen Wenjun managed to get a hand between the whip and her neck just in time. Ah Xun jumped down, using her body weight to forcefully pull Zhen Wenjun off the horse.

            

Zhen Wenjun fell to the ground but immediately stood up. She took two steps forward to shorten the distance between them. The previously taut whip instantly went slack, losing its binding power while being firmly grasped by Zhen Wenjun. If Ah Xun still wanted her weapon, she would have to compete with Zhen Wenjun in strength. If she decided to give up, she would lose her most suitable weapon.

There was no time for her to think further, as Zhen Wenjun had already closed in, a powerful punch that stirred the wind about to land on Ah Xun’s face.

Ah Xun blinked, bracing herself for the impact, but Zhen Wenjun stopped her fist at the last moment.

            

She couldn’t bring herself to do it.

The memories of their days and nights together still lingered in her heart. Ah Xun, like Ah Mu, was among her most precious memories. She couldn’t bring herself to harm Ah Xun.

Ah Xun hadn’t expected her opponent to pull her punches at such a crucial moment. Enraged, she let go of the whip and drew two short daggers from her sleeve, closing in on Zhen Wenjun and slashing at her throat with swift, circular motions.

            

Over the years, Ah Xun, having lost her family and home, harbored resentment and had trained diligently in martial arts. Her close-combat knife techniques were now extremely fast. Zhen Wenjun had lost her sword when she fell from the horse and had no means to defend herself, only able to retreat continuously. At this moment, more than ten soldiers surrounded her, taking advantage of her distraction to launch sneak attacks. Their blades struck her armor repeatedly, gradually drawing blood.

“This is bad,” Lingbi, watching from Zichen Palace, saw Zhen Wenjun gradually falling into a disadvantageous position and grew anxious. Wei Tingxu ordered her and Xiaohua to immediately lead the secret guards to support Zhen Wenjun.

Xiaohua refused to leave: “No matter what happens, I won’t leave the lady’s side. I protect only the lady’s safety.”

            

Wei Tingxu had no way to persuade her, so she told Lingbi to quickly lead the men.

Lingbi led eight highly skilled secret guards towards Taiji Hall. At this moment, Xie Fuchen clearly saw Wei Tingxu’s location.

She was indeed atop Zichen Palace!

            

Xie Fuchen dispatched a hundred elite soldiers towards Zichen Palace. Wei Tingxu immediately sensed the danger and told Xiaohua to escort her away.

As Wei Tingxu, Xiaohua, and over a dozen guards emerged from Zichen Palace, they saw Zhong Ji.

“My lady, Xiaohua, get in the carriage,” Zhong Ji said, panting as she descended from the carriage. “All escape routes have been blocked by Xie’s people. I’ve found another secret passage we can use. Quickly, follow me and leave.”

            

Wei Tingxu and Xiaohua didn’t move immediately. Zhong Ji couldn’t help but raise her voice:

“There’s no time! Hurry!”

“Don’t trust her…” Suddenly, a blood-covered Doctor Xu appeared from another path. Everyone turned to look at him. Doctor Xu trembled as he pointed at Zhong Ji, “She… she’s a Xie family spy! She’s long been in cahoots with Xie Fuchen, laying a trap. Knowing the lady would come to Zichen Palace, she set up an ambush to kill her! When this old man discovered it, she tried to kill me… Zhong Ji, you should know how I’ve treated you all these years. I’ve cared for you like my own daughter, yet you have the heart to harm me! You’re worse than pigs and dogs!”

            

Faced with Doctor Xu’s accusations, Zhong Ji only denied it, saying “I’m not.” As she grew more anxious, she suddenly moved towards Wei Tingxu, trying to quickly lead her away. Xiaohua, alert, struck Zhong Ji’s body with a backhand palm strike. Zhong Ji was sent flying, coughing up blood.

Doctor Xu struggled to climb onto Zhong Ji’s carriage: “My lady, quickly come with me. This place is far too dangerous to linger.”

Xiaohua’s palm strike had mountain-splitting force. Zhong Ji had never practiced martial arts and her bones weren’t fully developed. It was indeed difficult for her to withstand such a blow. She struggled to get up, trying to speak, but blood kept flowing out uncontrollably.

            

“Don’t… go… he’s the one who…”

Xiaohua didn’t actually believe Zhong Ji was a Xie family spy. If Zhong Ji had wanted to harm her life while treating her poison for so long, she could have done so easily. Eliminating her would have made assassinating Wei Tingxu much simpler. But Zhong Ji had never done that. Then again, the same could be said for Doctor Xu, who also had many opportunities but never acted.

Now, these master and apprentice were suddenly at odds, each insisting on their own version. One of them must be lying.

            

Was it Doctor Xu or Zhong Ji? Xiaohua couldn’t tell for the moment.

“It’s actually quite simple,” Wei Tingxu suddenly spoke, drawing everyone’s attention.

Her confident and assured demeanor made both Doctor Xu and Zhong Ji’s expressions tense up. Xiaohua didn’t know what strategy Wei Tingxu had, but seeing her lady’s composed attitude, she understood she must have a plan.

            

Wei Tingxu took out a small medicine bottle from her sleeve, holding it between Zhong Ji and Doctor Xu.

“One of you is a spy planted by Xie Fuchen long ago, waiting for a chance to assassinate me. However, I’ve always been cautious. You had no opportunity to strike in the early stages, and later, fearing exposure from my counter-probing, you’ve been treading carefully, not daring to make a move until now, when you’re making your last-ditch effort. You’ve hidden well, and I’ve been wondering which of you is the spy, or if both of you are. I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time,” Wei Tingxu leaned forward with an expectant look and said,

“I’ve long since left a mark on the spy. Every time you received secret messages from the Xie family, they actually passed through my hands. I poisoned these messages.”

            

As Wei Tingxu said this, both of their expressions changed in different ways.

“But don’t worry, the poison applied to the secret messages doesn’t take effect immediately. I still needed this spy to relay all the information I wanted to send to Xie Fuchen. Even though the poison takes root upon contact, it won’t claim a life right away. Only when combined with another dose will the two poisons act together, causing instant death.” Wei Tingxu opened the small medicine bottle and poured out two pills.

At this moment, Xiaohua heard the sound of Xie Fuchen’s army rapidly approaching. The footsteps blended into a large mass, making it difficult to judge which direction they were coming from, but she could be certain there were at least a thousand men.

            

If surrounded by a thousand men, even with supreme martial arts skills that could allow one to fight ten, their chances of victory would be slim to none.

Nervous sweat trickled down Xiaohua’s forehead, but Wei Tingxu showed no signs of urgency. As if she hadn’t heard the approaching army at all, she still held out her hand, letting Doctor Xu and Zhong Ji come forward to take the pills themselves.

Zhong Ji, dragging her half-broken body, struggled forward and took a pill, swallowing it. Doctor Xu also came forward, took the pill, and tilted his head back to swallow. Just as his hand moved away from his mouth, Xiaohua grabbed it.

            

“You…” Doctor Xu tried to break free, but Xiaohua wouldn’t give him the chance. She twisted his wrist, almost breaking it. As Doctor Xu cried out in pain, the pill that he hadn’t actually swallowed fell from his sleeve.

Xiaohua punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground, then drew her sword and stabbed him through the chest.

With Doctor Xu dead, Xiaohua immediately lifted Wei Tingxu into the carriage and pulled the half-dead Zhong Ji in as well.

            

“Which way do we go?” Xiaohua asked.

Zhong Ji, sitting in the carriage, replied: “The north road…”

Xiaohua immediately drove the carriage northward at full speed, with the secret guards following behind. Zhong Ji, mustering her strength, guided Xiaohua on how to proceed, avoiding main roads and galloping along. Sure enough, they didn’t encounter any of Xie Fuchen’s men.

            

Before losing consciousness, Zhong Ji was curious and asked Wei Tingxu, “The two poisons you mentioned… which two were they?”

“There weren’t any,” Wei Tingxu replied casually. “I was just making it up to trick you.”

Zhong Ji: “…”

            

Xie Fuchen saw Ah Xun and Zhen Wenjun fighting, with Ah Xun’s companions surrounding them. Zhen Wenjun was gradually struggling against the odds. He dispatched his personal guards to secretly protect Zhen Wenjun.

Alai wasn’t dead, and his feelings were very complicated. However, whether he was happy or conflicted, there was no more time for him to ponder these emotions. He knew that if Li Yanyi wasn’t in Taiji Hall, he must be in Huaichen Manor.

He quickly withdrew the assassination expert Hang Lie from the chaotic battle. Together with Hang Lie, he led over five hundred soldiers out of the melee at Taiji Hall, joined forces with the main body of the Huangtu righteous army in the city, and attacked Huaichen Manor.

            

Regardless of where the other battles might lead, Xie Fuchen’s ultimate goal was only to kill Li Yanyi.

Once Li Yanyi was dead, everything would fall into place.

“Lord Xie, can you still hold on?” Hang Lie noticed that Xie Fuchen had suffered a severe chest wound, with blood staining his chest red. His face was two shades paler than usual, he was coughing incessantly, and his eyelids kept drooping. It was clear he was only keeping himself going through sheer willpower.

            

“I’m fine… eliminating Li Yanyi is more urgent.” Xie Fuchen gritted his teeth as he mounted his horse, gripping his weapon and cutting down enemies as he advanced.

The agonized screams and the exhilaration of galloping horses reminded him of his days as a military officer over a decade ago, when he was unstoppable, cutting down all evil under his horse’s hooves.

Today would be no different!

            

Not long after Li Yanyi returned to Huaichen Manor with Ah Xin, she received a battle report stating that Xie Fuchen’s army had penetrated the Forbidden Garden. Half an hour later, another report arrived, saying the battle had taken a dramatic turn: traitors had appeared within Xie Fuchen’s army, and both sides were now engaged in fierce combat.

Li Yanyi smiled and said, “Zizhuo informed me earlier that sister Wenjun had faked her death to set up an ambush. She only told me about this, not even her close confidants. To deceive the enemy, one must first deceive their own. Zizhuo and Wenjun have succeeded!”

Ah Xin, who had returned with her, remained silent. The hemp ropes on her wrists were still untied, and she kept her head lowered, soaking wet and looking somewhat pitiful.

            

Li Yanyi brought a thick velvet cloth to dry the rainwater from her body. As she was about to untie the ropes, she asked her:

“If I untie you, my dear, will you hit me again?”

Ah Xin kept her eyes downcast, not giving any interesting response to her teasing. Li Yanyi savored her demeanor with relish as she personally untied the ropes.

            

The guards in the hall of Huaichen Manor were all watching intently, hands on their sword hilts. If Xie Ah Xin dared to make any move, they would rush forward immediately to subdue her.

Somewhat unexpectedly, Ah Xin didn’t move.

A maid brought a bowl of ginger soup to ward off the cold. As Li Yanyi took it, she said to everyone, “You may all leave now.”

            

The guards exchanged glances, not daring to move.

“We won’t repeat Ourselves,” Li Yanyi said, using the royal “we”.

Only then did the guards withdraw, leaving just the two of them in the front hall.

            

“Come, drink this to warm yourself up,” Li Yanyi offered to feed Ah Xin herself. “It seems the addiction to the Furong Powder has subsided quite a bit. It must be the prescription your master gave you, right? Your master is actually quite good to you. I was petty and jealous of him, which was wrong of me. We should visit the old man together someday to properly thank him. But first, you need to recover. Does the wound on your waist hurt badly? If you catch a cold on top of that, it would be truly worrisome. Quickly now, drink the soup. Don’t make me worry anymore.”

Ah Xin didn’t look at her but obediently opened her mouth.

Li Yanyi fed her the amber-colored soup, watching as she swallowed it, feeling both warmth and a tingling sensation in her heart.

            

“Seeing you so obedient now, even if I were to die by your hand at this moment, I would have no regrets,” Li Yanyi sighed, seemingly content. At these words, Ah Xin’s eyelashes suddenly fluttered.

“You changed your mind and came back with me because you want to kill me, this evil spirit who’s ruining the country, isn’t that right?” While speaking these revealing words, she continued to feed Ah Xin the medicinal soup.

“Your Majesty!” A loud shout came from outside as Xie Fuchen led his troops in.

            

Li Yanyi immediately put down the soup bowl and walked to the door, only to be pushed back by a blood-covered guard: “Your Majesty, it’s dangerous!”

Hang Lie thrust his sword towards Li Yanyi’s face. Li Yanyi dodged sideways, and seeing their ruler in danger, the guards immediately pounced on Hang Lie, forcing him back.

Xie Fuchen’s army poured into Huaichen Manor, filling the courtyard to the brim.

            

Although Huaichen Manor was heavily guarded, Xie Fuchen had brought even more men. The Wei and Zhangsun families’ private armies were stationed here to protect Li Yanyi. They engaged in a fierce battle in the courtyard, while Xie Fuchen and Hang Lie led their men to break into the front hall where Li Yanyi was.

Several elite soldiers who had just broken through the door were immediately thrown back out. Another wave tried to rush in but was repelled.

Xie Fuchen was puzzled. What formidable warrior was in the front hall, able to hold off an army single-handedly?

            

As he pondered this, his daughter Ah Xin appeared at the doorway.

Ah Xin’s face was deathly pale, her waist injury making her sway on the verge of collapse. Yet, she supported herself with a long sword, standing firm on the path to Li Yanyi’s life or death, not retreating a single step. She stood as immovable as a mountain, just as she had countless times before when guarding the gates of Da Yu.

“I did want to kill you, but…” Ah Xin faced the danger with her back to Li Yanyi, who couldn’t see her face.

            

“I can withstand thousands of troops, but I can’t resist you.”

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