Chapter 97: Women Have The Most Vicious Hearts
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=3614052
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
The prison cell was damp and cold, bringing Shi Hongzhang a chill that seeped into his very bones.
Feeling the threat hanging above his head, and looking at the Princess, whose smile did not reach her eyes, Shi Hongzhang felt the cold even more intensely.
As always, it is wise to adapt to the circumstances. Shi Hongzhang dared not voice his anger and could only bite the bullet, forcing out a reluctant smile.
“This humble general is dull-witted and does not understand Your Highness’s meaning. If Your Highness has any matter that requires my assistance, I ask that you say it directly. I will surely cooperate well with Your Highness. There is no need to joke with this humble general in this way...”
The underlying implication was none other than the fact that the Princess had brought him here to coerce him into doing something.
Li Qiubai did not become angry. After Ye Wuyou untied him and dismissed the idle bystanders, she slowly rose to her feet, walked up to Shi Hongzhang, and looked down at him from above.
“Could it be that Lord Shi believes the assassins who tried to take your life tonight were arranged by me?”
At this moment, Shi Hongzhang had regained his freedom, but his body and mind were very exhausted, and he had not eaten or drunk for a long time. Naturally, he lacked the strength to resist. Under Ye Wuyou's watchful gaze, he could only kneel obediently at the Princess' feet, bowing his head in denial.
“Your Highness has misunderstood. This humble general would never dare...”
“Would not dare? How unexpected. I did not think Lord Shi would only have this little courage.”
Li Qiubai didn't speak further on the matter of the assassins but instead pulled out a letter from her sleeve, shook it open before Shi Hongzhang, and held it up in front of him.
“When Lord Shi negotiated terms with the Prince of Yu, was not your courage quite impressive? Why is it that, in front of me, you’l are so timid and fearful, scared of everything?”
Upon hearing this, Shi Hongzhang suddenly raised his head and stared at the letter held between the Princess’ fingers, his eyes gradually widening.
He instinctively tried to snatch it, but once again received a kick from Ye Wuyou.
“Behave yourself!”
Meanwhile, Li Qiubai had already taken back the letter, stood with her hands behind her back, and sneered coldly as she looked at Shi Hongzhang.
“After the matter is done and the southern five provinces are secured, it seems Lord Shi's appetite is quite large. Perhaps you are hoping to be granted the title of a prince with a different surname? The only question is whether Lord Shi, with such a big appetite, has the life to enjoy it.”
These words sent a shiver down Shi Hongzhang’s spine.
Earlier, Shi Hongzhang could still convince himself that this Princess had spared his life and brought him here because she needed him to carry out some task. At most, this encounter would be a transaction, and he should not fear for his life.
But now, upon seeing the letter detailing his correspondence with the Prince of Yu in her hands, he doesn't dare to think that way anymore.
Such a letter, if it were to make its way to the capital, would lead to nothing less than the extermination of his entire clan…
Reflecting carefully on the wording he used in his reply to the Prince of Yu, Shi Hongzhang could only hope now that the Princess knew as little as possible…
It was only after easing the pain in his chest that Shi Hongzhang managed to crawl up and kneel before Li Qiubai once again, tearfully pleading.
"I hope Your Highness can see clearly... The contents of the letter are merely jokes and cannot be taken seriously! You surely know that within Yuzhou, bandits run rampant. The Prince of Yu only entrusted me to mobilize some troops for a while to help him suppress those bandits... This is all for the benefit of the people, and this humble general did not dare refuse. I hope Your Highness will not misunderstand..."
"Lord Shi, do you perhaps think that I am someone easy to fool?”
After sitting down on a wooden chair that Ye Wuyou brought over, Li Qiubai finally continued speaking.
"The matter of bandits is naturally handled by the local government authorities. What right does the Prince of Yu and yourself have to concern yourselves with it? The Military Commissioners in each area may have the authority to command their stationed troops, but with the Kingdom of Qi currently mass-recruiting soldiers and preparing for war, their intentions are becoming clear. As for the soldiers stationed in the Lingnan Circuit, I believe Lord Shi is not ignorant of what they are there to defend against. If troops are mobilized and leave their posts without authorization at a time like this, and an accident occurs causing the Lingnan Circuit to fall, can you bear such consequences?"
Each question pressed Shi Hongzhang harder, leaving him drenched in cold sweat.
The Lingnan Circuit is mostly mountainous terrain. If the Kingdom of Qi wanted to pass through the Lingnan Circuit, they would have to scale mountains and cross the Tiger Pass*. However, the stationed troops in the Lingnan Circuit occupy terrain with natural advantages, making it easy to defend and hard to attack.
*Tiger Pass (虎牢关/Hǔ láo guān) refers to a strategic mountain pass. Historically, such passes were critical locations that served as gateways through mountainous or otherwise challenging terrains.
If the Kingdom of Qi wanted to start a war and marched through the Tiger Pass, the casualties would be devastating. Thus, they could only advance through the inland plains, where most of the border garrisons were stationed as regular combat-ready troops.
However, the soldiers under the command of the Military Commissioners are not as battle-hardened and valiant as those who frequently fight on the battlefield. Apart from the troops allocated by the imperial court, most of the stationed soldiers were conscripted from local families with clean records. Even with thorough training, they still cannot compare to seasoned battlefield soldiers.
The reason the Lingnan Circuit garrison is the largest under the control of the various Military Commissioners is precisely because of its critical importance. If the Tiger Pass were to fall, it would be equivalent to opening a backdoor to the enemy nation, and the troops stationed inside the pass might not be able to hold off the endless cavalry from the Kingdom of Qi pouring through this area.
Several years ago, an accident happened where the Tiger Pass was taken in a sneak attack by the Kingdom of Qi. If it had not been for the people from the jianghu in the nearby areas who discovered it in time and worked together to fight back the enemy, the imperial troops alone could not have held back the soldiers from the Kingdom of Qi.
This time, Shi Hongzhang was no longer as evasive as before. Instead, he tried his best to lower himself, pressing his forehead tightly against the ground, and trembling as he said,
"Your Highness, this humble general would never dare. My wife and children are still in the capital, so how could I possibly leave my post without authorization? What this humble general desire is only to protect this great land for the imperial court, as well as my wife, children, and the common people."
"Your words have indeed reminded me, Lord Shi. I did not expect your heart to be so ruthless, sacrificing even the lives of your wife and children for your own selfish desires."
The wives and families of the Military Commissioners left in the capital are the hostages held by the imperial court to maintain control over them. If everything remains peaceful, those families enjoy limitless glory and wealth bestowed by the imperial court.
But if anything happens, the only fate awaiting them is the blade perpetually hanging over their heads by the imperial court.
Li Qiubai lightly tapped the armrest of the wooden chair under her hand. Without waiting for Shi Hongzhang to explain further, she continued smiling as she asked,
"Or perhaps the Prince of Yu has promised you something, such as safely escorting your wife and children out of the capital?"
Shi Hongzhang's expression changed instantly.
He could not guess how much this woman truly knew. The more he saw her smile, the colder his heart grew.
"Your Highness, spare me, spare me... This humble general knows his mistakes. This humble general was momentarily possessed and fortunately had not yet caused a major disaster. This humble general is willing to confess everything truthfully. I only hope Your Highness can grant me a chance to live..."
Unlike his frightened and humble pleas for mercy, Shi Hongzhang's eyes at this moment were filled with intense ruthlessness.
As long as... as long as this woman could give him a way out and let him get through this storm safely, once the crisis was over, he would ensure that she could never return to the capital...
Shi Hongzhang thought that by taking the initiative to surrender like this, he would no longer be treated like a prisoner.
Who would have expected that the woman in front of him still carried a calm and indifferent smile?
"Do you think that you, in your current situation, have any qualifications to negotiate terms with me?"
Shi Hongzhang: "..."
Alright then. Never mind that the letter in this person's hand could cost his entire family their lives. Just this airtight prison alone is not a place he could easily escape from.
What is more, the person who took him away tonight in front of everyone was not this individual but rather the so-called "assassin." If he truly died here, no one would suspect this person. That would indeed be a huge loss...
Shi Hongzhang gritted his teeth and reluctantly lowered his posture, asking,
"This humble general is foolish and seeks Your Highness' guidance."
Li Qiubai responded not with an answer but with a question instead,
"What does General Shi think? If I had not had someone take you away from there tonight and you had truly died there, who would have benefited from it?"
To climb from the rank of a minor officer to a Military Commissioner commanding substantial forces, Shi Hongzhang was, of course, no fool.
With just this one sentence, he had already figured out the key to tonight's situation.
He had always valued his own life. Whenever he traveled, he would ensure a group of highly skilled guards accompanied him for his peace of mind.
If not for trusting the Prince of Yu's nonsense tonight, he would have confidently believed that Li Qiubai was the true target of the Prince of Yu. Fearing that if he brought too many people, it might fail to protect the princess and result in being accused of dereliction of duty, how could he dare leave the majority of his guards outside?
Originally, he could not figure out why the plan to capture the princess alive ended with all those blades aimed solely at him. Now, upon reflection, it was clearly no accident.
Among the deputy generals in his camp, there were people from various factions. If he had truly died there, who could predict what kind of chaos they might create? Regardless of the specifics, the army's morale would certainly crumble.
If someone with ulterior motives wanted to manipulate matters amidst the disorder, would it not be all too easy?
Although the Prince of Yu had not explicitly stated his intentions, Shi Hongzhang could still guess his motives.
Originally, his relationship with the Prince of Yu was a matter of mutual benefit. But if Shi Hongzhang were to die, the Prince of Yu could achieve his goals without needing Shi Hongzhang’s assistance. Furthermore, he would not even have to deliver on the promises he had made to him...
Looking at it this way, the greatest beneficiary of this incident was already obvious.
What's more, if a Military Commissioner were to die, and the imperial princess and her consort happened to be present, this being the Prince of Yu’s territory, he could easily pin some baseless charges on the two of them if he wanted to...
Such a scheme, killing two birds with one stone, was certainly a well-calculated plan.
Thinking of this, Shi Hongzhang gnashed his teeth, feeling as though the wound on his arm throbbed with even greater pain.
In his eyes, both the Prince of Yu and the Princess were far from good people. But adhering to the principle that the enemy of one’s enemy is a friend, he ultimately chose to compromise.
At least this person was willing to leave him a way out, while the Prince of Yu sought to totally eliminate him.
"Thank you, Your Highness, for the reminder. Unfortunately, this humble general truly knows very little. Originally, today was meant to discuss matters with the Prince of Yu... but he turned out to be so ruthless. Fortunately, this humble general has not yet caused a major disaster and is willing to atone for his mistakes. I humbly seek Your Highness' guidance!"
Only then did Li Qiubai feel slightly satisfied.
"I do not need you to do anything. You only need to return in peace, continue fulfilling your duties as a Military Commissioner, and refrain from interfering in the matters the Prince of Yu mentioned. At dawn, I will send someone to escort you back."
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=3614052
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Upon hearing this, Shi Hongzhang was overjoyed.
Could it really be this simple? Women are indeed easy to deceive...
Unfortunately, before Shi Hongzhang could even smile, his mouth was forcibly stuffed with a pill by Ye Wuyou, who stood nearby.
"Cough... cough, cough, cough..."
The sudden turn of events caught him completely off guard. His jaw was held in place, and several acupoints on his chest were struck in quick succession, forcing him to swallow the pill.
Only then did Ye Wuyou release her grip.
Shi Hongzhang coughed desperately, trying to spit it out, but it was all in vain.
He widened his eyes in terror, staring at the two women in front of him. Before he could even ask, the imperial princess had already stood up and spoke softly.
"This is the Three-Day Smile. Rest assured, it is not fatal. However, you must take the antidote once every three days. If you exceed three days without taking it, you will experience unbearable itching all over your body, worse than death, yet you will not be able to die. As long as you return and behave properly, I will have someone deliver the antidote to you regularly."
Upon hearing this, Shi Hongzhang deeply regretted his momentary lapse of vigilance earlier.
To think he had believed the princess was naive and easy to deceive—this was clearly the heart of the most vicious woman!
Author's Note:
I'm late, but don't worry, the author is still alive!
