Chapter Seven: The Misapprehension of the Princess

Haha, if that is truly the case, I must follow the example of the esteemed official and treasure that book "The Eighteen Styles of Desire for Women," testing each style on that Mongolian princess!

"Your Excellency, I took the liberty of leaving the camp without permission, but it was actually to show my filial piety towards you. " Yuan Jie, displaying some quick wit, found an excuse in a moment of urgency, "I see that Your Excellency has been leading troops outside for many years, enduring great hardships, and is surrounded only by some clumsy men who cannot provide adequate care. In order to show my filial respect, I took some people and left the camp without permission, intending to find a few suitable young women in the countryside to serve you, as a small token of my filial piety."

"Is she really absolutely beautiful? Where is that girl?" He Kang asked instinctively without the consent of his brain. Yuan Jie quickly turned his head and shouted into the depths of the forest: "Come out, and bring that girl with you, present her to Prime Minister Jia"

"My lord, while the barbarians have not yet gone far, please command us to rescue the princess." The other three robust men dressed in Han attire knelt down to the middle-aged strong man, requesting his order. The middle-aged strong man shook his head, "Lambs do not enter the wolf's den, and warriors do not enter the snake's nest. The barbarian army is already numerous, and we are too close to their main camp. We are too few in number; we cannot risk your lives to save Chabi. Moreover, it was Chabi herself who volunteered to cover our retreat. If we are discovered by the barbarians while trying to save her, she would not be pleased."

"Your Excellency, I have followed you for twenty years; how could I dare to be two-faced with you?" Han Zhen was startled by He Kang's slightly angry words and quickly explained, "I can swear to heaven that I have definitely sent people to monitor Yuan Jie in shifts, with two people in each group, changing every three hours! I just don't know if the ones monitoring Yuan Jie were slacking off, allowing him to sneak away here."

Yuan Jie’s words were indeed impeccable. Although He Kang did not believe him at all, he could find no flaws in his argument and could only seize upon Yuan Jie’s weakness to lash out, saying: "What audacity! Leaving the military camp without the consent of the superior, do you know what punishment you deserve?" Yuan Jie, gritting his teeth, replied: "In response to En Xiang, a general who leaves the camp without orders and departs from the ranks without permission should be punished with forty lashes according to military law."

He Kang first signaled to Han Zhen and others to put away the grenade samples, and then shouted, "Yuan Jie, as the commander, why are you not managing your troops in the barracks but have come here? Why are you sneaking around in the woods, what is your intention?"

"Oh, she really is a beauty," He Kang couldn't help but exclaim as he caught sight of the young girl presented by Yuan Xie. The girl, dressed in Han attire, was exceptionally beautiful, with a round, jade-like face and a slender figure. Her waist was curvaceous, and at the age of sixteen or seventeen, she was in the prime of her youth. The only regret was that her features were more spirited than charming, lacking the allure that He Kang preferred in a gentle girl. With this disappointment, He Kang couldn't help but shake his head and let out a long sigh, saying, "What a pity, not beautiful enough."

"Thank you for your promotion." Yuan Jie instinctively expressed his gratitude with joy upon being elevated in rank. However, he quickly realized that his already pale face turned ashen, for the position of the Director of the Fuwen Pavilion is one rank higher than that of the Commander-in-Chief. Yet, the Commander-in-Chief is a general wielding military power, while the Director of the Fuwen Pavilion is merely a nominal civil official without authority—this means that Yuan Jie's military power has been unknowingly stripped away in He Kang's apparent promotion but actual demotion. He Kang would not give Yuan Jie the opportunity to protest; with a habitual wave of his hand, he authoritatively commanded, "Withdraw the troops to the camp."

Haha, I heard it too. This time we really struck it rich, let's hurry back to report, the Prime Minister will surely reward us handsomely. Perhaps the Prime Minister has grown tired of that beautiful Mongolian princess, and we, as the two meritorious subjects, might also get a taste of it.

"Return to the camp." Liao Yingzhong conveyed the order on behalf of He Kang, summoning back the personal guards and craftsmen who had already cleaned up the traces of the explosion in the woods. They escorted Yuan Jie and the round-faced girl along with He Kang back to the camp, and as per He Kang's instructions, kept Yuan Jie and the girl at a distance to prevent any opportunity for them to communicate or interact.

Indeed. The three burly men, seeing that the middle-aged strong man was not worried about his daughter, said nothing further and hurriedly followed the middle-aged man down a small path. However, just as they stepped out of the view of the small grove, the grass and fallen leaves near the two fire sites began to rustle. Two of Jia Sidao's personal soldiers emerged from the two clumps of grass, exchanging sly smiles as they said, "Did you hear that? It turns out the woman Yuan Jie presented to our Prime Minister is actually a Mongolian princess!"

"But what if the princess falls into the hands of the barbarians? Could she be in danger? If the barbarians discover her identity, will she still be able to return to the prince's side?" a worried attendant asked. The middle-aged man, however, was not concerned at all, "There is no need to worry. Jia Sidao has already surrendered to the barbarian court on behalf of the Fourth Prince. If he learns of Chabi's identity, he would be even less likely to harm her. Our insider, Yuan Jie, will also find a way to rescue Chabi."

Oh? Our Chancellor Jia's methods are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Regardless of whether Yuan Jie is a traitor or a Han collaborator, he is to be executed first and foremost. What boldness! Han Zhen and Liao Yingzhong secretly admired He Kang's ruthless nature. Yuan Jie could not have imagined that He Kang would order his execution without hesitation, and he screamed in terror, his face ashen, "Lord, spare my life! Spare my life!" However, Jia Sidao's personal guards would not heed his pleas... They forcefully pressed him to the ground, making him kneel, and swiftly raised the gleaming steel knife... Yuan Jie could not have imagined that He Kang would order his execution without hesitation, and he screamed in terror, his face ashen, "Lord, spare my life! Spare my life!" However, Jia Sidao's personal guards would not heed his pleas... They forcefully pressed him to the ground, making him kneel, and swiftly raised the gleaming steel knife...

He Kang turned his eyes and, after whispering a few words with Liao Ying, said boldly: "Forget it, although this girl is not the type I prefer, she will do. I will take her. Someone, bring this girl back to the military camp and keep a close watch on her; she must not be allowed to escape." He Kang then turned to Yuan Jie, whose face had changed dramatically, and shouted: "Yuan Jie, you have made a contribution by presenting a beauty. I have decided to promote you one level, appointing you as a Direct Scholar of the Fu Wen Pavilion, and from today onward, you will assist me in handling military affairs."

"What are you saying? Am I not beautiful enough? Keep talking nonsense, and I'll be careful not to kill you!" He Kang's words provoked the round-faced girl to become furious, and she shouted with her brows furrowed. Women of the Southern Song Dynasty are typically gentle and serene; it is rare to see a round-faced girl as fierce and aggressive as her. Han Zhen, Ling Zhen, and Wu Longqi, among other martial artists, immediately began to scold her. In the distance, Yuan Jie quickly called out: "Your Excellency, since you think this girl is not beautiful enough, please give me another chance to find a beauty that you prefer."

As He Kang and his group just stepped out of the small grove, four figures suddenly emerged from the distance to the north of the forest, rushing directly to the site of the grenade explosion. However, the traces of the explosion had long been covered by the Song army with soil, and they had set fire to two trees at the explosion points. At the end of autumn, the trees were dry, and that group could not even enter the fire scene, let alone investigate the cause of the explosion. Frustrated, the tall middle-aged man leading the four stomped his foot heavily, "Chasing two rabbits, both missed. We did not expect that when we came to check why there was a loud noise here, not only did we find no results, but we also let Chabi be captured by the Han barbarians."

"Gentlemen, do not misunderstand, I am Yuan Jie," the figure who had been secretly observing He Kang and his group conducting experiments with new weapons, realizing he had been discovered, had no choice but to stand up and shout to He Kang and the others, declaring his identity. Upon closer inspection, He Kang, Han Zhen, and the others recognized that the man was indeed Yuan Jie, the former Deputy Envoy of Jiangyang, who had suffered a great defeat but had risen to power and wealth through bribery of Jia Nongbao. In addition, there were four men dressed in the attire of personal soldiers, seemingly Yuan Jie's bodyguards.

... ...

"It really is Yuan Jie, how did he get here?" A person who was under high suspicion suddenly appeared in the most inappropriate place, and He Kang immediately felt a bad premonition rising in his heart, thinking that perhaps the words of Wu Longqi and Liao Yingzhong would come true. However, He Kang suddenly remembered something and turned around to whisper sharply to Han Zhen: "Han Zhen, didn't I instruct you to have someone keep an eye on Yuan Jie? How did he manage to sneak into the new weapon testing site? Are the people monitoring him just slacking off? Or are you just paying lip service to me and not following my orders at all?"

Yuan Jie quickly glanced around and replied after a moment: "Your Excellency, I was originally in the military camp, but later felt stifled and left the camp to take a stroll. Unintentionally, I heard a thunderous sound from this direction, so I came over to check the situation. I did not expect to encounter Your Excellency here. Since I left the camp without military orders, I did not dare to approach and bow to you, instead hiding in the woods, hoping to sneak back once you returned to the camp. I did not expect to be discovered by you, and I humbly ask for your forgiveness."

"Your Excellency, I still have something to say! The reason I left the camp without permission is actually due to another matter!" Facing imminent death, Yuan Jie could no longer hold back, struggling and shouting frantically. He Kang nodded, first halting the executioners, then shouted at Yuan Jie, "What is the reason for your unauthorized departure from the camp? Speak quickly!" He Kang thought to himself that it would be better if Yuan Jie admitted to being a Mongolian spy, as he could then use him to send false intelligence to Kublai Khan, thus delaying his execution.

"En Xiang, be wary of deception. Our soldiers are searching the woods; Yuan Jie may be afraid that the woman will be discovered by us, which is why he deliberately claims to offer her to En Xiang—only to fear that the woman is the Mongolian Tatar who is in collusion with Yuan Jie." Liao Yingzhong noticed that Yuan Jie’s expression was not right and quickly whispered a reminder to He Kang. He Kang deeply agreed with Liao Yingzhong's words and nodded in acknowledgment. At that moment, four of Yuan Jie’s personal soldiers emerged from the depths of the woods, escorting a woman dressed in Han attire towards them. The personal soldiers of Jia Sidao, who were searching the woods, immediately surrounded them, and He Kang was particularly cautious to prevent any sudden attacks that could harm him. He Kang was worried that unrelated individuals might witness the grenade explosion site, so he ordered his personal soldiers to take Yuan Jie and the woman to an open area outside the woods for interrogation. He repeatedly instructed that the two groups of Yuan Jie’s men must not communicate with each other. He also commanded his soldiers and craftsmen to bury the explosion site, gather fallen leaves, and burn the trees that had been blown apart by the grenade, ensuring that no traces of the explosion would be discovered by later individuals. Only then did he lead Han Zhen, Liao Yingzhong, and others out of the woods.

In the courtyard, one cannot cultivate a steed that can run a thousand miles, and in a flowerpot, one cannot grow a pine that lasts for ten thousand years. Only through experience can Chabi become a true woman of the vast grasslands. It is indeed strange; why did such a loud noise just occur here? Why did the barbarians set fire to this place? This matter must be reported to the Fourth Prince immediately!" The middle-aged strong man pondered for a moment and commanded, "Let us go back to Qingshiqi and report the situation to the Fourth Prince, and then find a way to rescue Chabi. This matter must be reported to the Fourth Prince immediately!" The middle-aged strong man pondered for a moment and commanded, "Let us go back to Qingshiqi and report the situation to the Fourth Prince, and then find a way to rescue Chabi.

Oh, is that really the case? Have you found it? The pure-hearted Xiao Chu | Nan He Kang felt a stir in his heart, thinking that this conscientious Yuan Jie might not be a Mongolian spy after all, but someone who genuinely wanted to flatter him. Upon noticing He Kang's softened tone, Yuan Jie immediately exclaimed: "I found it, I found it! The girl is absolutely beautiful! She will definitely satisfy En Xiang."

Understood. He Kang, taking advantage of the situation, shouted: "As a commander-in-chief, you are guilty of breaking the law, which is a crime that warrants even harsher punishment. Today, I shall use your head to enforce military discipline! Someone, behead Yuan Jie on the spot and carry out the sentence according to the law"

The Prime Minister believes you, but those lazy individuals cannot be easily forgiven. Go back and deal with them properly for the Prime Minister. He Kang still somewhat trusts Han Zhen's words. As the number one deputy of Jia Nongbao, without a bit of loyalty and capability, Jia Nongbao would not entrust so many important matters to Han Zhen, especially since he is weak externally but adept at internal strife. At this moment, Yuan Jie and his four personal guards have already been brought over by the disguised Ling Zhen, accompanied by Jia Sidao's personal guards. Another group of personal guards is carefully searching the woods to see if there are any other hidden individuals. Meanwhile, the slightly disguised Ling Zhen, who is holding Yuan Jie down, harbors a deep hatred for him, pressing Yuan Jie's arms back and down low, causing Yuan Jie to scream in pain, occasionally glancing back at Ling Zhen's face, as if he finds Ling Zhen somewhat familiar.