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墨書 Inktalez
The appearance of Hou Polu indeed troubled Xu Zhen. Without this military second-generation's interference, she could have easily intimidated the small soldiers and brought Caesar back to Li Daozong's camp, thus securing a protective umbrella. As long as she granted Caesar the status of a servant, she could keep her by her side and, when returning to Chang'an, allow her to leave.
However, now it seemed that Hou Polu had arrived just in time to disrupt things. She initially thought that on the day of entering the camp, Hou Polu's obstruction of the Li Brothers was merely a feud between their two great families. Little did she expect that as an outsider, she would also bear the brunt of their anger.
Xu Zhen vaguely remembered from the tales that two individuals were accused of having treacherous intentions: one was Wei Yan, and the other was Hou Polu's father, Duke Chen Guo, Hou Junji. Wei Yan was pointed out by Zhuge Kongming, while Li Jing had privately told Emperor Li Er that Hou Junji had treacherous intentions and often caused trouble.
Given the grievances between their fathers, it was no wonder that Hou Polu harbored such animosity towards the Li Brothers. However, during this campaign against the Tuguhun, the retired Li Jing served as Commander. Unfortunately, due to his advanced age, he could not personally engage in battle.
Hou Polu had been looking for an excuse to strike against the Li Brothers, but Li Deqian was solely focused on his craft in the workshop every day, while Li Dejiang had recently been transferred to the personal guard by Li Daozong. With no opportunity to target them directly, Hou Polu turned his attention to Xu Zhen since she was brought back by the Li Brothers.
He had sent people to follow Xu Zhen for many days, but this peasant girl remained as dull as Li Deqian, spending all her time in the Craft Workshop without any chance to catch her off guard. Now that Xu Zhen had captured prisoners and injured the Captain, he thought that if he could deal with her without any official standing in the army, he could drag the Li Brothers down with her.
Xu Zhen was not someone who acted carelessly; rather, she was extremely perceptive. She had already noticed someone secretly following her and immediately suspected it was Li Daozong. She figured that he must be afraid of her fleeing at a critical moment and thus sent someone to track her; otherwise, no one would have sent news back to Chang'an.
After a few days of counter-surveillance, she discovered that those following her entered the quarters of Military Advisor Hou Polu and Commander Li Daozong. It became clear that it wasn't just Li Daozong who was concerned about her movements.
If it hadn't been for Caesar today, she wouldn't have stirred up trouble. She held no goodwill towards Hou Family Father and Son; coupled with the impending storm, her disdain grew stronger. Since she had allied herself with Li Daozong, she didn't mind giving Hou Polu a taste of his own medicine.
With her mind made up, she met Hou Polu's gaze head-on and retorted nonchalantly: "Even if she is a captive, distributing Soldier Slaves must go through proper channels. Whoever captures them gets them; otherwise, wouldn't there be chaos in the army?"
In Hou Polu's eyes, Xu Zhen was merely a Vile Slave who didn't even qualify as an unnamed soldier. Although he didn't know what bribe Xu Zhen had given to Commander Li Daozong, it was evident from the fact that he hadn’t granted her any military position that he didn’t regard her as highly as she imagined.
"How dare a Vile Slave challenge military authority! This woman is captured by my Soldier and should be distributed among my men as a reward for their military achievements! When has it ever been your place as a Vile Slave to dictate terms here?"
As soon as Hou Polu finished speaking, his personal guards drew their swords. Although they were fully armed, being Hou Polu's trusted men meant they hadn't experienced real battlefield training. After witnessing Xu Zhen's sharp knife skills earlier, they dared not underestimate her.
Xu Zhen regarded these soldiers as mere rabble and coldly laughed at Hou Polu: "According to Hou Bingcao's reasoning, if I capture your subordinates here, I can take them as my servants?"
Hou Polu was furious; this Xu Zhen was clearly twisting words around. Soldiers in the army could not be compared to wild barbarians outside! Moreover, since he held no military position himself and was merely causing trouble like a Rogue, Hou Polu immediately shouted angrily: "Seize her!"
The surrounding soldiers were already restless, and at that moment, upon receiving orders, they began to close in. The Xu Zhen held a flying knife in hand but could not kill these soldiers; otherwise, as a civilian, even if she argued her case to Li Daozong, the reasoning would not be on her side.
A nearby soldier swung his knife at her, using the back of the blade. They did not dare to truly injure or kill the Xu Zhen; they only aimed to capture her. She ducked and avoided the attack, kicking the soldier away without any intention of using her flying knife.
However, Caesar had suffered greatly since being captured and harbored deep hatred for these soldiers. Seeing the conflict erupt, anger surged within her. Seizing the opportunity, she rolled to pick up the flying knife that had injured Captain and suddenly stabbed it toward one of the soldiers!
As an assassin from the Western Regions, her strikes were ruthless. Although the soldier was on guard, he was still struck in the calf, blood gushing forth. A commotion erupted, and upon seeing blood, chaos ensued throughout the Military Slave Camp!
Hou Polu scanned the surroundings. The vile slaves within the camp looked horrified, but some barbaric tribesmen eyed the situation like wolves, seemingly eager to take advantage of the chaos to kill. If these individuals incited a riot, things would escalate dramatically!
Being an officer gave him confidence. He decisively commanded, "Don't hold back! Everyone attack!"
Having trained under a prestigious master since childhood, he possessed excellent martial skills. He drew his sharp blade and rushed forward. As the Xu Zhen was entangled with a brigadier, he charged in and swung his blade toward her left shoulder. The Xu Zhen jumped out of the way just in time, feeling the wind from the blade brush past her cheek—a close call!
Caesar was accustomed to bloody scenes; after obtaining the flying knife, she felt invigorated and soon took down two more soldiers!
Hou Polu was furious and swung his blade fiercely at the Xu Zhen, forcing her back repeatedly. As she retreated to a wooden fence beside a barrack with nowhere else to go, he aimed for her left arm with a strike that would not be fatal but would surely cause injury and prevent her from fighting back!
Caesar initially thought that the Xu Zhen held power within the military and could speak on matters of importance. Little did she know that these cunning Tang people were merely resorting to forceful robbery. Feeling both angry and somewhat moved, she saw the Xu Zhen in danger and hurriedly pushed back against Hou Polu to relieve Xu Zhenzhi from encirclement.
Hou Polu was also young and valiant; he turned around and swept his blade aside to fend off Caesar while continuing to press forward against the Xu Zhen. The soldiers showed restraint against her but were merciless toward Caesar. Overwhelmed by their numbers, Caesar felt immense pressure as well. Seizing this moment, the Xu Zhen withdrew from the camp wall, gritting her teeth and resolutely throwing her flying knife. Hou Polu sidestepped and blocked with his horizontal blade just in time to narrowly avoid it, breaking into a cold sweat!
He had never experienced such fear before; his strikes became even more ferocious. Taking advantage of Xu Zhen's moment of distraction while retrieving her flying knife, he slashed diagonally across her left arm, drawing blood!
The Xu Zhen recoiled in pain but was closely pursued by Hou Polu as he thrust toward her abdomen—this time he truly intended to kill!
Caesar wished to save her but found herself powerless; wounds on her body had burst open, blood flowing profusely. With the need to fend off multiple attackers hindering her movements, she watched helplessly as the Xu Zhen faced imminent death. Her disdain for these cunning Tang people diminished significantly, even giving way to feelings of guilt and gratitude.
Xu Zhen furrowed her brows. The throwing knives were suitable for long-range attacks, but once in close quarters, it was difficult to wield them effectively. At that moment, she could only continuously evade the blades, facing perilous and heart-stopping situations!
At a critical moment, someone rushed in from outside the camp. With a series of clangs, he deflected the numerous Soldier blades and swung his large knife, sweeping in like the wind, standing between Hou Polu and Xu Zhen. It was none other than Li Jing's second son, Li Dejiang!
"Everyone, stop!"
As the captain of the camp and a young officer who had been on the battlefield, Li Dejiang commanded authority. Under his furious gaze, the soldiers surrounding Caesar withdrew their blades. However, Hou Polu, prideful in his martial prowess, was already frustrated that he couldn't subdue even the Xu Zhen, whom he looked down upon. He was not willing to back down!
Yet, despite his skills, he was no match for Li Dejiang. Continuously pushed back by Li Dejiang's saber strikes, he found himself at a loss. Although Li Dejiang was the son of Wei Gong Li Jing, he had traveled extensively in his youth and communicated with various martial artists. He charged into battle without flinching and could hold his own against anyone!
Seeing that he couldn't gain an advantage, Hou Polu could only stand with his blade raised and shouted at Li Dejiang: "As a captain, you bring wild men into the camp, seize war prisoners as Vile Slave, defy officers, and injure a Captain. Are you really going to associate with him? Or is this wild brat's behavior something you Li Dejiang have instructed?"
Although lacking in martial skills, Hou Polu was cunning and quickly dragged Li Dejiang into the mud with just a few words!
However, usually brawn over brains, Li Dejiang suddenly seemed enlightened. Standing tall and unyielding, he replied calmly: "Xu Shaolang has renounced his civilian status and is now the captain of the main camp's personal Guard, appointed by the Chief of Military Operations. Are you questioning the actions of our commander?"
Having long disdained Hou Polu, Li Dejiang took out an iron medal from his pocket. Indeed, it bore the words Xu Zhen. Typically, low-ranking sergeants would not be issued identity tokens; however, Li Daozong clearly considered the complex situation within the camp and had someone create an iron medal for Xu Zhen. This showed how deeply thoughtful this old general was.
Xu Zhen let out a sigh of relief. Although Li Daozong had not personally intervened, sending Li Dejiang to resolve the situation showed some conscience; otherwise, she might have truly walked away from it all.
Originally a military officer in charge of soldiers, Hou Polu oversaw performance evaluations and promotions for low-ranking soldiers. While it was understandable that a commander would appoint someone, he could not tolerate someone like Xu Zhen, whom he deemed beneath him, rising through connections with the commander. Filled with jealousy and resentment, he retorted: "Even if he is a captain, he cannot forcibly take a Soldier Slave or injure my soldiers! I will take this matter to the commander!"
"This... this..." Although slightly shaken by the confrontation, how could Li Dejiang argue with Hou Polu? He found himself at a loss for words as he struggled to respond.
Watching Hou Polu reveling in his apparent victory made Xu Zhen furious. She thrust the iron medal into the fire and turned to ask: "This female captive has yet to be assigned; since she is still unallocated, how can you determine her fate in advance, Lieutenant Hou?"
Having failed to capture Xu Zhen, who stood defiantly before him today left him humiliated. Now provoked by her words, he raised his head angrily and declared: "Am I not allowed as a military officer to make decisions regarding a mere Vile Slave?!"
Xu Zhen immediately seized the opportunity and shouted with authority, "What a display of official power! It seems Hou Bingcao intends to bully others with his influence and seek personal gain!"
"You!" Hou Polu, who prided himself on his reasoning skills, was caught off guard by Xu Zhen. Little did he know that she was a master of psychological manipulation and verbal guidance, leaving Hou Polu speechless this time!
Li Dejiang was delighted to see Hou Polu at a loss for words, and his gaze towards Xu Zhen was filled with respect.
Seeing that he could not outtalk Xu Zhen, Hou Polu resorted to intimidation, shouting at the injured Captain, "Go tell the camp commander that I want this Barbarian Woman!"
Once he said this, Hou Polu held his head high, unabashedly displaying his arrogance. At that moment, in his eyes, Xu Zhen was nothing but a pitiful creature!
However, amidst the astonished gazes of everyone present, Caesar bit down on his lip tightly and walked over to the fire. He grabbed the glowing red iron plate and pressed it onto his own arm!
The hissing smoke and the smell of burnt flesh caused everyone to gasp in shock, while Caesar let sweat drip into his blood-red eyes. He bit his lower lip until it bled but remained silent, instantly silencing everyone around him!
In the Tang Dynasty, there were different ranks of lowly individuals. The lowest were slaves, who had no personal or property rights. The so-called "wealth and livestock belong to different people," meant that a Vile Slave had a status so low that they were no different from livestock. In Caesar's tribe, women were treated like animals; whoever branded them owned them.
Although she had long understood Xu Zhen's intentions, this time she reluctantly had to brand Xu Zhen, because she needed to leave this place. Rock Master and her tribesmen were waiting for her rescue, and she needed to leverage Xu Zhen's power!
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