Months ago, the two received a secret letter from Yu Dà yóu, stating that when Qī Jì guāng came to Tāizhōu, he had mentioned that the Jiangnan famine relief envoy, Zhū Mò, bore a striking resemblance to Yu Dà yóu. They had merely laughed it off at the time, but afterward, Yu Dà yóu grew increasingly uneasy. He had secretly visited Hangzhou once…
Upon seeing him, he almost lost his very soul!
Driven by the instinct of blood ties, Yu Dà yóu was certain—
Zhū Mò must be his sister’s son!
He definitely was… He’d seen him once as a child in Hánshuǐ town, and their appearances were almost identical!
Moreover,
His sister’s son was called Mò’ér, a nickname they, Yu Dà yóu, Lǐ Wénjìn, Mǎ Fāng, and Wáng Chónggǔ, had given him together.
At the time, they had all lamented their lack of education as warriors, hoping this child would become a refined scholar if he ever became a prince, and no longer have to live a life of constant danger.
Yu Dà yóu was meticulous, knowing full well that this matter absolutely could not be revealed to any outsiders, lest not only their sworn brothers but also their nephew would be in danger!
He had only intended to wait until the end of the year, after dealing with the Wokou issue, and then take some time to visit Xuāndà and bring everyone to the capital to see for themselves.
But unexpectedly, Lǐ Wénjìn and Mǎ Fāng, worried about the collapse of the Nine Borders due to the Governor Gé Jìn of the Yán family concealing military intelligence, and the immense disaster it would cause, found Liáng Mèng lóng that very night.
Since their third sworn brother, Wáng Chónggǔ, had some acquaintance with Zhāng Jūzhèng, and Liáng Mèng lóng was a disciple of Zhāng Jūzhèng, coupled with Zhāng Jūzhèng’s reputation as a pure official and his already established fame, everyone trusted him. Thus, they revealed all the details about the Nine Borders.
Upon hearing their report, Liáng Mèng lóng was greatly shocked. Fearing the magnitude of the affair, he brought the two to the capital that very night. He reasoned that if Zhū Mò, who was currently favored by the Emperor, could be found and was willing to help, there would be a chance for a turnaround. Otherwise, if the court found out, the Yán family would once again blame them, and they would be unable to bear that burden!
However,
At this very moment,
Lǐ Wénjìn and Mǎ Fāng’s feelings were identical to Yu Dà yóu’s when he saw Zhū Mò on the streets of Hangzhou, their eyes practically burning with emotion—
Heaven be merciful, this nephew is alive! Elder Brother Yu was not mistaken, this Zhū Mò is indeed our nephew…
As if transported to an unknown space, the two exchanged glances, their eyes suddenly welling up with tears. They stealthily gazed at Zhū Mò, their thoughts instantly returning to eighteen years ago—
Back then,
Yu Dà yóu was dispatched to Xuāndà. Amidst a fierce battle and a sea of corpses, he met Lǐ Wénjìn, Mǎ Fāng, and Wáng Chónggǔ… Having narrowly escaped death, they became sworn brothers.
Shortly after, Elder Brother Yu Dà yóu brought everyone to Hánshuǐ town, saying they were going to see a nephew who had recently been born. Everyone was overjoyed that day and, fueled by wine, gave him a nickname.
Upon returning to Xuāndà, one night while drunk, Yu Dà yóu secretly told them—
My sister married into the imperial family!
They had pressed him for more details at the time, but Elder Brother Yu merely smiled mysteriously, saying they would understand when the child grew up…
A few years later, they heard that a Chu Prince’s imperial estate by the Hánshuǐ river had been burned down, resulting in over eighty deaths… And that night, Yu Dà yóu wept uncontrollably…
It was only then that they guessed—
So, the person our sworn sister married was none other than the current Emperor! Coincidentally, that year, our sworn sister had gone to Hubei with her aunt to visit relatives and happened to encounter this tragedy…
Because the Emperor, following a Taoist priest’s advice, was not afraid of the child dying young, he was raised among the common folk, with the intention of enfeoffing him as a prince or even having him inherit the throne after he grew up… Just as the Emperor dispatched scouts everywhere, they too searched high and low, but the outcome was the same—
The sister died, and Mò’ér also died.
The brothers had secretly investigated later, and various clues indicated that the killer was likely a remnant of the Prince of Ning…
Nearly twenty years have passed. The root of this matter has been thoroughly eradicated by the Emperor. Apart from themselves, no one else in the world knows. But they were military men; how could they dare reveal the slightest hint?
This secret had been buried in their stomachs until Yu Dà yóu’s secret letter months ago.
…
As the two were lost in reminiscence, Zhū Mò and Liáng Mèng lóng were also quite surprised—
What’s wrong with these two? Why are their eyes still shining?
Why are they crying? Do they feel wronged?
They’re supposed to be fierce generals!
Zhū Mò was unconcerned and instead smiled, saying, “You two have worked hard. It’s almost going to snow in the capital, and before the heavy snow, there’s a bit of wind and sand. Be careful not to get it in your eyes… Hehe, I actually have a residence, but it’s not ready yet… Please bear with me for staying in this shabby place for now!”
“Not at all, not at all! Minister Zhū is too kind.”
The two suddenly came to their senses and bowed together in greeting.
Zhū Mò had already decided—
As long as good men served as generals, they would surely become angry upon hearing of the people’s suffering, whereas the Yán family would certainly not care about the people’s lives. Such emotions were difficult to feign, and he believed his judgment could see through it.
He immediately feigned a smile and said,
“You two, this blizzard in Xuāndà is very severe this time… Vice Minister Liáng just mentioned that there are refugees everywhere. Alas, how pitiful! But do not worry, I have made comprehensive arrangements, and Vice Minister Liáng is also very capable! I believe the disaster will soon pass… You two need not worry too much… Hehe…”
“Uh…”
Lǐ Wénjìn and Mǎ Fāng were immediately taken aback. They exchanged glances, feeling as if their hearts were suddenly blocked!
What the hell…
Mǎ Fāng, being hot-tempered, glared at Lǐ Wénjìn, cursing inwardly: Why is this child like this? Didn’t he just hear what Liáng Mèng lóng said? Is he deaf? What snow disaster? That was clearly Tartar incursions! Denying it so openly, avoiding the main issue, damn it, how can he be as good at pretending as the Yán family?
This child looked promising when he was young…
How did he turn out like this when he grew up?
Lǐ Wénjìn, usually more reserved, didn’t mind Zhū Mò’s denial at first, as most officials were like that. However, the person before him was his sworn brother’s nephew, and he felt a different kind of emotion—
Alas…
He didn’t expect this child to be so cunning at such a young age. What didn’t he learn, but he learned to be an official so early. For ordinary people, it would take twenty years of practice to achieve such skill. If Vice Minister Liáng hadn’t insisted that he was a pure official, who would believe it?
Neither Yu Dà yóu nor Yu Xiǎomèi had such a devious mind. How did they end up with such a shrewd person? It seems he takes after the Emperor…
With this thought, Lǐ Wénjìn couldn’t help but shake his head and smile wryly, thinking this trip might have been in vain. To have such a natural-born official as his nephew…
He could only smile bitterly.
And when Zhū Mò spoke,
Liáng Mèng lóng was stunned!
He thought he had misheard—
This,
I,
Didn’t I just say it?
He, he’s denying it so openly?
This,
This is too much…
He looked at Zhū Mò, then at Lǐ Wénjìn and Mǎ Fāng, feeling like the most embarrassed person present! He clearly said east, but Zhū Mò insisted on west!
But Zhū Mò was his superior, so he had no choice but to grit his teeth and swallow his pride. He forced out a couple of awkward laughs and immediately pretended as if he hadn’t said anything.