The Ageless Dream

7.2 A Reason to Claim (26)

"Huang Zhao is ugly." Dong Li Hua smiled after saying this, staring at herself on the full-size mirror. She is wearing a light green wrap around skirt with white floral vine embroidered on her waistband, her arms and shoulder covered by a soft white blouse. It was like she is back during the Winter Solstice Banquet where she was just Ying Zheng's personal maid. The only difference is that its not made of treasured silk. However, it won't matter since she has something to wear.

Upon opening the door, Dong Li Hua froze on her spot. Huang Zhao is leaning on the wall across the door. He is crossing arms, an uneven smile spreading through his face. She is about to close the door shut but Huang Zhao reacted quickly and prevented the door from closing. Dong Li Hua can guess he heard what she kept muttering all the time since his face is as dark as coal.

"How- why did you enter my courtyard?!" she tried to find a fault but received a snort from him.

"This residence is given to me. I have all my rights to enter this place even without your permission." he coldly said. Dong Li Hua wanted to walk backwards; their face is quite close she can feel his warm minty breathing.

"So... You heard?" she glanced sideways, trying to ignore his deadly gaze.

"Everything." the corner of Huang Zhao's eye twitched from annoyance. "Do I resemble a monkey that much?"

"You want me to be honest?" she meekly asked but after seeing his glare, she shrank back. "Did I ever mention your name?"

"A hundred time."

"Oh. Ha ha ha..." Dong Li Hua let out an awkward laugh. She is trapped without knowing what to do. "It's getting late. We should go now and not delay the weapons for Qin." with her hands lying flat on his chest, she slowly pushed him to the side.

Huang Zhao watched her walk fast to get away from him again. Though he is annoyed from her chants in her bedchamber, he felt it is amusing to have someone like her kept as a company. "If she knows the true me, let's see if she dares to tell I look like a monkey!"

Inside the carriage, Dong Li Hua wrung her handkerchief out of nervousness. The ugly monkey is sitting across her, watching her every move.

"Hey, stupid woman." Huang Zhao suddenly called out. She raised her head and her face darkened seeing his smirk. Why did she react when she called her stupid woman?!

"Yes, Sir General?" this ugly monkey. Dong Li Hua screamed in her head as she kept a faint smile on her face.

"I thought of something. It is related to the war against Zhao State. If you agree, the bracelet will be yours in less than a month." Huang Zhao propped his cheek on top of his palm, gazing at Dong Li Hua in a lazy way as usual.

"Really?" her mood turned better. In less than a month, she will leave this era!

"En. You'll do anything for it, right?"

"Of course, I do!" Dong Li Hua nodded profusely. She looked like a child who just received a bag of sweetened fruits.

"Here is the plan. We are going to lure Zhao State to focus on another thing to waste their time before the war in order to produce enough weapon for the soldiers. In less than a month, I'll give the bracelet but as an exchange, you should act as General Meng Tian's lover. The Zhao State set their eyes on me and Senior Meng for possible weaknesses. We can only come up with this plan to fool them." Huang Zhao slowly spoke but after he finished, the girl across him is about to spit fire on his face. If looks can kill, he would have died for the thousandth time already because she kept throwing murderous looks towards Huang Zhao in their whole silence.

"General Meng Tian? Who is he?" she asked after calming her raging heart. She had wanted to escape her arranged marriage and now Huang Zhao is trying to pair her with another guy she doesn't know? Who does he think he is? Her father?!

"The general yesterday. He is a handsome man anyway though he is not the sort of feminine guy that most women favor. Don't worry, its just an act. Moreover, he agreed yesterday night." Huang Zhao smiled seeing her twisted expression. He really had the urge to laugh at her as a revenge for comparing him to a monkey.

"But...but he is older than me in eight years or so! Isn't it obvious its a ploy? He has a wife, no?" Dong Li Hua started to come up with a spiraling logic and excuses. Since Huang Zhao shook his head, that means Meng Tian has no wife and her plan will succeed. "See? If they were to know he is at- at his twenty-fifth age without a concubine nor wife, wont Zhao State see through your plan? General Meng Tian survived his teens without a woman to serve him, what's more now that he is twenty-five?"

"You are right." he nodded solemnly then came up with a solution. "Its unfortunate General Meng Tian's younger brother, General Meng Yi; is not here. He is only three years ahead than you. However, I am good enough. Our age is not that far anyway."

"What? You?" she raised a brow from his proclamation. "Wait, why are we doing this again?"

"To prepare a show that Zhao State will believe. General Meng Tian and I have the same rank and Zhao State is looking for our weaknesses. There are spies sent here in Xinzheng that we are monitoring. By passing the wrong message, we can cover up the production of crossbows and dagger spears. While the spies are staring at us, they won't know Qin army's strength spiked up." he enthusiastically explained the plan he came up with from yesterday.

"So basically, I'll be a bait?!" Dong Li Hua nearly coughed up blood.

"Mhmm. The two of us will be a bait. I planned adding a fake wedding too so Zhao State's doubts will dissipate." with that being said, Dong Li Hua gulped down as blood tricked from her lips. She doesn't want to die young! Wuwu o(╥﹏╥)o.