Vol 3 Chapter 14 (1/2)

Volume 3 Chapter 14: Don’t tell me this is the strike on Yuan Shu (5)

“You, what are you going to do to my subordinates?” Yuan Shu sprang up suddenly and tried to charge at me after those 2 were forcibly removed from the tent, but because she was tied to the chair, she fell to the ground along with the chair.

This reaction of hers confirms my hypothesis.

“No, nothing at all.” I calmly answered as I looked at Yuan Shu with steady eyes. “Or perhaps, you’re afraid of me doing something?”

“…” She stared at me wordlessly.

I suppressed the nervousness in my mind and walked over to Yuan Shu who followed me with her eyes.

“Let’s make a deal.” I intentionally curled my lips, hoping to look devious. “I can let you go.”

“Eh? This–”

“But, I can’t let you go scot-free of course.” I interrupted her immediately and she became silent as she waited for me to continue. “You can go back, but your subordinate generals will become my spoils of war.”

“What!!” The moment I finished, she suddenly yelled out and lay down motionless, like a deflated balloon, “… How could this be?”

Her voice now, had lost all of the haughtiness from before.

“Maa, that’s something that can’t be helped.” I said as I pulled a chair over and sat beside Yuan Shu. “No matter what, I have to have some gains after winning a battle right.”

“… What are you trying to say?”

“Didn’t I say it earlier? This is a deal.” I s.h.i.+fted my glance away from Yuan Shu and looked outside the tent. “I’m permitting you to live, but at the cost of your subordinates’ lives. Or, you could give me the city, and then commit suicide thereafter. In return, I guarantee that your subordinate generals will be treated well and they will even have a decent official position in Imperial Court. How about it?”

After I finished, Yuan Shu’s head was still hung low as she was deep in thought.

Anyone who knows a thing about the original Yuan Shu would definitely think that this Yuan Shu would choose the former. In fact, any feudal lord, no matter how benevolent or selfish, would probably choose the former.

But…

“No, I cannot leave them here.” Yuan Shu said weakly. But to me, this was her most resolute words of everything I’ve heard from her till now.

“Is that really okay? For a feudal lord to go so far for 2 subordinate generals…”

“A master cannot abandon her servants!!” She yelled out as she raised her head and looked at me with an unexpectedly proud face. “I am their master, and I will be responsible for their lives.”

“Is that so…”

Was this really Yuan Shu?

No this was unquestionably Yuan Shu. The descendent of the family that held the 3 prime Court positions for 4 generations, and the hero who reigned over Huainan.

There is definitely more to Yuan Shu than her external countenance. A feudal lord, after all, needs valour and conviction.

Even if the feudal lord happens to be a spoilt rich young miss.

“… So, so…” She seemed to be getting choked up but she braced herself and continued. “As long as you let my subordinate generals live, I will give you Shouchun and my life.”

“… Oh, I understand.”

Success!

Though I didn’t show it, I was very happy with this outcome and thoroughly pleased with myself.

Of course, I’m taking the city but I never had the intention of taking Yuan Shu’s life.

It took a bit of swindling but I finally got the city. Now all I have to do is wait for the rest to return and have Yuan Shu go to the city and holler–

“Report!!!”

Just then, a signaller’s blaring announcement resounded in my ears. I’d thought it was an illusion but then I saw him kneel before me.

“… What is it?”

Did someone sustain an injury or fall in battle? Or did the ambush fail? Could the enemy have been reinforced by allies?

It’s definitely nothing good.

“A report just arrived from the frontlines. Of the 20,000 strong that we engaged with, about half surrendered in the chaos. Thereafter, Shouchun city seemed to have received news of the ambush and Lei Bo and Chen Lan opened the gates and surrendered.”