Chapter 65

Ever since He Jingyuan received the letter from Jizhou's main city informing him that the younger daughter of the Fan family had been abducted for no apparent reason and that Fan Changyu had gone to inspect the case records, he had not slept a wink.

At this moment, he sat in his tent studying military texts when a personal guard entered to report that Gongsun Yin had come to see him.

Unable to guess what the chief strategist under the Marquis of Wu'an was up to, He Jingyuan pondered briefly before instructing the guard to let him in.

The tent flap was lifted.

But it was not only Gongsun Yin who entered.

He Jingyuan's gaze fell on the man behind him, dressed in a black cloud-patterned riding robe with narrow sleeves. He froze for a moment before hurriedly rising to his feet.

“Marquis?”

Xie Zheng's lips curved faintly.

“Lord He, it's been a long time.”

Compared to the veteran generals who had spent decades on the battlefield, Xie Zheng was undeniably too young.

Coupled with his strikingly handsome appearance, there had been no shortage of officers in the army who had looked down on him in his earlier years. They believed he had merely been born into the right family—the sole heir of the Xie clan—with Wei Yan as his uncle, which was why he had risen through the ranks so quickly.

But after Jinzhou was reclaimed and the Twelve Commanderies of Liaodong were recovered, achievements unmatched by anyone since the founding of the dynasty, all doubts had finally been silenced.

Outsiders praised him as a heaven-sent military genius.

As a fellow general, however, He Jingyuan knew better.

Any one of Xie Zheng's accomplishments would have been enough for an ordinary military commander to boast about for a lifetime.

And behind every glorious victory were bloodshed and countless brushes with death.

Though He Jingyuan was more than twenty years older than Xie Zheng, he sincerely admired this youngest Marquis in Great Yin's history.

Leading him toward the seat of honor, He Jingyuan asked, “What brings Your Lordship to Luzhou City so suddenly?”

Xie Zheng did not decline.

If he did not sit there, no one else in the room would dare take a seat either.

He settled casually into the chair and accepted the tea He Jingyuan personally offered him.

When their eyes met, He Jingyuan unconsciously lowered his posture slightly. Because of the previous grain requisition incident, a trace of guilt lingered in his eyes.

Xie Zheng's lips twitched faintly.

He chose not to press the matter for now.

“The old fox Sui Tuo has surrounded Jizhou with fifty thousand troops. His goal is to completely cut off the river grain routes once spring arrives. The front lines remain stable for now, but I am concerned about our supply lines in the rear, so I came personally to inspect the situation.”

He Jingyuan clasped his fists solemnly.

“Please rest assured, Marquis. As long as He Jingyuan still draws breath, I will never allow those rebels to take Jizhou.”

Xie Zheng lightly tapped the armrest of his chair.

There was amusement in his dark eyes, yet his presence carried an authority that needed no anger.

“I did not come because I distrust Lord He. Whether Jizhou stands or falls depends entirely on Luzhou. However, the city currently has only twenty thousand soldiers. If the Prince of Changxin launches an assault, it will be difficult to withstand.

“The newly recruited troops are said to number fifty thousand, but in reality there are only thirty thousand, and all of them are farmers who have never seen battle. If things reach the point where even your personal guards must be thrown onto the walls to defend the city, Luzhou will hold little advantage.

“Gongsun Yin and I surveyed the surrounding terrain and devised a plan that could annihilate all fifty thousand of the Prince of Changxin's troops outside Luzhou.”

Since Luzhou had been besieged, He Jingyuan had not enjoyed a single good night's sleep.

Hearing that Xie Zheng had a strategy to break the enemy, he could not hide his surprise.

“May I ask what strategy Your Lordship has in mind?”

Xie Zheng looked toward Gongsun Yin.

The latter answered on his behalf.

“The Wu River flows from west to east through Jizhou, but its source lies in Yan Mountain. Once spring arrives, the snow and ice on Yan Mountain melt and flow into the river.

“We can send troops upstream to construct a dam and temporarily block the river's waters. The riverbed around Luzhou will remain shallow and low. Then Lord He can lure the Prince of Changxin's forces into crossing the riverbed.

“At the crucial moment, we destroy the dam upstream. The floodwaters will sweep down and drown all fifty thousand enemy troops.”

Upon hearing the plan, He Jingyuan could not help slapping the table in praise.

“Excellent! A truly brilliant strategy!

“However, building a dam is no small undertaking. It would require thousands of soldiers. How can we possibly keep it hidden from the Prince of Changxin's scouts?”

Xie Zheng replied, “The Prince of Changxin recently sent me a challenge letter declaring his intention to seize Yanzhou.

“I will borrow twenty thousand troops from Jizhou and publicly return to Yanzhou. Along the way, most of those troops will secretly remain upstream on the Wu River to construct the dam.

“Meanwhile, Lord He can intensify efforts to eliminate enemy scouts.

“That should be enough to conceal our intentions.”

He Jingyuan was puzzled.

“Previously, Mr. Gongsun suggested weakening Yanzhou's defenses to lure the Prince of Changxin into attacking it. If he fell for the trap, shouldn't he launch a surprise attack on Yanzhou instead?”

Smiling, Gongsun Yin replied, “You're not wrong, Lord He. But the Prince of Changxin intends to use our own strategy against us. He will pretend to fall for our trap and target Yanzhou, while his true objective remains Jizhou, where he can seize the salt lakes and control the waterways.”

As a seasoned battlefield commander, He Jingyuan immediately understood.

Their supposed reinforcement of Yanzhou was itself part of the deception, meant to convince the Prince of Changxin that they were truly focused on protecting Yanzhou.

After thinking it over for a moment, he asked, “What if the Prince of Changxin realizes this is also a scheme?”

Xie Zheng answered confidently.

“He won't.”

Confusion appeared on He Jingyuan's face.

Gongsun Yin suppressed a laugh and explained.

“The Marquis's only daughter is currently in the Prince of Changxin's hands. On the surface, his reason for borrowing troops and returning to Yanzhou is to rescue his daughter.”

Xie Zheng's icy gaze swept over Gongsun Yin.

The latter immediately straightened up and behaved himself.

He Jingyuan, however, was thoroughly bewildered.

After several moments, he composed himself and cupped his fists.

“I had not heard that Your Lordship had been blessed with a daughter. She must have suffered greatly in the hands of those rebels.”

Gongsun Yin nearly lost control of his expression again.

Xie Zheng's face darkened considerably, but he still explained.

“It is my wife's younger sister. The rebels misunderstood her identity.”

A moment ago, He Jingyuan had barely accepted the revelation that Xie Zheng had a daughter.

Now he learned that the person who had been abducted was not his daughter but his wife's younger sister.

And more importantly—

Xie Zheng had a wife.

Even though he had already been mentally prepared for surprises, this revelation still shocked him.

If it had merely been a daughter born to some woman he kept at his side, that would have been one thing.

But a lawful wife?

That was entirely different.

Countless noble families in the capital had been desperately trying to forge marriage ties with Xie Zheng.

After rumors spread that he and Wei Yan had fallen out, even the imperial family—long suppressed by Wei Yan—had hoped to marry a princess to him and use his power to curb Wei Yan's influence.

The position of Marchioness was coveted by countless people.

Since when had it already been taken?

Not only He Jingyuan.

Even Gongsun Yin was stunned.

He had always thought Xie Zheng's feelings toward the butcher's daughter from the Fan family stemmed from gratitude for saving his life and perhaps affection that had grown over time.

Never had he imagined that Xie Zheng already regarded her as his wife.

For a brief moment, Gongsun Yin genuinely wondered whether someone had cast a spell on him.

The Xie family might have only one surviving male heir now, but it remained a century-old aristocratic clan.

If Xie Zheng married, the entire capital would be thrown into turmoil.

After all, it would mean a complete redistribution of political power.

The position of matriarch of the Xie family was one that only the most exceptional daughters of prestigious noble houses could hope to fill.

Marrying a village butcher's daughter?

Wouldn't that make the entire capital laugh itself hoarse?

Gongsun Yin's brows furrowed deeply.

Knowing Xie Zheng for more than a decade, he understood that this was not a man who acted impulsively.

He wanted to ask more questions but, with He Jingyuan present, ultimately held back.

Seeing both men lose their composure, Xie Zheng remained entirely unaffected.

He merely asked,

“What does Lord He think of the plan?”

Returning to his senses, He Jingyuan forcibly suppressed the turmoil in his heart.

“This plan is brilliant. All military forces in Luzhou shall obey Your Lordship's command.”

As he spoke, he raised the Jizhou Tiger Tally above his head with both hands and offered it over.

There could be no more sincere declaration of loyalty than this.

Xie Zheng accepted the tally.

Though it granted authority over all troops in Jizhou, he toyed with it casually between his fingers as though it were nothing special.

Lowering his eyes, he said,

“There is one more matter on which I would like to seek Lord He's guidance.”

The use of the words

"seek guidance" carried a deeper meaning.

He Jingyuan had a vague idea of what he wanted to ask.

Ever since Xie Zheng stopped Wei Xuan's grain requisition campaign, He Jingyuan had already resolved to tell him everything he knew.

“Ask whatever you wish, Marquis. As long as I know the answer, I will hold nothing back.”

A faint smile appeared on Xie Zheng's lips.

“In Lin'an Town of Qingping County, there was a butcher family surnamed Fan.

“Why did Wei Yan want that couple dead?

“And what exactly was he searching for in their home all those years?”

Hearing so many questions about the Fan family, Gongsun Yin instinctively frowned.

Could Xie Zheng's interest in the Fan family woman somehow be connected to Wei Yan?

He Jingyuan's expression became complicated.

He wanted to know how much Xie Zheng already understood about the events of the past.

“Before I answer, may I ask why Your Lordship wishes to investigate the Fan family's secrets?”

Xie Zheng replied calmly,

“My wife's parents died unjustly. Naturally, I must uncover the truth for her.”

The moment He Jingyuan heard those words, he abruptly raised his head.

His expression could only be described as shocked.

Xie Zheng assumed he was reacting the same way Gongsun Yin had—astonished by the status he had given Fan Changyu.

Displeased, he coldly asked,

“Can Lord He answer now?”

He Jingyuan's fingers trembled slightly.

Lowering his aged eyelids, he remained silent for a long time before finally sighing.

“The butcher known as Fan Erniu once served under the Chancellor. Later, he betrayed his master and escaped, changing his identity to live in obscurity.

“But the Chancellor eventually found him.

“That is why he was killed.

“As for the item the Chancellor wanted, I truly do not know what it was.”

Wei Yan had once recognized his talents and later promoted him.

Though they now stood on opposite sides politically, He Jingyuan still addressed him respectfully as Chancellor.

Xie Zheng's expression sharpened instantly, though a smile remained on his lips.

“If I am not mistaken, Lord He was the one who took that item.”

He Jingyuan smiled bitterly.

“I did take it. But I genuinely do not know what it was.”

The patience in Xie Zheng's eyes began to fade.

“Does Lord He truly think I would believe such an explanation?”

He Jingyuan answered,

“Whether Your Lordship believes me or not, every word I have spoken is true.”

Xie Zheng sneered.

“If you didn't know what Wei Yan was looking for, how could you help him find it?”

He Jingyuan laughed at himself.

“My actions in Jizhou over the years had already displeased the Chancellor.

“When he ordered me to kill the Fan couple, it was merely to test whether I remained loyal to him. He never instructed me to search for anything.

“The item was given to me by the Fan couple before their deaths.

“They told me that if the Chancellor ever asked for it, I should hand it over to him and never open it myself.”

Xie Zheng sensed something unusual in those words.

“You were close to the Fan couple?”

A trace of age-old sorrow surfaced in He Jingyuan's eyes.

“They were old friends.”

Gongsun Yin knew little about the Fan family's history.

Unable to hold back, he asked,

“So in order to convince Wei Yan that you remained loyal, you killed your old friends?”

He Jingyuan said nothing.

His silence was an admission.

Seeing his mournful expression, Gongsun Yin remarked ambiguously,

“Since ancient times, loyalty and righteousness have rarely coexisted. I suppose Lord He couldn't help it.”

He Jingyuan heard the mockery hidden in those words.

“If I hadn't done it, the Chancellor would have sent someone else.

“By killing the Fan couple myself, I could at least honor their wishes and protect their two daughters.

“If someone else had gone, the entire family would have been exterminated.”

For a moment, even Gongsun Yin had nothing to say.

All of them knew exactly how ruthless Wei Yan could be.

After a while, he asked,

“The Chancellor never ordered you to retrieve the item. Weren't you afraid he would become suspicious when you handed it over afterward?”

He Jingyuan replied,

“Of course I was.

“But since the Marquis has married Miss Fan, he must know that the two sisters knew nothing about their parents' affairs.

“My old friends are gone, and I owe them a debt of guilt. I only wished to protect the last traces of their bloodline.

“At the time, Wei Xuan had suffered defeat, rumors of the Marquis's death were spreading, and the northwest was in chaos.

“The Chancellor had no choice but to rely on me, so he turned a blind eye.”

Xie Zheng tapped the armrest of his chair lightly and remained silent.

What He Jingyuan had said differed little from his own previous suspicions.

Gongsun Yin asked another question.

“The item the Fan couple entrusted to you—did you really never look at it?”

He Jingyuan smiled bitterly.

“Mr. Gongsun must be joking.

“If I had looked at it, do you think the Chancellor would have spared me?”

Gongsun Yin merely shrugged toward Xie Zheng.

They had asked so many questions.

It seemed they had solved numerous mysteries, yet none of the truly important answers had been revealed.

Suddenly, Xie Zheng raised his eyes.

“When Fan Erniu served under Wei Yan, what name did he use, and what position did he hold?”

Cold sweat appeared on He Jingyuan's forehead.

“Marquis… forgive me, but I cannot tell you that right now.”

When Xie Zheng was not smiling, the pressure emanating from his phoenix eyes became especially intimidating.

He studied He Jingyuan carefully.

“Why?”

Bitterness filled He Jingyuan's mouth.

Of course he understood what the truth behind the Fan family would mean to Xie Zheng.

If Xie Zheng had merely stumbled onto the Fan family's past while investigating the old Jinzhou case, He Jingyuan might still have hoped he would show mercy.

The Fan couple were already dead.

The past should remain buried.

The two orphaned sisters deserved to be left alone.

But now Xie Zheng called Fan Changyu his wife.

And the younger sister had been kidnapped because rebels mistakenly believed she was his daughter.

He Jingyuan dared not imagine what might happen to the two sisters once the full truth came to light.

He would tell Xie Zheng who the Fan couple really were.

But not now.

At the very least, he would wait until both Fan sisters were safe.