CHAPTER 147: CHAPTER 146: CHASING EMPTY FAME

Zhu Yu initially noticed Situ Jing’s gaze but pretended not to. However, after several instances, she changed her mind.

When she caught Situ Jing looking at her again, she directly turned her face to meet Situ Jing’s gaze.

Situ Jing was momentarily stunned, wanting to look away but feeling it would seem too evasive, so he nodded slightly at Zhu Yu with some discomfort.

"General," Zhu Yu took the initiative to speak to Situ Jing, "I know that last night He Jiu was supposed to be on duty outside the main tent.

Someone deliberately lured him into a trap and poisoned him, targeting him as he was to be on duty outside the main tent, intending harm against you.

No one expected that you, General, would have such good fortune. He Jiu temporarily swapped shifts with someone, and it was I who ended up getting stabbed and nearly losing my life.

But I must have as much luck as life, as apart from a slight sprain, I wasn’t seriously hurt.

Since that’s the case, General, you don’t need to be too concerned. For a minor official like me to avert a calamity for someone like you is indeed my fortune."

Her words were spoken with such sincerity, as if convinced that Situ Jing’s occasional glances were due to his guilt for her taking the fall in his place.

Situ Jing was taken aback, originally feeling quite at ease. It was only in his busy moments that he recalled the previous night’s incident, having a slight unease, prompting him to glance at Zhu Yu a few more times.

Listening to her now, he felt awkward, thinking Zhu Yu was right. After all, she did take the hit for him, and here he was, suspecting things while the other was still limping. It truly wasn’t very gracious of him.

Thinking this, he felt a bit uncomfortable, clasped his hands to Zhu Yu, and then focused on his work, soon being called away again, leaving the main tent hurriedly.

Upon returning, he no longer observed Zhu Yu with that probing look.

By evening, Lu Qing, missing all day, reappeared. Seeing Zhu Yu well in the tent, seemingly not uneasy or tense, it was Situ Jing who seemed less at ease, with more doubt in his eyes, looking toward Zhu Yu.

Zhu Yu simply returned his gaze with a faint smile.

After all, she couldn’t, in the presence of Lu Qing, recount how she used guilt to elevate such a gentleman to a pedestal of righteousness.

Returning with Lu Qing was the long-absent rune.

As rune entered, Zhu Yu stood up to stretch her legs, having sat too long, just as they returned. Her limping met them and startled rune.

"Chief Historian... Are you...?" With no others in the tent, he quickly asked.

"It’s nothing, just twisted my foot," Zhu Yu casually replied with a wave, avoiding the mention of ’taking a fall for others.’

Human feelings are such that one appropriate moment of compassion suffices. Repeatedly bringing it up would have the opposite effect.

Sure enough, her light comment made Situ Jing’s expression reflect more guilt.

Rune, reading the room, realized any deeper reason was not to be discussed now, so he didn’t press further and respectfully handed something to Lu Qing and Situ Jing: "Sir, General, the Divine Doctor asked me to give this to you."

As he spoke, he retrieved a bulky paper package and a flat small one from his robe.

"How are those sent to the Divine Doctor?" Situ Jing quickly stood up, asking.

Rune said nothing, looking at Situ Jing, who realized something and nodded, then sat back down.

Lu Qing placed the large package on Situ Jing’s desk, also pulling out a paper listing about a dozen names. He placed it atop the large package brought by rune and pushed them toward Situ Jing: "After these days of observation, these are trusted aides more easily switched out in the military. The General knows what to do."

Situ Jing silently nodded, storing everything away.

That night, other personal soldiers were sent out for patrol, leaving only three on duty in the main tent.

The candles in Situ Jing’s main tent burned late into the night, nearly until dawn.

For the next two or three days, the camp seemed calm on the surface. However, the poisoning of Situ Jing’s personal soldiers, initially known by few, somehow spread swiftly, becoming a camp-wide secret.

Situ Jing’s inaction seemed to cause his personal soldiers some dissent.

Privately, whispers circulated—many inexplicable events occur in the world, and with many men affected, why wouldn’t the General call someone to banish the Evil Spirits, at least to ease the soldiers’ minds?

Of course, such conversations were behind closed doors, never coming to light publicly.

But after a few more days, whether truly offending some sort of Loose Immortal, one night, six or seven imperial guard soldiers suddenly exhibited strange behavior. Each one had bloodshot eyes and erupted violently, chasing and fighting fellow soldiers.

Luckily, with experience from before, Situ Jing handled it swiftly, restraining and tying the afflicted with ropes, sending them away for treatment.

The following day, more were afflicted—ten or so.

Situ Jing repeated his initial strategy, continuously tying and sending away those who fell victim.

Merely seven or eight days into this, the imperial guard soldiers started sensing anomalies.

The initially affected were lower-ranking officials, creating unease but coupled with the thought that those hit before being minor officials somehow distanced the threat from regular soldiers.

Recently, however, the afflicted became less discriminating, involving Centurions, Generals, and common soldiers alike.

Realizing this, they also noted that, though daily incidents seemed few, in just days the camp felt emptier.

Thus, the barracks were filled gradually with rumors.

Some said Situ Jing came only for fame, having been dispatched by the court after the Old Capital Commander fell into trouble to resolve the Li State camp’s oddities. Finding himself unable to handle matters, he feared higher-ups might think his success came due to his father. Thus, he suppressed the issues.

Provided the court remained unaware, all would be fine.

Concerning how many soldiers suffered, he didn’t care.