Yun Chang POV

As the gates opened, a scholarly-looking woman walked out. She didn’t wear armour, nor did she ride a horse, nor were there troops behind her. The feeling one got from her was that of an ordinary citizen.

“Bian Xi has been waiting for everyone for a long time now!” She spoke up first and saluted when she was about 10 paces away from us, “I am Bian Xi, the humble gatekeeper general of Sishui Pa.s.s.” She bowed when she finished.

“Ah, ah!” At this, I hurriedly saluted and bowed in return. “Umm, we’re…”

“Ah, I know who you all are already.” Bian Xi respectfully interrupted before I could finish and pointed at the open gates, “Come in first. Everything can else can wait till we’re in the city.”

I was stunned and turned to look at Wen Yuan on my left. Wen Yuan was also puzzled but she recovered soon enough.

“We’ll be troubling you then.” Wen Yuan said and began to slowly head inside the city.

“…” Lu Bu, who was on my right, didn’t say anything and also entered the city while she kept her eyes on Bian Xi.

“General Guan, let’s lead the carriage in.” Liao Hua reminded. I gripped the Green Dragon Crescent Blade in my hand and waved lightly behind me, before leading the rest of the convoy into the city.

Just as Liao Hua was about to catch up to me, Bian Xi suddenly straightened up and spoke to Liao Hua, “If I’m not wrong, you must be Liao Hua, the Registrar of Luoyang, right?”

Liao Hua stopped her horse, “Un, I used to be. But I’ve resigned.”

Liao Hua caught up to me when she finished. I’d thought that Bian Xi would continue with further questions but she didn’t say anything and followed us.

This Bian Xi person, what is the meaning of all this… Compared to Han Fu, I really can’t read her at all.

After we entered the pa.s.s and set down our belongings, we followed Bian Xi to the official residence in the pa.s.s.

The official residence was the same as always, and didn’t differ much from when we stayed here during the campaign on Dong Zhuo. The only thing that changed was that the people, and troops, seemed to be much less on the way in here.

“Please have a seat, everyone. We are currently experiencing some tough times. This small pa.s.s is different from Luoyang and Xingyang, our resources are scarce so please forgive my lacking reception.”

“No, we are uninvited guests to begin with so we are not in a position to make any demands.” I said as I gestured to Bian Xi. She nodded and entered the room with us,

I and Lu Bu sat at the head of both right and left, while Liao Hua, Wen Yuan, Hua Tuo, Gan Qing, and Mi Zhen followed behind and filled up the seats behind us.

“I’ve heard about you all already, whether it’s about Dongling Pa.s.s or Luoyang.” Bian Xi spoke up, as though she couldn’t hold it in anymore, just as our b.u.t.ts touched the cus.h.i.+ons.

Bian Xi’s straightforwardness shocked me. It was all the more surprising that she said so with a calm expression on her.

“If you know all that, then why did you invite us into the city?” Lu Bu ignored the signal I tried to send her and cut straight to the chase, “Could you be thinking of dealing with us like how Han Fu did?”

As she finished, Lu Bu swiftly raised her halberd while Wen Yuan and Liao Hua became alert as well.

“…” At this show of might, Bian Xi did not reply immediately. Instead, she raised her cut of tea and took a sip before she replied, “We are facing an extraordinarily tough situation here as most of the troops and resources have been sent to the frontlines who badly need what they can get. All that I have left are about 500 frail and older troops.”

“…” In that case, what is it that you are planning to do? I silently pondered and didn’t verbalise my doubts. Perhaps I wasn’t too keen on learning the answer.

In any case, the atmosphere in the residence now was extremely awkward. Whether it was me or the others, everyone had their suspicions. Only Hua Tuo wasn’t on guard, and Gan Qing was busy tending to Mi Zhen, who didn’t know what was going on and was falling asleep from sitting down.

“Since you’re being rather friendly with us, can we a.s.sume you intend to allow us to cross the pa.s.s?” Finally, Liao Hua asked the question that was on our minda.

“You all have neither a personal letter from the Imperial Chancellor nor a permit so there is no way you can cross. This is something that cannot be waved away.” Bian Xi’s reply was much like the ones before, and she delivered it in a more resolute voice than the rest.

“Oi, stop…”

“Lord Lu Bu!” Seeing that Lu Bu was about to get enraged, I hurriedly stopped her. She seemed to understand where I was coming from and sat down thereafter.

We’ve made mistakes at Dongling Pa.s.s and at Luoyang. I really don’t want to make a 3rd mistake. I thought, and wrangled inside my mind for a while before I said the words I should have said from the very beginning, “Then if we should wait here, how soon can we acquire the permit?”

“Yun…” Wen Yuan wanted to interrupt me, but I placed my hand on her shoulder and lightly shook my head. She sighed, and decided to wait for Bian Xi’s reply.

“As soon as 3 days, as long as 10.”

10 days!

“You b.a.s.t.a.r.d…” Lu Bu stood up with a slight frown on her usually unperturbed face. It was clear that she was very angry from this alone.

“Speaking objectively, you lot have forcefully broken through 2 pa.s.ses and this has resulted in death and injury of key officials. There needs to be a thorough investigation by the relevant Imperial Court personnel who will have to consider the consequences before issuing you lot a permit.” Bian Xi spoke up, her expression unchanged despite facing an enraged Lu Bu.

However, the words she said next were even more disconcerting, “But even if you lot do get a permit. You’re all a bane to the Imperial Chancellor and I’m afraid I can’t let you all cross the pa.s.s. This is my personal view.”

When she finished, silence filled the room. Reflected in my eyes was Bian Xi drinking tea as she sat there and the horrific visage of a frowning Lu Bu.

As for me, I too was considering if I should resort to force.