Beauty, Power and Intrigue Chapter 94

On the seventh day at the post station, even someone as calm as Ji Yu began to feel somewhat restless.

Song Chuyi spent each day leisurely feeding White Blade, playing chess against himself, and reading books, living as if he were quite carefree.

“Hmm, how thick do you think the ice on the Zhu River has gotten these past few days? Could it bear a person’s weight?” Song Chuyi looked at Ji Yu, who stood by the window like a statue.

The Zhu River was extremely wide. It had been constructed during the summer when the water volume was abundant, and its surface was almost level with the water. But the builders were from the State of Lu and had not known that the water level of the Zhu River varied greatly between winter and summer. During the winter drought, the water level could drop by 1.5 meter, enough for a person to pass through.

Ji Yu was startled, then immediately understood her meaning. These past few days, Handan had been unprecedentedly cold. If a thick layer of ice had formed on the Zhu River, which ran through the royal city, would Gongzi Fan’s side choose to infiltrate the city from the river?

“Today it might be possible,” Ji Yu said. The weather was about to clear up, and after today there would likely be no such opportunity again.

Although the people inside the city would certainly also think of defending the Zhu River, there were no tall, sturdy walls there, making it relatively easier to breach. Attacking from two sides along with the siege forces would make the possibility of breaking the city even higher.

One had to know that Handan, as one of the most prosperous cities of the late Spring and Autumn period, had walls whose height far exceeded those of ordinary cities. If sixty thousand soldiers defended it to the death, then never mind a hundred thousand attacking the city – even two hundred thousand could hold out for three to five months without a problem.

This was why Gongzi Fan’s side, despite having the advantage in numbers, had delayed attacking the city.

Unable to find a way to overcome it, a forced assault would only cost soldiers their lives in vain.

Ji Yu’s restlessness instantly dissipated. He too felt that although the present was not an excellent opportunity, the time had come when they had no choice but to attack the capital. Otherwise, once they lost their suppression over the capital, or if things dragged on too long, the situation would become extremely unfavorable for them.

Song Chuyi scratched White Blade’s belly and asked Ji Yu, “How is Buwang’s mood?”

Ji Yu said, “He’s still shut up in his room, not saying a word the whole time. His mood can’t be good.”

“That kid’s got a girl’s heart, still so shy and timid?” Song Chuyi said with disdain.

“I think it’s because you changed your voice so easily, sir, and he feels somewhat aggrieved about it,” Ji Yu said, still hitting the nail on the head.

Outside, the sky was gradually darkening. After finishing their midday meal, the group all gathered together to wait for news.

Ji Huan had become quite familiar with several of the guards over the past few days. First, because he was straightforward by nature and spoke in a way that made it clear he had little scheming about him; second, because he was generous with money, casually throwing around gold. Most of those men used Zhao’s knife coins and had probably never even seen gold. So when Ji Huan asked, they told him everything they knew about what was going on outside. Their superiors had only ordered that the envoys were not to wander about, but had not said they couldn’t chat with them. Anyway, none of that information was any secret – if speaking could earn them gold, only a fool would refuse.

“Sir…” Ji Huan hurried in, unable to hide the delight on his face. “Hey, you predicted it exactly – it really looks like they’re about to start fighting.”

“With that overjoyed look on your face, if the Zhao people saw you, they’d probably want to fight you to the death,” Song Chuyi said, holding a teacup to warm her hands. “How do they know fighting is about to break out?”

“I heard that Gongzi Fan moved the Six Armies to the lower reaches of the Zhu River this morning,” Ji Huan said.

Song Chuyi nodded. “Any other news?”

“Oh…” Ji Huan’s smile grew even broader. “I also found out that that Gongzi Ke, courtesy name Yilou…”

Song Chuyi’s hand trembled slightly, and the scalding water spilled onto the back of her hand. She set the teacup down on the small table and immediately asked, “Really? Gongzi Ke wasn’t in Zhao before?”

Longgu Buwang, who had been playing chess against himself off to the side, slightly raised his eyes and looked at Song Chuyi.

Ji Huan nodded. “Yes, I heard he was only brought back from Wei by Gongzi Fan about half a month ago.”

From Wei… A flood of thoughts flashed through Song Chuyi’s mind in an instant. She was impersonating a Zhao noble in search of Zhao Yilou, and she hadn’t expected that someone really was looking for him. Did that mean Wei had no suspicions about the matter at all?

It must be that the King of Wei was doing his utmost to help Gongzi Fan find the person, otherwise how could he have been found in such a short time? Song Chuyi cursed inwardly – that old bastard, that old rogue, always loved watching other people’s houses catch fire and then sidling up to see if he could pilfer a thing or two.

Song Chuyi lowered her eyes and thought for a long while, but still suppressed the urge to go confirm it.

The room was completely quiet. Song Chuyi knelt sitting before the small table, her ears slightly twitching – she seemed to hear hoofbeats outside, and the sound was getting closer and closer.

“Envoy, General Gongsun requests an audience,” a maid reported hurriedly.

Song Chuyi pondered for a moment. General Gongsun – could it be that Gongsun Gu who had been hit by an arrow and whom she’d met in the mountains? Thinking this, she said, “Invite the general in.”

Having said that, she suddenly recalled an amusing matter and rose to welcome him.

A moment later, the light at the doorway dimmed, and a man in silver armor walked in. It really was Gongsun Gu.

“General Gongsun, do you still remember me?” Song Chuyi asked with a smile.

Gongsun Gu was stunned. He truly had not recognized Song Chuyi at first glance – after all, at the time she had been dirty and disheveled, with her hair covering most of her face.

After studying her for a moment, Gongsun Gu suddenly remembered and said in great surprise, “It’s you – the Daoist gentleman!”

“Indeed. I’m surprised you still remember me.” Song Chuyi clasped her hands in salute. Instead of first asking the purpose of his visit, she invited him to sit and then, before he could speak, asked, “Your state’s Gongzi Ke, courtesy name Yilou?”

A flicker of surprise appeared on Longgu Buwang’s face. Was this Zhao Yilou really so important that she had to ask and confirm it again and again?

Gongsun Gu nodded. “That’s right. Though I don’t know who gave him that courtesy name – it’s neither fish nor fowl.”

Song Chuyi twitched the corner of her mouth. “That would be none other than me, untalented one…”

Gongsun Gu said in astonishment, “You actually know Gongzi Ke?”

Song Chuyi was full of mischief inside, but on the surface she looked deeply chagrined. She slapped her thigh and sighed. “Not only do I know him – you have met him too! He was the youth who was with me at the time. But afterward we became separated and I never heard from him again. What vexes me is that I never knew he was a Zhao prince.”

This was hardly Song Chuyi’s remorse – even knowing that Zhao Yilou was a Zhao prince, she couldn’t have calculated his whereabouts. That sigh was clearly aimed squarely at Gongsun Gu’s sore spot.

If Gongsun Gu had known at the time that this was Gongzi Ke, bringing him back to the state would have absolutely offset his defeat in that battle. Had he brought Gongzi Ke back, the present situation would never have come about. He had been within easy reach of it, yet he had let it slip right past him. Gongsun Gu was struck so hard by this that for a moment he forgot the purpose of his visit.

Although Longgu Buwang did not know the details, he had more or less understood. He could not help but stifle a laugh. How could watching Song Chuyi torment someone not make him feel thoroughly delighted? And this General Gongsun had said the courtesy name she gave was “neither fish nor fowl” – he was probably about to suffer petty revenge.