How Can I Yield to the Traitor! - Chapter 3

Qi Zhan was led by Fu’an to the palace formerly belonging to the King’s favorite consort. The halls were still filled with treasures too heavy to carry away, and with a bit of tidying, it looked like a residence that had been inhabited all along.

Fu’an was nearly weeping with joy at their sudden turn of fortune, but Qi Zhan knew the truth: when one tells a lie, they must tell another to sustain it. A deceiver must be exceptionally logical. He had to maintain this charade for two months until the Prince of Yan’s forces breached the city. In the original story, Xie Gebai would be defeated due to Lu Xun’s betrayal and would flee on horseback during the chaos, giving Qi Zhan the perfect window to escape.

However, there was a major problem. He was not a man of this era; he didn’t know how to ride a horse. He had to learn. Being a fugitive without survival skills would be embarrassing and dangerous. He needed to prepare.

As for the cross-dressing? He wasn’t worried. There were no imperial historians around to document this. If he eventually reclaimed his kingdom, this would simply be remembered as “enduring humiliation for a greater cause” much like the legend of the three thousand soldiers of Yue swallowing the Wu Kingdom.

His most urgent task was concealing his identity. A single bath could expose him and lead to his immediate execution. He did not doubt the protagonist’s thirst for vengeance for even a second. Being a transmigrator was truly a miserable fate; staying alive was exhausting.

“Princess, what do we do now?”

Qi Zhan thought for a moment. “Before he finds women to serve me, prepare hot water immediately. I need to wash my hair and body. If a stranger assists me even once, I’m finished.”

Fu’an realized the danger. They also hadn’t had a chance to wash in days. He hurried to prepare the water and soap. To play the part, they had to be thorough, and fortunately, there were no outsiders in the hall yet.

Behind vermilion curtains, a censer emitted faint curls of sandalwood smoke. In the corner, a bronze mirror reflected skin as white as snow. Qi Zhan stepped into the tub, the warm water rising past his ankles like silk sliding over skin. As the water rippled, he tilted his head back, his dark hair falling like a waterfall. Droplets rolled down his neck, pooling in the hollow of his collarbone before sliding silently into the water.

Fu’an helped wash his hair. Since the hall was full of the previous consort’s belongings, they had plenty of feminine attire. It was lucky that Lu Xun hadn’t been present earlier, but since this was a matter of life and death, Qi Zhan had to be flawless.

Fearing that the walls had ears, they maintained their act perfectly. Qi Zhan sat at the dressing table, his semi-dry hair trailing onto the floor over his silk skirts. Fu’an took a charcoal pencil and lightly touched Qi Zhan’s brow, shaping them into “distant mountains.” Fu’an’s technique was excellent, softening the masculine lines of the face while heightening a sense of cold, aloof beauty like a lone swan over a frozen pond or smoke rising from a desolate frontier.

The original King’s features were naturally exquisite, thanks to his low-born but exceptionally beautiful mother. This was also why the “Old King” felt no remorse in abandoning him as a scapegoat.

Currently, Qi Zhan’s life was not in his own hands, which filled him with anxiety. Yet, at the brink of death, he found himself capable of extraordinary focus. He just had to pretend to be a princess consider it a high-stakes Disneyland performance or a role-playing murder mystery game. He was just a student who hadn’t even graduated, yet here he was facing a “legendary” difficulty challenge.

Just as he finished his makeup, Xie Gebai arrived. Seeing the man’s reflection in the bronze mirror, Qi Zhan calmed his nerves. Silence was the best policy here. Xie Gebai still bore bloodstains on his person, bringing with him the aura of the battlefield.

As Qi Zhan’s hair hung loose, Xie Gebai reached out and lifted a strand. His expression was inscrutable. “Your name is Duruo?”

Qi Zhan mentally cursed his “cheap” father for leaving him behind to take the blame. Seeing the “beauty” lower her head, he softened his voice. “Yes. I have carried this name since childhood.”

“How old are you?”

“Seventeen.”

Xie Gebai recalled the past. “No wonder you do not know the hatred of home and country. When Chu fell, you were not even two years old.”

Seeing that the man was emotionally stable, Qi Zhan began to lie through his teeth. “I grew up in the Qi Palace and later married the Crown Prince. Only now do they tell me that I am of Chu.”

“You are not just a person of Chu, you are a Princess of Chu. How can you submit to a traitor?” Xie Gebai’s voice turned cold. When he reached out to pull the beauty into a hug, Qi Zhan quickly stood up and dodged, leaving Xie Gebai’s hand grasping at thin air.

Qi Zhan hadn’t expected this. What is wrong with this guy? Is he acting on lust? They were supposed to be “related” by Chu blood, how could he be so forward? Not knowing much about the man’s personality, Qi Zhan didn’t dare say much for fear of provoking him. He simply stared back coldly.

Xie Gebai, missing his mark, realized his mistake. He had been a mix of rage and post-battle adrenaline, and his sudden move had frightened her. Noticing the wariness in her eyes and the blood still on his own clothes, he chose not to push the matter and turned to leave.

Qi Zhan let out a long breath. His “innocence” was safe for now. Outside, Xie Gebai glanced back at the room once more before departing.

After settling the affairs of the capital, Lu Xun went to see Xie Gebai, only to be told by the guards that the General was bathing.

Lu Xun: ???

He was a sharp man and immediately sensed something was off. He asked the guards what had happened. The guards, thinking it was perfectly normal for their long-single General to finally take an interest in a beauty, told him everything.

Lu Xun was stunned. How could Chu Duruo be here? The Prince of Yan would never let her go. Realizing that an unpredictable variable had entered the equation, he went straight to Qi Zhan’s hall.

By now, Qi Zhan’s hair was dry and draped over his shoulders. Under the dim yellow candlelight, silhouettes flickered. Lu Xun arrived at the door, where Xie Gebai’s personal guards were already stationed. “I wish to see Lady Chu. Go and announce me.”

Hearing the voice, Qi Zhan knew who it was. If he could fool Xie Gebai, he could handle Lu Xun. Besides, Lu Xun’s own hands weren’t clean. “Let Mr. Lu enter.”

Lu Xun entered to see a peerless beauty looking back at him with clear, cold eyes. He found it unbelievable. A beauty of this caliber was rare; using her as a common spy seemed like a waste. What was the goal? If King Goujian sent a beauty, he would at least make his presence known to gain favor. Sending her like this was no different from giving her away for free.

Moreover, Xie Gebai was currently only twenty-three young and vigorous. He had conquered Qi, but the King and the court had fled and would surely counter-attack. Xie Gebai was clearly just a pawn for various factions looking to swallow Qi.

“Greetings, Lady Chu.”

As Qi Zhan stepped out from the shadows, Lu Xun noted his elegant aura, complemented by his scholar’s robes. Lu Xun’s appearance was deceptive; he was the catalyst for Xie Gebai’s eventual “blackening”—a reminder that everyone who came near him had an ulterior motive and would eventually betray him.

“May I ask why the gentleman has come to see me?”

Lu Xun saw that she looked nothing like the real Chu Duruo. He had grown up with Duruo; she was a sweet, bright girl favored by the Yan Prince. “I have met Duruo before. She does not look like you, Lady.”

He was direct, hoping to see her panic. He was disappointed.

She simply smiled, then looked at him with her chin slightly raised, carrying the haughtiness of a beauty. “I come from the same place as Mr. Lu. I naturally know that you have been gone for three years. The Prince sent me to ask if the time is not yet ripe?”

Lu Xun was momentarily dazed. He hadn’t realized the Prince of Yan had such a beauty in his service, but it was plausible. Perhaps the real Duruo was jealous of this woman and had her sent away.

Qi Zhan was playing on the “information gap.” Lu Xun was by Xie Gebai’s side and couldn’t report every detail to Yan; in fact, silence was often necessary for a deep-cover mole. To play a role perfectly, one must leave no tracks. In this critical moment, Lu Xun couldn’t afford to let his mission fail. Whether this “Chu Duruo” was real or not, she had to be real for now.

“The Princess is newly arrived and does not know that the world is like a chess game; one cannot make a wrong move. The time is almost ripe.”

Having said his piece, Lu Xun took his leave, not wishing to linger and risk exposure. Qi Zhan watched him vanish and let out a massive sigh of relief. He had cleared this hurdle. With Lu Xun providing cover, his secret was safe  all thanks to the original owner’s face. An eighteen-year-old boy’s features and voice hadn’t fully matured yet. As for being tall? That was just a requirement for being a “great beauty” it just meant he had good genes.

Fu’an, seeing his Sovereign walking on a knife’s edge with such stability, gave a silent thumbs-up. He barely recognized the King himself.

“Sovereign, what do we do now?”

Qi Zhan, still using a soft female voice, whispered, “Just don’t say anything you shouldn’t. In less than two months, we’ll be safe.”

Fu’an nodded vigorously, his eyes sparkling. Qi Zhan felt like he was playing a high-stakes game of Werewolf, he was the Werewolf claiming to be the Witch, and since the real Witch wasn’t here, he was the Witch. He was an expert at games, after all. Once he escaped, the world would be his. He would make sure Xie Gebai realized that not only are beautiful women deceptive, but beautiful men can be terrifying too.

Meanwhile, Xie Gebai had removed his armor and changed into civilian clothes. He had shaved and tidied his appearance. Without his armor, the young General lost some of his vengeful aura and appeared exceptionally handsome. He adjusted his collar, looking at his reflection. His nose was high and straight like a mountain ridge, and his lips were thin and sharp.

When Lu Xun came to see him, he was surprised. It was the first time he had seen Xie Gebai care so much about his appearance. Being from the prestigious Xie clan, he was naturally good-looking; it’s just that the battlefield didn’t require the grooming of a scholar.

Xie Gebai had a sharp, chiseled profile, with sword-like eyebrows slanting into his temples. Because his blood-feud was yet unavenged, his eyes held a simmering fire; when calm, they were as cold as frost on a blade, but they ignited with a burning fighting spirit when he took up the reins.

Xie Gebai was happy to see him. “Chenyan, you’ve come. Are the affairs settled?”

Lu Xun nodded. “The capital is nearly empty. Without people, we cannot hold it for long; it is not a place to stay.”

Xie Gebai knew this; he didn’t plan to stay in the Qi capital forever. “We’ll use it as a base. Have the scouts find out where that old dog the Qi King fled to with his court. I will find him, grind his bones to ash, and use their blood to appease the souls of my clansmen in Chu.”

Lu Xun knew the madness of his vengeance and didn’t intend to stop him. “I heard the General found a beauty. Fearing you might be deceived or that someone might find a weakness, I went to investigate.” Since the guards would report his visit anyway, he was being transparent.

Xie Gebai thought of “Chu Duruo” of her slightly raised chin and her face that seemed perfectly designed to capture his heart. The King of Qi was a coward; he didn’t deserve her. He would make sure she saw that man for the spineless, incompetent waste he truly was!