Ning Ze felt a shiver of unease when he heard that Ning Chi was calling him.
Although he didn’t dare procrastinate. Even though he was now Su Rong’s man, his elder brother was capable, what if he advised Su Rong not to let him go to Nanchu? What if Su Rong listened to him and no longer wanted him?
Moreover, his mother and sister were all dependent on him.
So, he quickly went to Ning Chi’s study. Upon reaching, he saw not only his father and elder brother but Jiang Zhu was also present. He asked them cautiously, "Elder brother, you were looking for me?"
With so many people present, it couldn’t be that they were after his life, right?
Ning Chi nodded, handed him Zhou Gu’s letter, and said, "Read the letter yourself!"
Ning Ze carefully took the letter. His eyes widened in shock after reading it, blurting out, "Two hundred thousand troops?"
Are they doomed? Nanping only had thirty thousand soldiers.
"Second brother, what are your brilliant ideas?" Ning Chi asked him.
Ning Ze’s hand trembled, almost ready to kneel before Ning Chi. He had no brilliant ideas. He suggested nervously to Ning Chi, "Elder brother, should we... run?"
Ning Chi: "..."
He had really overestimated him. They had taken in such a coward, he didn’t know why Su Rong would take him under her wing.
Seeing Ning Chi’s speechless face, Ning Ze hurriedly returned Zhou Gu’s letter to him. Thinking quickly, he said, "We don’t know who is leading the troops. As long as it’s not Zhang Ping, we can bind Zhang Mao and put him on the city tower. Let’s see who dares to kill Zhang Mao."
Ning Chi suddenly realized. Yes, there was a Zhang Mao in their secret prison. He nodded approvingly at Ning Ze, "Hmm, you do have some use."
Ning Ze was startled by his approval but also felt proud. It turns out that he could be useful too.
"It is said that Zhang Mao also wanted to join Lady Su Qi?" Asked Jiang Zhu.
Ning Ze nodded, "Lady Su Qi still hasn’t agreed. We don’t know if he’s sincere or not."
Marquis Nanping, "Regardless of his sincerity, as you said, as long as it’s not Zhang Ping leading the troops personally, no one from Marquis Nanping Residence would dare to gamble with Zhang Ping’s life." Marquis Nanping didn’t expect this from his second son. He had thought that he was useless, but Su Rong still took him in. Now, he seemed full of vigor.
As a father, he naturally hoped for peace between his two sons. He also didn’t want his wife to worry endlessly about their son. Now, one has inherited the title, and the other has gone to Nanchu, following Su Rong to make a career for himself.
"Let’s just settle with this plan. When the soldiers arrive to attack the city, we will bind Zhang Mao to the city tower." Ning Chi finally had an idea, he said to Ning Ze, "Zhang Mao’s matter is given to you. You must not let him escape."
Ning Ze pounded his chest as a guarantee, "Elder brother, rest assured, I will definitely not let him escape."
He’s waiting to chop Zhang Mao’s finger off, he surely wouldn’t let anyone escape from his grasp.
After leaving the study, everyone began to prepare.
Ning Ze pondered for a moment and then once again went to the secret prison. He spoke to Zhang Mao who was tied to the column and hasn’t been tortured much, "Your family has moved the troops, marching quickly, over uneven terrains. There must be at least two hundred thousand troops, coming towards Nanping. Do you want to attack Nanping? You must know who’s leading the troops, right?"
Zhang Mao nodded, "It’s my second uncle, Zhang Cheng."
"Is he good to you?" Ning Ze asked.
"What exactly do you want to ask?"
Ning Ze said, "You know, Nanping only has thirty thousand troops and your family has no less than two hundred thousand soldiers. If we really hold on firmly, Nanping City won’t be able to hold on. But with you, that would make a difference. We plan to bind you to the city tower. If the person leading the troops cares about you, naturally they won’t gamble with your life. They won’t dare to attack the city. But if the person leading the troops doesn’t care about you, then you’re doomed. You’ll probably be the first one they kill."
Zhang Mao said, "My second uncle is not bad to me. The matter about moving troops was discussed with my father and second uncle before I left home. They probably don’t know that I’ve been captured and are acting according to the original plan."
Ning Ze nodded, releasing a sigh of relief, "As long as he’s not bad to you then."
As long as Zhang Mao dares not attack the city, and waits for reinforcements, maybe he can escape death too?
Zhang Mao asked, "Where is Lady Su Qi? I want to see her."
Ning Ze shook his head, "You can’t see her now, she’s out cleansing the secret agents and hasn’t returned yet. Didn’t I tell you?"
Zhang Mao keenly said, "It’s been several days now and she hasn’t returned yet. Did she encounter danger? Something might have happened."
"Damn it, you crow mouth! Stop talking nonsense. Lady Su Qi is very powerful, she wouldn’t encounter any mishaps. If anyone were to have mishaps, it wouldn’t be her." Ning Ze had immense faith in Su Rong. He believed in her more than she believed in herself.
Zhang Mao said, "The secret agents from the Pingxi General’s home are all under the charge of my half-brother Zhang Yun. He’s cunning and has deep intentions. Once he doesn’t receive news from the secret agents for two days, he will know that something has happened. He will trace it back to the place of incident along the secret route and might even find Lady Su Qi, set an ambush and execute her."
Ning Ze’s eyes widened, "Really?"
"Why would I lie to you? My life is in your hands and there’s no way for me to run. I said that I surrendered to Su Rong, I’m not joking." Zhang Mao said.
Ning Ze humphed, "Who knows if you’re true or not? I’m not a worm in your belly. Regardless of what you’ve said, I trust in Lady Su Qi’s abilities. Maybe, your half-brother Zhang Yun, has now been killed by Lady Su Qi."
Zhang Mao didn’t argue with him as he was the one who was bound, "It might be possible."
Ning Ze seeing him admit Su Rong’s power, felt a bit relieved. He said to him, "If you can make your second uncle retreat, then it would prove your sincerity to surrender to Lady Su Qi. I will help vouch for you."
Zhang Mao shook his head, "My words might not work. My second uncle could only refrain from attacking the city because of me but he definitely won’t retreat."
Ning Ze glared at him, "Aren’t you the rightful heir of the Zhang family? How are you so useless?"
Zhang Mao was realistic, "I’m the legitimate son of the Zhang family, but I’m not the only son. My father has many sons."
Ning Ze felt sympathy for him at this point, "Ah, you’re quite sensible, you know how to survive. Let’s wait until the day when the enemies are at the city gates and see the truth. But let me tell you, no matter what, you can’t escape. If we die, we die together, if we live, we live together. Don’t dream of someone saving you, it’s impossible. The people that my mother gave me, I use them exclusively to make sure you don’t escape from me. I’m making my mark in front of Lady Su Qi and my elder brother. "
Zhang Mao said, "Don’t worry, since I have surrendered to Su Rong, I won’t run.
Ning Ze did not believe him.
Zhang Mao said, "Being captured was not only my humiliation, but also that of the Zhang family. Do you think that even if I could be rescued, would there be a place for me in the Zhang family in the future? I would rather surrender and follow Lady Su Qi. Not only would I survive, but I could also fight for my future."
Ning Ze thought about it and agreed, "That makes sense."
Scratching his head and sighing with worry for his life, he said, "Okay then, let’s wait."
He ordered a good feast for Zhang Mao as an appreciation for his words. Then, as he left the secret prison, he seriously ordered people, "Keep a good eye on him. Don’t let him escape."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
