Rong Xu looked at me as though I had done something wrong.
I could tell from his eyes alone, hesitant, wary, searching for reassurance.
"Relax," I said calmly. "I needed to use more today because it's the first release. Over the next few days, the poison will compound in the water. Eventually, less than half a bucket will be required." I paused, watching the dark current swirl away. "And the wind speed is high. Higher dispersion demands higher dosage."
He frowned slightly. "Then… why did you tell General Renshu we only needed half a bucket?"
I disliked being questioned. Still, I understood his concern.
"I miscalculated," I replied evenly. "My apologies. I'll inform him later."
Rong Xu didn't look entirely convinced, but he nodded anyway. "Right… just be careful. If you use too much, it could cause problems."
I straightened as I rinsed the bucket thoroughly, making sure no residue clung to the metal. It was fortunate that there were no alternative water sources nearby. The Mongols had no choice. This river was their lifeline, and soon, their weakness.
"Well then," I said, setting the bucket aside. "Goodbye, Rong Xu. I'll see you again before dawn."
---
"You should have told me."
Renshu's voice was low, tired, but sharp beneath the fatigue.
I turned toward him, surprised by how suddenly he'd appeared. "Told you about what?"
"That entire explanation," he said. "The poisoning schedule. The fact that boiling won't neutralize it. You've never mentioned any of this before."
"Oh." I hesitated briefly. "It was never directly discussed. I didn't think it was important enough to—"
"You should have told me," he interrupted. His voice hardened. "You can't act on your own like this. Meilina, your decisions will lead to thousands of deaths. Don't—don't make choices without informing me. You can't.... you won't be able to handle the guilt—"
For a moment, I said nothing.
Then I nodded once. "Understood."
I left for my quarters without another word.
As I lay down later, staring at the rough fabric of the tent ceiling, confusion crept in. Why was he reacting this way now? He had agreed to the plan. He knew what poisoning a river meant, so why act paranoid now?
Was he hesitating?
Or worse, was he regretting it?
Either way, there was little time left. The poison had to be administered correctly, regardless of his discomfort. Yet that posed a problem. Rong Xu was observant. If he noticed inconsistencies, he might report them to Renshu.
I would need to be careful.
They saw a bucket of black resin and panicked. They didn't understand scale. For a river this vast, what I poured was barely sufficient.
Closing my eyes, I felt something unexpected, relief.
For weeks, I had planned and calculated, waited and worried. Now, finally, I was acting. The mission was nearing completion.
I longed for the Forbidden City. For warmth. For stillness.
If only the Mongols hadn't forced this upon us.
---
"Hello, Aryan," Rong Xu greeted awkwardly the following dawn. "How's the… uh, resin?"
"Stable," I replied, lifting the bucket slightly. "I'll be pouring roughly this amount today."
His brows rose. "That's… a full bucket again. Won't that cause issues?"
"Not at all," I said. "The river widens downstream. A moderate increase is necessary."
He hesitated. "But what if they grow too sick? What if they realize the water's poisoned and stop using it?"
"Rong Xu," I said coolly, "relax. Let me handle this. The poison originates from my country, I understand its behavior. The dosage will decrease once I confirm sufficient compounding." I met his eyes. "And the Mongols won't stop drinking the water. They'll boil it and continue."
He looked away, clearly uncomfortable.
As I poured the resin into the center of the river, he suddenly spoke again.
"Did you tell Sir Renshu… about using a full bucket twice a day?"
A sharp twinge ran through me.
If I told him the truth, he would tell Renshu. If I lied outright, the risk grew.
Still—
I had no choice.
"Rong Xu," I said quietly, "I haven't told General Renshu."
"What?" His head snapped toward me. "Why would you lie—"
I inhaled slowly. My voice wavered just enough to sound sincere.
"Sir Renshu is exhausted," I said cracking my voice. "He doesn't say it aloud, but you can hear it in him. I know it isn't my place to speak of this—I'm ranked far below him, but I can't deny it."
"Aryan," he said sharply, "what are you trying to say?"
"He feels guilty," I replied. "He won't admit it, but he does. He's too kind for this kind of warfare." My fingers tightened around the bucket's handle. "He understands strategy, but not deception like this. And... I don't want to burden him further."
"I—I understand," Rong Xu said slowly. "But you still shouldn't lie."
"Is it truly wrong," I asked softly, "if it ensures he can act without hesitation? This poison—this responsibility—I can bear it. So.... I'll take the blame, I'll feel the guilt and I'll finish the ugly work. Why should we place that weight on someone already carrying so much?"
He didn't answer immediately.
"If everything succeeds," I continued, "I promise I'll tell him. Once it's over. When there's peace. I'll take responsibility. I'll accept the blame." I swallowed. "But for now… let me do the bad work."
Silence stretched between us.
"Aryan," he said at last, conflicted, "it still feels wrong."
"Why?" I asked gently. "Because we're tricking Mongol soldiers into drinking poisoned water?"
"Yes," he admitted.
"If they aren't stopped," I said firmly, "they will kill us. They'll torture civilians, enslave families, burn villages. We didn't invade them. They came to us. Why should we mourn those who came to destroy us?"
He exhaled deeply, eyes flicking between me and the empty bucket.
"Alright," he said finally. "I won't tell him. But promise me, promise, that you'll tell him once this ends. That you won't keep lying."
"I promise," I said without hesitation.
He walked away slowly, shoulders tense.
I remained by the riverbank, watching the dark current carry the poison onward.
"Thank you, Rong Xu," I whispered.