TKTWC 19

Chapter 19

The Men of the Liu Family**

Her identity as a woman had been exposed.

That was Liu Yi’s first thought—her entire being clenched in an instant.

When had it happened? They’d barely crossed paths in Yuyang, and she’d avoided him throughout the march. There was no reason for him to know.

Had someone betrayed her? Apart from her parents, Xiao Shan, and a few elders of the clan, no one knew she was a woman.

Wait—perhaps it was his father, Liu Yu.

Governor Liu had once asked Liu Yu to write a letter of recommendation to Kong Rong, hoping Kong Rong would take her as a student.

Concerning Liu Yu’s reputation and Liu Yi’s future, Governor Liu couldn’t hide her gender—he told Liu Yu directly that he was recommending his beloved daughter.

In ancient times, letters rarely mentioned women’s names. In theory, Liu Yu might not have known that the beloved daughter he recommended was named “Liu Yi.”

Could he have told Liu He, and Liu He figured it out himself?

After all, their family truly did not have a second child.

In just a few seconds, countless possibilities flashed through Liu Yi’s mind.

No, wait…

“What’s wrong? Embarrassed?” Liu He stripped off his pants without a care, even turning to show Liu Yi. “How about—I help you?”

Looking at his inexplicable pride, Liu Yi slowly sorted out her thoughts.

No, she was overthinking.

If Liu He had known she was a woman, he would have confronted her the moment she entered his tent—she was alone and vulnerable, with no ground to stand on, and would have been completely at his mercy.

There would have been no need to negotiate with official positions and promises of a future.

Liu Yi’s clenched fists slowly relaxed, her right hand subtly pressing against the dagger hidden in her sleeve.

As long as her identity remained concealed, she still had room to fight back.

“The first time is always a bit uncomfortable.” Liu He narrowed his eyes and slowly approached her. “As long as you—”

Before he could finish, the tent flap was suddenly thrown open.

Before anyone could see who it was, a large black lump was thrown in from outside, arcing through the air and landing squarely between them.

The black thing had a faint flicker of flame on it. Liu He, with his military instincts, reacted quickly—he kicked it, trying to send it flying.

But the thing was soft and mushy. Liu He’s kick didn’t send it flying—his shoe sank straight into it.

The flames burst open with a crackling pop, then splattered everywhere with a series of wet thuds!

“Enemy attack! Prepare for battle!” Liu He no longer had time for Liu Yi. He shouted, grabbed the long sword propped against the side, and ran out bare-assed.

Pandemonium erupted outside.

The resting soldiers, hearing the command, scrambled to arm themselves, donning armor and grabbing weapons. They formed up and lit torches as men shouted and horses neighed.

Liu Yi knew this was her chance to escape.

She crouched low and slipped out of the tent. By the firelight outside, she glanced back at the black lump that had been kicked everywhere.

A big lump of lit fresh cow dung…

She recalled from chemistry class that cow dung contained a large amount of plant fiber—it could be lit on fire, would explode, could even be used to generate electricity, and when burned, it gave off a grassy, fragrant smell.

Liu Yi was certain no enemy would air-drop lit cow dung into the commander’s tent. So there was no need to worry about a real fight tonight.

She kept her head down, pretending to be a soldier busily preparing for battle, and made her way to the quieter supply area in the rear. Along the way, she kept hearing shouts of “Master He was attacked while taking a dump!” or “An enemy crapped on him!”

She passed two old oxen that had been unharnessed from the grain carts and were grazing leisurely. She nodded at them in thanks.

But of course, old oxen didn’t air-drop their own dung… someone was helping her.

Who? Who in Liu He’s camp would be on her side?

Liu Yi deliberately slowed her pace and wandered around the less crowded areas.

After a while, the commotion from the camp subsided—no enemy had been found. Then she noticed heavy, slow footsteps approaching from behind.

She turned and saw a massive, mountain-like man.

To be fair, Liu He had a decent build by modern standards—about 1.78 meters tall, and quite sturdy from years of martial training.

But compared to this man, Liu He looked like a scrawny chicken.

The man was nearly two meters tall, with a broad back and a bear-like waist. He wore the same military uniform, sleeves rolled up, revealing forearms thicker than Liu Yi’s thighs—muscular, with prominent veins.

He had thick brows and large eyes, and though his face was expressionless, he seemed to radiate a killing intent.

Not to mention the rusted battle-axe hanging at his waist. If Liu Yi hadn’t known he was most likely the one who had just saved her, she would have run for her life as well.

“…I’ve seen you before!” Liu Yi slowly recalled. “You helped me move the grain, didn’t you? Are you one of Liu He’s men?”

That day at the market, she had collected a lot of grain. By nightfall, the piles were so heavy that even the yamen runners couldn’t move them. This man appeared out of nowhere and single-handedly pushed the cart. That was why Liu Yi remembered him so clearly.

It was just that there had been too many people that day, and the light was dim—she hadn’t gotten a good look at his face. She had wanted to get to know him once they reached the government office, but he had disappeared.

Such a powerful and imposing man—once seen, he was hard to forget.

The man didn’t answer. He just frowned at her.

Liu Yi quickly realized she was being rude and cupped her fists in salute.

“Thank you for saving me! I apologize for my rudeness—please don’t be offended!”

“No need for thanks. It was nothing.” The man was indeed the one who had helped her. His voice was gruff and deep.

He pulled two fruits from his bosom, tossed one to Liu Yi, and leaned against a tree himself.

His movements were casual and unrestrained—like a wanderer who lived by the edge of a blade.

“Actually, I was a bit late. The cow patty was too fresh and wet—took forever to light.” He complained about the cow dung while taking big bites of the fruit.

Liu Yi: “…”

“You seem like a sharp person, but you’re completely unguarded out here.” He finished the fruit in two bites and tossed the core to the old ox nearby. “That Master He clearly has ill intentions toward you, and you still went to see him at night.”

“I didn’t expect him to be such a pervert…” Liu Yi said, then suddenly felt like she’d heard these words before.

More than once.

Her father had told her to stay away from Liu He—even Sister Sun had warned her!

They all knew Liu He was no good, and had specifically warned her. Could it be…

“You all knew Liu He likes men?! He and Young Master Tian are—that kind of relationship?!” she blurted out.

The man gave her a complicated look. The answer was self-evident.

Liu Yi nearly spat blood.

She prided herself on being well-read and knowledgeable, but she truly hadn’t noticed that Liu He and Young Master Tian had that kind of relationship!

Now that she thought about it, the two were inseparable—eating together, sleeping together, exchanging glances—it was very suspicious!

No wonder even Sister Sun had noticed, and her husband had scolded her for saying something “disrespectful” to Liu Yi.

At the time, she’d thought it was strange—it was clearly a kind reminder. What was disrespectful about it?

“The men of the Liu family…” Liu Yi couldn’t help but curse under her breath.

If she had known about Liu He’s proclivities, she would have prepared accordingly!

Seeing the camp returning to order and the torches gradually going out, Liu Yi knew their time for chatting was limited. She quickly asked the question that mattered most to her.

“May I ask for your esteemed name, sir? And why would you risk so much to help me?”