Chu Ziling was awakened by cold water.

The cold water was rancid and greasy, probably from washing pots and pans, because the smell of pot grease that followed almost made Chu Ziling vomit.

When the visitor woke him up, he turned and left, locking the door with a big lock.

Chu Ziling chokes and coughs twice, and a mixture of acid and sewage flows out of the corners of his mouth, from his stomach to his throat, burning and astringent.

He vaguely recalled that he had been caught by the men of the southern border mission, beaten and knocked unconscious because he had intended to escape from the post where he had landed.

This was clearly the work of a skilled hand, and all the wounds on his body would not have broken his bones, but were enough to make him roll his eyes in pain at the slightest movement.

Kang Yang is a dignified scholar in front of others, but in reality he is very ruthless.

After Chu Ziling had been captured by his men, he tapped the leg of his glasses with the small fan he had with him and said gently, “I was asked by a good friend to bring you back alive, but I didn’t say I wouldn’t bring you back as a stick. Next time you run away, you better hope you do, but if not, I’ll bring you back in pieces. My friend hates you, and I’m sure he won’t blame me for not doing his job properly.”

Chu Ziling lifted his swollen, painful eyelids, rose with difficulty and wiped the stains from his face.

He is now in an empty hut, with a dog-like chain around his neck that only allows him to walk within a five-metre radius, not even to reach the window and check out what is going on outside.

Chu Ziling is blue in the face.

His stomach was in a state of emergency, but as he waited for no one to come, no one answered his shouts, and he didn’t want to stain his only pair of trousers, so he gritted his teeth and settled in the corner.

After he had forced himself to endure his shame and settle for hygiene with a small stick in the corner, he began the long and gruesome wait.

No one paid any attention to him, no one spoke to him.

The only proof that he is not being held here to death is the rancid food that is brought in every day.

He was given only two meals a day, and only a moment to eat each time, at which point a southern-looking man would come through the door with a blank face and collect the plates and bowls.

Chu Ziling also knows how to behave and swallows every time, forcing himself to swallow half full.

He must not die yet.

Kang Yang has said that he knows Ai Sha.

He had to live to see Ai Sha, even if it was the unknown lieutenant.

There must be a misunderstanding, and if he can explain it, he still has a chance to turn it around!

But as he gulped down his food like a wild boar, he thought of the exquisite snacks in the General’s residence and the not so luxurious but delicious hot meals he had eaten with Shi Tingyun, adding a little more sourness to the rice in his mouth.

When he realises this, Chu Ziling lifts his hand, which is covered in rancid food, and slaps himself in the face to clear his head.

What’s the point of thinking about it?

He still has a future, he still has hope, and if he catches it, he will have a chance to rise again, so why look back on his past glory like a poor ragamuffin?

On the sixth day of his captivity, his mind was already in a trance.

When the door was pulled open from the outside, Chu Ziling, who was leaning crookedly against the wall, twitched his eyelids and instinctively crawled on his hands and knees towards the door to get his meal.

The smell in the room called for the visitor to frown and gesture for two men to come in and remove the object from Chu Ziling’s neck.

Chu Ziling was fed twice a day with rancid food, making him weak and unable to struggle, and he was left to his own devices like a sick dog.

As he was stripped naked, hastily pressed into the hot water and brushed roughly from head to tail with a bristle brush, the hot bath, so common in the Middle Kingdom, opened up his dirt-filled pores and gave him a sense of exhilaration that made him want to drown in it.

Like a dazed chicken, Chu Ziling was shoved into a crude linen shirt and pushed into the front room, only slightly recovering his wits from hunger and pain.

He looked to the man seated at the end of the hall.

It was a strange martial artist, with one eye wrapped in white cloth, whom Chu Ziling had never seen before.

Must be an insignificant character, he thought.

With this in mind, Chu Ziling reluctantly straightened up and asked, “Are you Ai Sha ?”

A kick to the back at first sent him sprawling to the ground.

The boy cursed in Southern Wen, and then said, “Who are you? How dare you call Lord Ai Sha by his name?”

The man on top waved a hand and looked at the man whose face was so swollen that he could no longer see his formerly handsome profile: “You are Chu Ziling?”

Chu Ziling held back his nesting fire and said, “Yes. My Lord.”

”I hear you are of slave origin?” The man took a sip of his wine, “It doesn’t look like it.”

Chu Ziling said, “I am not a slave, I am a slave by choice.”

”Oh?”

As he had hoped, the man did take some interest.

Chu Ziling straightened his aching back, waiting for him to ask why he was willing to degrade himself and sell himself into slavery.

The man took another sip of wine and turned his words around with a contemptuous harrumph: “…… none of my business.”

He leaned down and asked Chu Ziling, “Do you know who I am?”

Chu Ziling : ” Ai Sha ……”

”Sety Ai Sha.” The man’s hawk-like eyes were fixed on Chu Ziling, “My uncle is Ibu Ai Sha, my father died young and my uncle brought me up. Do you recognise him?”

Chu Ziling relaxed at the sound of the familiar name.

He thought that the “Ai Sha” he spoke of was the same as the Ai Sha he knew, and that he had a grudge against him for bringing him here to spoil his ladder to the top.

Now that he knew that this man was a close relative of the Ai Sha and that he was in his favour, Chu Ziling decided that it was just a misunderstanding and even replied in a lighter tone: “I know him. If you don’t believe me, you can take me to your uncle. He will give you an explanation.”

Seti-Ai Sha stared intently into his eyes, showing a mouthful of white teeth, “You want to go see him?”

Chu Ziling saw a hidden scowl in his expression and felt something was wrong somewhere: “I ……”

Before he could finish, a cup of hot wine exploded in Chu Ziling’s face along with his glass: “You killed my uncle and now you have the nerve to say that you want him to give you an explanation? What are you? A small, lowly slave, who has been able to get what he wants, and when he sees that the Middle Kingdom is gaining power, he wants to step on my uncle and on General Pa Sha’s life to rise to the top.

Chu Ziling’s mind was shaken, and he felt his brain roaring as if he had been trampled by horses’ hooves for several rounds.

Ai Sha is dead? Why does this person say so strongly that he is involved?

Before he could think, Chu Ziling heard an angry order from above: “Drag this ungrateful slave down, brand his face with a slave mark, break his legs, and throw him into the pooch, where he will know what to do with him!

Chu Ziling, not daring to play coy now, struggled to his feet, “Then do you know who I am?”

Ai Sha : “Who do I care who you are?”

Chu Ziling was afraid that if he had any more scruples, he would have lost everything, so he hissed and broke his identity: “I am the son of the Southland King! If you dare to touch me, the King of Southern Border will not let you go lightly!”

Ai Sha was stunned, looked him up and down, and then burst out laughing, bending over with joy.

”What a madman! You say it’s the prince of the southern border, what’s the proof?”

Chu Ziling : “I have a piece of jade from the King of the Southern Border to prove my identity!”

”Where’s Jade?”

Chu Ziling stalled and his heart twitched again, “I did, but I was thrown into the Cang River by that Kang Yang ……”

Ai Sha laughed again, making Chu Ziling’s body chill: “I …… really have jade! If you don’t believe me, there should be a letter from your uncle with the jade depicted on it!”

Ai Sha’s one eye was already filled with a cold glint of mockery: “Yes. There is a picture of jade in that letter, and my uncle must have believed it, but who knows if you are an imitation? You made a piece of jade out of nothing, and you want me to believe you? You have deceived my uncle, General Wu and General Pa Sha, do you think I don’t know that?”

Chu Ziling’s heart gradually froze into a solid block of ice.

The three of them, Ai Sha, probably didn’t even tell the others who they really were.

So who else can prove his identity?

He racked his brain, pondered the circle, and found that Jade was gone, and all those who could testify on his behalf were dead.

…… Why is this happening?! Why?

Realising that his cards are down, Chu Ziling’s voice is not as strong as before, but more of a faltering plea.

With a last ray of hope, he said ruefully, “Your uncle …… and Pa Sha , and …… and Wu Yichun , haven’t spoken to you …… ”

”Yuck!” A spittle was spat straight into Chu Ziling’s face, “How dare you mention the three of them? Who are you trying to insult by bringing up a matter that has no proof of death?”

No longer wanting to bother with the man, he gestured to two slaves to throw him out the door, amidst Chu Ziling’s pleas and cries of “Go and check again, ask questions”.

Ai Sha repeatedly urged, “Keep him alive, don’t let him seek death! I want him to know what it means to be a slave.”

……

The river breeze and the yellow leaves into the river, upstream and downstream, share the autumn colours.

Yan Yuanzhao found Shi Tingyun on the banks of the Cangjiang River.

He sat in the absence of sunlight, landing on one foot on an earthen hollow and hitting the water with gravel.

The shattered stone chipped out diagonally, jumping out a few steps in a slight spin on the water, and then disappearing into the gentle river water.

He sat down next to Shi Tingyun, took a small piece of peanut candy from his pocket, peeled off the paper and fed it into his mouth without saying a word.

The sweet aroma of peanuts and caramel melted in his mouth, giving Shi Tingyun something to smile about: “Thank you, Sixth Prince, for the reward.”

”Thank you, my ass.” Yan Yuanzhao tossed the sugar paper into the river water, “The Southern Border side has instead taken the initiative to admit surrender for the first time, and in order to make a truce, the Southern Border King is also planning to marry the princess into the dynasty, in name only as a sign of friendship, but to put it bluntly, it is a peace marriage.”

Yan Yuanzhao said this with a note of pleasure in his voice.

”To whom is it promised?”

”I don’t know. But there are only a few princes of the right age. From what the King of the Southern Border said, he must have a preference for the thirteenth brother.”

Yan Yuanzhao watched Shi Tingyun’s expression and said with a smile, “Thirteenth brother is the right age and deserves to be rewarded for his great achievements this time. Besides, the only people around him are the maids of initiation given by his father, and the princess of the Southern Border, because of her lineage, may not be his first wife, but she is more than capable of being a side wife. The King of Southern Border is also smart enough to say that he wants to choose Yuan Heng as his son-in-law for the sake of showing his goodwill and to win him over.”

He watched Shi Tingyun’s reaction and said with a long sigh, “-pity the princess, who has to be matched with a bored gourd.”

Shi Tingyun is not saying anything.

Yan Yuanzhao was bored, but he wanted to tease Shi Tingyun again, so he looked around and found something new: “…… What is that?”

Shi Tingyun raised his eyes for a moment.

It was a nearby family who were releasing geese along the river, seven or eight white and fat geese gathered together in the water.

Shi Tingyun lowered his head, “Don’t look, that’s your brother Goose.”

Yan Yuanzhao : “…… ah? What does it mean?”

Shi Tingyun said, “Compared to them you are a younger brother in the sense that you are a younger brother.”

Yan Yuanzhao was piqued by his words, “Isn’t it just the meat ducks that the villagers raise? I’ll go and catch two of them and give you a drink tonight.”

Shi Tingyun glanced up at him, “For your own good, I advise you not to go.”

Yan Yuanzhao had already changed back into his usual flashy purple robe. Hearing this, he daintily straightened the hem of his coat and patted the money bag hanging from his lapel strap: “You’re worried that the Sixth Master will eat for nothing.”

Shi Tingyun said, “No. You’d better rest. By the way I see it, you have less than half a goose to fight with.”

Yan Yuanzhao “tsked”, clearly unconvinced, jumped up and headed for the geese not far away.

Chi Xiaochi watched Yan Yuanzhao go off to his death, smiled softly and hit another series of water drifts with a flat stone.

He said to Shi Tingyun inside him, “I’m going to go.”

To be honest, he didn’t really want to go because of that confusing agreement with Lou Ying.

But the problem is that over the past few days, Chu Ziling’s remorse value has been spiralling, reaching near full value without noticing.

”It doesn’t matter if I hurt my soul a bit, at least there’s money to be made. You don’t have to punish yourself for the mistakes he made.” Chi Xiaochi gossips with him, “Can you blame yourself for the growth of a human being on a nice chicken?”

Shi Tingyun smiles.

Just laughter Chi Xiaochi can’t hear.

Chi Xiaochi continued his idle chatter with no response: “By the way. Back in the General’s residence, when I had not yet received the world line, I had a match with Chu Ziling. Why didn’t you have any killing intent towards him back then?”

Shi Tingyun : “……” Because you had a mission that had to be completed, if you suddenly shot him and killed him, the mission would not be completed. At that time, I thought I should cooperate with you, so ……

Speaking of which, he was a little apologetic.

Chi Xiaochi’s match with Chu Ziling must have been a test of his own emotions to see if the ‘mission’ he wanted was really Chu Ziling.

But in his own excess of restraint, he nearly misled Chi Xiaochi.

Shi Tingyun wanted to apologise and explain to Chi Xiaochi, but Chi Xiaochi, as if he knew what was on his mind, said casually, “I don’t want to know the answer. I asked you this question and it’s up to you to come up with an answer.”

Shi Tingyun : “……” eh?

Chi Xiaochi: “When he was around, you pushed yourself to restrain; what are you going to do with yourself when he’s gone?”

Shi Tingyun Silence.

For some reason, he suddenly thought of what Yan Yuanzhao had mentioned earlier.

…… Yuan Heng , is getting married ah.

Shi Tingyun had just thought of that person when a silent figure sat down beside him.

Yan Yuanheng has been watching Shi Tingyun from behind for some time.

He had the inexplicable urge to go up and hold his hand and wipe his dirty hands clean.

But Yan Yuanheng, still a strict and disciplined Yan Yuanheng, eventually took his seat in a dignified manner.

He asked Shi Tingyun, “Who are you talking to?”

In just an instant, Chi Xiaochi expertly changed into Shi Tingyun’s expression Shi Tingyun’s tone, raised his hand and changed the subject, “Look, Yuan Zhao.”

It took Yan Yuanheng a quick glance to recognise that the person in the distance, surrounded by large, overwhelming wings and chattering incessantly, was Yan Yuanzhao.

He was a little surprised: “The sixth royal brother ……”

Shi Tingyun laughs, “Don’t go over there. He’s catching the goose.”

Yan Yuanheng : “…… hmm.”

The two men watched the goose flying side by side, both in silence.

Shi Tingyun looked at him and smiled, ” Yuan Heng, congratulations on the marriage.”

Yan Yuanheng was surprised: “What?”

Shi Tingyun : “O Princess of the Southern Border.”

Yan Yuanheng, who had wanted to talk to Shi Tingyun about the day, was not keen to spend his time with a stranger and frowned slightly, “…… What Southern Border Princess?”

Shi Tingyun : “The King of the Southern Border intends to make peace and wants to give you the Princess of the Southern Border as his side concubine, don’t you know that?”

Yan Yuanheng’s face changed dramatically: “…… What did you say?”