This defeat was a major setback. If Xue Yan were alive, he would definitely have revealed the fact that Chu Chengji was ordered to stay in Qingzhou against his will.
That’s why Shen Yanzhi killed Xue Yan.
Lin Yao and the others were unaware of the feud between Chu Chengji and the Shen family. To handle these clandestine matters, they needed someone who knew the inside story.
Before Chu Chengji returned, he had sent someone to investigate Shen Yanzhi, and that person was Lu Ze. The Eldest son of the Main Branch in Lu Family.
He received Lu Ze in his study, and Lu Ze reported everything he had found out: “Indeed, as Your Highness suspected, Shen Yanzhi did not go south with the army from the beginning but stayed secretly in Qingzhou.
The person who died tonight shielding him from the arrow was Shen Yanzhi’s close bodyguard.
He was quite a figure, the martial champion of the sixth year of Jinghe. Later, he was involved in a corruption case, his family was confiscated, and he was exiled.
The Shen family saved him and also bought his family members who were sold to the brothel.
Since then, he has been wholeheartedly serving the Shen family.”
Chu Chengji said, “He was a righteous man. Give him a proper burial.”
Lu Ze bowed, “Your Highness is kind and benevolent, and his actions are in line with the people’s expectations.”
Chu Chengji was a bit tired and didn’t want to hear more compliments. “Continue searching for Shen Yanzhi along the Yuan River. Withdraw if there are no developments.”
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Lu Ze considered, “Indeed, there is one more matter that requires Your Highness’s consideration.”
Chu Chengji looked up, indicating for him to continue.
“Lu Familt from the capital will be arriving in Qingzhou tomorrow. My grandfather was always wholeheartedly supportive of Your Highness.
Now that he’s gone, the Lu Family in the capital seems like a floating duckweed without roots.
I hope Your Highness can show them compassion and personally welcome the Lu Family people into the city tomorrow?”
As he finished speaking, cold sweat dripped from Lu Ze’s forehead.
This was a test to see how far Chu Chengji could go for the favor and interests of the Lu Family.
If he truly went out to welcome the Lu Family people, then the Lu Family in Qingzhou could do nothing and still stand tall.
After all, the people under him would act according to his attitude.
Chu Chengji’s gaze swept lightly over Lu Ze, intimidating without anger. “I am always grateful for the righteousness of my grandfather and Duke Qin.
The Princess is still besieged at Liangyan Mountain. If I take Qingzhou City but fail to lift the siege at Liangyan Mountain, wouldn’t it be a joke?
Tomorrow, I will lead the troops to Liangyan Mountain, and Lord Song will go to meet my uncle’s family on my behalf.”
Lu Ze’s heart pounded as he was looked at by Chu Chengji in that manner.
When he bowed, even his fingertips were cold. “Your Highness’s considerations are thorough.”
By mentioning Duke Qin, Chu Chengji countered the argument that used Lu Taishi against him.
If Lu Taishi of the Lu Family could die for his beliefs, couldn’t Duke Qin of the Qin family be upright and honorable also?
The people of the Lu Family had arrived in Qingzhou, but the Princess was still trapped at Liangyan Mountain.
His decision to go meet the Princess tomorrow was not excessive.
Lu Ze was a smart man.
He now understood Chu Chengji’s attitude and knew that he would no longer dare to follow the instructions of the Lu Family in the future.
Although the Lu Family of Yingzhou had sought refuge with Prince Huaiyang, there were many aristocratic families attached to Prince Huaiyang.
One more or one less Lu Family made no difference.
The Lu Family of Yingzhou had only thought to start with the Crown Prince.
Everyone knew the Crown Prince was incompetent.
As long as the Lu Family helped, wouldn’t the Crown Prince be at their beck and call?
At this moment, Lu Ze realized that his grandfather and great-grandfather had miscalculated.
The Crown Prince would not become a puppet of the Lu Family, but his intuition told him that as long as the Lu Family stayed in their place, turning against the Crown Prince would definitely be better than attaching themselves to Prince Huaiyang.
After Lu Ze left, Chu Chengji continued to write without being affected in the slightest.
Lu Ze’s proposal didn’t surprise him at all.
From the moment he started sending letters to the Lu Family, he anticipated that once the Lu Family made a move, they would use these merits as leverage to seek more benefits in the future.
That’s why he strengthened the power of the Qi Yun Village. Anything related to interests required a balancing act.
He remembered the kindness of the Lu Familt, but starting to demand repayment of that favor now could only mean that either the Lu Familyunderestimated him, or the person in charge of the Lu Family in Yingzhou had a poor vision and character.
The next day, just at dawn, Chu Chengji and Lin Yao led two thousand men to Liangyan Mountain.
Upon arrival, Lin Yao led a thousand men towards the cliff of the ferry cableway, while Chu Chengji led the troops to surround the officials and soldiers at the foot of the mountain.
He had written a letter to Qin Zheng last night, telling her that he would return from the dam.
The officials and soldiers on the cliff had no retreat and were easier to capture.
The terrain at the foot of the mountain was open, and they had brought few soldiers and horses on this trip, fearing a counterattack from the officials and soldiers, so he personally led the attack for stability.
However, the battle was easier than Chu Chengji had expected.
The officials and soldiers left behind heard that the main force of the court army besieging Qingzhou City had been defeated, the commander Xue Yan was dead, and they were already demoralized from the torture of being roasted by Qi Yun Village every day due to the lack of food.
At this moment, where was their will to fight? Those who could escape did, and those who surrendered did, showing a pitiful sight.
Qin Zheng got up early in the morning and heard that there was a fight below the dam and on the back mountain.
She immediately went to find Lin Zhao.
She didn’t even bother to look out the window to see if there were any carrier pigeons.
She knew it must be Chu Chengji and the others coming back.
Since they had all returned, Qin Zheng naturally didn’t think that Chu Chengji had written a letter to her last night.
She was a bit embarrassed with Lin Zhao.
For a while, she didn’t know whether to go to the back mountain to watch the battle or to the dam.
Thinking about the defense arrangements that Chu Chengji had taught her for the back mountain, she knew she wouldn’t be of much help at the dam.
Many of the defensive works on the back mountain were done by her recently, and she would need to guide them when they retrieved the cableway, so she said to Lin Zhao, “A Zhao, you go to the dam to support them, and I’ll go to the back mountain to take a look.”
Lin Zhao had no objections and went to the dam with his men, while Qin Zheng also took a dozen people to the back mountain.
When she arrived, Lin Yao had already taken the opposite cliff, and the people in the village were shouting cheerfully across the two banks.
Originally, they thought they would be away from the village for only a few days, but who would have thought it would be more than half a month.
On the back mountain, a protective wall extending to the entire mountainside had been repaired.
The high wall that had been destroyed by the officials and soldiers with rolling stones was slowly being rebuilt over the past few days, looking quite imposing.
The people leaving the village were amazed to see it.
Qin Zheng ordered the iron cables to be pulled up and reattached to the stone pillars.
Only then did the people on the opposite side use iron cages to transport themselves over.
She pretended to be calm and stood on the side, scanning the people on the opposite cliff one by one, but she never saw Chu Chengji.
Qin Zheng’s heart skipped a beat.
Although she also guessed that Chu Chengji might be on the other side of the dam, she couldn’t help but worry.
After Lin Yao came over, he praised the protective wall on the back mountain.
Qin Zheng waited and waited, but seeing that he couldn’t finish his praise for a while, she had to interrupt him, “Um... why didn’t my husband return with the chief?”
Lin Yao said confidently, “His Highness went to attack the officials and soldiers below the dam.”
Qin Zheng: “...Oh.”
......
At the same time, on the dam side, after Chu Chengji went up in the basket and took a look around the dam, his gaze finally fell on Lin Zhao, “Where is my wife?”