The two of them entered the city. The situation in the city seemed, for all intents and purposes, the same as how it'd been the day before. Jiang Xi was conducting the hunt for spies in a covert way, and so far no common residents had come to know about the existence of spies in this city.

Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong went into the General's Office. It was located in Shao Feng's residential compound. In the compound there was also a villa separated from the General's Office, which was Yuwen Tong's temporary abode. Currently Shao Feng was not in, and staying in the compound were his family members and personal bodyguards, so Yuwen Tong directly led Ling Zhang into the villa through the front gates. They didn't go to the General's Office, and nobody would come to the villa to disturb them.

At noon, Jiang Xi showed up. "Marshal, all spies on that list have been put into custody. These people were unaware that someone had blown their cover and all of them were still lingering in the city. This is what I got after interrogating them. The interrogation is still ongoing and I think I can get more details."

Jiang Xi handed their confession to Yuwen Tong, who took a look at it and said, "There might be some who slipped through the net. Tell those on duty at the city gates to keep their eyes peeled and make sure no spy escapes."

"I understand. I've already instructed them to tighten the security," said Jiang Xi.

Ling Zhang also looked at the written confession and said, "It surprises me some of them have been hiding here for so many years."

"The reason why the Luohai Kingdom dared ally with the Wan Kingdom and attack us was because they'd been plotting this for years. Previously they just couldn't find a chance to make their move. If it weren't for the civil strife in the Great Yue, they wouldn't have dared take action," remarked Yuwen Tong, looking at Jiang Xi. "Have every one of them make a full confession before dark."

Jiang Xi inclined his head and hurriedly took his leave.

"Of what use could Chief He be to us as a pawn?" asked Ling Zhang.

Yuwen Tong replied, "Right now the war remains deadlocked. I'm sure the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom are more anxious than we are. Since they are more anxious to break the impasse, I'll provide an opportunity for them."

Ling Zhang thought about it for a moment and got a vague idea of what Yuwen Tong meant. "You are going to use Chief He to send them some false intelligence?"

Yuwen Tong gave a bob of the head. "That's right. I'll have to consult with them about the specifics before I could finalize the plan. As a result, for this to work, I have to get some relevant intelligence out of those spies by the end of the day at the latest."

Jiang Xi got the job done very quick and delivered a detailed written confession to Yuwen Tong before dusk. Yuwen Tong took a look at it, did some careful thinking and then came up with a rough plan.

"Let's go back to the encampment. I've got to figure out a feasible plan before tomorrow morning."

Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong returned to the military encampment outside the city in haste. After they had a quick supper, Yuwen Tong summoned his inner circle of generals to consult with them about how to use Chief He, the spy caught by Ling Zhang.

"Marshal, I think we should put out feelers first. If we are to have the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom take the bait, first we'll have to find out about their intentions, so that we'll have a better chance of tricking them into swallowing the bait," said Shao Feng.

"I agree with General Shao. Whether or not we should use Chief He as a pawn depends on whether the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom have enough trust in him or not. We might have to put on certain act according to the circumstances to cooperate," said Jiang Xi.

The others also expressed their opinions. Although some of them saw things differently, they all believed that Shao Feng's proposal was reasonable.

So Yuwen Tong bobbed his head. "Then let's have Chief He sound them out first."

They had ascertained how Chief He communicated with the Luohai Kingdom, and what they needed to do right now was create an opportunity for Chief He to make contact with the Luohai Kingdom without rousing the Luohai Kingdom's suspicions.

Having undergone several days' interrogation, Chief He was now utterly docile, didn't even dare think about resisting or playing any tricks, and obediently agreed to cooperate with Yuwen Tong and the others.

There was nothing Ling Zhang could do to help with this plan. Not knowing what he should do before the Luohai Kingdom acted in response, he went to the infirmary with Ling Zhaowu to give the physicians there a hand. He had some acquaintance with medicinal herbs, so helping sort herbs and fill prescriptions was within his power.

There hadn't been any messages from the Luohai Kingdom yet, so Yuwen Tong was also busy. The two of them could only spend some time alone with each other by night. Sometimes, when there was something Yuwen Tong had to consult with his men about, the candles in the meeting room in the main tent remained ablaze until midnight.

Naturally Ling Zhang's heart ached for Yuwen Tong, but he also knew that these matters must be settled and couldn't be brushed aside.

Finally, three days later, the Luohai Kingdom sent a small force to attack the city. Taking advantage of this opportunity, someone from the Luohai Kingdom delivered a message to Chief He.

In order to prevent the Luohai Kingdom from noticing anything anomalous about Chief He, it had been "Chief He" who provided the Luohai Kingdom with a method of communication. The message was delivered to him without any trouble. Unsurprisingly, the Luohai Kingdom didn't assign Chief He any key tasks immediately. Instead, they tried to sound him out.

What with this, Yuwen Tong and some others had no choice but to cooperate with Chief He and put on an act.

Ling Zhang saw the whole thing. After they finished the act, he couldn't help but ask apprehensively, "Will the Luohai Kingdom rise to the bait?"

Yuwen Tong said, "They will, because they have no other choice."

The Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom must figure out a way to break the stalemate and win this war. Otherwise their only option would be to withdraw their forces and sue for peace.

This was also because the allied forces of the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom were no match for Yuwen Tong's army. They had made one retreat after another and were completely incapable of getting the better of Yuwen Tong. If things went on like this, the army of the Great Yue would advance to the border city of the Luohai Kingdom, and there was no telling whether or not Yuwen Tong would be able to take the city. After all, he was a very formidable opponent, though the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom hated to admit it.

...

The headquarters of the allied forces of the Wan Kingdom and the Luohai Kingdom.

Staring at Dong Gao, a general of the Luohai Kingdom, Shan Congwen asked, "What do you have in mind, General Dong? If we are to use this pawn, we'll have to do it as soon as possible. The longer we hesitate, the more unfavorable the situation will be for us."

Dong Gao said, "I was the one who planted this pawn in the Great Yue. He'd been in touch with me before the Great Yue sealed the gates of the border city. This time around, we put out feelers and he made a response. I believe he's trustworthy, and naturally, I want to use him, but how we should use him is a problem that needs further discussion."

Shan Congwen sneered, "The Wan Kingdom's army suffered heavy casualties during the last few battles against Yuwen Tong's, and my brother has already been considering a pull-out of the troops. You are still in the mood for lecturing me about being patient?"

Dong Gao furrowed his brows. "Then what do you suggest we do, King Ming'en?"

As though not having seen the displeasure on Dong Gao's face, Shan Congwen said, "It's not that I'm giving the enemy too much credit and giving ourselves too little, but with Yuwen Tong in command, we won't have a snowball's chance in hell of winning if we take on his army directly. Still, Yuwen Tong is not invulnerable. His headquarters is in Shengzhou. Shao Feng, the general who used to be in charge of the defense of Youzhou, is not Yuwen Tong's absolute henchman. There is no way Yuwen Tong will trust him completely. If we could take advantage of this weak link, maybe we'll be able to create a disturbance on their side, which might be an opportunity for us to save the day."

Dong Gao's frown slightly softened. "But judging from the last few fights, Shao Feng seems to be very obedient to Yuwen Tong. What do we have to do to find out what either of them has against the other? And how do we turn them against each other? None of this could be done in a hurry. It's a shrew move, King Ming'en, but none of the men I planted in there could strike up an acquaintance with a general like Shao Feng, not to mention Yuwen Tong."

Shan Congwen said, "General Dong, just tell me whether you agree to carry out this plan or not."

It was after mulling over it for a long moment that Dong Gao answered, "As things stand, we don't really have a choice."

Shan Congwen secretly curled his lip and said, "Then please figure out a way to get in touch with that man of yours and have him look into Shao Feng's past. Even if the two of them have nothing against each other, we'll have to create some for them. Tell him to give us a definite reply within ten days, so that we'll be able to take the next step in time."

...

The military encampment of the Great Yue.

The Luohai Kingdom sent yet another small force to attack, as though harassing the Great Yue's army. A lot of people found this confusing, and the truth was known to only a limited number of insiders. When Yuwen Tong had read the letter from the Luohai Kingdom to Chief He which stated Chief He's task, he immediately fathomed out what they meant and summoned the generals to have a meeting.

"So, it turns out I'm the one who's supposed to put on the act," said Shao Feng.

Beaming, Jiang Xi threw his arm around Shao Feng's shoulders. "General Shao, whether or not we'll be able to get rid of those annoying bugs on the other side depends on your performance now."

The corners of Shao Feng's mouth twitched and he pushed Jiang Xi aside, looking at Yuwen Tong. "Marshal, you know that I'm not good at acting. If by any chance those of the Luohai Kingdom see through it, the whole plan will fall through."

Yuwen Tong said, "They won't be able to see it with their own eyes. All you have to do is give the reaction they expect to see."

Shao Feng's face crumpled up. "Well... The problem is I don't quite know when to react, or what the appropriate reaction is. This is way beyond my capabilities."

Jiang Xi leaned over again. "I'll teach you."

Shao Feng shifted his gaze to him, a disbelieving expression on his face. "You? I'm not sure you're the right person to seek advice from."

Jiang Xi went unhappy. "Hey, what do you mean by that? What makes you think I'm not the right person to seek advice from?"

Shao Feng averted his face. "You and I always deal with things in different ways. If I do as you tell me to, they might see through me right away!"

It was only too obvious that Jiang Xi laughed and joked too much for Shao Feng's liking.

His abilities being questioned, Jiang Xi was badly bruised and immediately contradicted Shao Feng, "You are prejudiced against me. Just because I deal with things in a different way from yours doesn't mean that I'm not capable of teaching you how to react correctly. I expect more of you, Shao Feng. On the surface, you look like an honest man of few words, but deep down you think so little of me!"

"That's enough," said Yuwen Tong. "Now is not the time for you two to have a verbal duel. Shao Feng, just act according to the plan. This matter must be handled properly."

The worry on Shao Feng's face dissolved considerably as he heard that there was a plan he could follow. "Yes, Marshal. What do you think we should do?"

Jiang Xi raised his hand. "I have an idea!"

Shao Feng ignored him. Jiang Xi went angry again, intending to criticize Shao Feng.

Yuwen Tong gave Jiang Xi a dirty look. "Control yourself or get out of my sight."

Jiang Xi immediately sat down and expressed his opinion in a serious manner, without any frivolity on his face.

After giving it some thought, Yuwen Tong made some adjustments and added some details in light of the way Shao Feng usually handled things, and then instructed the others to act accordingly.

When the meeting was over, Shao Feng and Jiang Xi took their leave together. Yuwen Tong glanced around the empty meeting room. Ling Zhang still hadn't come back from the infirmary. Yuwen Tong stood up and exited the main tent, making towards the infirmary.

Ling Zhang was filling a prescription given by an army physician and marking the bags of medicinal herbs one by one. These herbs were supposed to be decocted the next day. He was preparing them in advance, so that there would be less bustle the next day. There were also five paramedics working with him.

There were five lighted candles in the tent, all of which had been carefully placed in proper positions.

"Childe Ling, all these ten prescriptions have been filled," said a paramedic. The teenager's voice was quite crisp and full of vigor, though he had had a hectic day.

"Now that the job is done, you may go back and get some sleep. It's pretty late," said Ling Zhang.

"How many more prescriptions do you have to fill, Childe Ling? Let me help you," said the young paramedic, walking up to Ling Zhang and leaning over.

Ling Zhang smiled, "Only two. I'll get it done in just a few moments. Just go back and turn in." Then he turned to the other paramedics and said, "You guys, too. If you finished filling the prescriptions, go back and get to sleep right away. We'll handle the rest tomorrow."

"Please let me help you, Childe Ling. If we each fill one, this will be done sooner." The paramedic was quite insistent, but his eyes which were looking at Ling Zhang were sparkling.

Ling Zhang was always nice to everybody in this place, had much acquaintance with medicinal herbs and gave these paramedics directions from time to time, so they all liked him very much.

Seeing his gleaming eyes, Ling Zhang didn't have the heart to decline the offer once again and decided to accept it. "Then–"

"I'll do it. You guys may all go back and get to sleep." Yuwen Tong, who had been standing in the doorway for a moment, walked inside, his eyes raking the paramedic. It had never crossed his mind that these people would grow so fond of Ling Zhang. All their eyes were glinting when they looked at Ling Zhang. On top of that, these people were all fourteen or fifteen years old, which meant they were only three or four years Ling Zhang's junior, and this was a small age gap...

The paramedics were startled by Yuwen Tong's sudden arrival. Ling Zhang, who was taken aback as well, said, "Why did you come here? You've got everything handled?"

"Yeah. How many unfilled prescriptions are there? I'll help you fill them all." Yuwen Tong walked up to him, naturally took the prescription from the paramedic's hand, pivoted around and made towards the medicine shelves to get the required herbs.

Astonished, the young paramedic opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.

Seeing this, Ling Zhang said in a low voice, "It's okay. We'll handle it. You may all go back."

The paramedic's cheeks flushed faintly red as his eyes met Ling Zhang's gentle ones. He inclined his head and then left with the others.

Yuwen Tong tossed a backward glance just in time to see the young paramedic leave with a flush on his cheeks. Instantly, his face darkened somewhat.

When the two of them were the only ones left in the tent, Ling Zhang said, "Put it down and let me handle it. You had quite a busy day."

Watching the back of Yuwen Tong who was quickly filling the prescription, Ling Zhang was a little worried that he might get the herbs wrong, but he didn't dare say it explicitly, so he reminded Yuwen Tong in a tactful way.

Yuwen Tong didn't twist his head back. After filling the prescription, he walked over with the herb holder, put it down onto the table and reached out an arm to wrap it around Ling Zhang's waist, looking him in the face. "Are you worried that I'd get the herbs wrong?"

Ling Zhang, "..."

He didn't show any signs of his true thoughts. How did Yuwen Tong come to see through him?

A flicker of guilt appeared on his face in spite of himself. "No, I'm not. You're imagining things."

Yuwen Tong glanced from the herb holder in Ling Zhang's hand to his eyes. "You're having a good time here?" he asked.

Ling Zhang bobbed his head. "It gives me a little peace of mind knowing that I've been making myself useful. Occasionally I get to help change wounded soldiers' dressings with my father. The physicians are all very busy, and I can give those young paramedics some directions about the identification of medicinal herbs that they have difficulty identifying."

Yuwen Tong said, "Didn't you say that you didn't want to come to this place? That ointment thing doesn't concern you anymore?"

Ling Zhang's face darkened slightly. What a nuisance. He had had a job to dismiss that from his mind. Why was this guy bringing it up again? "I've been bustling around in this tent for days, and I'm pretty sure those who find that funny have laughed enough already."

With an arm around Ling Zhang's waist, Yuwen Tong gave Ling Zhang a playful pinch on the side of his waist and said, "You specially came here to keep me company, right? With you being here, we can only see each other by night. Just leave these things to those guys and go back to stay with me."

Ling Zhang looked at him confusedly. "I thought we talked about this. We've been... been together every night. Besides, there's nothing I can do to help with any of those matters you've been dealing with, and it's inappropriate for me to offer my opinions about any of them either. I can be of help in this place. Isn't this a good thing?"

Yuwen Tong lapsed into silence, took the herb holder from Ling Zhang's hand, put it down onto the table and interlocked his fingers with Ling Zhang's. It was indeed a good thing, but the very thought of people staring at Ling Zhang with gleaming eyes every day made him feel rather uncomfortable.

Ling Zhang looked at him apprehensively. "What's the matter? Did something happen? Don't be like this. Your silence is making me very worried."

Yuwen Tong rested his head on Ling Zhang's shoulder, cuddling him. "I just want you to be by my side all the time. I haven't seen you for a whole day and it makes me feel awful."