Huo Wujiu returned to the room that day and called Wei Kai into the room first.
“I found out something.” He looked serious. “But it’s not certain yet.”
Wei Kai happened to have an important letter in his hand, and when he heard Huo Wujiu say this, he immediately regained his spirits and showed a solemn expression. “General, please speak.”
Huo Wujiu pondered for a moment, and said unhurriedly.
“Why do I feel that Jingwang’s treatment towards me isn’t unintentional either?”
Wei Kai: “…”
His tense nerves immediately relaxed in utter silence.
However, looking at the General’s cold expression under the lamplight, it was as though he was confronted by a formidable enemy. If he hadn’t uttered that, everyone would have thought that he was thinking about a major military plan.
“General…” Wei Kai started hesitantly.
“The way he laughed in the carriage earlier…” Huo Wujiu continued, “… isn’t right.”
Wei Kai said to himself, You’re the one thinking wrong, you know?
He didn’t believe it at all. It was his general who was acting abnormally due to his unrequited love.
However, Huo Wujiu continued, “Come up with something to help me test him… No, I’d better ask him directly.”
Wei Kai hurriedly stopped him, “Don’t do it, General!”
Huo Wujiu raised his eyes at him, frowned and asked, “Why?”
Wei Kai swallowed his words, hesitated for a moment, and was left with no choice but to prevaricate with the secret letter in his hand.
“General, why don’t you take a look at this first?” Wei Kai suggested, “My brothers outside the manor sent it with great urgency. It was delivered just now, saying that the content is very important, so you have to read it as soon as possible.”
Huo Wujiu frowned at him for a couple of seconds. He looked unperturbed, but he still took the letter and opened it.
It was written in the letter that Pang Shao’s son, Pang Wei, was sent out of the city today by the Pang family. He traveled all the way to the south. This wasn’t a big deal, but the Pang family had made a big effort this time. Not only did they send him secretly away, but also arranged a lot of people to safely protect him.
This was unusual.
Huo Wujiu read the letter from beginning to end several times, then said, “Send someone to follow and see where he is going and what he is doing.”
Wei Kai responded and then asked, “What did you see, General?”
Huo Wujiu held the letter and frowned, “Of course I can’t tell from this alone. But Pang Shao is keeping an eye on Lou Yue these days, and has sent someone to Lingnan. If his son, too, is going to Lingnan, then he must have gained something there…”
Just then, someone pushed the door from outside.
The two turned around and saw Jiang Suizhou standing at the door with Meng Qianshan.
Under the lantern in front of the corridor, Jiang Suizhou stood there, wearing a robe that he had no time to change. Beneath the light, he looked quite pale.
He stood there, looking at Huo Wujiu and holding something in his hand, but he remained motionless.
Huo Wujiu immediately frowned.
“What’s wrong?”
He quickly took two steps forward, and then suddenly remembered something. Feeling chagrined, he turned back to sit in the wheelchair, controlled the wheelchair and dashed to the door. He dragged Jiang Suizhou in with him, and then shut the door.
He noticed the trembling of Jiang Suizhou’s lips. Moreover, he clasped the thing tightly in his hand.
It was a tiny roll of paper, akin to a letter from a flying pigeon.
“…Something has happened.” His voice was a little shaky, and his face was full of bewilderment.
This was the first time Huo Wujiu saw him like this.
He felt his heart constrict, and the tightness made him so uncomfortable and almost breathless. He immediately got up from his wheelchair, and without saying anything, he dragged Jiang Suizhou, pulling him to a nearby couch. He let him sit down, then took what he was holding and unfolded it.
There were only a few strokes of words on the paper.
But it was clearly written: “Fang Zhaohe has revolted.”
Huo Wujiu looked at Jiang Suizhou.
Jiang Suizhou raised his head. His face was as white as a sheet, and he said slowly, “Fang Zhaohe has arrived in Lingnan, and with Pang Shao’s money, he instigated General Chen Jun, the general that General Lou left in charge of Lingnan, to defect. Chen Jun now commands the 300,000 troops that Pang Shao left in Lingnan. If he can work things out, the 300,000 troops will be Pang Shao’s.”
Huo Wujiu’s eyes constricted.
“If the chief commander had defected, then the army under his command would be all too easy to control. Once they receive an imperial decree, making superficial changes to it to deceive the soldiers under him, and leading them to war, is easier than ever,” he said.
“By then… he’ll succeed,” Jiang Suizhou finished.
“So today, did Pang Shao send Pang Wei out of the city just to meet him in Lingnan?” Huo Wujiu asked.
After a while, Jiang Suizhou asked hoarsely, “What? Did he send his son out?”
Huo Wujiu nodded.
“…Then he must have started it.”
Jiang Suizhou took a deep breath, then said, “My men found that this summer, there’s already some plague of locusts in Lingnan. However, Fang Zhaohe never sent a missive about it nor did he comfort and compensate the bereaved families the least bit. If I’m not mistaken, he wants to use the natural disaster to drive Lingnan into chaos. Once refugees are scattered everywhere, he can pretend that there’s an uprising and lead the army into Lin’an. By then, whether Pang Shao claims the throne or defends the current Emperor all depends on Pang Shao’s thoughts.”
Although Jiang Suizhou tried his best to appear calm, his throat tightened, and he couldn’t hide the trembling in his voice.
Huo Wujiu’s frown grew deeper and deeper, and his eyes lowered as he thought about countermeasures and their chances of winning.
But at this time, Jiang Suizhou paused and spoke again.
“It’s my fault,” he said, “The locust plague started quickly. In less than half a month, I’m afraid Pang Shao will revolt. I was the one who had to provoke Pang Shao and Jiang Shunheng’s relationship, forced him into desperation, and drove him into this life and death struggle. This time, not only will Lingnan be affected, but the entire Southern Jing will be devastated, and it’s all my fault…”
Choking sobs gradually infected his voice.
Huo Wujiu didn’t know where Jiang Suizhou’s self-reproach came from. He just knew that this silly guy shouldered the whole world, making him unable to hold up.
He raised his hand, pressed the back of Jiang Suizhou’s head, and embraced him into his arms.
“It’s not your fault,” he said. “Besides, with me here, what are you afraid of?”
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