Crossing the Mountains

Chapter 22: Being in the Game

Putting down the tightly clenched teacup, Shen Tu Zhuo chuckled: "You really do know."

Tan Huaike was a little surprised: "So you have already found it."

"No, I haven't found out," Shentu Zhuo said. "I haven't received more concrete information from Zhu Tingwei, so I'm just speculating. When I returned from Dunhuang County, I kept thinking about the connection between these two events. It wasn't until I saw your expression when you questioned the Zhenxi Army's escort of the caravan that my suspicions were confirmed."

"You're trying to trick me..."

"You're the last link in my connection to this whole thing." Shen Tu Zhuo's Adam's apple rolled, and he was actually a little nervous. "Tan Huaike, you not only know the inside story of my brother's death in battle, you were there at the time, right?"

Tan Huaike didn't expect that Shen Tu Zhuo could get so close with just this clue.

She nodded slightly, feeling relieved, and answered him calmly, "That night, I was in the river valley outside the pass, watching with my own eyes the place turn into a living hell. I finally waited until the Zhenxi Army arrived to support us, and I thought everyone would be saved, but I didn't expect the real killer move was yet to come...

"However, I didn't know who led the troops at the time. When you were pretending to be a ghost and scaring me in the Qinglu, I saw the long spear you were holding, which was your brother's heirloom. I felt it looked familiar, so I asked you about it. Who would have thought that the person who tried to save us that night was actually the man I was keeping vigil for."

Shentu Zhuo stared at her and wanted to continue asking questions, but for some reason, he was a little reluctant to hear the answer to this question.

Unconsciously stroking the edge of the teacup, he suppressed his erratic anxiety and finally asked, "You...are you the princess Mo He sent to marry?"

Tan Huaike was stunned for a moment and denied it: "Of course I'm not, why do you think..."

Before she could finish her words, she realized what was happening.

This matter concerns the diplomatic relations between the two countries. In such a dangerous situation, Mo He's guards and Da Xuan's soldiers would do their utmost to protect the princess who came to marry. Ordinary people would also think that no matter how tragic the battle, the princess herself would have the best chance of escape.

And she happened to be about the same age as the princess, and had the appearance of a Mohe people.

Hearing this response, Shentu Zhuo remained noncommittal: "If you say it's not, then it's not."

"You don't believe me?" Tan Huaike said, "The princess was killed by them. I saw it with my own eyes. I am just the daughter of a Mohe merchant. I followed my father and brother into the customs to do business..."

"Yes, according to the news from the army, wasn't my brother ordered to escort a caravan? They were assassinated by unknown forces and escaped death alone. If I were you, I would also find a way to change my identity and hide my name."

"This... I..." For the first time, Tan Huaike felt that he had no way to defend himself.

She had never imagined that she would be mistaken for the princess who had come to marry. However, this misunderstanding should only be temporary. The assassin had succeeded, and as long as the news of the princess's death was disclosed, she would not have to prove herself.

Shentu Zhuo also found that it was impossible to confirm Tan Huaike's identity at this time.

"The key isn't whether I believe it or not," he said helplessly. "Such a major incident has occurred, with the entire marriage party and the Zhenxi Army patrol being slaughtered, yet not a single word has been leaked. Don't you find it strange?"

"Of course it's strange. I don't understand why this happened. Is someone deliberately suppressing this?"

"I've tried my best to find only a few clues, and the rest is based on speculation. You said you were the only survivor, but what evidence do you have?"

"I..." Tan Huaike thought of the sapphire beads Princess Alan gave him, and her dying request to find someone, but the beads were no longer in her hands, and the person she was looking for was also missing.

She really had nothing to rely on and could only swallow her anger silently.

Shentu Zhuo sighed, "There are too many things about this matter that are difficult to understand. I can only think that there is a force that is doing everything possible to prevent the marriage and took a risk outside the Great Wall to assassinate Princess Mohe in order to provoke a dispute between the two countries.

"Another force has forcibly taken over this unfinished game, determined to ensure the smooth conduct of the marriage at all costs...regardless of whether the Mohe princess lives or dies.

"Sister-in-law, if you were truly someone who had experienced this firsthand, you would have probably already been caught up in the situation.

"And my brother is nothing more than a discarded pawn, dead and without any evidence."
-
The moon was at its zenith and the tea had gone cold.

Faced with this confusing chess game, they didn't even know who the players were, let alone compete with them.

"Forget it, it's no use racking your brains." Tan Huaike stood up, smoothed the wrinkles of his coarse cloth, and remembered his other purpose. "By the way, where is that dirty shirt you wore during the day?"

"Throw it away, what?"

"These are good clothes that can be worn after washing. Where did you throw them?"

"What are you even wearing?" Shen Tu Zhuo was forced to come back to his senses. "Even if I wash those clothes, I can't wear them. They stink!" "It's okay. Give them to me and I'll wash them for you. It's my apology for accidentally causing you to fall into the compost pile today."

"Do you really want to wash it?" Shen Tu Zhuo was very pleased to hear her say that. Regardless of whether he would wear this dress in the future, this apology was still very sincere.

So he picked up a branch and went to the courtyard of the east wing to pick up the smelly clothes.

Tan Huaike has recently gotten used to the smell of compost, so he doesn't mind the smell of his clothes. He took the branch from Shentu Zhuo and went to the backyard. He first broke off the lumps of fertilizer on it and threw them away, and then soaked it in a basin of water for a while.

Shentu Zhuo also followed and watched her wash clothes from a few steps away with his arms folded.

Crash, bang, bang, bang.

The sound of the hammer hitting the brocade disturbed the quiet night. The moonlight fell on the splashing water droplets and on Tan Huaike's cheek, making her look even whiter.

Shentu Zhuo was unaware that he was lost in thought as he stared at his sister-in-law.

After three rinses with clean water, seeing that all the dirt had been washed away, Tan Huaike hung the clothes up to dry. "Let them dry. Tomorrow I'll find some herbs to fumigate them with. That should remove the odor."

"What if I can't get rid of it?"

"If you really can't stand it and don't want it, I'll cut it up and learn some sewing from Madam Zhong. Maybe I can even make a nice piece of clothing for Little Jizi. Last time I took him to pick branches for a fence, I tore his clothes."

Shentu Zhuo noticed that all the dirty clothes he had brought back from Dunhuang County had been washed and hung out to dry there. The night breeze blew gently, making them sway joyfully.

Looking at Tan Huaike's wrinkled hands, he said casually, "Oh."
-
The next day, Shentu Zhuo woke up from a long nap and found it was already past noon. He stretched his muscles, swept away the fatigue and worries of the past few days, and felt refreshed.

He ran into Pei'er in the yard and asked, "Where is your eldest wife?"

Pei'er said, "The lady just came back from the fields and went to the back to wash her hands and put away her clothes."

Shentu Zhuo wandered over and saw Tan Huaike holding up his dirty clothes that had been rolled in the pile and sniffing them. His face flushed and his speech became incoherent: "What are you doing? No, this clothes still stinks?"

"Hmm, there's still a smell." Tan Huaike spread the clothes flat on the rack and lit the incense burner underneath, burning the herbs she had picked. "Mohe has a kind of spindle feather incense, which is fresh and refreshing. It's perfect for fumigating clothes, but I can't find it right now. I'll just use ordinary herbs for now."

"Can you make incense?"

"I can make simple incense balls, but not anything too complicated. If I have the bulbs of the green sedge and feather pebbles, sedge incense is very easy to make." After lighting the herbs, Tan Huaike looked up at her. "What's wrong with you? Why is your face so red?"

Shen Tuzhuo pretended to be busy and punched twice: "Nothing, just got up to practice martial arts."

Tan Huaike nodded: "It's time to practice and learn from your brother's skills."

"Brother, you were trained on the battlefield. I am... forget it. You won't understand even if I tell you." Shen Tuzhuo asked, "You've cultivated the land and collected the rent. How long do you plan to stay here?"

"It's time to prepare to go back." Tan Huaike said reluctantly, "Let's wait until after tonight."

"tonight?"

"The busy farming season is over, and everyone is celebrating the harvest tonight. It's going to be lively, and you're just in time for it, so come join us and have fun."

"Tsk, what's fun in this remote place?"

After taking a short nap in the afternoon, Tan Huaike woke up and found that the incense-scented clothes were gone.

She asked Shen Tu Zhuo, who replied, "I smelled it and it still stinks. I didn't want it anymore, so I burned it."

"Burned? I still want to give it to Xiao Jizi..."

"That cloth is not only smelly, but also not strong enough, so it's not suitable for children. Don't bother with it, I'll just give him a piece of good cloth. His mother's sewing skills are much better than yours."

"Well, what a shame, it was all washed and smoked in vain."

"..."
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　Next chapter: The heart stone can be turned.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)