The night was dark, and the atmosphere in the study in the east courtyard of the Duke of England's mansion was stagnant.
The veins on the back of Wei Ling's hands bulged. If it wasn't Lu Jiaxue sitting in front of him, he might have lost his temper long ago.
Lu Jiaxue slowly waved his hand and said thoughtfully, "Don't be angry yet. I didn't ruin your daughter's marriage. I have the emperor's order to catch the spy."
"Is the head in your box Zeng Yingkun, the general of Datong?" Wei Ling asked in a deep voice.
Otherwise, why would Lu Jiaxue go to such great lengths to bring the head back from Shanxi? Wei Ling wondered if he had already found the spy and was executing him first and asking for his consent later. If it was just an ordinary spy, he wouldn't have gone to such great lengths. So, this spy's identity might be very special.
Lu Jiaxue shook his head and said, "He's not a spy. Zeng Yingkun may have acted tyrannically, but he was also a renowned general and wouldn't do something like treasonous." He continued, "It was his son Zeng Heng who betrayed the country. He relied on his father's influence to become a pacification official. Although it was a lowly position, he was a local tyrant in Datong. His father doted on his son so much that he even kept the tiger talisman in his son's room."
Lu Jiaxue took a sip of tea to moisten his throat. "This man is also extremely clever, treacherous and cunning. He almost plotted against me in Datong. He was so bold that I killed him."
"You killed Zeng Yingkun's son?" Wei Ling was a little surprised. Even though he wasn't familiar with Zeng Yingkun, he knew his first wife had died early, leaving behind only this one son. Zeng Yingkun, a man who had spent his entire military career, was incredibly devoted to his first wife, even though he never remarried. This only son was the apple of his eye.
"Can't I kill him?" Lu Jiaxue glanced at him.
Wei Ling pursed his lips and said, "You killed his son, so Zeng Yingkun sent someone to assassinate you?"
Lu Jiaxue straightened his feet and said, "That's not the case. In my box, besides his son's head, there is also evidence of their secret dealings with the Tatars. They want to take it back. Otherwise, Zeng Yingkun has failed to educate his son well and instead condoned Zeng Heng's disobedient nature, leading to a serious mistake. Their property will definitely be confiscated and their clan will be exterminated."
Wei Ling felt strange. Zeng Yingkun was the general of Datong. How could his son want to collaborate with the enemy and sell out the country?
"The Oirat tribe trades with the border region, and he takes 40% of the profits," Lu Jiaxue said. "He's not really collaborating with the enemy. He's just profiting from the Oirat tribe, and both sides are mutually beneficial. His family made a fortune from this, and they have businesses all over Shanxi. If you go there and close the horse market and cut off their financial resources, who else should we punish but you?"
This fortune didn't come easily.
Wei Ling's tone softened a bit, but his expression remained grim: "But you're taking a risk. Yi Ning is getting married today, and if something goes wrong..."
"It's useful for me to capture their people." Lu Jiaxue waved him off, "Besides, didn't I save your daughter? She wasn't really hurt."
Wei Ling thought that Lu Jiaxue had helped Zeng Yingkun by killing his son, so he didn't say anything. He and Lu Jiaxue had been through life and death together for so many years and knew his temperament very well. He didn't care about the life and death of unimportant people, even Wei Yining.
"Rather than your daughter marrying off today, I'm more concerned about Luo Shenyuan," Lu Jiaxue said. "It's one thing for Zeng Yingkun's son to be a traitor, but what's strange is that he's been exchanging letters with your new son-in-law."
Wei Ling frowned upon hearing this. Luo Shenyuan and Zeng Heng were in contact?
"I don't know what the letter actually contained; Zeng Heng destroyed it." Lu Jiaxue took a sip of tea from his cup. "Luo Shenyuan helped you, which meant he betrayed Zeng Yingkun's son and even lied to him about the news. Since he and Zeng Heng had been secretly communicating, it must have been going on for more than a day or two. Why would he betray Zeng Heng and save you? Is it just because you're his adopted sister's father?"
Wei Ling hadn't wondered how Luo Shenyuan could know so much. How did he even know about the spy? And how did he always seem to be one step ahead of Zeng Heng?
"Your new son-in-law is very scheming. It's definitely not a simple matter for him to suddenly come and marry your daughter. I'm afraid he has other motives. You should think about it carefully."
Lu Jiaxue put down his teacup and prepared to leave. "I still have to go to the palace to report to the Emperor. I'm sorry to have disturbed your daughter's marriage today... I'll give her a dowry as an apology."
"You and I have known each other for many years," Wei Ling said suddenly. "It wasn't necessary that we fell out last time because of the Pingyuan Fort incident. You were the governor-general, and now you are the governor-general of Xuanda. I should obey you."
Lu Jiaxue listened without turning back. He sighed and said, "Friendship is the most unsustainable thing. It can be gone in a day or a night. It's best if you listen to me. I'll be your backer. There's probably no backer more solid than me."
After saying this, he left the Duke of England's mansion.
Wei Ling sat alone for a long time, the festive decorations still in place. He suddenly remembered how Luo Shenyuan had expertly commanded the Shenji Battalion during the invasion today. If Yi Ning and Luo Shenyuan ever got on bad terms again... she'd definitely be no match for him. Lu Jiaxue's words still made Wei Ling a little concerned about his new son-in-law.
*
Yi Ning slept surprisingly well that night, even better than at home. But she suddenly woke up in the morning, as if she had remembered something and sat up abruptly. She looked around, and the unfamiliar furnishings, the red silk and brocade quilt, reminded her that she was already married. This wasn't the Duke of Ying's mansion, but the Luo family in Fuxue Hutong.
When she heard Yining had woken up, Zhenzhu and her maid came in, holding a copper basin, a scented soap, and other things in their hands, ready to help her wash and dress.
Yining saw that there was no one under the blanket beside her. "Third brother..." She hesitated mid-sentence, reaching into the copper basin and burying her hand, the warm water rippling over her hand. She changed the topic, "Where's my son-in-law?"
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