Chen Tingfeng remained calm, showing not the slightest sign of surprise. "What did they say?"
Xie Wuyin stared at his expression. Seeing that there was truly no trace of emotion on his face, he pouted in boredom. "I didn't dare to get too close. I only vaguely heard them talking about spies and killings. Just as I was about to get closer to listen, Helian Zhen suddenly looked in my direction. I didn't dare to stay any longer and just flew away."
Helian Zhen initially wanted to chase after him but was stopped by Liu Zhengze.
After all, this was the Central Plains. Even Helian Zhen had come secretly. If he were to expose his identity while chasing an unknown spy and ruin his grand plan, Liu Zhengze would probably be so angry that he'd die on the spot.
"Useless thing," Chen Tingfeng scolded indifferently. "Take a different route and go back to the Northern Border immediately tonight."
Xie Wuyin glared at him, his voice turning cold. "Although I'm doing things for you, I'm not your slave!"
Chen Tingfeng looked at him with a half - smile. "What stupid thing are you doing again? Don't want to listen to me? Then I'll stab you to death right now."
Xie Wuyin quickly noticed the dagger in his sleeve. He gritted his teeth hard and submitted reluctantly. "Fine, I'll go back right away."
With that, he jumped out of the window and flew away.
Yuanbao walked slowly to the window and clicked his tongue. He complained, "My lord, this guy is so disobedient. Do we really have to use him?"
"He's handy," Chen Tingfeng said calmly. "Close the window and go rest."
Right after Chen Xuan's army left, Liu Zhengze went to see Helian Zhen. Chen Tingfeng wouldn't believe for a second that there was peace in the Northern Border army.
Although he had expected that Chen Xuan wouldn't be able to defeat them this time, Liu Zhengze's move still stirred up a bit of anger in his heart.
As a subject, one could be worldly and tactful, or even be cowardly, but one must never forget one's stance and lose one's backbone.
A person of one's own country, yet wagging their tail and begging for mercy from the enemy.
Wasn't that no different from a wild and uncivilized beast?
He waved his brush with his right hand and wrote a big character "Jing" (calm) on the paper.
He stared at the character for a while and then slowly let out a breath.
Now that the enemy had shown their signs, everything was going according to his wishes.
Success was within reach, but it was precisely at such a crucial moment that one had to be more vigilant and avoid arrogance and impatience.
A cunning rabbit has three burrows. Who knew if they wouldn't fight back desperately when cornered?
There were capable people in the capital, so Chen Tingfeng wasn't worried. The only thing that bothered him a bit was the Northern Border.
After a few days, the weather gradually became hotter, and ice was already being used in the mansion.
Chen Xuan sent a letter back, simply saying that everything was fine. However, General Mao was seriously injured and had fallen into a coma. He had to stay in the Northern Border for the time being and couldn't return to the capital.
Chen Tingfeng frowned as he read the letter.
He invited Xie Yan to Yongchun Tower. Xie Yan was dressed in a jet - black robe embroidered with gold - threaded patterns. He looked extremely noble and his aura was even more imposing.
Chen Tingfeng got straight to the point. "Tomorrow, go and discuss with Old Zhang. No matter what, send someone you trust to the Northern Border to bring General Mao back."
Xie Yan quickly sensed something. "Do you want me to save General Mao's life?"
Chen Tingfeng didn't try to hide it. He simply nodded and said in a deep voice, "General Mao has been guarding the border for more than ten years and has extremely high prestige. Now that he's seriously injured, I'm afraid someone might take advantage of the situation."
In other words, as long as General Mao died, the morale of the army would surely be shaken.
Although he had lost three cities in a row, the people in the Northern Border weren't fools. They had been protected by General Mao for so many years and naturally knew his capabilities. This battle's defeat was so strange that anyone with a discerning eye could tell that there was a traitor in the army.
They still respected and loved General Mao.
But if General Mao died right after Chen Xuan arrived, whether it was because he couldn't hold on or was killed by someone, the blame would fall on Chen Xuan.
This was really unfavorable for Chen Xuan to command the troops.
Moreover, Chen Tingfeng lowered his eyes. There was a high possibility that General Mao would be killed by someone.
It wasn't that he didn't trust Chen Xuan's methods, but in such a critical moment, he always had to make two - pronged preparations to be at ease.
Xie Yan understood the reason and naturally agreed. "Don't worry. I'll go and talk about it tomorrow."
Tomorrow was their regular meeting day.
"By the way, I caught a spy from the Song family in the mansion." Chen Tingfeng briefly told him what had happened. "You'd better go back and check the servants in your and your mother - concubine's palaces. Pay special attention to their faces."
Xie Yan frowned deeply. "Human skin masks? The Song family has even learned such tricks from the jianghu."
The human skin mask on "Yuanyang"'s face was extremely well - fitted and realistic. She had lived in the mansion for so many years, yet no one had noticed anything.
Chen Tingfeng's eyes were deep. Back then, Fu Zhen's father, Xie Qi'an, had also used a human skin mask to disguise himself as Fu Mingde and entered the capital. He wondered if there had been any connection between him and the Song family back then.
If there was, then the queen must know what had really happened back then, how Xie Qi'an had died, and where he had died.
Although Fu Zhen hadn't said anything about these things, Chen Tingfeng knew that she cared in her heart.
He slowly let out a breath. "There's something I have to tell you."
Xie Yan was puzzled. "What?"
"Fu Zhen is your cousin."
Xie Yan had just taken a sip of tea and immediately spat it out. He coughed violently, and his narrow eyes widened in shock. "What did you say?!"
He almost thought that Chen Tingfeng was taking revenge on him.
Revenging for the fact that he used to call Fu Zhen "cousin" all the time.
Xie Yan sized Chen Tingfeng up and down. He felt a bit of a headache. "Don't lie to me. There's really nothing between me and Zhenzhen. You can't be so jealous!"
Chen Tingfeng looked at him pityingly. "It's true."
"She's the daughter of your imperial uncle."
Xie Yan suddenly felt as if all his senses were enlightened. He stood there stunned for a long time, unable to come back to his senses.
He stammered for a long time and finally managed to say, "Thank goodness Zhenzhen and I didn't end up together back then."
Thank goodness Zhenzhen had firmly rejected him back then.
Otherwise, if, as his mother - concubine had said, Zhenzhen had become a side - concubine... making the daughter of his imperial uncle a side - concubine!
Xie Yan estimated that his imperial uncle would crawl out of his coffin at night to take his life.
"Wait," he suddenly realized something. "Which imperial uncle?"
He had quite a few imperial uncles, but they were all dead, and he hadn't heard that any of them had left behind a daughter.
"Your eldest imperial uncle," Chen Tingfeng said leisurely. "Xie Qi'an."
Xie Yan: "… Are you really not lying to me out of jealousy?"
Xie Qi'an had never even gotten married!
The history books only briefly mentioned that they had all died on the day of the palace coup, and not even a single child had been left behind.
Counting it up, his father, who didn't have many offspring, was actually the one with the most children.
Chen Tingfeng was impatient. Was he the kind of person who would lie out of jealousy?
"I'll sew your mouth shut if you ask again," he said coldly.
Xie Yan was dissatisfied. "Then you should at least tell me the whole story! You've been keeping it from me. Are you just watching me make a fool of myself?"
Chen Tingfeng snorted and finally told him everything.
As Xie Yan listened, he fell silent.
A brief mention in the history books represented a colorful and tragic life for those involved.
"I won't repeat the same mistakes," he said.
The struggle for the throne had always been brutal. He finally understood why Chen Tingfeng had chosen to tell him this at this time.
It was nothing more than to ring an alarm bell for him.
Now, the queen and Xie Guang were no different from the Song family back then. If he made a single mistake, he would easily lose his life.
But he wouldn't repeat the same mistakes again.
【P.S. My period pain has made me dizzy. I finished writing this last night and saved it as a draft. This morning, I found out that I forgot to set the scheduled time... I really don't know what to do.】