Chapter 9, Double Agent

"I want to live, I want to live," said Yuan Jie, who was suddenly filled with great joy upon hearing a glimmer of hope, and hurriedly bowed to He Kang in response. He Kang smiled and said, "If you want to live, that's easy. As long as you obediently follow my arrangements, I will not only spare your life, but I can also overlook your past betrayal and even promote you again. However, if you dare to disobey my words or play any tricks, I will throw you into a snake cage and let a thousand non-venomous green snakes bite you to death!"

In order to ensure that Yuan Jie obediently complies, He Kang not only employed the carrot-and-stick approach but also made a decision that would cause Yuan Jie to curse the ancestors of Jia Sidao for nineteen generations in his heart—forcing Yuan Jie to ingest a type of slow-acting poison. If Yuan Jie obediently follows orders without resorting to tricks, He Kang would provide him with the antidote. However, if he disobeys... Yuan Jie would suffer a tragic death from internal decay seven days later. The poison was supplied by the yellow-green doctor who insisted that Jia Sidao had amnesia—this doctor could only guarantee the poison's effectiveness, while the antidote was still under development. If Yuan Jie obediently follows orders without resorting to tricks, He Kang would provide him with the antidote. However, if he disobeys... Yuan Jie would suffer a tragic death from internal decay seven days later. The poison was supplied by the yellow-green doctor who insisted that Jia Sidao had amnesia—this doctor could only guarantee the poison's effectiveness, while the antidote was still under development.

So it turns out that you offered Huhuangzhou to the Mongolian Tatars! Chen Yizhong, who was listening to the trial alongside He Kang, shouted angrily, "Huhuangzhou has a strategic location and a strong fortress. Although General Lü Wenxin is outnumbered, holding out for three to four days is absolutely no problem! Huhuangzhou was breached by the Tatars in just one day, and we have been puzzled all along. We never expected that it was you, this treacherous dog, who opened the back door and surrendered the Huhuangzhou stronghold!"

After the criminal was handed over to Huangzhou, the Mongolian loyal and martial King An Chen Na Yan—who was also the father of Princess Chabi—led his troops into the fortress, captured the criminal, and killed General Lü Wenxin. Yuan Jie said nervously: "Later, the criminal was brought before Kublai Khan. Kublai originally intended to appoint the criminal as the commander of the capital, but most of the Mongolian generals opposed this, stating that the criminal had extorted and oppressed the Han people, and his reputation was extremely foul. Employing the criminal would likely incite the resentment of the populace, and they suggested killing the criminal to appease the Han people. Kublai Khan, unwilling to alienate the Han defectors, also saw that the city of Ezhou was solid and difficult to conquer, so he assigned the criminal to act as an insider in Ezhou, assisting the Mongolian army in the siege. Kublai Khan promised that as long as the criminal helped the Mongolian army break through Ezhou, he would appoint the criminal as a light cavalry commander and allow him to serve in Dadu. The criminal, blinded by greed, agreed to Kublai Khan's proposal, and later... the subsequent events are likely known to the Prime Minister."

"Then why did you offer that Princess Chabi to me? Does the Mongolian Tartars intend to use a beauty trap against me? Do they want to use that Princess Chabi to monitor me?" He Kang's one-sided questioning—how he wished that Princess Chabi was Kublai's sugar-coated shell for him; if that were the case, He Kang could eat the shell and discard the bomb. However, Yuan Jie’s response left He Kang greatly disappointed, "Replying to the Prime Minister, offering Princess Chabi to you is not the intention of the criminal, it was the princess's own request. At that time, the Prime Minister's personal guards were carefully searching the woods and could discover the noble An Chen Na Yan at any moment. To cover for her father's escape, Princess Chabi ordered the criminal to present her to the Prime Minister to divert his attention, and also to take the opportunity to sneak into our camp to personally gather intelligence about our movements. The criminal had no choice but to follow her arrangement." At this point, Yuan Jie began to cry bitterly and pleaded, "My Lord, this is all I know. I know I deserve to die a thousand deaths, but I do not wish to die. I beg you, for the sake of my uncle, Lieutenant Ma, spare my life." Yuan Jie continued to cry bitterly and plead, "My Lord, this is all I know. I know I deserve to die a thousand deaths, but I do not wish to die. I beg you, for the sake of my uncle, Lieutenant Ma, spare my life."

"That makes sense. This method should be feasible; at least that Han barbarian Jia Sidao would not dare to harm this county princess." Cha Bi had seen quite a few officials from the Southern Song Dynasty who bullied the weak and feared the strong, and he believed Yuan Jie’s words without doubt. However, after a moment's thought, Cha Bi said, "In that case, this county princess does not need to rush to leave the military camp. This county princess will personally engage with that Han barbarian Jia Sidao, firstly to understand just how capable he is, and secondly, perhaps I can uncover the truth behind the loud noises in the woods."

If Yuan Jie is not lying, then there should only be one spy in the Song army camp—or rather, only he is the one who can understand the movements of the Song army's high command. Moreover, Kublai Khan is indeed formidable; he does not let his guard down against the public embarrassment of Jia Nongbao, and is still wary of Jia Nongbao launching a counterattack when he withdraws his troops. Furthermore, during the grenade testing, the explosion has already been heard by that Mongolian prince, which is likely to raise Kublai Khan's suspicions... It seems I need to give Kublai Khan a reassurance. He Kang furrowed his brows and pondered for a long time, finally coming up with an idea, and smiled at Yuan Jie: "Yuan Jie, I ask you, do you want to live or die?"

Very well. Chabi, coming from a military family, certainly understands the importance of intelligence. The fact that Mongolian spies can reach the highest levels of the Song army naturally makes Chabi feel quite pleased. However, Chabi still has some questions, "Since that barbarian Jia Sidao promoted you, why was his attitude towards you so harsh this morning? It was as if he was escorting a prisoner back to the military camp"

"The crime deserves death, the crime deserves death!" Yuan Jiesheng, fearing that He Kang would use some unheard-of torture to torment him, did not even bother to wipe the blood from his face and desperately kowtowed to plead for mercy. He Kang, suppressing his anger, shouted: "Continue speaking. After you offered up the back door of the Xuhuangzhou fortress, what happened next?"

"Prime Minister, the criminal was captured by the Mongolian Tatars on the fourth day of the ninth month, along with more than twenty of his personal guards." Yuan Jie knelt before He Kang, crying and sniffling, and confessed his treachery and collusion, "At that time, Hu Huangzhou was surrounded by Tatar troops, and General Zhang Sheng's reinforcements were repelled several times. Although General Lü Wenxin, the governor along the river, was holding the fort, most of the soldiers had already perished, and the fort could be breached at any moment. The criminal, fearing for his life, took advantage of General Lü Wenxin's desperate battle with the Tatars at the front gate of the fort to quietly open the back gate of Hu Huangzhou to Prince Si..." At that time, Hu Huangzhou was surrounded by Tatar troops, and General Zhang Sheng's reinforcements were repelled several times. Although General Lü Wenxin, the governor along the river, was holding the fort, most of the soldiers had already perished, and the fort could be breached at any moment. The criminal, fearing for his life, took advantage of General Lü Wenxin's desperate battle with the Tatars at the front gate of the fort to quietly open the back gate of Hu Huangzhou to Prince Si... No! It was to surrender to the Mongolian Tatars and hand over Hu Huangzhou."

... ...

Jia Sidao is already preparing to withdraw the troops. Yuan Jie replied solemnly: "With the peace agreement reached, Jia Sidao plans to wait for the army of the Fourth Prince to withdraw before leading his troops back to Lin'an. Therefore, as soon as I took over as military advisor, Jia Sidao instructed me to arrange various matters regarding the withdrawal of troops. He also specifically ordered Han Zhen to select strong soldiers to prepare for transporting the gold, silver, and jewels that Jia Sidao had plundered in Ezhou back to his hometown in Tiantai."

The guilty shall be condemned. The guilty general was afraid that once the fortress was breached, all the soldiers within would have no place to be buried. In order to give his brothers a glimmer of hope for survival, he surrendered to the Mongols, thinking of us Han people as well." Yuan Jie argued defensively. At this point, He Kang could no longer contain his anger and grabbed the inkstone in front of him, smashing it fiercely onto Yuan Jie's face, leaving him bruised and battered. "Shut your filthy mouth! You sold Huhuangzhou, and the Tatars used Huhuangzhou as a base to besiege Ezhou. Over thirteen thousand Han brothers from Ezhou died in battle, and you claim it was for their sake? Even the brothers in Huhuangzhou were all slaughtered by the Mongol Tatars; how many survived?"

"I will obey, I will definitely obey." Yuan Jie almost followed in Jia Nongbao's footsteps and wet his pants, thinking to himself how Jia Nongbao could come up with so many torturous methods. Each of these tricks is deadly! ... However, Yuan Jie was somewhat fortunate; if his words could not convince He Kang, He Kang would apply the entire set of tactics from the China-U.S. cooperation on him.

"Do you still have any accomplices in the military camp? How do you establish contact with the Mongolian Tartars? What were you doing when you left the camp this morning? Where are the two individuals sent by the Prime Minister to secretly monitor you?" He Kang questioned sternly. Yuan Jie first took a sip of water before wiping his mouth and responding, "In response to the Prime Minister, there are about twenty accomplices in the military camp, all of whom are the personal soldiers of the guilty general. They contact the Mongolian scouts outside the camp once a day, sending out secret letters written by the guilty general, who does not need to leave the camp. If the Mongolian army needs to contact the guilty general directly regarding urgent matters, they will light a red Kongming lantern on the west side of our camp at midnight the night before. Once I see the lantern rise into the sky, I must personally leave the camp the next morning to meet with the Mongolian Tartars."

"So, you mean to say that the Mongolian Tatars informed you last night to contact them directly, and you only quietly slipped out of the military camp this morning? What urgent matters do they need to discuss with you?" He Kang pressed further. Yuan Jie nodded and replied, "The Mongolian Tatars want to inquire about the situation regarding the Prime Minister, especially whether the Prime Minister is preparing for a counterattack. They will closely monitor all activities in the Prime Minister's military camp, and once they discover any troop mobilization or preparations for ships, weapons, and supplies, they must immediately notify the Mongolian side. This matter is of great importance; Kublai Khan has sent the loyal Prince An Chen Na Yan to personally liaise with the guilty general and has rewarded him with a box of precious jewels. This matter is of great importance; Kublai Khan has sent the loyal Prince An Chen Na Yan to personally liaise with the guilty general and has rewarded him with a box of precious jewels. This matter is of great importance; Kublai Khan has sent the loyal Prince An Chen Na Yan to personally liaise with the guilty general and has rewarded him with a box of precious jewels. While the guilty general was conversing with An Chen Na Yan, the skilled men brought by An Chen Na Yan discovered and captured two soldiers sent by the Prime Minister to monitor the guilty general. At that time, the two soldiers sent by the Prime Minister claimed they were merely passing by and did not admit to being sent to monitor the guilty general. The guilty general did not expect to be secretly monitored by the Prime Minister and believed them, allowing An Chen Na Yan's men to kill those two soldiers and bury their bodies. Just as they were preparing to return to the military camp, I and An Chen Na Yan suddenly heard a thunderous sound in the woods, and we went to check the situation in the woods. The rest of the matter is already known to the Prime Minister."

To know what happens next, please refer to the following chapter "Is it a Pig in Disguise or a Real Pig"

"Your Highness, the County Princess, that barbarian Jia Sidao has promoted me to a higher official rank, allowing me to assist in military affairs. I just went to hand over the seals and handle military matters, which is why I am only able to come and see you now." Yuan Jie spoke a series of falsehoods as directed by He Kang, then flattered with a smile, "Your Highness, thanks to your blessings, I am now the military affairs advisor under that barbarian Jia Sidao. All matters and documents within the army must pass through my hands. In the future, even if the Fourth Prince wishes to know about the movement of a small squad of fifty men from the Song army, I will be able to report it one by one."

Is it really so? The question of whether Jia Sidao will launch a counterattack is a concern for the high command of the Mongolian army. Therefore, despite Chabi's belief in Yuan Jie, he does not dare to fully trust the news that the Song army is about to withdraw. Yuan Jie, seemingly aggrieved, begins to shout, "Your Highness, I, a humble general, am loyal to the Fourth Prince, steadfast and unwavering. How could I dare to deceive Your Highness? If Your Highness does not believe me, you may listen closely; Jia Sidao's deputy, Han Zhen, is currently selecting strong soldiers in the military camp, precisely to ensure the safe delivery of Jia Sidao's gold and jewels to Tiantai."

"What do you mean by this?" Cha Bi felt that Yuan Jie was somewhat boastful, and could not help but ask in confusion. Yuan Jie's smile became even more obsequious, "Your Highness, you truly do not understand that Jia Sidao. Jia Sidao is ruthless and merciless when it comes to bullying the Han people, yet he treats the Mongols with utmost reverence, flattering them while oppressing his own. (Cha Bi interjected: So Jia Sidao and you, Yuan Jie, are cut from the same cloth.) Your Highness, you truly do not understand that Jia Sidao. He is cruel to the Han commoners but reveres the Mongols as if they were deities, oppressing his own while flattering outsiders. (Cha Bi interjected: So Jia Sidao and you, Yuan Jie, are cut from the same cloth.) Therefore, Your Highness only needs to inform Jia Sidao that you are a Mongol, or rather, the daughter of a Mongol noble. Just because you were disguised and inadvertently captured by a lowly general and presented to Jia Sidao, he would not dare to lay a finger on you. I will then ask the Fourth Prince and Prince Anchen to pressure Jia Sidao, forcing him to release the princess. Jia Sidao will certainly send the princess out of the military camp and back to the Fourth Prince's side.

Due to having ingested poison, Yuan Jie, who had been detained for most of the day, finally had the opportunity to meet with Princess Chabi, who was held in another tent. In order to gain Chabi's trust, He Kang secretly instructed the soldiers guarding Chabi to follow Yuan Jie's arrangements and leave, creating a chance for Yuan Jie to speak with Chabi alone. Once all the soldiers had departed and only Yuan Jie and Chabi remained in the tent, Chabi first peeked at the tent flap to check for eavesdroppers before shouting at Yuan Jie: "What have you been doing? Why did you only come to see me now? What has happened?" After all the soldiers had left, and only Yuan Jie and Chabi were left in the tent, Chabi first peeked at the tent flap to check for eavesdroppers before shouting at Yuan Jie: "What have you been doing? Why did you only come to see me now? What has happened?"

Oh, so that's how it is. Chabi had complete faith in Yuan Jie’s words. This cannot be attributed to Chabi's gullibility, but rather to his previous understanding of Jia Nongbao, who was indeed a coward, greedy, weak, lecherous, and fond of infighting—a good-for-nothing (Jia Sidao: Am I really that inferior?). Therefore, based on past impressions, Chabi had unwavering trust in Yuan Jie. After nodding slightly, Chabi asked Yuan Jie: "Since you are already able to grasp the high-level movements of the Han-Man army, have you made any discoveries? In particular, are there any unusual movements within the Man army?"

"It is all the doing of those two rascals, Han Zhen and Liao Yingzhong," Yuan Jie said angrily. "Recently, I have gained the trust of Jia Sidao, which has threatened their positions. They have come to resent me. Today, when I quietly left the camp, I was discovered by Jia Sidao, and those two rascals slandered me in front of him, causing him to doubt me." At this point, Yuan Jie smiled obsequiously and continued, "But Your Highness, you know that I have no other skills; flattering and bribing are my specialties—especially since Jia Sidao is a greedy and lecherous man. After I presented him with the box of jewels bestowed by the prince, he immediately believed me and even allowed me to assist in military affairs, hoping to use me to counterbalance the greatly influential Han Zhen in the Song army."

Chabi perked up her ears to listen, and indeed heard the sounds of commotion coming from the Song army's camp. She could faintly make out shouts like "It's you" and "Why did you call me" among the calls for selecting soldiers. At this moment, Chabi finally believed Yuan Jie completely. While secretly pleased that the Song army was indeed honoring the agreement, Chabi asked Yuan Jie, "Alright, I believe you. But I have two more questions to ask you. First, what was the thunderous sound coming from the woods outside the camp today? Second, how will you help me escape from the camp?"

The general was unaware of the thunderous sounds in the forest. Although he had inquired about it from Jia Sidao, that Han barbarian merely smiled and did not respond. The general was doing everything possible to gather details, and he would report to the princess and the Fourth Prince as soon as he had any news. Yuan Jie quickly answered Chabi's first question and then flattered, saying: "As for the princess wanting to escape the military camp, it is actually not difficult at all. The princess only needs to inform Jia Sidao that you are Mongolian, and he will certainly respectfully escort the princess out of the military camp, sending someone to protect her back to the Fourth Prince's side."

"Yes," Yuan Jie replied readily with a nod. Cha then paused for a moment, quickly asking, "Is there any anomaly?"