Sitting desolately inside the camp, Wang Bin hadn’t slept all night. He had sent out pursuers earlier with great confidence. The men and horses under his tent were his father’s trusted troops, each capable of taking on ten, truly formidable. As soon as they took action, those two hundred men from the Liang household wouldn’t even be worth considering. However, after this night had passed, and daybreak was approaching, why was there still no news?
As he anxiously waited, there suddenly came the chaotic sound of hoofbeats from outside the camp. Wang Bin stood up abruptly. Had they succeeded?
To his surprise, a squad official, covered in injuries and looking disheveled, burst in. “Young Master Bin, we engaged in a fierce battle last night, and we’ve lost over two hundred men!”
“What?” Wang Bin’s expression changed. He had sent out more than two hundred and sixty men, and now they had suffered such heavy losses! Even in a night battle, it shouldn’t have been this bad!
The squad official ground his teeth in frustration. “The enemy had crossbows and set up an ambush, catching us off guard. But we managed to kill around a hundred enemy soldiers and I fought my way out of the encirclement.”
This news was disastrous. How could the Shangdang troops be so strong? And these troops under him were borrowed from his father; with so many losses, how could he explain this?
On the side, Zhang Dian’s face was also grim, and he immediately said, “Young Master, we can’t stay in Leping for long! Liang Zixi could reach Laoyang in just one night. When he brings reinforcements, we won’t be able to escape!”
Wang Bin also realized this, and sweat instantly appeared on his forehead. “Pack up the camp! We need to pack up and return to You County immediately!”
‘That damned Liang Zixi! He came to make amends, and this is the result! When we return to You County, reporting this to my father, I wonder how this will all end!’
Wang Bin was seething, but Zhang Dian was even more restless. Not seeing Liang Feng’s head was still a potential threat. He could only hope that the sickly fellow would return to Shangdang and meet his demise.
※
The fast horses didn’t stop. Two steeds, one white and one black, took turns in a relay, running swiftly. The rear guard team changed horses in Laoyang and followed them. With this non-stop pace, they completed a journey of three days in just one day and night. Just as the sky was beginning to darken, they burst into the government office of Lu City.
Two hundred men had left, but fewer than twenty had returned. Duan Qin was shocked and personally received them, but he didn’t expect to see their lord lying in Yiyan’s arms. “What happened? Get Doctor Jiang here quickly!”
Yiyan didn’t answer, nor did he put the lord down. Instead, he rushed into the bedroom and laid the lord on the bed. After a day of jolting and bouncing, Liang Feng still hadn’t woken up. If it weren’t for his steady breathing, Yiyan might have gone mad.
Qing Mei cried as she rushed forward, helping Liang Feng change clothes and clean up. When she saw the bruises on his body, she couldn’t help but sob.
Duan Qin couldn’t help but ask again, “What exactly happened?”
“Wang’s family poisoned him, likely with cold food poisoning. We haven’t slept for two days. When we arrived in Laoyang, I sent more people to assist.” Despite his anxiety, Yiyan didn’t forget the culprits. Upon reaching Laoyang, he immediately increased the manpower, not only to rescue the loyal guards who stayed behind to fend off the enemy but also to intercept Wang Bin and ensure he left with his life.
Duan Qin shook his head, “Catching Wang Wenhuan may not be certain. This situation is too suspicious… When was the lord poisoned?”
“During a banquet.”
“Did he leave the camp?”
“Yes!”
“Then you escaped, and Wang Wenhuan’s men caught up with you afterward?”
“That’s correct.”
“It doesn’t make sense,” Duan Qin stated decisively.
This whole situation lacked proportion. If someone wanted to harm their lord secretly, why would they let him leave the tent unharmed? Why not surround the Liang family’s camp in advance and pursue them after they had broken camp? And why use cold food poison instead of other toxins? Everything about this seemed enigmatic.
Duan Qin considered asking more questions, but he noticed that the person beside him was entirely absorbed in something else. The young man’s gaze remained fixed on the bed, his hands, stained with blood, clenched into tight fists, showing no sign of loosening.
If it was because of his own lack of vigilance that the lord was harmed, it would be utterly heart-wrenching. Duan Qin closed his mouth. In times like this, the lord’s safety was naturally of paramount importance.
Jiang Da arrived swiftly and pounced onto the bed. He opened Liang Feng’s tightly closed eyelids, checked the condition of his tongue coating, and then angrily said, “Cold food poison! A full dosage! Did anyone assist him in taking it?”
Yiyan quickly walked up and explained, “The lord lost consciousness shortly after walking a mile, and he sweated. I also gave him warm wine. It was prepared with alcohol…”
Jiang Da lifted the brocade blanket covering Liang Feng and immediately frowned, “Why does he have injuries on his body?”
On Liang Feng’s shoulders and waist, there were dark bruises, as if he had been violently pinched.
Yiyan’s voice choked, “I lost control while trying to prevent the lord from going berserk…”
These were, after all, minor injuries, and Jiang Da didn’t press further. He quickly checked the pulse of the patient. After a moment, he relaxed his tense expression, which seemed on the verge of cracking, “Fortunately! The warm wine worked, and it didn’t let the excess Yang energy linger in his body… Thanks to the lord avoiding the cold food poison, otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable…”
Without minding the people standing behind him, Jiang Da swiftly took out the golden needles he had on him and began needling Liang Feng’s chest and abdomen. Yiyan took a step forward, seemingly wanting to help, but he was stopped by Duan Qin, “General Yi, let Ji’en take care of these matters. You also need to tend to your injuries…”
Yiyan reflexively wanted to say he didn’t need to, but in the next moment, he saw the dirt on his own body. Covered in blood and sweat, with the dust from the overnight journey, how could he serve by the lord’s side?
Lowering his raised arm, he glanced at the man on the bed and then slowly withdrew. Only someone who knew him very well, like Duan Qin, could discern how shaky Yiyan’s steps were at this moment.
Duan Qin let out an almost imperceptible sigh. This situation needed to be handled carefully. They couldn’t afford any potential complications!
※
When Liang Feng truly woke up, it was already the early hours of the next day.
It wasn’t like his usual deep slumber but more like breaking free from the depths of the sea, allowing his consciousness to slowly rise to the surface. It was as difficult and painful as the first time he had come to this world, escaping from the chaos.
His eyelids twitched slightly, and he opened his eyes.
“Lord! Lord, you’re awake!” In his field of vision, there was still a pretty face with puffy eyes. However, it was no longer Luzhu from before; it had become a new little maid, Qing Mei.
Liang Feng wanted to say something, but his mouth only opened, and no words came out. His throat felt as if it were filled with cotton, dry and scratchy.
A damp cloth immediately pressed against his lips, and he greedily sucked on it a few times. The next moment, his back was lifted, and a water bowl was placed at his lips.
Liang Feng didn’t pay attention to who helped him sit up. All his attention was focused on that refreshing drink. He almost gulped it down in one go, and he wanted more, but the bowl was moved away. Following the bowl with his gaze, he locked eyes with a pair of familiar gray-blue irises. He froze.
Ad
Inside him, it seemed like something had awakened. It was a big hand, a man’s hand. It had rough calluses, was long and warm, and it was resting on his lower abdomen. The strength in that hand was enormous as if it wanted to knead him into a pulp.
He couldn’t forget that sensation.
Perhaps his expression revealed something. Yiyan froze, slowly let go of the arm he had been supporting, took a step back, and knelt on the ground.
Liang Feng opened his mouth. This one kneel brought back more memories. Like the scorching kiss that burned his mind, the suffocating embrace, and more things he didn’t want to dwell on.
Closing his eyes for a moment, Liang Feng didn’t know how to begin. And the figure kneeling before him was as unyielding as a rock, silent and somber.
Hasty footsteps broke the silence, rushing in. Liang Feng raised his head and looked at the newcomers. It was Jiang Da and Duan Qin.
Jiang Da took a quick step forward, grabbing Liang Feng’s wrist, “Lord, you’re finally awake! If you had slept for two more days, not even immortals could have saved you…”
Liang Feng cleared his throat, “I was…”
“It’s cold food poison! Someone laced your food with cold food poison!” Jiang Da said with a tone of bitterness.
This sentence provided all the answers. More things flashed in his mind. There were blazing flames, icy streams, and the heavenly bliss that made one feel like they had become a deity, along with excruciating pain. Liang Feng’s body trembled slightly, “They laced my food with cold food poison? Why cold food poison?”
Although his head wasn’t completely clear, Liang Feng still held onto that lingering detail. He had shared a meal with Wang Bin, a whole lamb feast, and finished it with sheep’s head soup. The soup was vividly red, packed with spices, and fragrant with scallions and ginger, lending it a slightly bitter taste. He hadn’t detected anything unusual in the flavors. Or perhaps, the richness of the sheep’s head soup had masked any strange tastes.
Wang Bin had put the poison in the sheep’s head soup? But he hadn’t “seen” any danger…
Liang Feng had been a detective, and when it came to interacting with others, he had an innate instinct for observing their actions and deducing their emotions. Any hint of impropriety, and he would immediately sense it and become more vigilant. However, he hadn’t perceived any hostility from Wang Bin. There was no deliberate deceit, no hidden agenda. At that moment, all Wang Bin had been waiting for was Liang Feng’s response.
If it weren’t for his emotions surpassing the norm and possessing a high degree of antisocial tendencies, no one could have done something like this.
It shouldn’t have been Wang Bin who poisoned him.
He raised his head and looked at the person standing beside Jiang Da.
Duan Qin’s gaze briefly shifted to Yiyan, who was kneeling nearby, before returning to Liang Feng. “Lord, the situation this time seems unusual. Wang Wenhuan didn’t plan in advance; he sent people to pursue General Yi after he broke camp.”
This statement made Liang Feng understand where the problem lay. If someone wanted to take his life, the best method would be to set up an ambush, prevent him from leaving, or even lay in wait with armed assassins in his tent and strike when the time was right. If they didn’t want to bear the blame, why would they specifically poison him and then send people in pursuit?
These two methods were contradictory. In addition to Wang Bin’s attitude, it seemed more like he became suspicious when Liang Feng left abruptly and was forced to pursue.
So, who poisoned him? Wang Jun?
After some thought, Liang Feng shook his head, “It doesn’t seem like Wang Pengzu.”
If it were Wang Jun, he wouldn’t have needed all this subterfuge; he could have simply sent another two hundred Xianbei cavalrymen, and there would be no escape. He wouldn’t need to leave these loose ends.
If it wasn’t Wang Jun and his son, then who could it be?
Duan Qin could understand the implications in Liang Feng’s words and said in a deep voice, “Perhaps the one who poisoned you is someone who didn’t want the Wang and Liang families to unite.”
That was a reasonable answer. A mole.
But at this point, would Wang Jun clarify this misunderstanding and reconcile with him?
“Wang Pengzu wants to control Yi County and Liang County, coercing the court,” Liang Feng disclosed the crux of their secret discussion.
Duan Qin’s expression immediately changed, “Lord, you haven’t agreed, have you?”
Liang Feng nodded with his head lowered, “No.”
He wouldn’t agree. So there was no possibility of cooperation between Wang Jun and him from the beginning. Their intentions were to break off the negotiations.
“What about the troops I brought with me?” Liang Feng asked again.
Duan Qin let out a soft sigh, “Ninety-two killed in action, thirty seriously wounded. They repelled the Xianbei cavalry and killed more than two hundred enemies. However, Wang Bin escaped; they couldn’t intercept him.”
Liang Feng’s heart ached. They were his personal guards and elite cavalry! Almost half of them were lost. Leaving aside everything else, just this loss made it nearly impossible for him to return to You County.
“Get me some paper and a pen,” Liang Feng ordered without hesitation.
“My Lord?”
“I’ve been played. I need to get something back. Since I can’t do it, let Wang Pengzu handle it,” Liang Feng said with a cold smile.
Someone used tactics against Wang Bin, and would Wang Jun spare this internal traitor? Even if they no longer had any possibility of cooperation, and even if Wang Jun held a grudge against him for this incident, Wang Jun was not the type of person who would show mercy to someone who betrayed their master.
Duan Qin immediately understood Liang Feng’s intention and instructed an attendant to bring paper and a pen. Liang Feng, lifting his still trembling arm, made a few strokes on the paper and sealed the letter, saying, “Send it to You County by the fastest horse!”
Duan Qin hesitated for a moment, “What about Taiyuan?”
The consequences of the failed negotiations with Wang Jun this time were quite serious. What if it affected the marriage arrangements? And Liang Feng’s health might not allow them to get married soon.
Liang Feng shook his head, “We’ll wait a bit for the marriage alliance.”
At the moment, the marriage alliance was not the most pressing matter. It was better to deal with the current situation first before considering other matters.
Duan Qin nodded in understanding. Regardless of who was responsible for obstructing this time, they had achieved their goals. The already precarious You County would become even more dangerous from now on. He also cast a sidelong glance at Yiyan, who was still kneeling on the ground, and said, “This time, it’s not General Yi’s fault…”
Liang Feng raised his hand and gently waved it, saying, “You all can go for now.”
The “you all” he referred to was not the one kneeling on the ground. Jiang Da furrowed his brows and said, “Lord, you still need to get another acupuncture treatment…”
“Wait, let’s talk later! Go now!” Liang Feng’s tone became stern.
Duan Qin held Jiang Da’s arm, gently shook his head, and they both left without saying more.
Liang Feng then turned to Qing Mei kneeling by the bedside, “Wait outside. Have everyone inside and outside the room leave.”
Qing Mei looked nervously at her lord and then at the motionless Jie youth kneeling on the side. She didn’t dare to speak and obediently left the room.
Soon, the room was empty, with only two sets of breaths, one deep and one shallow.
Liang Feng gazed at the kneeling youth for a long moment before saying, “Boyuan, it’s my fault…”
Sitting desolately inside the camp, Wang Bin hadn’t slept all night. He had sent out pursuers earlier with great confidence. The men and horses under his tent were his father’s trusted troops, each capable of taking on ten, truly formidable. As soon as they took action, those two hundred men from the Liang household wouldn’t even be worth considering. However, after this night had passed, and daybreak was approaching, why was there still no news?
As he anxiously waited, there suddenly came the chaotic sound of hoofbeats from outside the camp. Wang Bin stood up abruptly. Had they succeeded?
To his surprise, a squad official, covered in injuries and looking disheveled, burst in. “Young Master Bin, we engaged in a fierce battle last night, and we’ve lost over two hundred men!”
“What?” Wang Bin’s expression changed. He had sent out more than two hundred and sixty men, and now they had suffered such heavy losses! Even in a night battle, it shouldn’t have been this bad!
The squad official ground his teeth in frustration. “The enemy had crossbows and set up an ambush, catching us off guard. But we managed to kill around a hundred enemy soldiers and I fought my way out of the encirclement.”
This news was disastrous. How could the Shangdang troops be so strong? And these troops under him were borrowed from his father; with so many losses, how could he explain this?
On the side, Zhang Dian’s face was also grim, and he immediately said, “Young Master, we can’t stay in Leping for long! Liang Zixi could reach Laoyang in just one night. When he brings reinforcements, we won’t be able to escape!”
Wang Bin also realized this, and sweat instantly appeared on his forehead. “Pack up the camp! We need to pack up and return to You County immediately!”
‘That damned Liang Zixi! He came to make amends, and this is the result! When we return to You County, reporting this to my father, I wonder how this will all end!’
Wang Bin was seething, but Zhang Dian was even more restless. Not seeing Liang Feng’s head was still a potential threat. He could only hope that the sickly fellow would return to Shangdang and meet his demise.
※
The fast horses didn’t stop. Two steeds, one white and one black, took turns in a relay, running swiftly. The rear guard team changed horses in Laoyang and followed them. With this non-stop pace, they completed a journey of three days in just one day and night. Just as the sky was beginning to darken, they burst into the government office of Lu City.
Two hundred men had left, but fewer than twenty had returned. Duan Qin was shocked and personally received them, but he didn’t expect to see their lord lying in Yiyan’s arms. “What happened? Get Doctor Jiang here quickly!”
Yiyan didn’t answer, nor did he put the lord down. Instead, he rushed into the bedroom and laid the lord on the bed. After a day of jolting and bouncing, Liang Feng still hadn’t woken up. If it weren’t for his steady breathing, Yiyan might have gone mad.
Qing Mei cried as she rushed forward, helping Liang Feng change clothes and clean up. When she saw the bruises on his body, she couldn’t help but sob.
Duan Qin couldn’t help but ask again, “What exactly happened?”
“Wang’s family poisoned him, likely with cold food poisoning. We haven’t slept for two days. When we arrived in Laoyang, I sent more people to assist.” Despite his anxiety, Yiyan didn’t forget the culprits. Upon reaching Laoyang, he immediately increased the manpower, not only to rescue the loyal guards who stayed behind to fend off the enemy but also to intercept Wang Bin and ensure he left with his life.
Duan Qin shook his head, “Catching Wang Wenhuan may not be certain. This situation is too suspicious… When was the lord poisoned?”
“During a banquet.”
“Did he leave the camp?”
“Yes!”
“Then you escaped, and Wang Wenhuan’s men caught up with you afterward?”
“That’s correct.”
“It doesn’t make sense,” Duan Qin stated decisively.
This whole situation lacked proportion. If someone wanted to harm their lord secretly, why would they let him leave the tent unharmed? Why not surround the Liang family’s camp in advance and pursue them after they had broken camp? And why use cold food poison instead of other toxins? Everything about this seemed enigmatic.
Duan Qin considered asking more questions, but he noticed that the person beside him was entirely absorbed in something else. The young man’s gaze remained fixed on the bed, his hands, stained with blood, clenched into tight fists, showing no sign of loosening.
If it was because of his own lack of vigilance that the lord was harmed, it would be utterly heart-wrenching. Duan Qin closed his mouth. In times like this, the lord’s safety was naturally of paramount importance.
Jiang Da arrived swiftly and pounced onto the bed. He opened Liang Feng’s tightly closed eyelids, checked the condition of his tongue coating, and then angrily said, “Cold food poison! A full dosage! Did anyone assist him in taking it?”
Yiyan quickly walked up and explained, “The lord lost consciousness shortly after walking a mile, and he sweated. I also gave him warm wine. It was prepared with alcohol…”
Jiang Da lifted the brocade blanket covering Liang Feng and immediately frowned, “Why does he have injuries on his body?”
On Liang Feng’s shoulders and waist, there were dark bruises, as if he had been violently pinched.
Yiyan’s voice choked, “I lost control while trying to prevent the lord from going berserk…”
These were, after all, minor injuries, and Jiang Da didn’t press further. He quickly checked the pulse of the patient. After a moment, he relaxed his tense expression, which seemed on the verge of cracking, “Fortunately! The warm wine worked, and it didn’t let the excess Yang energy linger in his body… Thanks to the lord avoiding the cold food poison, otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable…”
Without minding the people standing behind him, Jiang Da swiftly took out the golden needles he had on him and began needling Liang Feng’s chest and abdomen. Yiyan took a step forward, seemingly wanting to help, but he was stopped by Duan Qin, “General Yi, let Ji’en take care of these matters. You also need to tend to your injuries…”
Yiyan reflexively wanted to say he didn’t need to, but in the next moment, he saw the dirt on his own body. Covered in blood and sweat, with the dust from the overnight journey, how could he serve by the lord’s side?
Lowering his raised arm, he glanced at the man on the bed and then slowly withdrew. Only someone who knew him very well, like Duan Qin, could discern how shaky Yiyan’s steps were at this moment.
Duan Qin let out an almost imperceptible sigh. This situation needed to be handled carefully. They couldn’t afford any potential complications!
※
When Liang Feng truly woke up, it was already the early hours of the next day.
It wasn’t like his usual deep slumber but more like breaking free from the depths of the sea, allowing his consciousness to slowly rise to the surface. It was as difficult and painful as the first time he had come to this world, escaping from the chaos.
His eyelids twitched slightly, and he opened his eyes.
“Lord! Lord, you’re awake!” In his field of vision, there was still a pretty face with puffy eyes. However, it was no longer Luzhu from before; it had become a new little maid, Qing Mei.
Liang Feng wanted to say something, but his mouth only opened, and no words came out. His throat felt as if it were filled with cotton, dry and scratchy.
A damp cloth immediately pressed against his lips, and he greedily sucked on it a few times. The next moment, his back was lifted, and a water bowl was placed at his lips.
Liang Feng didn’t pay attention to who helped him sit up. All his attention was focused on that refreshing drink. He almost gulped it down in one go, and he wanted more, but the bowl was moved away. Following the bowl with his gaze, he locked eyes with a pair of familiar gray-blue irises. He froze.
Ad
Inside him, it seemed like something had awakened. It was a big hand, a man’s hand. It had rough calluses, was long and warm, and it was resting on his lower abdomen. The strength in that hand was enormous as if it wanted to knead him into a pulp.
He couldn’t forget that sensation.
Perhaps his expression revealed something. Yiyan froze, slowly let go of the arm he had been supporting, took a step back, and knelt on the ground.
Liang Feng opened his mouth. This one kneel brought back more memories. Like the scorching kiss that burned his mind, the suffocating embrace, and more things he didn’t want to dwell on.
Closing his eyes for a moment, Liang Feng didn’t know how to begin. And the figure kneeling before him was as unyielding as a rock, silent and somber.
Hasty footsteps broke the silence, rushing in. Liang Feng raised his head and looked at the newcomers. It was Jiang Da and Duan Qin.
Jiang Da took a quick step forward, grabbing Liang Feng’s wrist, “Lord, you’re finally awake! If you had slept for two more days, not even immortals could have saved you…”
Liang Feng cleared his throat, “I was…”
“It’s cold food poison! Someone laced your food with cold food poison!” Jiang Da said with a tone of bitterness.
This sentence provided all the answers. More things flashed in his mind. There were blazing flames, icy streams, and the heavenly bliss that made one feel like they had become a deity, along with excruciating pain. Liang Feng’s body trembled slightly, “They laced my food with cold food poison? Why cold food poison?”
Although his head wasn’t completely clear, Liang Feng still held onto that lingering detail. He had shared a meal with Wang Bin, a whole lamb feast, and finished it with sheep’s head soup. The soup was vividly red, packed with spices, and fragrant with scallions and ginger, lending it a slightly bitter taste. He hadn’t detected anything unusual in the flavors. Or perhaps, the richness of the sheep’s head soup had masked any strange tastes.
Wang Bin had put the poison in the sheep’s head soup? But he hadn’t “seen” any danger…
Liang Feng had been a detective, and when it came to interacting with others, he had an innate instinct for observing their actions and deducing their emotions. Any hint of impropriety, and he would immediately sense it and become more vigilant. However, he hadn’t perceived any hostility from Wang Bin. There was no deliberate deceit, no hidden agenda. At that moment, all Wang Bin had been waiting for was Liang Feng’s response.
If it weren’t for his emotions surpassing the norm and possessing a high degree of antisocial tendencies, no one could have done something like this.
It shouldn’t have been Wang Bin who poisoned him.
He raised his head and looked at the person standing beside Jiang Da.
Duan Qin’s gaze briefly shifted to Yiyan, who was kneeling nearby, before returning to Liang Feng. “Lord, the situation this time seems unusual. Wang Wenhuan didn’t plan in advance; he sent people to pursue General Yi after he broke camp.”
This statement made Liang Feng understand where the problem lay. If someone wanted to take his life, the best method would be to set up an ambush, prevent him from leaving, or even lay in wait with armed assassins in his tent and strike when the time was right. If they didn’t want to bear the blame, why would they specifically poison him and then send people in pursuit?
These two methods were contradictory. In addition to Wang Bin’s attitude, it seemed more like he became suspicious when Liang Feng left abruptly and was forced to pursue.
So, who poisoned him? Wang Jun?
After some thought, Liang Feng shook his head, “It doesn’t seem like Wang Pengzu.”
If it were Wang Jun, he wouldn’t have needed all this subterfuge; he could have simply sent another two hundred Xianbei cavalrymen, and there would be no escape. He wouldn’t need to leave these loose ends.
If it wasn’t Wang Jun and his son, then who could it be?
Duan Qin could understand the implications in Liang Feng’s words and said in a deep voice, “Perhaps the one who poisoned you is someone who didn’t want the Wang and Liang families to unite.”
That was a reasonable answer. A mole.
But at this point, would Wang Jun clarify this misunderstanding and reconcile with him?
“Wang Pengzu wants to control Yi County and Liang County, coercing the court,” Liang Feng disclosed the crux of their secret discussion.
Duan Qin’s expression immediately changed, “Lord, you haven’t agreed, have you?”
Liang Feng nodded with his head lowered, “No.”
He wouldn’t agree. So there was no possibility of cooperation between Wang Jun and him from the beginning. Their intentions were to break off the negotiations.
“What about the troops I brought with me?” Liang Feng asked again.
Duan Qin let out a soft sigh, “Ninety-two killed in action, thirty seriously wounded. They repelled the Xianbei cavalry and killed more than two hundred enemies. However, Wang Bin escaped; they couldn’t intercept him.”
Liang Feng’s heart ached. They were his personal guards and elite cavalry! Almost half of them were lost. Leaving aside everything else, just this loss made it nearly impossible for him to return to You County.
“Get me some paper and a pen,” Liang Feng ordered without hesitation.
“My Lord?”
“I’ve been played. I need to get something back. Since I can’t do it, let Wang Pengzu handle it,” Liang Feng said with a cold smile.
Someone used tactics against Wang Bin, and would Wang Jun spare this internal traitor? Even if they no longer had any possibility of cooperation, and even if Wang Jun held a grudge against him for this incident, Wang Jun was not the type of person who would show mercy to someone who betrayed their master.
Duan Qin immediately understood Liang Feng’s intention and instructed an attendant to bring paper and a pen. Liang Feng, lifting his still trembling arm, made a few strokes on the paper and sealed the letter, saying, “Send it to You County by the fastest horse!”
Duan Qin hesitated for a moment, “What about Taiyuan?”
The consequences of the failed negotiations with Wang Jun this time were quite serious. What if it affected the marriage arrangements? And Liang Feng’s health might not allow them to get married soon.
Liang Feng shook his head, “We’ll wait a bit for the marriage alliance.”
At the moment, the marriage alliance was not the most pressing matter. It was better to deal with the current situation first before considering other matters.
Duan Qin nodded in understanding. Regardless of who was responsible for obstructing this time, they had achieved their goals. The already precarious You County would become even more dangerous from now on. He also cast a sidelong glance at Yiyan, who was still kneeling on the ground, and said, “This time, it’s not General Yi’s fault…”
Liang Feng raised his hand and gently waved it, saying, “You all can go for now.”
The “you all” he referred to was not the one kneeling on the ground. Jiang Da furrowed his brows and said, “Lord, you still need to get another acupuncture treatment…”
“Wait, let’s talk later! Go now!” Liang Feng’s tone became stern.
Duan Qin held Jiang Da’s arm, gently shook his head, and they both left without saying more.
Liang Feng then turned to Qing Mei kneeling by the bedside, “Wait outside. Have everyone inside and outside the room leave.”
Qing Mei looked nervously at her lord and then at the motionless Jie youth kneeling on the side. She didn’t dare to speak and obediently left the room.
Soon, the room was empty, with only two sets of breaths, one deep and one shallow.
Liang Feng gazed at the kneeling youth for a long moment before saying, “Boyuan, it’s my fault…”
