Mythical Three Kingdoms

”Xiahou Juan greets General Zhang~” The young woman slightly bowed in salute.

Zhang Fei felt a heaviness in his chest. He hadn’t raised any banners identifying himself, yet the other party recognized him. He was caught off guard and even more surprised that a young woman traveling alone could so calmly offer manners of etiquette after being rescued.

”General need not overthink it. Originally, my servants and maids were traveling with me, but we were surrounded by a large band of robbers. The other guards held them off while five guards escorted me away. Unfortunately, we encountered another group of bandits here, but fortunately, the General came to the rescue,” Xiahou Juan explained, half clarifying upon noticing Zhang Fei’s furrowed brows.

While they spoke, a large group of privately armed soldiers clad in leather armor appeared in haste. Among them were figures exuding intense killing intent, clearly identifiable as experienced military officers and even elite warriors.

”Greetings to General Zhang!” One of the soldiers froze upon seeing Zhang Fei before reluctantly stepping forward to salute him.

”Oh? They actually recognize you!” Fa Zheng appeared on horseback, leisurely trotting toward them. He, too, was surprised that the group recognized Zhang Fei.

”I don’t recall these people at all,” Zhang Fei said irritably. After some thought, he continued, ”You said your name is Xiahou Juan. How are Xiahou Yuan and Xiahou Miaocai related to you?”

”They are both my uncles,” Xiahou Juan hesitated briefly before responding, knowing it was best not to lie in such a situation.

”Well, it seems we’ve caught a big fish,” Fa Zheng remarked with a smile.

”Lord Xuande’s army has come here to wage war, surely not to harass the common people, and even less to trouble a mere girl like me, no?” Xiahou Juan frowned slightly and then gracefully curtsied to Fa Zheng as she inquired.

”That may apply to others, but for someone like you, a high-ranking member of an enemy force, it’s a different matter altogether,” Fa Zheng said sternly, his tone suddenly turning harsh.

”How am I part of an ’enemy force’? We are all officials of the Great Han. Is this gentleman claiming me an enemy of the state? It is said that Lord Xuande’s virtue and righteousness are renowned across the land. Even if I were considered a political rival, surely he would not involve family members in his dealings, would he? Moreover, I am but a woman. To treat me so would only invite ridicule!” Xiahou Juan fearlessly met Fa Zheng’s gaze as she retorted.

Upon seeing Fa Zheng, Xiahou Juan had her suspicions. Across the land, there were scarcely a few individuals of such a young age capable of both civil and military affairs. Chen Xi was measured and restrained, Zhou Yu was elegant and handsome, Zhuge was dashing and refined, while Pang Tong was unabashedly unattractive. Only one person matched this air of confidence—bordering on arrogance—combined with unshakable pride: Fa Zheng.

Seeing that Fa Zheng did not reveal his identity, Xiahou Juan chose not to expose him. He likely wasn’t taking her, a mere girl, seriously. As she’d mentioned earlier, he was probably just toying with her out of boredom.

”Most women, yes, but you are different, Xiahou Juan. Without you mentioning that name, I might not have remembered you. You are Xiahou Yuan’s niece, his exceptionally treasured adopted daughter,” Fa Zheng casually voiced a fact that caused Xiahou Juan’s composure to shatter.

Xiahou Juan’s heart sank. Seeing Fa Zheng’s indifferent expression filled her with bitterness. Yet, she forced herself to remain calm and asked, ”What does the Prime Minister Fa intend to do with me?”

”Take her away and keep her under strict watch!” Fa Zheng barked unceremoniously. The intelligence Jia Xu had provided him about the Xiahou family was clear. With Fa Zheng’s photographic memory, the details were simple to recall—Xiahou Juan was undoubtedly a figure of significant importance.

With Zhang Fei keeping a sharp eye on things, complemented by a trailing army, Xiahou Juan’s guards stood no chance and were quickly subdued. It was only after she was taken far out of sight that Zhang Fei, visibly frustrated, grabbed Fa Zheng and asked, ”You’re not seriously planning to harm her, are you?”

”Nonsense! Anyone we encounter alive along the way, I’ve locked up without exception. Do you think I, like you, act without meticulous planning?” Fa Zheng retorted bluntly.

”What I mean is, are you truly intending to tarnish my elder brother’s reputation? We are supposed to be a righteous army. We’ve never coerced others in such a way before,” Zhang Fei’s reasoning suddenly sharpened as he subtly invoked their moral high ground.

”Keep things clean, and no one will ever find out,” Fa Zheng said calmly. ”Besides, let me tell you this: in warfare, there is no such thing as disgrace or righteousness. Those daring enough to cross the line, capable of performing the unthinkable, are the ones who achieve miracles and write history.”

”I absolutely disagree! If someone wants to keep things secret, they should simply not act in the first place!” Zhang Fei’s intelligence elevated to the point where he could quote proverbs.

”We’ll discuss your morality later. Right now, it’s impossible to change course,” Fa Zheng shrugged. In truth, he had no intention of acting as extreme as Zhang Fei feared. He was merely pressing his advantage. Seeing Zhang Fei so agitated only piqued his amusement to continue further.

After finishing his statement, Fa Zheng turned his horse and rode ahead. As for Zhang Fei’s response, he couldn’t care less. A single woman? If Zhang Fei truly desired someone, they could align an entire parade of beauties stretching from the south to the north of the city. Did he really lack this one?

Zhang Fei scratched his head, watching Fa Zheng leave. He felt a sense of unease and immediately pursued him. As for Xiahou Juan, he planned to arrange for someone to keep a constant watch over her, ensuring no unforeseen incidents occurred. As for his own thoughts, Zhang Fei was confused.

Over the course of their journey, they repeatedly encountered similar situations. Fa Zheng responded with the same gestures, capturing everyone without hesitation. After all, they were stealthily marching toward Ye City and sought utmost secrecy.

During all this, Xiahou Juan managed to secretly send a letter to her ”uncle,” Xiahou Yuan. However, Fa Zheng intercepted it. While no further punishment arose due to Zhang Fei’s oversight, from then on, Zhang Fei assigned a more astute soldier to keep an even closer eye, ensuring Xiahou Juan wouldn’t provoke Fa Zheng again. After all, her earlier attempt risked thousands of lives.

And so, Fa Zheng and Zhang Fei silently traversed deeper through Cao Cao’s territory, making their way southwest of Wei Commandery. To everyone’s shock, they reached Jizhou.

By now, even Xiahou Juan, despite being a woman, understood what Fa Zheng intended—an unambiguous plan to ambush Ye City.

”Let’s go. We’ll first grab some ’wild loot’ by seizing Yuan Shao’s transported provisions,” Fa Zheng said nonchalantly. Their original supplies, prepared for a ten-day journey, were nearly depleted. As he had predicted, Yuan Shao’s provisions were now in sight.

”Hahaha! It’s said the Xuanyuan Cauldron lies in Ye City. If we capture it, my elder brother’s grand strategy to unify the nation will have taken a giant leap forward! Zichuan’s vision of commanding the Central Plains with unyielding northern might will also be realized!” Zhang Fei roared with laughter as he galloped onto the Jizhou Plains.

”Hmph! With this small force, you think you can take Ye City?” Xiahou Juan let out a scoff. Recently, Zhang Fei had been keeping a very close eye on her, suppressing any thoughts of escape. The war-torn chaos of their surroundings rendered fleeing impractical for a woman like her. Moreover, while Zhang Fei remained righteous in his actions, he had not mistreated her. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian’s website (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile readers, please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)