"No...no! We're real, not fake..."

"In Chengdu, this person actually refused to cooperate with the investigation. Let's give him a 'sixty-year-old' punishment first!"

Yuwen Chengdu and Zhang Rang were both stunned. Although they were not scholars, they had heard this phrase before.

"General... what do you mean by that?"

"General Zhao, have you misunderstood something?"

Zhao Hao was speechless. Hadn't he explained to Yuwen Chengdu a couple of days ago how the Xianbei people "got to make the best of it"? Why didn't Yuwen Chengdu understand the Xianbei language?

"Fine, Chengdu, tie him up and check if he's a castrated man!"

"No! General, I... Ugh!!"

Before Zhang Rang could finish speaking, Zhao Hao stuffed two smelly socks into his mouth, silencing him completely.

"That... general, is definitely a eunuch."

"Hmm...we'll check those documents and clearance certificates later. Let me teach you first..."

What?! "At sixty, one can hear and understand everything!"

Snap!

With a slap from Zhao Hao, Zhang Rang was in so much pain that tears streamed down his face.

"Smack his ear sixty times, and he'll behave. Got it?"

"Oh! I've learned my lesson!"

"Ugh!!"

You two are truly amazing – one dares to teach, and the other dares to learn!

However, Zhang Rang's resistance was futile.

After Zhao Hao finished smoking the left cheek, he immediately rewarded the man's right cheek so that his swollen cheeks wouldn't look unbalanced.

"Yes, but you also have to control the force. You need to whip the prisoner half to death. If you use too much force and kill him, that wouldn't be good. Do you understand?"

"Uh-huh!"

Zhao Hao shook his slightly sore and numb hands, opened Zhang Rang's bundle of luggage, and began to inspect it.

"Hmm... the clearance document looks quite professional. Hey, what's this yellow thing?"

Zhao Hao knew perfectly well what was going on, but pretended to be disdainful. In front of Zhang Rang, he picked up the yellow imperial edict and began to read it.

"By imperial decree... Zhao Hao is hereby appointed General Who Guards the North, concurrently Governor of Bingzhou, Commander-in-Chief of all military affairs in Bingzhou, and given the authority to establish his own government. He is also hereby appointed Marquis of Jinyang, with a fief of 3,500 households, and to marry Princess Wannian..."

Zhao Hao's expression hardened. No wonder those powerful families who had been boasting about having connections in the court had all quieted down these past few days.

These people must have received advance warning, which is why they dared not take any action.

"You, Wang Jinglue... You even schemed against our lord, didn't you?"

Zhao Hao never said that he wanted Wang Meng to go to Luoyang to find him a wife.

"What I meant was to make him find a way to get the position of General Manager of Bingzhou's military and political affairs, not to make him collude with eunuchs or get the status of a prince consort... Never mind, it's enough that you know what happened."

After thinking it over, Zhao Hao decided to give Zhang Rang a hard time first.

"Hmph, you traitors, you can't even forge an imperial edict properly. Although I, this general, have indeed made many contributions this time, how could His Majesty possibly grant me the high-ranking position of Governor of Bingzhou and marry his precious daughter to me?"

You thieves, can't you even make up a more believable story?!

Bang!

Zhao Hao punched Zhang Rang in the dantian, but of course, this was within the range of force Zhang Rang could withstand.

"Ugh!!!"

Zhang Rang's expression was like this o(╥﹏╥)o, he was tied up and had no chance to resist at all.

"Speak! Who sent you? Why did you plot against me? Are you barbarians who thought my troops were exhausted after the last two battles and wanted to lure me away from the mountains, taking advantage of my trip to the capital to gather information before marching south!"

Bang!

"Will you tell or not? Will you tell or not!"

Zhao Hao delivered thirty punches in a row, each delivered from a firm horse stance, following the Hung Gar style he remembered from his previous life.

Zhang Rang was on the verge of tears, and could only grumble inwardly.

You'd better let me say something! How can I say anything if you don't bring me the socks?

"Um, General, do these thirty punches have a name?"

"Oh, look, this guy was all hunched over just now. Now, after thirty punches, he's standing up straight."

So, this is called "thirty and established," remember that?

"I've got it!"

Zhao Hao nodded to Yuwen Chengdu in a simple-minded manner, deliberately trying to appear as a brute and bandit in front of Zhang Rang.

"Ugh... ugh...!"

Zhang Rang could only use his last bit of strength to let out two sobs.

Zhao Hao pretended to suddenly realize that he hadn't removed the two smelly socks from Zhang Rang's mouth, and quickly restored Zhang Rang's freedom of speech.

"Sorry, sorry, my specialty is used on the battlefield. I'm a bit rusty with interrogation. This thief, are you going to confess?"

Zhang Rang first vomited all over the floor, bringing up his breakfast.

He said, panting, after he had fully recovered.

“General Zhao…General Zhao, your retainer gave me your sword, it’s…it’s in that box.”

"Oh? Let me see..."

After Zhao Hao obtained the Lulu Sword, the Longquan Sword became an object used for rewards.

Of the two used Longquan swords, one was given to Li Xiuning, who wanted to showcase her talents in Jinyang, and Zhao Hao gave her that opportunity.

The other sword was naturally given to Wang Meng, so that he could travel freely in Bingzhou and also have a sword for self-defense.

I didn't expect this guy to use it as a token?

"This...isn't this the Longquan sword I bestowed upon Jinglue? Could you truly be an envoy of the Emperor?"

"It's...it's true!"

"Oh dear, what's going on? Come, come, Chengdu, quickly find a doctor to treat the envoy!"

"Uh... huh?"

After untying Zhang Rang and helping him to a seat, Zhao Hao quickly explained.

“Envoy Zhang, look at my guards, they’re all idiots. If I hadn’t come in person, they probably would have exiled you to a labor camp.”

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