The guard was still thinking about what Xie Zhuangshui had just said. He was stunned by his shout. "Yes, yes, General."
Xie Zhuangshui kicked him in the heart and cursed, "Asshole! This is my Nanyue Grand Tutor. How disrespectful of him! Pass the order down and punish him with thirty military sticks!"
The guard hadn't realized what was happening, but when he heard he was going to be punished with thirty military sticks, he suddenly came to his senses. Thirty sticks would cripple him, if not kill him. He could even die on the battlefield; such a death wouldn't be tragic or heroic, and wouldn't have any value. "General, spare my life, General, spare my life!"
Shi Zairong waved his hand and said, "Never mind. Although I revealed my identity, I didn't produce the token, so I can't blame them. They were just doing their job. The punishment will be waived. You can go back first."
"Thank you, Grand Tutor, thank you, General!" After expressing his gratitude, the guard crawled back to his job.
Shi Zairong noticed that Ou Yezi and Xie Zhuangshui didn't seem to be on good terms, so he added, "I'm sorry to have embarrassed you all by my disheveled appearance. I was thinking of going to the master's place to wash up first so as not to disturb you, so I didn't tell you."
Xie Zhuangshui glanced at Ou Yezi, then bowed his head and said, "I was confused. I have already arranged accommodations for the Grand Tutor. Please come with me."
"Thank you, General."
After washing up and changing into the clean clothes that he had asked someone to bring from South Vietnam in advance, Shi Zairong felt that he, the legendary most handsome man in South Vietnam, had finally come back to life.
After Shi Zairong had a table of food and wine prepared, he called Xie Zhuangshui and the others into his room. After everyone was seated, Shi Zairong said, "It's rare for us all to be together, so don't be shy. Let's talk about whatever's on our minds. Let's start by sharing our thoughts on the current situation. General Xie, I'd like to hear your opinion first."
"Yes, Grand Master."
Xie Zhuangshui had the map unfolded and stood up. "Please see, everyone! Before the intervention of Northern Desert and Shu, our Nanyue was unstoppable. Now, not only do we face the Qingliang Valley army, but we're also facing the possibility of their food and fodder being cut off from the southern border. Northern Desert cavalry have already reached the vicinity of Liang's capital. Further south, Shu, while small, is financially strong and has complex ties with other nations. The current situation is extremely unfavorable to us."
Shi Zairong didn't say much, only said: "Well, what about Lord Xiahou, what do you think?"
Unlike Xie Zhuangshui, Xiahou Qing's face was filled with worry for the country and its people. In comparison, he looked quite relaxed. "I still say what I said before. A large part of Liang's government is now under the control of Tianshu Tower. As long as it is needed, we will do our best to cooperate with Nanyue's actions. Also, to be frank, if General Xie loses this battle, it won't matter. We still have Emperor Gan Zhao's eldest son, Yaochen, in our hands. Regardless of success or failure, the Liang royal family is under our control. In this way, Liang will remain in our hands."
As soon as the words fell, Xie Zhuangshui expressed his displeasure. "Lord Xiahou, that's easy to say. Our soldiers shed blood and sacrificed their lives on the battlefield. Does Lord Xiahou mean that their sacrifice is worthless?"
Xiahou Qing said, "That's not what I meant. General Xie, aren't you being too one-sided?"
Seeing his general being stopped by Xiahou Qing, Xiao Liang said, "I heard that Lord Xiahou went to great lengths to obtain Queen Wang Zhen's remains. I imagine Lord Xiahou has some plan. Lord Xiahou has been reluctant to explain his reasons, but with the Grand Tutor here today, why not reveal everything?"
Shi Zairong nodded as he picked up some food. "Military Advisor Xiao's question is exactly what I'm curious about. As General Xie said, the situation in Liang State is not optimistic for our Nanyue. Meanwhile, Lord Xiahou has devoted a lot of energy to a man who has been dead for nearly twenty years."
Seeing that several people were determined to keep harping on this matter, Xiahou Qing simply stood up and said, "Your Excellency, I also happened to hear Yao Chen mention that Queen Wang Zhen not only has records of many strange and bizarre things in her possession, but is also said to have a secret recipe for the elixir of immortality."
Everyone at the table was stunned for a moment, then Shi Zairong burst into laughter: "Hahaha, Lord Xiahou, do you believe it?"
Xiahou Qing explained seriously, "This is not groundless. Queen Wang Zhen's sister, Wang Ruo, is now nearly fifty years old, yet still youthful and beautiful. So, there must be some truth to this statement. Furthermore, she had a woman named Xihe under her command. During the raid on the secret cave, our subordinates carefully examined her corpse. Judging from the age of her bones, she's definitely not as simple as she appears."
"..." Except for Shi Zairong, no one else present knew that Ou Yezi was the gentleman beside Wang Ruo. When Xiahou Qing mentioned Xihe's death at his hands again, the gentleman's face suddenly darkened several shades.
Shi Zairong retorted disapprovingly, "Lord Xiahou, before coming here, I spent a few days alone in Qingliang Valley investigating. If what I saw is correct, Wang Ruo's true age does not match her appearance, as Lord Xiahou said. However, what I saw was just an old woman who was very old. Lord Xiahou, please do not mention the matter of immortality again, and do not waste your energy on such illusory things."
Xiahou Qing was slightly stunned, and could only sit back down with a dejected look on his face: "...Yes, Grand Master."
After turning the page on the nonsense about the elixir of immortality, Shi Zairong continued to ask Xiahou Qing, "Master Xiahou, there is someone from the Lin family living in Qinghe County now. His name is Lin Feng, right?"
Xiahou Qing said, "Yes, Grand Master. Not long ago, Miss Lin Zhenzhen from the Lin family also arrived in Qinghe County."
Since we're already talking about Qinghe County, its original owner is a topic that must be discussed: "What about Princess Qinghe? Has her whereabouts been found now?"
After summarizing the entire situation, Xiahou Qing briefly explained, "Regarding the turmoil at Princess Qinghe's residence, the story spread that Shuyang's followers had murdered their father and the emperor, and were planning to attack her. Therefore, Tianshu Tower sent out people to protect her, but the princess has disappeared. Currently, according to Lin Feng's informants, Princess Qinghe is still in the Mingjiang area, protected by the canal transport forces in the Jianghu."
Shi Zairong warned, "I've heard a little about Princess Qinghe. She's a heroic woman. Such a woman is worthy of admiration. Don't harm her life if it's not necessary."
"I understand."
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