Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 559: Borrowing the Ribbon to Plot
Lu Wenzhao half forgot about his junior sister, but Hou Shilu, as an outsider, did not.

"Miss Ding, why are you standing here all the time?" As soon as Lu Wenzhao's butt touched the stool, he pushed Ding Baiying to sit next to Lu Wenzhao. "Come on, come on, sit down!"

Ding Baiying's eyelashes trembled. She turned her head and glanced at Lu Wenzhao secretly.

Lu Wenzhao looked back and met Ding Baiying's eyes. Ding Baiying's pupils shrank, and she turned back to straighten her cuffs, which were already wrinkle-free. Lu Wenzhao couldn't see Ding Baiying's face, but from the irregular rise and fall of her chest, Lu Wenzhao could still tell that her thoughts were not at peace.

However, Lu Wenzhao didn't think too much about it, and just thought it was the awkwardness that a stranger would feel when meeting someone from his hometown.

Lu Wenzhao himself was also very uneasy, because Hou Shilu also sat down, which clearly meant he had something to say. Lu Wenzhao perked up, and his attention once again shifted from Ding Baiying to Hou Shilu.

Hou Shilu, holding the first cup of tea he had filled, walked around to sit across from Lu Wenzhao and Ding Baiying. Once seated, Hou Shilu held the cup again and blew gently toward the water. The mist shrouded the water, obscuring his lowered eyes. "Captain Lu."

"General Hou, what do you want?" Lu Wenzhao directly picked up the teacup and pretended to offer tea.

"Don't talk about orders or not. Just a small talk." Hou Shilu smiled lightly and casually threw out a question: "By the way, how far has the report of merit come?"

"What do you mean by reporting your achievements?" Lu Wenzhao didn't react, and a puzzled look gradually appeared on his face.

Hou Shilu turned his head and looked at Ding Baiying. "It's about Junior Sister Ding reporting the general's death."

Ding Baiying was startled when he heard this, and slowly raised his head with his eyes wide open.

But at this moment, Hou Shilu stopped looking at her and shifted his gaze back to Lu Wenzhao. "Captain Lu came from Liaoyang, so he should have inquired about this matter in detail, right?"

"I did ask, but not in detail," Lu Wenzhao said, withdrawing his hand from the tea and taking a sip. "At the time, I really didn't expect him to come to Weining. I just guessed it might be someone with the same name who reported the merit." Lu Wenzhao quickly glanced at Ding Baiying and found her staring at Hou Shilu, her eyes still a little glazed.

"Haha, it's not just a name." Hou Shilu shook his head slightly. "This military achievement belongs to Miss Ding. I personally asked and reported it. Captain Lu really has a good junior sister." Hou Shilu's eyes met Ding Baiying's. "Recently, I have been wondering what a talented senior brother like this must be. Seeing him today, he is indeed a young man of integrity."

"Thank you, General Hou, for your support of my senior brother and sister!" Lu Wenzhao expressed his gratitude by clasping his fists.

"I don't praise incompetent people," Hou Shilu smiled and waved his hand, then gently brought the conversation back to the topic: "I reported the first merit. Has it been approved by the governor?"

"Approved." Lu Wenzhao nodded. "Governor Yuan said personally that as long as the head and the token are sent to Guangning and inspected by Minister Yang, they can be sent to the capital and handed over to the Ministry of War for inspection."

Hou Shilu first made a gesture of obvious relief. He had already thought of what to say next, but when he opened his mouth, he suddenly swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue. Hou Shilu pondered for a moment, then took the opportunity to continue the conversation, "Is Yang Zhongcheng still in Guangning?"

"Still there." Lu Wenzhao narrowed his eyes slightly.

"How's the investigation into that smuggling case going? It should be closed soon, right?" Hou Shilu continued to ask.

"Why did General Hou suddenly ask about this case?" Lu Wenzhao suddenly became alert.

"It's just a small talk, and we'll just talk about whatever comes to mind," Hou Shilu said cleverly. "If Captain Lu hasn't been to Guangning, just pretend I didn't ask."

Lu Wenzhao didn't think Hou Shilu was really just here for small talk. He thought for a moment and decided to follow Hou Shilu's lead a little further, to see what he had to say. "Yuan Bingxian and I did stay in Guangning for some time."

"You didn't go there just for that smuggling case, did you?" Hou Shilu asked in a counter-intuitive tone.

"It's nice to hear a few words," Lu Wenzhao said. "But it doesn't really matter whether you listen or not. Yang Zhongcheng has already completed the investigation. Before we left, he had already sent the results back to the capital. I believe that the imperial judgment on this case will be announced to the world soon."

"As expected of Yang Zhongcheng, he's solved this case so quickly." Hou Shilu drank the tea in his cup in one gulp and said in a deliberately lowered voice, "I hope he won't find any clues after the war record is forwarded to Guangning."

Lu Wenzhao's expression changed slightly. He quickly realized that Hou Shilu had suddenly brought up Guangning, not because he really wanted to ask about Guangning's smuggling case, but to get at this point. But at this point, Lu Wenzhao had no other choice but to willingly follow suit and continue asking, "What clues?"

"It's nothing, actually." Hou Shilu slowly turned his head and looked at Ding Baiying. "It's just a common way of claiming credit."

"Take credit!" Lu Wenzhao's skin was covered in goosebumps. He turned his head sharply, looking at Ding Baiying beside him in disbelief. Ding Baiying clenched his hands and lowered his head, not daring to look back at his senior brother like a child who had made a mistake.

The scene before him made it hard for Hou Shilu not to curl up the corners of his mouth slightly.

Although Hou Shilu still didn't know what Yuan Keli and Lu Wenzhao were planning in Weining, he concluded that this wasn't a crucial question. Unless fate had already determined otherwise, as long as he could control and win over the Jinyiwei and Tiqi leaders, he would be invincible no matter what they attempted.

The means of winning over are nothing more than threats, inducements, and living and dying together.

Hou Shilu gritted his teeth, trying hard to suppress his spontaneous smugness and put on an expression of regret. "It's really unavoidable. If I don't use the method of using the luggage to replace the peach zombie, Miss Ding's achievement of beheading the general will be forfeited."

"What do you mean?" Lu Wenzhao looked at Hou Shilu. His breathing was a little disordered, and fine cold sweat began to seep out of his forehead.

"Youngest son guards the stove," Hou Shilu asked first. "I wonder if Captain Lu has heard of this tradition practiced among the barbarians in the nine border areas?"

Lu Wenzhao thought about it patiently and asked, "Will the adult sons take part of the family property and go out to establish their own families, and the youngest son will eventually inherit the family line?"

Hou Shilu nodded. "Barbarians don't observe ancestral rituals, but it's not wrong to say so."

"Is the issue of taking credit for something related to this tradition?" Lu Wenzhao asked.

"Yes," Hou Shilu leaned forward and grasped the handle of the teapot, pouring himself some tea while slowly saying, "The youngest son guards the stove. Not only does he inherit the family business, but he also stays behind to guard the house when all the male members of the family are called up to war. The 'thief general' that Miss Ding brought back from hunting was the youngest son who guarded the stove in that tribe." Filling the teapot with tea, Hou Shilu pointed the teapot towards Lu Wenzhao's cup. "Go on," Lu Wenzhao said, waving his hand in defiance. "I can do it myself."

This time, Hou Shilu didn't insist on pouring tea for Lu Wenzhao. He put down the teapot nearby, sat back, and said, "That was a young man with no hair on his head. Although he was still brave and courageous, he looked young. In my experience, if I had just submitted his head to report the merit, it would have been rejected. That would have invalidated Miss Ding's merit. So, I chose a decent head from the other ones they brought back and attached it to the flags, armor, and the story of the captured stronghold and the general."

"In other words, the person who took credit for the achievement was also a Jurchen barbarian?" After hearing what Hou Shilu said, Lu Wenzhao's tense nerves relaxed a little.

"Of course. I just made an appropriate adjustment. If someone kills innocent people and tries to gain credit for their crimes, I definitely won't cover it up." Hou Shilu picked up the teacup and blew on it gently. "Didn't Governor Yuan tell Captain Lu that two Han people were still alive?"

Lu Wenzhao frowned again, "Are those two still in Weining?"

"The man has already enlisted and is in Miss Ding's unit. The woman has been sent to Liaoyang according to the rules, but since the report of her merits was approved by General Xiong and Governor Yuan, it means she didn't dare to interfere." Hou Shilu sipped his tea slowly, and the cup was empty again. "As long as there are no people involved who report it, even if Minister Yang personally inspected Weining, he probably wouldn't find anything."

"Who else knows about this?" Lu Wenzhao glanced at Ding Baiying.

"Captain Lu, there's no need to worry. Those who might have let the secret slip are now out. As long as Miss Ding doesn't say anything herself, Yuan Bingxian shouldn't be able to find out." Hou Shilu put down the teacup and had no intention of refilling it.

"So that's how it is," Lu Wenzhao's thoughts gradually became clear. He forced a smile and bowed to Hou Shilu. "General Hou, you've really thought it through!"

"If I don't think things through carefully, I might get myself involved as well." Hou Shilu also smiled.

"General Hou's praise for my sister is truly unnerving," Lu Wenzhao said, taking a deep, slow breath. His chest rose as the breath intensified, and his smile deepened. Lu Wenzhao offered, "If you don't mind, perhaps I could offer a small favor to you?"

"Who do you think I am, Captain Lu?" Hou Shilu stood up, feigning dissatisfaction. "Even if we're being utilitarian, Miss Ding is still a soldier of my Weining Battalion. I'm honored that she was able to successfully report her merits, and I don't need any other reward."

Lu Wenzhao also stood up. "Don't be upset, General Hou. That's not what I meant."

"Then what do you mean?" Hou Shilu asked with his head tilted.

"This" Lu Wenzhao meant that. But he couldn't continue the conversation.

"Hahahaha, of course I know Captain Lu didn't mean that." Hou Shilu suddenly laughed a few times. He walked over to Lu Wenzhao and patted his shoulder gently. "It's been a long time since we last met. If an outsider like me continues to refuse to leave, I'd be ungrateful." Hou Shilu walked to the door and bowed to Lu Wenzhao and Ding Baiying. "Captain Lu, Miss Ding, I'll say goodbye. I've booked the second floor of this restaurant. You two can treat this place as your home and chat. If you need anything else, just let the owner know."

Lu Wenzhao was so dazed that he forgot to return the greeting immediately. Instead, Ding Baiying, who had been silent the whole time, stood up and saluted Hou Shilu.

As the door was about to close, Lu Wenzhao, filled with doubts, blankly added the greeting. "Thank you, Marshal Hou."

--------

The sound of horse hooves gradually faded away, and Lu Wenzhao sat down.

"Junior sister, long time no see." Lu Wenzhao looked at Ding Baiying with a smile, trying his best to hide the fatigue in his tone.

"Captain Lu, you're too polite." Ding Baiying didn't even raise his head, but just bowed to Lu Wenzhao with a hypocritical look.

This time, Lu Wenzhao didn't return the favor. "Junior sister, are you still blaming me?"

“.” Ding Baiying did not respond.

"I'm wrong about this. But I've been sent out of Beijing on a mission, and I have no choice." Lu Wenzhao felt a little guilty. Not only did he not dare disobey orders, he had completely forgotten his agreement with Ding Baiying. After receiving the order, he rushed south in a hurry, forgetting even to say hello to Hai Rou.

"I know," Ding Baiying said, but still didn't look up. "So I went from Deputy Captain Lu to Captain Lu."

"Only when you get promoted can you accomplish great things, and only then will others do you favors," Lu Wenzhao said, his lips curled up, and he nodded with a half-bitter smile and a half-proud smile. "Isn't what happened here a ready-made example?"

"What do you mean, senior brother?" Ding Baiying raised his head and looked at Lu Wenzhao with a frown.

"What else could it mean?" Lu Wenzhao took an upside-down empty cup and poured himself a cup of tea. "I've just thought about it carefully. Marshal Hou's arrangements are very appropriate, and they probably won't be discovered. Besides, if it's just a substitution, even if it's exposed, I can cover it up for you."

Lu Wenzhao still didn't fully understand Hou Shilu's true intentions behind this incident. But he was certain of one thing: Hou Shilu was at least trying to befriend him, the "imperial envoy." Lu Wenzhao didn't object. For now, at least, it seemed Hou Shilu was just a bit cunning, not a bad guy.

"Brother, do you think I took the initiative to ask for this favor by borrowing your name?" Ding Baiying's pupils trembled.

Lu Wenzhao shrugged. This was his tacit agreement.

"I didn't." A glint of light suddenly flashed in the corner of Ding Baiying's eyes, and her voice was choked.

"It's okay." The tea had cooled considerably. Lu Wenzhao tasted it with his lips and then drank it. "If you really want to get into the officialdom, just use my shoulders as a ladder. I won't blame you. But if a woman relies on herself to become an official, I'm afraid it will still be difficult..."

"I said I didn't!" Ding Baiying's voice rose twice, and two lines of tears flowed down.

"Why are you crying for no reason?" Lu Wenzhao shook his sleeves and leaned over to wipe Ding Baiying's tears as he did before.

Ding Baiying slapped Lu Wenzhao's hand away. Tears filled with a variety of emotions slid down her cheeks, like threads, following the path of her clear tears. "I didn't borrow your title of Captain Lu to ask for this kind of favor!"

(End of this chapter)