Le paysage est comme une peinture

Chapitre 40

Xu Wei laughed and said, "How about it? Are you willing to come with me to the Northwest Camp, and one day gallop across the battlefield to kill all these wicked and murderous Xiongnu people?"

"I'll go!" the boy replied decisively, but a hint of hesitation quickly flashed across his face. "Then... will the Northwest Army accept me? And my sister, she's young and can't take care of herself, I'm worried about her—"

“We’ll talk about these things when we get back,” You Tong quickly said. “The most urgent thing is to figure out how to escape back.”

Xu Wei laughed, squinting at her as he said, "Since you already have a plan in mind, why don't you tell us?"

Knowing she couldn't hide it from him, You Tong smiled and said to the two children, "My husband and I have offended the Xiongnu Chanyu and have been chased all this way. Now that we've met you two by chance, why don't we keep each other company and look after one another?" The Chanyu only thought they were a young couple; he never expected two more people to suddenly appear in their group. She and Xu Wei could change their appearance, pretending to be a middle-aged couple, and take the two children to seek medical treatment or visit relatives; that would surely fool some people.

The boy, however, was oblivious. Hearing You Tong say she would take them back with her, he was overjoyed and readily agreed. That evening, Xu Wei couldn't help but question the brother and sister in detail, only to learn that the two children's surname was Jiang, the boy's name was Jiang Mingrui, and the girl's name was Jiang Jingxian. Their father was originally a scholar, but later, due to the decline of his family's fortunes, he abandoned his studies and went into business, specializing in fur trading in the Northwest.

After his business grew, Master Jiang brought his wife and two children to live with him, hoping to enjoy family life together. Unexpectedly, his business caught the eye of the Xiongnu, who, in March, led a large group of Xiongnu soldiers to plunder the Jiang family's property, killing almost everyone in the household. It was only through the loyalty of the Jiang family's servants that they managed to send his two children away with great difficulty…

The next day at dawn, the two of them led their two children into Wugang County.

You Tong had silver notes sewn into her inner garment, and Xu Wei had also taken some loose silver with him when he left, so they weren't worried about not having food. Knowing that there would definitely be pursuers and ambushes along the way, the two of them weren't in such a hurry. After entering the city, they found an inn to stay in and rest up before making any further moves.

After entering the city, You Tong first went to a clothing store and bought several sets of clean clothes for the two children to change into. When the two children came out of the house after washing their hands and faces, You Tong and Xu Wei were immediately impressed. Although they had suffered a bit these past few days and were somewhat thinner, their features were still very beautiful, a pair of lovely young women.

She and Xu Wei also changed their clothes. Under You Tong's skillful styling, the two of them instantly aged ten years. Xu Wei looked at himself in the mirror for a long time, and finally felt relieved. He smiled and said, "I'm afraid even my mother wouldn't recognize me like this. I didn't know you had such a talent."

You Tong laughed, "I used to be bored in the temple, so I always liked to learn these things. My master said they were all crooked and evil practices, but I never thought they would actually come in handy." Her face was all smiles, but Xu Wei found it strangely unpleasant. She, a legitimate young lady, had spent so many years in the temple; he wondered how she had managed. The old man from the Yu family, on the other hand, had gotten off easy.

After a good day's rest in the city, the group finally set off. This time, they brazenly bought a carriage and a large amount of clothes and luggage, and loudly proclaimed themselves as they left the city. Portraits of the two of them were already posted at the city gate, and guards were checking them one by one, especially the young men and women. When their carriage was out of the city, the guard lifted the curtain, glanced at them twice, and then waved them away.

87. Accident

Xu Wei had assumed the journey would be smooth once they left Wugang County, but as soon as they stepped out of the city gate, he warned, "We'll be in Lari County tonight. The city's garrison commander, Wu Min, is my mortal enemy and hates me to the core. Now that our portraits have been posted, I'm afraid my identity won't be able to be hidden anymore, and things won't be easy in Lari County."

Even Xu Wei said so, so it must be serious. You Tong felt heavy-hearted upon hearing this. The two children also observed their expressions and, seeing their solemn faces, remained silent. The carriage was quiet, and the atmosphere was exceptionally heavy.

Xu Wei, afraid of frightening them, quickly smiled and said, "I was just giving you a heads-up. In our current state, even my mother wouldn't recognize us, let alone that old scoundrel Wu Min." After saying that, he chuckled twice.

Everyone stared at him blankly, not laughing. Xu Wei touched his nose, feeling rather uncomfortable. After thinking for a moment, he solemnly instructed, "If he really recognizes us, we have no other choice but to break through. They outnumber us, and we certainly won't be able to defeat them, nor can we protect Mingrui and Jingxian. If you get separated on the way, don't panic. Go to the largest inn in town and wait. If we can come, we will come to pick you up. If we can't, you two should go to the carriage shop and rent a carriage to go straight back."

Mingrui stared intently at Xu Wei, nodding vigorously. He was a sensible child and had likely already guessed their situation from Xu Wei and Youtong's conversation. He didn't show any complaint or dissatisfaction at Xu Wei's intention to abandon them. Seeing his agreement, Youtong carefully gave them some instructions on the journey, such as how to choose a carriage company and how to avoid being cheated. Finally, she gave them some silver to spend on their trip.

We finally arrived in Lari County before dark. Entering the town went smoothly, and we easily found an inn near the east gate to stay overnight. We asked the innkeeper to prepare some dry food and water for our departure the next day.

However, the search party arrived that very night, banging loudly on the door of the outer room. Xu Wei and You Tong immediately grabbed their knives.

Xu Wei pressed himself against the door to listen carefully. A cacophony of noise filled the building, from upstairs to downstairs. The shouts of officials were everywhere, along with curses and cries, making the entire building seem about to collapse. "Wu Min has some tricks up his sleeve," Xu Wei said with a wry smile, shaking his head. He then turned to You Tong and said, "Downstairs, regardless of age or gender, anyone with a Central Plains accent has been driven out. I'm afraid we won't escape either."

"Then what should we do?"

Xu Wei drew his long sword and sneered, "Do you think I'm afraid of them?"

You Tong understood that he didn't want to involve others, so she smiled bitterly, gently knocked on the door of Ming Rui and the others' room next door, signaling them not to make any rash moves, and then drew her long sword along with Xu Wei.

Xu Wei pushed open the window, roared into the courtyard, then, sword in one hand and holding You Tong's hand in the other, leaped down from the building. He wasn't a hot-blooded fool, so he naturally didn't rush directly at the soldiers. After showing his face briefly, he quickly pulled You Tong and scurried into the alley outside.

Seeing this, the soldiers quickly dropped what they were doing and chased after them. Xu Wei and You Tong were agile and quick, and soon they had left the men behind. But they weren't familiar with the area, and after running only a few steps, another group of people rushed out of the alley ahead.

Unable to dodge in time, the two simply charged forward, swords drawn. Both were skilled in martial arts, but Xu Wei, forged in the blood and gore of battlefields, exuded a murderous aura. His swordsmanship was purely for killing; each strike left a trail of blood and a scream, like a vengeful ghost reborn. In comparison, You Tong's swordsmanship, though graceful and beautiful, was far less practical than Xu Wei's. It only forced the enemy to retreat, leaving them wounded but without any fatalities.

"Be ruthless!" After killing all the enemies surrounding him, Xu Wei rushed to You Tong's side to help, and with two clean and swift sword strikes, he immediately killed the two enemies in front of him. "We don't have time to waste with them, and more people will catch up soon." He had barely finished speaking when they heard footsteps behind them. Without saying a word, the two quickly grabbed hands and ran.

The alleys here are dense and narrow, and once you enter, you can't tell which way to go. Every time they finally manage to shake off the pursuers behind them, another group will suddenly appear in front of them, forcing the two of them to go on a killing spree. Before long, the two of them are covered in blood, dark red, which is quite frightening.

"Running like this isn't going to work." After finally managing to fight off the enemies in front of them, Xu Wei said, panting heavily, "They outnumber us. We can't kill them all at this rate. If we keep going like this, we'll all die of exhaustion before we even escape." In less than an hour since leaving the inn, they had already fought four waves of enemies, losing count of how many people they had killed. They only knew that their swords were dull and their movements were far less efficient than before.

“Then—” You Tong looked up at the ceiling. In the narrow, cramped corridor, there was only a long stretch of sky. “How about we go up to the roof?” The two of them suddenly said in unison, then chuckled, clasped their hands together, used each other for leverage, and leaped onto the roof.

Because it was nighttime and they were dressed in dark clothes, they carefully lay on the rooftop and no one noticed them. They managed to get through the night like that.

But the city's defenses were noticeably tighter the next day, with guards posted every three steps and checkpoints every five, leaving the two of them with nowhere to go. As dawn broke and their tracks became increasingly difficult to conceal, the enemy, unable to find them nearby, would naturally turn to the rooftops.

"It seems that Wumin is determined to catch us." You Tong took out two dry steamed buns from her bosom, handed one to Xu Wei, ate one herself, and smiled bitterly.

Xu Wei also shook his head, "If I were him, I would have done the same."

"So what should we do now?" We can't afford to really be defeated here. If even the commander of the Northwest Army is captured by the Xiongnu, how can this war continue? The two of them will inevitably become traitors to the country. If they really fall into the enemy's hands, they might as well end it all themselves. But—thinking of A Bao in the capital, You Tong's heart softened again. A Bao, A Bao…

"What's wrong?" Xu Wei noticed that her eyes had suddenly reddened and became anxious. He quickly put the steamed bun aside, reached out and touched You Tong's hair, and asked softly, "Why are you crying?"

You Tong remained silent, blinking her red eyes a few times before whispering after a long while, "I miss A Bao. I wonder how she is at home? Is she being good? Is she eating her milk properly? Does she miss me?"

At the mention of A Bao, Xu Wei froze. His daughter—from birth until now, he had never even seen her, never held her in his arms, and didn't know who she resembled. If they perished here, A Bao would be all alone from then on…

“It’s alright, we’ll definitely escape.” Xu Wei held You Tong’s hand tightly and said each word with such certainty and conviction that it calmed You Tong down a bit.

The two ate something quickly, and then Xu Wei led her towards the south of the city, their direction quite clear.

“I remember we have people here,” Xu Wei said. In truth, he wasn’t entirely sure, since the spies here were recently planted, former associates of General Cheng, and had only delivered a few messages. He himself had never actually met them.

They carefully evaded the soldiers' sentries, both overt and covert, and when they couldn't hide any longer, they silently killed two of them. Finally, they arrived at the entrance of a silk shop in the south of the city. Covered in blood, they couldn't enter through the main gate, so they secretly climbed over the wall and landed in the small garden in the backyard.

The courtyard was extremely quiet, save for the chirping of insects and birds, and the sound of an abacus coming from some unknown room. Xu Wei and You Tong exchanged a glance, and the two tiptoed towards the sound.

The door was closed. The two listened at the window for a while, but apart from the sound of the abacus, there was no other noise. There should only be one person in the room. Just as Xu Wei was about to push the door open and enter, he suddenly heard someone inside say loudly, "Friends outside, why don't you come in and talk?"

Upon hearing the voice, not only Xu Wei but also You Tong were stunned. They looked at each other, both seeing the astonishment in each other's eyes. That voice—if neither of them was mistaken, it was none other than the voice of Shen San, who should have died in battle long ago. But how did he get here?

Xu Wei pushed open the door with a sullen face, followed closely by You Tong. The young man sitting at the desk by the window, head bowed, working on an abacus, was none other than Shen San.

Shen San also seemed surprised to see the two of them here. He stood up abruptly, staring intently at them. His mouth was slightly open, as if he wanted to speak, but his mind went blank, and he didn't know what to say.

"You..." After a long while, Shen San finally came to his senses and murmured, "How come you are here? Oh, right, no wonder it was such a mess outside, so it was you."

"Aren't you dead?" You Tong realized her words were off as soon as they left her mouth. Her words made it sound like she was desperately hoping for his death. But Shen San seemed not to hear her and stared at her intently for a long time before suddenly remembering something. He quickly got up, ran to the door, opened it, and looked around.

Seeing this, Xu Wei said in a low voice, "We looked around when we came over, and no one followed us."

Shen San then closed the door, frowned as he looked at their blood-stained clothes, and asked, "Why did you come to Lari County?"

Xu Wei didn't hide anything from him and briefly recounted how he and You Tong had sneaked into the Xiongnu's residence. Shen San's face flickered between light and shadow after listening, and finally he couldn't help but stomp his foot in anger, saying, "You know how much the Xiongnu hate you, yet you still delivered yourself to their doorstep. If something really happens, let's see how you're going to clean up the mess?"

Xu Wei just smiled, but You Tong was in a state of turmoil, constantly thinking about Shen San's resurrection and feeling that he was unbelievable.

"You two stay in the study for now, don't go anywhere!" Shen San looked at them with complicated eyes, gritted his teeth, and said resentfully, "I'll go out and find out some information to see if I can find a chance to send you away." After saying that, he glanced at You Tong again, lowered his head and left.

Once his footsteps faded away, You Tong suspiciously pulled Xu Wei aside and asked, "Shen San faked his death? What exactly happened?"

Xu Wei replied, "I had already guessed that he faked his death, but this was probably not his own plan. He did indeed lose nearly a thousand brothers in his defeat at Shangguan, and he himself was seriously wounded. Afterwards, news of his death spread, but his body was never found. Moreover, Shen Dehai, a retainer of the Shen family, also disappeared with him that day. That man is none other than the eldest young master's confidant—"

At this point, Youtong already guessed what he meant. She was stunned and quickly covered her mouth to stop herself from crying out. After a long while, she stammered in a low voice, "You...you mean...this matter...is...it's the eldest young master..."

Xu Wei smiled faintly, "Shen San is still too inexperienced."

You Tong could no longer utter a single word.

88 Finally...

The two rested temporarily at Shen San's shop. During this time, soldiers came to search the area twice, but they hid in a secret room and successfully evaded them both times. However, the search in the city was still intense, and Shen San wouldn't let them go out, saying that they should wait until things calmed down.

Xu Wei was well aware of the situation in the city, and he stayed obediently in his residence, studying the things he had taken from the Chanyu's study, without even leaving his room. You Tong also stayed by his side, offering suggestions from time to time.

Xu Wei had unearthed a considerable amount of material this time, filling a large bundle. Besides letters from military spies to the Chanyu, there were also maps of the Northwest, important military intelligence on Xiongnu city defenses, and more – a truly fruitful haul. However, You Tong was preoccupied with Shen San's matter. Several times when Xu Wei spoke to her, she didn't hear him, her brows furrowed, lost in thought.

Xu Wei pinched her cheek in an annoyed tone and asked with a strange expression, "What are you thinking about?"

You Tong blinked at him, as if hesitating whether to tell him. Seeing that Xu Wei's face was starting to look unpleasant, she quickly smiled at him ingratiatingly, tugging at his sleeve and shaking it back and forth, saying in a sweet voice, "I was just thinking about the eldest young master. I didn't expect that he, who seems so gentle and quiet, could be so ruthless when he uses his methods, leaving people with no way out." Compared to the eldest young master, her previous little tricks were practically child's play.

Xu Wei said, “Don’t you even know who he is? The southern border region has been in war for decades, and it was only after he was stationed there that things settled down. If he didn’t have real skills, why would the court value a scion of a noble family like him? If he hadn’t been born into the Shen family, he wouldn’t have been suppressed like this, nor would he have resorted to such methods. His military genius is something even I can’t match.” After saying this, he sighed deeply, clearly feeling extremely aggrieved about the eldest son’s situation.

You Tong never expected that her words would elicit such a sigh from Xu Wei. In her mind, there was naturally no one more powerful than Xu Wei in the world. But now, hearing him praise the eldest son so highly, You Tong felt a little strange and uncomfortable. After a moment of awkwardness, she whispered, "He's not that powerful. He just uses some tricks. I can do that too."

Xu Wei knew exactly what she was thinking. Seeing her pouting and nonchalant expression, he couldn't help but laugh, feeling a warm glow as if he'd eaten a ginseng fruit. He coughed twice, feigning seriousness, and said, "Young Master's methods are quite extraordinary. We only see that he detained Shen San here and gained military power, but upon closer inspection, if Shen San hadn't stayed here, his life would have been completely ruined. Losing a battle would have meant punishment, and Shen San's proud and arrogant nature wouldn't have held up. Once he returned to the capital, he would be bound by the Third Princess's marriage agreement, and he would never be able to rise in the world. Staying here, on the other hand, offers a glimmer of hope. The marriage is naturally off. Although he won't be able to return for three to five years, life is unpredictable. With Shen San's abilities, who knows, he might one day achieve great merit, capture the Xiongnu's head, and bring it back to the capital. At that time, what will this faked death matter?"

That's why the eldest young master is so extraordinary. This small plan actually kills three birds with one stone, which is truly impressive. No wonder Shen San has been suppressed by the eldest young master for so many years. How could his little tricks possibly compete with the eldest young master's great wisdom?

The city was in turmoil for several days, but Xu Wei's whereabouts remained unknown. The city's garrison commander, Wu Min, was completely baffled as to how he had escaped, but the city couldn't remain on high alert indefinitely. The soldiers in the yamen had been working through several nights in a row and were gradually becoming exhausted. Wu Min had no choice but to divide the soldiers into three shifts for rotating patrols. The city's security immediately eased considerably.

But Shen San didn't rush to send them away. He waited for several more days until the rumors in the nearby counties had died down before he had the two of them change into men's clothing and mixed them into the caravan to send them back.

While in the city, You Tong had asked Shen San to look for Ming Rui and his sister at the inn, but they were not found. It was said that they had already left the city. Although You Tong knew in her heart that the two of them had probably already set off back to the camp, she was still a little worried. Xu Wei repeatedly reassured her that Ming Rui was smart and alert and would not be in any trouble.

After traveling with the caravan for seven days, the two finally left the Xiongnu territory. They then rode at full speed for another two days before finally arriving at the Northwest Camp. The guards at the camp saw two dusty men riding towards the camp and initially intended to stop them. However, when they opened their eyes and saw Xu Wei's face, they were so shocked that they almost fell to the ground. They rubbed their eyes in disbelief and immediately started shouting "Ah—!" while waving their spears wildly.

The soldiers in the camp didn't understand what he was yelling about. They assumed someone had broken into the camp and rushed out with their weapons raised, looking very aggressive. But when they saw Xu Wei's face, they were stunned. They threw down their spears and rushed over without a care, grabbing Xu Wei's horse and hugging it tightly. Their eyes were red, and the group of people shouted with joy.

People kept coming to the front of the camp after hearing the commotion. They saw a large group of people crying and laughing, and at first they laughed at them, but after they found out what had happened, they also started crying and laughing. The whole camp was in an uproar.

The generals in the central tent, having received the news, rushed out to greet him, numbering more than a dozen. Upon seeing Xu Wei, the grown men, too embarrassed to cry, stepped forward and punched him several times. General Liu was also in the ranks, supported by others, appearing to have difficulty moving.

"I knew you were a lucky man, General. I knew it. Those Xiongnu barbarians were spreading rumors. Bah, they're cursing people."

"Tomorrow I'll follow the general and beat those barbarians to a pulp, then we'll see if they dare to spread rumors again."

Xu Wei sat upright on his horse, smiling and waving to them. The crowd immediately became excited again, shouting, "General, when are we going to fight the barbarians?"

"General, let me be the vanguard this time. We agreed on this last time."

"Everyone, go back to your tents and rest. We only have two days left; we'll get our revenge for what we suffered earlier!" Xu Wei shouted. The soldiers below cheered with delight, shouting a few times before obediently returning to their tents. General Liu finally squeezed forward, his eyes red, his lips trembling for a long time before he finally managed to utter, "General—"

"Let's go back first and talk about it later," Xu Wei patted his shoulder and said in a low voice.

General Liu knew he had something else to say, so he nodded and was about to turn around when he suddenly caught sight of You Tong, who was dressed as a man and had been standing behind Xu Wei. He was startled and quickly lowered his head, not daring to look any longer. Meanwhile, the young generals who were surrounding Xu Wei kept glancing at You Tong, wondering when this guard had appeared.

Back at the camp, General Liu quietly withdrew, first leading You Tong to Xu Wei's tent to rest, then carefully instructing her not to wander off, before finally leaving.

There were no women in the military camp, so naturally no one came to serve her. Youtong went out to fetch water, wiped herself down haphazardly, changed her clothes, and lay down to rest. Perhaps because she had been traveling for so long, she was extremely exhausted. As soon as she arrived at the camp, she relaxed and slept for most of the day. When she woke up, she was even a little disoriented.

A lamp was lit in the tent. Xu Wei was sitting at the table reading documents when he heard rustling sounds from the bed. He quickly turned around, smiled at You Tong, and said, "You're awake. Are you hungry?"

As soon as he finished speaking, You Tong's stomach started rumbling, which saved her the trouble of replying.

Xu Wei flicked her nose, then turned and went out to instruct his subordinates to bring in food. You Tong hastily grabbed one of his long robes and put it on. The sleeves were too long, so she rolled them up several times. The robe was loose and made her look even thinner, which made Xu Wei feel a pang of heartache.

"How is it?" You Tong asked.

Her words came out of nowhere, and only Xu Wei understood what they meant. A smile appeared on his lips, and he nodded, saying, "I already have a good idea of what's going on. News has also come from the capital, so it's pretty much the same."

You Tong had read the letters between the spy and the Chanyu, but they were unsigned, and she didn't know how Xu Wei had figured it out.

"Old Liu and his men are all roughnecks. They can barely recognize a few characters, let alone write so neatly. There are only a few of them, and with the information from the capital, it's easy to guess. It's just that there's no evidence."

"Then what should we do?"

Xu Wei laughed, looking smug and confident. "Since we have no evidence, let him slip up on his own." He turned to look at the hourglass on the table, stroked his chin, and pondered, "Logically speaking, it should be almost done."

Seeing his smug expression, You Tong knew he had already set a trap and was just waiting for the man to fall into it. She couldn't help but shake her head and smile. As they were talking, someone outside the tent asked in a low voice, "General, the food has been delivered." The man was about to enter the tent when Xu Wei quickly stopped him, saying, "Don't come in at the door. I'll come out."

After saying that, he quickly stepped forward to take the food into the tent. The soldier opened his eyes wide and peered through the crack in the tent door. He could only see a slender figure indistinctly. His heart immediately felt itchy. Just as he was getting excited, he suddenly felt a pain in his head. It was Xu Wei who gave him a sharp rap on the head with a stern face. "What are you looking at? Get down here right now."

The soldier chuckled twice, then quickly turned and ran back, scratching his head and glancing back as he went. Once he was far enough away, he recklessly shouted, "General, I heard that the lady is incredibly beautiful. Won't you let us see her?" Seeing that Xu Wei was about to glare at him again, he quickly turned and ran away.

After eating, You Tong accompanied Xu Wei to read some documents for a while, then drifted off to sleep again. Perhaps because her stomach was full, she slept even more soundly than before. She only vaguely heard noises outside, someone calling Xu Wei loudly, and then the sound of footsteps walking back and forth... She turned over and continued to sleep.