novelSusiti Chapter 39: Mystery of the Secret Letter, Undercurrents Rise Again
Chapter 39: Mystery of the Secret Letter, Undercurrents Rise Again
The city gate was shrouded in deathly silence.
The night wind, carrying the smell of burning, swept across the crumbling city walls.
The wind howled, making one's heart clench.
Li Hui held the secret letter tightly.
He crumpled the letter in several places.
The handwriting on it was strangely distorted, as if it were about to bleed.
[Li Hui's heart sank]: The masked man deliberately left a secret message.
It was by no means a simple provocation.
What he wants is for us to lose our composure.
It was meant to alienate both Han and non-Han soldiers.
They want to take this opportunity to disrupt the south and ruin His Majesty's new policies.
"General Li, such arrogant words should not be taken to heart!"
Ma Zhong suddenly raised his hand.
The spear struck the bricks of the city wall with a crisp "clang".
"This subordinate will immediately lead men to conduct a door-to-door investigation."
"We must find the masked man!"
Meng Huo could not contain his anger either.
He gripped his scimitar tightly, his voice rough yet firm: "General Ma is right!"
"I will return to the tribe now and take charge of the people."
"We will not let the masked man's evil scheme succeed!"
Dong Jue raised his hand to stop the two.
His expression was more solemn than the others.
"Please be patient, both of you."
His voice was low, and his gaze was fixed on the secret letter.
"The handwriting in this secret letter is strange, deliberately concealing the brushstrokes."
"They're obviously afraid we'll recognize them."
"Even more suspicious are the corpses outside the city gates."
"He may not be a confidant of the masked man."
A glint of light flashed in Li Hui's eyes.
He instantly understood Dong Jue's meaning and slowly nodded: "General Dong is absolutely right."
"The masked man acts mysteriously and his whereabouts are unpredictable."
"Why would they so easily leave their own people to die?"
"This corpse is most likely a pawn he used to confuse the situation."
[Dong Jue thought to himself]: His Majesty specifically instructed me to do this.
The masked man is likely connected to the Sima clan.
In retrospect, this person was not only cunning, but also had a meticulous plan.
They are by no means easy to deal with.
"There are three urgent things to do."
Li Hui put away the secret letter, his tone becoming resolute.
Every word he uttered carried weight.
"Firstly, General Dong, I would like to trouble you to lead a team of elite troops."
"Examine the corpses outside the city gates and carefully investigate their identities."
"Let's see if we can find any clues related to the masked man."
"Secondly, General Ma, you will continue to patrol the entire city."
"Clear out any remaining hidden forces and reinforce the city's defenses."
"Be on guard against Wei troops taking advantage of the chaos to launch a surprise attack."
"Thirdly, Chief Meng, please return to your tribe immediately."
"Reassure the people and strictly enforce military discipline."
"It is strictly forbidden for clansmen to believe rumors and provoke conflicts between the Yi and Han people."
"Yes, sir!"
The three responded in unison, their expressions solemn.
They each turned and left.
Only Li Hui remained atop the city wall.
He leaned against the broken railing.
Looking out at the pitch-black night outside the city.
The doubts in my heart grew stronger.
What is the origin of the Liu-character jade pendant in the masked man's hand?
He held both the gold-patterned Wei token and the bronze tally of Sima from the Cao Wei state.
It also contains a jade pendant belonging to the Shu Han imperial family.
What exactly is this force?
[Li Hui secretly realized]: This person's purpose.
It's probably not as simple as just causing chaos in the south.
He mentioned His Majesty with a strange hostility in his words.
Could it be... that he has an old grudge against His Majesty?
Meanwhile, thirty li outside Yuexi City.
Inside the Wei army's main camp, the lights were dim.
Sima Yi sat at his desk.
He also held an identical secret letter in his hand.
The flickering candlelight cast a long shadow over him.
His eyes were filled with sinister calculation.
"My lord, what is the masked man's true intention in doing this?"
The general standing to the side bowed and asked.
His tone was tinged with doubt: "He sent us a secret message."
"They've left another secret message for the Shu army; could it be that they're planning to reap the benefits without lifting a finger?"
Sima Yi gave a cold laugh.
He tossed the secret letter onto the table, his fingertips tracing the bronze tally of Sima on it.
His tone was icy: "Reap the benefits without lifting a finger?"
"He has big ambitions."
"They probably want to use my Cao Wei regime to create chaos in the south."
"Then seize control of southern China."
[Sima Yi's inner thoughts]: Liu Shan is implementing new policies in the south to win over the barbarians.
If he succeeds, the southern border of Shu Han will be impregnable.
If they want to take Shu again in the future, it will be as difficult as ascending to heaven.
"The masked man wants to incite conflict between the Yi and Han people, which suits my purposes perfectly."
Sima Yi raised his eyes, his gaze sharp as a knife.
He gave a stern order to the general: "Pass on my command."
"Send a team of scouts, disguised as barbarians, to infiltrate Yuexi City."
"They secretly spread rumors that the Shu army was going to annex the Yi tribes."
"The decree to abolish autonomy must also be abolished."
"In addition, closely monitor the masked man's movements."
"Report any unusual behavior from him immediately."
"Yes, sir!"
The general responded and withdrew.
Inside the large tent, Sima Yi stood alone.
Looking at the secret letter on the table, a cold smile curled at the corner of his lips.
Sima Yi sneered inwardly: Liu Shan, a masked man.
While you scheme against each other, I will sit back and watch the tigers fight.
Wait until you both suffer heavy losses.
The southern regions and Shu will both fall into the hands of Cao Wei.
As night deepened, Yuexi City was bustling with activity.
Dong Jue led his soldiers to carefully examine the corpses outside the city gate.
The body was dressed in black, and its face was disfigured, making it impossible to identify.
Only the gold-patterned Wei token in his hand was exactly the same as the one in the masked man's hand.
"General, look here."
A soldier crouched down and pointed to the corpse's wrist.
His tone was urgent: "There's a strange mark on his wrist."
"It's like some kind of totem."
Dong Jue bent down to examine it closely.
On the inside of the corpse's wrist, there was a small, snake-like totem.
The engraving is very deep, clearly a mark left from wearing some kind of keepsake over the years.
[Dong Jue's heart stirred]: This totem.
It was neither owned by Cao Wei soldiers nor was it a totem of the southern Yi people.
Could it be a mark of the faction to which the masked man belongs?
"Draw this totem immediately and send it to General Li."
Dong Jue gave the order in a deep voice.
"Also, search the body more carefully to see if there are any other clues."
Meanwhile, Meng Huo returned to his tribal camp.
The tribespeople were gathered together, looking flustered and discussing amongst themselves.
"Chief, I heard that the Shu army is going to back out."
"They want to take our land and then levy our taxes!"
"Yes, Chief, someone just said that."
"General Li has already sent people to count the population of the tribes."
"They're probably going to treat us like slaves!"
Meng Huo's face darkened, and he shouted sternly, "Shut up!"
"What utter nonsense are you spouting!"
The clansmen, stopped by his rebuke, all lowered their heads.
Yet, he still couldn't hide the unease in his heart.
Meng Huo took a deep breath and stepped forward.
His tone softened, yet carried an undeniable firmness: "His Majesty's words are law."
"We have promised our tribe autonomy and tax exemption for three years, and we will never go back on our word!"
"Those rumors were deliberately spread by the masked man."
"The goal is to sow discord between us and Shu Han."
"Let's kill each other!"
[Meng Huo was secretly furious]: The masked man is so insidious!
They dared to secretly spread rumors and sow discord between the Han and the barbarians.
If I catch him, I will tear him to pieces!
"From this day forward, the spread of rumors is strictly prohibited."
Meng Huo gave a stern order, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.
"Anyone who dares to spread rumors again will be dealt with according to tribal rules!"
"In addition, send people to patrol the camp closely."
"If anyone is found to be suspicious, arrest them immediately!"
"yes!"
The clansmen responded in unison, and their unease gradually dissipated.
But Meng Huo knew the truth.
Once rumors start spreading, they are very difficult to quell completely.
Since the masked man dared to spread rumors, he must have other plans.
He turned around and looked towards the city gate tower.
He made a silent resolution: whatever the masked man's scheme may be.
I must protect my tribe and the South.
I will never betray His Majesty's trust.
At this moment, in a dark alley in Yuexi City.
A dark figure stood silently; it was the masked man.
He removed his mask, revealing a blurry face.
Only the eerie light in his eyes stood out starkly in the night.
He was toying with the jade pendant bearing the character "Liu" in his hand.
A sinister smile curled at the corner of his lips as he murmured, "Liu Shan, Li Hui, Meng Huo..."
"The game has only just begun."
After saying that, he put the mask back on.
With a flash, he disappeared into the depths of the dark alley.
Hidden in the corner behind him was a Wei scout disguised as a barbarian.
Seeing the masked man leave, he immediately turned around.
They sped off towards the outskirts of the city.
On the city tower, Li Hui received a totem portrait sent by Dong Jue.
Looking at the snake-shaped totem, his expression instantly turned serious.
[Li Hui suddenly realized]: This totem seems familiar...
Yes, His Majesty was in Yong'an Palace back then.
A mysterious force was mentioned before.
Their tokens bear similar totems!
Just then, a personal guard rushed over.
He knelt on one knee, his expression panicked: "General! Something terrible has happened!"
"Some members of Chief Meng's tribe believed the rumors."
"A dispute arose with the Shu soldiers, and they even came to blows!"
Li Hui was startled.
The totem image in his hand fell to the ground.
coming!
The masked man's conspiracy has finally begun.
Without a second thought, he turned and sped off toward Meng Huo's tribal camp.
There was only one thought in my mind: I must never let the Han and the barbarians turn against each other.
His Majesty's new policies in the South must not be ruined!
Meanwhile, outside the city was the Wei army's main camp.
Sima Yi received a report from the scouts.
Upon learning that a dispute had broken out in Yuexi City, a smug smile appeared on his lips.
He raised his hand and ordered the general beside him, "Pass down the order."
"The entire army is on high alert, awaiting the outbreak of chaos within the city."
"Send troops immediately and capture Yuexi City in one fell swoop!"
Dark as ink.
The lights of Yuexi City swayed uncertainly in the feng shui.
It seemed as if it could go out at any moment.
The conflict between the Yi and Han people has begun, and the masked man is nowhere to be found.
The Wei army was eyeing them covetously.
An even greater crisis is quietly approaching.
No one noticed the totem image that Li Hui had dropped.
A tiny fragment of jade pendant quietly fell to the ground.
It was a fragment of the Liu-character jade pendant in the masked man's hand.
Under the candlelight, it gleamed with a faint and eerie cold light.
[End of Chapter]