Chapter 18: Coincidence?
Lady Wuding hurriedly arrived at the study of the Marquis of Wuding in the outer courtyard.
However, Marquis Wuding only met her in the outer room and did not let her into the inner room.
"You just went to the Duke of Dingguo's mansion like that?"
Seeing Lady Wuding's reaction, Marquis Wuding was clearly surprised.
Lady Wuding sighed, intending to tell Marquis Wuding about Shangguan Jin's rudeness.
But Marquis Wuding was clearly not interested in these things.
"Hurry up and tell me what information you've gathered at the Duke of Dingguo's residence?" Marquis Wuding asked impatiently.
Seeing that Marquis Wuding kept glancing into the inner room of the study, Marquis Wuding's wife almost gritted her teeth.
He must have summoned that concubine to serve him in the study again!
Despite her anger, Lady Wuding still said everything she needed to say.
Like the other ladies, she spoke from beginning to end.
What about last year's aged tea? The front lines are in dire need, while the rear is in a frenzy of consumption. And the housekeeper at home is neglecting his duties, ruining our important plans.
Of course, they even mentioned that Shangguan Jin had said they wouldn't send anyone out to search for the Duke of Dingguo this year.
Marquis Wuding listened and nodded, but did not offer any opinion.
After Lady Wuding finished speaking, he stroked his beard and asked, "Are you done?"
"Now that you've finished talking, go back first. I still have things to do here!"
After saying that, he ignored the murderous look in Lady Wuding's eyes and went straight into the inner room.
Oh, and they also closed the door to the inner room.
Lady Wuding was so angry she almost fainted.
I went out early this morning, didn't get to eat much, was starving, got shoved and knocked over, lost a precious hairpin and pearl hairpin, and so far I've only had half a cup of stale tea.
Old man, if you're so capable, then keep protecting those little vixens around you!
Once you're at the border, I'll sell all your little vixens.
Thinking about it this way, Lady Wuding felt much better.
She let out a long sigh, snorted towards the inner room of the study, and then returned to her own courtyard with the help of the maid.
There were no beautiful concubines or mistresses in the inner chambers of the Marquis of Wuding.
Instead, there were two grown men there.
The two men were sitting in the inner room of his study.
One was the white-haired Duke of Anguo, and the other was the third prince, Prince Qin.
"Your Highness, Duke, did you both hear what my wife just said?" Marquis Wuding asked respectfully.
Duke Anguo remained silent, still deep in thought.
The King of Qin, however, had a smile on his face.
"My lord, please don't be so formal, have a seat!"
Marquis Wuding then sat down in the seat below the King of Qin.
"Lord Duke? You..." Marquis Wuding looked at Duke Anguo cautiously.
"Uncle?" King Qin also looked at Duke Anguo.
Duke Anguo regretted it a little. If he had known that Duke Dingguo's mansion would be so lively today, he should have sent his wife to visit.
This woman from the Marquis of Wuding's household has no sense of priorities and will never know what is important.
Duke Anguo thought for a moment and then sighed.
"I don't know what else to say."
But I don't understand even one of them.
"How could Lady Dingguo, a woman confined to her home, know about the 'critical situation' at the front, especially at this time?" Duke Anguo said slowly.
"Perhaps it was something she said jokingly back when the Duke of Dingguo was still alive, and she overheard it and said it unintentionally today?" Marquis Wuding said in a low voice.
Duke Anguo glanced at Marquis Wuding.
"Oh? What a coincidence?" asked the Duke of Anguo.
Marquis Wuding dared not speak.
The King of Qin frowned.
"Uncle, could it be that Father really revealed something to us?" the King of Qin asked.
Duke Anguo shook his head.
"Even I don't know! Who can fathom what His Majesty is thinking right now?"
"However, what the Duchess of Dingguo said does match a secret letter from the border that I received five days ago," said the Duke of Anguo.
The King of Qin and the Marquis of Wuding both sat up straight immediately.
The Weiyuan Army in the north was previously commanded by the Duke of Dingguo. After the Duke of Dingguo disappeared, the Marquis of Changsheng took over the position.
The Duke of Anguo, who also came from a family of military generals, was somewhat dissatisfied.
But the imperial family's explanation left them speechless.
"The Weiyuan Army was trained by the Duke of Dingguo, and the Marquis of Changsheng was the Duke of Dingguo's former first deputy general."
He participated in many battles, both large and small, and his abilities were no less than those of the Duke of Dingguo.
"The Weiyuan Army would be more likely to accept the position of Marquis Changsheng."
Having no other option, Duke Anguo could only try to restrain the Weiyuan Army from other aspects.
For example: military supplies!
“Five days ago, the secret letter I received stated that the Weiyuan army was running out of food supplies and would only last for half a month at most,” Duke Anguo suddenly said.
Both the King of Qin and the Marquis of Wuding were taken aback.
How come they don't know that food supplies are running low in the north?
"This is a confidential letter; you will never know about it."
Originally, I was thinking of suppressing the news and delaying it for ten days or half a month.
This way, we can also control the ever-victorious Marquis.
Who would have thought that this news would come out of the mouth of a lady from the inner quarters of her home.
"It seems that besides myself, there are others who know this news!" Duke Anguo continued to sigh.
"Uncle, are you saying that Father also knows?" The King of Qin was the first to react.
Duke Anguo stroked his beard twice and nodded.
"They probably already know!"
Perhaps when news came back from the north, it was also sent to the imperial family.
No, perhaps it should be sent to the imperial family even earlier.
After all, the Duke of Dingguo's mansion celebrated the old lady's birthday ten days ago, while I received the secret letter five days ago..."
Duke Anguo immediately stood up.
"The imperial family is giving me a warning!" said the Duke of Anguo.
"A warning?" Both the King of Qin and the Marquis of Wuding were puzzled.
The more Duke Anguo thought about it, the more he realized he had almost fallen into a trap, and he broke out in a cold sweat.
Perhaps this secret letter is a trap.
The imperial family learned of the actual situation in the north, but in order to control Changsheng Hou, they delayed releasing the grain and supplies.
If anything goes wrong in the north, things will happen here...
"Marquis Wuding, you should set off for Suzhou immediately tomorrow. There is grain available there. Take my seal with you and send the grain stored up last year to Marquis Changsheng as soon as possible."
"You'll have to work hard, traveling day and night," said Duke Anguo.
Seeing the solemn expression on the face of the Duke of Anguo, Marquis Wuding quickly accepted the task.
"Uncle? Is it really Father Emperor who is reprimanding you?" The King of Qin was still somewhat skeptical.
Duke Anguo nodded.
"Isn't the Emperor's meaning clear? He's using the words of the Duchess of Dingguo to tell me that he already knows about what's happening in the north."
If I continue to play dumb, and something happens in the north, then it will be my responsibility.
Otherwise, who else could have known about the news from the north so quickly?
"Could it be the Duke of Dingguo..." the King of Qin asked in a low voice.
Duke Anguo's face immediately darkened.
He remembered what the Lady of Wuding Marquis had said: the Duke of Dingguo's mansion did not plan to go out to search for people this year.
In fact, neither the living Duke Dingguo standing in front of you nor the dead Duke Dingguo is frightening.
The most terrifying thing is that the Duke of Dingguo has now disappeared.
Not knowing where he is, or whether he is dead or alive, makes the Duke of Dingguo the most terrifying.
"Keep an eye on the Duke of Dingguo's residence. Report any strangers entering or leaving immediately."
......
Unaware that Shangguan Jin's mere thought of returning gifts had kept all the nobles in the capital awake at night.
At this moment, she was looking at the hairpin and pearl flower in Dongmai's hand with a surprised expression.
"Isn't this the one Lady Wuding was wearing on her head..."
"Well, it's not entirely hers. It fell on the grounds of our Duke's mansion, so it belongs to our Duke's mansion now," Dongmai said smugly.
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