Chapter 99: Just a Casual Jab

With a deliberate rise in his voice, Jia Xu called out, “Heh, heh, General, this old man was only going to tidy up a few belongings. Was there any need for this?”

He was shouting on purpose, hoping to draw out Zhang Ji and his nephew from the tent.

He did not know when Li Ru had grown so close to Chen Cong.

But he knew the Liang army was far from a solid wall.

Back when Zhang Xiu had been badly wounded by Chen Cong and lay in bed for three months, Zhang Ji had been punished because of Zhang Xiu and had also lain there for three months. In the end, it all came back to Chen Cong.

So when the uncle and nephew had nothing to do, they would shut the door and mock Chen Cong together. Jia Xu had heard more than enough of their so-called revenge schemes.

Even if Chen Cong was now Dong Zhuo’s grandson-in-law, even if the two of them were on their own turf, the pair of uncles and nephews might not dare do anything to him.

But as long as some unpleasantness arose and a little chaos followed, he could slip away amid the confusion.

This time, Jia Xu had decided that he would flee at least as far as Hangu Pass and wait there for the Liang army to move west.

And yet.

Though Zhang Ji’s large tent was directly behind him, though he had shouted loud enough, after quite a while there was still only deathly silence from within.

Around them, even the soldiers passing to and fro kept far away, as if deliberately avoiding the place.

As for Chen Cong, he merely kept pulling Jia Xu along, laughing all the while.

There was an old saying: when a scholar meets a soldier, reason cannot be made to stick.

Jia Xu hidden in the shadows was indeed enough to give Chen Cong a headache, but once the two met face to face, then pardon the intrusion.

As for a man like Jia Xu, Chen Cong could go in and out of a million Jia Xu’s as if making seven trips in and seven out again and again.

“Why so distressed, Mister Wenhe? Were you shouting so loudly to summon someone to stand up for you?”

Jia Xu cursed the Zhang uncle and nephew inwardly, yet could only force out a stiff smile.

“Very well, very well. It is only a few belongings, after all. This old man will leave them behind, is that not enough? I am willing to go with the General.”

“Good!”

Chen Cong looked around, tore a hemp rope from the single-wheel cart, and held it in his hand. “I am afraid Mister Wenhe might run off midway, so I will tie you up. You do not mind, do you?”

Jia Xu: ....

“Heh, heh, not at all.”

Chen Cong bound Jia Xu from his neck down to his waist, leaving enough room for him to walk on his legs, then tied the other end of the rope around his own waist.

At last, he even plucked a small wind bell from the jade ornament worn by Li Ru and hung it from Jia Xu’s waist.

Only then was everything secure.

Li Ru: ....

Jia Xu: ....

From beginning to end, Zhang Ji and his nephew had actually been hiding behind the tent, only a step away from Jia Xu, listening in the entire time.

And in truth, Jia Xu had indeed misunderstood.

For Jia Xu had never personally set foot on a battlefield; he always hid behind the lines, and so his notion of famed warriors was vague at best.

Chen Cong was indeed called Chen the Invincible, but was Zhang Xiu not also known as the Spear King of the Northern Lands?

He felt that even if Chen Cong was a little stronger than Zhang Xiu, it could only be by a little.

After all, the title Spear King of the Northern Lands sounded terribly imposing.

So...

He had never imagined that whenever Zhang Ji and his nephew mentioned Chen Cong, their grinding, resentful tone had nothing to do with revenge at all. They were simply using Chen Cong’s name to show off in secret.

After all, when it came to Zhang Xiu versus Chen Cong, Zhang Xiu had at least survived and not been captured, had he not?

After all, when Zhang Ji had once led cavalry to chase Chen Cong, had he not driven him all over the place?

Of course.

This was merely a difference in perspective between strategists and warriors, a mistaken understanding born from that divide. It could hardly be blamed on Jia Xu for not comprehending it.

In truth, even Li Ru did not entirely understand it.

...

Once they had left the Liang camp and bid farewell to Li Ru, Chen Cong returned to the Cao residence with Diao Chan over one shoulder and Jia Xu tied at his waist.

Fortunately, Cheng Zhuo and the others had nearly finished their celebration and were drinking at the residence.

When they saw Chen Cong return, they all clasped their hands in greeting.

Jia Xu, however, recognized an old acquaintance at a glance. Not only did he fail to make a sound, he even hid a little behind Chen Cong’s back.

But Cheng Zhuo immediately recognized this “old acquaintance.”

With a cold laugh, he saluted and said, “Is this not Mister Wenhe? It has been many days since we last met, and I have missed you dearly.”

“Ah... heh heh, General Cheng, it has only been a few days, and yet your bearing is as fine as ever.”

Chen Cong laughed. “A Zhuo, you know him?”

“General, this man was once a counselor under Li Jue, and his name is Jia Xu. It was his idea to set camp at Hukou back then. But he was the sort who could not bear responsibility; that very morning he claimed to be unwell and slipped away, never to return.”

“Hahaha, perfect. Then you must help me keep a close watch on him. Not a moment is he to be left alone while eating, drinking, or relieving himself. When he sleeps, bind him to the bed as well, and assign brothers to keep watch in shifts. If he dares run... break all three of his legs.”

Cheng Zhuo gave Jia Xu a cold smile, then clasped his hands to Chen Cong. “Rest assured, General.”

Jia Xu felt a chill between his buttocks and immediately submitted. “There is no need for the Invincible General to go so far. This old man is willing to devise plans for the General.”

“Very well. Please wait a moment, sir; I shall return soon to seek your counsel.”

When Chen Cong untied the hemp rope and handed it to Cheng Zhuo, Jia Xu was utterly despairing.

What did the ferocious Flying-Bear cavalry hate most?

Deserters.

Though he did not technically count as a soldier, he had indeed fled...

Fortunately, Chen Cong did not remain away long. In about the time it took half a stick of incense to burn, he returned.

And when he did, he had a heavenly decree in his hand.

He then dragged Jia Xu to the rear residence of the Cao estate.

When Chen Cong laid out all his plans and asked him to find any gaps, Jia Xu wanted nothing more than to die on the spot.

Stealing the imperial seal!

That was not merely risking one’s life. It was dragging along nine generations of kin to die with him!

With a mournful face, he said, “General, this scheme against the imperial seal must never be pursued! It concerns life and death; I beg you, stop at once!”

“Oh? Why is that?”

Jia Xu said, “A plan must remain secret. Now that your scheme has entered Li Ru’s ears, there is no guarantee he will not leak it.”

“That does not count.” Chen Cong shook his head and continued, “Anything else?”

“The General’s feigned attempt to stab Dong Zhuo, while in truth deceiving the emperor’s faction—those people have tangled clan networks behind them. If word leaks out, there is no guarantee they will not take ruthless revenge.”

Chen Cong raised a hand to cut him off. “I do not want to hear about danger. Tell me only whether the plan is feasible.”

Jia Xu pondered for a while. “If this old man were to devote himself fully to devising a plan for the General...”

Chen Cong cupped his hands. “I am willing to appoint you as the cavalry camp’s military adviser.”

“General, why do you repay kindness with enmity?”

“Do not try my patience. First of all, I am formidable. One punch could smash your head open.”

Jia Xu shrank his neck.

Very well. A wise man yielded to the times.

“In truth, General need not trouble himself so much. A counterfeit imperial seal could be presented to the Son of Heaven, or to Yuan Shu. Either way, he has never examined it up close. Since the General is the Lesser Minister over the Imperial Household, you would naturally have the means to move within the palace. Just take a distant look at what the seal is like, make a forgery that is about half convincing, and use it to deal with Yuan Shu.”

“No.” Chen Cong refused at once.

Not because he did not want to, but because he was not sure whether Sun Jian could still pull the real imperial seal out of the well.

If he ended up with no gains at all and then fell out with Yuan Mitsui as well, that would be a case of trying to catch a chicken only to lose the rice.

He would gain nothing on either side.

“You need not concern yourself with the theft of the seal. How would one carry out a feigned assassination of Dong Zhuo?”

Jia Xu let out a long breath. “General, are you afraid of assassins, wandering knights, and the like?”

“Let me inform you that the greatest leader of wandering knights in this world is my second brother.”

“In that case, it is simple. Persuade the Grand Tutor, issue proclamations to the realm, declare Chen Cong a great traitor, and set a reward of ten thousand jin in gold for his death, along with a noble title and hereditary rank to be passed down forever. That will do.”

Hm?

Chen Cong suddenly understood.

He had been thinking about it too complicatedly.

Why go to such lengths to stage anything? Whether he had been stabbed or not—wasn’t that just a matter of one sentence from Dong Zhuo?

If Dong Zhuo said he had been stabbed, then who the hell could jump out and insist he had not? Would that not be sheer stubborn quibbling?

At that moment, the beauty inside the chest clutched her mouth tightly, afraid to make even the slightest sound.