Chapter 292 Repatriation
After Meng Huanyan died, Aunt Lu always carried this knife with her.
She wanted to die countless times, but she still didn't have the courage.
At this moment, her hopes were dashed. Thinking that the Meng family would soon be rebuilt, she could only watch Meng Xingyuan and Du Shiyin's family reunite and celebrate together, feeling a mix of grief and anger. She drew her knife and rushed towards Wen Zhiming.
"It's all your fault. I could have watched their family suffer as much as I did, but you ruined everything. I'll kill you! If I kill you, no one will save them..."
A frail woman like her couldn't even touch the hem of Wen Zhiming's clothes.
Moreover, she was already on the verge of madness, her steps were unsteady, and she talked nonsense before she made a move. She looked scary, but in reality, she posed no threat to Wen Zhiming at all.
Wen Zhiming originally intended to knock her away with a single palm strike, but out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a sharp knife behind him, the tip of which was pointed at Aunt Lu herself. Clearly, she wanted to use him to commit suicide.
He frowned, but still pushed it in with force. With a little effort, the dagger pierced deep into the hole.
Aunt Lu did not suffer too much.
As blood gushed out, she collapsed to the ground, looking up at Wen Zhiming with gratitude.
"Thank you……"
Aunt Lu smiled, her gaze slowly drifting upwards, her smile filled with adoration.
"Huanyan has come to pick me up..."
Du Shiyin was originally very dissatisfied with Aunt Lu, but seeing her die like that, she felt a little sorry for her.
"She was a pitiful person, really. Before Meng Huanyan died, she asked Lingge to take care of Aunt Lu. Now that she's dead at your hands, I wonder if Lingge will blame you. Or perhaps..."
Du Shiyin hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.
But Wen Zhiming had already understood her meaning. His mother-in-law was probably worried that this incident would cause a rift between him and his wife, and was preparing to fabricate another way for Aunt Lu to die.
"No need. Her life is already painful enough, let alone the possibility of her harming you. My killing her is both to protect Lingge's family and to free her from suffering. There's nothing to hide. I will explain to Lingge myself."
Wen Zhiming remained calm and composed, beckoning over the commander of the soldiers he had brought with him. He instructed Du Shiyin to find two portraits of Meng Qingyu and to arrange for people to search along the route.
After giving him some instructions, he took Gu Yan and several elite soldiers, bid farewell to Du Shiyin, and headed to the Prince of Anshun's residence.
When Wen Zhiming first came to the Meng residence, he had already instructed Cao Ran to lead the army to temporarily reside in the Anshun Prince's residence.
When the group arrived, the seals on the gate of the Prince of Anshun's mansion were thrown on the ground and torn to shreds. The gate was wide open, and the guards were nowhere to be seen. In their place were the soldiers under Wen Zhiming's command.
Upon seeing Wen Zhiming arrive, the soldiers immediately bowed respectfully.
"Greetings, Your Highness."
Wen Zhiming nodded slightly and stepped inside. He saw that the soldiers were either standing or sitting in the courtyard, and no one rushed into the side rooms.
In early autumn, the weather was still a bit hot during the day. Some soldiers took off their shirts, while others fanned themselves gently with their hands.
Cao Ran came to greet him from afar.
"Your Highness, fortunately your mansion is spacious enough to accommodate our army. Let them rest in the courtyard for now, and don't let them enter the side rooms without permission and disrupt the rules."
"Letting them move in is just to let them rest in the side rooms. If the soldiers still need to sleep under the open sky, what's the point of letting them stay here?"
Wen Zhiming said gently, "Taking the palace is not something that can be done in a short time. We must ensure that our soldiers are well-rested to have a better chance of winning. Apart from the two main courtyards, all other areas can be opened for the soldiers to rest."
Not to mention the royal family, even the high-ranking officials in the capital did not like to let soldiers covered in sweat and odor stay in the side rooms. This Prince Anshun's Mansion was where the prince had lived since he was a child, so it must have a different meaning.
That's why Cao Ran let the soldiers rest in the courtyard. Unexpectedly, Wen Zhiming didn't mind at all and quickly nodded, saying, "Your Highness is wise. I will make the arrangements immediately."
"Are the guests at Jujielou Restaurant here?" Wen Zhiming walked straight inside.
Jujielou was where his master Ye Guhong and his group of friends from the martial arts world lived. After Wen Zhiming entered the capital, he had someone bring them over and instructed them to be settled in Jujielou.
Cao Ran nodded, "Yes. The leading guest also said that he had prepared a surprise for the prince and asked the prince to go see them as soon as possible after he arrives."
"I'll go now." Wen Zhiming hadn't seen his master for many years, and he couldn't help but feel a little excited. He took two steps and then stopped, saying to Cao Ran, "I'll leave this to Commander Ren. I'll trouble General Cao to make a trip and bring the Princess over for me."
He originally planned to bring Meng Lingge over after the battle was over and he ascended the throne. But after thinking about it carefully, the emperor now heavily guarded the palace. Even if he could win by force, the casualties would be heavy. Taking her by trickery would not be something that could be done in a short time.
He was afraid that Meng Lingge would be impatient, so he decided it would be better to take her over now. Anyway, the Meng family was now safe, and he no longer needed to worry about others knowing his wife's identity. It was time for his wife to stand openly by his side.
"Go fetch the Princess?" Cao Ran frowned almost imperceptibly, then smiled and said, "That's right. After the Prince ascends the throne, he certainly won't be without the Princess. At that time, the three palaces and six courtyards will all need the Princess to manage them for you."
Wen Zhiming stopped, his expression solemn.
"It is too early to talk about ascending the throne now. Moreover, I have one queen and that is enough. I have no intention of having a harem. You must not say this again, especially in front of the queen. I do not want the queen to be troubled by this."
Cao Ran had not expected Wen Zhiming to be so resistant to this matter. He lowered his head and advised, "But since ancient times, emperors have always had three palaces and six courtyards. As you have just ascended the throne, you need to win over various forces, so you will have to establish more concubines to consolidate your imperial position."
"I have been planning this all this time, just to protect one person. If I cannot protect her even after I have ascended to the highest position, what use is this world to me? General Cao, it is getting late, you should go and return quickly."
If it weren't for this critical moment, which made it inconvenient for him, the commander of the army, to leave, he would have liked to personally go and pick up Meng Lingge. Fortunately, the two places are only a dozen or twenty miles apart, and the round trip would only take a few hours.
Seeing that he couldn't persuade him otherwise, Cao Ran had no choice but to agree.
"I will go now."
Witnessing Cao Ran leave, and thinking that he would soon see Meng Lingge, Wen Zhiming couldn't help but smile and continued walking towards Jujie Tower.
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