Xie De had come to the enemy camp alone. It would have been a lie to say he wasn't under tremendous pressure.
But after going over everything yesterday, he had realized that the current situation offered him no chance of escape whatsoever. Cooperation was his only way to find a way out.
Seeing the rebels along the grain supply route today had only made him more certain that escape was impossible.
"I've heard much about you."
The bearded general replied with the same words.
The camp was very dark, perhaps because the tents were packed so tightly together. Wounded soldiers sat wherever they pleased on the grass. Several pots of water boiled outside a few tents, bubbling and sending steam into the air.
The horse was restless, lowering its head and snorting.
The bearded general personally tied the horse to a post, then warmly invited Xie De into his tent to negotiate.
It was even darker inside the tent. A single kerosene lamp burned, its dim light illuminating a space that reeked of decay.
Ever since entering the camp, Xie De had felt everyone watching him. Their eyes never wavered, following his back all the way into the tent.
Okay, calm down. Take a deep breath. Relax.
Xie De sat stiffly to one side and listened as the bearded general rambled about anything and everything. He used all the pretty phrases politicians loved, without ever getting around to what he actually wanted.
At one point, Orion came in to make a report, only to be sent away by the bearded general. Then another round of exaggerated chatter began.
"Your Excellency, Viscount, I'm a simple man. I don't know how to read any of those books or newspapers. I hear newspapers and such have become quite popular lately. All those cultured