For a schemer, three parts truth and seven parts falsehood – sincerity and pretense are hard to distinguish. For a political strategist, one speaks human words to humans and ghost words to ghosts – true and false words are indistinguishable.
Song Chuyi could not guarantee that she had been completely open-hearted and sincere toward Min Chi back then, but her conscience was clear. Even after they later served different masters, she had never thought of using the feelings between them to scheme for advantage.
Min Chi had used a single letter to sow discord between her and Marquis of Duanyang, destroying what little trust there was. Song Chuyi was not at all surprised, except that the contents of that letter were so heartfelt and sincere that even she had nearly been deceived, let alone others. If she lost, then she lost – Song Chuyi accepted it.
Heaven had given her the chance to live again, so naturally she wanted to live more freely and recklessly. But since she had encountered Min Chi again, it was impossible for her to act as if nothing had happened.
Song Chuyi sat by the window in the bedchamber until the latter half of the night before finally getting onto the bed.
She slept soundly and dreamlessly. Early the next morning, Song Chuyi left Suiyang on horseback with Ji Huan and Yun Ruo, hurrying to rendezvous with Ji Yu’s army.
This place was too close to Suiyang City. Ji Yu could not advance any farther and could only retreat. They rested several times along the way and rode for a full day and night before they discovered the marks Ji Yu had left.
They were not far from the forest where they had previously been attacked by the wolf pack, but the sky was only just beginning to brighten, and the three of them did not dare enter the forest. They stood on the road hesitating for a while. Song Chuyi looked toward Ji Huan and said, “Should we wait until dawn before entering the forest?”
Song Chuyi pondered and said, “Wolves lie low by day and come out at night. It is almost dawn now, so the likelihood of encountering the wolf pack is not great… However, your army’s thirty thousand troops are traveling separately. How do you all keep in contact? You are at least a centurion, so do not tell me you do not know.”
“Besides leaving marks, there is also a kind of sound. The thing used to make the sound was created by a musician in the Wey palace. There are only a few of them, and I do not have one,” Ji Huan said.
Song Chuyi nodded, looked at the sky, and said, “It is almost dawn. Let us wait a little while first, and be careful to guard the surroundings.”
That pack of wolves could hunt on rainy nights, and they could also hunt before dawn. They had no choice but to be cautious.
The few of them mounted their horses. Sometimes animals’ senses were sharper than humans’, and if they really encountered a wolf pack, they could also flee immediately.
The sky gradually brightened.
The three were just about to enter the forest when they suddenly heard a long, clear bird cry rise from within the woods.
Ji Huan was overjoyed. He curled his index finger and put it into his mouth, giving a whistle. A moment later, ten riders galloped out from the forest and came to meet them.
“Xi Hu.” Ji Huan recognized the man at the head at a glance.
Xi Hu and the others charged forward with the speed of lightning, swiftly dismounted, and clasped his hands in salute to Song Chuyi, saying, “The commander ordered me to come welcome Master Huaijin.”
“Yes.” Song Chuyi pressed her lips together, and after a few breaths said, “Let’s go.”
More than ten people escorted Song Chuyi in the middle as they headed into the forest.
The morning sun rose, casting mottled shadows on the ground through the bare branches, with occasional fallen withered leaves drifting down.
After winding through the forest for the time it took to drink a cup of tea, they saw the encamped army. Judging by the number of people, it seemed the thirty thousand troops had already regrouped.
“Master Huaijin.” Ji Yu walked over.
Song Chuyi looked carefully at his expression. The two were silent for a moment before Song Chuyi said, “You did not find him?”
“Yesterday I requested the three generals to search that forest. We only found some scraps of cloth and the wreckage of four horse carriages,” Ji Yu said.
In truth, the scene at the time had been so bloody that even Ji Yu, who had campaigned on battlefields, felt shaken. The four carriages had crashed against the cliff wall and shattered completely. The areas near the stone wall were all soaked in blood. Digging down an inch, the soil was still blood-red, and the ground was scattered everywhere with bits of flesh and internal organs.
“Lord Song has already agreed to let us pass,” Song Chuyi said, then changed the subject. “Did you retrieve the scraps of cloth?”
When Ji Yu heard that Lord Song had agreed to make peace, he felt much relieved. He waved his hand for someone to bring over a bundle of blood-soaked cloth scraps.
“You all go discuss the withdrawal of troops. Don’t mind me.” Song Chuyi took the cloth bundle, walked to an open area, and squatted down on her own. She poured out the cloth inside and examined it carefully.
Ji Yu glanced at her, then strode off to report the good news to the three generals. Withdrawing the army was the most important matter at hand.
Ji Huan stood beside Song Chuyi, watching her squat in front of a large pile of blood-stained cloth scraps, searching through them carefully. Somehow he found it somewhat desolate, but he did not speak to disturb her.
Song Chuyi’s gaze paused, landing on a piece of ivory-white silk. She remembered… at the time, Zhao Yilou had been wearing robes made of this kind of material.
“Enough. I have done all I can.” Song Chuyi tossed down that piece of silk and stood up.
“Master Huaijin, the three generals wish to see you,” a soldier came over to report.
“Mm, let’s go,” Song Chuyi said.
The soldier led her into the command tent. The tent was fairly spacious. They were a surprise-attack force, not one advancing steadily with secure positions, so the objects in the tent were very simple – there was not even a small table.
Several thick straw mats were laid out below. A sheepskin map hung low on the tent wall directly opposite. Three sturdy men in battle armor sat around the map. The oldest among them was about fifty years old, and the youngest was nearly forty. More than ten people were seated on both sides, and Ji Yu was among them.
Song Chuyi saluted the three generals in the seats of honor. “Song Huaijin greets the three generals.”
“You have worked hard, Master. Please take a seat.” One of the oldest generals extended his hand, indicating a straw mat closer to them.
The old general’s armor was worn and old, his beard and hair completely white, his face dark and his skin slack, but his eyes were like lightning and his spirit vigorous.
Since Song Chuyi had agreed to Ji Yu that she would go to Wey, even if it was only for appearances, she still had to make the trip. Moreover, she currently appeared to be a young man, and there would be no better prospects in any other state. She needed a certain amount of time, and she also had to use this time to consider where the future should truly take her.
“You have come at just the right time. We were just saying that Wei’s treacherous conduct, breaking its word, is truly untrustworthy. If our army passes through their territory, will they take the opportunity to attack us?” said a general in his early forties.
“There is that possibility, but… since Wei has already occupied the cities, they have no reason to ambush you, nor would they expend the effort. As long as you do not attack first, you should be able to pass through safely,” Song Chuyi said. In truth, she really wanted to say that Wei’s main objective was to seize cities. This thirty-thousand-strong force had neither grain nor heavy equipment, nor elite soldiers or fine armor. Why would Wei be willing to waste effort fighting them?
However, if Wei harbored the intention of annexing Wey, then perhaps they would destroy this thirty-thousand-strong force and sap the state of Wey of all its vitality, so that afterward they could manipulate it however they pleased.
“Can your grain and fodder be supplied?” Song Chuyi asked.
The old general answered, “It can still hold out for ten days.”
As a surprise-attack army, they generally would not carry large amounts of grain and heavy equipment with them. Either there would be grain carts following behind, or there would be a steady supply from the rear.
“If Wei truly wanted to doom these thirty thousand of your troops, they should have cut off your grain and fodder long ago.” Song Chuyi sighed inwardly. Wei probably did not take Wey seriously at all.
