Lin Feng glanced impatiently at the person kneeling on the ground and said coldly:
"Everyone on duty will go to the barracks to receive twenty lashes in a bit, just to keep your heads up!"
After saying this, he turned to Ning Huaizhi, who was lying in the oxcart, and said:
"General Ning, the imperial court is currently searching for you, a great hero. I will arrange accommodations for you in a moment, and then go to the palace to report. Once your injuries have healed, you can go to see the Emperor."
As he spoke, Lin Feng looked at Jiang Yuwei, who was sitting in front of the oxcart, and said:
"Madam, please have your friends come with me."
Jiang Yuwei hesitated. She wasn't sure if the person in front of her was good or bad. Although he was the one who sent Ning Huaizhi back to Ningjia Village that day, the situation was constantly changing, and Jiang Yuwei wasn't sure if he was trustworthy.
So, Jiang Yuwei slowly lifted the curtain a crack, looked at Ning Huaizhi with a complicated expression, and said:
"Huaizhi, are you still able to walk right now?"
Ning Huaizhi naturally understood Jiang Yuwei's concerns, so he smiled and nodded, saying:
"It's alright, Yuwei. Let everyone follow Lin Feng."
Jiang Yuwei then lowered the curtain and looked at Lin Feng, saying:
"Then I'll trouble Vice General Lin to lead the way."
Lin Feng immediately mounted his horse and positioned it next to Ning Huaizhi's oxcart. Having not seen Ning Huaizhi for so long, Lin Feng had a lot to say to him. He had imagined many scenarios of their reunion, but he never expected it to be like this.
Thinking this, Lin Feng felt a lump in his throat and said to Ning Huaizhi:
“General, we sent people to Ningjia Village to look for you before, but when we arrived, your house had already been emptied. After asking around, we heard from one of your neighbors that your whole family had moved away. As for where they moved to, they didn’t know either. So we could only travel north and inquire slowly, but we couldn’t find any trace of you.”
As he spoke, Lin Feng's eyes reddened, and his voice choked with emotion.
"I really didn't expect to meet you here. I... I thought I would never see you again in this lifetime..."
Ning Huaizhi noticed the change in Lin Feng's voice, so he forced a smile and said:
"Stop giving me that nonsense. By the way, you said the imperial court has been looking for me. How did they find out about me?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Feng hastily wiped his eyes with his sleeve and said through gritted teeth:
"Li Qing tried to steal your credit, but little did he know that General Sun had seen through everything before he died. He wrote down your deeds and performance in the army in a secret letter and sent it directly to the palace. After Li Qing returned to the court, he claimed that the victory was all due to his skillful command. The emperor was furious when he found out and announced General Sun's secret letter to the world. He also demoted Li Qing to guard the border."
Lin Feng then burst into laughter.
"That wicked bastard has finally gotten to where he is today. You have no idea how happy we were when we heard about the Emperor's punishment of Li Qing. The Emperor said that although he hasn't found you yet, he will keep the title of General of the Border Garrison for you until you return to the capital."
Ning Huaizhi simply hummed in response to Lin Feng's words.
At this moment, he was not very happy. He only thought of his mentor, General Sun, who selflessly imparted a lot of knowledge to him and treated him like his own child. Even on his deathbed, he did not forget to leave a secret letter to protect himself.
Ning Huaizhi felt increasingly heartbroken. Now that General Sun was gone, he was powerless to repay his kindness, no matter how much he wanted to.
"Lin Feng, where is General Sun buried? I want to visit him once I've recovered from my injuries."
Seeing that Ning Huaizhi wasn't particularly happy, Lin Feng knew he must be thinking about the painful things that happened in the military camp, so he said helplessly:
"General Sun always preferred quiet. After his death, Princess Qinglan informed the Emperor that General Sun was buried on the southern slope of Yugu Mountain. General Sun's burial was very low-key, but the brothers in the military camp all came to see him off. He left in a dignified manner."
Lin Feng paused, then looked at Ning Huaizhi and said:
"It's just a pity for Princess Qinglan. She's only eighteen or nineteen years old, and she's all alone in her family. To outsiders, although she has the Emperor and Empress Dowager's favor, she's just a princess in name only."
Lin Feng sighed and continued:
“The princess is now of marriageable age. I’ve heard that with her status and without the support of her maternal family, it’s naturally difficult for her to find a husband. She’s stuck in a rut, unable to find someone suitable for her or someone not suitable for her, which is really a problem.”
Hearing this, Ning Huaizhi felt a pang of sadness. He vividly remembered the scene of General Sun holding his hand tightly before his death and entrusting his son to him. Because of his leg injury, Ning Huaizhi had thought he would never come to the capital, so he had naturally put this matter aside in his heart.
But now that he had not only come to the capital, but his leg injury had also been healed, and thanks to the old general, he had even acquired the title of general. Now, if he were to continue to ignore Qinglan, wouldn't he be betraying the old general's entrustment from that day? So Ning Huaizhi thought for a moment and said:
"Once my injuries have healed in a few days, I will visit the old general's mansion. I will also discuss Qinglan's marriage with her and see if there is anything I can do to help."
Lin Feng laughed upon hearing this:
“A few days ago, Princess Qinglan came to me to inquire about your whereabouts. I have already sent someone to inform her. You don’t need to go looking for her. She will probably come to visit you in the next few days.”
Ning Huaizhi nodded, then lay down and stopped talking.
Soon, the group arrived at the gate of a courtyard.
Lin Feng took the lead and used the key to open the courtyard gate. With a creak, the old wooden door opened.
Lin Feng scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly and looked at Jiang Yuwei, saying:
“Madam, please don’t mind. This courtyard is my family’s ancestral home. It has been uninhabited for many years since my parents passed away. The situation is urgent right now, so please make do with it for now. After the general goes to the palace to meet the emperor, the emperor will definitely approve a house for him.”
Jiang Yuwei didn't care whether the house was new or old. Now that she had just arrived in the capital, she was already very content to have a place to stay.
Jiang Yuwei stepped into the courtyard and smiled:
"Thank you for your help, Lieutenant General Lin. I think this courtyard is quite unique. With a little tidying up, it will be habitable. Thank you very much."
Lin Feng hurriedly waved his hand and said:
"Sister-in-law, please don't say that. As long as you don't mind that this courtyard is small, you can stay here with peace of mind. I have to go to the palace to report on the General's matter, so I can't stay here for long. When I have time, I will come to visit the General in person. Right now, I see that the General is seriously injured, so I will send someone to fetch a doctor to take a look at the General."
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