Hong Yu suggested, "With Xie Zhuangshui in that state right now, Xiao Liang probably can't focus all his attention on the military. Why not just let Lin Feng help him out like he is now? He was a military officer before, so he shouldn't be too slow to learn the ropes."
Now it seemed that while Lin Feng was suited to the position, he was no Xie Zhuangshui. This was a military camp, not the government office Lin Feng had previously overseen. The army was a mix of all walks of life, and without someone like Xie Zhuangshui, it would have been difficult to suppress the evil spirits within. He was a reasonable man, and as a commander, he naturally had to reason with people. But when faced with unreasonable people, he had to be brave enough to exchange spit with them. In Shi Zairong's opinion, Lin Feng, who had to think for a long time before even meeting someone he had previously admired, simply couldn't do that.
Shi Zairong replied, "I've considered this idea before, but I just don't think it's right. Let's talk about it later. I plan to find an excuse to stabilize the troops. I'll say that Xie Zhuangshui has been sent out on some mission, and then find a suitable person to take over his job."
Hong Yu sat on the roof, squinting his eyes at the blazing sun overhead. Even the darkest nights would eventually pass, and this time was no exception. "You'll have to figure things out for yourself. I can't help you much. I don't know many people here, so it's hard for me to offer you any advice."
Shi Zairong said, "As for you, don't worry about me. Just take good care of yourself. Qingliang Valley should be ready for the battle by now. Just don't join in the fun when the time comes."
Tang Chen had always loved joining in the fun. Furthermore, Hong Yu knew how deep the turmoil in Qingliang Valley ran. If anyone with ulterior motives discovered too much, the Huangfu family would be thrust into the spotlight because of her. "To be frank, I only need to protect Tang Chen. As for the lives of others in Qingliang Valley, they don't really matter to me. After all, the agreement between Mo Yu and me was simply to help him fulfill his old friend's wish."
Speaking of Mo Yu, ever since Shi Zairong saw how obsessed Hong Yu was with him, he'd paid out of his own pocket to find him on the black market, desperate to find out his entire family history. "That Mo Yu, I got curious later, so I had someone investigate. It seems his background isn't as simple as you and I imagined."
Hong Yu was stunned for a moment, then turned his head to look at Shi Zairong and smiled, "...It's not you or me, it's just you. After he passed away, Tang Chen told me everything she knew about Mo Yu. You might not be able to find out about that information. Although I don't know what you found out, I hope you can do the same as Tang Chen and not say a word when you shouldn't."
Mo Yu hadn't yet fully grasped Mo Yu's true identity. He only knew he had an inseparable connection to the Liang royal family. Judging by the warning in Hong Yu's words, Mo Yu was likely deeply connected to the lost Emperor Gan Zhao. "No matter what, it's just dust now, so it's nothing serious. Has there been any new developments with Tang Chen?"
Hong Yu sighed softly and said, "She rarely goes out except for staying at the palace. When she does go out, she's usually in one of two places: the thatched cottage or the town. Most of the time, she goes out to meet people in the black market. Also, don't ask me about this kind of thing in the future. If you ask me, I'll feel uncomfortable if I don't tell you. But if I tell you, I'll feel like I'm deliberately going undercover in the Qingliang Palace, which doesn't make me feel comfortable."
Shi Zairong also knew that Hong Yu didn't like to talk about this, but he had no choice. The Qingliang Palace was airtight, and if he wanted to find out what was going on inside, he could only go through her. "Oh, I was inconsiderate. Miss Hong Yu is very magnanimous, but please don't be so mean to me!"
Seeing Shi Zairong apologizing with such a playful smile, if she hadn't thought about what else he had to do, she really wanted to punch him on the bridge of his nose and say, "Don't do it again."
Shi Zairong had been thinking about talking to her before she left, not knowing when they would meet again. But before they could exchange a few words, Xiao Liang, who was supposed to be taking care of Xie Zhuangshui in the room, suddenly ran over and stood in the courtyard, shouting at him in panic, "Grandmaster, I finally found you!"
"What's wrong? Why are you so flustered? Did something happen to Xie Zhuangshui?"
After Shi Zairong glanced at Hong Yu, Hong Yu stood up and put his hands on his waist, then jumped in front of Xiao Liang with a light tap of his toes.
Xiao Liang wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "General, are you alright? I've asked Mr. Huangfu and the seniors from the granary to help take care of you. There's something wrong in Qinghe County right now."
After that, Xiao Liang didn't know Hong Yu's true identity, so he didn't say anything further. He just looked at Shi Zairong anxiously. Shi Zairong understood Xiao Liang's concerns and didn't want Hong Yu's identity to be exposed, so he turned around and said, "...Hong Yu, go back and pack up first and return to Qingliang Valley as soon as possible. If there's something going on in the army, I'll definitely go and see you off if I can find a chance."
Hong Yu smiled and said, "No, there's still a long way to go. There's no need to rush. You should deal with the things at hand first. Go quickly."
"..." Xiao Liang's expression changed subtly when he heard Hong Yu's words. He had been saying that Shi Zairong and Hong Yu had a close relationship. Shi Zairong was indeed the Grand Tutor, the future son-in-law of the Huangfu family. He dared to flirt with a fairy-like girl right under the Huangfu family's noses without being warned. His tactics were truly remarkable, and one could not help but admire him but also slightly despise him.
After finishing the explanation, Shi Zairong and Xiao Liang returned to the study. After Xiao Liang handed the news he had just received to Shi Zairong, the relaxed look on Shi Zairong's face disappeared from that moment on. "Didn't the news from Qinghe County a few days ago say that Tianshu Tower was still recruiting soldiers? Why are they suddenly heading south?!"
Judging from the handwriting and the content, the person delivering the message seemed extremely anxious when writing it, not even having the time to explain what exactly had happened. "I'm not entirely sure of the reason, but it seems that several black market establishments in Qinghe County have been affected."
Shi Zairong was a bit surprised by Tianshu Tower's sudden action, but he quickly realized what was happening. But Xiahou Qing wouldn't be so foolish as to go against the black market at this critical juncture. "Why would Xiahou Qing do this so suddenly? He'd actually mess with the black market. While the black market isn't as powerful as the imperial court, it's no less powerful than a country. Has Qingliang Valley received any news?"
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