Chapter 114 Yours Tastes Better
Zong Rui was the God of War of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the Great General Protector of the Nation. He only had two disciples in his life: one was Pei Siyan, the Crown Prince of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and the other was Zhang Chengxian.
Zhang Chengxian's talent is not comparable to that of the Crown Prince, but he is resilient. He has been on the frontier for less than a month and has already made three military achievements. His ruthlessness is admirable.
It gave him a sense that his mantle was finally being passed on.
But who would have thought that the patriarch of the Zhang family would be stabbed to death by a drunkard in Beijing!
Undoubtedly, Pei Siyan's situation will become increasingly difficult, and the Xuanjia Army under his command will be in an even more delicate situation due to this 'mentorship' bond.
The atmosphere inside the tent was quiet, while outside there was a commotion—the sound of soldiers returning and removing their armor.
Zong Rui's face darkened, and his throat tightened. "Since ancient times, loyalty and filial piety have been mutually exclusive. Now that the war is at a stalemate and the court has not issued a clear decree, I'm afraid you cannot return."
Zhang Chengxian looked up in astonishment, then knelt down on the ground with a thud, his voice trembling slightly, "General, could you exchange my military merits for a trip back home? The round trip will take no more than fifteen days. I will pledge my loyalty and gratitude."
"I will now submit a petition requesting to return home for the funeral..."
Zong Rui tried to help him up and said earnestly, "Take my advice and don't think about going back. Today, you charged into battle and did make some small contributions, but it's a pity you haven't read enough books, especially the book of court politics, which you have read too little and too superficially."
Zhang Chengxian stubbornly knelt on the ground, his back stiff and motionless.
"Your Zhang family has the backing of Consort Zhang and the Crown Prince, yet Master Zhang still met a tragic end with his eyes wide open in disgrace. Why do you think that is?"
“This is a warning shot! If the Zhang family were still enjoying the Emperor’s favor, the Emperor would have already issued an edict allowing you to attend the funeral. So even if you petition, you will only be ‘forced to abandon your mourning’ and forced to ‘shift your filial duty to loyalty’.”
Zhang Chengxian's eyes burned, and he could hardly breathe. "General, Master! My father died under mysterious circumstances... I am not reconciled!"
At this moment, his disappointment was a heart-wrenching despair!
"When a hurricane passes over a hill, only the grass survives. You've just achieved some merit, and if you insist on leaving your post... going back will be suicide! Once the label of 'delaying military operations' is attached to you, your Zhang family probably won't have a chance to rise again for the next ten years."
“I’m old and won’t last many more years. The Northern Barbarians and the Western Barbarians are wolves in sheep’s clothing. Even if you don’t care about the common people, you should at least think about His Highness the Crown Prince.”
The Xuanjia Army was Pei Siyan's last resort.
Over the years, Zong Rui had almost completely cut off contact with them, but this time when he came to the border region, he realized how difficult his situation was.
Zhang Chengxian's shoulders slumped suddenly, and he covered his face in anguish with his hands...
Heaven has no eyes!
At this moment, the strategist entered the main tent. He was Zong Rui's confidant. He did not avoid Zhang Chengxian when he saw him. After bowing, he reported directly: "General, the garrison guards said that the military rations are running out and they will not allocate any more. They also said that they will wait for a new supervisor to come."
Both pairs of eyes suddenly turned to him.
Zong Rui's voice was low and deep: "What about the grain reserves? How long can they last?"
The strategist's face was somewhat grim, and he replied in a low voice, "The army can only last for a month at most, and they'll have to be careful with their food."
His shout was like a bolt from the blue!
"You may all step back now!"
Everyone present could guess that the new military supervisor was definitely one of Prince Rui's men, and that the Xuanjia Army was his biggest threat. He finally couldn't resist the urge to seize power!
After leaving the main tent, Zhang Chengxian mounted his horse and galloped away. He didn't know how long he had been riding before he dismounted and began punching a large tree beside him repeatedly, causing the dry branches to tremble. His fists were covered in bright red blood.
He hated himself for being a failure, for not achieving great things sooner, and even more so for not being able to personally kill his enemies, not even being able to see the old man off on his final journey...
"Damn it!" he cursed, vowing that one day he would personally kill Prince Rui.
Just then, a personal guard rode up on horseback and said, "General Zhang, you have another urgent letter."
Zhang Chengxian, his hands stained with blood, tore open the letter, a tender glint in his eyes, "Yi'er..."
——
The Zhang residence.
Dou Wenyi carried Zhang Cheng'an to the bed and carefully arranged the quilt. The old woman from the Zhang family was very grateful and thanked her repeatedly. She stepped out of the bedroom and looked up to meet Pei Siyan's gaze.
His face showed some weariness, and he lowered his voice, "Asleep? Cheng'an... I'm sorry to have troubled you."
Dou Wenyi shook her head blankly, feeling genuinely heartbroken. Her throat trembled slightly. "He misses his brother very much."
“He won’t be back for the time being.” Pei Siyan’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he gestured for her to leave.
"You know this area well, come walk with me."
Dou Wenyi felt as if a heavy stone was pressing on her heart, and surprisingly, she did not refuse him. After leaving the mansion, the two walked side by side and quickly disappeared into the crowd.
The night breeze was slightly cool, and the alleyway was lined with various late-night food stalls, with shouts rising and falling. Dou Wenyi was just starting to feel a bit hungry when she saw an old woman selling crab-stuffed oranges from a stall with a stove. The steaming crab meat and oranges emitted an enticing aroma.
This used to be one of her favorite foods, but unfortunately, she wasn't in the mood for it right now.
Pei Siyan glanced at her several times, then walked straight over and sat down on the simple bench. "I'm hungry."
Dou Wenyi's almond-shaped eyes widened slightly. "Are you sure?"
How could the Crown Prince be eating by the roadside?
When he ate at the Wazi last time, he was served by a special person who tested the food for poison. Wasn't he afraid?
"Is it not allowed?"
Pei Siyan had never eaten at a roadside stall before. Of course, it wasn't that he didn't like visiting night markets, but rather that he wasn't interested.
As he spoke, he took out a handkerchief and began wiping the table, humbly asking, "How's the food at their place?"
Seeing that he had handled the precious handkerchief so carelessly, Dou Wenyi sat down opposite him.
"tasty."
"If it's delicious, eat more."
Dou Wenyi picked up a small spoon, and a spoonful of warm crab meat slid down her throat. The aroma of orange and crab lingered between her lips and teeth, which indeed satisfied her.
Actually, she liked the taste of crab roe, but eating crabs was troublesome, her grandmother was not in good health, and it was not interesting for her to eat alone. So, she fell in love with this snack.
“My men checked all the major granaries in the capital, and sure enough, several were empty.” Pei Siyan stared at the steaming crab-stuffed orange on the plate, then asked, “When will the plague arrive?”
"Spring has begun."
Seeing this, Pei Siyan also picked up a small spoon, but deliberately stuck it into her plate. She turned her head to look at him, her eyes filled with shock.
Pei Siyan's Adam's apple bobbed, and his expression became somewhat unnatural. "Yours tastes better."
Dou Wenyi instantly understood; she was testing the poison for him!
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