Chapter 1277 - 1272: Bringing a Charge
"Don’t tell me anything, I know nothing! I didn’t hear anything either!" Cheng Yuanzhi quickly covered his ears, "I originally brought you here to discipline you, but then you just disappeared. If General Shen asks, I know nothing!"
"Got it!" Lu Yuanpeng dashed off, and unexpectedly collided head-on with Bai Jinzhi.
"Ah..."
Lu Yuanpeng bent over, clutching his chin. When he lifted his head, he saw Bai Jinzhi holding his head. Just as he was about to speak, Bai Jinzhi ignored her bumped forehead, quickly covered her ears, and stepped back: "I didn’t hear anything either! Go quickly! I didn’t see you!"
Lu Yuanpeng: "..."
Lu Yuanpeng ignored his sore chin, gave Bai Jinzhi a thumbs-up, and without saying a word, quickly ran in the previous direction.
As Lu Yuanpeng walked away, Bai Jinzhi, clutching her head again, only felt that Lu Yuanpeng’s chin must be made of iron.
The soldiers of the Yan Kingdom were well aware they were here stirring up trouble unreasonably. Nevertheless, during the dispute with Zhou over Yunjing, they claimed it was the Bai army that rushed to open the city gates for the Yan army, instead of the Yan army begging the Bai army.
Just as Cheng Yuanzhi took Lu Yuanpeng away, the rowdy Yan Kingdom soldiers quickly calmed down, feeling deeply regretful. Remembering how Zhou had divided much of the war spoils with Yan in the past, they felt utterly ashamed.
Moreover, this time, the younger brother of the Emperor of Zhou was captured alive due to the betrayal by a Yan Kingdom General, which led to General Bai being caught.
Despite this, during the joint attack by both nations, the Bai army still allocated troops to open the east city gate for them. The Bai army bodies under the east city gate winch were witnessed by them, not without shock. How could they utter such words?
Soon, a soldier who argued with Lu Yuanpeng saw him returning forcefully. He pursed his lips and approached, before Lu Yuanpeng could start scolding, the young Yan officer made a deep bow toward Lu Yuanpeng: "Sorry, esteemed General! It was my fault for the argument getting out of hand earlier. I was just about to find you and apologize."
What’s happening?
Lu Yuanpeng came to fight, but why was the Yan army apologizing so suddenly with bows?
After apologizing, the young Yan officer continued: "Actually, everyone in Yan knows that General Bai of the Bai army was captured alive because we betrayed Zhou. All of us in Yan feel deeply ashamed, after all... Zhou treats us, a vassal state, very generously! Earlier, I was just... just..."
The young Yan officer couldn’t continue, so he bowed again toward Lu Yuanpeng: "Esteemed General, whether Yunjing belongs to Yan or Zhou in the end, it’s up to the Emperor of Zhou and the Emperor of Yan to decide. We’re just the underlings, and even if we argue here endlessly, our words don’t count!"
"I disagree with you. Yunjing was conquered by us in Zhou, so it’s ours! Any spoils previously given by our Emperor were just granted, but it can’t always be us Zhou conceding to you! I’m telling you... We Zhou won’t concede Yunjing!" Lu Yuanpeng’s stubborn temper rose, rejecting compromise.
The apologetic young Yan officer fired back: "It’s not up to a small Zhou officer like you to decide whether to concede or not!"
"My words count! My old man is Commandant Lu of Zhou! I’ll write to him right away, declaring that we Zhou will never concede Yunjing!" Lu Yuanpeng, who originally came to fight, turned and left.
Sima Ping: "..."
Didn’t he come to fight? Without throwing a punch, Lu Yuanpeng betrayed his own background.
Soon, news that Lu Yuanpeng’s old man was Commandant Lu spread throughout the Zhou military camp. Some even exaggeratedly claimed Lu Yuanpeng was Commandant Lu’s illegitimate child, causing chaos.
Xie Xun suppressed the friction between the soldiers of the two countries, ensuring it didn’t reach Xiao Rongyan. However, Xiao Rongyan still caught wind of it.
After the attack on Yunjing City, a celebration banquet was bound to be held, but due to Bai Qingyu’s unconsciousness, the banquet was delayed. Xiao Rongyan saw an opportunity to organize it.
He recalled Bai Qingyan instructing him in a letter to play the role of a husband abandoned by Bai Qingyan.
So, this time, he’d use the opportunity to sever ties with "Zhou" as the abandoned husband.
"Master!" Yue Shi rushed into Xiao Rongyan’s temporary study, his voice brimming with excitement, "The fifth young master of the Bai family has awakened!"
With Doctor Hong present, Xiao Rongyan hadn’t worried much about Bai Qingyu’s condition, but hearing the news, he finally felt relieved.
"Right, Bai family’s eldest daughter’s eunuch Wei Zhong also arrived!" Yue Shi recalled just seeing Eunuch Wei Zhong being led into the Xiliang Imperial Palace by the Bai army’s soldiers.
Xiao Rongyan’s grip on his pen paused, and ink began to spread across the paper. Wei Zhong arrived... Kid’s letter must have arrived too!
He felt an inexplicable joy in his heart.
He was just writing a letter to Bai Qingyan, detailing the events of the siege. The letter was nearly complete, and it was fortunate that Bai Qingyan’s trusted eunuch had arrived. The letter could be entrusted to Wei Zhong to deliver, as Wei Zhong was undoubtedly the most reliable and loyal person to Bai Qingyan.
Wei Zhong sought an audience with Xiao Rongyan under the identity of a senior eunuch beside the Emperor of Zhou. When Xiao Rongyan’s staff reported this, he understood the implications, fetched his mask, and instructed, "Invite Eunuch Wei to the front hall for tea. I’ll join shortly."
"Yes!"
Yue Shi looked at his master with excitement: "Master, since the eldest lady dispatched Wei Zhong personally, why not meet privately? Perhaps the eldest lady entrusted Wei Zhong with a personal message for you."
"Didn’t you hear? Wei Zhong is here under the guise of a trusted eunuch of the Emperor of Zhou..." Xiao Rongyan put on his mask, a subtle smile in his voice, "Could be here to reckon with me."
Considering his master’s words, Yue Shi agreed it made sense. He recalled when the Bai family Hidden Guard came to deliver a letter, they advised him to neither help nor hinder master’s plans with the eldest lady, suggesting he mask his expressions.
Following his master, he quietly asked: "Master, if there’s really to be a performance later, should I quarrel with Eunuch Wei on your behalf?"
"That’s unnecessary. You’ve been able to keep your emotions hidden in recent days, and I’m grateful for that." Xiao Rongyan spoke, hands deftly poised, stepping out, calling to the rooted Yue Shi, "Let’s go!"