Chapter 258 Dead End

Wen Zhiming looked solemn as he lit the candle.

"An urgent letter from the capital, let me take a look."

He left secret guards in the capital, and every few days a letter would be sent to him informing him of the major events that had recently occurred in the capital, as well as the current situation of the Meng family.

Ordinary letters, even if they arrive this late, will be delivered to him by his bodyguards the next day, without disturbing him knowing he has already retired for the night.

Moreover, the red letter signified urgency, and this was the first time he had ever received one. Wen Zhiming couldn't help but feel a little nervous, fearing that something bad had happened to the Meng family.

After opening the letter, Wen Zhiming read it quickly, secretly relieved, but his expression remained cold and stern.

"Has something happened?"

Meng Lingge had already dressed when Wen Zhiming was reading the letter. Seeing Wen Zhiming's appearance, her heart sank, and she got out of bed and walked to Wen Zhiming's side.

After handing the letter to Meng Lingge, Wen Zhiming helped her sit down. Seeing that she was only wearing her undergarments, he took the thin blanket from the bed and draped it over her.

Meng Lingge read the letter, clutching it and gritting her teeth inwardly.

"Why would the Emperor send my father to suppress bandits? And he only gave him five thousand wounded and disabled veterans to wipe out tens of thousands of bandits? Even if there are no suitable veterans in the court, there are many junior officers who want fame and fortune. It would never be my father's turn... Isn't he trying to kill my father by doing this?"

Wen Zhiming held her hand; her small hand, which had been warm just moments before, was now icy cold. He cupped her small hand in his large palm and nodded, saying, "The emperor's true intentions are not what they seem. This time, he's clearly targeting me."

Meng Lingge finally understood the reason behind it, and her eyebrows furrowed even more.

If we ignore it, my father is likely to meet with bad luck.

If Wen Zhiming were to go to the rescue, not only would it ruin his actions and plans, but his family members left in the capital would also face certain death.

No matter what choice she makes, some of her relatives will not be able to be saved.

"Don't be afraid." Wen Zhiming gently smoothed away Meng Lingge's anxious brows. "If the emperor wants me to go, then I will go."

“But…” Meng Lingge bit her lower lip lightly, “If you go, my father can escape danger, but my mother and Qingyu Xiyao will become prisoners. Given the ruthlessness of the emperor, once he is sure that he can use the Meng family to control you, he is very likely to kill one of them as a warning to others, so that we dare not act rashly.”

"Fool." Wen Zhiming chuckled. "You panicked the moment you heard your family was in danger. I'll go secretly, as long as the Emperor doesn't find out."

"Anyway, the army isn't moving fast these days. I'll go to Guandu Prefecture alone to rescue your father first, and then head towards the capital. I'll definitely be able to meet you before you arrive. Later, I'll go to General Cao and ask him to find someone with a similar build to me to impersonate me for a few days. He'll say that I've caught a cold and need to wear a mask to avoid spreading it to the rest of the army. Anyway, I usually only talk to a few generals and you. If you guys help me cover it up, we can fool everyone."

He made it sound simple, but Meng Lingge knew the difficulties involved.

Guandu Prefecture is far from their current location. Even if Wen Zhiming is faster than ordinary people, it will still take several days to get there. He will be exhausted when he arrives, and he will have to face tens of thousands of bandits on his own to rescue Meng Xingyuan. After rescuing Meng Xingyuan, he will have to rush to join up with the Hu Xiang Army.

No matter how skilled Wen Zhiming is in martial arts, he is still just a human being, not a god. How could he possibly fight against so many people without sleep or rest?

Not to mention the risks and crises that a commander-in-chief might face if he were away from his post for several days.

Meng Lingge broke out in a cold sweat and shook her head, saying, "Even if you conceal your identity, the Emperor will still suspect you when my father is rescued. After all, only you have the motive and ability to save him. As long as he suspects you, he will not let the rest of the Meng family off the hook."

“That’s right. My wife’s intelligence has finally returned a bit.” Wen Zhiming smiled approvingly. “Therefore, Father-in-law must ‘die,’ and the more gruesome the death, the better, so that the Emperor can believe that I have no connection with the Meng family, and only then can the Meng family in the capital be safer.”

On the surface, the Emperor's situation appears to be a dead end.

If Meng Xingyuan lives, the other members of the Meng family in the capital will become hostages. To protect the others in the capital, Meng Xingyuan will have no choice but to die.

There is only one way to resolve this situation.

He faked his death and escaped.

This approach aims to achieve the best of both worlds.

Meng Lingge understood immediately after Wen Zhiming's suggestion, but thinking of the difficulty of rescuing people, she couldn't help but say, "Since my father is bound to 'die' in the open, we can send a few secret guards to rescue people in secret. This way, we won't have to rush back, nor will we need to find someone to impersonate you, and the military camp can't be without generals for too many days."

Wen Zhiming knew that Meng Lingge was worried about him, and his heart warmed. He pulled her into his arms.

“I also considered sending a few secret guards. But their martial arts skills are not as good as mine, and Guandu Prefecture is too far away. They may not be able to get there in time. Moreover, faking death and escaping is not easy. If I am not careful and my father-in-law is really in trouble, or if the emperor discovers the clues, all the plans will fall through and it will become a real dead end.”

He placed a kiss on Meng Lingge's forehead.

"My wife can't accept this outcome, and I can't bear to see her face it. Don't worry, wait for me at the military camp. I don't want you to be sad, so I won't disappoint you, and I won't keep you waiting too long..."

Seeing that he had thought things through so thoroughly, and had even told her what she wanted to say beforehand, Meng Lingge's eyes suddenly stung with tears, which soaked Wen Zhiming's front.

When are you leaving?

"immediately."

According to the time on the urgent letter, Meng Xingyuan had already set off several days ago. If he didn't hurry up, he might arrive too late.

Wen Zhiming looked at Meng Lingge and said very seriously, "I will leave after I give instructions to General Cao. In order not to arouse suspicion, the guard who is impersonating me will stay in the same room with you every night. I have left secret guards to protect you, so you don't need to worry about your safety. He will sleep on the floor at night. You can talk to him in public, but you must not talk to him too much at night, you are not allowed to look at him, and you are not allowed to wear too little clothing in the tent."

Meng Lingge was feeling distressed thinking about how Wen Zhiming was going to risk his life to save her family when he suddenly started giving her all sorts of nonsensical instructions. Before she could even wipe away her tears, she felt a surge of embarrassment and annoyance.

He was willing to risk his life for her, yet he still worried that she would be intimate with other men.

That's a huge underestimation of her.

But now that Wen Zhiming was about to leave, she couldn't bring herself to say anything hurtful, no matter how embarrassed or angry she was. She just turned away and refused to speak.

Wen Zhiming hugged her from behind and whispered in her ear.

“My wife, it’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s best if my schedule and habits remain the same as usual so as not to arouse suspicion. But the thought of a man taking my place by your side makes me feel uneasy. This is how it should be in public, but you must stay away from him in private.”

Seeing his earnest and persistent demeanor, Meng Lingge couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time.