Chapter 133: Making an Example of the Monkey

"I haven't had my fill yet! What kind of big deal is this that they can't even stay for a moment?"

Lifei Yuanli grumbled as he climbed out of bed, pulling on a robe over his bare body, his tone dripping with resentment.

However, the moment he stepped outside and saw Li Siye's personal guards, that dissatisfaction vanished instantly. He wasn't foolish enough to offend his superior over two foreign women, even if they were rare beauties.

"Garrison Commander, my apologies. They must be sent away immediately. These are the Commander’s direct orders."

"Fine, send them away then. I just wonder what on earth happened with them?" Lifei Yuanli had a vague inkling that something was wrong, but he lacked the details. The two women only spoke their native tongue, making communication impossible, so he couldn't have asked them anything anyway.

"Don't ask. I don't know either. If you want to know, go find the Commander yourself."

The guards kept their faces stony, offering no room for negotiation and lacking their usual lighthearted banter. It was no joke; when the Commander issued the order, his rage had nearly set the room on fire. How could they be expected to be in any better mood? To keep prying would be an invitation to death.

Soon, the two women were shoved into a covered carriage, its curtains drawn tight to block out the world. The setup made Lifei Yuanli realize something: were they being silenced? He chewed on the thought, catching a bitter taste.

"Fine, I will go with you to see the Commander."

To his surprise, the guards rejected even this small request, blocking his path without a shred of hesitation.

"If the Garrison Commander wishes to see the Commander, go ahead on your own. We have our duties to attend to and cannot wait upon you. Farewell."

In the dead of night, the carriage was driven in a different direction, which only confirmed Lifei Yuanli’s suspicion. They were surely heading to some secluded spot to finish them off. Naturally, the fewer people who knew about such things, the better. Recalling the pleasures of the previous night, he felt a twinge of regret.

"General, shall I go find some other women in the camp for you?" one of his subordinates suggested with a fawning smile.

The flattery clearly missed the mark. Lifei Yuanli waved him off impatiently. "What time do you think this is? Stop your prattling! Keep the men in line; tell everyone to behave themselves and stay in the camp. Don't go out looking for trouble."

After settling his subordinates, he hurried to Li Siye’s residence at the city gate. For days, the Commander had stayed here, keeping a constant watch on the city’s movements to react swiftly to any emergency.

"Are they gone?" Li Siye asked the moment he saw him.

Lifei Yuanli did not dare delay, quickly bowing and cupping his hands. "Yes, I have followed your orders. They have been handed over. No one saw a thing."

Li Siye shot him a cold glare. "It is their good fortune that no one saw. The rest is for Liu Wulang to handle. You, too—there are some things better left unknown. Put your energy into drilling the troops. This is enemy territory; we cannot afford the slightest negligence, or none of us might make it home."

"Yes, sir," Lifei Yuanli replied, his bravado completely gone in the Commander's presence, answering with deep respect.

He thought the matter was concluded, but before he could excuse himself, a figure was dragged up to the ramparts. As the man drew closer, he recognized him instantly: it was the Tang unit captain who had brought the women. The man’s armor was in disarray, he was bound tightly, and a cloth was stuffed into his mouth.

Lifei Yuanli’s heart skipped a beat. This man was a trusted subordinate of Li Siye, a former personal guard who had only recently been promoted.

Li Siye watched as the captain approached and fell to his knees with a thud at his feet.

"Do not blame me. The implications are simply too great. If I let you live, your family might suffer for it later. It is better to make this quick; we shall report you as killed in action so that they may live in peace."

Li Siye pulled him up with both hands and removed the cloth from his mouth.

"Commander, I never meant to harm you! I only thought a woman might serve you well. I didn't know she was..."

"That is exactly why you deserve to die. As a palace guard, you didn't even know who was inside? You let a lowly palace maid brush you aside? And you dragged so many brothers into this! Tell me, how many more must I kill to suppress this matter?"

The captain, who was only half a head shorter than Li Siye, wept like a child, repeating, "I was wrong, I was wrong. I only beg that you do not implicate the others; they knew nothing."

Li Siye turned away and sighed. "You followed me back from Talas. Even in the perilous battles at Lianyun Fort, you didn't lose your life. It is my fault for assigning you to guard the palace. Go now. Your family will be taken care of by me."

"Thank you for your grace, Commander. If there is a next life, I shall serve you as an ox or a horse to repay this debt."

As he stood up, two guards pinned his body from front and back. The one in front replaced the cloth in his mouth and whispered, "Old Eight, forgive me. Don't struggle. It will be over soon."

With that, a short blade was driven swiftly into his ribcage. The captain’s neck went rigid, his eyes bulged, and he let out a guttural sound. His legs kicked uncontrollably as bright red blood soaked through the cloth, seeping out from the corners of his mouth. As the guard moved, the light in his eyes dimmed until it vanished entirely.

After a while, once the body had stopped twitching, the two men laid him on the ground. The guard in front checked for breath under his nose and stood up to report.

"Commander, he is gone."

"Hmm." After a long silence, Li Siye seemed to snap back to reality. "Dispose of the body. Tell the secretary in the camp that the killing of the Nepalese prince that day is to be credited to his name."

The two guards carried the corpse away. Lifei Yuanli had not yet recovered from the scene. A trusted subordinate who had been through life and death with him for so many years—killed just like that. Was he next? A chill crept up his spine, leaving him shivering.

He didn't even know the identity of the two women from yesterday. Why was Li Siye so furious, so decisive?

It was all so unjust!

Li Siye, however, seemed oblivious to his thoughts, staring into the distance. Under the dark night, the rolling mountains looked like a massive shadow merging into the twilight.

After a long time, his voice sounded again.

"You may go as well. If Wulang needs assistance with his tasks, you need not come to ask for my permission again. Do you understand?"

Lifei Yuanli bowed deeply to the tower-like figure. "I shall obey."

Descending from the ramparts, he was struck by the mountain wind, feeling chilled to the bone. Even his walk was unsteady; he missed the stirrup twice as he mounted his horse. The warning implicit in the encounter was blindingly clear.

And he was the monkey being used to frighten the chickens.