The letter was expedited by horse.

The messenger said that he was supposed to deliver a message to Wangcheng, but when he was passing the Baiqiu post, he heard from the postmaster that the young general was stationed here, so he came straight here and presented a personal letter first.

Chi Xiaochi opened the letter and inside was General Shi Jinghong’s eloquent handwriting.

Chi Xiaochi’s face sank slightly as he read the whole letter.

Chu Ziling : “How is it, my lord?”

Chi Xiaochi casually handed him the letterhead, “Something’s wrong.”

Chu Ziling hesitated a little: “My lord, this is not in order ……”

Chi Xiaochi tsked, “Don’t talk to me like that in the absence of Master Gongzi. If I tell you to look, you can look.”

These words strike a chord in Chu Ziling’s heart.

In Shi Tingyun’s mind, he really is better than that sick bone.

Now that Gongshi is in his tent recovering from illness, Chu Ziling is able to pry a little.

He took the letter and, after a brief glance, could not hide his astonishment: “Ding Yuan was nearly broken into three days ago?”

”Yes. Perhaps it was that band of bandits from the Great Green Mountain, who sold news of Uncle Wen’s injuries to the Southern Borderers.”

Chi Xiaochi frowned, grumbling under his breath and burning on his face, “Uncle Wen too! How can he be so angry and vomit blood when victory or defeat is a matter of war? I don’t know if I’ve been injured. ……”

Chu Ziling went to one side and fetched a map of the military defences of the southern border, spreading it out on the table, his eyes quiet: “…… Sir, look at the map.”

Chi Xiaochi listened to his words before she gathered her anxious expression, “Yes. Figure.”

Shi Jinghong was naturally aware of this, and the letter had a second purpose, apart from asking him to come to Zhennan Pass.

Whenever there was an emergency on the frontier, Shi Jinghong would write to him, stating the situation, not so much to keep Shi Tingyun anxious, but to ask him to write out his response and send it back to Zhennanguan.

In fact, by the time the letter was sent, the crisis had mostly been resolved, so it was just an occasional quiz from the father to his son.

As for the third layer of meaning implied in this letter, it is probably only Chi Xiaochi and Shi Jinghong who know it well.

It was Ding Yuan City that was in trouble, so it was clear who was the mole.

If Shi Tingyun was still a young white fox, not suspicious of his own litter, Shi Jinghong was a ripe old red-tailed fox, quite calm and collected, and wrote without asking about his inner circle, only about the military situation, the wording of his letters being no different from those of old.

Shi Jinghong was more considerate than Chi Xiaochi, fearing that a straightforward man like Wen Feiru, a military general, would be too honest to deceive the Southern Borderers, so he simply made up the excuse that he was seriously injured and told him not to come out to see anyone for a while.

Words return to the present.

Chi Xiaochi asked Chu Ziling: “How do you think the city of Dingyuan should be fortified?”

Chu Ziling knelt in front of the map, pointed out a few places and talked about his feelings.

Chi Xiaochi, having shared his memories with Shi Tingyun, can tell that the few decisions he made were not bad, but a little rough, leaving out a few details.

Chu Ziling would not have dug his own grave.

He has been working undercover for many years and knows Shi Tingyun’s skills inside out.

Shi Tingyun is still simple-minded and only uses his calculations on the enemy’s side, rather than easily suspecting his own people.

This is a good thing, but if Chu Ziling thinks he’s being presumptuous and tries to play on Shi Tingyun’s childhood training in the formation of his troops, he’s asking to be killed.

He watched Shi Tingyun write down his proposed strategy and thoughtfully add the points he had “missed”, and breathed a sigh of relief without a trace.

”Don’t worry, I won’t argue for credit.” Shi Tingyun put aside his pen and said graciously, “I will tell you in my letters what was your idea and put in more good words for you in front of my father.”

Chu Ziling arched his eyes, “Thank you, sir, for your kindness.”

Shi Tingyun, a man of true candour and a man of his word, took a vermilion pen and circled the first half of the battle strategy, noting that it was contributed by Chu Ziling.

Chu Ziling looked at this sincere, naive and foolish young general and felt a sense of compassion.

The strategy of defence is written, followed by the strategy of defending the enemy.

When he returned, Shi Tingyun had already put aside his pen, folded the letter into a small round wooden envelope, closed it with a wooden lid, and then took a block of fire lacquer and used a torch to heat it up.

The fire paint melts with the heat and drops of the melted liquid fall right over the seal of the small wooden cylinder.

The seal is made of a carefully blended vermilion colour, which is different from that sold on the market and difficult to imitate.

Shi Tingyun said, “A round badge.”

Before the words were out of his mouth, Chu Ziling arrived with the chapter in hand, attentive and unobtrusive.

Shi Tingyun takes it and knocks down the specially shaped curved round seal at the seal of the wooden cylinder.

When the paint had dried, Shi Tingyun said, “Go and send it by carrier pigeon.”

Chu Ziling deliberately asked one more question, “Won’t you wait for the messenger sent by General Shi to return?”

Shi Tingyun said, “Didn’t I tell you to bring along good, experienced pigeons before we left? They know the way, and it saves one the trouble of making a special trip round to the marching party to fetch them.”

Chu Ziling took the small wooden cylinder with both hands and bowed, “Ziling will do so.”

He went to the pigeon’s cage, grabbed one by hand, tied a small wooden tube around its leg and released it with great skill.

After the snow-white figures of the pigeons have disappeared into the sky, Chu Ziling smiles slightly, crouches down and taps his index finger twice on the cage.

A grey-haired pigeon with a white patch on its forehead jumps twice, comes to the cage and pecks him affectionately on the fingertips.

Chu Ziling took some rice out of his pocket and fed it to him with a gentle look.

Shi Tingyun’s sudden departure from Wangcheng caught him somewhat off guard.

Should he give up on the killing move he had prepared beforehand, or should he seize the moment and make a quick move?

Chu Ziling has good ears and retracts his fingers in time to pretend to check the pigeonhole lock and stand up in front of a black power hedge.

The man’s eyes were hidden under a veil of mist and could not be seen clearly, so Chu Ziling was unable to guess what he was thinking through his eyes and felt a little wary.

Li Yeshu, who was pushing Yu Fengmian, was unaware of the darkness between them and greeted, “A Ling, did the Duke ask you to send another letter?”

”Yes.”

Chu Ziling gave an arching hand to Yu Fengmian in his wheelchair: “The dew is heavy at night, why is Master Gongzi out?”

The man’s slightly mute voice came from under the hedge: “I’m feeling better, so I don’t want to be bored in the tent, where the stench is too strong. Go and light a stick of incense in the tent.”

Li Yeshu was stunned: “Why didn’t Master Gongzi say something to Ah Shu? Ah Shu will order it later when he gets back.”

Yu Fengmian said lightly, “I have troubled you enough today. Now you push me to blow a little while he goes to light the incense, so that I can be more comfortable when I return to my tent.”

When he said that, he raised his head slightly, “Please.”

Chu Ziling had long been accustomed to the Sixth Prince’s explicit sarcasm, but this was the first time he had received such a sarcastic reminder that he was a slave, but after all, he had been undercover for many years and had developed a temperament that could withstand any insult he received.

…… Until you become a royal son of the southern border, these little things need not be on your mind.

He was not condescending: “Yes, Ziling obeys.”

He arched his hand to leave, trying to get away from the eccentric and prickly sick boy.

Who would have thought that Yu Fengmian would open his mouth again, “Ziling, is that your name?”

Chu Ziling had to stand still: “Yes.”

Yu Fengmian said gently, “I thought your name was A Ling.”

Chu Ziling was uncomfortable with this gentle yet subtly haughty attitude.

Li Yeshu explained from the side, “My name is Li Yeshu and A Ling’s name is Chu Ziling. When he first took us in, he called me A Shu and A Ling. At that time, the wind in Wangcheng changed the names of the servants, such as ‘Qingfeng’, ‘Mingyue’, ‘Qinqi, calligraphy and painting’, in order to show their elegance, and some even changed their surnames, for fear of being ridiculed for not having Wen ink in their master’s belly. Some even changed their surnames for fear of being ridiculed for not having Wen and ink in their bellies. The Duke did not change our names, saying that they were names given by our parents and should not be changed indiscriminately, and that only the last word was called to look close and sound good.”

Yu Fengmian nodded once, and when he turned to Chu Ziling, there was a touch of playfulness in his voice: “Do you have any comments on the name the Duke has chosen for you?”

Chu Ziling was a little agitated inside: “Zi …… A Ling didn’t mean it.”

Li Yeshu had the heart to explain for Chu Ziling: “You are not to blame, Master Gongzi, for he has always favoured A Ling and allowed him to call himself by his name in private.”

Yu Fengmian said, “You may feel free to do as you please in front of your son, but in the army, there is a strict hierarchy and everyone is waiting to see how the young general behaves, so if you, as his sidekick, disrupt the rules of respect, you will lose your son’s face, understand?”

As soon as he heard that the matter might be a matter of the Prince’s face, Li Yeshu immediately stopped talking and gave Chu Ziling a wink, telling him to obediently answer yes.

Chu Ziling pursed his lips and looked genuinely sorry: “It was A Ling’s mistake,” he said.

Yu Fengmian seems to be a casual pointing out of the past.

”Come along. Go to the Duke’s tent.”

Ah Shu replied in the affirmative, and as he pushed him to go, Yu Fengmian turned his head again and ordered, “Don’t forget to light the incense.”

Chu Ziling’s face was no longer half smiling as he watched the gongzi master leave.

Once again, he realised that without his son, he would be no more than a clever boy in the eyes of the General’s family.

How can a boy be seen and treated differently by others?

…… Only merit, only merit.

With that in mind, Chu Ziling turns his attention to the pigeon coop behind him.

The pigeon with the spotted forehead had eaten its fill and was hopping around the cage, mingling with the other pigeons and looking no different.

That plan, he had to do it.

……

After entering the Prince’s tent, Chi Xiaochi informed Lou Ying of the news he had received: “Master Gongzi, Dingyuan was attacked, but the city was saved.”

Lou Ying knew what he meant: “Then we should go to Dingyuan first?”

Shu, who had thought they were going to Yongzhou, sniffed aside and had little reaction.

He did not know much about the military, but only two things.

Firstly, the matters that the Duke entrusted to him were important matters, and if the Duke wanted him to keep his mouth shut about military matters, then he would not say a word more than he had to.

Secondly, the military is ever-changing and it is not for him, a servant in a deep house, to say anything about it. It doesn’t matter whether it is Yongzhou or Dingyuan, he will go wherever the Duke goes.

Finding that the tea in the teapot was too strong and probably not good for the gongzi master’s stomach, he took it out and poured it, intending to re-brew it.

After Shu left, Chi Xiaochi asked him, “Why don’t you take a good rest in the tent?”

Lou Ying : “I was just worried that you would suddenly change your plans and Chu Ziling would not take Shi Jinghong lightly for the sake of safety. So I deliberately came out to give him a reason to do it.”