Chapter 9, Interrogation

Cha Cha obediently nodded

Cheng Duo said lightly: "It seems that Xiu Tuwang is not that impressive, you still have the leisure to learn to write." There was certainly a hint of vulgarity in his words. After asking for quite a while, he was repeatedly rebuffed by Cha Cha, and he couldn't help but feel a bit restless.

What happens next

This response is quite unexpected, Cheng Duo smiled and said: "Aren't you afraid they will burn my supplies and leave you to perish inside?"

Zheren knelt down and bowed deeply, "Yes. Zheren truly does not wish to harm you. Since harm has been done, regardless of the reason, it is inexcusable. It is only because I was not a person of the prince twelve years ago. As for that person's name, I am afraid I cannot mention it."

Chacha lightly expressed with a graceful wrist: "Apart from the main tent, I can only go there"

Zheren looked at Chengduo, retracted his smile, and said: "Yes"

Then why did you get the toilet?

Cheng Duo said softly: "You are a smart person, there is no need for me to intimidate you with a stern demeanor. Will you answer me honestly to whatever I ask?"

Zheren knelt on one knee and said: "This subordinate does not understand the master's intention"

They will first go to the main tent to kill you

Zheren silently looked at him and suddenly exclaimed: "Master"

A slave captured from the south

Zheren remained silent for a moment, then smiled sadly and said: "Since the prince has known all along, why has he tolerated it until now"

Moments later, Cha Cha knelt in the center of Cheng Duo's large tent, feeling an ominous atmosphere. Cheng Duo, Dong Fang, Zhao Sun, Zhe Ren, and Zhe Yi were gathered in the tent, resembling a tribunal. She glanced up at Cheng Duo, but unfortunately, this person's expression was always inscrutable at critical moments. Cheng Duo raised his hand, and Zhe Ren brought over a stack of white paper and ink, placing it in front of Cha Cha.

A scholar

Zheren suddenly stopped and bowed to Chengduo. Chengduo slowly said: "If you continue to strike like this, you will soon kill her"

Chengduo walked down and squatted, extending his hand to press on the new bloodstain on Chacha's waist. Chacha trembled slightly. Chengduo asked calmly, "Have you made up your mind?" Chacha lay still. Chengduo grabbed her hair and lifted her face up. The two locked eyes, and this gesture and touch suddenly brought a wave of familiar impact. On New Year's Eve, he had also grabbed her hair like this. At this moment, Chacha recalled the tender comfort amidst the sorrow of that night, and a wave of poignant emotion overwhelmed her, causing her lake-blue eyes to glisten with tears. The two locked eyes, and this gesture and touch suddenly brought a wave of familiar impact. On New Year's Eve, he had also grabbed her hair like this. At this moment, Chacha recalled the tender comfort amidst the sorrow of that night, and a wave of poignant emotion overwhelmed her, causing her lake-blue eyes to glisten with tears.

Cheng Duo stared at him for a moment and nodded, saying: "In that case, Zhe Yi, give him the waist knife and let him end it himself"

The thin garment on Cha Cha quickly became soaked with blood, her body appearing particularly frail under the whip of Zheren, like a fallen leaf that could be swept away at any moment, yet she made not a sound. She did not roll or evade; she merely curled up, as if dead, like a prey being tortured, her entire body tensed, bracing against the lashes that tore at her flesh.

In the absence of any gap in time, Zheren had already swung the whip down for the second time. The sound of the whip's tip slicing through the wind was sharp and thin, yet when it struck a person, it felt dull and heavy, lacking any resonance. Chacha gasped for breath, instantly feeling as if the force of that whip had struck her internal organs. She crawled on the ground, her braids coming undone and falling around her.

Cheng Duo coldly said: "You need not call me like this!"

This type of character is beautiful

Yesterday, she quietly discovered the poison, cleaned it up, and during the night, ran away to hide elsewhere amidst the chaos of the battle. Another layer of meaning is also quite clear: if you, Chengduo, have the ability to win, then win; if you do not have the ability to win, then die. She only cares about saving herself. It is evident that she has no hope in his ability to adapt.

The room was momentarily filled with an unusual silence. Only the sound of Cha Cha catching her breath could be heard, followed by a couple of gasps. The pain in her internal organs gradually extended to her flesh. She leaned on her arm, silently chewing on the excruciating pain emanating from her wounds, her heart filled with uncertainty: why had she felt so sorrowful just moments ago? It was merely that sorrow, when devoid of sympathy, only served to increase her torment, which is why she never allowed herself to feel sorrow.

Cheng Duo leaned slightly forward on the desk and asked her, "What is this?"

Cheng Duo no longer paid him any attention and turned to Cha Cha: "Who taught you to recognize our characters and speak our language?"

They are not necessarily discussing this in my camp, are they

If someone else were to do this, Cheng Duo could still secretly admire their calmness and wit. But this woman is his slave, once a lowly servant of the Hu people, and she actually dares to employ such tactics right under his nose. Well, you can't even vent your anger; she has pushed everything away cleanly, she knows nothing at all, she can't even speak.

Cheng Duo nodded and said: "Unfortunately, you are still not composed enough. You immediately want to drive her out, bringing trivial matters from the courtesans to question me. Afterward, I had you monitor Cha Cha, and knowing that I suspected her, you simply wanted her to be a scapegoat. However, Cha Cha does not usually associate with others, so you hinted to me that Mr. Dongfang was in cahoots with her, but that hint exposed your own flaws. The reason is simple: when one person claims another has a problem, that person may indeed be wrong; but when one person claims that everyone else has a problem, that person is the one who truly has a problem."

Cheng Duo also smiled and said, "Naturally, you are also a pawn for others. When Mr. Dongfang first arrived, someone wanted to investigate his background, so they took the opportunity to rummage through his tent. However, they did not expect that the arrangements inside Mr. Dongfang's tent subtly aligned with the formations of the Nine Palaces and Ten Directions. After that person rummaged through, everything seemed fine on the surface, but they disrupted the formation within, thus revealing their presence. What do you think?" After that person rummaged through, everything seemed fine on the surface, but they disrupted the formation within, thus revealing their presence. What do you think?"

Zhe Yi and Zhe Ren have always been inseparable companions, being extremely familiar with each other. At this moment, he could only take off his waist knife. He stepped forward and handed it to Zhe Ren. Zhe Ren took it, gazed silently for a moment, then looked up at Cheng Duo, wanting to say something, but ultimately refrained. He extended his hand and drew the waist knife.

Zheren responded with an "oh" as if he were being taught.

When I met him, he told me that he had been hiding from the Hu people in the snow the night before. If this is true, then these Hu people must not be remnants of the enemy, nor reinforcements, but rather the surrendered captives whom I ordered to be released! For them to have safely made it there, someone must have assisted them, which means there are traitors among my troops. What do you say, is it true or not?

Chengduo waved his hand, and Zheyi brought over a white round porcelain vase. Chengduo asked, "Have you seen this before?"

Tea defaults once again

Zheren did not stop. In a moment, Chacha had made up her mind, gritting her teeth and burying her head in her arms, allowing herself to bloom. Chengduo watched her bury her head, appearing indifferent to life and death, his gaze becoming unpredictable.

Oh. How do you know that

Zheren's expression was as indifferent and vacant as usual, saying: "Could it be that the master is referring to that mysterious child? He does not know where he has gone now either"

Cheng Duo pressed her lips together, remaining silent, and slowly pushed her head back down onto her arm, her hand still resting on Cha Cha's head as if caressing a small animal. She gently asked, "You have been following me for twelve years, haven't you?"

They are going to attack the camp

In the granary camp

At this moment, Zheren calmed down and smiled wryly, saying: "This is not without possibility. However, I am not talented enough; as a subordinate, I have neither the time nor the ability to assist so many prisoners of war."

Chengduo nodded: "When you praise someone, it becomes hard to discern the discussion."

Undoubtedly, Chengduo did not sympathize with her, but on New Year's Eve, he indeed showed her some sympathy. Therefore, her sadness was likely due to the indifference that followed that sympathy. After thinking for a moment, she finally could not bear it any longer and fainted as she wished.

Why did you go there again

Cheng Duo let out a light hum and slowly said: "You are still too stubborn and proud, preferring to die with regrets rather than speak the truth"

Tea nods by default

Why did you take the book out?

I have taken it out

Cheng Duo looked at Cha Cha, a smile that was not quite a smile on his face, yet his gaze was unfathomable: "So my big tent is rather dangerous, and you ran away first?"

Why do you want to learn

Cheng Duo furrowed his brow and sighed, "Your lack of understanding leaves me at a loss for where to begin."

Zhe Yi stood with his hands hanging down, filled with trepidation

Cha Cha nodded. Generally, only deaf individuals can read lips. Although Cha Cha is mute, she is not deaf, and surprisingly, she can also read lips

This time returning to Yanzhou, I felt that Yanzhou is no longer the Yanzhou of two years ago. Chengduo sat back in his chair, "My return this time was sudden, and Xiu Tu was completely unaware of my surprise attack. Afterward, I went to Pingyao Town, and on my way back, I encountered a person who told me he had seen Hu people.

At this moment, Dongfang suddenly asked from the side: "I once said that the young lady is in great danger here, and I could ask the general to let you leave, yet you are unwilling. Since you are willing to be a camp prostitute, you must have some ulterior motive?" His tone was gentle, as if he were asking an ordinary friend rather than interrogating a female slave. Tea Tea also seemed less afraid of him, raising her hand to write: "I have nowhere to go"

After a while, Chengduo turned his head to Zheyi and said, "Bury Zheren." Zheyi agreed, his eyes reflecting a hint of "the rabbit's death brings sorrow to the fox." Seeing him like this, Chengduo suddenly felt a pang of sadness in his heart, and without saying a word or paying attention to the others in the tent, he walked into the tent and reached out to grab the tea.

Everyone in the account looked on at this scene. Because Cheng Duo remained silent with a stern face, the others did not dare to speak up either

Cha nodded and wrote on the ground: "I saw it that day when I returned to the tent, it was placed at the corner of the tent next to General Zhao's mat." After she finished writing, she pointed to the spot where Zhao Sun was standing. Zheren then read aloud what she had written.

Cheng Duo leaned back against the chair and asked, "Where were you last night?"

Chengduo lightly pulled a jade ring made of sheep fat from his fingers, having already taken it off. "Yesterday, when Asihai returned, Zheyi was by my side, and you were not present. At that time, Chacha happened to be wandering outside my main tent, and you took the opportunity to place that porcelain bottle inside my tent. After Chacha went back..." Chengduo glanced at the already unconscious Chacha, "By chance... I discovered that porcelain bottle, took it out, and threw it into the latrine. Thus, your efforts were in vain."

Cha Cha hesitated for a moment and wrote: "They discussed the arrangements in the camp, but did not mention the matter of supplies. Moreover," she glanced at Cheng Duo with a fearful expression and wrote: "They only have two thousand men, and they can only succeed by killing you first."

Cheng Duo turned his head and asked Zhe Yi: "Is this true?"

I saw them discussing. The two deputies, at yesterday's banquet

What kind of person is he/she

Chengduo suddenly began to speak slowly: "Zheren."

Zheren did not stop, raising the whip for another strike

I ran out yesterday, is this what I took?

However, Cha Cha did not take the bait and continued to write without changing her expression: "He has many slaves, and they do not like someone like me."

Chacha timidly glanced at him and wrote again: "This bottle is exquisite, not from the account, I fear someone will discover it and accuse me of theft"

The pain spread, and a wave of blood surged up to the throat. Cha Cha struggled to maintain her thoughts, seriously considering whether to first offer the answer that Cheng Duo wanted, and what kind of answer could best absolve her. Zhe Ren swung down the fourth whip, and blood dripped from the tip of the whip into the air. Cha Cha thought to herself, this is meant to kill me... Upon this thought, her mind shifted; since she had many doubts and had come from the Hu people, Cheng Duo could easily kill her without going through the trouble of interrogation... unless he had other suspicions...

Zheren smiled self-deprecatingly. Rather than a smile, it was more like a slight twitch at the corners of his mouth. He raised his head defiantly and said, "Your Highness, from now on, forget this unjust person, Zheren." After speaking, he crossed his arms and committed suicide by beheading.

Cheng Duo spoke slowly, word by word: "Zheren, you have followed me for twelve years. I first went to the battlefield at the age of fifteen, and you were thirteen at that time, already by my side. To this day, I do not wish to humiliate you; I only want to know, why? Tell me, who is that master?"

Cheng Duo said: "If you have a matter to request of me, I may consider it."

He retracted his smile: "The answer is acceptable, though somewhat forced. How about I try another method to help you think? Is there anything else you would like to say?" Cha Cha remained kneeling without moving, and Cheng Duo also sat still. He glanced at Zhe Ren and nodded his chin towards Cha Cha. Zhe Ren then stepped forward and dragged Cha Cha into the tent, retrieving a long whip used as a weapon from the entrance.

I do not know

Cheng Duo stood up and stared at him, saying: "Could it be that I have treated you poorly?"

Zheren used a waist knife to cut open her outer robe, tossing it aside, leaving only a single garment, and then he noticed her shoulders were slightly trembling

Zhe Ren shook his head: "No."

Cheng Duo felt a tightness in his chest and shortness of breath as soon as he thought of this

Cha Cha felt a sharp pain, her body trembled slightly, and she gradually regained consciousness. She saw Cheng Duo carrying her towards his large tent. Cha Cha's heart settled a little; she took a deep breath, feeling as if her whole body was about to fall apart, and simply leaned against Cheng Duo's shoulder, drifting off into unconsciousness again

Cheng Duo pondered for a moment and asked, "Can you read lips?"

This long whip was originally made from cowhide, inlaid with fragments of iron, and when wielded, it exhibited a harmonious blend of strength and grace. Zheren swung it in the air, producing a frightening sound. Chacha lowered her head, unable to discern her expression; although she had just displayed a demeanor of fear and trepidation, at this moment, she knelt upright, her back straight and shoulders squared, remaining completely still. Zheren unfurled the whip and struck her heavily. A tear appeared in Chacha's cotton coat, and she fell to the ground in response. Chacha lowered her head, unable to discern her expression; although she had just displayed a demeanor of fear and trepidation, at this moment, she knelt upright, her back straight and shoulders squared, remaining completely still. Zheren unfurled the whip and struck her heavily. A tear appeared in Chacha's cotton coat, and she fell to the ground in response. Small tufts of cotton floated in the air.

Zheren looked at the unconscious Chacha on the ground and said, "So after that day, the master behaved unusually and brought a woman to live in the main tent to hinder others from entering and investigating"

Dongfang looked at Chacha on the ground, thinking that her earlier reasoning, while seemingly reasonable, was also unconvincingly so. Upon closer inspection, one could find no flaws. If Chacha were not innocent, then she was indeed putting on an act that was too convincing.

"Aside from your face, you really aren't much to speak of." Chengduo couldn't help but interject. After saying this, he inwardly cursed himself—this Chacha was deliberately changing the subject with nonsense, and he had indeed followed along! For a moment, Chengduo sat behind the desk, silent and at a loss for words

Zheren bowed his head in silence

Her demeanor was exceedingly proper, and her responses were exceptionally swift, demonstrating a skillful mastery of the art of subtle persuasion. Chengduo could not help but let out a cold laugh

Zhe Yi pondered for a moment and hesitantly said: "Those two deputy generals had discussed in one place, using Hu language, saying... our army's camp is well-organized, and the defense is meticulously arranged... Yes... they did discuss our army's deployment for a couple of sentences"

As soon as Chengduo finished speaking, there was a moment of silence in the tent. Zheren reacted for a moment before realizing that he was being asked, and then replied: "Yes"

On that day, Asihai reported that the cavalry of Hu Di was planning a night raid on my central army. That day, I arranged for Yang and Zhao to set an ambush, and no one else was aware of it. However, to prevent the destruction of military documents, I tidied up the writing desk in the main tent in the afternoon. That night, the Hu cavalry indeed came, indicating that the previous information had not been leaked; however, halfway through the attack, reinforcements arrived in considerable numbers, suggesting that they had already learned that the front troops were ambushed. Calculating the time, this informant must have only learned of it in the afternoon, and the report was made in haste, which led to this situation. Therefore, this person must be someone who frequently enters and exits my main tent.

"So you tortured her, testing both me and her?" Zheren's expression was resolute as he nodded calmly. "It seems that she is not bad, but I am somewhat anxious. If I want to kill her, she will have no way to speak, and all these suspicions can be placed on her. Or perhaps, she will not be able to endure and will confess herself." Zheren's last sentence was tantamount to an admission. Chengduo fell silent, and Zheren did not speak either. Aside from Chacha, who was unconscious, the remaining few felt that the outcome was unexpected, and the large tent fell into silence once more.