Bab 54: Berpura-pura Manis di Depan Musuh

Xu Huaixi was secretly alert, yet on the surface, she obediently followed the maidservants through the camp.
In the early morning, the Tujue main camp was already bustling with activity. Craftsmen were forging weapons, soldiers were drilling, and wisps of smoke curled up from cooking fires in the distance.
She deliberately slowed her pace, memorizing the sentry posts and the terrain along the way.

The main tent was even more luxurious than last night.
Anaye sat in the seat of honor, while Shen Yunxi sat on the right, with several sheepskin maps unfurled before him.
Seeing Xu Huaixi enter, a flash of worry crossed Shen Yunxi’s eyes, but it quickly returned to calmness.
"Lady Xu, did you sleep well?"
Anaye greeted her warmly, as if the confrontation in the prison yesterday had never happened.

Xu Huaixi bowed in salute. "Thank you for your hospitality, Your Highness."
She walked over and sat beside Shen Yunxi. Their knees brushed lightly against each other, conveying a silent understanding.
Taking advantage of Anaye’s inattention, Shen Yunxi quickly traced three characters on her palm: "Drag it out."

"Mister Shen has just proposed a brilliant plan."
Anaye said proudly, his gold tooth gleaming in the morning light. "In three days, the Tujue flag will fly over Yumen Pass!"
A pang of anxiety gripped Xu Huaixi’s heart, but seeing Shen Yunxi’s calm gaze, she felt somewhat reassured.
She feigned curiosity and asked, "I wonder what brilliant strategy this might be?"
Anaye laughed heartily. "You’ll have to ask your lover for that!"

Shen Yunxi unrolled the map without the slightest panic. "Yumen Pass appears impregnable, but it actually has three vulnerabilities."
He pointed to the marks on the map. "There is a narrow path up the eastern cliff that can be scaled, a section of the western city wall is in disrepair, and the gate guard Zhou Wu is fond of wine and gambling, making him susceptible to bribery as an insider."

Xu Huaixi carefully studied the map and discovered that of these three "vulnerabilities," two matched what was written in Elder Shen’s blood-written letter, while only the "western city wall in disrepair" was newly added by Shen Yunxi.
He was weaving a trap mixed with truth and falsehood!

"Brilliant! Truly brilliant!"
Anaye slammed the table in admiration. "We shall do just that! In three days, I will personally lead the troops to attack the main gate, Wan Mo will lead a detachment to scale the cliff, and as for the western city wall..."
He narrowed his eyes. "I’ll leave that to Mister Shen, how does that sound?"

This was a blatant test!
If Shen Yunxi refused to lead the troops, it would prove he harbored ulterior motives.
If he agreed, he might be secretly monitored or even eliminated by the Tujue people.

Shen Yunxi’s expression remained unchanged. "It is my utmost honor. However..."
He changed the subject. "I will need a guide familiar with the terrain, and... to see my father once, to ensure he is safe."
Anaye’s expression darkened instantly. "Does Mister Shen still distrust me?"
The atmosphere inside the tent suddenly turned tense.
Xu Huaixi’s hand quietly moved toward her waist, where her silver needles were concealed.

Just as the swords were drawn and bows strung, hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from outside the tent.
A guard rushed in, panic-stricken. "Your Highness! This is bad! The prisoner in the Karez water dungeon... he..."
Anaye stood up abruptly. "What's wrong with him?"
"He has a high fever that won't break, and he's been babbling nonsense. The military doctor says I'm afraid..."

Shen Yunxi’s expression changed drastically, and a jolt went through Xu Huaixi’s heart—Elder Shen was critically ill!
Anaye stared at Shen Yunxi for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled. "It seems Mister Shen will get his wish to see his father today after all. Let’s go, let us go take a look together."

The group hurried toward the Karez.
It was a water conservancy facility at the edge of the camp, with a wide wellhead and stone steps winding downward.
It was clearly modeled after the wellheads of the northern border.
Torches hung along the well walls, illuminating the damp passageway.
The further down they went, the colder the air became, and the sound of trickling water and painful groans could be vaguely heard.

At the very bottom was a stone chamber half-submerged in water. Elder Shen was chained to the wall by iron fetters, with his waist and lower body immersed in the bone-chilling well water.
His eyes were tightly closed, his complexion ashen, and his lips cracked from the high fever.
"Father!" Shen Yunxi rushed forward, only to be blocked by Anaye’s personal guards.
"Don't be hasty," Anaye sneered. "Let me see your sincerity first. Draw me the garrison deployment map of Yumen Pass, and I'll have someone carry him up."

Anger burned in Shen Yunxi’s eyes, yet he had no choice but to take the brush and paper handed to him by the guard and begin sketching rapidly.
Xu Huaixi seized the opportunity to approach Elder Shen, pretending to wipe his face while actually checking his condition.
Elder Shen’s forehead was burning hot, his pulse weak, and his situation critical.

"Your Highness," Xu Huaixi turned and said, "If Elder Shen dies, it will benefit no one. Please allow me to take him up to treat him."
Anaye stroked his chin in thought for a moment, then suddenly looked at Shen Yunxi. "How about trading your woman for your father? She stays behind to treat him, and you come back with me to continue refining the plan."

Shen Yunxi’s hand clenched instantly, his knuckles turning white.
This was a dilemma: leave Xu Huaixi as a hostage, or leave his dying father behind in the water dungeon.
Sensing his struggle, Xu Huaixi stepped forward voluntarily. "I am willing to stay."
She looked straight into Shen Yunxi’s eyes, signaling him to be at ease. "Elder Shen needs immediate medical attention."

Shen Yunxi took a deep breath and finally nodded. "Very well."
He walked up to Shen Yunxi, pretending to straighten her collar, while whispering in a low voice: "If anything happens, your safety is paramount."
If forced to truly choose between the two, Shen Yunxi would choose Xu Huaixi first.
"Don't worry, I have it under control," Xu Huaixi replied in a voice barely audible.

A flash of surprise crossed Shen Yunxi’s eyes, which then returned to normal.
He cast one last look at his father, then turned and followed Anaye away.
Only Xu Huaixi, the unconscious Elder Shen, and two guards remained in the stone chamber.

She immediately directed the guards to help move Elder Shen to a dry spot, and ordered them to fetch hot water and clean clothes.
"Go to my tent and fetch my medicine box," she said to one of the guards. "It’s right beside the couch."
The guard hesitated for a moment before leaving.
The other guard stood by the door, watching her vigilantly.

Xu Huaixi pretended to be engrossed in caring for Elder Shen while secretly observing the structure of the stone chamber.
Aside from the passage they had entered through, there seemed to be a small drainage outlet on the other side of the water surface, leading to an unknown destination.
The guard soon returned with the medicine box.

Xu Huaixi skillfully administered acupuncture to reduce Elder Shen’s fever and fed him a medicinal pill.
These pills were her specially crafted "Soul-Returning Pills," capable of temporarily preserving his vital energy.
"Water..." Elder Shen groaned faintly.
Xu Huaixi hurriedly helped him drink some water, taking the opportunity to lean close to his ear. "Sir, it’s me, Huaixi. Yunxi has also come, we will rescue you out of here."

Elder Shen’s eyelids fluttered, as if he understood.
His fingers gently traced across the palm of Xu Huaixi’s hand, as if writing characters: "West... wall... false..."
Xu Huaixi understood.
The "western city wall vulnerability" proposed by Shen Yunxi was indeed fake!
She gently squeezed Elder Shen’s hand to indicate she understood.

Just at that moment, footsteps echoed from outside the stone chamber.
Xu Huaixi quickly adjusted her posture, making it look like she was merely tending to him.
The person who entered was Liu Rujing, followed by two maidservants.

"His Highness ordered me to come and check on Shen Jiande."
She said calmly, though her gaze swept quickly over Xu Huaixi, carrying a hint of inquiry.
She had taught this old bastard a lesson several times before; after all, she wanted Shen Jiande to be her dog, but Shen Jiande had never relented.
Now, seeing him half-dead, she felt unwilling to let it go.

"Lady Xu possesses remarkable medical skills," Liu Rujing raised her voice. "His Highness is very satisfied. Please go and rest for now, leave this place to me."
Xu Huaixi had no idea what scheme she was hatching.
Could it be that after being husband and wife for so many years, she couldn't bear to see him like this?
But that did not align with her personality.
So what kind of malice was she brewing?