Song Chuyi had unimpeded passage to the place where the two young women were being held. It was merely a spot in the open ground of the eastern camp, encircled by a ring of burlap to block the wind. Around it were stationed more than ten soldiers on guard.
Seeing that no one barred her way, Song Chuyi paused briefly, mulled it over for a moment, and only then entered the tent enclosure.
The unconscious young woman lay on a pile of dry straw, still not awake. The other young woman, having made out the visitor by the faint light of the torch, immediately prostrated herself on the ground. “Benefactor.”
Song Chuyi made a quick calculation and adjusted her manner to be neither overly eager nor overly cold. “There’s no need for such courtesy. Get up.”
“Yes.” The young woman straightened up.
Song Chuyi found an empty spot and sat down cross-legged, gazing at the young woman across from her who had hidden herself in the shadows. From her slender limbs, she could roughly estimate that she was no more than seventeen years old at most, but she still asked, “Where are you from?”
“I am from Wei.” After she said it, as though sensing it might sound ambiguous, she added, “My king is King Hui of Wei.”
“How did you end up in such straits?” Song Chuyi continued.
The young woman was silent for a moment before speaking. “My father was framed by treacherous men. Our entire clan was reduced to slavery. My sister and I were separated from our mother. Mother was gravely ill and near death, and seeing that the guards seemed to harbor ill intentions, she feared we sisters would be violated, so she risked her life to help us escape.”
Hearing this, Song Chuyi sighed. “Your mother’s love for her daughters is deeply moving. But what good is escaping? It is merely leaping from a wolf’s mouth into a tiger’s den. This world… is not forgiving.”
The young woman’s body trembled slightly. Clearly, Song Chuyi’s words had stirred up terrifying memories. Quite apart from anything else, the scene just now – being stared at by a crowd of soldiers – was enough to make her knees knock together.
“Do you know what the King of Wei did to Wey?” Song Chuyi said in the simplest, most easily understood language. “The King of Wei coerced the Marquis of Wey into sending troops to attack Song. Wey was weak and small, and did not dare disobey. After Wey sent its troops, the King of Wei, under the pretext of borrowing a passage through their territory in exchange for ceding land, seized seven cities from Wey. Right now, public outrage is running high. Your stumbling into the Wey military camp at this moment is truly a case of ill timing.”
The young woman’s whole body went taut. Suddenly she prostrated herself on the ground again, her voice choking with tears. “I beg you to save us sisters. I am willing to serve as a cow or horse to repay your life-saving grace.”
Song Chuyi’s brow arched upward almost imperceptibly. After a moment, she spoke. “I came because I saw you two were pitiable and felt a sudden compassion. Right now, Wey wants me to stay, on the condition that for three years, no matter what happens, I may not leave Wey. If I make your two lives the condition for my staying, Wey should release you. Though I have grand ambitions, trading three years of my time for two human lives is still worthwhile. I ask only the two of you – are you willing to follow me?”
The young woman was overjoyed at heart. She raised her head and gazed at Song Chuyi, as though wanting to confirm whether what she said was true. Seeing that Song Chuyi still wore the same calm, composed expression as she sat there, and seemed not to be lying, she immediately performed a grand salute and said excitedly, “Your righteousness is great. I am willing to follow you, and my sister will surely be willing as well.”
If Song Chuyi did not save them, in the end they would inevitably be violated by the Wey soldiers. The young woman had not realized that Song Chuyi was actually a woman. They too were of noble birth, and toward scholars they could not help but feel a sense of kinship. Moreover, even becoming a plaything on someone’s bed was still better than being wantonly defiled here.
“If that is so, then set your mind at ease.” Having achieved her aim, Song Chuyi rose, took off her outer robe, tossed it to her, and turned to leave.
The young woman held the outer robe up with both hands, bowed, and said, “Thank you, master…”
The soldiers huddled by the campfire saw Song Chuyi enter with her robes neat and proper, and come out without her outer garment. They could not help casting ambiguous glances her way.
Song Chuyi had long since decided in her heart to stay in Wey. Three years – for someone her current age – was not long at all. After three years, she would still be only eighteen, precisely the time when one could accomplish great things.
These two beauties were merely a little extra gain along the way. Wey most likely would not care about the fate or survival of these two Wei women.
The north wind howled all night.
The next day, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, Ji Yu was already standing before Song Chuyi’s tent. But he did not disturb her, merely leaning on his sword as he stood.
The strong wind whistled, lifting his disheveled hair, making him look somewhat bedraggled in the wind, yet he did not lose his bearing.
It was not until the sky was fully bright that Song Chuyi finally emerged from the tent. Seeing Ji Yu standing there like a stone stele, she was slightly taken aback, yawned, reached out to gather her thin collar, and said, “Commander Ji, you’re here so early?”
Ji Yu turned his head and sized her up. “Have you already resolved to trade three years for those two Wei women?”
“Yes.” Song Chuyi had long known he would receive the news, so she was not surprised. She merely asked calmly, “I wonder if Wey is willing to part with those two women?”
“They were never Wey’s possessions to begin with. If you want them, then take them. However, those two Wei women are not of simple status. They may be Wei spies, so we will not give up surveilling them. On this point, I hope you will understand,” Ji Yu said.
Song Chuyi gave an “mm” of acknowledgment. “That is only natural. If you discover anything amiss about them, I hope you will inform me.”
“Good.” Ji Yu sheathed his sword and clasped his hands in salute to Song Chuyi.
Spies? Song Chu smiled faintly. She was only making use of their beauty. If they were loyal, she naturally had a way to use loyalty. If they were disloyal, she also had different countermeasures. It was just that if these two Wei women really were spies, the extent to which she could make use of them would be much reduced.
They were, after all, a bargain picked up for nothing, so Song Chuyi was not picky.
Ji Yu kept his word and soon sent the two Wei women over.
The army began to pack up and return to Puyang. The soldiers, who had waited all night, did not hear any news of a surprise attack on the Wei army. Instead, they suddenly began returning to Puyang according to the original plan. Though surprised, few went to ask about the military orders.
Because after a night had passed, the anger and hatred in everyone’s hearts had gradually subsided. Combined with the drowsiness brought on by the forced march, they suddenly lost confidence in a surprise attack. After all, Wei possessed a mighty army of several hundred thousand. Thirty thousand men would be like an egg striking a stone.
The atmosphere of the entire army was worlds apart from the night before. With broken armor and battered soldiers, their bodies bore only the wounds and scars left from fighting the Song army, and only the exhaustion of the forced march. They dragged along the whole way, no different from refugees.
The will to fight – it was only a fleeting thing.
Wei’s hooligan tactics this time had dealt Wey a severe blow, to the point that it faced the danger of national ruin.
As for the Marquis of Wey, Song Chuyi held no hope at all. Neither Wey nor the Marquis of Wey had the qualifications to contend for hegemony over the realm. She stayed only to give herself a buffer period.
Previously, Song Chuyi’s ideal had been merely to settle down and make a living, so wherever she could get by, she went. But her current state of mind was this: when choosing a lord, one must choose a heroic lord. Even if in the end one would be killed once no longer useful, at least one would once have freely unleashed one’s talents and left a mark in the annals of one’s life.
