Chapter 276: This Heaven Destroys Me, Not the Fault of Wang Jun

Small thatched hut, large straw mat, wind blowing the bone bells.

Tables, couches, boxes, racks, jars, bowls, cans, rattan baskets, stones pressing pickled vegetables—everything is there.

A thin young man bowed his head and cupped his hands in salute.

His cheekbones were slightly prominent, his temples slightly messy, his chin shaved clean, leaving only a patch of light-colored stubble. His hair was tied with a polished wooden stick. Although he looked a bit haggard, his whole body was very clean, especially this salute, which actually showed a bit of elegant demeanor, and even that old, washed-white clothes had a unique taste.

The Young Chieftain frowned, sizing up the furnishings in the thatched hut. Seeing a row of pottery jars neatly arranged by the wall, he lifted a few lids, took a look inside, and hummed:

"You are more comfortable here than in my tent."

Liu Cheng's posture remained unchanged, his voice respectful but not fawning:

"Thanks to the care of the Young Chieftain, I am very grateful."

The Young Chieftain snorted coldly and didn't answer. He paced around the room, walking and looking, and casually grabbed a handful of dried medicinal herbs to observe. Liu Cheng's heart was drumming, and just as he was guessing, he heard the Young Chieftain ask:

"The Han person who was captured with you that day, who is he?"

Liu Cheng thought for a moment and said:

"A son of the Wang family of Langya."

It really is Wang of Langya...

"What kind of person is he?" the Young Chieftain asked again.

A cunning, treacherous person! Shameless! His schemes are sinister, the first in Jingzhou!

If it were before, Liu Cheng would definitely have scolded Wang Yang. But now he couldn't; his life was in the hands of the barbarians, and the rescue was delayed, so he had to raise his own value, making the barbarians think he was a rare commodity.

Persist, Liu Cheng! The strong grass knows the wind!

Liu Cheng said painfully: "This person is righteous, his word is worth a thousand gold. His talent is high, the first in Jingzhou."

The Young Chieftain sneered:

"Worth a thousand gold? Not true. If he were really worth a thousand gold, how could he not have come to save you for so long?"

Liu Cheng said steadily:

"This matter is not difficult to say, but it's not simple either. After all, it involves Han-barbarian foreign affairs. I think it takes some mediation and negotiation to get it done. If it were just a few thousand brocade robes and jackets, that wouldn't be a big deal for his family or mine."

The Young Chieftain's eyes were contemptuous:

"Since you trust him so much, why did you try so hard to slander him and harm him at the time, saying he was faking it, saying he was using schemes?"

Liu Cheng "endured humiliation" and said:

"I was forced by the situation at the time, and I was confused for a moment, plus I was afraid, so I spoke without thinking."

The Young Chieftain gave a contemptuous hum:

"Sure enough, a black heart."

Liu Cheng's expression had no fluctuations. Since coming to the barbarian tribe, "black heart" had become his nickname. He had been called it not a thousand times, then eight hundred. Was this still worth getting angry about?

But praising Wang Yang while belittling himself was so frustrating...

Seeing Liu Cheng silent, the Young Chieftain continued to ask: "What official position does Wang Yang hold?"

This question could not be answered casually.

Seeing that the other party kept asking about Wang Yang, Liu Cheng was already vigilant. Connecting it with the fact that the barbarian tribe suddenly said they were going to hold a clan meeting today and had tightened their guard on him, he couldn't help but suspect whether there had been any changes in the outside world. Could it be that Wang Yang had come to the barbarian tribe? No, he had no official position; why would he come to save me? Besides, why would he be willing to save me?

He couldn't guess what had happened outside, but he understood that the other party was probing for information, which might be related to the court's rescue of him, so he couldn't answer rashly. While he was hesitating, he heard the Young Chieftain scold him unkindly:

"I'm asking you a question, answer quickly!"

Liu Cheng bit the bullet and said:

"It's not that I don't answer the Young Chieftain's question, but our court's official system is complex, with both substantive positions and concurrent positions. I really don't know what specific official position Wang Yang holds."

The Young Chieftain approached Liu Cheng and said coldly:

"Since you know Wang Yang's talent and say he is the first in Jingzhou, how can you not know his official position! Do you want to eat a fist again?"

Liu Cheng was so scared that his heart jumped wildly, but in this situation, he could only bite the bullet. He immediately raised his voice:

"I didn't lie! I really don't know! He is Wang of Langya, and his family has many connections. His uncle is a cavalier official in the capital. Who knows what official position his family gave him? This person has a heaven-reaching background and a high family status. Even if he has no official position today, he might have one tomorrow! It changes back and forth. I don't hold office, so who cares about those! I am a son of a state duke; I don't care what rank they hold! Asking about people's official positions for no reason only makes people look down on you!"

The Young Chieftain looked at Liu Cheng, his face becoming ferocious:

"Do you take me for a three-year-old child? Speak the truth or I'll knock out your teeth!"

Liu Cheng's legs went soft, but he hardened his heart and stiffened his neck, shouting:

"I am telling the truth! Don't hit me!"

The Young Chieftain pressed his voice angrily:

"Who is hitting you! What are you shouting for!"

At this moment, a chaotic movement sounded outside the thatched hut. Several female barbarian voices sounded anxiously, accompanied by the guards' scolding and pushing, arguing endlessly. Finally, even the sound of blades started. The Young Chieftain roared a few times, but it didn't have much effect, so he had to go out and suppress the scene with a dark face.

As soon as the door opened, four female barbarians rushed in, but were blocked by the Young Chieftain and the guards. They hurriedly closed the door. Liu Cheng shrank his body and quietly breathed a sigh of relief. He only heard the noise outside gradually subside, and footsteps moving away. He couldn't help but wonder if they had left? Just as he was pondering, the Young Chieftain entered the room again, latched the door behind him, and said with an unkind look:

"No one is backing you up this time."

Liu Cheng trembled: "Everything I said is true, I dare not deceive the Young Chieftain!"

The Young Chieftain walked toward Liu Cheng step by step: "One good news, one bad news, which one do you want to hear first?"

"Good news!" Liu Cheng shouted hurriedly.

"The good news is that your court's envoy has arrived."

Liu Cheng's blood surged, and joy exploded!

Before Liu Cheng could enjoy the excitement of ecstasy, he heard the Young Chieftain continue:

"The bad news is that the envoy said they cannot use brocade to ransom the prisoner, telling us to kill you if we want, and dispose of you as we please."

Liu Cheng fell into an ice cellar! His blood immediately froze!

The Young Chieftain added: "The envoy is Wang Yang."

Liu Cheng's eyes turned red instantly, and his brain went "boom." In an instant, it was as if he had been bitten by a poisonous snake!

The treacherous thief harmed me!!!! If I become a ghost—

No.

Wang Yang has no official position; how could the court send him as an envoy? Could it be that my father and brother entrusted him to come? Why entrust him? Could it be because he had met this barbarian? The barbarian has been probing for Wang Yang's information; now he is deliberately provoking me, leading me to tell the truth about Wang the treacherous thief. I must not fall into the trap!!!

Liu Cheng knew that his resentful expression had been seen by the barbarian, so changing his words immediately might not be trusted, so he said:

"It must be that Liu family's political enemies used despicable means to coerce Wang Jun! These petty people, even if I become a ghost, I won't let them go!"

The Young Chieftain said lightly:

"No one coerced him at all. Wang Yang said it himself, saying you are not well-treated in the Liu family and no one wants to spend silk to ransom you. He told us to kill or scrape you as we please."

Liu Cheng's tears welled up, his fingers convulsively grabbing his lapels, his knuckles turning pale.

Don't be afraid!

He must be lying to me!

Liu Cheng comforted himself, but couldn't help but suspect whether his father and brother had entrusted Wang Yang to come save him, and Wang Yang agreed on the surface but hid evil intentions, wanting to get rid of him through the hands of the barbarians, and then go back and pretend to cry, saying the rescue was ineffective, feeling very guilty. His brother is kind and must have been deceived by him! His father is wise, but he doesn't know Wang Yang's character and might also be deceived by him... Thinking of this, a chill climbed up his spine...

Now Liu Cheng was facing a choice that might involve life and death—should he continue to support Wang Yang at the risk of being sold, or should he turn to dismantle Wang Yang, reveal his true face, and then belittle his status to prove that Wang Yang could not be the court envoy, so that the barbarian would not believe this person?

In a flash of lightning, Liu Cheng didn't know why, but the scene of Wang Yang linking sentences in the Le family estate suddenly jumped into his mind. Wei Kuang said: "Fine food brings extreme joy." Wang Yang replied: "The lonely intention is unique." This sentence had a deep meaning, and the style of the whole poem also started from this. With such a deep intention, maybe he wouldn't be too vicious?

Besides, things have come to this; if I repeat myself, wouldn't I be even less credible?!

Forget it!

Gamble!

He gritted his teeth, wiped his tears, and suddenly held his head high:

"Since he said so, he must have had no choice! This heaven destroys me, not the fault of Wang Jun! Whether to kill or scrape, it's all up to the Young Chieftain!"

The Young Chieftain walked to Liu Cheng with a cold smile, his figure like a dark cloud covering Liu Cheng, and while drawing his waist knife, he said:

"Leave your last words."

The candle flame in the room jumped violently, reflecting the cold, snow-like blade light.

Liu Cheng endured the fear and stood up, straightened his back, and squeezed half a light out of the shadow. He bit his trembling lips, took a deep breath, and said:

"I hope the Young Chieftain will hand over my corpse to Wang Yang and ask him to take me back to Jiankang and hand it over to my father. This person's word is worth a thousand gold; as long as he promises, he will definitely do it!"

The Young Chieftain snorted coldly:

"He won't be able to go back either. He impersonated the court envoy and was exposed by me; he has already been locked up."

Liu Cheng said decisively: "Impossible!"

"How is it impossible? Not to mention he had no credentials, just look at how young he is; how could he be an envoy? He was interrogated by me and has already confessed to impersonating."

"Hahahaha!"

Liu Cheng laughed endlessly.

The Young Chieftain asked angrily: "What are you laughing at?"

Liu Cheng shook his head and smiled:

"What you said is fake. He is a noble son of the Wang family of Langya; how could he impersonate an envoy? I don't know about credentials, but you say he is too young to be an envoy—heh, do you understand what the Wang family of Langya is? The prosperity of the noble families is the first in the South! The nobility of the hairpins is the best in the world! Among the high families, his Wang family of Langya is the first! Even my Hedong Liu family has to bow to him! With such a family background and such talent, let alone a mere envoy, he could even be a prime minister!"

The more Liu Cheng spoke, the more spirited he became!

The Young Chieftain didn't say much, raised his knife, and slashed!

Liu Cheng's spirit vanished, his face turned pale, and he hurriedly shouted: "Please, Young Chieftain, apologize to your sister for me—"

"She has already been tricked away by me; mentioning her is useless!"

Liu Cheng was terrified and cried:

"Let your sister take good care of herself! And Su, Tumi, Yilu—let them take care! Liu Cheng is going!"

"Go to hell!"

The Young Chieftain roared, and the waist knife slashed through the air!

Liu Cheng closed his eyes tightly, his body shrank back, his shoulders shrugged involuntarily, as if he could resist the fatal blow—

The expected severe pain did not come for a long time.

By his ear, he only heard a "clang" sound, followed by heavy footsteps.

Liu Cheng's eyelids trembled, and he opened his eyes to see the Young Chieftain had already sheathed his knife and was walking out, saying without looking back:

"Wang Yang is talking to me. If the talk goes well, you can live; if not, you will die with him."

Liu Cheng froze, not even realizing that his clothes were soaked in cold sweat.

The Young Chieftain's tall back paused at the door and looked back:

"My tribe has treated you very well and has not abused you. Wang Yang will see you in a while; be careful with your words. If you dare to provoke, I will not spare you!"

After the Young Chieftain went out, he didn't walk a few steps before being blocked by his sister leading three sisters, glaring at the Young Chieftain like fighting cocks.

The Young Chieftain hummed reluctantly and said in the barbarian language:

"Not too bad." ===== CHAPTER 277 =====

After the Young Chieftain left the tent, he hadn't walked many steps before he was blocked by his sister leading three other sisters, who glared at him like fighting cocks.

The Young Chieftain gave an unwilling grunt and said in the barbarian language:

"Not too cowardly."