Chapter 234

Cheng Hui was deeply impressed by the maid's ambition.

It's normal for people to be ambitious. As a maid, which one has a better future: following a terminally ill old man or following a young and handsome prince?

The maid in front of him was obviously a very active type. She was throwing him such seductive glances that Cheng Hui was worried that her eyes would cramp.

However, despite his emotion, Cheng Hui still honestly pushed the person aside and strode into the old marquis' bedroom.

Maid:……???

"Eh? Prince...wait, you can't go in..."

"Dad! I'm back, Dad! Dad! Where are you, Dad?" Cheng Hui shouted as he walked, with full strength. Not only the old man in the room, but even the people in the next yard could hear it clearly.

Old Marquis: ...

"Son, you're finally back!"

Lying on the bed was an old man with a pale face. His face was full of wrinkles and his eyes were dark and cloudy, filled with tears. He stretched out his thin arms towards the door.

Cheng Hui: ...Oh wow! I've met my match. This old man is quite the actor.

Yes, Cheng Hui felt it as soon as he entered the door. What he said about being terminally ill and dying, and looking forward to the prince coming back to succeed the throne, was all nonsense.

This old man is very tough!

Others might be deceived by appearances, but as a zombie, Cheng Hui is very sensitive to human vitality. In his perception, this old man is like a burning fire. Affected by age, he is a little weak, but only a little.

Cheng Hui looked him up and down. The old man's accomplice was quite skilled, and he didn't know how he had done it. Judging from his appearance, he did look very ill. The old man's acting was also very good. Whether it was his tears or his actions, he fully expressed a father's longing for his son who hadn't returned home for a long time...

If he was really that poor little Cheng Ziyun, he would definitely be moved. But Cheng Hui smelled a strong smell of conspiracy.

Cheng Hui: ...Or he should go to the Prince of Zhennan’s Mansion. It seems like there is more trouble here.

"Ziyun..." The old marquis burst into tears: "You are finally back! Dad missed you so much..."

Cheng Hui had no choice but to cry out, "Dad, I miss you too!"

Isn't it just acting? Who's afraid of who?

If this old marquis was particularly good to Cheng Hui, he would be worried about how to repay him. Since this person has bad intentions... then let's just wait and see!

The two of them hugged each other and cried for a while. Cheng Hui didn't say anything, but just cried. The old marquis waited for a long time but didn't receive any words of comfort, so he couldn't cry anymore.

"Son..."

"Hey, I'm here. What's up, Dad?" Cheng Hui had no problem calling someone "Dad." First of all, his own dad wasn't a good person, so he had a pretty neutral opinion of the word. Besides, who hasn't called their roommate "Dad" a few times in a college dorm? It's not worth mentioning!

The old marquis held Cheng Hui's hand and said, "Ziyun, I'm afraid Dad is dying. You have inherited Dad's title, but you must treat your brothers well. They will be your right-hand men in the future. Only with them can we support this family."

"Oh..., don't worry, Dad. I will get along well with my brothers." Cheng Hui showed a 'kind' smile.

From the correspondence between Cheng Ziyun and his uncle, it was clear that his brothers were no pushovers. Especially since Concubine Qi had no children, and he, the legitimate son, had been driven out at a young age, this had only fostered the ambitions of those illegitimate sons.

Nowadays, no one knows how many good brothers are gritting their teeth and cursing him for not dying on the way.

The old marquis seemed satisfied with his answer and showed a tired expression.

Cheng Hui naturally said goodbye.

Tietou'er and the others left after reporting to the old marquis. Cheng Hui followed the servants to the courtyard where he lived.

On the way, the man called Butler Qiao intentionally or unintentionally talked about a lot of things in the mansion, so that Cheng Ziyun, the newly arrived prince, would not be completely in the dark.

"Young Master, we have arrived at your courtyard. These are the servants prepared by the master. If you don't like them, just tell me and I will replace them for you immediately." Butler Qiao said with a gentle smile.

Cheng Hui thanked him politely and said that there was no need to change for the time being.

Butler Qiao told him that because the master was seriously ill, everyone in the marquis's mansion ate in the small kitchen in their own courtyard, and Cheng Hui could tell the cook in advance if he had any preferences.

After giving some miscellaneous instructions, Butler Qiao left.

Although he was very gentle towards Cheng Hui and often showed his desire to join Cheng Hui, Cheng Hui had no intention of accepting him.

Not to mention that he was a fake, just based on the fact that he was the old marquis's butler, he couldn't possibly trust this person.

It was certain that the old marquis had a conspiracy, but he stayed in his bedroom all day, so even if he had a conspiracy, it was unlikely that he had done it himself. The most likely accomplice was undoubtedly this housekeeper Qiao.

If we look at it from this perspective, his "surrender" might have been instructed by the old marquis. The purpose was naturally to place an eye next to Cheng Hui to prevent him from escaping his control.

"Interesting." Cheng Hui curled his lips and smiled.

This small mansion is like Mission Impossible, but unfortunately he has no interest in participating.

After a good night's sleep, Cheng Hui was not worried about encountering any danger here.

Early the next morning, Cheng Hui woke up and planned to go see his "seriously ill and dying" father. Unexpectedly, his adoptive father seemed to have the same idea. When he finished his meal, Butler Qiao was already waiting outside.

"Let's walk." Cheng Hui followed Butler Qiao nonchalantly, chatting with him casually.

From the beginning to the end, Butler Qiao acted as if, "You are the master's heir. After the master passes away, we old people will depend on you for our livelihood."

If Cheng Hui didn't know that the old marquis was not ill at all, he might have believed it.

The old marquis called the man over and first asked him gently whether he had rested well and whether he felt uncomfortable at home. Then he expressed his longing for his son and explained why he sent him away.

Anyway, his words and actions revealed that there was another hidden story behind what happened back then, and his actions were forced.

Cheng Hui smiled and didn't respond. His tone was like: You continue acting, I will just watch and say nothing.

The old marquis tried several times to show the father-son relationship between him and Cheng Hui, but failed and finally had to give up in disappointment.

"Ziyun..." The old marquis wiped his tears, "It's Dad who has dragged you down, but...if our mansion wants to continue to survive, we have no choice but to fight to the death..."

Cheng Hui listened for a long time before he finally extracted the key points from the old marquis's roundabout nonsense.

Basically, the Marquis's Mansion was defeated, and he, as a father, was useless. He originally wanted to go to the battlefield to fight for a future for Cheng Ziyun, but he fell seriously ill when he was about to set off.

But the matter is of great importance. If the military opportunity is missed, their entire mansion will be buried with them. The only way now is to let Cheng Ziyun replace his father and lead the army.

Cheng Hui looked at the old marquis's arrogant face and couldn't help laughing.

This old thing doesn't look good, but she thinks she is pretty.

He is quite good at writing in the style of the Spring and Autumn Period. After talking for a long time, he didn't even mention that this so-called battlefield was a bloody battle battlefield.

This was the conclusion Cheng Hui came to after combining the information he got from Li Qing.

This old marquis was so good that he kept the secret to himself and made it clear that he wanted Cheng Ziyun to be his scapegoat.

Even the elite personal guards of Prince Zhennan would have only one in ten survive in a bloody battle, not to mention those rotten soldiers under Marquis Guangping?

It's not that Cheng Hui looked down on them. Just based on the time he spent with Lao Tie and Xiao Liu, he could see that the soldiers under the Marquis of Guangping were basically rotten. Calling them soldiers was an insult to the word "soldier".

As the saying goes, a small detail can reveal a big picture. Even the team sent by the old marquis to pick up the prince was late, which shows that these people have no regard for the so-called military discipline at all.

The old marquis's meaning is very clear. If you go to the battlefield in my place, I will be almost dead by the time you come back, and it will be just the right time for you to inherit the title of Marquis of Guangping.

Cheng Hui couldn't help but glance at the old marquis sideways, and even doubted whether Cheng Ziyun was his biological son.

Anyway, I have seen people harming their sons, but I have never seen anyone harming their sons to death. But for those selfish people, as long as they are not the ones who die, there is no problem.

Perhaps when the emperor sees that he has lost a son, and a legitimate son at that, he will lavishly reward him to appease the old minister, which will not be a loss after all.

Cheng Hui didn't intend to follow his wishes.

To be more precise, it was not entirely what he wanted.

It's okay to send him to the bloody battlefield on his behalf, but it's impossible to let him go just based on a piece of cake!

However, he had no intention of bargaining with the old marquis for the time being. He knew nothing about the situation in the camp, so he had to go and take a look before he could be mentally prepared.

The old marquis was very satisfied with his son's "understanding". He sent General Qiao to call a personal soldier and handed the military token representing command authority to Cheng Hui in front of him.

Cheng Hui took the military token and mounted his horse with his personal guards to rush to the camp outside the city. What he didn't know was that this morning a fast horseman set out from the Marquis' Mansion to the camp to inform the deputy commanders of the Guangping Army to organize their troops. Soon their military leader, the son of the Marquis of Guangping, would come to inspect.

The old marquis was very clear about the current combat effectiveness of the Guangping Army, otherwise he would not have been "scared sick" when he learned that he would lead the Guangping Army to the battlefield this year.

It is impossible to disobey orders. Resisting the extraterritorial demons was an agreement signed by many countries on the continent back then. No country can shirk its responsibility. If the old marquis refuses to lead his troops to the bloody battlefield, the only outcome waiting for him is the extermination of his entire clan.

Although the term "scared sick" sounds unpleasant, it at least gives him a way to cover up his mistakes. Moreover, he has included his own eldest son in the list, so even if others have some complaints, they will not say anything.

Although I feel a little sorry for Cheng Ziyun, but as a son, isn't it natural for him to pay with his life for his father?

Cheng Hui didn't know the old marquis's plan, but he could guess at some point. He had concealed so much, not even considering how, if it was really Cheng Ziyun, that inexperienced young master, he would be able to control those soldiers and command the army.

The most important thing is... he doesn't even know the details of the bloody battlefield, and going there will be a dead end!

After leaving the city, Cheng Hui galloped on his horse and, led by his personal soldiers, soon arrived at the Guangping army camp.

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