Chapter 121: Wine and Meat

Bai Choushen, having failed to achieve his goal, was deeply humiliated by Dong Yun, leaving him infuriated and ashamed.

He couldn’t help but think about how, if his foundations hadn’t been destroyed, he would have lived a life of ease, calling the winds and embracing women every day without a care.

Now, he was dependent on others and had to suffer in this suffocating situation.

And that ugly girl had the audacity to treat him this way!

After leaving Dong Yun’s room, Bai Choushen felt increasingly agitated, as if a flame was burning in his chest.

His attendant cautiously approached him, lowering his voice. “Master, even if you can swallow this anger, I can’t help but feel resentful on your behalf. lady Li has already hinted that the princess’s life is uncertain. Given this, the princess is like fish on the chopping block, ready to be slaughtered at will. Why fear her if you can do as you please?”

Bai Choushen frowned and sighed, glancing at the two guards by the door with a clouded expression.

It was still because of that man named Zhang.

But Zhang mainly followed General Li Hao of the Western Command, and Bai Choushen had no way to deal with him. If Zhang were not present, he would have already taken the princess.

“lady Li and General Li’s daughter have different intentions. Who should we follow?”

The attendant chuckled. “Naturally, we should follow you, Master. Whatever you choose to do, it will always benefit you in the end. You’ll make sure you don’t lose out!”

Bai Choushen smiled and tapped the attendant’s head. “Clever boy.”

But the problem of dealing with Zhang Xiaoshi remained unresolved.

The attendant, having served Bai Choushen for many years, knew his concerns and quickly leaned in to whisper in his ear.

“Would she be willing to help?”

“What’s there to hesitate about? She’s obsessed with that man named Zhang, constantly wary of Zhang Xiaoshi bringing women into his room. Now, with such a powerful rival as the princess in front of her, how could she not be anxious? Otherwise, she wouldn’t have acted like that tonight.”

Bai Choushen’s expression brightened, and the gloom lifted from his face. “Look for the right opportunity these next few days, buy the necessary items, and be prepared. Once the matter is settled, I’ll make sure you’re well compensated.”

“Thank you, Master!” The attendant grinned. “I don’t ask for anything, just to follow you and rise with you. When that time comes, I’ll be satisfied with the luxury and good fortune.”

“Don’t worry. No one is dispensable, especially not you.”

The attendant quickly agreed with a smile.

Meanwhile, in the darkness, the mute girl on the ground lay with her eyes shifting, fists clenched, and her gaze filled with rage.

…

On the evening of the fourth day, after a day of exhausting travel, Bai Choushen and his group finally arrived at the next town and settled in an inn.

The attendant mentioned needing to buy something and left with a swaying gait.

When he returned, he was indeed holding a small jar of wine and two large bundles of cooked food. However, just as he reached the entrance of the inn, he was bumped into by someone coming out of nowhere, causing the jar to slip from his hands.

Luckily, the person reacted quickly and caught the jar, but whatever they were holding—a bowl of something—was spilled onto the jar.

The attendant broke into a cold sweat, as the wine was the most important thing for tonight.

When he saw that the one who had bumped into him was the mute girl, his anger flared, and he began scolding her furiously.

Unable to speak, the mute girl cautiously placed the jar on the ground and took out a cloth to carefully wipe off the stains.

Seeing this, the attendant’s anger subsided a little.

The mute girl, covering her face to hide her birthmark, had an unexplainable allure, her physique and temperament far surpassing those of ordinary women.

Especially her long arms and toned muscles, which made the attendant look at her several times.

He couldn’t help but feel desire stirring within him and reached out to touch the exposed skin of her arm.

The mute girl, sensing this, turned silently and pushed his hand away with her shoulder, continuing to wipe the jar with her back to him.

The attendant was unwilling to give up. He straightened up, glanced around to see if anyone was watching, and reached out again, trying to touch her shoulder.

The mute girl flinched but couldn’t escape. She allowed him to squeeze her shoulder.

Just as the attendant’s arm reached forward, the mute girl suddenly stood up, shoved the large jar of wine into his arms, and quickly ran away.

The attendant looked down at the spotless wine jar in his arms, his fingers seemingly still lingering with a firm sensation. He couldn’t help but rub his fingers, feeling a wave of emotion as he walked toward the inn.

However, he didn’t notice that a woman was standing at the window of the “Tian” room on the second floor, her eyes locked firmly on his back, with a sharp, cold glint in her gaze.

The woman stared at his figure until it disappeared from view. She stood there for a while longer, unmoving.

Until the sound of footsteps approached the door, she finally turned her head.

The mute girl, who had been downstairs just a moment ago, had now entered the room.

She walked forward, closed the door, and pulled the mute girl over.

“Where did he just touch?” The woman’s voice was cold and clear, sounding as though she was angry.

The mute girl didn’t speak, her eyes fixed on her, not blinking.

Dong Yun rolled up her sleeve, her long fingers sliding over the slightly tanned arm of the girl, massaging it twice before saying, “It’s mine.”

She then went to massage the girl’s shoulder.

“This is mine too.”

The mute girl’s emotions stirred within her, and she pulled the woman into her embrace, holding her tightly.

She almost wished she could meld her into her body.

When footsteps were heard from outside, she reluctantly let go of the woman, turned, and silently went about her business.

---

Downstairs, in the large common room, the attendant brought the wine jar and meat into the room.

There were eight guards in total, two standing guard at Dong Yun’s door, and the remaining six were present.

The scent of the food immediately made everyone salivate as they sniffed the air when the attendant entered.

“Brother Junko, what good things did you buy today? You haven’t stopped talking all day,” one of them approached.

Zhang Xiaoshi was very strict with his subordinates, especially when on a mission. Drinking was strictly forbidden.

Besides, he had come from a rebel background. Although he had self-proclaimed himself as the General of Tianbao, he was still a poor general, and his soldiers’ pay wasn’t much. He had raised his status and built rapport with Bai Choushen, who had brought a large sum of money to join him.

Junko proudly lifted the wine jar in his hand and laid the large bag of meat on the table.

Inside the oiled paper, there was beef, axe meat, and large pieces of white-cut intestines and offal, all giving off an irresistible aroma. Paired with some beans, the fragrance filled the air, making everyone drool.

When he opened the wine jar, the rich scent of alcohol filled the room, and the guards were already tipsy before they even took a sip.

Hearing the sound of people swallowing, Junko laughed, “Come, come, today I’ll treat my brothers. Don’t be polite!”

Although the others were tempted, they hesitated.

“But General has forbidden us from drinking during missions.”

Junko waved his hand dismissively, “What do ‘forbidden’ and ‘not allowed’ matter? He’s probably in there having fun with Liu Ji! We’ve worked hard all these days; what harm is there in drinking a couple of bowls of wine?”

Seeing the hesitation in their eyes, Junko’s eyes flickered, and he added, “If you don’t believe me, follow me to the second floor and listen. The general’s already in there with Liu Ji, and they’ve been waiting for days. Tonight, he’ll probably stay up all night. He won’t have time to bother us!”

A few of the guards, still uncertain, decided to sneak up to the general’s room to eavesdrop. Sure enough, they heard Liu Ji’s soft, flirtatious voice coming from inside. They shuddered and, after exchanging glances, snuck back down.

Back in the common room, Junko laughed, “How’s that? I wasn’t lying, was I? If it’s too much, we can always drink less.”

The guards, emboldened by this, eagerly gathered around the table, sitting down.

At first, they cautiously sampled the meat, but soon, they couldn’t resist and started drinking.

Junko had clearly spent a lot of money on the wine and meat, and the more they drank, the more energized they became, their faces flushing red.

Seeing the drunken expressions of the guards, Junko said, “Brothers, take your time. I’ll take a few pieces of meat to the two guards at the door. We can’t forget about them while we enjoy ourselves.”

The others quickly nodded, “You’re a good man, Junko, go ahead.”

Junko packed up two bags of meat and headed for Dong Yun’s room.

As he passed by Zhang Xiaoshi’s room, he heard the ambiguous sounds coming from inside and couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

Arriving at Dong Yun’s door, he saw two guards standing like statues. He smiled and handed each of them a bag of meat.

The two guards, seeing him with flushed cheeks and smelling of alcohol, looked at the open oiled paper filled with large, fragrant chunks of meat. Their eyes brightened, and they nodded in acknowledgment.

Junko waved his hand at them and turned to head back downstairs.

As he passed Bai Choushen’s room, he gently knocked as a signal.

When he reached the stairwell, he cautiously peeked out and saw the two guards devouring the food. Only then did he feel reassured.

However, as he descended the stairs, a sudden dizziness overwhelmed him, and a dull pain spread through his stomach.

He felt uneasy.

To ensure everything went smoothly, he had mixed soporific medicine into the wine and meat. He also ate and drank with them to avoid suspicion, thinking he’d just sleep it off and feel fine by morning.

But why was his stomach hurting?

The soporific medicine wasn’t supposed to cause stomach pain.

An uneasy feeling crept over him, and he hurried to quicken his pace back up.

However, the pain in his stomach intensified, and by the time he reached the door, his forehead was slick with sweat, and liquid was suddenly flowing from his nose.

He casually wiped his nose, lowered his head, and saw a patch of bright red on the back of his hand.

In an instant, his whole body turned cold.

When he staggered to push open the door to the large dormitory, he was shocked by the scene before him. Six guards were sprawled across the floor, blood pouring from their orifices, their faces twisted in agony.

He was so scared that he trembled, wanting to shout for help, but just as he opened his mouth, a sharp pain shot through his abdomen, and no words came out. He collapsed to the ground, his eyes unable to close.

He died without ever knowing where things went wrong.

Meanwhile, Bai Choushen was anxiously waiting in the room.

As soon as Junko knocked on the door, he knew the operation had begun.

The thought of being able to do as he pleased with the beautiful woman excited him to the point where he couldn’t sit still, pacing back and forth behind the door.

Seeing that it was almost time, he opened the door to check on the situation.

The lanterns in the corridor flickered in the wind, and the occasional sound of footsteps echoed from downstairs.

The two guards who had been stationed at Dong Yun’s door were now lying on the ground in disarray, unconscious, seemingly drugged with a sleeping powder.

He felt elated, walked over, kicked the two men, but there was no response.

He knocked on the door and whispered, “Princess, the general sent me with something for you.”

There was no response from inside, but the door soon opened. The room was dark, with no light.

Bai Choushen was pleased and stepped inside.

…

Meanwhile, Zhang Xiaoshi was deeply engaged with Liu Ji.

They had been on the road for four days, and nothing unusual had happened. He had let his guard down and, as a result, didn’t refuse when the courtesan Liu Ji made a move on him.

Just as he was enjoying the moment, a sudden scream from the neighboring room jolted him upright.

Liu Ji immediately clung to him again. He hadn’t intended to pay attention to it, but the scream sounded eerily familiar. He pushed her away, got off the bed, and quickly put on his clothes.

Liu Ji had promised Bai Choushen that she would help him distract Zhang Xiaoshi tonight to facilitate his plans with the princess, so she couldn’t let him go. She clung to his waist, unwilling to let go.

However, the man suddenly twisted her wrist, pushed her violently onto the bed, and said harshly, “If you keep making trouble, I’ll send you back alone!”

With that, he opened the door.

Seeing the two collapsed guards at the princess’s door, Zhang Xiaoshi’s heart tightened, and an ominous feeling overcame him.

Dong Yun’s room had been lit, and she was sitting neatly on the bed, still with the mute child in front of her, holding a broom and guarding the bed.

On the floor lay a man, groaning in pain.

It was none other than Bai Choushen.

A man of his background, a former bandit, had somehow tripped over something when he entered the room, his knee smashing into a porcelain basin. The basin shattered, and his leg was cut. To make matters worse, the mute child had beaten him with the broom, and Zhang Xiaoshi arrived just in time.

Looking at the scene before him, and the unfinished jerky on the ground, Zhang Xiaoshi’s temples throbbed.

He grabbed the teapot on the table and splashed it onto the faces of the two guards standing at the door.

The two guards, startled by the cold water, opened their eyes and woke up.

Seeing the towering figure in front of them with a furious expression, they shuddered in fear, all their sleepiness instantly gone.

They quickly stood up, trembling, and greeted, “General.”

“Who brought these things?” Zhang Xiaoshi pointed at the jerky wrapped in oil paper on the floor and asked sternly.

The two guards exchanged looks, then glancing at Bai Choushen sitting on the floor, hugging his knees, they whispered, “It… it was Junko…”

Zhang Xiaoshi’s face darkened, and he glared at Bai Choushen. “So this is your plan, isn’t it? Using drugged meat to incapacitate my guards so you can get in and do your dirty work, right?”

Then he suddenly remembered how Liu Ji had been unusually eager to cling to him as soon as night fell. He immediately realized that she was likely part of the plot as well.

He spun around, glaring at Liu Ji, scaring her into lowering her head, not daring to meet his gaze.

Zhang Xiaoshi shouted at one of the guards, “Go call Junko!”

The guard hurriedly responded and rushed downstairs.

Before long, the guard stumbled back up, his face pale as paper, his eyes wide with terror.

“General—something’s wrong—something’s wrong—”

“What happened?” Zhang Xiaoshi frowned, a bad premonition rising in his chest.

“They’re dead—all dead—” The guard trembled as he answered.

Everyone in the room froze in shock.

Zhang Xiaoshi was the first to rush downstairs, and everyone quickly followed, including Bai Choushen, who limped behind.

When they reached the door of the large dormitory, they saw a mess of bodies sprawled across the floor.

Blood was pouring from their ears and noses, their faces twisted in horror.

Zhang Xiaoshi leaned down to check their breath, but they were already beyond saving.

He suddenly turned around, his eyes wide in fury, and glared at Bai Choushen. “Bai Choushen—”

Bai Choushen was so frightened that his legs gave out, and he fell to the ground, trembling as he tried to explain, “No, no, no… it wasn’t me, I didn’t make them kill…”

“You better explain yourself, or tonight, you’ll be buried with them!” Zhang Xiaoshi snarled, his teeth grinding.

He then turned to Liu Ji. “And you, were you in on this too? You came to my room as soon as it got dark to make it easier for them to act?”

This was the first time Liu Ji had seen Zhang Xiaoshi this furious, and she was so scared she trembled. She quickly confessed, “It was Bai Choushen who asked me to help. I thought we hadn’t been together for a while, so…”

“Shut up—you foolish woman!” Zhang Xiaoshi shouted angrily. “You’re being used by others and don’t even know it!”

“General, I didn’t participate in anything else!” Liu Ji cried pitifully, trying to defend herself.

Zhang Xiaoshi had kept her by his side for a long time and knew that this woman didn’t have the guts for such things, so he turned to Bai Choushen and said, “You explain yourself.”

Bai Choushen trembled with fear. “General, I’m truly innocent! It was all Junko’s plan. He only said to drug everyone with sleeping powder, but never said it would kill anyone—look, he died himself—if it had been us, why would we have poisoned our own people?”

Zhang Xiaoshi glanced at the two guards who were still alive and then at the jar of wine on the table. He pulled out his silver needles and dipped them into the wine.

The silver needles turned black instantly, indicating that the wine was poisoned.

Zhang Xiaoshi’s face darkened with anger. “Did Junko buy this wine himself?”

Everyone shook their heads, indicating that they didn’t know.

Zhang Xiaoshi scanned everyone in the room. When his eyes landed on Dong Yun, she shrugged dismissively and said, “Don’t look at me, two men are guarding outside my room; I couldn’t have gone anywhere. The little mute can only move around in the inn, not outside, and couldn’t possibly have gotten poison. Besides, that man named Bai tried to break into my room at night to harm me. I haven’t even made you all pay for that yet!”

Bai Choushen, at this point, was in despair. He groaned softly, “I really don’t know what happened. I didn’t do it—I just wanted to talk to the princess, I had no intentions of harming her…”

Zhang Xiaoshi’s head throbbed painfully as he looked at the room full of corpses, feeling both sorrow and anger. But he couldn’t handle the situation openly.

First, they were in an area under the jurisdiction of the imperial court, and his identity was that of a rebel! Not to mention, he had a bandit leader by his side, and the most dangerous of all was the princess, who was currently being hunted by the emperor.

If word got out about the murder here, people would come to investigate. Once their identities were exposed, they would be trapped with no way out.

He ordered the two guards to tightly close the door and said in a deep voice, “Pack up your things, we leave tonight.”

When they arrived, there had been fourteen people in their group. Now, leaving the inn, only half of them remained. The ones who died were all Zhang Xiaoshi’s personal guards, making him feel like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment.

Dong Yun, however, rode along indifferently, looking perfectly content.

The group traveled about twenty to thirty miles before finally setting up camp in a mountain forest near dawn.

The effects of the drug hadn’t worn off for the two guards, and after setting up camp, they immediately collapsed under a tree and fell into a deep sleep.

Then, there was the matter of the night watch.

Bai Choushen, having hurt his knee, limped along and was clearly not trusted by Zhang Xiaoshi to stand guard. The remaining three women couldn’t be relied upon either. Zhang Xiaoshi, filled with frustration, had no choice but to remain on watch, simmering with anger.

Dong Yun, however, paid no attention to the surroundings and, with the mute girl, sat beneath the stone wall to rest.

Although it was May, it was the middle of the night when the dew was heavy. Without a quilt for warmth, it was easy to catch a chill lying in the open.

The mute girl went to unpack her bundle, pulled out a set of clothes, and gestured for Dong Yun to raise her body so she could lay it underneath her.

The clothes had been bought by Liu Ji in a nearby town the previous evening, as Zhang Xiaoshi had asked her to purchase them for Dong Yun to use as spare clothes.

After spreading the clothes, she reached out to check Dong Yun’s hands and feet. They were neither cold nor hot, which eased her worries slightly.

Liu Ji, seeing how considerate the mute girl was toward Dong Yun, became extremely displeased and ordered, “Hey, come here, there are mosquitoes, quickly fan them away!”

The mute girl ignored her and lay next to Dong Yun.

Liu Ji, seeing her unmoving, kicked her.

Dong Yun sat up suddenly, glaring at her. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Given Dong Yun’s status, Liu Ji should have been afraid to provoke her, but she sneered and said, “This little girl was bought by General Zhang. Since I’m General Zhang’s concubine, I should be served by her.”

Dong Yun sneered. “I was the one who bought her for myself. If you want her, go have your General Zhang buy you another one.”

“I don’t want another one, I want this one.”

Dong Yun curled her lips in a mocking smile and provoked, “I won’t give her to you. What are you going to do about it?”

Liu Ji was infuriated, her face turning red with anger as she gritted her teeth. “Do you really think someone sent to fetch you was from the Eldest Princess? You really think you’re still a high-and-mighty princess? You’ve been sold and you don’t even know it!”

Hearing this, Dong Yun suddenly laughed.

“Crazy woman, what are you laughing at?” Liu Ji spat.

“I’m laughing at you all,” Dong Yun said with a grin. “You really think I don’t know who you all work for?”

Sitting by the campfire, Zhang Xiaoshi and Bai Choushen heard her words and immediately perked up, their ears straining.

In the flickering light of the fire, Dong Yun’s face appeared half-lit, her features hard to make out.

She leaned back against the stone wall and slowly said, “I said it back in Daliushu Village. Even if I die out here, my aunt wouldn’t come to collect my body, let alone send someone to fetch me.”

“And the way you’ve treated me these past few days, if you were sent by the Eldest Princess, would you be treating me like this?”

“Since you’re not her people, then it must be lady Li behind you!”