Chapter 361 – Temporary Guard

“This …… this I can’t say right now, unless Your Highness can promise to keep me and my family alive!” Zheng Zhongye made his request.

“You’ve been reduced to a prisoner and you still dare to make demands?”

“If Your Highness doesn’t promise to save my life and the lives of my family, I won’t reveal the mastermind behind the scenes. Otherwise I’m a dead man whether I speak or not! I would have nothing to fear!”

Chu Lan said, “Do you think that if you commit these things, I can still let you live on? At most, I can only protect the lives of your wife and children, and if you don’t agree, none of them will have to live.”

What Zheng Zhongye did to make the army soldiers chilled, Chu Lan is no matter how it is impossible to spare Zheng Zhongye, otherwise it is difficult to level the anger of the people.

Zheng Zhongye’s face was ashen, knowing that he had no hope of survival.

After thinking for a long time, Zheng Zhongye slowly raised his head, “Good, as long as Your Highness can save the lives of my wife and son, I am willing to say whose orders I am following.”

“Okay, I promise, go ahead.”

“Not yet, I can’t guarantee if His Highness will go back on his word, I’ll tell you all about it after His Highness lets me see my wife and children to make sure you won’t implicate them.”

Chu Lan thought for a moment before responding, “As you wish.”

“Men, bring Zheng Zhongye down under strict guard.” Chu Lan said.

“Wait a minute.” Wei Mingting said, “I still have a question I want to ask Guardian Zheng.”

“Lord Wei asked.” Chu Lan agreed.

Wei Mingting walked up to Zheng Zhongye and asked, “Lord Zheng, you have made countless battle achievements and are regarded as a hero by the entire army, why did you do something to harm your own brothers?”

This was something Wei Mingting could not understand and could not tolerate.

Zheng Zhongye laughed, ”Wei Mingting, you come from the Zhongyi Burial House, and you’re still having a hard time in the military, can you not know how hard it is for me, a guardsman of civilian origin? It’s true that I’ve been successful in battle, and it’s also true that I’m loved by my soldiers, but what’s the point? If you want to move up, become a big official, and get a high salary, you still have to look at the faces of those nobles?”

“I, Zheng Zhongye, have no roots and no background, and even if I become a minor officer in the army, I can only take a meager salary, and it is difficult to even feed my family! It’s not about how hard you work on the battlefield or how many military achievements you can make. If I relied on this alone, I’d have to die eight times out of ten before I could give my wife and parents a good life!”

“So what if we throw our heads and blood on the front line? Our fate is still in the hands of those civil officials in the capital who only know how to spend their days drinking and laughing. With a few words, they can make our bloodshed and sweating achievements go up in flames!”

“Don’t be silly Wei Mingting, what fighting against the Japanese and protecting the country are all farts! The imperial court doesn’t even see us! It’s my bad luck that I lost this time, but if I follow the rules for the rest of my life, I won’t even be able to sit in this guard position.”

Wei Mingting looked at Zheng Zhongye actually did not know how to respond.

Seeing Wei Ming Ting in a daze, Chu Lan waved his hand, signaling his men to bring Zheng Zhongye down to be taken into custody.

Zheng Zhongye was dragged up by the two soldiers and walked towards the outside of the tent, just not two steps out, suddenly Zheng Zhongye collapsed on the ground, his body convulsing and spitting black blood.

Chu Lan got up violently, and Wei Mingting also stepped forward quickly.

“Corpsman!”

Wei Mingting called for the military doctor to come, however, without waiting for the military doctor to arrive, Zheng Zhongye was lifeless and motionless.

The military doctor diagnosed and determined that Zheng Zhongye died of poisoning.

After examining him and finding fresh needle-stick wounds on the back of his waist, he was about to interrogate the two soldiers who had taken him away from the tent when one of them died of gas with the same death.

So also verified Zheng Zhongye said, is indeed someone instructed him to do these things, and this person in the army arranged more than one person, just Zheng Zhongye no longer have the opportunity to give up the other side.

The clues are broken at this point, Chu Lan can only stop now.

Just waiting for the Emperor to decide after the matter is reported to the court.

Because Zheng Zhongye is a guard, and the military camp can not be one day without the commander-in-chief, so Chu Lan made the decision to let Wei Mingting temporarily stand in for the position of guard, Xu Zhengyong temporarily stand in for Wei Mingting vacant deputy guard position.

Xu Zhengyong is somewhat flattered, Wei Mingting is originally a deputy guard, guard without him temporarily guard is reasonable.

But he was originally only a general, and all of a sudden he was promoted to the position of deputy guard, rising three times in a row, which was a bit too fast.

“Your Highness, it’s a bit inappropriate for me to temporarily act as deputy guardian, isn’t it?” Xu Zhengyong worried.

He also wanted to be promoted quickly, but it was more or less inappropriate to do so.

“There is no harm, for one thing, it’s only temporary, whether it can be or not still depends on the court’s appointment; secondly, you have made quite a lot of merits this time, three great merits and rewards, it’s really time to mention it properly.” Chu Lan said.

“Many thanks, Your Highness.” After hearing Chu Lan’s explanation, Xu Zhengyong readily accepted the arrangement.

After everyone else had retired, Xu Zhengyong also planned to leave.

But at that moment, Chu Lan called out to him.

“What else does Your Highness have to do?” Xu Zhengyong asked.

“Did you arrange this game today?” Chu Lan asked.

“Why does Your Highness ask this?” Xu Zhengyong said.

“I have been in the military camp with you for some days now, you are brave and resourceful, but you don’t have such ingenuity, today’s game doesn’t look like it came from you.” Chu Lan said with certainty.

At those words Xu Zhengyong put his head down.

Chu Lan continued to ask Xu Zhengyong, “What kind of person is Xu Wo right to you?”

“This …… Xu Wo right ……” Xu Zhengyong swallowed half a day without answering.

“You don’t have to lie to me, I’ve found someone to ask around, when the Four Treasures in Xingshan County had claimed to the public that their behind-the-scenes boss was Duke Wo Right, and I remember that your parents lived in the backyard of the Four Treasures in the Prefecture.” Chu Lan said.

“This ……” Xu Zhengyong still hung his head low.

“Is he the cousin you were talking about?” Chu Lan asked again.

Xu Zhengyong pondered for a while before saying, “Yes, he is my cousin.”

“True enough.”

The conjecture in his heart was answered in the affirmative, Chu Lan somehow felt a trace of elation.

After a moment of silence, Chu Lan let Xu Zhengyong leave, “I know, you retire, it’s getting late, rest early.”

“Yes.”

Xu Zhengyong retreated from inside Chu Lan’s tent, then let out a long breath of relief.

Luckily, Ruo’er’s sister was very smart and told him in advance that he might be asked by the Seventh Prince about his “cousin” identity, so that he didn’t have to be too flustered when he was questioned and admitted that Xu Heyu was his cousin.

Because a large amount of food could not appear out of nowhere, and was raised within a short period of time within the Taizhou Province, it was unlikely to want the Seventh Prince to be completely unaware of the source.

Although Ruo’er sister is not very want to Xu Wo right this identity and the seventh prince has too many interactions between, but compared to or to the barracks to replenish the food is more important, in front of the righteousness, some small things also have to step aside.

Therefore, knowing that there will be Xu Wo right this identity involved, Ruo Er sister still chose to send food.