Park Gon was indeed startled, and then he remembered that Zhao Cheng was attracting mosquitoes—no, he was attracting spies!

The emperor and the prime minister know you've come to the capital, so they'll be keeping a close eye on your every move.

That was too hasty.

Seeing Park Gon's expression, Zhao Cheng knew he realized the seriousness of the problem and whispered, "Uncle, don't panic. I have people outside. It's safe to talk now."

Park Gon understood, realizing that the Right Chancellor must have secretly arranged for someone to help Jo Seong.

His goddaughter might be hiding in the shadows.

But Park Gun misunderstood; Zhao Cheng was referring to Zhou Chuan and his sister when he said "someone".

However, to Zhao Cheng's surprise, Park Gon harbored such deep resentment towards the court.

Is this resentment also influenced by his father?

Zhao Cheng was unaware that the father he saw was a patriotic, Buddhist-like old man who only wanted to live out the rest of his life in peace.

He tentatively asked, "Uncle Park, if my father leads you to fight on the battlefield again, will you go?"

"Of course I'll go!"

Park Gon was only excited for a moment before his expression immediately darkened, and he shook his head, saying, "There's no chance."

"The Night Demon has been destroyed, and the escaped royal family has gone deep into the snowy mountains. Even if they manage to survive, they probably will never be able to return to the northern desert. Not to mention a hundred years, the north will have at least fifty years of peace."

"The Western Regions are filled with small kingdoms, and they are constantly in turmoil. Unless a great ruler emerges to unify these small kingdoms, they pose no threat to the Great Jing."

"Although Hou Cang in the southwest has developed steadily, none of its rulers have any ambition. Even if they did, they would be quickly suppressed by the Southern Zhou. After all, from a geographical point of view, they pose a greater threat to the Southern Zhou."

"The only enemy of the Great Jing now is the Southern Zhou, and the one who is resisting the Southern Zhou is the Champion King. The Champion King is the emperor's own uncle, and even Wen Tai cannot shake his position. I'm afraid the Right Chancellor will never have the chance to go to the battlefield in his life."

Park Gon's words likely represent the views of this group of generals.

Zhao Cheng nodded and said, "My father may not have a chance, but you are still young, and you are in Changsui..."

Park Geon waved his hand and said, "We're just figureheads in Changsui. In the emperor's eyes, we're not clean."

Park Gun spoke calmly, but Zhao Cheng sensed anger in his eyes.

A military general who fought for his country for half his life was somehow associated with the word "unclean".

This so-called "uncleanliness" is simply because they were once Zhao Huan's subordinates.

Zhao Cheng said, "So you shouldn't have come to greet me together. I'm afraid the emperor already knows."

"Who cares! If we don't come to you, the emperor will become even more suspicious."

Park Gon pursed his lips and said disdainfully, "The emperor is extremely suspicious and has been wary of us all these years. If it weren't for the fear of affecting morale, we would have been dismissed long ago."

"Didn't Wang Ren have a single... old man on this Northern Expedition?" Zhao Cheng wanted to say "my father's people" or "your people," but suddenly realized that neither way of saying it was appropriate.

"No, they are all people from the Left Prime Minister's residence and clean neutrals."

Park Gon sneered, "That's why I said Wang Ren is capable, able to lead this bunch of stinking bastards to a great victory!"

Then, Park Geon sighed, "It's just a pity that this achievement, which will go down in history, belongs to them!"

"How does Wang Ren compare to my father?"

Park Gon suddenly burst into laughter and said, "You think too highly of him. He's not on the same level as the Right Minister and the Champion King!"

"At most... he's only slightly weaker than me and your Uncle Bi."

Zhao Cheng was taken aback. "Uncle, you're really confident..."

“I know you don’t believe me,” Park Gon smiled. “Go back and ask your father, and you’ll know what we’re capable of.”

Having talked to Park Geon to this point, Zhao Cheng was no longer worried about him losing his temper. She brought up the matter of money again, saying, "Uncle Park, there are elderly people and young children in your household. Please accept this small token of my appreciation; otherwise, I'll feel bad..."

"I know you mean well, but let's not talk about this anymore!"

Park Gun waved his hand and said, "You should be more careful with your money. I've heard a lot of rumors about you. All you ever do is indulge in corruption, spend money, and squander your wealth! But I know..."

Park Gun gave a strange smile and said softly, "You're definitely not that kind of person. But even if you're going to pretend, you should still be a little more frugal. Your father doesn't earn money easily and has to support so many people. You have to be considerate of him..."

Zhao Cheng pouted, thinking to himself, "My dad doesn't earn money easily."

Right Prime Minister's Office is basically where I make the money now, okay?

It's not that I'm sponging off my parents, it's that he's sponging off his children!

"You should go to brothels less often in the future. Where can't you look at girls? I know a few good places in Changsui where there are lots of girls coming and going, and you can look for free without spending any money."

"Uncle Park has been there quite a few times, hasn't he?"

“That was when…” Park Geon immediately realized what was happening and said sternly, “I found it while I was taking a walk!”

"I understand, I understand!"

Zhao Cheng changed the subject, saying, "Is Wudi currently idle at home? Why don't you arrange some work for him?"

"The current political climate is unfavorable, and he's my son; he won't amount to anything. He hasn't even figured out what other businesses he wants to pursue!"

When the topic turned to family matters, Park Geon looked worried and said, "You know that Wudi has two older sisters. The eldest is married and the second was divorced by her husband's family last year and came back with her child. Wudi is at home and can help take care of her nephew."

Aren't you afraid he'll lead the child astray?

"Anyway, he's not surnamed Park, so if he goes astray, he'll bring trouble to his grandfather's family!"

"..." Zhao Cheng said speechlessly, "You really have a positive outlook!"

Snap!

Park Gun bent the piece of wood in his hand, then stood up and shook it, and a brand new rocking horse began to sway.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!