My lord, spare his life!

Is this a self-inflicted injury ruse?

These five simple words kept echoing in Changsun Wang's mind.

He himself didn't realize that cold sweat had beaded on his forehead, and his pupils contracted involuntarily. Changsun Wang barely suppressed the turmoil Zhang Yang had stirred within him, biting his cheek hard: "Is my lord questioning my innocence without any evidence?"

A normal ruler wouldn't make such a direct statement.

From a normal person's perspective, Changsun Wang, having been captured and forced to submit to a new master, was in a state of extreme grief after his former master angrily killed his family and displayed their heads as a warning. Yet, his new master showed no pity and coldly questioned him about whether he still had ties to his former master. Regardless of whether Changsun Wang was a suspect, Zhang Yang's question would create an irreparable rift in their relationship.

However, Zhang Yang is an NPC, not a normal person.

She blinked slowly, trying to understand Changsun Wang's anger.

He calmly said, "I'm not doubting you; I'm seeking your verification to resolve this trust crisis between us with minimal cost and maximum efficiency. You only need to say, 'I'm innocent; this isn't a ploy,' and I'll believe you. I won't allow Xiuying and the others to question or doubt you. I'm rationally resolving the issue, while you're emotionally escalating the conflict. You're wrong."

Changsun Wang's expression froze.

Everyone: "..."

They were on tenterhooks when Zhang Yang went straight to the point—even if it was a ruse, they couldn't just ask directly, wouldn't asking Changsun Wang be alerting him? Even Lü Yuan coldly thought that Changsun Wang was completely ruined, and his life no longer needed to be protected.

Unexpectedly, things took a dramatic turn.

(Please remember the website 20 ...

Asking an innocent person to produce evidence to prove their innocence is an unbearable humiliation for anyone! If they were Changsun Wang at this moment, they would also doubt their own existence under such humiliation and questioning in their grief.

It's either a matter of giving up or being completely heartbroken!

They might ask the same questions as Changsun Wang.

Xiao Sui raised the knife-wielding fan to cover her eyes.

He concealed a satisfied, cold smile that curled at the corner of his mouth.

Why is the master she serves now so dull and illiterate?

The lord is too cunning; his talent for sophistry and psychological manipulation is simply too high. He could master it without even needing a teacher like Fan Shuyan, that pedantic Confucian scholar. Just look at Changsun Wang; he's not only choked to death by this, but he's probably furious inside.

"This humble general is innocent; this is not a ruse. Do you think my lord will believe me after I say this?" These words lingered on Changsun Wang's tongue for a long time before he finally uttered them clearly, though his tone was calm and strange, with a hint of sarcasm.

He naturally couldn't produce any evidence to prove his innocence.

But since Zhang Yang wanted to hear it, he did.

He wanted to see if Zhang Boyuan would believe, as she claimed, that they were all hypocrites with sanctimonious facades!

Zhang Yang blinked slowly to process the information.

"If you say no, I believe you." She reached out and placed her warm palm on Changsun Wang's cold arm, helping him up. Her naturally affectionate peach blossom eyes softened into gentle tears. "Communication is key. People have mouths to clear up unnecessary misunderstandings. If you're willing to speak, I'm willing to believe you. How can outsiders interfere and cause trouble between us? I know you must be filled with hatred and grief if Sun Zhao killed your blood relatives, but sharpening your axe before chopping wood is essential. Let's recover first before talking about revenge."

Changsun Wang froze, looking at Zhang Yang in disbelief.

He tried to see a hint of hypocrisy in Zhang Yang's eyes, but instead fell into a deep, clear pool, its depth invisible to the naked eye, yet enough to suck in one's very soul. Changsun Wang quickly looked away, concealing his inner turmoil by lowering his head and closing his eyes.

He's really going crazy.

Does that bastard Zhang Boyuan even remember who killed his mentor?

It's Zhang Boyuan!

Who broke his legs time and time again?

She's Zhang Boyuan's sycophantic adopted daughter!

So, how did she say that so seriously?

Suppressing the urge to grit his teeth, Changsun Wang tried his best to remain calm and take his leave. As soon as he left, the last trace of gentleness on Zhang Yang's face vanished instantly, replaced by his usual expressionless face.

Lu Yuan probed, "Does your godmother believe him?"

Zhang Yang half-closed her eyes, her tone flat: "Oh, I don't believe it. Do I look like that naive and easily fooled person?"

Changsun Wang's name was so prominent it was almost black.

In the game world, there's no need to be wary of green-named players, to keep your distance from yellow-named players, or to be prepared for battle when you see a red-named player. It's immediately clear who is harmless and who will hurt her. She doesn't need to discern, much less scheme or plot. But the real world is different. Humans are complex. A red-named player might not harm her at all, while a green-named player might be plotting to kill her. So what is trust?

As an NPC, she was unaware of this.

Trust is currently just a word she can say at will.

The crowd, unsure of the meaning of "naive and innocent," could guess from the context, and their lips twitched involuntarily—their lord's heartfelt words had even stirred their hearts, let alone those of Changsun Wang, who had been directly manipulated by Zhang Yang. Yet, the lord had turned around and said those words were all a lie. Did this mean that even their lord's future heartfelt confidants would be fake?

Zhang Yang was completely unaware of what the others were thinking.

I just wonder why they suddenly fell silent.

Xiao Sui broke the silence and clasped her hands in a gesture of respect to Zhang Yang.

"How does Your Majesty intend to deal with Changsun Wang?"

Changsun Wang was right about one thing: they indeed lacked evidence, but they couldn't afford to gamble. They couldn't risk themselves for someone like Changsun Wang who hadn't yet created any value. Xiao Sui and He Zhi, as strategists, both leaned towards the conclusion that Changsun Wang was suspicious. He had ample reason to betray them and showed no clear stance, so it was normal for them to be suspected.

Zhang Yang blinked: "What punishment?"

Xiao Sui: "..."

Zhang Yang blinked, puzzled: "I do trust Changsun Wang, but this is a sensitive time. Why use Changsun Wang now? Let him continue to recuperate, not communicate with any suspicious people, not be involved in military affairs, have no command authority, and not be able to lead troops to defend the front. Even if he winks and makes eye contact with Sun Zhaoruo until his eyes twitch, he cannot pose a threat to our army."

Is any special handling required?

Isn't it a kind and considerate act for her to let the wounded general recuperate?

Zhang Yang was puzzled and couldn't understand Xiao Sui's human logic.

Xiao Sui: "..."

Everyone: "..."

"I've already spoken frankly with Changsun Wang, and he should understand the difficulty of not being able to fight and make merit for the time being. Although I can't take revenge myself, I can capture the person alive and let him kill him. As long as he kills him with his own hands, it doesn't matter whether he captures him himself or not."

This is also one of the advantages of playing a straight shot.

Zhang Yang didn't need to worry that deliberately leaving Changsun Wang idle would offend him. He could also openly exclude him during the campaign against Sun Ban without any complaints. Apart from being too shy to speak up, Zhang Yang couldn't think of any downsides to being direct.

Xiao Sui took a deep breath: "Isn't my lord worried that he might have ulterior motives?"

What if one day someone suddenly stabs her in the back?

Other warlords are thinking about how to win over the people, but our lord is doing the opposite. Fan You would be furious if he knew.

Lawyer Yuan knows the answer to this question.

Her adoptive mother, like her, only cared about her body, not her true feelings.

Changsun Wang, enduring the pain in his leg, returned to his tent, his face ashen. Inside, besides him, only the maid who had narrowly escaped death remained. The maid was a child his widowed mother had taken in, and just as Zhang Yang and the others suspected, this maid was indeed on a mission.

After days of living in fear, she burst into tears whenever she saw Changsun Wang. In private, when no one was around, she took out a letter from her widowed mother, or rather, a will, from a pocket sewn into her undergarment. Upon hearing it was a will, Changsun Wang froze, completely stunned. The few lines of text on the letter swirled in his mind, each word striking him with force and conviction, making his very soul tremble.

The maidservant nearly collapsed to the ground, weeping bitterly: "That night, someone came to the house, and the old lady learned that the young master was not dead, but had betrayed Lord Zhaoruo and surrendered to the traitor Zhang. The old lady was filled with shame and rage, wishing to die. The person who came asked to borrow the old lady's head, and she agreed on the spot. Before hanging herself, she wrote this letter, instructing me to deliver it to the young master. Young master, young master, what should we do?"

What can Changsun Wang do?

His world has collapsed into ruins.

A chill that penetrated to the very soul enveloped him, making it impossible for him to breathe in fresh air, no matter how hard he tried. The intense feeling of suffocation turned his face blue and purple. He knew that everything the maid had said was true, and he also knew that his widowed mother was strong-willed and capable of such things, which was why the sharp accusations in the letter had left him speechless.

The maid had served the old lady for many years; she was more like an adopted daughter than a maid, and she also had a sibling-like relationship with Changsun Wang. Helplessly, she tugged at Changsun Wang's robe and wept: "The old lady... perhaps she didn't want to die, but she was too proud to accept criticism from outsiders, and even less able to tolerate flaws. In a fit of anger..."

The old lady was known in the neighborhood for her fiery temper.

She considered her eldest grandson Wang her life's pride, and everyone in the neighborhood admired her for raising him well. If Changsun Wang were disloyal and unjust, her perfection would be tarnished, and she would lose her footing. Faced with powerful figures demanding accountability, and with the pillar of her family, who could support her, trapped in enemy territory, how could this powerless old woman possibly escape this predicament? In her eyes, it was a dead end.

Changsun Wang wiped away tears: "Couldn't they just fake his death? Did they have to use my mother's head? I don't believe they can't make it look real!"

Upon reading his widowed mother's letter, in which she said she would curse her soul to never find peace after death if he did not repent, Changsun Wang was filled with grief and indignation. He hated Zhang Yang, but he hated the ruthless Sun Ban even more!

The maid covered her face and sobbed.

The two were almost in tears.

Before he could calm down, Zhang Yang called Changsun Wang over and gave him a straight punch. Changsun Wang, still dazed, dragged his still-healing legs back. The maid, still shaken, wanted to help but didn't know how, standing there helplessly.

He murmured, "I don't know what to do either."

Nothing has been done yet, and nothing can be done.

When Zhang Boyuan questioned him, he was terrified.

Even though he numbly said, "This humble general is innocent; this is not a ruse," he knew the situation was bad. Zhang Boyuan might not be as ruthless as Sun Ban, but he was no saint either, and would definitely keep a close watch on him.

The maid cried, "My poor, wretched young lord."

In other words, they won't follow the big shot's plan at all.

The bigwigs were planning to have the widow's head displayed in public. Changsun Wang, filled with grief and indignation, volunteered to lead the troops to attack Sun Ban. Zhang, seeing this situation, was certainly happy to see it happen, so he let Changsun Wang, who was familiar with the layout of Dou County, lead the troops to fight against his former comrades.

Changsun Wang only needs to betray him at the crucial moment.

For example, if Zhang Yang's troops were lured into a pre-set trap, Sun Ban's troops, having rested and ready, could inflict heavy losses on Zhang Yang's forces.

Changsun Wang's widowed mother hanged herself, and then used such resolute words to pressure him not to let her death be in vain. Even if Changsun Wang refused, he would still obey his widow's dying wish. After it was done, was Changsun Wang completely ruined? It doesn't matter.

Thinking of this, the maid burst into tears.

Changsun Wang tried to move the corners of his mouth, but couldn't utter any words of comfort.

He truly had a hard life.

I wish I could just cut my own throat and end it all.

He wouldn't have to face the shameless Zhang Boyuan, nor the ruthless Sun Zhaoruo. Even if his mother was extremely disappointed in him, he could at least die and then apologize to her, which was better than living in this world and being tormented by these two.

"Oh, I see."

Zhang Yang crouched at a great distance, watching the conversation between Changsun Wang and his maid appear on the map channel, and thus understood what had happened. Ge Zhou didn't have such strong hearing, but she had already used the pretext of patrolling to hide her head in the tent next to Changsun Wang's while Changsun Wang was being transferred by the lord. At this moment, she was following the lord as a headless person, both of them crouching furtively.

Even without a head, Ge Zhou could still speak through his belly button.

This is also one of Xia Gengshi's abilities—even without a head, she can use her breasts as eyes and her navel as a mouth.

Ge Zhou even deliberately didn't wear a breastplate, and his undergarment had two holes cut out.

Zhang Yang: "...Sun Zhaoruo is a ruthless person."

A low, muffled sound came from Ge Zhou's navel.

"This humble general never imagined she would do this..."

After reuniting with her family, they chattered on and on about how much they admired and revered Sun Ban, showering him with every accolade imaginable. Now, witnessing the tragedy of Changsun Wang firsthand, she belatedly felt fear.

Zhang Yang said calmly, "If I hadn't taken your family away beforehand, they might have been the ones who paid for the head that Sun Zhaoruo borrowed."

Ge Zhou replied in a low voice, "My lord's kindness to me is as heavy as a mountain."

The headless corpse of Xia Geng couldn't hide its thoughts, so she asked, "Why didn't my lord take Changsun Wang's family with him as well?"

After all, Changsun Wang was also a surrendered general.

Zhang Yang said, "Oh, you can't take it with you. Your two families live in different places. Your family lives in the slums, while Changsun Wang lives in the heavily guarded city center. His mentor is a relative of Sun Ban, can't he at least get a nice house for his good disciple to live in?"

It's not easy for someone who infiltrates to bring the target out.

Whether there's one more or one less family in the slums, who cares?

Before Changsun Wang went to war with his mentor, the latter had specifically asked someone to take care of his disciple's widowed mother. How could he sneak her out like this?

Zhang Yang said, "I didn't expect Sun Ban to be so ruthless."

They actually drove the widowed mother of one of their former subordinates to her death.

Zhang Yangrui commented: "He's even less human than I am."

Ge Zhou was silent for a while: "I entrusted myself to the wrong person before, and I never knew that I would follow such a heartless scoundrel."

I despise my past self before I lost my memory!

? ?|??w?`)

Zhang Yangna is actually a self-taught PUA (Pick-Up Artist) practitioner; don't be led astray!