"Lord Wang, you can't escape. Surrender now!"
Ling Mohan, mounted on his horse, gazed down at a dishevelled Wang Kun.
"I admit defeat to you, but to expect me to surrender is a dream!"
Wang Kun's eyes tightened, and he raised his long sword, slitting his own throat.
Ling Mohan watched the lifeless body lying on the ground with cold eyes. "Take the body back and hang it on the city wall, so the people of Yingzhong Commandery can witness the traitor's fate with their own eyes!"
It was a pity that due to a moment's negligence, Wang Kun had died without revealing any useful information.
Chu Chenyi paced back and forth in the military camp, anxious. How long had it been? Why hadn't they returned yet? Pursuing a few remnants should not take so long.
"Reporting to Your Highness, the young general has returned."
"Quick, bring me over!"
Chu Chenyi quickened his pace and rushed out.
"This is the rebel army you pursued?"
Why did they bring back a dead man? What could possibly be interrogated now?
Ling Mohan's face was grim. Ignoring Chu Chenyi, he walked directly into the tent.
"Are you deaf? I'm speaking to you. Did you not hear, or are you deaf?"
"Wang Kun committed suicide, and the trail ends here. The mastermind behind this rebellion has no clue."
If the person behind the scenes wasn't caught, this turmoil wasn't over. If it wasn't completely eradicated, they feared it would resurface, and that would be dire.
"Since Wang Kun has paid the price and taken 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 we make will be under surveillance. It will be difficult to investigate."
Ling Mohan felt the matter becoming increasingly troublesome. 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 surprised Chu Chenyi slightly. He had been so busy with the war lately that he had indeed forgotten about him.
"When I left the capital, His Majesty had already sent people to escort Chu Yanxi back. He should be in the capital by now."
"Who did His Majesty send to escort him?"
"The elder General Cheng Cang."
Ling Mohan tapped his fingers on the table. If the elder General Cheng Cang had personally taken the task, he could indeed escort Chu Yanxi back.
"What is it? Do you have any concerns?"
"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 anything so uncertain. Or did he calculate that Yingzhong Commandery would definitely be conquered, leaving no witnesses to prove his guilt, and thus His Majesty would naturally not suspect him?"
"Are you suggesting Chu Yanxi colluded with the rebels!"
Chu Chenyi's expression turned grave, his hand gripping the teacup tightly. If Chu Yanxi truly dared to collude with the rebels, it would be a capital offense.
"Thinking back on all these incidents, there are too many loopholes, making it impossible not to be suspicious."
All the evidence pointed in one direction. It was hard for him not to suspect Chu Yanxi.
"If that's the case, we must prepare early."
Ling Mohan paused and quickly said, "Chu Yanxi is cunning and has cultivated influence in the imperial court for many years. Moreover, His Majesty has always favored him, and he has the Empress's support in the harem. This deliberate delay of the military dispatch was likely a well-planned move to escape unscathed. We must return to the capital as soon as possible!"
The capital's defenses were weak, and Chu Yanxi's hundred thousand troops had not yet been reassigned. If something unexpected happened, the capital would be in danger.
"I will arrange for our immediate return to the capital!" Chu Chenyi also foresaw the seriousness of the situation and quickly arranged for the army to return.
Yingzhong Commandery had suffered greatly from continuous natural disasters, plagues, and warfare. Furthermore, no trusted governor had yet been appointed. If they left rashly, it would give an opportunity to those with ulterior motives. After careful consideration, Ling Mohan still decided that someone must be left behind to govern Yingzhong Commandery first, awaiting the arrival of a new governor for handover.
After much thought, he couldn't find a suitable candidate. The person left behind must have genuine talent, empathy for the hardships of the common people, and be trustworthy. For a time, he truly couldn't find anyone so fitting.
"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.
"The snow is so heavy, why are you wearing so little?"
Seeing Feng Jin dressed rather thinly, Ling Mohan's handsome brow furrowed. He took off his own cloak and draped it over Feng Jin.
"I'm already burning up, don't add more clothes for me."
Pregnant women naturally have higher body temperatures than ordinary people. Feng Jin wore even less at home. It was only because she was worried about Ling Mohan nagging her that she wore an extra layer when she went out, but she still couldn't escape his nagging.
With layers upon layers of thick clothing, Feng Jin soon began to feel hot, and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. Just as she reached to unbutton her clothes, Ling Mohan stopped her.
"It's snowing heavily outside, hurry into the tent and 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 my way here. He said you're moving the army back to the capital. Is that true?"
"That is indeed the intention, but I plan to select someone to remain temporarily in Yingzhong Commandery to guard it until His Majesty appoints a new governor for the handover."
The process of selecting officials through multiple ministries and then presenting them to His Majesty for designation would take at least a month.
If they delayed any further, they might not return to the capital on time, and he worried something untoward might happen.
"Have you thought about who to leave behind?"
"Not yet. If I had, I wouldn't be so worried."
After a moment's pause, Feng Jin seemed to recall something and quickly said, "I do have a candidate, but I don't know if it's feasible?"
"Speak first!" He had no good solution either, so it was better to try anything than nothing.
Feng Jin smiled faintly and whispered into Ling Mohan's ear.
"What!" Ling Mohan's voice rose slightly, his brow furrowed into a knot, completely believing Feng Jin was being ridiculous.
"How can this work? You know Ling Muzhu's temperament. You should stay to guard Yingzhong Commandery yourself, and don't let him end up unable to protect himself!"
Ling Mohan dismissed Feng Jin's suggestion outright, without any consideration.
"Why are you so prejudiced against Ling Muzhu? Ling Muzhu has improved a lot these days. How can you say he's not capable!"
"Ling Muzhu has been idle and unproductive since childhood. He probably can't even recognize the words in books. How can we let him stay to manage things?"