Chapter 119 - Another Version of the Story

Since they had talked about this point, Shi Junhe didn’t hesitate anymore but finished the story. “As soon as we broke through, I prepared to help Bo, but the soldiers of Zhao County didn’t think we had enough manpower. Even if we went there, we would court death. They insisted that we meet the reinforcements before rescuing Bo’s team.

At that time, I led not more than five hundred soldiers. Although Zhao Country was our ally, it was reasonable that they didn’t want to take risks, so I had to do according to the best solution as they said. In the end, Bo led less than one hundred soldiers and resisted the main force of Liang Country, but they didn’t get our help…”

At last, he said in a hoarse voice, with regret, helpless and pain filling the room.

But what could he do?

Shi Junhe could help his friend at the loss of his life, but as a commander-in-chief of the army, he couldn’t be willful. The so-called best solution sometimes meant that somebody should be sacrificed.

Wenren Chi remained silent, too. If he still trusted Shi Junhe firmly, he believed that his foster father would never lie to him.

So he believed Shi Junhe’s words.

But if it was as Shi Junhe said, how could he blame this general? In such an emergency, Shi Junhe had only one choice, and Wenren Bo would do the same. That was a soldier’s choice.

Did he blame Shi Junhe wrongly?

Was Wenren Bo’s death just a coincidence?

Wenren Chi staggered and then leaned against the door, looking painful and hesitant. He couldn’t accept this fact.

Shi Qingxue hurriedly grabbed Wenren Chi’s arm and asked with concern, “Brother, are you all right? Don’t be sad…”

Wenren Chi tried hard to smile at her and wanted to say that he was fine, but he was too tired to open his mouth.

“No, it’s not clear enough,”

Shi Qingxue suddenly shouted. Her words attracted the two men’s attention successfully. They looked at her in confusion.

She rolled her eyes and seemed to find proper words. After quite a while, she said slowly, “Under that situation, Grandma couldn’t have sent the letter to Father from far away in the capital city.”

Shi Junhe pondered for a minute and then nodded.

It was right. If he could receive a letter at that time, they didn’t need to break through. They could have sent a letter to ask for help.

“So…” Shi Qingxue thought for a second and then said, “If this letter is not fake, it should have been given to Butler He by Grandma before you went to the battlefield, but it came to Chi by accident.”

The two men fell into silence and thought about Shi Qingxue’s explanation.

After a long time, Shi Junhe frowned and asked, “So what?”

Shi Qingxue blinked and replied meaningfully, “Butler He didn’t give the letter to you, but it didn’t mean that he did nothing.”

“What do you mean?” Wenren Chi asked anxiously, as if he found a way to vent his anger.

Qingxue patted the back of his hand and comforted gently, “I just guessed, but we can only know about the details after asking Butler He.”

Wenren Chi frowned and looked at Shi Junhe, “With He Jun’s current position in the mansion, would he tell the truth if we ask him? And so many years have passed.”

Shi Qingxue smiled slyly. “He certainly wouldn’t say anything if we ask, but the letter was for Father. If Father asks him, he would answer.”

Then she winked at Shi Junhe. “Father, you must know how to ask the questions efficiently.”

Shi Junhe’s face darkened, and nobody knew what he was thinking about, but facing two children’s expectant eyes, he still told someone to summon He Jun to the study.

Seeing that they didn’t plan to leave, he said, “Wait in the back room. Don’t come out without my permission.”

Shi Qingxue agreed immediately. Without being told, she swiftly pulled Wenren Chi to hide in the back room and listen in.

She moved quickly and adroitly.

Shi Junhe smiled helplessly, but still felt depressed.

The current butler of the Shi Family, He Jun was almost sixty years old. He was wounded and retired from the Shi Army. Shi Lei felt pity for him as he was alone and had no children, so he was told to work in the mansion. Shi Junhe had never treated him badly. Because he was steady, Shi Junhe made him take over the position of the butler.

He Jun got the message and came soon.

He was over ten years older than Shi Junhe, but he was respectful to his master, like when they were in the army.

Shi Junhe stared at He Jun and didn’t beat around the bush. He put the letter in front of the old man and asked, “Have you seen this?”

In the beginning, He Jun had thought the master wanted him to report about the accounts of the mansion and stretched his head to read it confidently.

When he read the letter, the old face changed, and he was stiffened.

Shi Junhe didn’t need to ask more and just demanded, “Tell me about this.”

He Jun looked at Shi Junhe hesitantly and faltered, unable to make a sentence for a long time.

Shi Junhe was patient and said casually, “He, you have been working for me for so many years, and you should know me well. I think highly of the older soldiers my father left to me, and I am always tolerant to you, but I have only one requirement, your loyalty. If you can’t promise, you don’t need to stay in my mansion anymore.”

“No, My Lord!” He Jun was scared and knelt down at once. “I am loyal to the Shi Family and to you. I have never wanted to betray you. Please observe clearly!”

Shi Junhe threw the letter on the table silently.

Seeing that, He Jun knew that he couldn’t hide it anymore and confessed obediently, “My Lord, please forgive me. It’s not that I didn’t want to confess, but it was Princess Royal’s order. I have no choice!”

Shi Junhe straightened his back in his seat and gazed at He Jun. “Tell me what happened. If you make it clear, I can let it pass for the sake of your contributions to my family, but if I find you lie to me, don’t blame me for my cruelness.”

Since the master had mentioned the reward and punishment, He Jun trembled and told everything that had happened sixteen years ago.

It was like what Shi Qingxue guessed. The letter was given to He Jun by Mo Shujun before they went to the battlefield. She told He Jun to give it to Shi Junhe at the crucial time and act according to circumstances as it was demanded on the letter. He Jun knew that Mo Shujun wanted Shi Junhe to kill Wenren Bo in order to get control of the Shi Army, but he knew well about Shi Junhe and that even if he gave the letter to the master, it would be useless and even cause the conflict between the mother and the son. So he kept the letter and didn’t give it to Shi Junhe. Later, they were trapped in the deserted town, and Shi Junhe offered to stay and face death.

In order to save his master, He Jun leaked the news to Liang Country that Shi Junhe led a team to break through and seek help. The army of Liang Country trapped the Shi Army just to take Shi Junhe’s life. As expected, the enemies transferred the main force to chase the soldiers who tried to break through and gave the soldiers left in the town a chance of survival. But He Jun lost the letter during this period. He was afraid that Mo Shujun would blame him, so he took the job himself.

He secretly told the soldiers of Zhao Country that they had reinforcements in somewhere else. They were afraid of death and asked Shi Junhe to meet the reinforcements before going to rescue Wenren Bo’s team, so the team didn’t get any help until death.

After saying that, He Jun was clear that Shi Junhe would be angry, so he kowtowed repeatedly to ask for mercy. “My Lord, I did everything for you. Even if I had no contributions, I made every effort. Please forgive me for I have worked hard for your family for so many years.”

Shi Junhe was silent all the time, with no expression on his face, but the shock from his heart couldn’t be concealed. He was shaking and his teeth trembled. He had to grit his teeth with all strength so he didn’t express his emotions.

He had never thought that there was such an inside story. He didn’t kill his friend, but his friend was killed because of him. He was always guilty about not rescuing Wenren Bo in time, which caused his death.

But that was an accident. He adopted Wenren Chi in order to feel less guilty, but now he was told that the accident was not true, and his subordinate and his mother’s letter were involved. He could say that he had killed Wenren Bo. What was the difference?

Wenren Chi in the back room was also shocked by the truth He Jun told, and then he got furious. If Shi Qingxue didn’t pull him hard, he could rush out to stab He Jun with his sword.

“Chi, calm down. You can’t take action here.” Shi Qingxue was also mad at He Jun, but under the circumstances, if Wenren Chi killed him, they couldn’t explain anything. She would never let it happen.

Wenren Chi’s eyes were red, and he shook off Shi Qingxue’s hand so hard that she bumped into the corner of the table behind her with a bang.

It startled the men in the study. He Jun looked at the back room alertly and asked in a deep voice, “Who is inside?”

Then he tried to rush in.

Shi Junhe came to his senses and stopped He Jun. “There is nobody. Maybe the strong wind blew the table to fall.”

Others were speechless as he found such a clumsy excuse.

But He Jun had no say, and Wenren Chi was attracted by the miserable expression on Shi Qingxue’s face.

Qingxue gritted her teeth and growled in pain. She still grabbed Wenren Chi’s clothes with both hands and didn’t allow him to act rashly.

Wenren Chi had no choice but to hold Qingxue’s hand and agreed in a low voice, “I won’t go out. Let me see your injury.”

Now he didn’t worry if He Jun had found that he was listening in but wanted to check Shi Qingxue’s wound.

But the little girl was stubborn and cunning. Knowing that he had calmed down, she loosened one hand which grabbed his clothes to cover her waist.

She bared her teeth and dodged, refusing Wenren Chi to check. “I am fine. It doesn’t hurt at all.”

Wenren Chi was unable to reply. Her face was almost distorted, but she said it didn’t hurt.

But he knew why Qingxue insisted on refusing him to check. He felt guilty but didn’t force her. Then he took out a bottle of medicine from his pocket and gave it to her. “This medicine is effective in traumatic injuries. If you don’t let me check, just apply some medicine by yourself first.”

“Oh!” Shi Qingxue received the medicine bottle and didn’t move.

Wenren said again, “Apply some now.”

Shi Qingxue goggled and seemed to say, “Are you kidding me?”

Wenren Chi didn’t answer. Hearing that Shi Junhe told He Jun to leave the study, he lifted the curtain and walked out.