Lu Zheng returned to the courtyard with a heavy heart. Tian Wu's body had been handed over to the Tian family, but the treatment of Lin Qiu Shuang was temporarily frozen. She was locked in the ancestral hall and guarded by several women.

Rong Zhen should have left today, but because of this sudden case, he was delayed for a while. However, the military situation was urgent, so he had to leave in the afternoon anyway. So at this moment, the guards were busy packing up. Lu Zheng temporarily handed Zhang Chun to Qingluan and prepared to take him to the border town.

Rong Zhen was standing in the yard wearing a crane feather cloak. Seeing Lu Zheng's dejected look, he couldn't help but ask, "How's the case going?"

Lu Zheng told him what happened, and then couldn't help asking, "Did I do something wrong?"

Rong Zhen asked back, "What's right? What's wrong?"

Lu Zheng was stunned.

Rong Zhen looked at the late spring flowers that had already withered in the courtyard, and said calmly: "There is nothing in this world that is absolutely right or wrong. The so-called right and wrong are just different standpoints. If you want to worry about this kind of thing, you are not the Lu Zheng I knew at the beginning."

"I was too naive at the time." Lu Zheng smiled bitterly, "In fact, I understand the truth, but it's a pity that when people are really in the game, they can't be so clear."

Rong Zhen chuckled and said: "It's not a bad thing to be soft-hearted, but you often deal with the prison. If you always do this, you will lose your sense of justice in the end, and lose your original intention."

"What about you?" Lu Zheng asked, "Did you see it so clearly at the beginning?"

Rong Zhen shook his head: "If I could see it clearly, I wouldn't have come to Northern Frontier." He looked at Lu Zheng's puzzled expression and raised the corners of his mouth slightly, "Let me tell you a story."

"Twenty years ago, there was a riot in the palace. No one dared to mention the reason. It was just that not long after the riot, the late emperor died suddenly and the King of Wei rebelled. The scope of that riot was probably unprecedented since the founding of the Great Xia Dynasty. My mother, Concubine Jin, inexplicably lost her life in this riot." Although Rong Zhen looked indifferent, Lu Zheng still saw a trace of sadness in his eyes. "I was very favored by the late emperor when I was young, but my mother had little feelings for me. However, one night before she died, she very abnormally let me stay in her bedroom. At that time, I was six years old and had already set up a house outside the palace. It was not normal for me to stay in the palace. My mother has always been cautious in her words and deeds. I think she also has a sense of responsibility for her own destiny. I guess that's what I expected."

Rong Zhen paused, as if he recalled something, and after a long while he continued, "She was not favored in the palace, and she never fought for anything. I really couldn't imagine who would come to kill her. After my mother died, my situation was a bit embarrassing for a while. Fortunately, I was taken care of by the emperor's sister-in-law when I was young. She always took extra care of me and treated me as her own child. "I treated him as my nephew. But when the King of Wei rebelled, several of my brothers also participated in it, and he is still on guard against us. In order to relieve his vigilance, I had to pretend to be unlearned, but after a long time, I was really addicted to it. Until the last moment of my sister-in-law's death, she asked someone to bring me a letter, which stated that there was a secret behind my mother's death and asked me to stay away from the capital."

"This letter was like a wake-up call to me. I suddenly realized that what I did was just a waste of time. When the war in the northern border broke out, I asked for a fight. I have been away for ten years." He closed his eyes, seeming to laugh at himself, "It's ridiculous that I didn't see through it for so many years. If I hand over my fate to others, my whole life is just a prisoner living in shackles. Only when I have enough strength can I protect everything I have."

Rong Zhen looked at Lu Zheng, who seemed to understand, and smiled lightly. He wiped away the sadness on his face: "Whether you want to keep a soft heart or pursue fairness and justice, you need enough strength, and what you are entangled with now, in the final analysis, is just that you are not strong enough."

If it were in the past, Lu Zheng might have refuted him, but after going through so many things, he is no longer the overly naive and simple child. Although it is not the case that the bigger the fist, the truth is often not defended without a strong enough fist.

Seeing that he had understood, Rong Zhen said, "Okay, let's not talk about this anymore. Since the case has been solved, the county lieutenant will naturally handle the rest. We should leave early. I estimate that the imperial court's reinforcements should be arriving soon."

Lu Zheng responded. Although he was still a little worried, his mood was obviously better. He went out to pack up.

After Lu Zheng left, Qingluan came in again.

Rong Zhen put away the gentle expression on his face, returned to normal, and asked: "Where is the reinforcement now?"

Qingluan said: "It will take about two days to reach Guning County."

Rong Zhen nodded: "Tell Song Zhiyi to be more careful. Although they are reinforcements in name, Jian Yu is not an easy person to deal with. We must not let him know about our power in private."

Qingluan hesitated: "The one standing behind the Jie people in this battle is the King of Wei. The identity of Jian Yu..."

"Don't worry about that. If he cared about these things, he wouldn't have come to the Northern Frontier. Since he's here, he has already shown his attitude. I think he was sent here because he knows this."

Qingluan accepted the advice and asked, "Then how will Your Highness arrange for him?"

Rong Zhen chuckled, "Since he is a reinforcement, let him do what reinforcements should do. Su Dai will know how to deal with him." The implication was that Rong Zhen planned to use his injury as an excuse to not show up and let Jian Yu take full charge of the war.

Qingluan said anxiously, "Your Highness has already figured out how to deal with the Jie people, so isn't it giving the credit to him for nothing!"

"This is not a great achievement." Rong Zhen shook his head. "The Jie people just caught us off guard. The Huo Pili has obvious weaknesses. Even if I don't tell you, I believe that with Jian Yu's ability, he will soon know how to crack it. Since he came to the northern border, he is planning to return to Yanjing with his achievements. In this case, I will help him."

Qingluan said with a strange look on his face, "At that time, His Majesty conferred him the title of Loyal and Brave Marquis, but promoted him in public and demoted him in secret, and sent him to guard the imperial mausoleum. It is obvious that he knew his identity. "If he brings back military achievements, wouldn't that make Your Majesty more wary of him?"

Rong Zhen tapped the table lightly: "This is exactly his cleverness. Since his identity has been known, he can't escape being on guard. It's better for him to come out openly, show his loyalty with actions, and secure his own safety with merits. Now that there is a lack of young generals in the court, he must have noticed this point, so he took this opportunity to come out. In this case, let's give him some space."

"Then how can he be sure that he can definitely defeat the Jie people?" This is also what Qingluan doesn't understand. Although Rong Zhen has come up with a way to deal with it, they don't know whether this method can completely defeat the Jie people. In this case, how can Jian Yu be sure that he will definitely return with merits this time? If he loses, wouldn't that give His Majesty an excuse to kill him directly to eliminate future troubles?

Rong Zhen said nonchalantly: "He has probably already recognized the father and son of the King of Wei."

Qingluan was shocked: "Then he is not..."

Before Qingluan said the word "rebel", Rong Zhen had already shaken his head: "It's just mutual use. If the King of Wei really wanted to recognize this son, why did he let him stay in the Decheng Marquis' Mansion for so many years without knowing why? Jian Yu should also know this, so he must have a backup plan."

At this moment, on the official road leading to Guning County, a line of soldiers was walking under the scorching sun. Although it was not yet midsummer, compared to the coolness of Yanjing, the rainless northern border had already become hot.

A team of scouts nimbly shuttled in front of the team until they came to Jian Yu's mount: "Commander, we will enter Guning County in another day and a half. Once we reach Guning County, we will be close to the border town." Jian

Yu nodded: "The team will rest here for a while."

The messenger immediately passed on his order, and soon the whole team stopped. The soldiers sat on the ground without any image, some drinking water, and some chewing dry food.

Deputy General Chen Jiang took out the map and discussed with Jian Yu: "General, this place is not far from Guning County. Why don't we go to Guning County in one go and then rest!" Jian Yu

shook his head: "No need, just follow the original itinerary."

Chen Jiang did not argue, but continued: "General, what are your plans for the next battle? After all, the Northern Frontier is the territory of His Royal Highness the King of Chu. I am afraid he will You may not be willing to see the commander take such a great achievement here."

Jian Yu raised the corners of his lips, and a dazzling smile appeared on his overly gorgeous face, but no one present dared to look up, let alone show any inappropriate expressions. Jian Yu's smile was fleeting, and he still said calmly: "Don't worry, His Royal Highness the King of Chu will give this achievement to us."

"Oh? Why is that?" Chen Jiang asked in surprise. Jian Yu

's finger landed on the location of the Jie people's royal city on the map: "The King of Chu has been in the northern border for so many years, and the Jie people are just a minor disease, why have they not been wiped out for all these years?"

Chen Jiang's heart skipped a beat and he couldn't help but lower his voice: "What do you mean?"

"There are many secrets in the northern border." Jian Yu narrowed his eyes, "Give the orders to tell everyone to be honest, win the battle and get the credit and leave, and don't go and make random inquiries, otherwise they will lose their lives and I won't be able to save them."

Chen Jiang responded quickly.

Jian Yu took another look at the map, then said, "Let's set off after we've rested. Let the scouts find a place to camp and rest early today."

"Yes."

After Chen Jiang received the order and left, Jian Yu raised his eyes and looked at the distant horizon, where the King of Chu's army, the victory that was about to be won, and...

Lu Zheng.