Taking the time to enjoy the scenery along the way, the three of them walked back to the valley entrance leisurely. Before they even got close, they could hear loud chaotic voices arguing. After listening closely, it turns out that a group of envoy leaders was still arguing at the mouth of the valley regarding the “rescue plan”.
“The first two plans are not quite suitable. Let’s try the third plan. Search the mountain first, and then…”
That was Commander Qiu’s voice.
“Bunch of crap!” Someone from Tiansheng’s side finally couldn’t help but curse out loud. They had already made several plans but not a single person had been sent out yet. They couldn’t hold back any longer. “How can we search a mountain this big? The village must be well hidden. If we can’t find it in a day or a month, what should we do then? Commander Qiu, we should instead be preparing gold and weapons as soon as possible!”
“Nonsense!” Commander Qiu frowned, “How can we aid the bandits’ arrogance?! Are we really going to offer up gold and weapons? They are just petty thieves. It would be easy to capture them. If we really pay the ransom money, then won’t everyone laugh that the court (government) of Xiliang is useless?”
“Your court of Xiliang IS useless!” The head of the guards on Tiansheng’s side immediately retorted, “If it weren’t for Marquis Wei’s intervention, your useless one thousand trash would have been standing in the Halls of Hades by now!”
“How dare you!” The sound of a sword being unsheathed.
“You are shameless!” Another sound of a sword being drawn.
In the far distance, the flickering flames and the light reflecting on the cold swords were all telling signs that the two sides were titering on the edge of a full-out battle. Poor Bai Deshan had his arms stretched wide open as he ran back and forth between Tiansheng and Xiliang, “Everyone…talk nicely…talk nicely…”
“Say…what’s going on?”
A clear and casual voice came with the wind. Commander Qiu looked up and his eyes widened.
The people of Tiansheng who were facing away from that direction turned around and immediately gave a shout of joy, “Marquis Wei!”
Bai Deshan ran over as if he had been pardoned from death row, and joyfully opened his arms wide “Ah, Marquis Wei, you are back, that’s great!”
“Not so good.” Feng Zhi Wei smiled, but the smile did not reach her eyes at all, “I should have come back later, so that Commander Qiu can think through the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth plan in detail. After going through all the pros and cons of each plan, three to five people would then be sent out to search the mountain to find me. Otherwise, wouldn’t we be robbing the hero of his rightful chance to show off his ability, and allow others to laugh that the court of Xiliang has no one of use?”
Tiangsheng’s deputy envoy, Cabinet Secretary Wang Tang laughed and said, “Fortunately, they only had time to draft up three plans, and had not even reached the part of execution. Marquis Wei, you have only been captured for one day, so there is no rush, no rush.”
Someone was more direct and made a spitting sound, letting their feelings known without uttering a single word.
Everyone on the Xiliang side was embarrassed. It was true that Marquis Wei had rescued the Xiliang guards and was captured because of it. Yet, they shamefully kept on delaying the rescue plan. To make things worse, Marquis Wei just smiled with indifference and scorn at them. That for some reason felt worse than if he had cursed at them.
Commander Qiu’s face became reddish purple. He knew that the local bandits were fierce, and deliberately delayed the rescue so the boy would suffer more. He figured that would teach him a lesson, make him more obedient the rest of their journey, and might even make him less likely to cause trouble in the Imperial Capital. But who knew he would come sauntering back by himself, and now, they have nothing to say while he ridicules them.
Surprisingly, Feng Zhi Wei didn’t press the issue but simply said after a quick casual survey of their surrounding, “The bandits are entrenched in Teng Mountain, it is still dangerous here. I suggest we leave this valley right away to avoid any more troubles.”
Bai Deshan agreed immediately and Commander Qiu was too embarrassed to say anything. Feng Zhi Wei got on the horse and said, “Everyone, it’s tiring but let’s travel through the night and rest at the post stop tomorrow. Since we have suffered a disaster today, please pay extra attention to the surveying team in the future— Commander Qiu, we will trouble you.”
“Ah? Oh.” Commander Qiu was in the middle of thinking about something, so he subconsciously answered when his name was called. It was only after he answered, that he realized— they were going to be traveling all night tonight. Everyone will be resting tomorrow but he and the remaining guards still need to be responsible for surveying the road ahead? Doesn’t that mean they won’t get any chance to rest at all?
That would’ve been fine but once the caravan started moving again, he was hit by another cruel reality.
All of his guards’ horses were killed on Feng Zhi Wei’s orders during the battle in the valley. All of his cavalrymen have now become infantry, yet everyone on the Tiansheng side is riding on horses. This meant that his subordinates had to chase after the horses with their legs and eat the dust kicked up behind the horses’ butts. They are going to be exhausted from running like this, but instead of resting tomorrow, they still have to survey their routes ahead!
The caravan started, and Feng Zhi Wei rode ahead without a backward glance. Looking at Feng Zhi Wei who instead of galloping fast, was purposefully waiting leisurely for them to catch up to her, Commander Qiu felt a green haze of fury was filling his vision. Behind him, his men were panting like cows as people kept falling behind due to exhaustion. Through gritted teeth, Commander Qiu forced himself to hold on with all his might until it was finally dawn. Spotting the post station ahead, Commander Qiu breathed a sigh of relief and almost fell down. Looking back at the guard who had caught up with him, the number was quite small because all the rest had collapsed halfway through.
Supporting himself with his long sword propped against the ground, Commander Qiu was glaring at Feng Zhi Wei who was dismounting ahead of him, when he suddenly heard her say, “As for surveying the path ahead, this is a task that we will have to trouble Commander Qiu but please pay more attention. If something goes amiss again, we wouldn’t dare to blame you but perhaps the Regent would think of you, sir, as incompetent…Ah, I need to go… so tired, I will go sleep for a while. You all have worked hard, you all have worked hard.”
She covered her mouth and yawned. Despite saying “You all have worked hard…” she didn’t spare one glance at the exhausted Xiliang guards who fell down along the way and went in to catch up on her sleep.
Commander Qiu stared as she sauntered away leisurely, his vision suddenly went dark, and he fell backward with a bang.
A pair of hands suddenly caught him, and a voice said full of emotion, “This person really is a jerk.”
Commander Qiu felt that the sentence echoed exactly what was in his heart and he quickly turned his head to look at this soulmate of his, but the only thing he saw was a large ball of black mud dripping. Mud was still dripping continuously from the person’s face, like a mud ghost.
The mud ghost looked in the direction where Feng Zhi Wei disappeared. Not caring that his hands were covered with mud, he patted Commander Qiu’s shoulder hard, leaving two big and dirty mud marks, and said with a sigh that was full of emotion, “These days, being a guard is really not a job for humans…”
———————————————-
Time: 3:30 pm on the third day of July to 1 pm on the fourth day of July.
Place: Tenshan, Xiliang
Characters: Feng Zhi Wei, Gu Nan Yi, Unknown bandit stronghold.
Event: The bandits ambushed the envoy team, Feng Zhi Wei was captured. I went to rescue her, Gu Nan Yi also went to rescue her, and led me circling around the mountain and eventually to a swamp.
Personal opinion 1: Feng Zhi Wei was captured? She was captured? Captured? Is that possible? I don’t know if you believe it or not…I don’t believe it.
Personal opinion 2: Gu Nan Yi didn’t look like he was on his way to rescue someone. He looked more like on a personal mission to mess with me.
Personal opinion 3: This subordinate doesn’t think I have ever offended Gu Nan Yi. I am guessing you must have offended him and he is taking it out on me.
Personal opinion 4: Going against Feng Zhi Wei is courting death, so the person deserves whatever coming to them. However, it is truly unfair to be on the receiving end when one has not done anything against her. Your Highness, you must avenge me.
Personal Opinion 5: I can’t do this job anymore, please find someone else.
Personal opinion 6: The swamp really stinks.
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I am so tickled that Ning Yi’s spy perseveres in his gossiping duties! Even more tickled that GNY and FZY are cognizant of his assignment and good humoredly take the time to lead him by the nose!
Happy new year, Ninja!
Happy New Year, Ninja. Thanks for everything.