203 Untitled (1/2)
The eunuch looked up, and he glanced at the dark and solemn room. The heavy breaths of the person on the deathbed marked the last of Heaven Demon's Thousand Springs era. Further away, outside the city gates, young and brave generals were galloping with pride… a fated death and ending. Who else would want to sacrifice everything to retain a nation that was about to collapse?
He bowed respectfully.
Meng Fuyao smiled and pointed him the way out. ”Congratulations on becoming the first batch of Prince Lie's close attendants!”
His eyes gleamed, and he walked out briskly. As he left, Meng Fuyao smirked. People like eunuchs, because of the sufferings they faced when they grew up, were the most shameless and had no principles, as they prized personal gains above anything else. By threatening him, and then bribing him with glory and status, she could be sure that he would not dare to betray her.
After she strode out of the palace, she mounted her horse, and Tie Cheng and her guards brought two huge carriages. Meng Fuyao nodded in response and went straight to the Imperial Barracks. The Captain of the Flying Tiger camp, Jian Shuangjin, was so anxious that he came up to her once she arrived. ”Boss! Have you received orders to mobilize the troops?”
Shaking her head, Meng Fuyao frowned and sighed. ”The Emperor does not wish to see anyone. I wasn't able to meet him.”
”Why is it so?” Jian Shuangjin rubbed his hands continuously. ”The enemy is striking offensive attacks on our city, yet the hundred thousand soldiers in the Imperial Army are not allowed to strike back. This… Does this even make any sense!”
”Captain Jian, are you doubting the Emperor?” Meng Fuyao looked at him from the corner of her eye. ”The Emperor is wise. What right do we have to question his wisdom?”
Jian Jinshuang was taken aback, and he quickly lowered his head and muttered, ”I don't dare to…” Meng Fuyao smirked and went inside the camp. As he tailed her, Jian Jinshuang added, ”Sir, when a general is out at war, some exceptions can be made. Even if the Emperor hasn't given his orders yet, we can still ask the three main Ministers to use each of their one-third of a stamp to deliver an order…”
The stamps of the three Ministers? A smile crept up Meng Fuyao's lips… Yao Xun should have completed his mission by now? He had not done this for a while now, and he was itching to try again, so he must have been very happy to be assigned such a large target. Hopefully, the three Ministers would still have their underwear intact on them…
Just then, she stopped short in her tracks and glanced at this man who was famous in the Imperial Army for being rash and straightforward… It would be easy to kill him, but doing so might stir unnecessary alarm. Furthermore, he was pretty good at warfare, and he could be of use to Zhan Beiye in the future… In a split second, she turned and beamed. ”Captain Jian, you're right. Pandu is in a state of emergency, and we as defenders should not be afraid of the responsibilities that we have to shoulder. If there is no order from the Emperor, we'll ask from the three Ministers. If they don't agree, we'll bring our forces to the city gates to attack! I'll account for any blame!”
She said it in such a passionate and emotive manner that Jian Shuangjin was moved to tears. In a loud voice, he said, ”I'll definitely shoulder the blame with you!” Then, he spoke apologetically. ”I… am guilty… of nearly doubting your loyalty just now…”
Meng Fuyao patted his shoulder, and she gazed deeply at the faraway Qiongcang. In an emotive voice, she responded, ”The storm puts strong grass to the test; troubles times test a faithful official…”
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck out of nowhere, causing a huge tree to be burnt from inside out.
While Jian Shuangjin was still reprimanding himself, Meng Fuyao calmly said, ”Alright now, the war is impending. Captain Jian, I'll trouble you to organize the various Camps, and call the four Vice Captains over. I have a few details to discuss with them.”
Jian Shuangjin hurried off happily, and Meng Fuyao waited for the Vice Captains to arrive. These were people whom Meng Fuyao bonded over gambling, hence they were comfortable with each other and not very strict on formalities. They laughed when they walked in. ”Sir, what instructions do you have for us?”
Meng Fuyao sat high and mighty on her seat, and she slowly drank her tea. With a wave of her hand, the front door to the room instantly closed.
The four of them were stunned, but Meng Fuyao waved her hand again. Immediately, her personal attendant brought two plates forward; one had a pearl that was the size of a thumb, the other contained a dagger.
The pearl shined radiantly in the dim room, catching the attention of all four Vice Captains. They had seen plenty of such goods, but they had never seen one of this size and quality, and the shine of the pearl illuminated their captivated expressions.
Satisfied with their reactions, Meng Fuyao calmly sipped on her tea… these few were the ones whom she carefully picked to befriend, who were also the ones who fought for every penny and cent. How would people like them have resilient mindsets and grounded principles?
Ever since she entered the Imperial Army, she had been gambling every day, but that was not without reason. It was minor to use money to buy the loyalty of others, and the main focus was to actually use gambling as an opportunity to decipher others' personalities and rope in those who were promising.
As the saying goes, discreditable things are often done in the dark. As the four people sucked in their breaths while staring intensely at the beautiful treasure, Meng Fuyao put down her cup, and the thin porcelain made a sharp sound as it came into contact with the table, causing the four to jump.
”I'll gift you a life of prosperity.” Meng Fuyao pointed at the pearl.
Their expressions were a mix of joy and confusion. Meng Fuyao pointed again, but it was directed towards the dagger.