Zheng Hui

Wenjia Restaurant is very close to the city gate.

It's normal for the city gate official to notice the commotion and be able to bring soldiers to investigate in a very short time.

However, the soldiers under the city gate officer were considered lucky if they wore only a leather armor on their upper body; most of the time they didn't wear armor at all.

Blind Cheng was hearing now was the sound of heavily armored, well-trained footsteps rushing towards them.

"Listen up, you thugs inside! Disarm yourselves immediately and surrender!"

A deep, powerful voice rang out from a middle-aged man.

Immediately afterward, Chu Tianshu even heard the sound of crossbows being cocked.

A squad of armored soldiers appeared outside the door, arranged in three rows.

Those in front carried shields and swords, while those behind held bows and crossbows.

At the very back row stood several unarmored swordsmen, each with a cold and stern demeanor, guarding a man who appeared to be a general.

It was that middle-aged general with thin cheeks and a goatee who was giving the speech.

General Duan.

Upon seeing this person, Lady Wenjing smiled and said, "So it's General Duan Rusu, who leads troops on patrol in the city. He's eaten here a few times before, so you must have just found a place nearby."

She announced loudly, "General, these thugs have been beheaded."

Duan Rusu's eyes flashed as she noticed the corpse in the restaurant.

"Since they are criminals, they won't be so easily beheaded. Besides, what are you two doing with knives and swords? Have you kidnapped Lady Wenjing?"

Lady Wenjing's expression turned slightly cold; she sensed something was amiss.

If it really was a group of thugs who had taken the people of the restaurant hostage, wouldn't General Duan's direct exposure of the matter just push the thugs to the brink?

Chu Tianshu whispered, "Is this person stupid or malicious?"

Lady Wenjing eyes fixed on the people outside, moved towards the counter and replied softly, "I heard he distinguished himself in the army; he's probably not a fool."

The shop assistants, who had been hiding behind the counter and pillars, were now peeking out.

Blind Cheng shouted, "Don't come out!"

"What, I hit the nail on the head, and now you're speechless?"

Duan Rusu shouted, "You gang of thugs have committed too many crimes lately. Even if you take people hostage in this restaurant, you won't escape with your lives!"

"Since they refuse to lay down their weapons, the only option is to kill them without mercy!"

A fierce look appeared on Duan Rusu's face, and the crossbowmen were about to pull the triggers of their crossbows.

Chu Tianshu's eyes lit up; he hadn't had enough fun earlier.

Just then, someone suddenly darted across the long street.

The person appeared to be dressed in a purplish-red robe, with a tall crown and bound hair; his movements were so swift that he seemed like a flat shadow.

He slipped through the gap between the swordsmen, shieldmen, and archers.

Boom boom boom boom boom!!!

The bowstrings sprang out completely, but there were no arrows on them.

The force of this shot was wasted, causing the bowstring to snap. Some crossbows even had their bow arms broken, and the arrows still struck people nearby.

All the soldiers were taken aback.

The swordsmen all drew their swords.

Duan Rusu suddenly turned her head and stared at a shadow to her right.

The man in the purplish-red robe darted away, then spun around, turning to the side, and returned to the front of the restaurant.

The arrows on the crossbow looked like a handful of chopsticks he was holding in his hand.

The Blind Cheng sensed how fast the man was moving and his expression turned serious.

Chu Tianshu was also somewhat surprised and glanced at the man's feet.

The man was facing sideways to the restaurant entrance and glanced inside.

This encounter allowed everyone in the building to see his face clearly.

This man had a full head of thick hair with a few gray hairs, long and narrow eyes, a slender and refined appearance, and a black beard that reached down to his chest.

Judging from his demeanor, he was a learned scholar, but the gold and jade embellishments on his belt were a bit too elaborate and made him look somewhat vulgar.

He glanced at the people inside the building, smiled slightly, then looked outside, his voice turning cold.

"General Duan, why haven't you ordered your men to withdraw their weapons? Do you intend to have your men's swords brought down on this old man's purple robe?"

The soldiers, who were already looking hesitant, couldn't help but turn around to look at the general upon hearing this.

Many places in the Kingdom of Nanzhao imitated the Tang system, but they were not entirely the same.

However, this luxurious purple robe, paired with the six-flowered gold and jade belt at the waist, was an outfit that only "Qingping Official" could wear.

In the Nanzhao Kingdom, below the king, there were only six Qingping Official, equivalent to first-rank officials.

Among the Qingping Official, the most powerful was almost comparable to the prime minister of the Great Tang.

"Lord Zheng, what brings you here?"

Duan Rusu's expression was a little unpleasant, but she didn't seem too afraid. She took two steps forward with a confident air.

"Someone dares to cause trouble in the royal city, which is almost an act of disrespect to the monarch. It is a dangerous place for me to apprehend the culprit. Duke Zheng, you should return to your residence immediately."

Upon hearing this, Chu Tianshu recalled Dao Baishu had said: among the six Qingping Official of the Kingdom of Nanzhao, one was of Tang People origin named "Zheng Hui".

This man was originally a candidate for the imperial examination during the Tianbao era of the Great Tang Dynasty and served as a county magistrate. However, he was captured by the former king of Nanzhao and taken back to his country along with the artisans and people of the county.

He was highly valued in Nanzhao, allowing the Tang People to live in peace. In recent years, he also played a significant role in Nanzhao's decision to seek a new alliance with the Great Tang.

I never expected that this civil official would also be such a master.

Where are the thugs?

Zheng Hui threw the crossbow bolt in his hand to the ground, stroked his beard, and said, "The thug you're talking about, is it the elder of the Gentlemen's Alliance, or the Lady Wenjing in this restaurant?"

"Or is it that Physician Chu, whose medical skills and benevolence have recently become widely known, is someone I'm planning to invite to my residence for treatment?"

"Or perhaps it's because I've long wanted to recruit Commandant Cheng?"

Zheng Hui exclaimed, then looked up into the building. "It can't be that you mean the kitchen helpers and the storyteller, right? They're all law-abiding citizens whose household registrations can be found in the area."

Duan Rusu hadn't expected that this old man could speak so knowledgeably about the origins of the people in the restaurant.

"Hahaha!"

Duan Rusu smiled and said, "So these are all acquaintances of Lord Zheng. It seems they are not the culprits. If they are, Lord Zheng will have to take responsibility later."

"Then I won't bother you any longer. Take those murderers who are lying dead away with me."

Zheng Hui waved his hand. "No need. This matter is not under the general's jurisdiction. Let this old man handle it."

Duan Rusu's eyes twitched, her gaze falling on Yuwen Tongxin. She seemed to realize that the man was not dead, but she said nothing more. She simply waved her hand and led her team away.

Chu Tianshu sighed inwardly.

This guy surnamed Duan, he's lucky to have survived.

Well then, Zheng Hui is more interesting right now.

"Thank you, Lord Zheng!"

The Lady Wenjing smiled and bowed.

The men also came out one after another, bowing in varying degrees.

"There's no need for that."

Zheng Hui around and quickly said, "I'm a step too late. In the end, you all had to fight off these thugs yourselves."

Lady Wenjing introduced Zheng Gong to Chu and Cheng, saying, "Lord Zheng has visited our Gentlemen's Alliance many times and is very concerned about us Tang People."

"I can sense Lord Zheng's concern."

The Blind Cheng chuckled self-deprecatingly, "You even managed to find out about the captain's little affairs."

Zheng Hui said solemnly, "A few years ago, you went to the vicinity of the capital and spent three months hunting down criminals, killing many people. Such a valiant killer is bound to attract the attention of the authorities."

"After careful investigation, I learned a little about your background. You are of commoner origin, yet you have risen to the rank of colonel in the army before the age of thirty."

"How can such a person be underestimated?"

Blind Cheng said calmly, "Just a lowly captain. I'm just a blind man now."

"Non-Self deal with the most dangerous member of this gang; for some reason, they focused their efforts on targeting Physician Chu."

Chu Tianshu responded with an "oh," and casually said, "They thought I was Inner Guard."

Inner Guard?!

The expressions on the faces of the people in the lobby changed slightly.

Dao Baishu gasped, his legs feeling weak, and he was supported by the man beside him.

He recalled those days when Chu Tianshu spent money to inquire about information for him every morning.

Alright! So I was just showing off my extensive intelligence network to the Great Tang Inner Guard...

Dao Baishu's throat was dry as he desperately tried to recall.

I also accepted money from the Inner Guard. I didn't say anything incoherent those few days, did I?

Zheng Hui's expression subtly changed. "So, Your Excellency..."

"I'm not."

Chu Tianshu waved his hand, "They just made a mistake."

Zheng Hui nodded slightly, a look of understanding on his face.

"I've been following the recent assassination attempt on someone from the Gentlemen's Alliance, and I also know that the elders and patriarchs of several clans near the royal city have encountered trouble. I know that the conspiracy behind this is probably quite significant."

Zheng Hui said, "They want to incite conflict between the Tang People and other ethnic groups. I'm afraid they'll later incite other ethnic groups to burn, kill, and loot against the Tang People."

"And all these things, in the end, were undoubtedly aimed at destroying the friendly alliance between Nanzhao and the Great Tang."

"It's a good thing that people in the Great Tang are also paying attention to this matter and upholding the alliance."

His words implied that the Great Tang Inner Guard were secretly causing trouble in Kingdom of Nanzhao, and that he would provide assistance as long as it was for the greater good.

"I really didn't... never mind."

Chu Tianshu shook his head and said, "Let's ask them first who's behind these guys."

Yuwen Tongxin was, after all, a master. Even though he lost his arm and was unconscious, the wound did not continue to bleed. His body instinctively contracted its muscles and stopped the bleeding.

Chu Tianshu glanced at him, then shot out three silver needles, pinning them to acupoints on his chest to obstruct blood flow and make his mind more sluggish. He then pinned a needle between his eyebrows to wake him up.

Yuwen Tongxin opened his eyes, a fierce glint still gleaming within them. But then, a silver needle arced through the air, curved, and pierced the top of his head.

"Approaching!"

Chu Tianshu spoke the truth.

All the silver needles on Yuwen Tongxin's body buzzed, making his vision blurry.

Chu Tianshu asked, "Why did you want to assassinate Lady Wenjing and the others?"

As Zheng Hui had predicted, Yuwen Tongxin's response was to provoke conflict and damage the relationship between Nanzhao and the Great Tang.

"Who gave you permission to do this?"

When Chu Tianshu asked this question, he had already thought of Duan Rusu and her group from earlier.

To everyone's surprise, Yuwen Tongxin replied, "Huaixi."

Chu Tianshu frowned. "What?"

Why are Huaixi and Nanzhao coming all this way to cause trouble?!

"The Wu Clan, the military governor of Huaixi, is being helped by our Huaixi Yuwen Family."

Yuwen Tongxin's voice sounded like he was sleepwalking, as if he were back in the scene before he set off, saying, "During the An Lushan Rebellion, the Tubo took the opportunity to occupy large swathes of Great Tang territory."

"Ten years ago, the imperial court defeated the combined forces of Tubo and Nanzhao, testing the waters of war. In the years since then, it has been recuperating and rebuilding, yet it is still procuring provisions and preparing to launch an attack on Tubo to completely recover lost territory and deter the border regions."

"Wei Gao will be the commander-in-chief, and Nanzhao has already surrendered, so they will most likely become Wei Gao's accomplices."

"We must create trouble in Nanzhao, so that Nanzhao will once again side with Tubo and fight against the Tang army together."

"We can take this opportunity to start an uprising in places like Huaixi."

Chu Tianshu thought for a moment, "With all the things you've done, you might not be able to influence Nanzhao's choice, unless you have allies among Nanzhao officials, like the Duan family?"

"Yes."

Yuwen Tongxin said, "Duan Rusu."

Chu Tianshu chuckled and looked up, saying, "Lord Zheng, if I had made a move just now, you might have had to side with Duan Rusu in a real crisis."

"But now that we have this confession..."

Chu Tianshu smiled and said, "Could you perhaps inquire where General Duan lives?"

Zheng Hui didn't show any surprise when he heard about the mastermind behind it all.

"Confessions alone are not enough."

Zheng Hui asked Yuwen Tongxin, "Is there any evidence? A token? A letter?"

Yuwen Tongxin replied, "No."

"As expected, there isn't one."

Zheng Hui looked at Chu Tianshu, "Physician Chu, even if there is evidence pointing to Duan Rusu, it wouldn't be of much significance."

"He was just someone pushed along to run errands; the real mastermind behind the collusion with Huaixi was someone else."

Chu Tianshu's eyes lit up.

"It sounds like Lord Zheng already has a guess. Who is this person? Must they be of very high status?"

(End of this chapter)