Chapter 81 Another battle report! Good news or not?
Wen Ziduan stared at her for a long while, from her forehead to her neck, his eyes wandering back and forth on her lips.[41] Finally, he let go of He Zhaojun.
"What if I say it has something to do with me?"
He Zhaojun scrambled to her feet, tidying up her messy hair and dress. He had clearly only pressed against her sleeve, not even touching her except her hands, yet she felt as if her entire body was being...
Thinking of this, He Zhaojun felt even more frightened. She didn't even bother to say hello and got on the carriage as if she was escaping.
But she didn't know that just as she got into the car and left, a young man in black clothes and a golden ribbon[42] came out from the next door, sat down opposite Wen Ziduan, and poured her a cup of tea steadily.
Ling Buyi took a sip of tea, then put it down again, his expression extremely serious: "I think the way you looked at her was really not innocent."
Wen Ziduan coughed lightly: "What do you know? You are in the private room next door, can you see it?"
"I could only barely make out a shadow," Ling Buyi didn't deny, "but I heard you swallowing."
"Ahem... let's get down to business. What are your thoughts on the Lou family?"
Ling Buyi lowered his head in thought, "Lou Ben and I have been exchanging letters frequently. I know he's a man of profound vision and genuine talent. However, I can't understand why he chose to get involved in this matter. I need to investigate further before I can draw any conclusions."
Wen Ziduan nodded. "Earlier, Zhaojun suggested engaging the Tuoba tribe, feigning defeat, and allowing them to seize their weapons. Is this a feasible strategy? Will the Tuoba leader turn around and attack our border towns?"
"Yes, I have this suspicion as well. However, as long as the local garrison troops send a light cavalry to burn the Tuoba tribe's food supplies, they will be left without support and are not good at attacking cities, so they will definitely retreat to defend. If the Yuwen tribe knows that they are short of supplies, civil war between the two sides is inevitable."
The two men discussed the details in detail. Finally, Wen Ziduan suddenly remembered: "We must keep the feigned defeat a secret from everyone. If the traitor sees us fighting against the Tuoba tribe, he will definitely take action. Then, everything will be revealed."
Ling Buyi paused, "But if you do this, you'll put General He Chuan in extreme danger. Won't you tell An Chengjun?"
——
Ten days later.
"Young lady... His Majesty has summoned you, please go to the main hall immediately." This time, Changshi Cao bent his body even more and did not look up to meet He Zhaojun's eyes.
He Zhaojun dropped the teacup in her hand, spilling water all over her. The last time Attendant Cao came to deliver a message, it was also after her eldest brother's death. This time, he was acting so… He Zhaojun felt dizzy and unfocused, stumbling to her feet and running all the way to the main hall.
"...Bring it to me." When He Zhaojun saw the battle report on Wen Ziduan's table, she didn't even have time to greet Emperor Wen who was sitting above her.
Wen Ziduan held the battle report in his hand and did not give it to He Zhaojun for a while.
The atmosphere in the hall was stagnant. Ling Buyi's face was gloomy, his fists clenched. The Crown Prince covered his face with his hands, his eyes red. Emperor Wen also sighed. Seeing their reactions, He Zhaojun refused to believe it at all.
"Why aren't you talking? There must be news about my brother. He's not dead, right?!"
"They are all battle-hardened generals. They certainly won't die easily, right?"
He Zhaojun looked at Wen Ziduan anxiously, hoping to hear some good news from him.
Wen Ziduan said nothing, but just looked at He Zhaojun quietly: "Zhaojun, please take care of yourself..."
"..." He Zhaojun trembled, took the light flying eagle message from his hand, and slowly unfolded it. It was still stained with blood and had turned brown.
There were only two words written on the first line: obituary[43].
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
