Simply Trading

"They are out in the open, where we are expecting knives in the dark. So I doubt that they would make trouble for us. At least, not in a way that is too obvious. We should be safe to make camp hereabouts, and for the five of us to head in. To secure proper accommodation for the nights ahead," he suggested.

"The five of us?"

The one who asked the question was Captain Wen Xuanran. Which was not a surprise, since Li Changhai had yet to brief him about their plan, to let everyone think that he was the young Captain"s aide.

Something that had the Captain"s lips twitching, as soon as it was shared.

"You realize that the rest of the men are not going to let this go, of course. And I am going to be teased about this for a very long time after we are done with this trip out here. However, I should warn you, my lord, that I shall do my best to be a responsible Captain, and that I shall cut you no slack when we are ... pretending to be Captain and subordinate.

"Just so that you are aware."

Lin Liushui and Du Yan sn.i.g.g.e.red as soon as they heard the man"s promise. But Li Changhai looked frightfully pleased when he heard that. "Excellent! That is exactly what I wish you to do. However, we shall be only be role-playing when we are away from the rest of the troops. You only need to tell them to remain silent on the fact that I have accompanied you lot here."

"That will not do. Someone has to be in command of all of us soldiers. Including you, my lord. We are not known to handle independent actions like that. It will definitely be a loophole that would draw the enemy"s attention, if they have any idea with regards to our procedures."

Lin Liushui stepped forward then, and gestured at the rest of the band. "I think I have been giving you lot plenty of orders since I joined you. So it would not look out of place if I continued to do so. It is just how you respond that needs a bit of tweaking. Naturally, I will only make things a little more convincing, when we are in the company of strangers.

"Otherwise, it should be more than sufficient to behave as you usually do. You just need to start treating Sanlang here as your aide."

Wen Xuanran grinned as soon as he heard that. And dipped into a curt bow. Which did look terribly convincing, as though he was reporting to his superior, who was not part of the army.

"That is something I can do. My lord will have to remember to bow whenever I do though. Otherwise that would be an obvious flaw that have everyone wondering," he reminded Li Changhai.

Du Yan sn.i.g.g.e.red again. As both men in armor bowed at Lin Liushui, as though to practice their moves. "So you will have to do that when you speak to him? Every time? It looks like Brother Liushui is just taking advantage of you, Brother Sanlang!"

"Since when has that not been true. He has been taking advantage of me ever since we met, and became brothers. Do you remember how I ended up being the youngest brother in our trio here?"

They shared a laugh after that, and Li Changhai joined Wen Xuanran as they led the way towards the town, after the Captain had ordered everyone else to make camp a good distance outside the same. Qin Feng found it a little amusing since it looked as though they were a small troop of scouts, there to study the terrain before invading.

Then they moved into the walled town, and he got to see why they had needed to take such steps. There was something different about the place. And it did look like a highly defensible position.

That much was obvious to Qin Feng, the moment that he set eyes upon the wall that surrounded the town. Nor was the only one who that feeling, he realized. The Second Ducal Prince had paused, as he stepping through the gate. And was looking up at the ancient-looking wall as well.
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"Ningfei Walled Town. I had not expected that I would have a chance to visit this place. At least, not as a member of an armed contingent like his," Li Changhai sighed, as he remembered his role, and quickly followed Du Yan"s lead through the gate.

"What do you mean? Is there something I should know about this place?"

Qin Feng had long given up any pretense of making head or tail of what the others were saying at times. And did not feel any sense of shame in asking the trio to clarify, when they mentioned what he thought were odd bits of information that he had no understanding of. Such as Li Changhai"s comment regarding this particular place.

"You have not heard of it? Ah! But you never did care too much for military history. So I suppose that is normal. This place is Ningfei Walled Town, and it was the site of Chang ... Of the great victory between the Shu Kingdom and the Wei Kingdom to the South," Lin Liushui interjected.

But the Second Ducal Prince cut in, before he could go further. And smiled at Qin Feng as he continued in a lowered voice. "Both sides of my family were involved in the War between Shu and Wei. And the ... my father and my maternal grandfather met for the first time here. I also lost an uncle and a grandfather, on my father"s side at these walls. And two granduncles, from my mother"s line."

Qin Feng sensed the grim aura that surrounded the Ducal Prince as they approached the place. And now, he knew the reason behind it. To have lost that many people from both sides of his family must have been tough. Although ...

"The War must have taken place a good while back then? And what"s this about Wei Kingdom? I have not heard of a Wei Kingdom. At least, not hereabouts."

Lin Liushui smiled, but the Second Ducal Prince cut in before the dapper man could even begin to speak. Something that he had set himself up for, Qin Feng thought, since he wasted quite a bit of time pulling himself up to his height, and posed himself properly first.

"There isn"t one now. The Duke of the Westlands was sent to invade the place after the Wei Kingdom lost its momentum, and Yanyun City now sits where the Wei Capital used to be. And the Marquis pushed all the way South, to occupy its last city in that direction. The rest of the Wei Kingdom was then divided between the other n.o.bles who supported the Zhuo Royal Family here in the Shu Kingdom."

"So it didn"t take place too long ago?"

"No. It was only about fifty odd years back. I remember my maternal grandfather talking about meeting my father, and about their shared experiences in the battles here, so I have a certain interest in the place. That"s all."

* * *