Chapter 243 - I'm Back (End)
In the morning assembly the next day, an imperial edict was read out without any warning. The Emperor bestowed Lu Zheng the title of great general Dinghai, as well as the command of the water masters to set off for Huoluo Nation!
“Whoever offends my Great Yang, will not be forgiven!” At the same time, he issued a series of logistics measures to ensure that the navy could successfully set off for war.
The ministers who had seen Lu Zheng's imperial study yesterday were all shocked. Didn't the emperor reject it yesterday? Why did he suddenly agree to it?
Shang Xianyang also didn't know what was going on, but he still felt that with the Great Yang's current strength, going out to sea was very risky.
He stood up and said, “Please reconsider, Your Majesty!”
Zhan Yuanfeng waved his hand, “I have made up my mind. There's no need to discuss this further!”
“Your Majesty, think twice!” The officials kneeled down to ask for an edict, clearly disagreeing with this decision.
“Withdraw from the court. Each department will carry out their duties. If anyone dares to intentionally cause trouble, I will not let them off lightly!” Zhan Yuanfeng was the first to leave, leaving behind a group of dumbstruck ministers standing in the main hall.
A few old officials surrounded Shang Xianyang. “Chief Assistant, what do you mean by this, exactly?” Didn't you disagree yesterday? “
“Humph!” It must be what Duke Zhen said! ” A censor angrily said: “It is understandable that Duke Zhen wants to take revenge for Lord Zuo, but he has to do it for his own personal gain. Where is the common people under the heavens? Where is the emperor located? “
“Duke Zhen has a lot of power. Not only does he have a hundred thousand soldiers, he also has thirty thousand soldiers under his command. Sigh …”
Everyone understood the meaning behind his sigh. The old officials looked at each other and were a little worried. If Lu Zheng was really disrespectful, they would not be able to deal with him other than to incriminate him.
Shang Jiu stroked his beard. “Everyone, stop speculating. Maybe there's something else we don't know. Since the emperor has already given the order, everyone should follow.”
“This …” Previously, when the censor wanted to defend himself, and even wanted to join forces to write a book to persuade the emperor to allow Duke Zhen to do whatever he wanted, he was glared back at by the head merchant.
“Alright, you can disperse now. We will only find out when Master Lu returns.”
The senior officials who were usually on good terms with Duke Zhen Manor all nodded, while those who were already afraid of Duke Zhen Manor thought to themselves, “It's better to wait for a while, if this naval expedition fails, and they announce the matter of Lu Zheng's power and personal gains to the world, then the people of the world will definitely not stand on his side anymore.”
After saying that, Lu Zheng took his people and left Cang State, rushing to Crane City. Along the way, he announced his decision to set off.
When he arrived at the Crane City, almost all of the people in the Great Yang knew about this news.
As Lu Zheng had sent people to spread the news that Huoluo Nation was about to invade the Great Yang, the citizens thought that the nation overseas was about to invade, and Master Lu was about to lead the navy to intercept them.
How could the commoners complain to a general who protected his family and country? There were even people who knew that Wife of Duke Zhen's life or death was unknown. At such a critical juncture, Master Lu was still able to cast aside his personal relationships and rush to the battlefield. His loyalty and righteousness were truly admirable.
After the news was spread, Beidi also received the news. After reading it, King Beidi laughed and said, “As expected! It seems like that man held a very high position in Lu Zheng's heart. It's a pity that Huoluo Nation and those trash actually did not capture him alive even after such a good opportunity had presented itself. Otherwise, wouldn't that mean he could do whatever he wanted? “
“Pay close attention to Lu Zheng's movements. Once he takes people out to sea, This King will immediately lead troops south. Hmph!” This King would like to see how much ability the National Guard still has without Lu Zheng! “
Two days later, all the sailors were gathered. Lu Zheng even ordered 30,000 elite soldiers from the northern border to help. Regarding his action, many low-level officers who didn't know anything about it were confused.
Many people thought that Master Lu had been blinded by hatred and had even secretly cursed Zuo Shaoqing as a scourge that would bring disaster upon the nation and the people.
Even though he scolded them, Lu Zheng's men had gone through life and death situations with him and would definitely obey his orders. As for the thirty thousand navy men, even though they were nervous, they still held onto the hope of achieving a meritorious service.
On the day that the navy warrior left the ocean, many common folk of Crane City saw the man clad in soft armor riding a horse. Although the man wore a helmet that only revealed a pair of eyes, they all thought that it must be the famous Duke Zhen.
The man on horseback didn't say a word, he only made a few gestures towards the procession. The imposing aura he gave off intimidated all the commoners in the city.
After dozens of ships went to sea, the people of Crane City spread the news of this scene as fast as they could. In a few days, Beidi also found out about the news of Lu Zheng going to sea.
On the 15th of February, Zuo Shaoqing followed Lin Su and left the hidden little village. When he passed by the cliff that he jumped down before, he realized that the village was located upstream.
After spending almost a day's time to arrive at Cang State Port, Zuo Shaoqing was stunned by the overwhelming amount of news the moment he landed.
The news of Duke Zhen leading an army to sea was everywhere. Zuo Shaoqing frowned, and quickly snatched a horse and went to Cao Sect Branch Cang State without caring about the injury on his leg.
Lin Su continued to chase after him. Fortunately, he had good stamina and the Cao Sect Division was not far away, otherwise, he would definitely be exhausted by just using his two legs to chase after the horse.
“Three… “Lord Third …” The little brother who was guarding the Cao Sect gate recognized Zuo Shaoqing. If it wasn't for the sun shining brightly outside, he would have thought that he had seen a ghost.
Zuo Shaoqing was in no mood to exchange pleasantries with him, “Call anyone in charge over here!”
He limped in, followed by Lin Su, who looked around curiously while clicking his tongue.
“Hey, I didn't expect you to be such a big shot. I've heard someone mention this place before, you can't be the gang leader's son, right?”
Lin Su obviously treated Zuo Shaoqing as a certain young master.
Zuo Shaoqing walked into the hall and casually found a chair to sit on. He was full of thoughts and deep brows, so he didn't care about Lin Su's teasing.
The person in charge of Cang State was still Chi Jinguan, who had met Zuo Shaoqing once before. When he saw Zuo Shaoqing, he also widened his eyes in surprise, “Master San … “You're not dead?”
Zuo Shaoqing asked with a darkened face, “What? You really want me to die? “
“No no …” How is this possible? “The brothers searched day and night, it's been almost a month …” Everyone thought that they wouldn't be able to find him. Even their boss wasn't able to find anyone to exact vengeance on the Chou family. Yet, this person actually appeared out of nowhere.
“Tell me first, what is the commotion outside?” Is Master Lu really going to sea? ” Zuo Shaoqing frowned, he could pinch a fly to death. He really wanted to grab that man and ask him what he thought.
“That's right, boss is going crazy!” Chi Jinguan sat below him and started to narrate the horrors of the past few days, making Lu Zheng a love saint.
The more Zuo Shaoqing thought about it, the more he felt that something was amiss. Even if Lu Zheng found out that the person who assassinated him was from Huoluo Nation, it was impossible for him to send troops without any confidence.
It was impossible for Lu Zheng not to know that it was fine for a water master with Great Yang to eliminate pirates, but against a country, the odds of winning were not high. He did not believe that Lu Zheng would take the lives of thirty thousand soldiers as a joke.
Zuo Shaoqing planned to blabber on, “Arrange a carriage for me, I want to rush to Crane City!”
Without a second word, Chi Jinguan called a few people in and gave them some detailed instructions, preparing to bring the majority of his Cao Sect with him to escort Zuo Shaoqing to the Crane City. Just as he finished speaking, he remembered something, “Seeing my confusion, Master Lu still left some people at the Cang State to live there, so I sent someone to inform you that you have returned.”
Zuo Shaoqing nodded. When he saw Lin Su, who was standing at the side, he remembered that he had forgotten about his benefactor.
“Manager Chi, this is my savior, Lin Su. You two should get to know each other. Please take care of him in the future.”
When Chi Jinguan heard that it was Zuo Shaoqing's savior, he immediately stood up and bowed to Liu Tie, thanking him solemnly.
Lin Su hurriedly avoided it, “Err…” “I did it conveniently. Since he has arrived, I will leave first …” He looked at Zuo Shaoqing, his mouth moved and finally spat out two words: “Take care!”
At first, Zuo Shaoqing was planning to recommend him to enlist in the army or join Cao Sect. Lin Su had a hundred percent accuracy in his archery skills, so he didn't have to worry about losing his future. However, when the words came to his mouth, he swallowed it back.
“Take care!” This great grace does not need to be thanked! ” Zuo Shaoqing bowed to him.
Chi Jinguan signaled his subordinate and personally saw him out. He dragged him by the door and said a few words, then took a box from his subordinate and gave it to him. Chi Jinguan didn't say thank you, but said it was a greeting gift.
Lin Su didn't take it. He just threw his stuff and ran away, making Chi Jinguan think that he was scary.
Luo Xiaoliu was carried by Sun Tie, and a few Liu Steel Manor guards followed behind him. When they saw the live Zuo Shaoqing, they were all stunned.
Luo Xiaoliu directly pounced over with tears streaming down his face. Zuo Shaoqing's legs were unsteady and he almost fell to the ground from his pounce.
Only then did the crowd notice that his leg was injured, and they quickly sent for the best doctor in the city.
“Not at all, this grandpa wants to go to the Crane City first. We'll set off now!”
Yinyi must have received Lu Zheng's orders and directly stopped him: “Master San, Master Lu said before he left that he would not let you out of the city if he finds you. We will wait here for Master Lu's triumphant return.”
Zuo Shaoqing glanced at him, then looked at the others, “Follow me.” He found a quiet study room and left Yinyi to speak. He went straight to the point. “Tell me honestly, what is Master Lu's plan?”
Yinyi first checked around to ensure that there was no ears to be seen before he quietly told Zuo Shaoqing about Lu Zheng's plan. Originally, Lu Zheng kept this matter a secret because he was afraid of it being leaked, but he didn't have any concerns about Zuo Shaoqing.
After Zuo Shaoqing heard this, he slowly let out a breath. Although he was still worried about Lu Zheng's safety, he knew that Lu Zheng wasn't impulsive.
“Thankfully, Lord Third is back, otherwise …” Otherwise, what was originally just a show would definitely become a reality.
He wanted to create an opportunity to lure Beidi in, but he did not go with the water master. Instead, he secretly brought people north, preparing to attack Beidi head on.
Lu Zheng was indeed worried that Huoluo Nation and Beidi would attack at the same time. With thirty thousand water masters, it was unlikely that a small country like the Bullets would be able to break through the defense line in an instant.
Huoluo Nation's account could not be ignored. If they dared to come, Lu Zheng was confident that they would not be able to return. His chances of winning if he attacked first, and his defense was not a problem at all.
Zuo Shaoqing sat in silence for a long time, trying to make sense of the situation. Lu Zheng's plan to lure the enemy was indeed not bad, but as long as it was a battle, there was no such thing as an immortal.
He still decided to go to Crane City. The reason was simple, “Since everyone knows that Master Lu has gone to sea and I am Crane City Prefect, how can I not go to Crane City at a time like this?”
Zuo Shaoqing told his men not to spread the news that he had returned safely. Other than sending people to report to Lu Zheng quickly, he headed towards the Crane City in a low-key manner.
Since Yinyi couldn't stop them, he had no choice but to send a group of fifty guards, along with hundreds of people from Cao Sect, as merchants, to take a boat to the Crane City.
On the way, he received news of Beidi's invasion. Soon after, the emperor gave the title of a general in charge of the northern border. He ordered Beidi to fight with all his might against the enemy and then hastily mobilized food and fodder from the south.
“Did Master Lu tell the Emperor the truth?” Zuo Shaoqing knew it was impossible just by thinking about it. Without Zhan Yuanfeng's approval, how could Lu Zheng sail to sea?
When they arrived at the Crane City, Zuo Shaoqing found that the atmosphere in the city was different. The citizens couldn't hide their worry and anxiety, and the streets were much more deserted than before.
Zuo Shaoqing let the carriage circle around Crane City's main streets, and only went to prefectural attendent after understanding the situation.
He Min and his master had been the ones to handle the situation at the yamen. Originally, everything had been fine, but recently, everyone had learned that Great Yang was a place where people couldn't help but feel anxious.
Seeing Zuo Shaoqing, the yamen guard was both surprised and happy. He almost went to the Bodhisattva to burn three sticks of incense in front of him.
The first thing Zuo Shaoqing did after sitting down was to ensure the safety of the imperial court. If Prefect went missing for too long, it would also be replaced.
When Zuo Shaoqing's imperial report was delivered, the imperial court was in an uproar.
Beidi had always been a strong opponent of Great Yang, and had almost been broken through several times by the opponent. This time, the opponent took advantage of Duke Zhen's absence to attack, and it was hard to say whether he would win or lose.
“I already said that I can't let Master Lu go to sea, what should I do now?”
Shang Xianyang had also always been worried. He did not know Lu Zheng's plan. Right now, the defense of the northern border was weak. How could it stop the ferocious army of Beidi?
“Your majesty, the only thing we can do now is to let our people catch up to Duke Zhen as soon as possible and invite him back. Although his Huoluo Nation is like a tiger watching its prey, with a natural barrier like the sea, he is much less of a threat than Beidi.”
When Jiang Che's suggestion was heard, it immediately got the support of all the ministers. Compared to the unknown Huoluo Nation, Beidi was evidently much more terrifying.
Zhan Yuanfeng pretended to ponder for a while and calculated the date. Then, he nodded and agreed, “Since that's the case, then send someone to chase him.”
From here to Crane City, they would need at least a month to find someone in the ocean. A month's time was enough for Lu Zheng to lay out his plans.
When he received the invitation from Zuo Shaoqing to protect his own safety, Zhan Yuanfeng finally put down the last bit of his worries. He told everyone about the good news, but didn't receive too much of a response.
After all, only a few people still cared about Zuo Shaoqing's life or death. On the other hand, Jiang Che and Shang Xianyang's brows slightly creased when they heard the news and felt something strange.
Zuo Shaoqing used his fastest speed to agree on measures to calm the hearts of the people, and at the same time, he suppressed the price of food in Crane City, and sent people to spread the news that Beidi was about to be defeated.
There were not many people who believed it at first, but as three people became tigers and talked more, the citizens gradually became confident. They believed that the north was an unbreakable defense line and that the enemies could not break it.
When Zuo Shaoqing's injured leg could move, he received the first letter from Lu Zheng. The short letter almost made him cry.
He reached out his hand to touch those words, “As long as you're safe, there's no need to think about it!” He only felt a wave of longing that was about to break out from his chest.
He took up the pen and wrote a very long letter to Lu Zheng. He wrote out his experiences in the past few days and even wrote a love poem at the end, as if he was going against Lu Zheng's seven-word mantra.
After sending the letter, Zuo Shaoqing did not have much time to lament over it. The administration of Crane City pressed down a large pile, and many documents that he had to review piled up into a small hill, testing his patience.
Spring quietly passed. Zuo Shaoqing didn't even see the blossoming peach blossoms, nor did he feel the restlessness of the drizzling rain. He felt that the weather had gradually turned warm, and he could finally take off his thick cotton clothes.
Every half a month, he would receive a letter from Lu Zheng. Although each letter didn't contain more than ten words, Zuo Shaoqing was still very satisfied. At least he knew that the man was truly safe.
Ten days ago, the news of the first victory had arrived. At the same time, there was also the news of Master Lu appearing in the Northern Frontier Battlefield and defeating the enemy troops with a brave and dauntless manner.
Zuo Shaoqing could clearly feel that after this news spread into the Crane City, the citizens' smiles became wider. Although there were also people who suspected why Master Lu appeared in the northern border and not overseas, they just needed to know that Liu Tie's attack could not come in.
As for that Huoluo Nation, Zuo Shaoqing didn't hear any news of the other party sending troops over. He only found out from the scouts that the other party did have signs of mobilizing troops a month ago. However, for some reason, they stopped moving after a few days.
Zuo Shaoqing had his people pay close attention to the other party's movements. Not only the Huoluo Nation, even the other small foreign countries had to be on guard against him.
This time, it was possible that Beidi and Huoluo Nation had reached a certain agreement, but Huoluo Nation was not comparable to Beidi, they were ambitious but not as courageous, furthermore the sea area between the two countries was not a small challenge.
Of course, this was only Zuo Shaoqing's guess.
Along with the first victory in the Northern Frontier, what followed was good news. The officials in the imperial court were celebrating. The doubts they had about Lu Zheng disappeared and the smart officials gradually guessed a little bit. They all felt guilty for their suspicions.
By the beginning of May, the south had already felt the heat of early summer. Zuo Shaoqing was just finishing his letter to Lu Zheng, preparing to find someone to mail the letter to, when he saw Luo Xiaoliu rushing in.
“San Ye …” San Ye … Victory … “We've won …”
The letter in Zuo Shaoqing's hand fell to the ground as he did not have the time to pick it up. He grabbed Luo Xiaoliu and asked: “Is it true? Is the news reliable? “
Luo Xiaoliu nodded his head vigorously, “It's true. He told me to tell you the information that Sun Tie just got. He said that it was Master Lu who killed the King. Wu Junyi was defeated and scattered. As long as we clean up the deserters, Master Lu will come back.”
“What about him?” Zuo Shaoqing asked curiously. Normally, this kind of information would be sent to him immediately by Yinyi.
Luo Xiaoliu shook his head and replied in a simple and straightforward manner, “I don't know.”
Zuo Shaoqing stretched out his hand in confusion: “What about the information?”
Luo Xiaoliu continued to shake his head, “It's not with me.”
Zuo Shaoqing instantly had a bad premonition. He gritted his teeth and instructed: “Get your Yinyi to quickly deliver the information to us untouched. If he dares to miss a single one, send him to Huoluo Nation!”
After Luo Xiaoliu got over his excitement, he remembered the abnormal expression on Yinyi's face. He was so scared that he immediately ran back to pass down the order. When Luo Xiaoliu ran over again, he was followed by the expressionless Yinyi.
Yinyi knew that he could not hide it from him, so he could only pass the report to Zuo Shaoqing and reported: “I was afraid that you would worry so I didn't want to show it to you.”
“Is it really just an injury?” No wonder he didn't dare to show it to him. It turned out that the intelligence report said that Lu Zheng had been stabbed and injured in the battle against King Wu Tie.
“Yes, if something happened to Master Lu, the information wouldn't be written like that.”
Zuo Shaoqing paced back and forth in the room. He really wanted to leave this place and fly to the Northern Frontier to see Lu Zheng for himself. However, he knew that he was now an official and that freedom no longer belonged to him.
He sent Yinyi to meet Lu Zheng at the northern border. Since King Beidi was dead, the war must have ended. Lu Zheng could return as well.
A few days later, Zuo Shaoqing didn't wait for Lu Zheng to surrender and ask for peace instead. This was the second time Beidi had surrendered, but peace talks like this didn't have much of a binding force.
However, it was said that Beidi was the brutal Third Prince this time. After he ascended the throne, the first thing he did was to establish the Great Yang as the empress, in order to form a permanent friendship with the Great Yang.
Zuo Shaoqing hadn't heard from Fifth Princess in a long time, so he couldn't react in a short time. When he reacted, he muttered: “So she's not dead yet!”
When she first got married, she was indeed very fond of Fifth Princess. Unfortunately, the Third Prince's violent personality, as well as some strange hobbies, tortured her enough. Later on, he even locked her in his room because he committed a crime.
If not for the fact that Beidi lost this battle, this Fifth Princess would probably have perished in that dark room.
Zuo Shaoqing did not have the time to complain about that woman's misfortune. Recently, he loved to run to the city gate to patrol the city's defenses. Actually, everyone could tell that Lord Zuo was acting as a watchstone, looking at his expectant eyes.
It was another evening. Zuo Shaoqing walked to the city gate as usual after he finished his work. He climbed up to the tall tower and looked towards the north, counting the days in his mind. It had been twenty days since Yinyi left.
When the last ray of sunlight disappeared on the floor, Zuo Shaoqing sighed in disappointment once again and turned around to go downstairs.
All of a sudden, a sharp arrow broke into the air and flew past Zuo Shaoqing's ears before he could react, forcefully stabbing into the stone wall in front of him.
Looking at the length of the arrow, Zuo Shaoqing swallowed his saliva. If this arrow were to hit him, it would definitely be a disaster.
When the bailiffs at the city gate saw this, they immediately panicked. They ran over and blocked off the front of the Left Prefect as they looked around cautiously.
Smoke and dust billowed in the distance, and the sound of horse hooves gradually entered his ears. When he clearly saw who it was, someone shouted: “It's Master Lu!”
Zuo Shaoqing stood there in a daze. The yamen runners in front of him quickly retreated to avoid blocking the view of the Left Prefect.
The sound of the horse's hooves got closer and closer. Zuo Shaoqing's gaze followed the tall figure until they looked at each other. He clearly saw the smile in the man's eyes and then jumped down from the tall building.
The smile in Lu Zheng's eyes immediately stopped. He scolded the person he was thinking about: “Are you used to jumping off a building? “He dares to jump everywhere!”
Zuo Shaoqing had his arms around his neck, and he didn't care about the audience's stares as he stuck close to him.
Lu Zheng's lips fell on the side of his face as he tightened his arms. The endless words gathered together into one sentence: “I'm back …”
Prefect, who had already completed his duties, was transferred to the Ministry of Revenue, where he held the position of Minister of Revenue. At the same time, he was given the title of Young Master of Crown Prince.
Not only that, on the first day of Minister Zuo's appointment, the Emperor bestowed a purple official's robe with a deep purple that only a first rank official could possess. Just as everyone was puzzled, Emperor Tianfeng smiled and said, “This is a special official's uniform for a love official.
?……
THE END.
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