Chapter 10

No one wants to die; those who readily offer to sacrifice themselves for a noble cause are mostly fools. Bai Chong is not one of them. Despite his rough appearance, he is as shrewd as a monkey. This can be seen from how he handled the food shortage. Upon learning that Bai Dong was a scholar from the State of Qin and involved in important matters for the king, Bai Chong immediately took out the flour cakes and roasted fish from his luggage, waiting for Bai Dong to be hungry and desperate for food, then he would go to fetch the military rations, allowing the three thousand soldiers to benefit as well. It was a well-planned scheme.

Bai Dong, however, is not easy to deceive. Even if Bai Chong’s intentions were noble and aimed at saving the three thousand soldiers, he still felt deceived and was determined to retaliate. He casually mentioned a way to save the man’s life, and just as the man was filled with hope, 'Mr. Bai' folded his hands and looked up at the sky, saying, "Oh, the weather today is quite nice, the moon is so round. Lord Gong, it is said that the moon is home to Hou Yi’s wife, a cassia tree, and the adulterer Wu Gang. This pair of adulterers even raised a white rabbit. Have you heard this story before? Beauty is truly a source of disaster. By the way, have you married yet?"

In short, he refused to discuss how to save the man’s life. Bai Chong racked his brains but could not think of a way to resolve the shortage of four thousand shi of military rations without being held accountable by the king. Seeing Bai Dong’s expression, he knew that 'Mr. Bai' was angry about his use of a direct strategy and wanted to punish him. He bowed deeply and retreated, feeling uneasy. He then turned back and said, "Mr. Bai, I am not afraid of death, but I have an eighty-year-old mother and a nursing child at home..."

Bai Dong was slightly taken aback, then suddenly burst into laughter, pointing to the distant river, "I want to eat fish."

In this era, catching fish was a basic survival skill. To show his sincerity, Bai Chong personally caught over a dozen fish. Hunting and fishing during the transport of grain was against military rules, as it could lead to lax discipline and enemy attacks. However, since they were close to the Western River camp, the Wei people would not dare to attack the grain convoy, so Bai Chong felt safe to do so.

The simultaneous mention of an eighty-year-old mother and a nursing child was quite rare, especially in an era that promoted early marriage. Bai Chong’s use of humor to win people over made Bai Dong very happy. Even ancient military generals could tell jokes, which made him feel more connected to this era. The roasted fish was fragrant, and Bai Chong had carefully removed all the bones. This guy was indeed meticulous and talented.

Bai Chong’s attention to detail was not limited to roasting fish. When they were ten miles away from the Western River camp, the scouts began to return one after another.

"Report, our army has fought a great battle at Shaoliang, slaying three thousand enemies. Lord Gongsun Jian’s surprise attack on Fan Pang was a great victory!"

"Report, the allied armies of Zhao and Han are engaged with Pang Juan’s forces, and the situation is evenly matched. Pang Juan will find it difficult to support the Wei army in the Western River, which is a great advantage for us!"

"Great, great!"

One after another, the scouts returned, shouting the good news from the front lines. The three thousand Qin soldiers roared in unison, their voices powerful and stirring. Bai Chong laughed heartily and suddenly sang, "The brave old Qin, together we face the nation’s difficulties, our blood will not run dry, we will not turn back from death!"

This was the Qin army’s anthem. Thousands of Qin soldiers joined in, their voices filled with intense emotion. As Bai Dong listened, he felt a surge of patriotism, and he began to sing along. The melancholy of the moment turned into a strong sense of national pride. Unconsciously, he started to accept his identity as a Qin person and felt a connection to this ancient nation for the first time.

Bai Chong climbed into the carriage and grabbed Bai Dong’s hand, laughing, "Sir, it seems our luck is not bad. Our army has won several great victories, and the king must be in a very good mood right now."

***

Those who can seize opportunities are called talents, and Bai Chong is clearly one of the best. With the good news from the scouts, he completed the grain transfer procedures and immediately took Bai Dong to the central camp. The most enlightened ruler of Qin in nearly a century, King Xian of Qin, was stationed there. Their fate would be decided tonight. As they walked, Bai Chong sneaked glances at Bai Dong, opening his mouth several times but stopping himself. Bai Dong secretly laughed, deliberately ignoring him, determined to make this guy who pretended to be a pig suffer.

King Xian of Qin, also known as Ying Shixi, was not an easy person to deceive. He had wandered for over a decade before ascending to the throne, where he appointed virtuous ministers, restored the glory of Duke Mu, abolished the practice of human sacrifice, and gathered strength to challenge the powerful State of Wei. His experiences were similar to those of Duke Chong of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period—full of twists, with great ambitions and a suspicious nature. However, Bai Dong was relatively confident. The trump card in his hand was enough to offset the mistake of letting the black-clothed woman go. Even Bai Chong would be safe, and the shortage of four thousand shi of military rations, though significant, was not a major issue.

"Mr. Bai, are you really confident?"

Bai Chong’s face was flushed, and he was sweating. Everyone knew the king was ruthless. If he turned against them, their deaths would be minor, but if their families and clans were implicated, how could they face their ancestors? Although the news from the battlefield was good, and the king should be in a good mood, there were always exceptions. What if this Mr. Bai was just playing with him?

"Hard to say..."

Bai Dong sighed, "I was just talking casually. Why are you taking it so seriously? Oh, you should just hope for the best. I have my own troubles. Jing Jian brought me here; does he expect the king to treat me to a meal? Oh, my poor eighty-year-old mother..."

He wanted to drive Bai Chong crazy, to make him pay for his scheming. Wasn’t this just asking for trouble?

"You!" Bai Chong’s eyes widened, his already unattractive face twisting. Bai Dong took a step back, genuinely afraid he might be bitten. "What, are you going to bite me?"

"You have deceived me so much!"

Bai Chong sighed, "I have a beautiful wife and children at home. If I die, how will they survive..." This time, he didn’t mention his eighty-year-old mother, clearly more concerned about his family.

"Alright, you won’t die. But saving your life is easy; keeping your position as the magistrate of Linyang is hard. You’ll probably lose your rank and start as a common soldier. Can you accept that? I’ve seen many people who value their rank more than their lives. Losing their rank is worse than death for them. If you’re one of those, I can’t help you, and it would be better to end it quickly."

"Being alive is enough; what do I need a rank for? I’ve long been tired of this position! Brother, thank you!"

Bai Chong was deeply moved, feeling that a simple bow was not enough. He bent his knee to kneel, but Bai Dong pulled him up, "Stop it, stand up straight. I don’t like people who bow to everyone."

What a joke. In this era, unlike the Ming and Qing dynasties, subjects and commoners only bowed to the king. Kneeling was reserved for grand ceremonies or when worshipping the heavens. If Bai Chong knelt, Bai Dong would be obligated to take the fall for him, which would be a huge loss.

As they entered the heavily guarded central camp, Bai Dong couldn’t help but marvel at the precision of the Qin army. In this era of constant warfare, today’s enemies could become tomorrow’s allies. There were no weak armies, and every soldier was a seasoned warrior. The central camp, stretching for miles, was patrolled by armored soldiers and cavalry. The camp was quiet, but if an enemy appeared, thousands of warriors would spring into action, annihilating the enemy in an instant.

Bai Chong, a man under suspicion, was not guarded. The Qin warriors never fled, even if it meant death and the destruction of their clan. If King Shixi had sent guards to watch over Bai Chong, it would have been a great insult and would have demoralized the troops.

After passing through several layers of sentries, they saw a large military tent in the distance. The number of guards outside had doubled, indicating that this was King Shixi’s central tent. Bai Chong dismounted, ready to help Bai Dong down, when a rider galloped over, shouting, "Brother-in-law, is this the high scholar who made that pretty boy Jing Jian suffer? Haha, I want to meet such a hero. Hero, after you meet the king, I’ll treat you to a drink!"

Bai Dong, who had never ridden a horse without stirrups, was helped down by Bai Chong. Before he could steady himself, he received a heavy blow to the shoulder, causing him to grimace in pain. If not for Bai Chong’s support, he would have fallen.

Turning to glare, he saw a dark, flat face with large eyes, ears, and a nose, grinning at him. Was that a smile? It looked worse than a cry...

It was late, and this man was fully armored, carrying a pair of bronze swords crossed on his back, each over a meter long, true 'siege swords.' Compared to these, the swords used by scholars were like children’s toys.

"Who is this meathead?" Bai Dong glared at Bai Chong.

"Brother, what are you doing? Fortunately, Mr. Bai is a high scholar and a master of both literature and martial arts. Otherwise, you would have shattered his bones with that blow!" Bai Chong glared at his brother-in-law, showering him with flattery. Since he was called a high scholar and a master, Bai Dong would be considered impolite if he remained angry.

Bai Dong swallowed and stared at the man for a long time, then nodded, "Good man!"

Ps: Thank you, 'Bingfeng Shitou,' for your generous support. Cheers! :)

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