nycdaug Chapter 189 Warmth in the Study
Chapter 189 Warmth in the Study
[The first 182 chapters are now being completed, so you can start reading now!]
After Yu Feng was taken away by the soldiers, the military camp returned to calm. The generals who had just joined Yu Feng in the rebellion were also taken away and placed under strict guard by General Chang's orders.
The young military supervisor stood tall and straight, his gaze shifting slightly to the frightened imperial envoy: "Please continue reading the imperial edict, Your Excellency."
Upon hearing this, the imperial envoy's eyes flickered. Seeing the other party's calm and composed demeanor, his heart, which had been pounding wildly for the sake of the treacherous minister, gradually calmed down.
The imperial envoy repeatedly said, "Lord Zheng is right."
He looked at General Chang: "Chang Wei, receive the imperial decree!"
General Chang paused slightly, but quickly stepped forward and knelt down.
"Fengtian Chengyun Emperor, the imperial edict said:
The commander of the Zhenhong Army has violated laws and regulations; he is hereby stripped of all his titles and ranks and handed over to the Ministry of Justice for severe investigation. General Chang Wei is hereby appointed as the new commander of the Zhenhong Army, in charge of all military affairs. He is to immediately reorganize the troops and wipe out the remaining rebels. You must strive to fulfill this important responsibility; if you fail in your duty, military law will not forgive you. So be it!
General Chang bowed respectfully towards the capital, saying, "Your subject Chang Wei thanks Your Majesty for your great favor."
General Chang stood up after receiving the imperial edict from the imperial envoy.
Now that he is the commander of the Zhenhong Army, the imperial envoy changed his disdain for Yu Feng and said to Chang Wei with a smile: "The general's promotion this time is not only due to his many years of hard work and merits, but also thanks to Lord Zheng for speaking up for the general in front of His Majesty, so that he was not taken advantage of by the traitorous general."
General Chang realized that Emperor Jian'an, who was far away in the capital, knew of such a nobody as him and even personally appointed him as the commander-in-chief. It turned out that Zheng Hao was helping him.
Turning to look at the young military supervisor, Zheng Hao showed no arrogance and said to General Chang with a calm expression, "General, your wisdom and resourcefulness in fighting against the Red-Clad Army and your outstanding achievements are well known throughout the camp. Even if I were not to praise your achievements, the position of commander-in-chief would still belong to you."
General Chang knew that this was not the case. Without the other party's help, Emperor Jian'an would most likely send a new commander-in-chief, and it would be impossible for someone as powerless and insignificant as him to take on the position.
Zheng Hao said, "The most urgent task is for the general to first investigate the traitorous general and then take the opportunity to arrest the other traitors in the army."
General Chang reciprocated the gesture, unlike Yu Feng who was wary of Zheng Hao interfering in military affairs. He invited, "As the supervisor of the Zhenhong Army, Lord Zheng also has the authority to investigate traitors. Why don't you stay and interrogate them together?"
Zheng Hao shook his head slightly, his face full of apology: "I am not familiar with interrogation methods. If I go rashly, I am afraid it will interfere with the interrogator's questioning of the traitorous general. So I will not go. Please take care of the military affairs."
Because Zheng Hao's behavior in the Zhenhong Army had always been to not interfere in military affairs, General Chang did not suspect that the other party was feigning reluctance.
General Chang's eyes flashed with admiration as he thought that the other party, a civil official, had decisively suppressed Yu Feng's rebellion before any of the military officers could react.
If the other side hadn't acted decisively and interrupted Yu Feng's incitement, the mere fact that many generals in the army were Yu Feng's men might have actually led to a successful rebellion.
Zheng Hao bid farewell and returned to the city first, and General Chang did not insist that he stay.
He instructed the soldiers behind him, "Niu Qiang, escort Lord Zheng back."
Niu Qiang stepped forward and said, "Yes."
Then, he turned to Zheng Hao and said respectfully, "Please, Lord Zheng."
Zheng Hao entered the carriage, with Niu Qiang riding a horse to protect him outside. The group then drove into the city and into the mansion.
Zheng Hao stepped down from the carriage, turned to Niu Qiang and said, "I have something I need you to give to General Chang. Come with me."
Under the gaze of the other soldiers, Niu Qiang acted as if he didn't know Zheng Hao and responded as usual.
Upon entering the study, Zheng Hao sat down and looked up at Niu Qiang, who then sat down opposite him at the signal.
Zheng Hao spoke: "His Majesty ordered me to serve as military supervisor to monitor the Zhenhong Army in order to thoroughly investigate Yu Feng's embezzlement of military funds. Now that he has been apprehended, I will be returning to the capital soon. Do you wish to stay in the Zhenhong Army camp, or return with me?"
Upon entering the territory of Jibei Prefecture, Zheng Hao knew that he would be under surveillance sooner or later, so before entering the city, he specifically instructed Niu Qiang to disguise himself.
This method proved effective. While Prefect Ren and Yu Feng were extremely wary of him and prevented him from moving around freely in the military camp, he had already arranged for Niu Qiang and several guards to infiltrate the Zhenhong Army. These men appeared generous and forthright, but were extremely cautious. They managed to gather a lot of information from the soldiers.
On the night of the Red Army's sneak attack, Niu Qiang was promoted to commander of a thousand men because of his outstanding bravery. When his superior was killed by the Red Army, he led the remaining soldiers to guard a city gate and prevent the Red Army from succeeding.
Although Zheng Hao orchestrated this promotion, Niu Qiang was still exceptionally brave and capable.
Niu Qiang said, "I am willing to stay in the military camp."
Zheng Hao remained expressionless and said to Niu Qiang, "Chang Wei is fair and kind. He will be in charge of the Red Army from now on. If you perform well, you will be promoted."
Niu Qiang clasped his hands in a fist salute, having nothing else to say. Zheng Hao told him to step back. Before Niu Qiang left, Zheng Hao gave him a wooden box to prevent the soldiers waiting outside from becoming suspicious.
General Chang ordered his men to interrogate Yu Feng and the traitorous generals he led. Upon seeing this, Yu Feng knew that the situation was hopeless, but he still gritted his teeth and refused to confess, saying that his raising of the sword was not a rebellion. The interrogator repeated his treasonous words that incited the soldiers and generals to rebel, but Yu Feng stubbornly denied it, saying that they had framed him.
Given his status and position, as long as he doesn't admit to the crime of rebellion, everything will turn around after he returns to the capital.
Thinking that his humiliating defeat was all due to Zheng Hao, Yu Feng's face grew even more gloomy. If it weren't for Zheng Hao, he would have already incited the Zhenhong Army to rebel, and generals like Chang Wei who were unwilling to submit to him would have been sacrificed to him first.
Yu Feng looked up, his blood-stained face turned toward the interrogator, and said in a hoarse voice, "I want to see Zheng Hao. I'll tell you everything when he comes."
The interrogators looked at each other in bewilderment.
When a messenger from the army came to invite Zheng Hao over, explaining that it was the traitorous general Yu Feng who wanted to see him, Gu Lin's already unpleasant expression darkened as he sat down next to Zheng Hao.
Zheng Hao always reported good news to him but not bad news, and was unwilling to tell him about the dangers outside. Even when a major event like Yu Feng's rebellion occurred, Gu Lin only learned about it from rumors and hearsay.
Unable to get the information from Zheng Hao, he sought out Da Zhuo. Da Zhuo wore a slightly bitter expression, but as for his husband, who was not only his former master but also his current master's husband, he did not hide anything and told him everything.
When Gu Lin learned that Yu Fengzhen had resorted to desperate measures and had even drawn his sword to rebel, and that Zheng Hao had stepped forward to suppress him, he was terrified, even though he wasn't present.
Although Zheng Hao had practiced martial arts for many years, he was ultimately a civil official. How could he dare to rashly challenge a military general? If it weren't for his immense strength, and if even the slightest mistake occurred, and he failed to suppress Yu Feng in one fell swoop, then…
Seeing the young man's frightened expression, Zheng Hao said to Da Zhuo, "You refuse them and let them interrogate the traitor as they see fit."
Da Zhuo should go out and reply to the soldier who came to deliver the message.
Unable to find the supervising officer, the soldiers were at a loss. The general in charge of the matter came to General Chang, who, upon learning of the situation, glared at him and said, "You blockhead!"
The general looked aggrieved, not understanding why he was being blamed by the general for simply sending someone to ask Lord Zheng to cooperate in interrogating the traitor.
Chang Wei was helpless. Regarding the interrogation of the traitorous general in the army, Zheng Hao, as the supervising officer, should have handled the matter with him. However, Zheng Hao's unwillingness to get involved was so obvious that even the imperial envoy didn't offer any advice. Although he had never served in the court, he could sense something amiss; it seemed the emperor didn't want Zheng Hao involved in military affairs or to have much interaction with them. As for why…
General Chang only cared about fighting and suppressing the red-clad rebels; he didn't care about anything else.
He said to the generals, "You can interrogate him if you can, but if you can't get any information, there's still the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice. Yu Feng will be escorted back to the capital by the Imperial Envoy for further processing."
The general should be.
prison.
The soldier carried a wooden bucket filled with a viscous, dark yellow liquid. After distributing food to the other prisoners, he went to Yu Feng, who was locked up, and with a long spoon, threw the food into the ceramic bowl in front of him.
Then, while the other soldiers were distributing food to the other prisoners, he secretly took out a purse from his pocket, stuffed it into Yu Feng's arms, and whispered, "Madam asked me to bring this in."
The soldiers left the prison after distributing the food.
Yu Feng remained leaning against the wall. After a long while, once everyone else had fallen asleep, he took out his purse, opened it, and smelled a familiar medicinal scent. This was a healing medicine passed down from his wife's family.
Breaking open the pill, Yu Feng calmly took out a small piece of paper, which read: "Husband, don't be anxious. I have contacted my father and uncles. There will be no trouble returning to the capital!"
Mixed with the broken pills, Yu Feng swallowed the medicine along with the note.
In the darkness, a sinister look appeared on his face.
Zheng Hao and Chang Wei—once he makes a comeback, he will never let them go.
In the middle of the night, torches were lit one by one in the prison. Several soldiers rushed in with the medic. The first soldier to notice that Yu Feng's condition was not right reported to the general. When the general arrived, he happened to meet the medic and said to him, "Take a look quickly, is there any hope?"
The military doctor stepped forward, ignoring Yu Feng's ferocious, purplish face, lifted his eyelids, and then examined his mouth and nose one by one.
After a moment, the military doctor looked grave, withdrew his hand, took a handkerchief from the medicine boy beside him to wipe his hands, and turned to the general, saying, "The traitor is too deeply poisoned to be cured."
Upon hearing this, the general was in a terrible predicament. Although he also wanted to kill Yu Feng to avenge the previous embezzlement of their military pay and the misappropriation of their merits, His Majesty had ordered that the traitorous general be sent back to the capital for punishment. If Yu Feng died, they would have a hard time explaining themselves.
The general shouted, "Who sent the poison? Investigate this thoroughly!"
With Yu Feng dead, the generals were frantic with worry, but Zheng Hao refused to let anyone visit him, claiming he was recuperating from a cold.
In fact, he and Gu Lin were in the study. Originally, the two of them each occupied a part of the study and did their own things, but at some point, the young military supervisor put down the history book in his hand and came up behind Gu Lin.
Seeing the other man's head slightly bowed, his expression serious as he practiced calligraphy stroke by stroke, Zheng Hao's eyes deepened. His gaze shifted to the paper, where he saw that the young man's handwriting was well-balanced, elegant, and neat. He was practicing the calligraphy model that Zheng Hao had personally written before. After Gu Lin finished writing, Zheng Hao took the brush and placed it on the brush holder: "This calligraphy model was written when I was young. It seems that it is not up to par now. How about I write another one for Uncle Gu?"
Unexpectedly, Gu Lin shook his head while wiping his hands with a damp cloth and said, "I can't learn your handwriting well now."
Compared to his younger days when he lacked strength, Zheng Hao's handwriting now possesses exceptional strokes and penetrating power, making it impossible for Gu Lin to write with his wrist strength alone.
He said, "This calligraphy practice book is enough for me to practice."
Indeed, although Zheng Hao's handwriting in his youth was not as distinctive as it is now, it already possessed a certain charm and the beginnings of his own unique style.
Gu Lin has limited talent in calligraphy and does not aspire to develop his own unique style like the younger generation. It is enough for him to write something pleasing to the eye.
The young man turned to speak to him. Zheng Hao lowered his eyes slightly, taking in everything about Gu Lin: his serene and fair face, his jade-white ears. He leaned down slightly, resting his head on Gu Lin's neck and closing his eyes, feeling the warmth on his shoulder. Gu Lin did not push him away.
The scent of peach blossoms mixed with body heat gradually filled the air. Zheng Hao's expression remained unchanged, but his thoughts gradually became lost in the moment. He lifted his eyelids, turned his head, and covered the young man's lips with his thin lips. After a moment, the sounds of swallowing and panting began to rise, adding a touch of ambiguity to the study filled with the fragrance of books and ink.
Abandoning his usual proper and courteous demeanor, Zheng Hao held the person in his arms on the table, their lips and tongues growing ever deeper. Just as the two were about to take things further, an announcement came from outside.
Gu Lin, who was originally dizzy from Zheng Hao's passionate kisses, immediately came to his senses. His eyes were hazy and watery. He reached out and pushed the young man away. Feeling the resistance from the person beneath him, Zheng Hao stepped back, raised his head slightly, his dark eyes full of desire, and his thin lips covered with a layer of moisture.
Gu Lin stood up, and Zheng Hao reached out to lift him off the desk, intending to tidy his clothes. But seeing Gu Lin glaring at him with embarrassment and annoyance, Zheng Hao suppressed his displeasure at being disturbed and said, "Come in."
Da Zhuo entered the room and saw the intimate atmosphere between the adult and her husband. His brow twitched, and he immediately realized that he had interrupted their good time.
Without delay, Da Zhuo quickly reported the important matter: "My lord, news has come from the army that the traitor Yu Feng is dead."
Zheng Hao remained calm, but Gu Lin was startled and turned to look at Da Zhuo.
Facing Fulang's gaze, Da Zhuo felt a chill run down his spine. He glanced at the young military supervisor, waiting for him to speak so he could decide whether or not to say anything.
Gu Lin narrowed his eyes, realizing they were hiding something from him. Considering that what they were doing might be difficult to reveal, Gu Lin said, "You two talk, I'll go back first."
Just as he was about to turn around, the young military supervisor raised his hand and grasped the young man's wrist. Da Zhuo's heart was stirred. Was this a complete lack of concealment?
Gu Lin stopped Zheng Hao in front of everyone, raising his eyes to signal the other to let go. Zheng Hao seemed not to understand: "Uncle Gu, if you're not afraid, stay and listen with us."
Gu Lin stayed.
Seeing that the master truly did not intend to hide the truth from his husband, Da Zhuo truthfully said, "After Yu Feng took the pills we sent, he died of poisoning in the middle of the night. His wife is causing trouble in front of the military camp, saying that General Chang is taking revenge for personal reasons."
Zheng Hao nodded, his expression unchanged, but he was observing Gu Lin's expression out of the corner of his eye.
How would Uncle Gu react after finding out that he had poisoned someone?
Shock, fear, terror, or disgust?
I think he's narrow-minded; even after the enemy has been dealt with, he still viciously tries to kill them.