Chapter 104 Traitor
Duke Qi felt as if he had swallowed a fly. Qi Rong had never been by his side since childhood, so how could he have taught him anything? This was an insult to him. Well, even his own father could be so ruthless. He truly was his good son.
This time, he acted too hastily and fell into a trap. Now, forget about attacking Prince Sheng, with this leg injury, he might not even be able to leave the capital. He originally planned to take this opportunity to accumulate some military merits so that he could send his second son to the army, but now his plan has completely fallen through.
Duke Qi glanced at Qi Rong, his eyes filled with a sinister glint that seemed to burst forth. His personal guards helped him onto the stretcher at the clinic, and a dozen or so people limped toward the city.
Lin Changning breathed a sigh of relief. After seeing the Duke of Qi, he roughly understood why the commander was not well-liked. The father looked honest and simple, while the son was handsome and dashing. The two had nothing in common.
Qi Rong sighed: "Let's go back. It's time to take care of the next matter."
Lin Changning felt heavy-hearted when she thought about the final outcome. Of the three commanders, apart from Commander Zhou, Commander Ma and Commander Shi were all suspects.
Qi Rong led Lin Changning into his tent. Several tallow lamps hung high, illuminating the tent brightly. The map on the solid wood table was densely marked with the various forces. Qi Rong sat back in the main seat, quietly waiting for the person to be brought in.
Lin Changning suppressed her smile and stood quietly behind Qi Rong. Her solemn expression revealed her less-than-pleasant mood, as it was hard to believe that one of the four commanders was actually a traitor.
But thinking about it, it makes perfect sense. If he wasn't in one of the most important positions, how could he mobilize the city's defenses, and how could he arrange for all those who knew the information to be placed in the front lines and silenced through war? Now that I think about it, the incident involving Zhang Baihu last time was probably also at someone's behest.
Lin Changning became increasingly alarmed as he thought about it. If he had such a colleague on the battlefield, he might not even know when he was being betrayed.
The curtains were lifted by the wind, and the howling north wind blew into the tent. The cold wind, mixed with snowflakes, hit Lin Changning's face. Lin Changning couldn't help but shiver. A few snowflakes on her eyelashes melted instantly, turning into tiny water droplets that stuck to Lin Changning's long and thick eyelashes.
Qi Rong noticed Lin Changning's face, red from the cold under the dim light. He pursed his lips, stood up, picked up the kettle from the stove, poured the water into a teapot, and placed it on the table. He poured two cups of hot water and handed one to Lin Changning: "Have a sip of hot water to warm yourself up. You've worked hard today."
Lin Changning quickly thanked him and took the teacup, which was a little hot but the temperature was just right to warm his hands: "Thank you, Commander."
As he spoke, he took small sips of hot water, and only after the hot water entered his stomach did he feel a slight warmth returning to his body.
Qi Rong propped his head up and glanced at Lin Changning. After the man looked at him with confusion, he turned back to stare at the door and continued looking outside.
Liu Lang has grown quite a bit taller. When he first arrived, he was less than half a head taller than me, but now he is over my shoulder and only half a head shorter. He also looks much better. When he first arrived, he was as thin as a bean sprout, but after a year of recuperation, he has gained some weight in his face and his figure is no longer as thin as when he first arrived.
Lin Changning is a promising talent. He is quick-witted, skilled in hand-eye coordination, clever, and considerate of his subordinates. He does a better job than some of the seasoned veterans. Given time, he will surely achieve great things.
However, he still looked rather thin, and the military uncles and elders would inevitably look down on him in the future. Qi Rong pondered this and couldn't help but reach out and pinch Lin Changning's arm, which now had a thin layer of muscle. He coughed lightly at the boy's incredulous gaze and said, "Still too thin. Eat more. A good man should be strong and look good."
Strong? Strong? Huge? Lin Changning felt like a herd of alpacas was stampeding through her mind, and tears welled up in her eyes. She knew that this was just another instance of them looking down on her. But in this day and age, there was no protein powder. Where was she supposed to build up a bunch of muscles? Thanks for the invitation, but I'll decline. She was very satisfied with her current physique.
Qi Rong opened the official document with some irritation. The smell of candle oil and ink from the paper filled the room. Laughter came from outside the door, indicating that someone had arrived. Qi Rong and Lin Changning straightened their expressions and waited for them to come in.
The first to arrive was Commander Zhou. After bowing and greeting Qi Rong, he looked at him with confusion, as Qi Rong did not allow him to rise. Commanders Ma and Shi entered together. The moment they entered, they noticed that the atmosphere in the tent was not right. They stopped smiling, bowed, and then looked at Lin Changning, who was standing behind Qi Rong, with a look that indicated they wanted to know what had happened.
Lin Changning's face remained expressionless, as did Qi Rong's. After a long while, Qi Rong waved his hand and said, "Get up, everyone. I have something to ask you tonight."
Commander Zhou nodded: "Just ask me whatever it is. I was so scared I didn't dare breathe. I thought I had broken some military law." He then breathed a sigh of relief.
Qi Rong stared at Commander Ma and said in an icy voice, "Old Ma, tell me about your schedule today."
Commander Ma scratched his head: "Yes, Commander. In the morning, I led the lads in drills for two hours, then went to the cookhouse for a bowl of hot soup and two flatbreads. I went on patrol in the morning, and at noon I went to Changping's house for a hot pot with mutton. Then I went home to change my clothes, went to the garrison to hear the commander's instructions, and Changping asked me to watch over his bunch of lads. In the afternoon, I led the men in a big drill at the garrison. In the evening, I had dinner, went to my daughter's shop to pick up my wife and daughter, and went home. I slept for a few hours before being called back."
Qi Rong's gaze swept over Shi Qianhu, who pondered for a moment and said, "He's similar to Old Ma. In the afternoon, he led his men to drill and patrol the city wall. In the evening, he went to the mutton stall to buy some mutton. On his way home, he bought his son a sesame candy. After getting home, he went to sleep without a care in the world. Then he was called over."
Qi Rong's gaze swept over Ma Qianhu and Shi Qianhu: "Tonight, Changping led a flock of sheep out of the city. The Duke followed him right after they left. The only three of you who know that I ordered him to do this are the three of you."
Commander Zhou raised his head, his eyes wide with shock, and blurted out, "Commander, do you suspect that one of us is a traitor?"
Qi Rong remained silent, only looking at the three people below. Commander Ma blushed and said, "I was the first person to know that something was wrong in Changping, but it wasn't me, Commander. I could never be a spy."
As if afraid Qi Rong wouldn't believe him, he said, "I really didn't. I would never betray the command, let alone anyone else. Besides, I spent almost the entire day at the garrison. I didn't go anywhere else when I left. My wife and daughter can testify to that."
Commander Shi cupped his hands in greeting: "It wasn't me who commanded. You can check everything I did today, from the stalls to the houses I visited."
Suddenly, the tent flap was opened, and Wen Zhi presented Qi Rong with several letters that were soaked through with water.
"Commander, we've searched several places. This is a letter we found in a well, a correspondence with the capital. The handwriting is blurry, but the seal is still clear."
Qi Rong's gaze was deep as he stared at Wen Zhi and asked in a serious tone, "Whose house was searched?"
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