Qingzhu looked at him and said coldly, "If we stand on ceremony, we could stand here for ten days and still never meet Master Kongming."
"Either go set a fire, or we end our own lives here and now. That would still be better than going back to face Duke Jia's methods."
"Choose for yourselves."
Wutong and Silver Needle both shuddered. Without the slightest hesitation, they immediately ran to the rear courtyard to set a fire.
Inside the thatched hall.
Tongzi said angrily to Zhuge Liang, "Master, those three fellows outside don't look like good people. They call themselves Embroidered-Clothes Envoys and claim they've come on the Son of Heaven's orders to invite you into service."
"They certainly know how to boast."
Though it somewhat belittled Zhuge Liang, in all honesty, why would the Son of Heaven, supreme ruler of the realm, send people specifically to invite a nobody into service?
"Embroidered-Clothes Envoys? The Son of Heaven?"
Zhuge Liang's expression shifted slightly when he heard this. He had only seen the official post of Embroidered-Clothes Envoy in written records, and it had ceased to exist after Emperor Wu's reign.
Now it had actually reappeared in the world.
More importantly, how had the Son of Heaven learned of his existence, and why had he specifically dispatched Embroidered-Clothes Envoys to find him?
Even with Zhuge Liang's exceptional quickness of mind, this sudden development struck him as baffling, riddled with unanswered questions.
Could Liu Qi have sent people to test him?
Just then, Tongzi's expression suddenly changed. Tugging at Zhuge Liang's sleeve, he pointed outside the window and cried, "Fire, fire! There's a fire outside!"
Startled, Zhuge Liang looked in the direction he pointed.
At some point, thick smoke had begun billowing from the rear courtyard, with flames rising everywhere. The sight was