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Chapter 198 - The Overbearing General’s Pretty Warlord (XVII)

The red-bricked citadel is bathed in the spring sandstorm and has a greyish texture.

When he saw the Flying Cloud flag at the edge of the city, Shi Tingyun stopped his horse for a moment, gave a sharp cry of “Go” and drove his horse through the wind.

The horse’s head rises on its hooves and neighs long and loud, spewing out a cloud of warm, hot air that smells of sand and earth.

Yan Yuanheng frowned, looking back at Li Yeshu.

”That is the general’s banner.” Li Yeshu explained for Shi Tingyun, “The general has come to Dingyuan for an inspection.”

Shi Tingyun squinted at the gates and saw a familiar figure, dismounted and ran across the lowered drawbridge, his new red brocade cloak snapping with the sand.

At the other end of the suspension bridge stands the long-awaited Shi Jinghong.

Shi Jinghong smiled and said, “I figured you’d be here today, so ……”

Before he could finish his sentence, his son, who was already vaguely superior to him, jumped straight into his arms, interrupting his words.

”…… Su Chang ?”

The person in his arms buried his entire face in his arms, and his arms held him in an iron grip, shaking with the force of his body.

Shi Jinghong froze for a moment, then ordered, “Turn around.”

At their sides, the lieutenants and gatekeepers turned around, swords and shields in hand, as soon as they were ordered to do so.

Shi Jinghong looked down and asked, “What’s wrong?”

The person in his arms didn’t say anything, just hugged him a little tighter.

Shi Jinghong took the helmet off the boy in his arms and straightened his long, sand-blown hair.

He thought the boy was upset that his best friend had betrayed him.

Shi Jinghong did not add a word of blame to him.

Nearly untold years have settled on him with a strange gentleness: ‘Silly boy. You’ll be a laughing stock. Go and welcome the thirteenth prince with father, if you have anything to say, enter the tent at night, father will listen to you properly, and you will be allowed to cry for one incense stick, okay.”

Shi Tingyun straightened up with all his strength, a sandy flush around his eyes: “Yes, Father.”

This is the third time that Chi Xiaochi has felt the emotions of the original owner, Shi Tingyun.

But in either case, it was out of control.

Beneath the layers of oppressive grey waves lie unsettling sharp reefs and eddies.

Strangely enough, this emotion, when he confronts Chu Ziling, is all well-contained, as if he has forgotten that unpleasant memory or hidden it under a deeper, darker wave.

The thirteenth prince was on a tour of the city on behalf of the king, so he could have made a show of royalty, but Yan Yuanheng himself was a low-key person, and apart from the necessary courtesies, seldom spoke of extra formalities.

Both father and son spoke in unison on the matter, saying that Wen Feiru was seriously injured and needed to recuperate, and that he should not see visitors.

Yan Yuanheng was not suspicious, nor did he insist on it. He simply asked someone to send the gift to him, and they set up camp in the city.

Chu Ziling has placed some large items that are not easy to carry around in the house, while the smaller items are stored in a few rattan boxes, organized and fresh, so that they can be easily taken away.

When he closed one of the wicker boxes, he lost control of the force, and only after a muffled thud did he come back to his senses, pressing one hand against the box and listening sideways for any movement outside, hoping that the man had not heard.

Yet he still couldn’t dodge it.

Yu Fengmian’s tone was that of a normal servant telling him, “Take things gently and put them away.”

He gritted his teeth once and responded, “Yes.”

With these words, Chu Ziling sits on his knees on the foot rug and slowly exhales the foul air in his chest.

In the past, Chu Ziling would not have been so annoyed by a mere order.

Who knows if Shi Jinghong was suspicious and found out what he had done with the fire-painted seal?

Is one’s coming here a self-defeating act?

He had thought of quietly strangling the pigeon that had been sent to the southern border for him, just in case, so as to destroy the evidence.

A dead pigeon is, in turn, an attention-getter.

He tossed and turned for several nights, unable to sleep, and with his daily marches, the wind and dust grew heavy, and within a few days he had lost a lot of weight.

Shi Tingyun saw him and thought that he was too tired and weak to wait on him, so he asked him to come and stay with him while he gathered and put away his things.

How could a young master know how much work is involved behind the words “gather and put away”?

Chu Ziling held his knees and sank his breath, only to calm down after a long time.

Don’t rush, don’t panic, it’s not time yet.

He had already written to Ai Sha, explaining in earnest that it would not be possible to take Shi Jinghong overnight and that it would no longer be convenient for them to send letters when they were stationed inside the city, which was equipped with empty posts and watchtowers on eight corner towers of the city gates, which were changed day and night to guard against messages sent out from the city by spies.

Luckily, he had some standing in the army, so if he spoke to the Prince and asked him to join the patrol, he would be able to contact the Southern Border spies stationed in the city and find a way to get the information out of the city.

The Prince, who dotes on him so much, will surely agree.

One day, when he turns over as master, he will also treat the Duke well.

With this in mind, Chu Ziling felt better and leaned over to tidy up his messy suitcase.

But the more he sorted out a thumping heart, the colder it became.

The boxes of books are all Yu Fengmian’s.

The Yu Fengmian, who was a fussy reader, gave him a table of contents and told him to organize the books in order.

It took Chu Ziling a lot of effort and hot sweat to put together this collection of books alone.

He wiped a sweat from his face and raised his eyes to the twilight window.

These chores should not have been his to do.

Where has Li Yeshu gone?

After Shi Jinghong and Shi Tingyun had settled Yan Yuanheng down, they had a chance to catch up with their father and son.

Unlike Shi Tingyun, who has a very handsome face, Shi Jinghong has the natural whiteness of a Wen Cai scholar, and the sands of the border pass have left only a trace on the corners of his eyes. In his long coat, the only thing that reveals his martial status are his incredibly long, sinewy hands and the coarse calluses between his fingers.

Shi Tingyun looks back to normal and picks up a snack from the small table and tries to bite it.

Shi Jinghong looked at him with a tone of undisguised doting: “The promise before the city, doesn’t it count?”

Shi Tingyun, with his snack in his mouth, said vaguely, “Why cry when you have maren candy.”

Shi Jinghong smiled helplessly when he saw his son pulling out his handkerchief like he did when he was a child, eating and tucking it away: “Father has already sent the thirteenth prince’s share, so these are all yours.”

He knew that his son was close to the Thirteenth Prince, who loved these sweet fruits, and when he brought some desserts back to Wangcheng, the boy always ate a small portion and carried a large portion, which was always sent to Yan Yuanheng.

This was still before the age of 12 or 13.

It was not until Chu Ziling entered the house that Shi Tingyun became obsessed with him, and he was always on his back, even when he had less contact with the Thirteenth Prince.

Shi Jinghong wanted to ask something, but after a moment’s thought, he did not.

Let your child eat happily first.

At that moment, Li Yeshu came in with freshly brewed rooibos tea and poured it out to the two men one by one.

The clear tea flows slowly down the walls of the cup.

He assumed that father and son were talking business, so he made no extra noise, whether marching or pouring tea.

Shi Jinghong looked at him with interest and suddenly called out, “Li Yeshu?”

Li Yeshu, who had not heard his name from the general for a long time, looked up and said blankly, “General?”

”Drawing pictures, reading and writing, I remember you know some of them.”

Without waiting for a reply, Shi Jinghong tossed him an old map of the distribution of grain stations: “The distribution of grain stations has changed so much in the last three months that the old map is to be scrapped. He will inform you of the new locations of the grain stations he has found, and make a new copy of the distribution of the grain stations according to this map, which you will write.

He looked as if he did not regard this as a big deal: “Several of my lieutenants are busy with important matters, and I cannot find a more suitable person for the moment, so you will be the one.”

Influenced by the general’s relaxed look, Li Yeshu’s fears that had just surfaced were dispelled, and with the diagram in his hand, he answered yes and respectfully retreated.

Shi Tingyun chewed on his snack and said cheerfully, “Old dad, you have to lift up Shu.”

Shi Jinghong asked rhetorically, “Wasn’t Su Chang trying to lift him up by asking him to come here to serve? I’m just going along with the situation.”

Shi Tingyun arched his hand and said, “General Shi is wise.”

”To receive a compliment from Su Chang, I can see that my father’s move is truly in line with Su Chang’s wishes.” Shi Jinghong pressed his sword at his waist, “Shu’s business is done, it’s time for the other one.”

Shi Tingyun looks at him slightly suspiciously.

Shi Jinghong smiled and stood up with his head pressed against his back.

”I know that my son is pure in heart and cannot bear to kill his long-time friend. I do not mean to be harsh with you, but I cherish this kindness, and I hope that you will never change your heart. Now that he has been brought here, my father will carry out the sentence on your behalf. The Northern Army can tolerate poor sons, foreigners and common slaves, but not rebels.”

Shi Jinghong rose, still in the form of a Wen, and not even his Wen-like demeanour was diminished: “Sit down for a moment while I go and kill him.”

His hand was held down by Shi Tingyun.

Shi Jinghong looked at him, and between a few glances, they each understood what they were thinking.

Shi Tingyun pulls back his hand, which is still covered in syrup.

Shi Jinghong sits back down and hands him a handkerchief, moistened with tea, and gestures for him to wipe his hands.

Shi Tingyun said, “I had reasons for not killing Chu Ziling for the time being and wanted to inform my father.”

Shi Jinghong said gently, “You speak, Father is listening.”

The first time father and son sent letters to each other, a back-and-forth established that there was a rebellion within the general’s house.

But Shi Tingyun’s first letter is unclear, and Shi Jinghong does not yet know who is behind it.

In his second letter, Shi Tingyun wrote about the defence and battle strategy for the siege of Dingyuan, deliberately outlining in vermilion which part of the strategy was contributed by Chu Ziling.

Shi Tingyun did not mention Li Yeshu in his letter, but instead marked the word Chu Ziling with a vermilion pen. Once he received the letter, Shi Jinghong knew who the traitor was and had a good idea of what was going on.

When he opened it again, the letter to Ai Sha in the southern border was the best proof that Chu Ziling had been in cahoots with foreigners.

He didn’t even have to do it himself, he just threw the letter and Chu Ziling would have been hacked to death with an axe, leaving his body intact.

Therefore, Shi Jinghong was trying to save his body for the sake of Ai’er.

He knew the nature of his child, and now Shi Tingyun was not trying to be personal by stopping him.

So he waited quietly for an answer.

And Shi Tingyun did not disappoint.

After a pause, he said, ” Chu Ziling Keep it useful. Great use.”

The father and son talked for half a day behind closed doors until nightfall, when the hall door was thrown open again.

When he opened the door again, Shi Jinghong’s face was warm and gentle, and he did not mention the murder he had committed with his sword: “I have ordered the kitchen to make red-billed geese, your favourite food, and dumplings with pheasant meat. If you have eaten enough, you should rest early, and tomorrow you will rise early to accompany the Thirteenth Prince in his review of the troops of Dingyuan.”

Shi Tingyun seemed to have let go of a preoccupation and at last regained some of his old liveliness: “I’ll go and tell Yuan Heng!

Shi Jinghong’s face changed: “How did my father teach you to call the thirteenth prince.”

”Yes, yes, thirteenth prince, thirteenth prince.”

Shi Jinghong sighs helplessly as he watches Shi Tingyun go.

Everything is fine, but this lack of respect is really annoying.

Fortunately, after this incident, the boy is still capable of trusting people, which is most gratifying.

Shi Jinghong went to the kitchen, fetched a food box, walked towards the inner courtyard, pushed open a door to the west wing and dodged in.

In the hall is Wen Feiru, who is rumoured to be ‘recovering’ from illness.

When he saw the face of the visitor, Wen Feiru, who was about to hide behind a screen, immediately appeared and complained, “General, I’m dying of suffocation.”

”At ease.” Shi Jinghong smiles, “Wine and meat are ready for you.”

Wen Feiru: “Let’s see what it is. …… ooh, pheasant meat dumplings. The young duke has come, I think.”

At the mention of Shi Tingyun, Shi Jinghong’s face softened: “Yes, he arrived today.”

Wen Feiru took two of these dumplings with his chopsticks and threw them into his mouth, “That’s it. In the past, these dumplings with pheasant meat were very expensive, so it was not our turn to have a bite. We have been blessed by the young general, so when we invite him to meet us, I will thank him.”

Shi Jinghong Wen Wen said, “Don’t say that. Today is for the 13th prince to receive the dust ……”

Wen Feiru chewed his dumpling: “General, there are no outsiders here, so why are you telling me this? Who in the army knows that you favour the young general?”

After Shi Jinghong laughed, he frowned slightly and brought up the matter at hand: “What news from the southern border?”

”It’s really there.”

Wen Feiru, who had been injured by fraud, listened to the sounds of fighting and killing outside, but could not take part in it himself, so Shi Jinghong asked him to hide and take charge of the messages that the spies were gathering from everywhere.

”There was a death of an official on the southern border, I heard it was a violent death.” Wen Feiru said, “In addition, there seems to be some movement in Pa Sha’s department. …… The official who died was his brother-in-law, not exactly a close relative, but he went back to mourn.

Shi Jinghong was slightly shocked at the news.

The kid really made it happen?

Su Chang has always been straightforward, when did he ever have such a calculating mind?

But it was a beautiful way to use a knife to kill someone.

Shi Jinghong’s heart is both happy and sad to think that his son has grown so much in a place he does not know.

He thought for a moment and asked, “…… Am I really so partial to Su Chang?”

Wen Feiru takes a sip of wine and nods his head in disbelief.

Shi Jinghong smiles, looks out of the window at the moon and thinks of his late wife.

For her sake, it doesn’t hurt to spoil Su Chang a little at home.