After managing the border for more than ten years, Wei Zhenyuan definitely had his own secret operations besides the Han Valley Camp. One such place was the Jiupan Stockade. After their defense was broken by the barbarians' stratagem, the remaining remnants retreated there.
Now, with the soldiers on the mountain lacking a leader and Wei Zhenyuan temporarily unable to move due to his injury, Wei Ling had to return to oversee the overall situation.
Wei Ling didn't stay long at Cheng's residence and left with his men on the third morning, leaving behind Meng Ji and a soldier named Yu Dazui.
These two were complementary: if Meng Ji was clever and cunning, then Yu Dazui was a strong and rough man.
Wei Zhenyuan's arrangements had deep meaning behind them. Firstly, their actions needed to be low-key. The fact that there was already an outsider at Yang Village made it easy to draw attention. If Cheng Duo hadn't opened a brick kiln, attracting many people, they might not even dare to show their faces.
Secondly, Cheng Duo was extraordinarily fierce. When he wasn't trying to kill, he could easily handle ten people, let alone when he went all out.
Wei Zhenyuan secretly admired Cheng Duo. If Cheng Duo were one of his soldiers, he would definitely support him wholeheartedly. However, Cheng Duo happened to be his son-in-law. He had been looking for his son, and by the time he found Yong Ge, he was already someone else's.
Thus, Wei Zhenyuan had complicated feelings towards Cheng Duo. Like most fathers-in-law, while he admired him in his heart, he still showed some disdain on the surface.
Especially in front of Yong Ge.
That night, Yong Ge was alone at the table, sorting out the accounts. Since the recorded numbers didn't match the copper coins in the money box, he kept turning the abacus and mumbling to himself, "It's still ten wen short. Where did I go wrong?"
Cheng Duo, on the other hand, didn't say a word. After helping to arrange the copper coins, he sat aside and drank tea, leaving Yong Ge to worry alone.
Wei Zhenyuan, lying on the bed, couldn't bear it anymore, "Yong Ge, you've checked it three times already. It's just ten wen; if you can't find it, just give up. I don't believe certain people would make things difficult for you over ten wen right in front of me!"
After saying that, he glared at Cheng Duo, and the intended target of his gaze was obvious.
"No, the accounts should be clear and precise; there should be no ambiguity! Otherwise, it might be ten wen today, but tomorrow it could be a hundred wen, and the day after that, a thousand wen!" Yong Ge firmly rejected, not realizing his father's belated care.
Wei Zhenyuan choked, "Then, then I'll assign someone from the accounting office to you. You're the Young Master of the Wei family; there's no need for you to personally handle these petty calculations."
"Brother Cheng said that if I want to ask someone from the accounting office, I must understand it myself; otherwise, I won't even know if they are deceiving me."
Hearing his little brother refer to Cheng Duo as "Beother Cheng" every time, Wei Zhenyuan felt a pang of sourness in his heart and couldn't help but say, "Your Brother Cheng knows everything, why doesn't he handle it himself?"
"I'm just starting to learn. Brother Cheng wants me to handle the accounts so that I can learn. Besides, I only handle the accounts for making mud bricks. If I can't even understand these simple calculations, how can I help Brother Cheng manage the entire brick kiln in the future?"
Yong Ge finished speaking and turned his head to seek Cheng Duo's approval. Seeing how Yong Ge had made his cheap father stutter, Cheng Duo couldn't help but touch his head with a suppressed smile.
Wei Zhenyuan naturally knew that Yong Ge was right, and Cheng Duo was doing it for Yong Ge's own good. Based on the information he obtained from his informant, before Cheng Duo appeared, the two sons of Yong Ge's foster father had bullied him severely. He was busy making a living and had no opportunity to learn how to read or handle accounts.
Moreover, if Cheng Duo had simply set his sights on Yong Ge's appearance, he could have hidden him in the backyard after getting married, and that would have been enough. However, now Cheng Duo went to great lengths, teaching him knowledge and manners, training him to manage the family business diligently, even more thoroughly than his own biological father.
Facing this man who had set his eyes on his precious son, Wei Zhenyuan felt both gratified and jealous. If he treated Yong Ge well, he felt content, but if he mistreated him, he might not be able to resist the urge to eliminate the offender…
Just like those two brothers of Yong Ge, if they were capable, they should have stayed at Yufang Mountain and not returned. Otherwise, he would make them experience the feeling of being bullied when they couldn't fight back!
Cheng Duo thought it was about time and gave a way out to his father-in-law, "Yong Ge, General Wei is right. You have checked three times, and there's always a difference of ten wen. If you can't find it in today's accounts, what should you do?"
"Search the previous ones!" With Cheng Duo's prompt, Yong Ge's eyes suddenly lit up. "Ah, I forgot. Two days ago, I undercalculated Aunt Dazhuang by ten wen, and I made up for it today!"
As Yong Ge spoke, he flipped through the account book and found a record from two days ago, which made him instantly delighted. "Brother Cheng, look, I found it!"
Wei Zhenyuan couldn't help but find faults again. "He probably knew it all along and just sat there drinking tea without telling you."
Yong Ge frowned and finally realized that his biological father was intentionally targeting Cheng Duo. He said dissatisfiedly, "Brother Cheng has taught me everything. He didn't say anything to help me improve my skills, so I can be more efficient with the abacus!"
"Why do you always target Brother Cheng? He saved your life, and if you keep doing this, I'll have my eldest cousin come and take you away."
Yong Ge's face fell, and he lowered his head, writing the accounts unhappily, refusing to look at Wei Zhenyuan again.
He thought his biological father cared for him, but it turned out that he kept ruining his relationship with Cheng Duo!
With such a good husband like Cheng Duo, he no longer cared about his biological father!
Seeing Yong Ge's serious expression, Wei Zhenyuan suddenly felt awkward. "Yong Ge, I didn't mean it. I just don't want him to treat you poorly…"
"Brother Cheng treats me well!" Yong Ge glared at him fiercely and rubbed his eyes. "When you weren't here, Brother Cheng was the best person to me, second only to my dad."
Wei Zhenyuan felt another stab in his heart. Even though he pretended to be Yong Ge's father in front of him, Yong Ge never called him that. It hurt him deeply.
Now that he saw Yong Ge wiping his eyes, he became even more embarrassed. "Then, what about that night when I came, and he said he wanted to punish you?"
"Huh?" Yong Ge was confused. When did Cheng Duo say he wanted to punish him?
But Cheng Duo coughed awkwardly and glanced at Yong Ge, instantly causing Yong Ge to recall. In a flash, his fair face turned red.
He remembered! The punishment Cheng Duo talked about wasn't the same as what Wei Zhenyuan was thinking. It was about their private affair in the bedroom!
"You misunderstood. How could Brother Cheng punish me?!" To protect Cheng Duo's reputation, Yong Ge forced himself to say.
Seeing his little son and his husband's eye exchanges, Wei Zhenyuan didn't quite understand at first, but after a while, he noticed that Cheng Duo, a composed man, had a faint blush on his ears…
Wei Zhenyuan's eyes widened, feeling increasingly embarrassed. He also cleared his throat and said, "Is that so? Well, then, it's good. It was just a misunderstanding on my part."
Wei Zhenyuan watched Yong Ge cautiously. "Yong Ge, don't be angry. Dad apologizes, alright? Dad won't do it again."
"You should apologize to Brother Cheng." Yong Ge was an easy-going person. Seeing Wei Zhenyuan being so submissive, he softened his stance but still demanded an apology to Cheng Duo.
Wei Zhenyuan knew he had been careless. Cheng Duo's position in his son's heart was exceptionally high, so he had to play along.
As for Cheng Duo, he didn't take it to heart. Firstly, Wei Zhenyuan had just found his biological son and couldn't resist causing some trouble to draw his attention. Secondly, Wei Zhenyuan had already accepted him. If he didn't treat him as family, he wouldn't nitpick his flaws face to face.
Right now, he acted like a mischievous child, and Cheng Duo was fine with that. His family's Yong Ge had ways to deal with him!
During Wei Zhenyuan's recovery, chaos broke out in Xidu. Small groups of nomads started raiding the borders, and even the previously peaceful bandit gangs that only targeted merchant caravans began to act restlessly, posing as nomads to cause trouble.
Soon, rumors spread throughout Xidu that the nomads invaded because the Wei family's army suffered a major defeat at the Hangu Pass. The soldiers and officers were either dead or fleeing, and the commander-in-chief, Wei Zhenyuan, along with his close subordinates, were nowhere to be found.
Later, there were rumors that General Wuwei, Yuan Kui, had found evidence of Wei Zhenyuan colluding with foreign powers and intentionally orchestrating the defeat.
Receiving the news, Wei Ling rushed to find Wei Zhenyuan that night to discuss, "General, this is definitely a trap. Yuan Kui was so quick to produce evidence; it's obvious he had it prepared in advance to make us unable to refute!"
At this point, they were in a desperate situation. If they showed themselves, they would die. If they stayed hidden, they would still die.
Wei Li spat, "Damn it, fortunately, the General is wise. Otherwise, after we escaped back to Xiling, we might have already been silenced!"
"General, what should we do?"
Wei Zhenyuan shook his head in silence. He had underestimated He Kuntai; the only evidence that could be used against him had already been handed over. With He Kuntai's caution, he wouldn't leave any traces behind.
Moreover, the so-called "evidence" Yuan Kui presented was likely fabricated by the nomads. The current emperor was only eleven or twelve years old, and the Empress Dowager and noble families were busy fighting amongst themselves. Both sides wanted to win He Kuntai's support, so it would be difficult for them to escape with substantial evidence, let alone nothing.
"At this time, shouldn't we send someone on a fast horse to beat He Kuntai in reporting false military information and bring back your family members?" Cheng Duo suddenly suggested.
Wei Zhenyuan and Wei Ling were both startled. Wei Ling asked, "Cheng Duo, what do you mean?"
Cheng Duo remained calm. "The court is incompetent. Even the great general guarding the border has defected. Do you have any other choice?"
Cheng Duo had figured it out. His cheap father-in-law and eldest uncle either bore the crime of treason and were executed or had to rebel. Once they died, Yong Ge's identity would likely be exposed, so they couldn't take that path.
Other generals looked at each other. Although Cheng Duo's suggestion was shocking, they realized that when both options led to death, even ants would choose to live. Moreover, they had family members.
With this in mind, five or six generals loosened their stance. "General!" "General…"
Wei Zhenyuan smiled bitterly. The Wei family had been loyal for generations. Was their century-old reputation to be buried with him?
Not to mention his father, Marquis Wei, who is still alive. Even if we talk about his four deceased brothers, wouldn't they jump out of their coffins in anger?
Seeing his father's silence, Yong Ge became anxious. "Dad?"
Don't blame him for being cunning, shouting at someone at this critical moment. His husband had said such things, and if his father didn't agree, Cheng Duo would be in danger.
Wei Zhenyuan did get agitated. "Yong Ge, what did you just call me?"
Yong Ge pursed his lips. After the first word, the rest came more easily. "Dad, you should do as Brother Cheng says. Brother Cheng never does anything uncertain. Can you trust him this one time?"
Wei Zhenyuan froze. He had practically gone to the far-off borders to find him, and now, he called him "Dad" for his husband's sake!
But Yong Ge pleaded with him. Wei Zhenyuan thought of how he came to see his son for the last time, but it ended up becoming a burden to Yong Ge… How could this be!
He looked at Wei Ling, and Wei Ling's eyes flickered. "General, don't look at me. When I left, my grandfather already told us to act according to the situation and not be bound by the court's rules."
Wei Ling didn't think much of it at the time, but now, he realized his grandfather might have foreseen this day. Being so old, he had seen everything. Moreover, out of his five sons, only his younger uncle remained, and among his grandchildren, there was only Yong Ge.
It could be said that he had been loyal to Da Xia his whole life, but he hadn't left any good for his family.
Wei Zhenyuan wavered, but when he thought of the vast difference in their forces, he could only smile bitterly.
The northwest's lion had around 170,000 troops, while their Wei family's army had less than 20,000 remaining. How could they win?
"General, when I said I would help you kill He Kuntai, I wasn't joking. Although he is the Grand General, he has many guards and generals by his side, but he has to leave the camp at some point, right? As long as he dares to come out, I'm confident I can kill him."
With the main generals dead, the rest would be like scattered sand, and it would be much easier to subdue them.
Seeing that Wei Zhenyuan still didn't believe him, Cheng Duo asked him to dismiss the others, leaving only Wei Ling. "Let me show you something."
"What is it?"
Yong Ge had already guessed and touched Cheng Duo's hand emotionally. "Brother Cheng."
Cheng Duo teased, "With this, your dad will have no confidence to trouble me again in the future."
Wei Zhenyuan glared at him. Did Cheng Duo think a wine bottle could make him back off? He was dreaming!
The first thing Wei Zhenyuan thought of was the white jade wine bottle that Cheng Duo took out to treat his injuries. The thing, bottle and all, should be worth a thousand or eight hundred taels. However, he might have underestimated the cost of maintaining an army. The annual military expenses given by the court were at least several hundred thousand taels!
Cheng Duo released Yong Ge's hand and walked toward the only artificial mountain in the courtyard.
Seeing him place his hands on the mountain as if to move it, Wei Ling hurriedly stepped forward. "Let me help you."
"No need. Just watch for me."
He spoke with certainty, and Wei Ling could only step back a bit, puzzled. "This mountain looks solid. Can you move it alone?"
In fact, Wei Ling didn't think that even together with Cheng Duo, they could move this mountain. It seemed like Cheng Duo was overestimating himself.
But as soon as he finished speaking, Cheng Duo's muscles bulged, and with a strong effort, the thousand-catty heavy mountain made a barely bearable rustling sound… As the mountain was gradually moved, an iron door with a ring of iron appeared before them.
"A secret room?" Wei Zhenyuan was taken aback. He didn't expect Cheng Duo to build a secret room under the artificial mountain. And was his strength really that great? Even his most valiant generals might not be able to lift the mountain alone!
Wei Ling thought the same and, having fought against Cheng Duo before, he could tell that something was off. "Your strength seems to have increased?" Cheng Duo was already naturally strong, but could this thing still enhance his strength?
"It's gotten a bit bigger." Cheng Duo exchanged glances with Yong Ge. Neither of them had any intention of revealing Cheng Duo's origins.
Cheng Duo kneeled down and easily opened the iron door. As the sunlight entered, the once pitch-black tunnel gradually brightened.
Wei Ling gasped, "Night pearls?" He looked at Cheng Duo in suspicion. This man's origins were so mysterious that he used priceless night pearls to light up the place? And each pearl was the size of a fist, roughly counting, there were five or six pearls in this short tunnel alone!
Wei Zhenyuan felt the same but was somewhat relieved by Yong Ge's nonchalant expression, clearly indicating that he was aware.
Both men thought the tunnel was already extravagant, but when they passed through it and entered another door, they witnessed a scene of gemstones scattered on the floor and gold and silver piled up like a mountain!
The reflection of gold and silver, along with the surrounding night pearls, lit up the secret room to be as bright as day. Wei Zhenyuan and Wei Ling stood stiffly in the secret room, suspecting they were hallucinating.
Are these… these gold and silver treasures all real?
Wei Zhenyuan's throat tightened, and he swallowed with difficulty. "Y-Yong, Yong Ge, how did you and Cheng Duo get all these things?"
Yong Ge glanced at Cheng Duo, his fair and handsome face slightly blushing. "This is the treasure of that Hu Gong."
"Impossible!" Wei Zhenyuan refuted without hesitation. "I just handed you the map a few days ago. Moreover, you two have been right under my nose. How could I not know when you went out?"
His son and son-in-law were busy with the brickyard every day, and when he was bored, he would let Meng Ji take him to the adobe warehouse to take a look. Sometimes they would sit there for an entire afternoon and never noticed anything unusual.
Cheng Duo said, "Of course, the treasure was already here before you came. Otherwise, why would Yong Ge and I build a secret room in our own courtyard for no reason?"
"What do you mean, you had already found Hu Gong's treasure?"
"Yeah." Yong Ge touched his nose. "Actually, the mountain where Hu Gong hid the treasure is behind Brother Cheng's house. He accidentally found it while hunting. We hadn't even gotten married at that time."
Yong Ge chose to lie. Firstly, he didn't want his biological father to know that he had fallen down the mountain along with Cheng Duo to save him. Secondly, the treasure was originally brought back by Cheng Duo, and Yong Ge didn't contribute much to it. This way, his father couldn't find an excuse to diminish Cheng Duo's credit.
"No, it was found by Yong Ge and me together," Cheng Duo touched the back of Yong Ge's head. He understood his intentions, but he didn't care about such superficial credit.
Yong Ge held his hand and anxiously said, "No, if it weren't for you suggesting to go back and take a look, I wouldn't have remembered."
The son and son-in-law quarreled over who discovered the treasure. Wei Zhenyuan held back a laugh and said with no good temper, "Alright, I know that Cheng Duo made the biggest contribution. I won't let him suffer."
With so much wealth, he dared not only to rebel but even to provoke the heavens!
The surprise from his son and son-in-law was too great. Their affection was evident, and if Jin Ti could see this, he would surely be happy.
At this moment, Wei Zhenyuan completely trusted Cheng Duo, not just because of the silver he provided. It was because, despite having so much wealth, Cheng Duo still married his Yong Ge and lived with him in a small mountain village to run a brickyard. If Cheng Duo were an ignorant countryman, Wei Zhenyuan wouldn't think much of it, but unfortunately, he was a man with great vision and skills. Wei Zhenyuan couldn't believe that he didn't know what having such wealth meant!
…
After coming out of the underground secret room, Wei Zhenyuan gathered everyone again. Wei Li and the others had been waiting for a while, and seeing Wei Zhenyuan's renewed spirit and flushed face, they had an idea of what happened. "General?"
Wei Zhenyuan used tea instead of wine and raised his cup, saying, "The court is corrupt, controlled by the Fu clan, and military funds are owed year after year, resulting in countless soldiers freezing and starving to death on the border. Now, He Kuntai has defected to the enemy, killed our Wei family soldiers, and framed us unjustly. What do you all think?"
Everyone's spirits were lifted, and they said in unison, "We will follow General's orders!"
"We will follow you, General!"
"General, let's rebel!" "You're right, let's rebel!"
"Good." Wei Zhenyuan laughed heartily, then finished his cup and slammed it on the ground. "I, as your General, will lead you all in rebellion against those damn bastards!"
"General is wise!"
Wei Zhenyuan continued with his instructions, "Wei Li, you lead the men and rush back to the capital as fast as possible to bring back the Marquis and the others. If you encounter He Kuntai's messengers on the way, kill them without mercy! Wei Ling, you send someone to secretly investigate He Kuntai's group's travel routines and routes back to West Ridge Camp. Remember, don't alert the enemy, and we'll strike one month later."
This was a plan Wei Zhenyuan and Cheng Duo had discussed in advance. They delayed the assassination to avoid alerting the enemy since Wei Li needed time to return to the capital.
Both Wei Li and Wei Ling saluted in unison, "Understood!"
"Wait, I have another idea!" Cheng Duo suddenly spoke up.
"What is it?"
"After Wei Li returns to the capital, he can do this…"
Cheng Duo's idea was that instead of pulling off a quick escape like a cicada shedding its skin, they should stir up trouble in the capital and even the entire Da Xia.
In reality, Da Xia was already in a precarious state, with various local princes and governors moving restlessly. The court was a mere formality, but no one was willing to take the lead.
Given this situation, Cheng Duo decided to give them a push. It was a simple matter. Wei Li and the others would arrange for heavy rain to wash away the facade of a certain temple, revealing a stone tablet that foretold the crowning of a new emperor. Then they would bribe people to spread the news far and wide.
The prime candidate for the new emperor would naturally be none other than Empress Dowager Fu. As she wasn't the biological grandmother of the current emperor, she had a firm grip on political power, even choosing the current puppet emperor from the Xia imperial family.
Once the stone tablet was exposed, people with ill intentions would immediately suspect the Fu clan's involvement, given her capability and motive to usurp the throne. Regardless of how the young emperor reacted, the various local princes and governors would surely seize this opportunity to stir up trouble, under the guise of supporting a righteous cause while secretly seeking independence and no longer obeying the central court.
There was King Cheng of Xia in the south and the Governor of Jiangdong in the east. One was surnamed Xia, commanding an army of two hundred thousand, while the other had control over rich resources and a formidable army.
Cheng Duo didn't believe that with this opportunity, they couldn't stir up some trouble.
The murkier the waters in the capital, the easier it would be for Wei Li and the others to lead people out. By the time Empress Dowager Fu realized something was wrong, they, as the instigators, would have long disappeared.
"You, who are you exactly, to understand the court's matters so well?" Wei Zhenyuan felt a chill down his back. If he guessed correctly, Cheng Duo had just come up with this strategy of diverting disaster.
In the short time of a cup of tea, Cheng Duo had calculated everything, from the layout to the people's reactions. It was terrifying! But this was the "Sithu Novel" that the 10th generation of the Dao family from the 10th line had read.
Cheng Duo shrugged casually, "I have a friend who runs a restaurant in Twenty li Slope, and his family has properties in the capital. We chat sometimes in our free time. Besides, such small tricks are common and well-known among us. It's not something I came up with."
"Well-known tricks… what are they?" Wei Ling asked curiously.
Cheng Duo then explained how he and Xie Yuan did business together, like offering free ice water to deceive people into entering the restaurant, then luring them to seemingly save money with combo packages that had hidden charges, and offering upgradeable VIP cards…
"These are all considered tricks. In our circles, these are leftovers played by others. If it weren't for… things that happened later, people would keep coming up with new tricks."
The entire audience fell silent, including Wei Zhenyuan and Wei Ling. Even the generals were scratching their heads. "So these are tricks used to deceive people? But I always felt like the guests were getting the better end of the deal."
"I haven't figured it out either…"
"No wonder my cousin always loses money in business. He's too naive!"
"You dare call others naive? You don't even understand basic tactics like encirclement!"
Cheng Duo felt like facepalming. He wondered if he had chosen the wrong team to rebel with.
Wei Zhenyuan also felt a bit embarrassed and said, "Alright, enough arguing. Let's continue with the main matter."
Yong Ge smiled, glancing at his father, then at Cheng Duo, and secretly held his hand. Cheng Duo immediately understood. It wasn't that the subordinates under his father were too dumb, but that people from the future had too many tricks up their sleeves. He shouldn't have set his expectations too high for them…
Before leaving, Wei Li received a package of things thrown into his arms by Wei Zhenyuan. "This should be enough for you!"
According to Cheng Duo, Wei Li and the others would need silver to fake the stone tablet and spread rumors, and it wasn't a small amount.
Wei Li opened the package and was stunned to find it filled with silver ingots. "General, where did you get this money?"
Others might not know, but as a confidant of the general, he certainly did. Their general was so poor that he even shamelessly borrowed money without repaying it!
Of course, the subject of borrowing money without repaying it was none other than their young general.
Wei Zhenyuan couldn't maintain his composure and kicked him in frustration. "Get lost, you idiot! Isn't the silver sent as a token of respect from my son-in-law good enough for you?"
He accidentally hit his wound and winced in pain.
Wei Li looked sympathetically at Cheng Duo, thinking that now the general didn't even spare his son-in-law!
(T/N: Can't imagine General Wei has this kind of image in everyone's mind… (̶‿) )
But he didn't dare to wait for the general to get angry again and quickly waved his hand, leading a few other commanders to run off. Their horses were waiting in the forest outside the village, and they brought several soldiers with them. They didn't need to return to Jiupan Stockade; they could go directly on their way.
After Wei Li left and Wei Ling was about to return to make arrangements, before leaving, he wanted to leave more people behind for Wei Zhenyuan. "Uncle, the Xiongnu are rampaging everywhere, and it might be our turn in Yang Village soon…"
Wei Zhenyuan waved his hand confidently. "Don't worry, I'm just injured, not crippled. Even if the Xiongnu come, I can still handle them!"
Besides, Yang Village wasn't completely undefended; the village chief had organized a group of able-bodied men to patrol day and night.
When it came to those patrolling villagers, Wei Ling was a bit speechless. With such a large group of people sneaking into the village, they didn't notice anything. What use could they be when the Xiongnu attacked?
Meng Ji had already followed Wei Li to the capital, so apart from Yu Dazui, Wei Zhenyuan only had Cheng Duo and Yong Ge by his side.
Wei Ling was about to advise further when Cheng Duo said, "It's indeed better to leave a few more people. Yong Ge and I plan to go to Mount Yufang to bring back Li Wang."
They had been worried about Wei Zhenyuan's injury, so they hadn't mentioned it earlier. Fortunately, the area around Mount Yufang was barren and heavily guarded, so the Xiongnu wouldn't likely go in that direction.
However, leaving Li Wang in Mount Yufang for too long wasn't a good idea, so after discussing with Yong Ge, they decided to go there themselves.
Wei Ling was surprised. "Yong Ge is going too?"
Wei Zhenyuan sourly said, "Yong Ge, my injury hasn't healed yet. You can just let Cheng Duo go." After they finally recognized each other as father and son, couldn't Yong Ge stay and accompany him?
Speaking of Mount Yufang, Wei Ling suddenly remembered something. "Oh no! Uncle Li took my letter with him. If it's discovered by people from He Kuntai, he might be in trouble!"
"What?!"
Li Wang did encounter some trouble. When he first came to Mount Yufang to ransom the captives, it was all thanks to Wei Ling's influence. Now that the Wei family's military had an incident, Shi Bazong, who was in charge of this area, received the news and started to have thoughts.
This Shi Bazong was surnamed Shi, and he was called Shi Bazong.
Shi Bazong had someone call Li Wang and his son over without mentioning anything specific. However, he asked questions here and there to inquire about Li Wang's relationship with Wei Ling.
Li Wang was an honest man and had never boasted about his connection to Wei Ling except when ransoming the captives. So now he simply said, "Sir Bazong, I've only met Young Master Wei once… He's a friend my son-in-law made when he was out and about."
"Oh, and who is your son-in-law?" Shi Bazong asked.
Before Li Wang could answer this time, Li Changrong rushed to speak, "My brother-in-law is amazing! He's skilled and even knows the young master of Twenty Li Slope!"
After speaking, he glared at Li Wang, feeling that his father was being too honest.
Li Changrong thought that if he could make Cheng Duo sound more impressive, then Shi Bazong wouldn't cause trouble for them. Little did he know that the more he said, the more Shi Bazong became suspicious.
Li Wang was taken aback, "Sir, don't listen to his nonsense. Cheng Duo is actually just a hunter from our village. He doesn't have any great abilities…"
"A hunter?" Shi Bazong smirked, "He seems to have a wide range of acquaintances, both military personnel and businessmen?"
Shi Bazong asked about Cheng Duo's background and became even more certain when he heard that Cheng Duo was not from the local area and seemed to have escaped from famine.
Li Wang and his son didn't understand why he was questioning them about this. They looked at each other, feeling a bit anxious.
At that moment, someone lifted the curtain and walked in. They respectfully went to Shi Bazong's side and whispered a few words. Li Wang took a closer look and realized that it was the supervisor who had praised them when Ding Tou brought things here.
The supervisor had an expressionless face and didn't look at them. Li Wang's heart sank at the sight. His sense of foreboding grew stronger.
Sure enough, the more the supervisor spoke, the brighter Shi Bazong's eyes became. He even burst out laughing in the end, "Good lad, if I achieve something, I won't forget you!"
Shi Bazong patted the supervisor's back, then his face turned serious. He shouted to the outside, "Men, arrest these three!"
Li Wang and his son panicked, "Sir?"
Li Changrong said, "Why do you want to arrest us?"
Weren't they mistakenly arrested in the first place? Did Shi Bazong change his mind?
"I'm not just arresting you. I'm taking you back to camp to claim credit!" Shi Bazong sneered, "Don't you know? Wei Zhenyuan and the entire Wei family's military have joined the Xiongnu. Now, whoever has information about them can get promoted and become wealthy!"
Only then did Li Changrong realize how wrong he had been, "Sir, my father already said we don't really know that Wei family!"
Shi Bazong kicked him in the front and said, "You may not know him, but your brother-in-law might."
Shi Bazong was quite discerning. He could tell that the story about escaping from famine was fake. Obviously, the South was more prosperous, so why would someone flee to the northwest?
He felt that Cheng Duo was a spy for the Wei family. The reason he settled in Yang Village was to find a hunter's identity to hide himself and then work for the Wei family.
It was because of this spy that they got into trouble. He actually married one of the villagers, no wonder he presented the credit to him!
Shi Bazong didn't dare to make decisions on his own, so he immediately dispatched a team of men and planned to escort the captives back to the main camp, awaiting the general's judgment.
Those who came to Yu Fang Mountain were all prisoners, and in their tents, there was no lack of chains and prisoner carts.
Chained again and seated in the prisoner cart, Li Changrong's two brothers' faces turned pale. Along the way, they cursed Cheng Duo incessantly, calling him a lackey of the Rong people and a harmful person!
They did this to show Shi Bazong that they were innocent, but unfortunately, Shi Bazong was too busy to care.
He was clear that even if Li Wang and the others were indeed ordinary villagers who were unaware, their connection with the spy would be enough for the general to take action.
As for himself, he only needed to show his face to the general; he didn't care about their lives or deaths!
Only Li Wang had a despondent expression, remaining silent. He regretted not ignoring his wicked sons' legs and insisting on returning with Ding Tou and the others.
But that didn't seem safe either. Shi Bazong had seen the letter, and he would eventually come to Yang Village…
Li Wang's mind was in chaos. He wanted to pass a message to Yong Ge, but now he couldn't even protect himself and didn't know what to do.
As Li Changrong's two brothers were cursing with joy, a tall figure suddenly appeared at the end of the mountain road, carrying an iron spear like a god of slaughter.
The man sneered, "I should have known better than to come and save you."
He knew it; these two guys would never change!
When he brought supplies, they were delighted, but now that he was implicated, they avoided him. They only wanted the good and couldn't care less about anything else. Why couldn't they be more considerate!
The two brothers were taken aback and then became overjoyed. "Cheng Duo—"
"General Bazong, he's Cheng Duo!"
"So, it's you!" Bazong drew his knife and laughed, "I was worried about not finding anyone, but you actually dare to show up? Cheng Duo, right? I admire you for coming alone. When we meet the general, I will definitely ask him to leave your corpse intact!"
Cheng Duo didn't hesitate and nodded, "Alright, it's a deal."
After all, with the iron spear he brought today, he could just avoid stabbing anyone in the neck!
Then Li Wang and his son witnessed a one-sided massacre, a truly deadly display, and arrows were occasionally shot from the roadside woods to support Cheng Duo… In just the time it took to finish a cup of tea, there wasn't a single survivor in Bazong's small team.
When had Li Wang and the others ever seen such a scene? Their courage was about to break, and Li Changrong and Li Changgui trembled while hugging each other.
Could they take back their words now? Was there still time?
Li Changrong felt warm liquid splashing on his face, and when he wiped it off with his hand, he was covered in blood. He couldn't help but scream, "Ah—!"
"Shut up," Cheng Duo sternly commanded, "If you attract anyone else, I'll send you along with them."
Li Changrong trembled all over when he was glared at by Cheng Duo. He couldn't control himself and ended up wetting himself.
Li Changgui hugged him, and of course, his pants got soaked too, causing a foul smell to linger around.
Cheng Duo glanced at them with disdain, then used the spear to pry open the gaps in the prisoner cart. With a soft "click," the wooden cage opened.
"Cheng Duo." Yong Ge also climbed down from the tree at this time. Although he looked a bit uncomfortable at the sight of the dead bodies on the ground, he tried to put on a nonchalant expression, not wanting Cheng Duo to feel sad.
After all, Cheng Duo killed people for him and saved his father.
"Cheng Duo, are you hurt?"
"No," Cheng Duo shook his head. Actually, he had a scrape on the inside of his arm, but he didn't want to worry Yong Ge, so he didn't mention it.
"Yong Ge, why are you here too?" Li Wang's face turned pale. When he suddenly saw Yong Ge, he had an urge to shout, "Run!"
His mind was buzzing, and he didn't even react when Yong Ge helped him down and Cheng Duo cut the chains on his feet.
"Don't be afraid, Father. Cheng Duo isn't as scary as you think." Yong Ge patted his father's back. Seeing his father trembling with fear, hands shaking uncontrollably, he suddenly felt that he wasn't as scared as before.
Li Wang: "…"
Compared to how Cheng Duo dealt with his two wicked sons, he was indeed quite gentle with him.
Yong Ge was about to turn around according to his father's gaze, but Li Wang suddenly covered his eyes, "Don't look!"
Cheng Duo was busy changing the two wicked sons' pants and then throwing the bodies down the cliff.
If one ignored the mess and blood on the ground, the scene was actually quite funny. Li Wang had been hoping for someone to teach these two wicked sons a lesson, and the moment he thought about how they had blamed Cheng Duo and Yong Ge for their actions, he felt no pity for them at all!
They deserved it!
Li Changrong and Li Changgui had tears on their faces, and their movements were a little slow. Cheng Duo's iron spear quickly struck them when they were slightly delayed. They couldn't seek help from their father and Yong Ge because those two didn't care about them at all. If they called for help, Cheng Duo would only punish them more severely.
But surprisingly, after seeing so many corpses, they seemed to have gotten used to it.
Moreover, when they were changing their pants just now, they found some silver on the two soldiers. If Cheng Duo hadn't been glaring at them, they might have been tempted to take some "dead man's money"…
Li Changrong and his brother were typical cowards who bullied the weak and feared the strong. When Cheng Duo was scarier than the dead, they could overcome anything.
After dealing with the bodies and hastily cleaning up the scene, Cheng Duo told Yong Ge, "We shouldn't stay here for long. Let's hurry and leave."
Yong Ge quickly helped his father up and asked, "Father, can you walk?"
"I can!" Li Wang gathered his thoughts and noticed the quiver behind Yong Ge. "You were the one shooting arrows just now?"
"Yes, I learned from General Wei. Father, how do you think of my archery?" Yong Ge looked at his father expectantly, hoping to hear some praise.
But Li Wang stared at him and hushed him in a low voice, "What are you saying? Aren't you afraid he'll get angry?"
It was obvious who "he" referred to.
"He was quite angry at first." Yong Ge recalled the scene where Cheng Duo forbade him from interacting with his elder cousin and smiled, but he quickly turned serious when he sensed Cheng Duo's gaze as if he had eyes in the back of his head.
Li Wang was startled and unconsciously gripped Yong Ge's sleeve tightly. Yong Ge didn't want to scare his father any further, so he told the truth, "Father, in fact, General Wei is my elder cousin."
"What are you saying, what elder cousin?" Li Wang didn't understand.
"Father, don't get agitated. Let's talk while we walk…" Worried that Cheng Duo would rush them, Yong Ge supported his father as they walked and explained the situation, finally comforting Li Wang, "Father, don't worry, I won't abandon you. You will always be my father."
Li Wang listened and felt somewhat dazed. He nodded silently.
He didn't doubt Yong Ge's filial piety. After more than a decade together, Li Wang knew his son better than anyone else.
The regret for Lord Jin Ti was real! At that time, Yong Ge's biological father was probably searching for him. He was such a good person, but he didn't even get to see a resolution before he died…
In comparison, Li Changrong and Li Changgui didn't know whether to be happy or worried.
Yong Ge's father was actually a general! However, this general had already been accused of colluding with the enemy and betraying the country! Even if they said it didn't matter now, it was probably too late!
Li Changrong and Li Changgui thought of the bodies they had thrown down the cliff and lowered their heads in despair…
Cheng Duo glanced at them; it was too early to completely despair of these two. When they reached Jiupan Stockade, he would hand them over to Wei Ling for training. If they didn't train properly, these two wouldn't be able to leave the military camp!
That's right; Cheng Duo was leading them to Jiupan Stockade. News of Shi Bazong's disappearance could only be kept hidden for three to five days at most. To avoid exposing Yang Village, he decided to take action in advance.
(T/N: Timely arrival of Cheng Duo… ( ͡ₒ ͡) )
As expected, Jiupan Stockade lived up to its name, with a complex and intricate terrain, and numerous forked paths and narrow passages. Even with locals leading the way, sneaking into the camp on the mountain without making a sound was not an easy task.
Fortunately, the Wei family's army had a unique way of communication. Cheng Duo took out a short flute and blew it in a pattern of three long and two short notes. The crisp and pleasant bird call soon echoed through the forest.
Before long, bird calls responded from the woods, and Cheng Duo blew a few more notes.
Soon, two tall men dressed as hunters appeared before Cheng Duo and the others.
"What are you people doing here on Jiupan Stockade?" One of the men glanced at Yong Ge, then at Cheng Duo, asking with suspicion.
Yong Ge took out a token and said, "We're here to find someone."
The two men recognized the token as belonging to a general and happily said, "Little Master, you've finally come! The Young General has been waiting for you for a long time. Please follow us."
The two men were respectful and agile in their movements, clearly well-trained.
At first, Li Changrong and Li Changgui were a bit uneasy, but the soldiers at the checkpoints along the way were only courteous and respectful, showing no hostility.
When they saw the large and simple yet grand camp on the mountain and the numerous soldiers on guard and moving around, and considering that these people were under Yong Ge's biological father, the two of them exchanged glances and started feeling proud.
After all, they were Yong Ge's elder brothers. It wouldn't be excessive for Yong Ge's father to assign them a position like a supervisor, right?
With limited experience, the most awe-inspiring figure they had seen was Shi Bazong. Now, without considering their actual capabilities, they secretly hatched a plan.
Unfortunately, their fantasy was short-lived. Just as they were greeted at the entrance, Wei Ling received a subtle hint from Ling Tian's eyes. He waved his hand and said, "Take them to the new recruits' camp and have the camp leader keep an eye on them. If anyone tries to escape, I'll hold him accountable!"
"Yes, sir!"
Four soldiers on guard quickly stepped forward, grabbing Li Changrong and Li Changgui by the shoulders, about to drag them away.
"Hold on, are you making a mistake? We are Yong Ge's elder brothers!" Li Changrong panicked.
Li Wang also felt a bit nervous. "Yong Ge, what's going on?"
Before Yong Ge could respond, Wei Ling smiled and reassured Li Wang, "Uncle Li, I just want them to get some training. Don't worry, they won't get hurt."
"People won't improve unless they are given opportunities. They're not young anymore, Father, protecting them won't do them any good." Cheng Duo also advised.
It was Li Wang's first time hearing Cheng Duo call him "father." His hand trembled, and he inexplicably agreed.
However, as he watched the two good-for-nothings yelling and being taken away, Li Wang didn't try to intervene.
He saw the young children stationed at the entrance. They had darkened skin, determined gazes, and a disciplined posture. His two disobedient sons were far from measuring up.
Li Wang had experienced quite a fright in the past few days. Coupled with his old age and weakened spirit, as soon as he entered the camp, Wei Ling arranged for him to rest.
Cheng Duo and Yong Ge also went to freshen up in their assigned rooms. They had been on the road for five or six days without a moment's rest, hurrying to Jiupan Stockade to find people. During the journey, they dared not attract attention, so they didn't even stop in villages to buy supplies or rest.
Fortunately, Cheng Duo's spatial ability came in handy. They pretended to take steamed buns and cakes out of their bags, and Li Wang and his two sons didn't find it suspicious.
In fact, this was also due to the incredible nature of Cheng Duo's spatial ability. They didn't even consider that possibility. Besides, Cheng Duo had taken durable dry rations from the bag. With the weather gradually cooling down, it was not strange for dry rations to remain edible for three to five days.
After freshening up, Cheng Duo took Yong Ge to the main hall where the discussions were held. Wei Ling and most of the main military leaders were present, many of whom Cheng Duo had seen before.
Cheng Duo explained his plan to start early, but Wei Ling looked hesitant. "This… might be a bit difficult. According to our spy's report, He Kuntai has been staying in the camp lately, not even going out for his usual ride. He's probably on guard against us."
"Now if we want to lure him out, we'd have to reveal ourselves, but if we do that, He Kuntai will definitely bring a large number of troops…"
Cheng Duo nodded. What Wei Ling said was indeed a challenge. Although he had a gun, it had limited range. Besides, they needed to take out He Kuntai's trusted generals together; otherwise, if they startled the snake, it would be troublesome to deal with him later.
After some thought, Cheng Duo asked, "In your camp, do you have any occasions where all the named generals would appear together?"
"Perhaps when the eunuchs from the capital come to deliver decrees?"
"You're silly! The most they'd go out of the camp is ten li, and how would we get our hands on the palace badge and deceive He Kuntai?"
Suddenly, Wei Ling remembered something. "A few years ago, when we received warhorses from beyond the borders, all the named generals went, and we rode the horses together."
Although they soldiers had their own horses, when they saw those majestic and powerful warhorses, they couldn't help but ride them for a few laps.
In fact, the Rong people were not allowed to sell horses to the Daxia people, but unable to resist the high prices offered by horse traders, some small tribes would secretly sell them.
Thinking of Wei Ling mentioning He Kuntai's habit of riding horses, Cheng Duo had a sudden inspiration. "We can disguise ourselves as horse traders from beyond the borders."
Wei Ling frowned. "But without someone familiar leading them, it won't be so easy to deceive He Kuntai."
"I have a friend who has a wide network…"
Yong Ge interjected, "Cheng Duo, are you talking about Young Master Xie? Is he willing to take the risk?"
"We should give it a try." Cheng Duo was confident. Xie Yuan had his principles; if he didn't agree, he wouldn't betray him.
As for whether he was willing to take risks, businessmen pursued profit. The biggest weakness of the Xie family was that they lacked a powerful backer, right?
》》》
"Brother Cheng, why is it so mysterious that you have to discuss it inside?" Xie Yuan looked at Cheng Duo, then at Yong Ge closing the door behind him. He didn't know what these two men were up to.
Cheng Duo didn't beat around the bush and said straightforwardly, "I'm about to do something big. If you're willing to help, I guarantee that no one in the capital will dare to provoke the Xie family again."
Xie Yuan's hands trembled as he poured tea. "Brother Cheng, are you… are you joking with me?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
Cheng Duo was quite serious, and indeed, he didn't look like he was joking…
Xie Yuan understood that Cheng Duo revealing all this information was already a sign of trust. If he didn't want to participate, it would be best to stop him at this point.
However, Xie Yuan didn't stop him. He lowered his gaze, thought for a moment, and then took a deep breath. "Can I trust you?"
Cheng Duo suddenly chuckled. "Shouldn't that be my question to you?"
Yong Ge looked at the two of them, feeling somewhat nervous.
But when Xie Yuan saw Yong Ge, he suddenly smiled. Cheng Duo even brought Yong Ge with him in this situation, indicating he was confident?
That's what Xie Yuan thought, so he naturally asked.
"I won't hide it from you; I have a divine weapon in my possession," Cheng Duo said.
"What kind of divine weapon?" With some liquor and hotpot in his belly, Xie Yuan had no doubts about Cheng Duo's words and was actually quite looking forward to it.
"Is there a slightly quieter place where we can test it out?"
After a moment's consideration, Xie Yuan replied, "Yes, follow me."
As Xie Yuan got into the carriage, he immediately regretted it. He didn't expect that Cheng Duo had so many companions!
These well-trained men on tall horses saw their carriage and closed in by pulling the reins. It was almost like they were going to kidnap him…
"Young Master, who are these people? Should we continue going?" Xie San, who was driving the carriage, was trembling with fear when he saw this scene.
Xie Yuan: "…"
Could he still turn back now?
"Don't worry, Young Master Xie. They won't harm you," Yong Ge reassured Xie Yuan when he saw him sweating.
Xie Yuan gave him a side-eye and felt that this reassurance lacked any persuasiveness. But since he was already on this thief's ship, there was no way to avoid it. Xie Yuan wiped his face and loudly said to Xie San outside, "It's okay; they are all acquaintances. Let's continue forward."
"Yes, Young Master."
Since Young Master Xie was so open, it seemed inappropriate for them to continue hiding.
Yong Ge turned to Cheng Duo. "Brother Cheng ?"
Cheng Duo understood Yong Ge's meaning and nodded. He said to Xie Yuan, "To be honest, the knight leading outside is General Wei."
Xie Yuan's eyelids twitched. "Which General Wei? Not… not the one who betrayed the country?"
Cheng Duo nodded.
However, Yong Ge interjected, "No, the Wei Family Army was framed; the real traitor is that Grand General He Kuntai…"
After hearing this, Xie Yuan seemed thoughtful. That explanation also made sense. He originally thought it was because the West Ridge Camp suffered heavy losses and couldn't spare any manpower to deal with the plundering Rong people.
Moreover, the Twenty-Li Slope had no issues because of the tight defense and probably because all the money these merchants paid ended up in Grand General He Kuntai's pocket.
If he were the Grand General, he wouldn't allow anyone to reach into his pocket.
If that was the case, Cheng Duo's mention of a big event was easy to understand. He just wondered if his divine weapon was as powerful as he claimed it to be.
Xie Yuan clenched his teeth. The Xie family was like a juicy and delicious piece of meat that everyone wanted to take a bite of. Growing up, he had witnessed his father smiling and fawning over people. If Xie Yuan didn't have any ambitions, that would be impossible.
There were also An Ge's family members who were exiled criminals. Without a pardon, they couldn't leave the harsh frontier. Otherwise, he would have brought them to the city long ago, and there would be no need for An Ge to worry…
Just like Shi General, Xie Yuan regarded Cheng Duo as a spy for the Xie family's army, and he held a high position. Otherwise, Cheng Duo wouldn't dare to make such assurances?
But he never expected that as soon as he got off the carriage, he saw General Wei patting Yong Ge's head, seemingly very close to him.
How could this be?!
Xie Yuan felt that Cheng Duo was a bit "green" on the head. He hesitated whether to remind him, but then heard Yong Ge call out, "Elder Brother."
"So, he's your elder brother." He almost thought that Cheng Duo was "green" on the head!
Cheng Duo gave him a blank look. "What's with that look?"
Xie Yuan smiled awkwardly, and then reacted, "Wait, Yong Ge is actually General Wei's son?!"
He widened his eyes, looking incredulous.
Yong Ge had changed quite a bit now, but Xie Yuan still remembered their first meeting on the street when he was covered in dirt, with chilblains on his face and hands. Could all that be fake?
(T/N: Chilblains are Skin sores or bumps that occur after exposure to very cold temperatures.)
"Yong Ge's background is somewhat complicated, and it's not easy to explain now. I'll tell you later. But I can tell you one thing: he is indeed General Wei Zhenyuan's child," Cheng Duo explained.
One had to admit that Cheng Duo's usual attitude provided Xie Yuan with a great sense of security. Moreover, Cheng Duo could have chosen not to reveal this information, but he still told him…
"Let's go; we'll head to the training ground," Xie Yuan said, touching his nose and leading the group toward another courtyard.
Cheng Duo shook his head. "No need; there's a grassy area back there. We can go hunting there."
Xie Yuan and the others were all puzzled. Wasn't the best place to test the divine weapon the training ground?
They all thought Cheng Duo had a large, powerful sword that could cut through iron like mud or a sharp, hair-splitting blade.
With their horses in hand, they went to the vast grassland behind. They could only hunt rabbits here, right?
But then, with a low muffled sound, a small black shadow suddenly appeared in the sky and dropped without any warning.
"Look up!"
"What's that?"
"Seems like an eagle?"
"Could it be him who brought it down from such a height?" The General Wei's subordinate on the left side of Wei Ling was surprised as he glanced at Cheng Duo and then mounted his horse to run towards where the prey fell.
He quickly returned, holding the fallen prey. It was indeed an eagle.
Upon closer inspection, the eagle had a hole in its neck, and the General Wei's subordinate pulled out something from inside. "This is… iron sand?"
"This is called a bullet; it contains gunpowder and can kill a person within three miles," Cheng Duo explained. The post-apocalyptic guns had been improved, not only increasing the range but also excelling in sound suppression.
"Three miles?!" All the generals present were shocked, looking at the strange divine weapon in Cheng Duo's hand, feeling a chill down their spines.
Three miles away, if the opponent was hiding, they probably wouldn't even see the shadow and meet their demise.
Wei Ling thought of the key point: "Is this bullet limited in quantity?"
"Yes, one magazine has sixty rounds. My success rate is around eighty percent, so let's say forty-five," Cheng Duo replied.
That was terrifying. Just now, when the opponent attacked, they only heard a faint sound. If their companions fell one after another without any reason, they would probably be scared out of their wits…
As soon as Cheng Duo took out the firearms, even Wei Ling and Xie Yuan felt relieved. At this point, Xie Yuan simply agreed to help without hesitation.
That evening, the group didn't leave the courtyard. Cheng Duo saw that Wei Ling and the others had prepared their clothes, so he taught them some makeup techniques.
Yong Ge provided the color-changing potion, and Cheng Duo used charcoal to darken Wei Ling's eyebrows and features. He stuck on a fake mustache made of hair and changed into the attire of the foreign tribes people. They looked just like regular horse traders wandering around the frontier!
Looking at Cheng Duo, Xie Yuan was astonished. "Brother Cheng, you actually know disguise techniques?"
The other generals were also amazed. If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they wouldn't have believed that the person in front of them was their young general!
Wei Ling glared at everyone and pushed away some hands that were trying to touch his mustache. "Don't touch!"
Cheng Duo explained, "It's just a simple disguise. When you go out, try to cover yourselves with clothes, and also, speak less."
"If we could have left Meng Ji here, that would be great. He speaks Rong language the best and even knows some dialects of the small tribes. He could definitely fool people." One of the more straightforward generals sighed.
"Young General can also speak Rong language, but not as fluently," Cheng Duo said.
Wei Ling frowned when he heard this. "He Kuntai has been on the border for decades and speaks Rong language very well. We might deceive him with disguises, but as soon as we open our mouths, we'll be exposed."
Those foreign tribespeople were not very clean, and horse traders were even dirtier and smellier. They deliberately made themselves smellier, which was acceptable from a distance.
But the accent was the problem. Wouldn't He Kuntai ask something? They had to respond at least once or twice.
"Let me handle it; I can speak the Wuhu language," a heroic voice suddenly came from outside the door. Everyone turned to look and was immediately surprised and delighted, "General!"
"Why are you here?"
"If I'm not here, is that fine? Such a big matter, you bunch of brats didn't even pass me any information. I'm not dead yet!" Wei Zhenyuan's face darkened as he scanned everyone present, and soon, he saw the guilty looks on their faces.
"It's not our fault, Young General told us not to inform you…" someone muttered.
Wei Ling glared at him and then looked at the bodyguard hiding behind Wei Zhenyuan. This guy had become quite bold, secretly informing his uncle!
The bodyguard shrunk his neck and quickly slipped away.
"Don't mind him; I came out on my own."
Wei Ling helplessly used the final card: "General, didn't Cheng Duo tell you to rest for a month? If you run around like this, Yong Ge will worry."
When Wei Ling mentioned Cheng Duo, Wei Zhenyuan didn't react much. However, when he followed Wei Ling's gaze and saw Yong Ge, his expression immediately turned flattering. "Yong Ge, Daddy just wants to make sure you all are safe. My wound is almost healed. If you don't believe me, ask Cheng Duo to check it for me."
The group of generals, along with Xie Yuan, as if seeing General Wei for the first time, were all speechless.
General, do you have to change your face so quickly? And this ingratiating tone, aren't you the one who uses disguise!
Wei Zhenyuan didn't care about what his subordinates thought; he just tried to coax his young son, "Look, dad came to help right away. Few people understand the Wuhu language. Dad will try to deceive He Kuntai, guaranteed he won't recognize us."
After saying that, he winked at Yong Ge, looking very confident.
Yong Ge found it both funny and exasperating but considering he could indeed help, he gestured to Cheng Duo, "Brother Cheng, go ahead and check."
Cheng Duo then approached his father-in-law and examined his wound, making sure it wouldn't easily open. After that, he nodded, "It's fine; let him come."
Wei Zhenyuan felt somewhat suffocated, but since Yong Ge was watching, he didn't dare to show his dissatisfaction.
So they decided: General Wei Zhenyuan would disguise himself as the leader of the horse traders, Boke'a, while Wei Ling and four other soldiers would be his subordinates.
The next day, Xie Yuan took the group of horse traders out in the open, starting with their own trading company, and handed out invitations on behalf of his father to some people who might be interested.
Xie Yuan came and went, working hard for several days. The news reached Xie's father, and that evening, he intercepted him at the door of their house, "A'Yuan."
Seeing his father walking out of the darkness, Xie Yuan was startled, "Father? Why aren't you resting? "
Xie's father glanced at the strange-looking foreign people behind him, "I have something to discuss with you."
Xie Yuan could only let General Wei Zhenyuan and others go inside and then tried to deal with his father, "Father, what do you want to discuss with me? I've been very busy lately. If it's about business, can we talk about it later?"
"Follow me," Xie's father said, turned around, and walked away.
Father and son entered the study. Xie's father glanced out the window and lowered his voice, "Do you know what you're doing? If something happens, our Xie family won't be able to escape!"
"Father, what are you talking about?" Xie Yuan pretended to be clueless.
"They are not horse traders from the frontier at all!" Xie's father was angry, "You sent all the horses from our trading company to Old Feng Manor and even sent a batch of horses with unclear origins. What are you planning to do?"
He realized that the batch sent to Old Feng Manor were all warhorses, and that's when he became suspicious. Moreover, all the servants at Feng Manor had been replaced. Although the Xie family was powerful, it was unnecessary to arrange so many servants in an empty place like Feng Manor. Even the few housekeepers who usually handled the cleaning had been transferred elsewhere by his son.
"What horses from our trading company? Those are excellent steeds Boke'a collected from the frontier! Father, don't listen to someone's nonsense!" Xie Yuan's heart trembled. His father truly was a shrewd old fox to have noticed so quickly.
Xie's father snorted coldly, "If I hadn't helped you cover up, you would have been exposed already. Now, tell me the truth!"
Xie Yuan couldn't fool his father and could only resort to acting spoiled, "Father, I can't tell you right now."
Xie's father's face darkened, "A'Yuan!"
"Father, I know what I'm doing, and I'm confident. Please trust me this time, okay?" Xie Yuan looked at his father with earnest eyes.
Xie's father remained silent for a long time, then sighed, "Fine, you've already made up your mind about what to do now, and I can't control you anymore."
He took a few steps towards the door and turned back to say something but ultimately decided against it. Shaking his head, he left.
After Xie's father left, Wei Ling and the other two who had been eavesdropping in the shadows came out. Wang Xiaowei asked, "Young Master, should we send someone to monitor Mr. Xie?"
"No need," Wei Ling refused. Unlike Xie Yuan, his father, Mr. Xie, was not someone they could keep under surveillance without being discovered. They didn't distrust Xie Yuan; it was merely because both sides were unfamiliar with each other.
》》》
Due to Xie Yuan's willingness to spend money, news of horse traders entering the border quickly reached He Kuntai's ears. The military was in dire need of horses, especially after the fall of Hangu Pass, resulting in significant horse losses.
He Kuntai was somewhat tempted by the news but hesitated due to the disappearance of General Wei Zhenyuan and others.
"General, the source of these horses is absolutely reliable. I've made contact with them. The middleman is a renowned landlord in the capital, Mr. Huang, and the young master of the Xie family, who runs a restaurant business. Moreover, the meeting place is near Xie's family manor, not far from Twenty Li Slope. If there's any problem, we can quickly send word back. No need to worry," Chai Gaozhan tried his best to persuade him.
Yuan Kui pointed at him, "Are you so enthusiastic because you got some benefits?"
"Absolutely not! I'm completely loyal to the general. How could I accept anything without the general's consent?" Chai Gaozhan used this opportunity to show his loyalty and then chuckled, "But they did give me a divine steed, 'Black Clouds Treading Snow,' and said it's for the general. It's quite impressive. It's outside the main tent; would the general like to see it?"
He Kuntai glared at him, "Since you've brought it back, what do you think?"
Of course, he was delighted when he saw it. Cheng Duo and the others had specially found a top-quality, sturdy horse with an imposing appearance that could run fast and steady. He Kuntai rode the horse around the camp, and with Chai Gaozhan's constant persuasion, he finally agreed.
However, He Kuntai was cautious by nature. On the day of their departure to see the horses, he not only brought his trusted senior general but also over 500 soldiers, guarding the entire Old Feng Manor, including all entrances and exits.
Seeing the scale of the preparations, Mr. Huang couldn't stop sweating on his forehead. He didn't know Xie Yuan's plan, but he was worried that the General wouldn't approve of Boke'a's horses and would then vent his anger on him.
Xie Yuan felt a bit nervous, but Wei Ling gave him a gentle reminder from behind, which helped him calm down.
He Kuntai and his generals dismounted, and Xie Yuan and Mr. Huang quickly led their people forward to bow and introduce themselves.
Wei Zhenyuan and his team, disguised as horse traders, stayed behind and pretended to be unfamiliar with the customs of Da Xia, awkwardly paying their respects.
He Kuntai casually asked, "Boke'a, how long have you been a horse trader? Why haven't I seen you before?"
This question made everyone tense. Wei Zhenyuan, not showing any weakness, nervously rubbed his colorless clothes with his big hands and answered in a strange tone of the Rong language, "Sir, I have been a horse trader for over ten years. I've always operated in the border areas and this is my first time in Da Xia."
Then, he spoke a series of fluent Uyghur language, which no one in the group understood. Yuan Kui even asked, holding his nose, "Which tribe's language is he speaking?"
(T/N: Uyghur- a dialect in Rong language.)
"%*." Wei Zhenyuan replied in Uyghur, but they still couldn't understand. They decided to drop the subject.
The stench from these people was overwhelming and made their eyes sting!
"General, shall we go in and see the horses first?" Xie Yuan took the opportunity to step forward and urge them.
He Kuntai raised his hand, "Wait, I have another question. How did you manage to bring the horses into the border without any of my men receiving any information?"
Wei Zhenyuan immediately lowered his head, "Sir, that is a secret of the border horse traders. Please forgive me for not being able to tell you."
His accent was too heavy, and only a few of the generals who understood the Rong language were not baffled by his mixture of strange-toned Rong language.
Since He Kuntai couldn't get any more information, he lost interest in asking further questions. He couldn't just capture them and torture them for answers; that would discourage any horse traders from selling to him. Besides, he understood that people from the border had their own rules, and some of these exotic people were very stubborn. If he pressed too hard, they might not want to do business with him at all. In any case, after the deal was done, he could just send someone to follow these foreigners out of the border.
"General, shall we go in?" Seeing He Kuntai's silence, Yuan Kui behind Xie Yuan couldn't wait and urged.
Although their soldiers had also been among the horses, they weren't as stinky as the horse traders. It seemed like these people had fallen into a pile of horse dung!
He Kuntai looked back at Yuan Kui and then glared at the other loyal generals, all holding their noses. He scolded them with irritation, "Pathetic!"
Despite his words, he led the way and entered the place, and the rest followed suit. It was because of the unbearable stench that, except for He Kuntai, almost no one paid any attention to Boke'a. Thus, they failed to realize that the horse trader in front of them was none other than the elusive General Wei Zhenyuan, the General of Wei Family…