Song Chuyi paused, squinted, and looked toward the light carriage.
“Do you think that person is handsome?” Song Chuyi asked Ji Huan.
Ji Huan’s archery could pierce a willow leaf from a hundred paces, and his eyesight was several times better than an ordinary person’s.
Longgu Buwang snorted through his nose, but Ji Huan looked seriously for a good while and said, “I cannot see clearly either, but probably not bad-looking.”
Unexpectedly, this battle lasted only half an hour before the other side beat the gongs and withdrew.
At that moment, the young gentleman in plain clothes on the light carriage seemed to raise his head. When the carriage turned, Song Chuyi clearly saw him look back.
Song Chuyi pondered. If they were using Zhao Yilou as the reason for rebellion, then having him personally watch the battle at this time would better inspire the troops and boost morale. But after only half an hour, why retreat? This matter was very strange.
“It seems the other side wants to concentrate all their forces at the bridge arch?” Gongsun Gu said.
“How do you know they will not attack again in a while?” Song Chuyi reached out and stroked White Blade, who was still savoring the dried meat, yawned, and urged, “Let’s go back.”
She now needed to think carefully about how to meet Zhao Yilou once. How Zhao was going to fight was originally none of her business, but right now Zhao Yilou was there. If the rebellion failed, Zhao Yilou would have only death waiting for him. And if it succeeded? He might become a puppet monarch…
No matter what, she had to ask Zhao Yilou what he meant. If he would rather be a puppet and still enjoy wealth and glory, Song Chuyi would absolutely not stop him.
“General Gongsun.” Song Chuyi paused. “Would you like to persuade Gongzi Ke to surrender? If I am willing to go alone, would the general be willing to lend me a hand?”
“Absolutely not.” Before Gongsun Gu could answer, Ji Yu immediately spoke in opposition. Although Song Chuyi was young, in his eyes she had always been extremely measured and had never shown the impulsiveness of youth. This sudden behavior was hard to accept. He frowned tightly and looked at Song Chuyi. “You bear the mission of a whole state. How can you risk going alone?”
“Yu, although this is a private matter for me, ending Zhao’s civil war is also beneficial to what we are doing,” Song Chuyi said.
“Please do not be so willful, sir.” Although Ji Yu still called her “sir,” his tone was somewhat like that of lecturing a youth.
“Do you think I would joke with my own life?” Song Chuyi refused to back down.
“Not even if there is the slightest risk,” Ji Yu said coldly.
“I must go.” After saying this, Song Chuyi stopped paying attention to him.
The atmosphere instantly turned as cold as the surrounding ice and snow.
Longgu Buwang clicked his tongue. These two had always had an ambiguous relationship – neither quite superior and subordinate, nor quite friends – but as long as no serious business was involved, they had always kept to their own sides like well water and river water, respecting each other. This was the first time they had confronted each other head-on.
“What does General Gongsun think?” Song Chuyi asked.
Gongsun Gu did not know what mission Song Chuyi bore for Wey, but in his heart he wanted Song Chuyi to go. Especially since she had proposed going alone, it fit Gongsun Gu’s wishes even more. With everyone else detained in the city, he would not fear Song Chuyi playing tricks.
But… Ji Yu looked as though the moment he gave a nod, he would immediately draw his sword and fight him to the death.
“How about I go instead?” Ji Huan said.
Everyone else chose to pretend they had not heard, and only Longgu Buwang could not help saying, “Do you think this is going to cut pork, where anyone can go?”
“Do not let that crow’s caw screech so casually. It is bad luck,” Song Chuyi said viciously.
Well, each one was more venomous than the last. Gongsun Gu still decided to keep silent for the time being.
Longgu Buwang turned dark-faced, gave a cold snort, flicked his sleeve, and left.
Ji Huan did not take it to heart, but only glanced at Song Chuyi worriedly. Others might not know the truth, but he knew that Song Chuyi was a woman, although most of the time he would forget this matter.
Song Chuyi also knew it was not suitable to discuss this matter now, so she returned to the post station without saying a word.
After Gongsun Gu left, Ji Yu stood before Song Chuyi’s door, looking for all the world as if he intended to stand guard through the night.
Song Chu sat before the brazier. Sensing her poor mood, White Blade made that pitiful sound again, rubbed up against Song Chuyi, then rolled over and sprawled out its belly.
Seeing it like that, Song Chuyi laughed heartily and reached out to rub its round belly. “White Blade, you have exposed such a fat belly. As a wolf, losing your fierceness like this is truly a great sacrifice.”
How could White Blade understand what Song Chuyi was saying? Hearing her laugh, it swept the floor with its tail, rolled around a few times, and pushed its head against her sleeve.
Song Chuyi usually kept dried meat tucked inside there.
“Are you performing for your supper?” Song Chu flicked White Blade’s forehead with a bent finger and mused, “Hmm… I think I may have fed you too fat. What will we do if you cannot run later? It is time to cut some of that fat.”
Having gotten no dried meat, White Blade lay on the floor with drooping eyes, looking listless. Its body was growing larger and larger; its length had already reached over one meter, and after its fourth year it would reach over two meters.
Song Chuyi was very worried. She fed White Blade twice a day and occasionally gave it snacks, which had made it fatter and fatter, and this fellow knew no restraint at all, thinking about food all day long. So whenever it got excited and ran after the serving maids, Song Chuyi always gave it strong support.
“Yu, come in for a moment,” Song Chuyi called out loudly.
After a brief silence, footsteps finally sounded, and Ji Yu pushed open the door and walked in covered in snowflakes.
“Is it snowing again?” Song Chuyi said.
“Yes,” Ji Yu answered.
“Sit,” Song Chuyi raised her chin slightly, motioning for him to sit on the other soft cushion beside the brazier.
“Have you thought it through?” Ji Yu asked as soon as he sat down.
Song Chuyi folded her hands and looked at him with a troubled expression, then shook her head. “No. I was thinking that if you stayed outside, it would be bad if I escaped through the back window. It is safer to have you come inside and keep watch.”
Ji Yu frowned, but there was some warmth in his heart. She was actually afraid he would be too cold outside, wasn’t she? Just as this thought crossed his mind, he saw Song Chuyi wearing a lewd smile, her gaze drifting toward his chest. “If I said that I would think it through if you let me touch you, would you do it?”
Ji Yu’s frown deepened, his expression saying that a true man would sooner die than be humiliated.
“Tch, then I had better keep not having thought it through.” Song Chuyi patted White Blade, stood up, and walked toward the inner room, leaving Ji Yu alone in the outer room.
There was a rustling inside, and Ji Yu sat by the fire, listening until it grew quiet inside.
After a long while, Ji Yu finally spoke. “Why do you want to see Gongzi Ke? Because he is Zhao Yilou?”
Ji Yu still clearly remembered that Song Chuyi had, in order to get his army to help search for someone, agreed without hesitation to go alone to persuade the ruler of Song.
Song Chuyi had just closed her eyes. Hearing this, she opened them again and did not avoid the answer. “Yes.”
“Why are you so persistent about him?” Ji Yu could tell that although Song Chuyi seemed to enjoy acting lewdly, the way she looked at handsome men and beautiful women was no different. There was no desire, only pure amusement. If she were truly someone who cared only about beauty, she would have clung to the Lord of Qin long ago. How could she have left so decisively? And after leaving Qin, she had not shown the slightest regret. So Ji Yu believed that Song Chuyi’s persistence regarding Zhao Yilou was not because he was handsome.
