Indeed, the military camp, bristling with two hundred thousand soldiers from the Jibei Army, was thrown into chaos. No one had expected that an assassin would infiltrate the camp.
Zhang Xing was the one who died before accomplishing his mission.
Zhang Cheng and Zhang Yun managed to escape a disaster.
While Zhang Cheng was also injured by a sword, his injury was lighter than Zhang Yun’s, who had been more seriously wounded. After Zhou Gu retreated, Zhang Yun gritted his teeth, ordered his men to pursue the assassin, and then fell unconscious.
The military doctor divided his attention between treating Zhang Cheng and Zhang Yun.
Zhang Cheng, who had not lost consciousness, asked the doctor after his wound was bandaged: "Who was it? Who had such audacity?"
"It’s said to be Zhou Gu."
"Zhou Gu?" Zhang Cheng was startled. "He’s audacious indeed."
He had heard that Zhou Gu from the Duke Residence was exceptional in both scholarly and martial pursuits. Yet, he hadn’t expected Zhou Gu to be this exceptional--bold enough to infiltrate a military camp with two hundred thousand troops for an assassination attempt.
If it wasn’t for his genuine skill, it would have been youthful recklessness.
He asked, "Have they caught him?"
His subordinate shook his head.
Looking grim, Zhang Cheng replied, "It would be a joke if word got out that he was able to come and go freely in our military camp with two hundred thousand troops."
This indicated his incompetence as a general.
He asked again, "How is Yun?"
"The Young Master suffered severe injuries and remains unconscious. The sword wound lies three inches from his heart, and the military doctors are providing treatment."
Zhang Cheng, with a stern face, promptly ordered, "Leave one hundred thousand troops behind; the rest are to search the mountains. Within a fifty-mile radius, don’t let any farmstead go unchecked. I want Zhou Gu dead."
"Understood."
That night, two members of the Zhang family were severely injured, one was killed, and Zhang Cheng could not suppress his fury.
Hence, almost immediately after his wounds were bandaged, he deployed one hundred thousand soldiers to search the mountains, which happened a lot sooner than Su Rong and Zhou Gu had anticipated.
Thus, at dawn, the two received a message that a large number of Jibei soldiers were searching the mountains. Therefore, Zhou Gu picked up Su Rong, and along with everyone in Zhuangzi, including the housekeeper, they hid in the secret tunnel Ning Chi had prepared.
After all, the Zhuangzi belonged to Ning Chi. Though the location was secret and unknown to anyone, they had to be cautious. Instead of letting the housekeeper be captured by Zhang Cheng if discovered, it was better to leave the house deserted.
The secret tunnel constructed by Ning Chi was quite long and filled with deadly traps designed by experts in hidden weapons. However, it didn’t pose any threat as those who serve Ning Chi were loyal. The housekeeper knew how to navigate it, so he led everyone through twists and turns into a large secret chamber.
The secret chamber was not small and came equipped with necessities. Even though the items looked somewhat old, they were still usable.
Fen Ling, who was intrigued by Ning Chi’s wealth, looked around and asked the housekeeper, "Didn’t you say this place houses all of Ning Chi’s wealth? Where is it?"
The housekeeper pointed to a locked door. "It’s in there."
Being loyal to Ning Chi, although he felt uneasy about disclosing Ning Chi’s secret hiding place to Zhou Gu, Su Rong, and the others, he had no choice but to trust them as Ning Chi did.
Fen Ling got it. Glancing at the tightly locked door, he was itching to unlock it for a peek since he knew how to pick locks. But, fearing that the housekeeper might suspect he was trying to take Ning Chi’s wealth, he decided against it.
Zhou Gu was also curious about Ning Chi’s wealth. After all, the Duke Residence, despite having accumulated wealth over generations, had not much to spare due to their ongoing support for the military. Considering that Ning Chi had gone to the length of buying a villa and building a secret tunnel and chamber to safeguard his wealth, Zhou Gu guessed that it must be quite substantial.
The housekeeper said, "The late Mrs. had a good background and left a rich dowry. She was proficient in business. So after her death, she left many capable business managers to the Young Master. Moreover, the Young Master is not weak. Not only did he make full use of the people his late mother left behind, he also cultivated his own team. Therefore, his wealth is not inferior to that of the Marquis Nanping Residence, and when it comes to gold and silver, he actually has more."
Fen Ling came to a realization, "No wonder your young master is so rich."
When Ning Chi went to Jiangning County, he already figured out that Ning Chi was wealthy. Although he did not show up at that time, he observed from the shadows and knew that Ning Chi handed over silver notes generously when he asked Ziye to buy wine.
The housekeeper invited everyone to sit down, "A month ago, the Young Master mentioned to me that the national treasury was short of silver but he had plenty. In case war breaks out, he intends to donate some. However, there needs to be a proper plan for this donation. The present emperor... Well, you just can’t say, ’The national treasury is short of silver; here’s mine.’ Now, the Young Master is part of the Eastern Palace, so it must go through the Crown Prince."
His words were not false; he did not dare to lie. It was really something that Ning Chi had said, that’s why he felt free to reveal it.
"Yes, he did mention it, but the Crown Prince said there’s no hurry." Zhou Gu was aware of this matter. Claiming that Ning Chi was his nominee to the Eastern Palace and planning to help him in Nanping after his own retirement, he hadn’t kept the matter a secret. A war between Dawei and Daliang was inevitable. What the Imperial Court needed most right now was military provisions. In fact, every aspect required silver. However, he didn’t know the exact amount Ning Chi was planning to donate.
No wonder the emperor was considered a spendthrift. Out of stupidity, in order to desperately cling to the power in his hands and keep the Crown Prince and the Duke Residence in check, he had fattened up the Pingxi General Residence in Jibei.
And then there was Nanping, which for many years had been consuming the lean meat, while Jibei enjoyed the fat meat. Both were better off than the Duke Residence, which hadn’t even had a sip of soup.
But the Duke Residence had one advantage--the Old Duke had kicked Zhou Gu to the Eastern Palace very early, thereby tying their interests together. They were unlike the Pingxi General Residence, bursting with ambition to rebel, or the Marquis Nanping Residence, wholeheartedly supporting the Crown Prince, Yan Li. Both had strayed off the right path.
The Crown Prince had a dignified bearing and was benevolent and loved by the people; he also had public support. In the Old Duke’s wise view, he was the most suitable heir to the throne of Daliang. Hence, the Eastern Palace and the Duke Residence had been enduring together, biding their time until now.
While everyone chatted idly, Su Rong remained quiet. She didn’t sleep well the previous night and was tired when she woke up. Hence, after Zhou Gu carried her into the secret chamber, she continued to doze on the couch, not showing much interest in Ning Chi’s wealth.
After all, she herself was not lacking in wealth and most certainly had no intention of filling the Daliang national treasury on behalf of her cousin, the Crown Prince; she and Ning Chi were different in that respect. She needed to keep her resources for her own use.
Having chatted idly for a while, Zhou Gu was also feeling tired. Su Rong hadn’t had enough sleep, and he was even more sleep-deprived. So he leaned against her and closed his eyes as well.
Fen Ling and Ziye did the same. Seeing the other two fall asleep, they began to yawn too. They found a spot each and fell asleep as well.
Watching everyone fall asleep, the housekeeper, having nothing else to do, led the others in preparing lunch for everyone.
Despite the Jibei army searching high and low through the mountains, even beyond a radius of fifty miles, they failed to locate Zhou Gu and his companions, thanks to the secretive tunnel constructed by Ning Chi.
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