Beauty, Power and Intrigue Chapter 33

Song Chuyi paused and looked up in that direction. A group of soldiers had gathered together, seemingly looking at something.

“I’ll go take a look.” Song Chuyi climbed up from the ground, patted off the dust, and headed over there.

Before she even got close, she heard everyone talking animatedly. Seeing that she couldn’t squeeze through, Song Chuyi squatted on the ground and peered through the gaps in the crowd. “Whoa, steamy.”

Surrounded in the middle by the crowd were two women, their clothes torn and tattered, barely able to cover their bodies. Their slender legs and rounded buttocks were exposed. Although stained with dirt, the fair skin beneath could still faintly be seen. Their waists were so slim they seemed hardly graspable, and their chests were full and bulging. One of them was lying face-down on the ground, and Song Chuyi couldn’t see her face, but the other was just getting up, shrinking back as she cradled the woman on the ground in her arms, burying her head in fright.

Her face happened to be turned toward Song Chuyi. Although it was only for an instant, Song Chuyi still saw her very clearly. Loose strands of hair covered her face, but her contours were faintly visible – an oval face, a small delicate nose. She was actually quite a beauty.

“Tsk tsk, two pieces of fat meat falling into a wolf’s mouth.” Song Chuyi stood up with her hands tucked into her sleeves.

Just as she was about to return to the campfire, several centurions among the onlookers spotted her and quickly called out to stop her. “Master.”

The crowd automatically parted a path for her. One centurion swallowed his saliva and asked, “The generals are all in the tent discussing matters. We don’t know how to deal with these two?”

Song Chuyi laughed to herself. It’s not that you don’t know, is it? It’s that you don’t dare.

Song Chuyi held no official position in this army, but because of Ji Yu’s respect for her and the fact that the three generals had also sought her advice before, everyone had long since placed her in the position of a strategist or retainer.

Song Chuyi glanced briefly out of the corner of her eye. All around were wolves with green glints in their eyes. If she took it upon herself to release these two, she was afraid it would bring great trouble. So she smiled faintly and said, “You are all too kind. I am not in a position to make such a decision…”

Before she could finish speaking, the woman who was still conscious suddenly burst out from the crowd. The people around immediately drew their swords, but unexpectedly the woman stumbled and fell to the ground not far from Song Chuyi’s feet, then crawled forward, clutched the hem of her robe, and cried out pleadingly, “I beg you, save my sister! I beg you, save her! She is about to die!”

The woman’s voice was hoarse and dry. Every word seemed to be forced out of her throat with great difficulty, yet it could still be vaguely discerned that she was young.

“Master.” Seeing that Song Chuyi had no reaction, the woman raised her head and looked at her with eyes full of pleading.

Song Chuyi lowered her eyes and saw that the mud covering the woman’s face had been washed open by tears, revealing smooth, fair skin.

Judging by Song Chuyi’s eye for people, this woman was truly extraordinary. Leaving aside whether she was beautiful or not, the fact that even in such a wretched state she could still possess a trace of pitiable charm was remarkable enough.

The woman spoke with a Wey accent, but many cities in Wey had been occupied by Wei, and even though Song Chuyi could speak multiple languages, she did not have the ability to distinguish accents that varied from place to place. To privately keep women of unknown origin in the military camp – as she had said, she did not have the authority to do so.

However, she could still sell them a favor. Song Chuyi said to the several centurions, “Their origins are unknown. Detain them first and wait for the generals to decide. Before that decision is made, no one is permitted to touch them.”

“Yes!” Everyone clasped their fists and responded in unison.

In fact, these soldiers had merely gone too long without seeing women and were somewhat impulsive. Song Chuyi did not believe any man could still be in the mood for that sort of thing after seven days of forced marching.

“Find a physician to take a look at that one. Don’t let her die.” Song Chuyi raised her chin slightly, pointing at the woman who had passed out.

“Your great kindness, I will never forget it.” The woman struggled to straighten herself and performed a grand salute to Song Chuyi.

Song Chuyi raised an eyebrow slightly. Judging by the way she saluted, she was clearly not an ordinary woman, much less a slave.

Nowadays, slaves actually had no particular etiquette. When meeting people of noble status, there were only two actions – prostration and bowing. In the presence of nobles, one had to keep one’s body bent while doing anything, and when saluting, one prostrated oneself on the ground. So-called etiquette was an advanced thing used to regulate people of status.

Song Chuyi watched as the two women were led away. Behind her, Ji Yu’s voice sounded, “Master Huaijin.”

“Finished discussing?” Song Chuyi turned around and asked.

Ji Yu thrust his bronze sword into the ground before him and stood with both hands resting on the hilt. Song Chuyi glanced at him and knew he wanted to talk for a while, so she composed herself and waited for him to speak.

Ji Yu swept his gaze across the surroundings and said loudly, “No one is permitted within two meters of this place.”

The soldiers nearby heard this, acknowledged the order, and quickly withdrew beyond two meters.

Ji Yu sized up the person before him once again. At the time, he had been trapped within the borders of Song, unable not only to bring his troops back but also having lost contact with the outside world for a period. When he had reached the end of his rope and encountered Zhang Yi and Song Chuyi, he had been overjoyed. He had taken a desperate gamble in using her, and only now did he feel that he had not misjudged her.

Song Chuyi gave Ji Yu a very strange feeling. She clearly looked like a youth, yet the bearing about her whole person, along with the clear, cool gaze that always held a hint of a smile, made him feel that standing before him was a full-grown scholar.

“A biting north wind, eh? You surely didn’t just want to watch me shiver in the wind, do you?” Song Chuyi grinned, but swallowed a mouthful of cold wind and choked so hard she rolled her eyes.

“Though I made an agreement with you, we never fixed a number of years. With your great talents, you surely won’t remain stuck in Wey forever.” Ji Yu was not inclined to beat around the bush. After all, he had never found Zhao Yilou’s remains, so even if Song Chuyi said the agreement no longer counted, it would not be excessive. “You are still very young. Apart from Wey, I fear there is no other place willing to employ you right now.”

Song Chuyi paused a moment, then said, “What do you mean?”

“General Longgu is willing to invite you as a retainer to plan political affairs, with a term of three years. After three years, you may go or stay as you please,” Ji Yu said.

At present, talented men with the world in their hearts were flocking to the seven great powers, whether for fame and profit or out of grand ambition. The seven great powers also treated scholars very well, which caused the smaller states to be increasingly ignored and to weaken day by day, while the strong states grew stronger.

“I am honored by your favor.” Song Chuyi made a bow, straightened up, and continued, “Your willingness to take me in counts as a kindness of recognition toward me, but for me, this is a matter of great importance. Please allow me one night to think it over.”

Song Chuyi knew very well that if Longgu Qing truly valued her from the bottom of his heart, why would he have waited until now to convey it through Ji Yu’s mouth? Still, weighing the circumstances, in her current situation she could only muddle along in Wei for the time being.

“Of course.” Ji Yu agreed readily.

Immediately afterward, someone came to lead Song Chuyi to her tent. Since she was the only scholar, she was given special treatment and allotted a tent of her own. The tent was very small – inside there was only room to lay out a couch and place a small table – but she was very satisfied. It was far more comfortable than crowding in with a bunch of people.

Song Chuyi lay on the couch, and the soreness and fatigue throughout her body suddenly swept over her. She let out a comfortable sigh and closed her eyes.

Summing up the failures of her previous life, she believed that no matter where she went, she still had to have enough ability to protect herself. As a strategist, at the very least one had to be able to protect oneself – this was called planning for oneself. Song Chuyi decided to stay in Wey for these three years and properly strengthen herself. At this thought, Song Chuyi scrambled up from the couch, left the tent, asked the guarding soldiers for the direction of the two women, and headed over.