Chapter 42: Little Mermaid Eats Popsicles in Winter
Fang Lin'an thought that he had done nothing wrong to these two people. At first, they were just two hooligans. Because they called him "big brother", he remembered this brotherhood and brought them all the way to their current position.
Be it money or power, what have they not enjoyed over the years?
Even though Fang Lin'an knew that the two of them would secretly put silver into their own pockets when they helped him manage mining and water transport, he never pointed it out. He just thought that everyone has greed, and it's enough to be greedy in moderation.
The two of them had conflicts with the Huo family many times, and he tried his best to mediate, hoping that the brothers could maintain peace and not resort to war.
He knew that the Huo family thought he was biased, but there was nothing he could do.
As for the Huo family, he had no intention of giving up. He just wanted the Huo family to calm down and not to call for revenge for his son as before.
Otherwise, if the Huo family knew so many of his secrets, he would have silenced them long ago.
So he didn't understand how things had come to this point.
Fang Linan asked with the last glimmer of hope: "What about the Huo family? Did his family run away too?"
"General Huo didn't run away, but..." The subordinate didn't dare to say anything.
Fang Lin'an's forehead was bulging with veins: "But what's the matter? Tell me!"
The soldier trembled and put his forehead on the ground, then he mustered up the courage to tell the truth: "The person who went to summon him didn't see General Huo. The Huo family's steward told General Huo that he was no longer a subordinate of the commander-in-chief and didn't need to obey his orders in the future."
"He's a traitor!" Fang Lin'an shouted again, and after taking a few deep breaths, he suppressed his murderous intent and said in a cold voice: "Come here, arrest the guy named Huo. I want to ask him why he is no longer my subordinate!"
At this moment, Fang Lin'an still thought that the Huo family was just being timid because they were angry that he had deliberately ignored the Huo family before.
"Report!" As soon as Fang Lin'an finished speaking, a deputy general ran over hurriedly and knelt down in front of Fang Lin'an with a plop.
Fang Lin'an had a strange feeling in his heart. Wasn't this the person he sent to dispatch the troops?
Although Fang Lin'an was the governor of Beijiang, he knew that the time was not yet ripe and he had not yet completely taken control of the Beijiang Army. Except for a few subordinates who were loyal to him, it was unlikely that the rest of the army would be willing to obey his orders and fight against the court.
If he waits a few years, his power will be more stable than it is now. He can then use the remnants of the previous dynasty in the capital to build up power and cause chaos in the world. It will be more convincing for him to ask others to join him in rebelling against the court.
There is a difference between actively fighting and being forced to fight, and he is not ready yet. Everyone knows that the chances of winning the latter are slim, so there is no way the Beijiang Army would be willing to follow him.
Now, apart from his personal guards, the only people Fang Lin could use were the private soldiers he had trained himself. Those private soldiers were usually managed by the Huo family and were stationed on several small islands near the coast.
He asked his deputy general to mobilize troops in order to deal with this sudden attack from the court, but now the deputy general came back alone.
"What happened?" Fang Lin'an's voice was almost desperate, because he knew that he would definitely receive bad news next.
The deputy general ran until he was sweating profusely, and said with a pale face: "General! General Huo took the princess's token to several islands to persuade them to surrender, saying that the emperor's people had already surrounded the entire Beijiang River, and we could not fight against the court. If we fight the court, we will only die, and our families will be implicated. But as long as we are willing to lay down our weapons and surrender, the princess will ask the emperor to spare our lives."
"General Huo beheaded several people who refused to surrender as an example to others. I was almost detained there, but thanks to the desperate protection of the soldiers, I was able to escape and report to you." The deputy general still looked frightened after he said this, and it was obvious that he was frightened.
"Okay, okay, so that's how it is..." Fang Linan slumped down on the chair, his face quickly turning pale.
It was not until this moment that he suddenly realized that the man surnamed Huo, like Zhao Ling, had long ago betrayed him and defected to the court.
When I sent someone to the Huo family to call him, he must have already gone to the military camp.
Huo was in charge of his private soldiers and had great prestige in the barracks. In addition, these private soldiers had never been on the battlefield, were extremely afraid of their lives, and had a natural fear of the imperial court. This was why he was able to persuade them to surrender without bloodshed.
First, they took advantage of the mine case to catch him off guard, then spread the news that his plot had been discovered by the court, scaring away Zhou Quan and Wang Si, who were already unsteady in their stance. Finally, the man surnamed Huo persuaded all his private soldiers to surrender, thus cutting off his source of support and completely cutting off his retreat.
Back then, he used similar means to seize Beijiang from the Lu family, and used the heads of the Lu family to exchange for the right to control Beijiang.
It's really karma that today, Fang Lin'an has become a gift from others in order to surrender to the Zong Zheng family.
"Haha, hahahahahahaha..." Fang Lin'an seemed to be crazy. He raised his head and laughed a few times, and said in an ambiguous tone: "As expected of the only princess of Dasheng, she is quite capable. She didn't leave in the chaos, but stayed in the city waiting for me. If I don't go to meet her, it would be wrong for me as a minister."
He had found out long before that the princess had been living in Zhao's mansion.
Hearing this, the two men kneeling on the ground guessed what Fang Lin'an was going to do, and soon they showed an expression of being ready to die.
The princess sneaked into the city to plan a countermeasure against Fang Lin'an. Now her plan succeeded. Fang Lin'an would die if he did not resist, and would also die if he resisted, so he might as well give it one last try.
Even if they could not capture the princess as a hostage to negotiate with the court and buy themselves a chance of survival, they could not surrender.
Even if I die, I have to take a few people with me to support me!
Fang Lin'an gathered all his personal guards and rushed to the Zhao Mansion with weapons in hand. They knew that the princess was inside.
It was broad daylight, but the streets in the city were empty, the doors of every house were closed, and the people hid in their houses, silently praying to God, hoping that no matter what the officials wanted to do, they would not be harmed.
The sound of horse hooves seemed to shake the sky, snowflakes flew everywhere, and a large number of troops were charging towards the Zhao Mansion.
On the way, the leader Fang Lin'an heard another bad news - the mining area and the canal transport terminal were controlled by the court.
Fang Lin'an had anticipated these things long ago, so after hearing them, he felt nothing in his heart, and his eyes were filled with only deep hatred and jealousy towards the Zong Zheng family.
Thinking back to the past, when the previous dynasty was overthrown and heroes were vying for power, Fang Lin'an had also fantasized that he could sit on the supreme position. Unfortunately, God did not help him. Without the conditions for an uprising, he could only become a running dog of the Lu family.
After enduring for ten years, until he was fifty years old and his hair turned white, he finally captured Beijiang, but there was still the Zong Zheng family above him.
Fang Lin'an was unwilling to give in. The ideals of his youth were clamoring in his body. He did not want to be a subject instead of a king all his life, so he chose the road of rebellion without any hesitation.
Zhao Mansion.
Outside the gate, weapons clashed and wailing could be heard from time to time. Zong Zhengxi closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep, her face remained calm, and the same was true for the prince consort beside her.
After all, the war had only been over for a few years, and the two men, who had long since been tempered, would not be frightened by such a small commotion.
Zhao Ling, on the other hand, felt a little uneasy and would look outside from time to time.
After a while, a guard suddenly ran in from outside the door, bowed to Zong Zhengxi and reported: "Your Highness, the matter has been settled."
Hearing this, Zong Zhengxi slowly opened his eyes, and Zhao Ling also showed a relaxed expression.
"Let's go and meet our General Fang." Zong Zhengxi said as he stood up, a smile on his lips, and strode out.
Outside the Zhao residence, the cold light of a sharp blade flashed and blood splattered. The thousands of troops in charge of the case had been entangled with the Beijiang Army dispatched by the princess for a long time. Countless casualties were suffered, and they still could not get close to the gate.
Suddenly, the tightly closed door was opened from the inside. Before Fang Lin'an had time to think about what happened, several familiar voices came from behind him.
"Father!"
"Husband!"
Fang Lin'an turned around and saw the soldiers holding his family and walking towards him.
"How could this happen?" Fang Lin'an was confused. Didn't he send someone to escort his family away before leaving?
That's right!
Fang Lin'an suddenly turned his head and looked towards the entrance of the Zhao Mansion. A tall and beautiful woman was standing on the steps across the crowd of people fighting. She nodded to him with a smile.
Fang Lin'an figured it out. No wonder Zong Zhengxi didn't leave the city even though he knew it was dangerous. It turned out that she planned to lure the enemy with her own body, deliberately luring him to kill her, and then send people to capture his family from behind, in order to force him to give up resistance.
He wasn't even given a chance to fight to the death.
Fang Lin'an smiled bitterly. No wonder his rebellion plan failed. The people of Zong Zheng's family were all monsters. Who could defeat them?
Zhao Ling shouted, "The criminal is on trial! Your family has fallen into our hands. Stop resisting! Hurry up and put down your weapons and kneel down to admit your mistakes to Her Royal Highness the Princess!"
The Fang family members had swords at their necks and could not help crying.
"Father, surrender, there is no hope!"
"Husband, please..."
"Grandpa, wuwuwu, I don't want to die, I'm so scared..."
Hearing his family members crying, Fang Lin's hand that was swinging the knife at the table gradually slowed down.
At this time, the general beside him shouted: "General! If you really surrender, you will definitely die!"
"As long as you give the order, even if we die, we will drag a few more lackeys of the imperial court with us to be buried with us!"
"Yes, Commander-in-Chief! We cannot surrender!"
The bloodstained faces of the soldiers and the terrified expressions of their families kept switching in Fang Lin's mind. His hesitant attitude instantly turned his previous ambitions into a joke. How could a person who was not decisive and resolute enough accomplish anything great?
At this point, Zong Zhengxi no longer had the patience to watch Fang Lin get entangled in the case. She signaled with her eyes, and the soldiers grabbed a member of the Fang family and hacked him to death without saying a word.
The blood was still steaming as it spurted onto the snow, and the rest of the Fang family screamed in fear.
Fang Lin'an saw that the person lying on the ground was his most beloved grandson.
Zhao Ling shouted: "You still don't surrender? Kill them again!"
“Ahhhhhh!” All members of the Fang family retreated in horror, but someone else was caught, this time it was Fang Lin’an’s mother.
Fang's mother still had some backbone. She didn't persuade Fang Lin'an to surrender just now. Now that her death was at hand, she didn't say a word. She just looked at Fang Lin'an silently, as if telling him not to worry about her.
It was this glance that turned Fang Lin'an's wavering heart towards his family.
"Don't touch my mother! I surrender!"
He shouted and threw the bloody long knife to the ground.
As soon as Fang Lin'an said this, the morale of his personal guards collapsed. Without the determination to die, this group of people was defeated by the court officers and soldiers in a few moves. Some were killed, some were injured, and the rest all knelt on the ground and surrendered.
The frustrated and disappointed looks of the deputy generals made Fang Lin feel uneasy. He subconsciously looked at Zong Zhengxi again.
The cold wind blew, bringing up some snow foam. The only princess of Dasheng stood at the front of the crowd. Her expression was one of confidence that she had won and contempt for the losers. She was truly a royal demeanor.
Fang Lin'an's already half-white hair was stained with snowflakes, as if it had turned white overnight. For the first time, time had truly crushed this ambitious man.
"puff--"
Fang Lin'an vomited blood, fell to the ground with his head raised, and all he could see was the gray sky and the snowflakes that seemed to never stop falling.
The Fang family burst into tears again. Old Madam Fang looked at her son with tears in her eyes, and finally she sighed helplessly - this is his fate.
"Put him in jail and ask a doctor to check him out. Don't let him die. We have to take him to the capital to see His Majesty." Zong Zhengxi casually glanced at Fang Lin's desk on the ground, gave an order to Zhao Ling, and turned back home.
A loser is not worth her attention.
"Yes, I will take care of it." Zhao Ling bowed and sent the princess away.
Zhao Ling's tense body relaxed a little only when he could no longer see Zong Zhengxi's back. He turned his head to look at the ferocious Fang family and the blood all over the ground, and was extremely glad that he turned back early, otherwise he, Zhao Ling, would be the only one with his family destroyed and thrown into prison today.
All the Fang family members and their personal guards were thrown into jail. In less than half a day, they were demoted from imperial officials to lower-class prisoners. How could the Fang family members bear it, especially the younger generation, who all burst into tears.
In the evening, Zong Zhengxi met with the head of the Huo family and ordered him to temporarily take over the private soldiers. As for how to deal with them in the future, she would write to the emperor and let the emperor decide. However, she could guarantee that even if there was punishment, no lives would be lost.
The daughter of the Huo family who married into the Fang family had also been taken out a long time ago. With Zong Zhengxi supporting them from behind, it was very easy for them to separate from the Fang family. From then on, the daughter of the Huo family had no relationship with the Fang family anymore.
After the head of the Huo family left, Zhao Ling came and told Zong Zhengxi that the escaped Zhou Quan and Wang Si had been caught. These two were really stupid. They wanted to enjoy themselves while escaping with their families. The carriages were lined up in a long line and were carrying a lot of things, so they couldn't move fast at all.
The imperial court had been waiting to capture them, and now they captured the two families easily without any effort.
Zong Zhengxi: "These two people are in charge of mining and water transport. They are the ironclad evidence of Fang Lin's rebellion. They must also be sent to the capital for conviction. Please keep an eye on them and don't let anything unexpected happen."
Zhao Lingying said yes.
As winter goes on, the ground is covered with ice and snow, the sun is seldom seen, and the temperature is frighteningly low.
Fortunately, the amount of snow this year is not heavy, otherwise if there was a snowstorm, the people would suffer.
Beijing, congratulations.
In the middle of the night, in the bedroom, the head of the He family suddenly woke up and sat up. It was winter, but he was frightened and broke into a cold sweat. His expression became a little distorted because of fear.
Mrs. He was woken up. She stood up and saw that the head of the He family had a dull look in his eyes and his hands and feet were trembling. She patted his back worriedly and said, "Master, you have a nightmare again. Didn't you take medicine? Why didn't it work?"
Since the last time he fell ill, the health of the head of the He family has never been completely recovered. After the beginning of autumn, he would catch a cold from time to time, and he could not sleep well at night and was often disturbed by nightmares. The court doctor prescribed several medicines but they did not work.
The head of the He family seemed not to have heard what his wife said. He was stunned for a long time without moving, and his mind was still recalling the dream just now.
He dreamed that the He family's house was ransacked, the entire family was beheaded, the blood was all over the beheading table, and the heads of the He family members were rolling on the ground, their eyes bulging as if they were about to burst, and they were shouting in pain.
Ever since the He family was forced to be responsible for contacting the remnants of the previous dynasty, the head of the He family has never been at peace. He always feels that they made a wrong move, but when asked where exactly they made the mistake, he couldn't tell the reason.
Because on the surface, although their plan encountered some twists and turns, it was generally going well.
The head of the He family was puzzled as to what had gone wrong.
"Go to sleep, I'm fine." The head of the He family came back to his senses, patted his wife's hand, and pulled her to lie down again. In order not to worry his family, he could only hide his thoughts.
The next day, the head of the He family called his eldest son and asked him, "Have the people we stationed in Beijiang sent back any news?"
A month ago, the He family found out that the accomplice of the remnants of the previous dynasty was Fang Lin'an, the governor of Beijiang. They did not expect that this military commander who had been highly praised by the late emperor actually had the intention of rebellion in his heart.
Perhaps because of his uneasy mood, the head of the He family did not let his son send someone to contact Fang Lin'an immediately to ask for cooperation. Instead, he prepared to place a spy next to Fang Lin'an and make plans after seeing Fang Lin'an's character.
He Yan replied: "Father, the spies report back every half a month, and there are still three days before the next report."
"Three days..." The head of the He family frowned, but did not say anything more, because he knew that no matter how anxious he was, he could not turn three days later into today.
The wait was long and torturous. The head of the He family was flustered and fell ill again without realizing it. He had to take one more bowl of medicine every day.
Soon three days passed and the head of the He family got up early and waited, but until the sun set and night fell, he still did not receive the news he was expecting.
The head of the He family comforted himself, thinking that perhaps something unexpected happened on the way and the news would arrive tomorrow.
But one day later, two days later, three days later... they waited for five days, but there was still no news from Beijiang.
The He family could no longer deceive themselves. Was the spy discovered by the Beijiang people, or did something happen in Beijiang that prevented the message from being sent?
If it is the former, it would be fine. At most he could just confess his identity to Fang Lin'an. They would have to cooperate in the future anyway. But if it is the latter, the premonition of the head of the He family might come true.
"Quick! Send someone to Beijiang to investigate and see what happened!" The head of the He family ordered with a pale face.
But before his men could head to Beijiang, a bombshell news spread in the capital—Beijiang Governor Fang Lin was suspected of treason, and the evidence was solid. He had been arrested by Princess Zong Zhengxi and was being sent to the capital for trial!
The moment he heard the news, the head of the He family collapsed, thinking that God was going to destroy the He family, and closed his eyes in despair.
Zong Zhengxiao received the news earlier than anyone else in the capital. When he saw the secret letter delivered by the secret guards at full speed, the corners of his lips curled up and his eyes were filled with unconcealable joy.
"As expected of my little sister, you did not disappoint me." Zong Zhengxiao was already thinking about how to reward his good sister.
However, no matter how chaotic the situation was outside the palace, Rong Yin was unaware of it. He was studying popsicles with Lu'e and the others.
After winter came, the ice and snow that were scarce and expensive in summer became something that people tried to avoid. The outdoor lotus ponds and pools were all frozen. The temperature was too low these days, and Rong Yin could only stay in the room like a house fish.
Hot water flows into the indoor pool every day, but Rong Yin's physique is different from that of humans. He prefers cooler water, so Lu'e and the others will help him adjust the water temperature every day before letting him go in for a bath.
Rong Yin felt bored staying indoors, and she recalled something she had done in the past in modern times: eating popsicles with the heater on in winter.
He's a little greedy.
When it comes to eating, Rong Yin has always been a man of action. He went to the kitchen and found honey, sugar cubes, dried fruits and other things amid the horrified eyes of the chefs. He mixed them with water in a certain proportion and brought them outside to freeze. The next day, they became a simple version of popsicles.
The palace servants did not wonder why he wanted to make this thing. They thought he was just playing around. When Zong Zhengxiao found out, he just said let him do what he wants, and the others left it alone.
The taste of the low-end version is definitely not as good as the popsicles produced by modern mature industries, but it is better than nothing, just for the sake of trying something new.
Later, under Rong Yin's guidance, Lu'e also learned how to use various utensils to make popsicles, including long, round, square, and heart-shaped ones. In such cold weather, only the palace servants in Yinjiao Garden would eat ice pops every day.
When Zong Zhengxiao came over from the study after finishing his official business, Rong Yin was soaking in warm water and eating a popsicle made of apricot preserves. The popsicle was in the shape of a cylinder frozen in a bamboo tube, with a small stick inserted in the middle to make it easy to hold without freezing your hands.
"Ah!" Seeing Zong Zheng Xiao, Rong Yin waved at him happily, and wanted to share the popsicle with him when he came closer.
Zong Zhengxiao shook his head, "I don't like it, you eat it."
Zong Zhengxiao didn't like eating ice cream in winter. He had tried it a few times before to make Rong Yin happy, and the taste was neither good nor bad. He didn't like it nor disliked it, so he never ate it again.
Rong Yin didn't force him: Okay, then I'll eat it myself.
There was a soft mat beside the pool, and several pots of high-quality smokeless silver charcoal were burning next to it. Zong Zhengxiao sat behind a low stool drinking hot tea, and his eyes would occasionally glance at Rong Yin's face.
Rong Yin ate the ice cream seriously. Sometimes, she would bite off a piece of ice and put it in her mouth, frowning because of the cold but not spitting it out. Sometimes, she would taste it slowly, licking it from the top of the cylindrical popsicle downwards, her lips wrapped around the popsicle, her wet and red tongue faintly visible. She would smile and squint her eyes when she tasted the sweetness.
As he watched, some non-existent images popped up in Zong Zheng Xiao's mind. He quickly retracted his gaze and changed his sitting position when no one was paying attention.
The heat in his body had not yet subsided, and Rong Yin, who had just finished eating the popsicle, climbed into his arms. With a wicked smile, she shoved her cool hands into his collar. At the same time, the fresh fragrance of Rong Yin's body took the opportunity to rush towards him, making it impossible for him to hide.
This fragrance made Zong Zhengxiao even more angry.
"Stop making trouble." Zong Zhengxiao's voice became hoarse. He clamped Rong Yin's hands, tore him away from his arms, and pushed him aside.
Rong Yin looked at him angrily: Zong Zheng Xiao, you stingy guy!
Zong Zhengxiao sighed helplessly in his heart, and held Rong Yin's hand in his warm hand again, rubbed it for him, and then looked at him, "Are you satisfied this time?"
Rong Yin grinned foolishly, and his thoughts changed again: Zong Zheng Xiao is a good person.
Looking at Rong Yin's soft smile and her two bright red lips, Zong Zheng Xiao gritted his teeth silently and thought to himself: You just keep being naughty, I will teach you a lesson sooner or later.
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