"His Majesty was greatly pleased and bestowed upon Zhao Lin the title of General Xuanwu and bestowed upon him the official designation of the Qingzhou Army!"
Zhao Jingzhou has been paying attention to Zhao Lin's news.
Zhao Lin not only managed Qingzhou to be comparable to several wealthy prefectures, but was also adept at commanding troops. He could easily destroy the rebels that had defeated General Ma Changda, the Dingyuan general. This greatly pleased General Cheng, who officially appointed him as the commander of the Qingzhou army, something that many warriors would find difficult to achieve in their lifetime.
Establishing a new army is not as simple as just having people.
But Zhao Lin did it.
"As expected of a young master, he has inherited the general's ability to lead troops." Said Ji An, a soldier.
Ji An and Zhao Jingzhou are good friends. One of them has followed and assisted him since a very early time, and they have grown from being privates to becoming a general and the other a soldier.
Ji An knew everything about Zhao Jingzhou.
Zhao Jingzhou nodded slightly and said, "My people were not lost."
Ji An said: "Don't you plan to recognize him?"
Zhao Jingzhou shook his head: "It would be bad for Chen Han if I recognized him now, it would easily make him misunderstand."
Ji An said: "Who would have thought that just a few rebels, with General Ma protecting them, would cause Chen Han to lose an ear?"
Zhao Jingzhou sighed and said, "I can only say that he has bad luck."
When Zhao Jingzhou just received the news that Zhao Chenhan had lost an ear, he was so heartbroken that he almost went back to visit him overnight regardless of the rules.
Fortunately, Ji An persuaded him.
Ji An said, "Have you ever considered that Chen Han's ability is indeed inferior to Zhao Lin's? Do you really want Chen Han to inherit the Marquisate instead of Zhao Lin? You need a strong heir to ensure the long-term prosperity of the Marquisate."
Zhao Jingzhou shook his head and said, "Chen Han is talented enough, but he's young and inexperienced. When he grows up, he will naturally be a strong successor."
Ji An sneered, "You really care about this illegitimate child."
Zhao Chenhan is indeed Zhao Jingzhou's illegitimate son.
It was Ji An who made Zhao Chenhan pretend to be Liu Huai's son and be accepted into the Marquis' Mansion by Han Yuehua.
So Zhao Jingzhou has no secrets from Ji An.
Zhao Jingzhou showed a rare tenderness on his face: "He is Nishang and my son, not an illegitimate child. Nishang is gone, and I can't let Han'er suffer."
"Oh!"
Ji An said disdainfully, "Let's put it another way. Chen Han has always suspected that Zhao Lin was colluding with the rebels, and even instructed Lao Debiao to attack Zhao Lin. How are you going to solve this problem?"
Zhao Jingzhou was silent for a moment, then said, "Zhao Lin was able to quell the rebellion but he didn't take action, causing Han'er to lose an ear. He should vent his anger."
"You will fall into this sooner or later."
Ji An shook his head repeatedly.
Zhao Jingzhou's heart was inclined towards Beidi.
"Chen Han is your son, but Zhao Lin is not? Now Zhao Lin is so outstanding, both civil and military. Even if you don't let him come back to take back his position, you should ease the relationship between him and you. Maybe he will be useful in the future." Ji An persuaded patiently.
Zhao Jingzhou said, "No need. I understand my son. He has a deep misunderstanding of us. Talking about peace now will only make him think we are snobbish. We will accept him only when we see that he is capable. No one can always be successful. Waiting until he encounters problems before intervening will be a hundred times more effective than now."
Ji An nodded and said, "It's up to you. It's your family affair anyway. But are you really going to ignore those rumors?"
Zhao Jingzhou said, "As long as no one can find Liu Huai, isn't it just a rumor?"
Ji An frowned. "Where did Liu Huai go? So many people couldn't find him. I told you to kill him, but you refused. Now something's wrong, right?"
Zhao Jingzhou said, "Compared to Liu Huai's whereabouts, I'm more curious about who spread this rumor. At the beginning, only you, me, and Liu Huai knew about this. You and I wouldn't tell anyone, so could it be Liu Huai? But what good would this do him?"
"I don't think it's him." Ji An said, "First of all, as you said, it won't do him any good. Secondly, if it really is him, it's more than just a rumor. I suspect someone is targeting you, and happened to start with the promise, and happened to find some information, but there is no evidence, so they can only treat it as a rumor, trying to stir up trouble for us."
After all, he was Zhao Jingzhou's chief of staff, so Ji An was able to guess almost exactly what was going on.
Zhao Jingzhou nodded and said, "I think so too, but who is it? Who would be so deliberate and deliberately start from this point? Although Prince Yu found out that it was the prince's people who spread the rumors, I still feel something is wrong."
Ji An said: "I suspect someone."
"Who?" Zhao Jingzhou asked hurriedly.
Ji An uttered two words: "Zhao Lin!"
"Him? Can he find out all this?" Zhao Jingzhou shook his head. "It's not that I look down on him. If he could find out all this, he would have been exposed long ago. He wouldn't have waited until now."
"Don't underestimate Zhao Lin. He may be young, but being the top scholar or a general—which one isn't everyone's lifelong pursuit? Besides, he and Chen Han dislike each other and both wish the other dead. It's perfectly normal for him to investigate Chen Han."
Ji An analyzed, "Besides, you and your wife treated Chen Han too well, even better than your own son. Naturally, we need to investigate thoroughly. Now, the death of Rongli, your wife's maid, is no coincidence."
Zhao Jingzhou nodded and said, "You're right. I never thought that rebellious son would be so cruel and mad as to actually attack us."
Ji An sneered, "You almost killed him, and Chen Han refused to give in. So he can't fight back?"
"Humph, his parents gave him life, which is a great favor. What does it matter if he suffered a few years?" Zhao Jingzhou said disapprovingly: "Zhao Lin has been in the underworld since he was a child. He knows a lot of secret methods. Chen Han is definitely no match for him. It seems that I can't just watch."
"You're going to take action?" Ji An said in disbelief, "These two are both your sons."
Zhao Jingzhou said calmly, "The flesh on the palm and back of the hand is not the same thickness, so it's normal to be partial. Besides, Han'er has not caused any harm to Zhao Lin. It has always been Zhao Lin who has bullied him. Han'er has lost an ear, and he can't suffer any more."
"What are you going to do?" Ji An asked.
Zhao Jingzhou said, "Let Zhao Lin, the newly promoted General Xuanwu, train his troops so that he won't have to keep an eye on Han'er."
…
"Military advisor, come here, this is the new Mr. Lai Changde Lai, please meet him."
A huge mountain stronghold suddenly appeared at the junction of Qingzhou and the neighboring Wuzhou.
Song Huaian came to the main hall of the stronghold. A strong man was sitting at the head, and on his right was a skinny old man. The two were talking happily.
The strong man is the rebel leader that Song Huaian has just defected to. His name is Li Feng and he calls himself the Flying General.
After hearing Li Feng's introduction, Song Huaian and the skinny Mr. Lai nodded and sat on Li Feng's left.
Mr. Lai said, "I have long heard of Mr. Song's great name. Seeing him today, I can see that his reputation is well-deserved."
Song Huaian said calmly, "How can a defeated general talk about reputation? The general summoned me here, is it more than just an introduction?"
Li Feng laughed heartily and said, "Military Advisor, your words are spot on. Mr. Lai has a plan. If it goes well, we can break through Qingzhou City, capture Zhao Lin alive, and help you avenge your defeat. I've specially asked you to come here for some advice."
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