Vol 6 Chapter 15 (1/2)

VOLUME 6 CHAPTER 15: DON’T TELL ME THIS IS A MEETING WITH YI DE (3)

Yun Chang POV

We’d been travelling for a long while now and winter has almost pa.s.sed yet the chilly cold still remained, making it difficult for one not to curl up at night.

It was very quiet in the room, and after a long struggle, Lu Bu’s snoring and Wen Yuan’s unique sleep muttering could be heard.

I was trying fervently to sleep but this was undoubtedly difficult. This wasn’t because of the noise that the others were making but because of what happened a few hours earlier which continued to replay in my mind.

I forced my eyes open against the tiredness as every time I closed my eyes, tears would fill them, and so I rubbed my eyes to force my sleep away.

Weak rays of sunlight were already s.h.i.+ning in through the windows and the inn was dyed a dark purple. Even though it was winter, I could hear the chirping of some unknown birds.

I should get up. And find Yi De right away.

And so I woke everyone up and went to the guest lounge where I pleaded for a long while with the Administrator’s aide before he was willing to bring us to see Yi De.

“You’re Lord Hua Tuo huh? It’s good to meet you.”

“Ah ah, un.”

Hua Tuo blinked a few times when Yi De reached out to Hua Tuo before she regained her senses and stretched her hand out to take Yi De’s.

Hua Tuo’s expression showed that she probably still harboured some hope that there was some misunderstanding somewhere.

I too thought the same a while ago.

“Umm, Lord Zhang Fei, we were too rude yesterday.” I bowed as I expressed my apologies to Yi De.

“Oi…” Wen Yuan was surprised at what I was doing but since Yi De doesn’t know me now, if I insist on acting like how we usually are, I’ll probably alarm her instead.

And so, I’ve decided to accept the reality before me for now.

“No no, I was a little too rash yesterday as well.” Yi De said with an exemplary official smile as she sat at the head of the table, “I was a little perturbed when you 3 acted like you knew me very well. Ah, please have some tea.”

“Ah, thanks.” I nodded at the servant who brought tea to the table and drank as I looked at Yi De from the corner of my eye.

Looks like it wasn’t my misconception. The Yi De now doesn’t have the innocent, energetic and childish aura at all. After just a few months, it feels like she’s become a dependable and mature person.

I’m really not used to this Yi De.

“And what are you all here today? If it’s supplies then I can only provide about 10 days’ worth as we are only a small county city after all.”

“No, we don’t want for supplies…”

“Un, then that’s–”

“Umm!”

The topics for discussion that we came with were almost over and we hadn’t drawn out any important information yet. But all of a sudden, someone barged in with staggering footsteps and yelled out as she raised her hand.

“Umm, can I ask if you have someone above looking out for you seeing as you became a county official at such a young age?”

Chen Gong?! Why is Chen Gong here?

“How could you not tell me that you’re meeting the Administrator? Are you that afraid I’ll overshadow you lot?”

“Wu… Chen Gong!”

“What~” She shot back with a face that looked as though we were the ones in the wrong.

Having such a fellow come out of nowhere all of a sudden threw me into complete disarray.

“You wanted to ask my experiences, is that it?” Just then, Yi De spoke up with a smile after drinking some tea, “Actually I’m not too sure about what I’ve done. I’ll be honest here. I seemed to have sustained an injury a while ago.”

“Eh? An injury?!”

I didn’t think that Chen Gong would yield the answer to the question that we wanted to ask the most.

Chen Gong, you may be infatuated with officialdom, but I’m still grateful to you.

“May I ask where you sustained this injury?” Hua Tuo hurriedly went up to Yi De and asked.

“Ah, un. The back of the head. What’s the matter?”

“Un, as I expected.” Hua Tuo said as she held her chin with her hands in her sleeves and nodded.

“… As I asked, what’s the matter?”

“No, nothing.” Hua Tuo shook her head and placed her hands which were slightly trembling on her legs as she asked again, “By the way, how long has Lord Zhang Fei served in Gucheng?”

“It’s been quite a while.” Yi De seemed to be a little melancholic when she head this question, “I’ve been here since the Yellow Turban Rebellion began.”

Eh?

“How could that be, you were clearly…”

“Wen Yuan.”

“Don’t stop– Ah, ow!”

Wen Yuan got a little too agitated at Yi De’s words and made to stand up to do something but Lu Bu grabbed on to her sleeve and when Wen Yuan tried to struggle out of Lu Bu’s grasp, Lu Bu pulled down forcefully and Wen Yuan fell back to her seat:

“Un, we understand the gist of things now.” Hua Tuo respectfully bowed as she said so when she heard this and signalled to me with her eyes that we could leave.

“… Un.”

Even though Yi De was right in front of us, there was probably nothing we could do now.

“Well then, we’ll be taking our leave, Lord Zhang Fei.”

“Un, alright.” Yi De said as she got up to send us off, “Though our small county does not have an abundance of resources, we will still comply with any reasonable requests you may have since it’s the Imperial Chancellor’s orders after all.”

“… Un.”

The Imperial Chancellor huh… I muttered, and turned to leave but I suddenly felt like I had something I had to say.

And so, I turned back, “Lord Zhang Fei, would you be willing to come with us when we leave Gucheng?”