Everyone in the army knew who the Military Governor served.

The Duke Huguo could only clear himself by severely punishing the Military Governor.

The thirty military lashes of Dong Chenglang were dealt upon the Military Governor.

General Shi’s anger subsided by thirty percent, and he returned to the camp with a wave of his sleeve. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Dong Chenglang followed closely behind, wanting to see how angry his uncle really was to decide what to do next.

Xie Jingchen thought he was courting disaster, for now he was digging his own uncle’s grave. Didn’t he ever consider how his uncle would react when the truth was exposed one day?

Even if it meant being beaten to semi-paralysis, that would be considered lenient.

Dong Chenglang poured tea for General Shi, urging him to calm down.

General Shi looked at him and Young Master Shi and said, "You two should return to the Capital."

Young Master Shi’s expression changed, and Dong Chenglang said, "How can we return to the Capital?"

General Shi didn’t want them to return either, but he and the Duke Huguo had already fallen out completely. It had reached a life-or-death point between them.

Even before their complete fallout, they were already having Dong Chenglang undertake such dangerous tasks as stealing antidotes from the enemy camp and framing him. If they stayed, who knew what would happen next.

On the battlefield, one must be mentally prepared to die, but internal conflict was more perilous than the battlefield.

General Shi feared that his nephew and son would perish not on the battlefield, but in his conflict with the Duke Huguo.

Such sacrifices were too unworthy.

But could Young Master Shi and Dong Chenglang leave?

Young Master Shi was his son; he wanted to stay by his father’s side and face the enemy together.

Dong Chenglang, even more so, could not leave. Although the conflict between General Shi and the Duke Huguo wasn’t his doing, he was the one who made it public.

Could he just walk away and leave his uncle to battle the Duke Huguo?

One was a favored minister trusted by the Emperor of Nangang, the other one suspected by the Emperor of Nangang—it was clear who would lose and who would win.

Had General Shi even a half chance of winning, Dong Chenglang would not have helped Zhao Xu sow discord against his uncle and incite rebellion against the court.

Dong Chenglang couldn’t hold back and said, "Uncle cannot overthrow the Duke Huguo, so why not rebel against the court?"

He said this during General Shi’s moments of anger, believing his uncle wouldn’t react too strongly.

Yet General Shi flew into a rage. If Dong Chenglang hadn’t been wronged already, he would have really wanted to give him a flogging.

Could he speak such treasonous words so frivolously?!

Young Master Shi had heard it before and coupled with feeling indignant for his father, his emotions remained relatively steady.

He reassured General Shi, "Father, our cousin felt wronged too, we can’t blame him for having such thoughts."

"Such thoughts must not be entertained; dismiss them immediately!" General Shi suppressed his anger as he spoke.

What could Dong Chenglang do; he couldn’t even broach the topic despite the situation, there was not an iota of room to insert himself.

Dong Chenglang offered General Shi some tea, changing the subject.

Xie Jingchen stood outside the camp; he could guess what Dong Chenglang might say, and he knew it was better for him not to be in attendance.

Guarding outside, he waited for a quarter of an hour before Dong Chenglang emerged.

He hooked his arm around Xie Jingchen’s shoulder and said, "Let’s go, back to our camp."

From his face, Xie Jingchen couldn’t tell whether he had persuaded General Shi or not.

Once inside the tent, with no one else around, Dong Chenglang looked at Xie Jingchen and asked, "How come you can imitate the Military Governor’s handwriting?"

Xie Jingchen twitched the corners of his mouth, "Anyone’s handwriting could have deceived the Emperor."

Writing secret letters was not that simple.

Would he have dared to suggest such a strategy to Dong Chenglang without absolute certainty?

A single misstep, and it could have backfired disastrously.

Dong Chenglang then realized he’d vastly underestimated the complexity of matters, though he didn’t know when Xie Jingchen had learned to mimic the Military Governor’s handwriting despite their constant companionship.

How could Xie Jingchen tell him that from the moment he entered the military camp, he had planned how to sow discord?

Luckily, imitating the Military Governor’s handwriting wasn’t a difficult task for him.

Dong Chenglang offered Xie Jingchen some tea once again, as he was undoubtedly in awe of Xie Jingchen’s capabilities, given that he even predicted his uncle’s request to cross-check the handwriting.

Xie Jingchen held his forehead.

He hadn’t anticipated that General Shi would want to search the Military Governor. That letter was originally meant for the Duke Huguo...

Nevertheless, it ultimately led to the same outcome through varying routes.

The Duke Huguo had used the Military Governor to clear himself, but in General Shi’s eyes, it was merely appeasement.

Dong Chenglang patted Xie Jingchen’s shoulder, extending his hand and asking, "Do you have any poison on you? Something potent, but not deadly?"

Xie Jingchen looked at Dong Chenglang, his brow furrowed, "This is far too dangerous."

"What’s there to worry about?" Dong Chenglang frowned.

"My uncle doesn’t guard against me."

"....."

Xie Jingchen squirmed.

He had thought Dong Chenglang wanted the poison to deal with the Duke Huguo.

Turns out, it was meant for General Shi once again.

Did they really need to constantly target his own uncle?

Xie Jingchen looked at Dong Chenglang, "Aren’t you leaving yourself any way out?"

Dong Chenglang, "....."

He stared at Xie Jingchen, clutching his chest, "Can’t you say something reassuring, I’m already anxious, and you’re only making me more frightened."

Xie Jingchen, "....."

Was he really anxious?

Dong Chenglang scrutinized Xie Jingchen, "You’re Zhao Xu’s man, aren’t you supposed to encourage me to do this?"

Xie Jingchen, "....."

Xie Jingchen had nothing left to say, holding his head.

Dong Chenglang slapped him on the shoulder, "I knew you truly regarded me as a brother, always looking out for me."

"However, I’ve already made an agreement with your master, if I fail to persuade my uncle, and there comes a day for real conflict, even if my uncle wounds him, he must spare my uncle."

"If I can persuade my uncle, then in the future for his contributions, he must bestow a noble title and grant a Red Book Iron Certificate."

"Otherwise, as much as my uncle cares for me, could I really betray my uncle for Brother Zhao?"

He was after all a true nephew.

He knew his uncle too well.

Without his uncle’s full support, Zhao Xu’s chances of success wouldn’t exceed thirty percent.

If necessary, he might incite the Duke Huguo to first eliminate his uncle.

In that scenario, caught in the middle, what could he do?

Xie Jingchen was indeed a bit surprised, having always thought of Dong Chenglang as a walking disaster.

And this disaster only targeted his own uncle.

Xie Jingchen had just begun to reassess him when Dong Chenglang sipped his tea and said, "I’m my mother’s only son; no matter how angry my uncle gets, he wouldn’t kill me."

"Since I won’t die, what’s there to be afraid of?"

There’s no need to elaborate.

This was the main point.

He was acting out because he had nothing to fear.

After saying this, Dong Chenglang continued, "So do you have the poison or not?"

"Are you sure you want to poison the Great General?" Xie Jingchen looked at him.

Dong Chenglang hesitated for a moment, then said, "You’re right; I can’t keep targeting only my uncle."

"I’ll poison my cousin instead."

"....."