Chapter 387 My Son Is Also a Servant of Three Surnames
Inside the large tent, the air was completely silent.
Only the increasingly labored breathing of Zhu Yuheng, who held two tokens in his hand, could be heard.
"Let's switch allegiance to Li Zhengyan and try our luck again..."
He muttered to himself for a moment, then swallowed hard.
Zhao Ru glanced anxiously at the night outside the tent, then turned back and urged:
"Most of the 1,500 soldiers that the eldest son brought were originally from Hongzhou. They surrendered along with the governor and the young master, so they are easy to bring back to Hongzhou City."
Lowering his voice, the lame man stopped speaking here, glancing worriedly at the outside of the tent once more.
Zhu Yuheng realized what was happening, went to lower the tent curtain, tried to remain calm, gave a few instructions to the guards outside, and then returned, hurriedly pulling Zhao Rushi deeper into the tent, behind the private curtain.
His lips were a little dry, and he clutched his father's beloved jade ring tightly in his hand, asking in a hoarse voice:
"If we really have to switch sides... don't we want Xunyang City anymore? Such a good opportunity, if we really have to surrender, why doesn't Father just give up the city..."
Zhao Ru shook her head, her tone regretful:
"The situation is different on the Governor's side. In Xunyang City, there are many people and eyes, and there are female spies who are in the way, so the news cannot be kept secret. Most of the soldiers who formed the vanguard army came from Jiangzhou and the southeastern Yang and Huai regions, making it difficult to win them over."
"Li Zhengyan and Yunmeng Yue Nu have caused too much of a commotion. Due to the urgency of the situation, the Commander had no choice but to flee with his personal guards. The Commander is only concerned about the young master here and has specially ordered me to come and inform him as soon as possible, for fear that the young master will miss the window of opportunity."
"The Xunyang official ship was burned, a tragedy occurred at the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, and the governor has disappeared. It's possible that Jiangzhou City has already reacted by now. At the latest, by noon tomorrow, all counties in Jiangzhou will receive the news, and the female historian will definitely rush over with orders to seize the eldest son's fish tally. There is roughly a half-day window left!"
"The governor's idea is that the eldest son should first go to Hongzhou to surrender and reunite with Cai Qin, and then take advantage of the chaos to see if he can take Jiangzhou, or wait for Li Zhengyan and the governor to bring the main force to gather, and then make a long-term plan."
"By the way, before I left, the governor hurriedly muttered something to himself when he was giving instructions: 'Lord Li wiped out the entire Xunyang Prince's Mansion and framed the court and the Wei family. He is stealing the righteous cause of restoration. He may not necessarily take Jiangzhou. He may turn around and cross the river to lead his army north... I don't know what he means.'"
Zhao Rushi's tone was slightly doubtful.
Zhu Yuheng, who was deep in thought, suddenly had a flicker of interest in his eyes. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but before he could, Zhao Rushi shook her head and patted the back of Zhu Yuheng's hand, which was tightly clutching the jade ring and felt hat, with concern.
"It's almost dawn, young master, please prepare quickly. I have important matters to attend to. I need to move the commander's concubines and the families of some loyal guards away. Just like last time when they defected, young master, we'll meet in Hongzhou City!"
The lame man didn't linger for long. He bypassed the night patrol soldiers, walked with his toes pointing slightly outward, and left, his hurried figure disappearing into the deep, inky night.
From delivering the message to Zhu Yuheng to his hurried departure with a worried expression, the time was less than fifteen minutes.
They came and went in a hurry, not wasting a single minute, and didn't give the latter a chance to ask any more questions.
At the entrance of the central command tent, where the guards had been dismissed, only Zhu Yuheng's somewhat bewildered figure remained.
A trusted confidant came running up excitedly, winking and reporting that the delicate young lady had been waiting in the sleeping tent for a long time, but was quickly sent away by Zhu Yuheng.
At this moment, he had no interest in finding his young mistress to change into her autumn clothes.
The urgent news brought by his father, Zhao Rushi, along with the two hot potatoes-like tokens in his hands, made Zhu Yuheng uneasy.
"How could such a big thing suddenly happen... Is it true... Li Zhengyan has the Ding Sword... It looks like a painting... Wait a minute!"
He stood with his hands behind his back, pacing back and forth, lost in thought, muttering to himself:
"That Peach Blossom Spring painting is actually the Ding Sword? I heard Yue Zi'ang mention it once when he was drunk, saying that he was carrying a Peach Blossom Spring painting. I didn't investigate it in detail at the time, and I guess Yue Zi'ang didn't know the details either. I didn't expect it to be hidden so well. No wonder Li Zhengyan dared to rebel..."
"And the female cultivators from Yunmeng, Li Zhengyan, Wei Shaoqi, and Du Shuqing did indeed detour from Longcheng, first going to Yunmengze under the guise of sightseeing, and then heading to Hongzhou City... It all connects... I see... I knew it."
Having figured this out, Zhu Yuheng, who had once been closely associated with the rebels Yue Zi'ang and Du Shuqing, was drenched in cold sweat.
The night breeze was chilly, but his tense nerves suddenly relaxed a little.
Now at least it's not entirely without basis; sometimes people just need a reason to convince themselves.
Zhu Yuheng licked his dry lips, the words of Zhao Rushi faintly echoing in his ears.
“My father said that Lord Li does not necessarily have to take Jiangzhou... or cross the river to the north... Does this mean that the Kuangfu Army will no longer continue to advance eastward along the Yangtze River, wasting time in the southeast, and will not seek to occupy Nanjing and divide the country along the river?”
"Instead, like the other feasible path Father analyzed that night, we should cross the river directly north, advance in a grand manner, head straight for Luoyang, the eastern capital, and make it appear as if we are striking at the heart of the enemy, demonstrating to the world our ambition to restore the dynasty and save the emperor, thereby attracting responses from all directions and disrupting Hebei and Shandong..."
“My father once said that in the struggle between the North and the South, he would definitely choose the North. Li Zhengyan’s move must be in line with my father’s wishes. In addition, the Xunyang Prince’s Mansion is gone, and the Kuangfu Army can raise the banner of revenge at will. They can say that they are going to Luoyang to defend the emperor and protect the only remaining bloodline of Emperor Gaozong, Prince Xiang. They can also add a beautiful ding sword to the mix…”
"It seems that Father is not only being manipulated by Li Zhengyan, but may also be tempted. After all, the Kuangfu Army has a better potential, which is indeed better than being subordinate to others and eating the leftovers of the Wei family. If things can be accomplished..."
Zhu Yuheng lowered his head and murmured, his expression momentarily dark and unreadable.
After a short while, the armored youth slowly stopped and turned to look at the water clock in the corner.
Dawn is approaching.
...
After leaving the vanguard garrison on the outskirts of Fushui County, the lame man stroked his chin, took off a bronze mask, and calmly tucked it into his sleeve.
His expression no longer showed the anxiety he had displayed in front of Zhu Yuheng.
Ouyang Rong looked down at his feet.
This pigeon-toed gait, which makes him seem unrecognizable to anyone, is the result of a long period of diligent practice on his way here, and his performance so far has been quite good.
The Mirage Mask can only disguise the appearance; it cannot completely replicate the walking habits. Therefore, Ouyang Rong meticulously imitated it.
Strange, I've gotten used to walking with my toes pointed outwards, but it seems I can't seem to get rid of this habit...
Ouyang Rong shook his head speechlessly.
A short while later, he arrived at a reed bed by the river under the stars and moon.
We boarded a hidden boat and sailed downstream back to Jiangzhou.
Ouyang Rong rushed back without stopping. On the river, he looked up at the sky and saw the first light of dawn.
From asking for leave to carrying the zither into the Prince's Mansion to returning now that the matter is over, it took a total of one day and two nights.
Now that he has used the same tactics against him, his plan has succeeded, and he can actually go back at a leisurely pace.
The reason for returning without a moment's rest is simply to keep a promise:
Today, the vanguard of Jiangzhou set off on their expedition, and Ouyang Rong said he would personally escort Zhu Lingxu on his way.
Back in his cabin, he checked his merit points. He had spent 1,500 merit points that day setting up the sword at the restaurant on the side of Dragon City, fulfilling the ritual requirements, and collecting Zhao Rushi's fake body.
There are still more than 3,600 merits remaining in the Merit Pagoda.
Ouyang Rong nodded slightly.
When I meet my old friend Zhu Lingxu later, I won't need the Cauldron Sword and the Purple Mist of Merit, which will save me some money.
They traveled in silence and finally arrived in Xunyang City before noon.
Just as before he left, the vast city of Xunyang was calm and peaceful.
On the streets, peddlers, merchants, monks, and Taoist priests each went about their own business.
The garrison on duty at the west city wall changed shifts as usual.
Everything was as usual; there was no trace of the aftermath of the massacre at the Xunyang Prince's Mansion by Dingjian.
Before entering the city, Ouyang Rong put on the mask again, transforming into a young woman with extremely thin lips.
This is the female worker's avatar that Liu Zi'an sacrificed and left in the mask back in Longcheng, and Ouyang Rong is now using it skillfully.
Indeed, there are only two kinds of cross-dressing: zero times or countless times.
Reluctantly, he dressed as a woman again, bought a pancake from a street vendor, and silently ate it while waiting in a small alley.
A short while later, Princess Wei Mei's luxurious motorcade passed through the market, and she was accompanied by her maids from the palace, heading to the East Market to make purchases.
The figure of a woman with thin lips blended in among them.
He returned to the Xunyang Prince's Mansion with the others.
Within Xunyang City, all was peaceful and serene.
By afternoon, an extremely urgent message from the front lines began to reach Xunyang City through various channels...
Inside the main hall of Jiangzhou.
Zhu Lingxu was the first to receive the news.
Early this morning, Zhu Yuheng led 1,500 vanguard troops in a defection and surrendered to Cai Qin's army in Hongzhou.
Looking at the latest military intelligence report in his hand, the old man looked somewhat bewildered.
My first reaction was that it was an absurd joke.
"How could this be? It's utterly absurd! It's fake, it must be fake! Quickly arrest the messenger and thoroughly investigate him from top to bottom. There's a traitorous spy among them, spreading false military intelligence!"
He chuckled, tossed aside the military document, picked up his teacup, and took a sip of tea.
The officer next to him looked embarrassed and stammered as he provided more detailed witness testimonies.
Zhu Lingxu shook his head again, sneering.
At this moment, a guard suddenly jogged in, leaned close to Zhu Lingxu's ear, and whispered:
"Governor, General Zhao is dead. He was on his way back to report for duty when it happened yesterday at noon... on the streets of Longcheng County..."
Zhu Lingxu's hand was unsteady, and the teacup fell to the ground.
Crackle!
The entire room fell silent, and the officers turned to look.
Zhu Lingxu glanced at the shards of the teacup, then suddenly looked up and said to the guard who had brought the message:
"Regarding General Zhao's murder, report it to Governor Wang and Chief Clerk Ouyang. This is a matter within their jurisdiction. Although I am deeply grieved and indignant, it is my duty to focus on military affairs."
After speaking, he bent down to pick up the military intelligence document he had just dropped, glanced at it again, paused for a moment, then smiled faintly and calmly addressed the assembled generals:
"This Cai Qin is quite shrewd, using military intelligence deception. But does he really think he can fool me? Ha! Don't panic. Today's arrangements remain the same. We will set off as usual this afternoon."
"Why didn't they use their brains to think about it? Why did this news have to come today of all times? It's too much of a coincidence. Isn't it just to disrupt our army's morale, make the imperial supervisors suspicious of me, delay our expedition, and buy time for their reinforcements?"
"Hehe, just like our eight thousand soldiers who claim to be a hundred thousand royal troops, Cai Qin and the others are also playing the trick of the best strategy of attacking the enemy's plans. It's just a trivial skill."
Zhu Lingxu pursed his lips and shook his head:
"Alright then, someone go and summon the ladies. I'll wait for them here. There are some things that need to be explained, otherwise the morale of the army will be unstable."
Zhu Lingxu raised his head, his expression righteous and awe-inspiring.
The soldiers looked at each other, bowed, and withdrew.
Zhu Lingxu remained calm and watched them leave one by one, patiently drinking tea and waiting.
After an incense stick had burned a while, a military clerk trotted into the main hall, ready to report on military affairs, but his expression froze.
The lobby was completely empty, and I looked around blankly.
Where is the head steward?
Fifteen minutes later.
The back gate of Zhu Lingxu's new residence opened, and the steward and servants watched as a beautiful concubine, who was greatly favored by the master, left in her carriage for an autumn outing.
The carriage was very discreet, traveling alone, passing through the streets and alleys, heading towards the west gate.
Inside the carriage was a burly "beautiful concubine" wearing a black veil hat.
The person wearing the veil bowed their head deeply, their fist, the size of a sandbag, clenched tightly on their knees.
The burly body hidden in the woman's clothing trembled incessantly.
"Could it be that Yuheng has relapsed into his old ways, refusing to repent, and has defected to Li Zhengyan... Impossible, Yuheng would never betray me, absolutely not..."
"Zhao Ru died yesterday, and Yuheng rebelled this morning. It's too much of a coincidence. There must be a connection."
Zhu Lingxu was filled with doubt and apprehension, and managed to squeeze out a sound from between his lips:
“Yuheng would not betray me. It can only be that someone is spreading false information, possibly through Zhao Rushi. But why would Yuheng believe it?!”
"It's all over, everything's over... Yuheng has ruined me... Yuheng has ruined me!"
Zhu Lingxu trembled all over, his old face beneath the veil looking sorrowful and haggard.
In the urgency of the situation, sensing the crisis, he didn't have time to think and immediately slipped out, changing into this woman's clothing to escape.
The carriage bumped along as it headed toward the west gate. Inside, Zhu Lingxu's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was about to burst out of his chest.
This is a mixture of panic and tension, as well as overwhelming anger.
As the commander-in-chief of the vanguard, he was in full charge of the frontline military affairs before the arrival of the Grand Commander of the Jiangzhou Road Army. However, his eldest son, who was leading the vanguard, defected halfway!
This is an unprecedented example in the thousands of battles that have taken place in the Great Zhou Dynasty and even the Great Gan Dynasty since its founding!
The elderly empress, who sits alone at the highest point of the imperial court in Luoyang, would surely be furious upon learning this.
The two princes of the Wei clan who recommended him would be deeply implicated, so no matter how innocent Zhu Lingxu explained, even if he severed his father-son relationship with Zhu Yuheng, it would be useless.
He was speechless and unable to defend himself.
So if we don't run now, when will we? Right now, only the Kuangfu Army in the southwest can barely take him in.
Zhu Lingxu was drenched in sweat and his mouth was dry. He carefully lifted the carriage curtain, glanced outside, and saw the West Gate of the city growing larger and larger in his field of vision. He breathed a slight sigh of relief as he was about to pass through it, and then lowered the curtain.
But in the next instant, a curious and kind voice came from the city wall directly above:
"Where is Chief Steward Zhu going by carriage?"
A young man, barely twenty years old and on duty at the city gate, slowly descended the city wall, a sword at his waist, followed by a large group of onlookers.
"Why is Steward Zhu wearing women's clothes in broad daylight? Does he have a strange fetish for dressing in women's clothing? Coincidentally, I have a friend who has the same fetish. I'll introduce him to Steward Zhu if I have the chance."
"However, why not wear women's clothing? It's strange. Wasn't Lord Zhu supposed to be leading the army out to war this afternoon? Why didn't he prepare for military affairs properly? Why did he change into women's clothing and leave all by himself?"
At this point, Ouyang Rong, leaning on his sword, descended from the city wall, his tone filled with admiration:
"Wait, does that mean I'm going to take Hongzhou by myself, all by myself, with my bare hands? Uh, that shouldn't be the case."
He looked around, his tone inquiring:
"Could it be that Cai Qin of Hongzhou has surrendered, so the General Commander is going to war alone without a single soldier? Hmm, have any of you received any news from the front lines?"
Zhu Lingxu's body stiffened. After a moment, he slowly lifted the carriage curtain and was immediately met with Ouyang Rong's calm gaze, as well as the strange looks from Xie Lingjiang, Yan Liulang, Chen You, and others among his entourage.
Even though Zhu Lingxu had been a traitor to three masters several times and remained calm, his blood rushed to his head and his face turned red.
Just like the pig livers laid out on the chopping board by the butchers in the marketplace, ready to be slaughtered.
(End of this chapter)
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