readsfreenovel Chapter 155 No Reason to Recall Beijing
Chapter 155 No Reason to Recall Beijing
Zheng Wanzhao nodded slightly, with a smile on her face, less aggressive than when they first met and more gentle.
She walked forward steadily and sat down in the seat opposite Mu Lanfeng, her movements graceful and dignified.
After sitting down, his eyes fell on Mu Lanfeng. He looked at her quietly for a moment, a hint of apology flashed in his eyes, and he slowly said, "Miss Mu, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for so long today. I apologize for my rude words before!"
The voice was low and sincere, with a bit of the directness that is unique to soldiers.
Mu Lanfeng looked up in shock, obviously not expecting Zheng Wanzhao to apologize so directly. She waved her hands quickly, "General, you are too polite. I didn't take the previous matter to heart."
After saying that, he glanced at Zheng Wanzhao, only to see that the other person looked calm and sincere in his eyes.
Mu Lanfeng couldn't help but feel a little more favorable towards her, and continued with a smile: "I wonder why the young general asked me to come here?"
The smile on Zheng Wanzhao's face froze instantly, his eyes became sharp, and he quickly glanced at the guests passing by.
After making sure there were no suspicious people, he approached Mu Lanfeng nervously and said in a low voice: "Miss Mu, to be honest, I have something important to discuss with you. I was indeed not recalled to Beijing this time, but because I found some abnormal situations at the border of Xize, it seems that an unknown force is secretly active. This force is not trivial, and it is related to Xilin and Tianluo! Moreover, according to my observation, it is very likely related to certain people in the court!"
Mu Lanfeng frowned slightly when she heard this. After a moment of contemplation, she raised her head and said slowly, "Major General, do you have any suspects?"
Zheng Wanzhao shook his head slightly, a trace of helplessness and worry flashed across his face, "At present, I have only noticed something, but there is no conclusive evidence pointing to a specific person."
Her eyes revealed deep worry, and her clenched fists showed her inner anxiety and uneasiness.
"Young General, you are not sincere. Since you asked me out, you must have known what was going on!" Mu Lanfeng looked indifferent, with a hint of coldness in his tone.
The corner of Zheng Wanzhao's mouth twitched, and a hint of embarrassment suddenly appeared on her face. She couldn't help but sigh in her heart. She really didn't expect that this seemingly little girl in front of her had such keen insight and could see through her thoughts so easily.
Mu Lanfeng looked at her. Although he said nothing, his eyes revealed a firmness and an irresistible power, as if silently telling Zheng Wanzhao that she must be honest with him.
She just sat there quietly, but she exuded an aura that could not be ignored. Zheng Wanzhao actually felt a sense of inexplicable pressure under her gaze, as if he could neither escape nor refuse.
For a moment, the atmosphere became a little subtle, and there seemed to be an invisible tension spreading between the two.
Zheng Wanzhao coughed lightly, breaking the stalemate, and said slowly: "Miss Mu, I am indeed rude. Indeed, I have some guesses in my mind, but I still need more clues to confirm it."
Mu Lanfeng raised his eyebrows slightly, his expression eased a little, and said: "Young General, then tell me your guess!"
Zheng Wanzhao said, "I noticed some unusual flows of supplies at the border. The destination of these supplies is quite suspicious, and the confidant of the Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue who is in charge of related affairs."
After hearing this, Mu Lanfeng tapped the table lightly with her slender fingers, making a rhythmic "thump thump" sound.
After a moment, she slowly raised her head, her eyes as sharp as a torch, as if she could penetrate all the fog, "Minister Zuo of the Ministry of Revenue? Although I don't know much about this person, the Ministry of Revenue has always been controlled by King Cheng behind the scenes. In my opinion, this matter is most likely related to him!"
"Your Highness Prince Cheng?" Zheng Wanzhao couldn't help but frown, with obvious surprise on her face. It was obviously beyond her expectation that this matter involved Prince Cheng.
Subconsciously, he sat up straight, with a solemn look in his eyes. "Although I know that the forces in the court are complicated, King Cheng...he has always behaved in a proper manner in the court, and he is a person..."
"Major General, don't let appearances blind you. Some people are not as simple as you see." Mu Lanfeng interrupted her with a serious expression.
Then, Mu Lanfeng continued, "In the court, the situation is ever-changing, and everyone is wearing different masks. King Cheng behaved properly in the court, perhaps it was just a false impression he deliberately created, just to make Your Majesty think that he has no ambitions!"
Zheng Wanzhao fell into a brief contemplation, quickly sorting out all the information related to King Cheng in his mind.
After a moment, she raised her head and looked at Mu Lanfeng, her eyes full of inquiry, "Miss Mu, why do you make such an inference? Do you have any definite basis for it?"
Mu Lanfeng pursed his lips and said seriously, "Young General, you don't know. Recently, there have been some rumors in the capital. It is said that King Cheng has been in close contact with some merchants of unknown origin. These merchants are generally from Xilin. Longyuan has been trading with Xilin, so it is naturally difficult to arouse suspicion!"
After hearing this, Zheng Wanzhao's expression became more solemn. He knew the seriousness of the matter. If King Cheng really colluded with unknown forces on the border, the consequences would be disastrous.
"Major General, before you came to me, you must have made a lot of efforts on this matter." Mu Lanfeng said slowly.
"To be honest, I have already gone to the palace to meet His Majesty before this." Zheng Wanzhao sighed, a helpless look appearing on her face.
"But His Majesty does not believe what you said, and even orders you to return to the border of Xize within three days. Is that so?" Mu Lanfeng stared at Zheng Wanzhao and blurted out without even thinking.
Zheng Wanzhao was surprised when she heard this. She really didn't expect that Mu Lanfeng could guess what would happen next.
After a while, Zheng Wanzhao recovered and couldn't help but exclaimed: "Miss Mu, you are really smart! I admire you for being able to deduce the subsequent situation so accurately. I thought this matter was complicated and difficult to understand. I didn't tell you the specific situation after entering the palace, but you hit the nail on the head."
Mu Lanfeng showed a humble smile on his face and said, "Major General, you are too kind. This matter is not difficult to guess. The situation on the border is complicated. The Major General is the commander-in-chief. If the enemy knows about it, the consequences will be disastrous!"
Zheng Wanzhao smiled bitterly and continued, "Just as the young lady said, His Majesty really does not believe that the abnormal situation on the border I said is related to the forces in the court, and only thinks that I am suspicious and speculative."
"The court is in a state of flux, with forces surging from all sides. Your Majesty's decisions are often influenced by many factors. Young General, you are upright and honest, and you are concerned about the safety of the country's borders. You speak out your opinions directly, but you may have overlooked some of the subtle relationships and checks and balances in the court."
She sighed softly and continued, "His Majesty ordered you to return to the border of Xi Ze within three days. Perhaps he did not completely disbelieve what you said, but the more serious issue at the moment is the peace of the border. Although His Majesty said he did not believe it, he might have been investigating it secretly!"
After hearing this, Zheng Wanzhao nodded slightly and said, "Miss Mu's words are not without reason. His Majesty has always been wise, and perhaps he does have his considerations. But I am worried that time is running out. If we can't find out the truth as soon as possible, if that unknown force makes a bigger move after I leave, the border may be in crisis."
Mu Lanfeng pondered for a moment and said, "Major General, you should prepare to return to the border according to His Majesty's order, but you can try to leave some spies on the way to continue to pay attention to the developments in the capital. I will use my connections in the capital to further investigate the clues related to King Cheng."
"Since the young general is so frank, I might as well tell you the truth. Recently, Xilin has been making frequent moves. They have used the identities of merchants as a cover and quietly planted many spies in Liuyue City. I think the general knows something about Xilin. It is a small place with dense population and surrounded by water. They have been coveting the vast land of Longyuan for a long time, and it is not a matter of one or two days. It's just that they have been struggling to find a suitable opportunity."
"Now their actions at the border are getting bolder and bolder. I suspect they are colluding with that unknown force." Mu Lanfeng looked at Zheng Wanzhao solemnly and continued, "These spies must be secretly collecting all kinds of intelligence to prepare for their next move. If there are still forces in our country that are colluding with them, the consequences will be disastrous!"