As far as Ning Zhiheng knew, Lin Zhen valued his eldest son, Lin Mucheng, very much and had been deliberately cultivating him since he was a child, regarding him as his successor.
Such is the reality of China. There is a saying: "The emperor loves his eldest son, while the common people cherish their youngest son."
In ordinary families, parents usually favor the youngest child because he/she needs the most care and is therefore the most loved by the parents.
However, in powerful and influential families, the eldest son's growth is the most important thing for the parents. They hope that the eldest son can take over the family business as soon as possible and continue the family's legacy. The Lin family is exactly like that.
In particular, his eldest son, Lin Mucheng, was indeed an outstanding talent who performed exceptionally well in the military. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, his future prospects were limitless, and Lin Zhen naturally had high hopes for him.
Of course, as the eldest son, Lin Mucheng's primary responsibility is to continue the family bloodline. However, he is not yet married, which is rare in this era given his family background. No wonder Lin Zhen and his wife are so worried and anxious about this.
As for the so-called excuse of "how can one have a home when the Xiongnu have not been destroyed," it was just an excuse that Lin Mucheng made up himself. Only Ning Zhiheng knew the real reason, and the crux of the problem lay with Tanikawa Chiemi.
Lin Mucheng has been deeply in love with Tanikawa Chiemi and has never forgotten her all these years, which is why he is still single today.
Thinking about this situation, Ning Zhiheng had a new plan. He had previously planned to use Lin Mucheng's identity as a Japanese spy as a bargaining chip to blackmail Lin Zhen, but Lin Zhen moved him with their familial affection, forcing him not to break the ice.
However, if he didn't expose Lin Mucheng's identity, but instead used his marriage as a condition to persuade Lin Zhen to agree to his daughter's marriage, then everyone could avoid a falling out, and the marriages of Lin Zhen's two children could be resolved. Wouldn't that be a perfect solution?
Thinking of this, Ning Zhiheng's spirits lifted, and he quickly asked, "Your eldest son? Is he Brigade Commander Lin Mucheng, who is stationed in Enshi?"
"Oh, you've heard of him too?" Lin Zhen looked at Ning Zhiheng with surprise, raising an eyebrow. Whenever his eldest son was mentioned, his tone would rise a few decibels, clearly showing his great pride.
Seeing Lin Zhen's expression, Ning Zhiheng immediately felt reassured. He nodded and said, "Of course, we are in charge of military affairs and have a certain understanding of the commanders of the garrisons in various places. Brigade Commander Lin is a graduate of the seventh class of the Whampoa Military Academy, so he is my senior. He served as an operations staff officer in the Nanjing garrison in his early years. Later, when the full-scale war between China and Japan broke out, he performed excellently in several major battles. He fought bravely and made many meritorious contributions. In particular, in the Battle of Suizao, he took the lead in launching a counterattack and recapturing Suixian. He can be described as a rare and brave general in the army. There are rumors that he will soon be promoted to major general. Tsk tsk, he is really a role model for us!"
Ning Zhiheng was naturally lavish in his praise of Lin Mucheng. Knowing Lin Mucheng's standing in Lin Zhen's eyes, he spoke eloquently and showered him with compliments.
"Hahaha…"
Hearing Ning Zhiheng's words, Lin Zhen's eyes narrowed into slits with laughter. "Zhiheng, your words are too much, too much! But Mu Cheng has never disappointed me from childhood to adulthood. He has achieved what he has today through his own hard work. I am very gratified. He has not let me down after all my efforts in nurturing him. Haha!"
Ning Zhiheng's words were exactly what Lin Zhen wanted to hear. Compared to the children of other high-ranking officials, his son was indeed extremely outstanding. He did not become a spoiled brat, nor was he content with mediocrity. Instead, he joined the army, fought bravely against the enemy, and fought on the front line of the War of Resistance. Lin Zhen was always extremely proud of this son.
Ning Zhiheng seized the opportunity to say, "But Brigade Commander Lin does seem to be getting on in years. Why isn't he married yet?"
Lin Zhen's laughter abruptly stopped, and the smile on his face quickly disappeared. He said angrily, "Who knows what's going on? He's not getting any younger, and he still won't get married. Just like you, he always uses that same excuse to brush me off. How big of a problem is it to get a wife? As long as he leaves an heir for the Lin family, I don't care where he goes to cause trouble."
When Lin Mucheng's marriage was mentioned, Lin Zhen lost all his dignity as a lieutenant general. He was in a terrible mood and was on the verge of cursing, just like any other old farmer in the countryside.
Ning Zhiheng was secretly pleased, but said with deep agreement, "Brother Mucheng puts the country first, and his ambition is admirable."
Suddenly noticing Lin Zhen's unfriendly gaze, he quickly added, "However, what you said makes sense. Brother Mu Cheng is different from me. I am the second son in my family. My elder brother and Brother Mu Cheng are about the same age, but my little nephew is already five years old and running around everywhere. The Ning family has a lineage, so my father doesn't care when I get married and have children. But Brother Mu Cheng is the eldest son of the Lin family. It's really a bit unreasonable that he hasn't gotten married yet."
Upon hearing this, Lin Zhen wholeheartedly agreed, saying repeatedly, "See, even you think it's unreasonable! This child is just too stubborn; no matter what we say, it's no use. I really don't know what he's thinking."
Seeing that the groundwork had been laid, Ning Zhiheng stopped beating around the bush and said, "You Gong, as you know, our Second Action Division is responsible for military affairs. We conduct a basic investigation of all military generals. During one of our investigations, I heard something about Brother Mu Cheng. At the time, I just took it as gossip and didn't pay much attention to it. Now it seems that it might actually be true."
Upon hearing that it was about Lin Mucheng, Lin Zhen immediately became agitated and quickly asked, "What happened? Tell me quickly!"
"It seems that during the Nanjing period, Brother Mu Cheng met a girl, and the two had a very good relationship. However, the girl suddenly disappeared for some reason. As you know, in times of war and chaos, anything can happen. I heard that since then, Brother Mu Cheng has never had any contact with other girls. Do you think he is still waiting for this girl?"
Ning Zhiheng's words may be true or false, but Lin Zhen's heart stirred. He knew his son very well. Lin Mucheng had always been very sentimental and had little wariness of people. He treated everyone with sincerity. If what Ning Zhiheng said was true, and there really was such a girl, then this must be the reason.
He quickly pressed on, asking, "Is that really true?"
Ning Zhiheng nodded and said, "That is indeed true. I only overheard a few words when I was chatting with some friends, and I didn't pay much attention to it. If that's the case, I don't think it's that difficult to resolve Brother Mu Cheng's inner conflict."
Lin Zhen still considered Lin Mucheng's marriage the most important thing. Upon hearing Ning Zhiheng's words, he could no longer hold back and quickly asked, "Zhiheng, do you have any good ideas? Tell me quickly."
Ning Zhiheng said with a smile, "As you know, our Military Intelligence Bureau may not have many other skills, but we are good at finding people. If Brother Mu Cheng can provide some clues, I think it is possible to find this girl. Even if he can't find this girl, I have a way to dispel his obsession and persuade him to let go of the past, find a good woman, settle down and start a family, so as to relieve your worries, Lord You!"
Is this really true?
Upon hearing this, Lin Zhen was overjoyed and could no longer contain himself, so he grabbed Ning Zhiheng's hand.
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