Xun Zhen secretly let out a sigh of relief at those words.
He could also see that Chu Yao was the leader among Shen Tang's retainers. As long as he was willing to step forward and shoulder the blame, the matter was basically settled. As for whether acting first and reporting later would displease Lord Shen, that was also a small test for Xun Zhen.
In Lord Shen's heart, which mattered more—the lives of the commoners inside the pass, or five thousand taels of gold?
Someone who became so obsessed with worldly possessions that he lost his heart of benevolence could not be a benevolent lord, a wise lord, or the lord he was seeking.
Perhaps because they had seen a glimmer of hope, the atmosphere in the tent changed from its earlier grim heaviness and murderous tension to one of ease and cheer. Chu Jie even brought out several jars of his treasured wine. The so-called treasured wine was actually military supplies sent from Longwu Commandery's administrative seat.
With the exception of a few oddballs, Literary Scholars and Martial Gall Warriors all had excellent alcohol tolerance. Several jars were not enough to get them drunk.
Chu Jie was also flying the banner of thanking Xun Zhen and celebrating his successful return inside the pass, so Xun Zhen naturally found it difficult to refuse.
"The conditions in the army are crude. I can only impose on you, sir."
Xun Zhen returned the courtesy. "You flatter me."
The moment he took a drink, he realized something was wrong.
It was not that the wine was inferior—
On the contrary, it was absolutely the finest wine Xun Zhen had ever tasted. The reason he said it had "something wrong with it" was purely that its effects were extremely similar to those of