Unintentionally, Hua Wuduo overheard Gongzi Zheng and Gongzi Yi saying, "It's been more than a year since I last saw Liu Xiu. I heard that he seems to have changed a lot. In Wen Yu's book, Song Zixing is even listed after him."
Hua Wuduo was about to turn and leave when she heard Gongzi Yi's calm voice from inside the room: "None of this matters. Wen Yu hasn't seen Song Zixing for a while. Who knows what he's become recently?"
Gongzi Zheng said, "Yes, Wen Yu ranked Liu Jing ahead of you, but the reasoning was far-fetched, and it was probably because she wanted to curry favor with Liu Jing. In my opinion, Tang Ye is also better than Liu Jing."
“Liu Jing is a formidable opponent. In these few battles, we have only achieved minor victories and have not made any significant progress. With Liu Jing around, it will be difficult to achieve our grand ambitions. If only we could eliminate this man.” Gongzi Yi’s voice was tinged with depression.
Hua Wuduo heard the last sentence and it resonated with him.
Chapter Thirty-Seven: A Narrow Escape
Having fought several battles with Liu Jing and captured several of Liu Jing's generals, Wu Yi and Liu Jing, after discussion, planned to summon the prisoners of war the next day. On that day, Wu Yi took Hua Wuduo to the prison to visit them.
Liu Jing sent someone to deliver the exchange list, which included three people: a deputy army commander and two military supervisors. These three military officers were captured on the battlefield, and all of them had some background and connections. Hua Wuduo remembered one of them very clearly. This person was named Yuan Bai. He was still young, but he had a stutter. When he spoke, he would keep saying "I..." which left a deep impression on Hua Wuduo.
Du Xiaoxi brought the three of them before Gongzi Yi. Gongzi Yi looked them over one by one, and Hua Wuduo also looked them over one by one. After asking some questions, Du Xiaoxi took them away. Watching the three of them leave, Gongzi Zheng suddenly said, "Just looking at their backs, Yuan Bai really does look like Wuduo."
A casual remark startled both Hua Wuduo and Gongzi Yi.
Gongzi Yi looked at Hua Wuduo, only to find that Hua Wuduo was also looking at him. The two smiled at each other and simultaneously came up with a plan.
Hua Wuduo hurriedly made Yuan Bai's mask. Gongzi Yi selected someone from among the soldiers whose build resembled Yuan Bai's.
In the courtyard, a row of people with similar build to Yuan Bai stood. Gongzi Yi examined them one by one, and frowned when he saw the last person.
Originally, one was to be selected and kept, but there was one extra. Wu Yi was too lazy to look anymore and pointed to the last one, saying, "You step forward and go back."
"Huh? Why?" the extra one asked.
Wu Yi said, "You're the least like it."
"Where do I not look like one?" the extra one asked again.
Wu Yi deliberately glanced at her chest, then at her lower body, until Hua Wuduo left in shame and indignation.
Young Master Zheng and Du Xiaoxi exchanged glances, both trying to suppress their laughter until their faces turned red.
One of the men was chosen and sent to the dungeon to secretly observe Yuan Bai's actions. Time was of the essence, so he confessed everything he could. Fortunately, Yuan Bai stuttered, and although their voices didn't match, they should be able to get close to Liu Jing if they could improvise. Success or failure depended on fate, but the person impersonating Yuan Bai was facing a near-certain death.
That evening, Hua Wuduo went to find Gongzi Yi and saw that Gongzi Zheng had just come out of Gongzi Yi's room and was about to leave. So he dragged Gongzi Zheng back and argued with Gongzi Yi in front of Gongzi Zheng, saying, "You know very well that only I can make this plan work. Let me go."
Gongzi Yi's gaze darkened, and he said, "You're not good enough."
Hua Wuduo said, "Why can't I? I've studied disguise since childhood and am best at imitating people. My build is similar to Yuan Bai's, and my seductive skills can also be altered. Even if Yuan Bai doesn't stutter, I'm not afraid. I've also served as a captain and a lieutenant under Song Zixing and you, and as Yuan Bai's deputy lieutenant. I know the duties of a deputy lieutenant. I'm intelligent, alert, and skilled in martial arts. Whether it's spying on military intelligence or assassinating Liu Jing, I'm the best candidate." Seeing that Gongzi Yi ignored her, Hua Wuduo said to Gongzi Zheng, "Zheng, tell me, is what I said reasonable?"
Gongzi Zheng said, "Wuduo is indeed the most suitable candidate."
Gongzi Yi said, "The selection has been made. If you want to be chosen, you can only be a substitute. It's late, I need to rest. You may all leave."
Just as Hua Wuduo was about to say something, he heard Gongzi Yi say, "Wuduo, don't make me worry."
Hua Wuduo was taken aback, watching Gongzi Yi's retreating figure as he entered the inner room, speechless.
Gongzi Zheng shook his head and sighed, seemingly knowing everything. But when he looked up and saw Hua Wuduo glancing at him sideways, he suddenly had a bad feeling. Just as he was about to run away, Hua Wuduo grabbed his sleeve. Hua Wuduo, with his sharp eyes and fawning smile, made Gongzi Zheng feel nothing but a chill run down his spine.
The following day, the two armies exchanged prisoners of war.
This is the first prisoner exchange in the year since the Liang army began fighting.
Yuan Bai and the other two prisoners of war, their hands and feet bound together, walked step by step toward Liu Jing's army. Gongzi Yi watched from afar, then suddenly felt a jolt in his heart. He glanced around and whispered to Du Xiaoxi beside him, "Where's Wuduo?"
Du Xiaoxi replied, "Your Majesty, I did not see the adjutant this morning."
Gongzi Yi's gaze sharpened, and he said, "Call Sun Zheng up."
Du Xiaoxi went down from the city wall to call him. Gongzi Zheng, who was in charge of the prisoner exchange, was currently watching the exchange of prisoners from both sides below the city wall.
After a while, Gongzi Zhengben climbed the city wall. Seeing Wu Yi's grim face, he sensed something was wrong. He forced himself to pay his respects, and then heard Wu Yi say, "There aren't many people here."
Upon hearing this, Gongzi Zheng was already drenched in sweat and said, "Your Majesty, Wuduo has already left."
Gongzi Zheng's words left everyone on the city wall utterly bewildered. What did he mean by "already gone"? Where did he go? As they wondered, Wu Yi coldly stared at Gongzi Zheng, who remained kneeling on the ground, without uttering a word for a long time. For a moment, none of the soldiers on the city wall dared to breathe. After a long while, Wu Yi shifted his gaze to the three prisoners who had reached Liu Jingjun below the city wall and said, "Wuduo deserted the army without permission. You knew about it but failed to report it. Drag him away and give him a hundred strokes of the military rod."
Gongzi Zheng didn't utter a sound when he was dragged away. He had already considered the worst possible outcome when he helped Hua Wuduo last night. But the worst he could imagine was a beating, not a hundred! A hundred! And it was a severe beating. Although he was prioritizing the overall situation, he also believed that Hua Wuduo was the best person to carry out this plan, which was why he helped her.
However, he now felt that Hua Wuduo owed him a huge favor, which he would definitely have to repay in the future. Young Master Zheng gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain of his bruised buttocks, while thinking to himself. "Ugh...that really hurts like hell. Yi is fucking ruthless."
Upon returning to camp, the three prisoners of war were not immediately seen by Liu Jing, but were instead placed in a tent to rest temporarily. Having barely spoken in the dungeon, they remained silent, each hiding in a corner due to their prisoner-of-war status.
After eating something and changing his clothes, Hua Wuduo leaned against a corner, observing the two people outside the tent from the shadows. These two entertainers were named Fan Di and Jiang Ming. Fan Di was the oldest of the three, while Yuan Bai, whom Hua Wuduo was impersonating, was the youngest. Among the three, Jiang Ming was the tallest, most robust, and most composed.
The second person, Liu Jingcai, summoned them for questioning.
This wasn't the first time Hua Wuduo had seen Liu Jing, but he had mostly seen him from afar on the battlefield before. This was the first time he had seen him up close.
Liu Jing was tall and imposing, with a bronze complexion, a high-bridged nose, and piercing eyes. Although he was a cousin of Liu Xiu, he was quite different from him. Hua Wuduo instantly recalled Wen Yu's description of Liu Jing in "The Tale of Handsome Men of the Jiangshan": "A leading military general, handsome and dashing." But that wasn't an exaggeration.
The three men simultaneously bowed and said, "Greetings, General." Hua Wuduo's voice was drowned out by the two men beside him.
Liu Jing stood up and helped the three of them up, saying gently, "You three have suffered."
One sentence brought tears to the eyes of all three. Fan Di and Jiang Ming's eyes even reddened, while Hua Wuduo's eyes remained red for a long time. He could only lower his gaze and pretend to tremble slightly, appearing very moved.
"You three have been in Wu Yi's army for half a year. Have you obtained any useful information?" asked one of the men next to Liu Jing. Hua Wudu recognized the man as Xu Shichang, Liu Jing's strategist.
Seeing Xu Shichang staring at her, she instinctively felt she should say something. "We...I...I..." Hua Wuduo imitated Yuan Bai's stuttering, her voice almost identical, but she stammered for a long time without uttering the next word. Liu Jing, growing impatient, waved his hand and said, "No need to say anything. Fan Di, you speak." Hua Wuduo quickly shut her mouth; she didn't know what to say anyway, and was happy not to say anything.
Xu Shichang smiled, not paying any attention to her stutter. It was common knowledge that Yuan Bai stuttered. Moreover, according to Hua Wuduo's conversation with the prison guards over drinks, Yuan Bai had an extremely strong sense of self-respect. He was usually not good with words, but he couldn't stand being looked down upon, especially by those who mocked his stutter. For this reason, when she first arrived at Liu Jing's camp, she slapped a soldier who had made fun of his stutter. Yuan Bai was a deputy commander; what was a slap to a lowly soldier? Fan Di and Jiang Ming seemed used to it. Hua Wuduo remembered the prison guard saying that Yuan Bai was an educated man with beautiful handwriting. The guard showed her Yuan Bai's handwriting; although it only contained his name and some simple phrases, Hua Wuduo immediately recognized it as excellent. Such beautiful handwriting indicated that he was educated, and Yuan Bai must be a man of some strategic ability. Moreover, Yuan Bai also had some martial arts skills, so it was no wonder that he was able to get the position of deputy commander.
Fan Di recounted some of Wu Yi's daily training of soldiers. It seemed that they, having been imprisoned, knew very little. Seeing that there was no useful information, Liu Jing instructed, "Now that you're back, the three of you are reinstated. Go and rest."
None of the three had expected to be reinstated so easily, and they were naturally moved to tears. The other two even raised their hands on the spot and swore to serve Liu Jing with their lives, saying touching words. Seeing this, Hua Wuduo also raised her hand to swear an oath in public, but her mouth opened and closed again before she closed it. However, she still swore solemnly, looking at Liu Jing with sincere eyes, a thousand words unspoken. Most importantly, she was unwilling to swear an oath.
There were many people in the tent, and apart from helping them get closer once at the beginning, Liu Jing did not approach them again. Hua Wuduo was at a loss for what to do and had to give up. Thinking that he had now been reinstated, there should be other opportunities in the future, so it was not advisable to be too hasty.
After being reinstated, Hua Wuduo lived alone in her tent. She had soldiers at her disposal, but she was also subject to the orders of Lieutenant General Wang Min. Wang Min was a bold and impatient man, and somewhat annoyed by her stutter, so he rarely gave her any orders.
Hua Wuduo had been carefully observing and pondering these past few days. Getting close to Liu Jing wasn't too difficult, but killing him with a single blow and escaping safely was quite challenging. Liu Jing's martial arts were formidable and should not be underestimated. A single, decisive strike was necessary; otherwise, there would be no further opportunity to strike. Furthermore, he couldn't openly assassinate Liu Jing in a crowded place.
Even if one is skilled in martial arts and has excellent agility, one is no match for the endless camps and soldiers. Therefore, one must wait for the right opportunity.
Because it was the uniform worn by soldiers, with sleeves tucked into the wrists, and her ten-finger gold rings were too conspicuous, she dared not wear them in daily life. To assassinate Liu Jing, she could only use a concealed dagger. Without the aid of a weapon like the ten-finger gold rings, it was not easy to hit him with one blow.
As for escaping... it's not difficult. She touched the various masks she had made over the past few days. She could disguise herself as whoever she wanted, and with her martial arts skills, escaping wouldn't be difficult.
Thinking back to when she came, Gongzi Zheng had told her that Liu Jing had recently mobilized a large number of troops, seemingly planning something big. He had besieged Changping for nearly a month without taking it down, so this move was likely premeditated.
She thought that since she had infiltrated Liu Jing's army as a spy and had been reinstated to her original position, she might as well take this opportunity to gather intelligence.
As a deputy commander, she had no opportunity to speak on important military and political matters, but she could listen in. After listening in several times, she was secretly alarmed. She learned that the imperial court had actually doubled its troops to help Liu Jing capture Changping, and wanted to eliminate Wu Yi in one fell swoop to prevent future troubles. Now Liu Jing was even more powerful, and for several days he had been discussing and planning the attack on Changping with his generals, saying that after pacifying Wu Yi in the northwest, he would march into the northeast to wipe out the remnants of Wu Qi in one fell swoop, and that he no longer took Wu Yi seriously.
Three days later.
A sudden, urgent drumbeat summoned all the generals and soldiers to the command platform. Such a sudden mobilization suggested some major event. When Hua Wuduo stood proudly in his place, he looked up and froze.
She never dreamed she would see Liu Xiu.
She hid among the soldiers, trying not to look at him, but she couldn't help but look at him. Fortunately, everyone was watching, so she didn't seem out of place.
He had changed drastically. He was completely different from the man she remembered. She had initially thought she didn't want to face him again, but now that he was right in front of her, she had expected to be devastated, but she found that her feelings at this moment were entirely different.
The past is gone, and the fear of seeing him again has completely vanished. She subconsciously touched her chest, seemingly wondering to herself how she could so easily let go of the humiliation and regret he had once brought her... leaving only a trace of melancholy.
On the command platform, Liu Jing, standing beside him, appeared much more refined. No wonder Wen Yu said that since Liu Xiu returned from the eastern expedition, tempered on the battlefield, his aura had become increasingly composed and awe-inspiring.
When his gaze swept across the soldiers, no one dared to utter a sound. Below the reviewing stand, thousands of soldiers fell silent at the sudden arrival of Prince Che. Standing in one place, they could almost hear their own breathing. All the soldiers stood ramrod straight, as if being even glanced at by Prince Che would be an honor.
Hua Wuduo looked up at him on the command platform, and in one night, it seemed that he was getting further and further away from her, so far away that she could no longer reach him.
Accompanying Liu Xiu were Gongsun Ziyang and Wen Yu. However, from the moment Hua Wuduo saw Liu Xiu, her eyes were only on him. She didn't notice anyone else, not even another old friend standing in a corner below the reviewing stand. This person was Tang Ye.
Over the past year, Tang Ye has been staying by Liu Xiu's side, and the Tang family has maintained close ties with the Liu family.
Tang Ye stood in a corner below the stage, dressed in black.
His gaze swept calmly across the soldiers, then suddenly stopped at one spot, as if he couldn't believe it and a hint of doubt appeared on his face. The spot where his gaze rested was Hua Wuduo, who was looking up at Liu Xiu in a daze.
Since returning from the command platform, Hua Wuduo had felt that someone was watching her in the shadows, but no matter how careful she was, she couldn't find anyone spying on her. That night, as she lay on her felt mat, she wondered if she was being too sensitive and paranoid. She didn't realize that there was indeed a pair of eyes following her, but it wasn't a person; it was a small white snake. The snake lingered outside the tent until she fell asleep, as if it had found a pleasant scent, until it was caught and put into a bamboo tube.
In the middle of the night, in Liu Jing's military tent, someone said to Liu Jing, "You have spies infiltrated your army. This time, we have no choice but to turn the tables on them..."
Wu Yi received a message from Hua Wuduo, informing him that Liu Xiu had arrived at Liu Jing's army. Liu Jing had been frequently mobilizing troops in recent days, not intending to attack Changping, but rather to use a feint to attack Shangdang County in collusion with Liu Xiu before plotting against Changping.
This is no small matter. Shangdang has the upper hand over Changping. If Shangdang is captured, Changping will be difficult to defend.
These past few days, Young Master Zheng, who had been standing and afraid to sit for fear of hurting his buttocks, learned of the news that Hua Wuduo had sent back and exclaimed with great emotion, "It must be Wuduo who went."
Upon hearing this, Gongzi Yi remained silent, a vague unease settling in his heart.
Wu Yi sent someone to contact Wu Qi, who was stationed in Shangdang County, day and night. The two exchanged letters, and the county believed that it was highly likely that Liu Xiu and Liu Jing would attack Shangdang.
The day after the news reached them, Liu Jing raised his army and set up camp outside Changping City. Wu Yi personally led his troops to meet the enemy, wanting to see what Liu Jing was really up to.
Liu Jing's general Wang Minxian led his troops into battle.
Wang Min arrived at the front of the two armies, looking imposing and powerful, but when he opened his mouth, he specifically challenged Wu Duo by name.
Hua Wuduo stood behind Wang Min. When she heard Wang Min reveal his fake name to the person opposite her, her lips twitched slightly. She thought to herself, if she raised her hand and shouted, "I'm here!" she wondered what kind of wonderful reaction Wang Min would make. But she could only keep this thought to herself.
The one who faced Wang Min was naturally not Wu Duo, but Yu Chi Ning, a young general under Wu Yi.
Although Yu Chi Ning was called a young general, he was actually two or three years older than Hua Wuduo. Yu Chi Ning knew Hua Wuduo, but they weren't very close. After three moves against Wang Min, he began to struggle and was ultimately defeated by Wang Min's spear.
After killing one man, Wang Min's morale soared. Between the two armies, he once again mentioned Wu Duo's name, seemingly determined to settle the score with Wu Duo, who had previously saved King Cheng and become famous throughout the land.
Hua Wuduo suddenly realized that being a celebrity is really troublesome.
However, this time it wouldn't be Wu Duo leading the charge, but rather the veteran general Huo Wei. Huo Wei had served the Marquis of Xijing for many years and was a seasoned general with extensive battlefield experience. Earlier this year, he had been stationed in the north to defend against the Xiongnu invasion after Wu Yi led his troops to capture Changping. Recently, he heard that his son, Huo Ying, had taken over the border defense. The Marquis had originally intended for the old general to return home and enjoy his retirement, but he couldn't bear to stay at home and once again petitioned the Marquis of Xijing to help King Cheng, Wu Yi, fight against Liu Jing. Seeing Wang Min's arrogance, the old general, in a fit of anger, requested permission to lead troops to confront Wang Min.
In the end, Wang Min died by Huo Wei's blade.
Wang Min died in battle. While Hua Wuduo was overjoyed, she was surprised to find that Liu Jing immediately promoted her to the rank of adjutant general. She went from deputy to general in one fell swoop. In her excitement, Hua Wuduo stammered "Thank you, General Xie" as she stammered, "Thank you... ah, thank you... General... General... ah, General..." until the faces of the surrounding generals looked like they needed to relieve themselves, and only then did she manage to utter the word "General".
The generals exhaled a foul breath. Liu Jing frowned and waved his hand. She then wisely took the place that Wang Min should have been standing in.
Liu Jing said, "Today I only want to know if there is a single soldier in my army who can defeat Wu Duo, who killed dozens of people in the blink of an eye in the chaos of battle."
Upon hearing this, one man stepped forward excitedly and said, "This humble general is willing to go."
Before long, this junior officer died on the battlefield.
Then another junior officer volunteered to rush forward, and immediately cursed Wu Duo as a coward, a coward, and someone who dared not come out to fight his father.
At that moment, Hua Wuduo was idly practicing eye contact, staring blankly at his nose. Upon hearing this, he thought to himself, "You can shout until you're hoarse, but I won't come out." For every curse he uttered, she cursed him back in her mind.