"Lord Wang, you cannot escape. Surrender now!"
Ling Mohan, astride his horse, looked down at the dishevelled Wang Kun.
"I admit defeat at your hands, but to expect me to surrender is a dream!"
Wang Kun's eyes narrowed as he raised his sword and took his own life.
Ling Mohan watched the lifeless body on the ground with cold eyes. "Take the corpse back and hang it on the city walls for the people of Yingzhong Commandery to witness the fate of this traitor!"
It was truly a pity that he had overlooked and allowed Wang Kun to die before any useful information could be extracted.
Chu Chenyi paced back and forth in the military camp, agitated. How long had it been? Why hadn't they returned yet? Pursuing a few remnants should not take this long.
"Your Highness, the Young General has returned."
"Quickly, bring him to me!"
Chu Chenyi quickened his pace, rushing out eagerly.
"Is this the rebel army you pursued?"
Why had they returned with him dead? What could be interrogated now?
Ling Mohan's expression was grim. He ignored Chu Chenyi and walked straight into the tent.
"Are you deaf? I'm speaking to you, didn't you hear me, or are you deaf?"
"Wang Kun committed suicide, and the clues have been severed. There is no lead on the mastermind behind this rebellion."
Without apprehending the person behind the scenes, this unrest had not ended. If it were not eradicated thoroughly, it was feared that it would resurge, which would be disastrous.
"Since Wang Kun has submitted to justice and accepted all the blame, we cannot pursue further. We can only investigate in secret."
"The enemy is in the dark, and we are in the light. Every move will be under surveillance. It will be difficult to investigate."
Ling Mohan felt that the matter was becoming increasingly thorny. The rebellion in Yingzhong Commandery might just be a part of their plan.
"How is Chu Yanxi now?"
Ling Mohan's sudden mention of Chu Yanxi caused Chu Chenyi to pause slightly. He had been so busy dealing with the war that he had truly forgotten about him.
"When I left the capital, His Majesty had already sent someone to escort Chu Yanxi back to the capital. He should be there by now."
"Who did His Majesty send to escort him?"
"The old General Cheng Cang."
Ling Mohan tapped his fingers on the table. If the old General Cheng Cang himself had taken the task, he could indeed bring Chu Yanxi back.
"What is it? What are you worried about?"
"Why did Chu Yanxi deliberately delay the military dispatch at this time? He should know the consequences. With his deep cunning, he would never do something so uncertain. Or did he anticipate that Yingzhong Commandery would definitely be breached, leading to no witnesses? Then His Majesty would naturally not suspect him."
"Are you suggesting Chu Yanxi colluded with the rebels!"
Chu Chenyi's expression turned solemn, his hand gripping the teacup tightened. If Chu Yanxi dared to collude with the rebels, it was a capital offense.
"Thinking about each incident now, there are too many loopholes, it's hard not to suspect."
All the evidence pointed in one direction. It was hard for him not to suspect Chu Yanxi.
"If it is true, then we must make preparations early."
Ling Mohan paused and quickly said, "Chu Yanxi is cunning and has been operating in the imperial court for many years. Moreover, His Majesty has always favored him, and he has the Empress as an ally in the harem. This deliberate delay of the military dispatch was likely a well-planned move for him to escape unscathed. We must return to the capital as soon as possible!"
The capital was short of troops, and Chu Yanxi's one hundred thousand soldiers had not yet been reassigned. If any changes occurred, the capital would be in danger.
"I will arrange for our return to the capital immediately!" Chu Chenyi also foresaw the potential issues and quickly made arrangements for the army to return to the capital.
Yingzhong Commandery had suffered greatly from successive natural disasters, plagues, and wars. With no trusted governor appointed yet, their hasty departure would also provide an opportunity for those with ulterior motives. After much consideration, Ling Mohan decided that someone must remain in Yingzhong Commandery to govern temporarily until the new governor arrived for the handover.
After much deliberation, he could not think of a suitable candidate. The person left behind must be truly capable, empathetic to the hardships of the people, and trustworthy. At that moment, finding such a suitable person was truly difficult.
"Young General, the Young Madam has arrived." Lu Shi entered the tent and reported.
Upon hearing that Feng Jin had arrived, Ling Mohan's wandering thoughts were pulled back. He hurried out of the tent to greet Feng Jin.
"It's snowing so heavily, why did you come dressed so thinly?"
Seeing Feng Jin dressed a bit too lightly, Ling Mohan's handsome brows furrowed slightly. He took off his large cloak and draped it over Feng Jin.
"I'm already feeling so hot, don't add more clothes to me."
Pregnant women naturally had higher body temperatures than ordinary people. Feng Jin dressed even more thinly at home. She only put on an extra layer of clothing when she left, fearing Ling Mohan's nagging, but she still couldn't escape his scolding.
With thick layers of clothes piled upon each other, Feng Jin soon started to feel warm, and sweat trickled down her forehead. Just as she reached out to remove some of her clothes, Ling Mohan stopped her.
"It's windy and snowy outside, hurry inside to warm yourself by the fire."
Ling Mohan tightly held Feng Jin's slightly cool hand and led her into the tent.
"I met Chu Chenyi on the way here. I heard him say that they are moving the troops back to the capital. Is that true?"
"That is the intention. However, I plan to select someone to temporarily remain in Yingzhong Commandery to garrison it, and then hand over once the Emperor appoints a new governor."
Selecting officials through the rigorous process of three examinations and four reviews, then submitting them for imperial appointment, would take at least a month for the entire procedure.
With such delays, they would not be able to return to the capital on time, and there was a fear that something might happen.
"Have you thought about who you will leave behind?"
"Not yet. If I had thought of someone, I wouldn't be so worried."
After a moment of silence, Feng Jin seemed to have thought of something and quickly said, "I do have a candidate, but I don't know if it's suitable?"
"Speak first!" He had no good decisions either, so he had to try anything. It was better than nothing.
Feng Jin smiled faintly and whispered into Ling Mohan's ear.
"What!" Ling Mohan's voice rose slightly, his brows knitted together. He felt that Feng Jin was being unreasonable.
"How can that be? You know Ling Muzhu's temperament. You should stay to defend Yingzhong Commandery yourself. Don't let him fail to protect himself!"
Ling Mohan rejected Feng Jin's suggestion outright without any deliberation.
"Why do you have such a severe prejudice against Ling Muzhu? Ling Muzhu has improved a lot these days. How can you say he's not capable!"
"Ling Muzhu has been idle since childhood. He probably can't even recognize all the words in a book. How can he be left in charge?"