Zhang Zongbin truly looked exhausted. His complexion was pale and sickly, and even his breathing was uneven. If not for the fact that the Imperial Grandson before him was the emperor’s most treasured favorite, Zhang Zongbin felt that he would have exploded in anger long ago, just like Censor Tie.
Behind him, Feng Nanmu was not much better off. He looked as though he only had a few breaths left in him. He waved a hand weakly to indicate that he felt exactly the same as Zhang Zongbin.
Prefectural Judge Wang secretly chuckled, only to be immediately met with a glare from Xing Min.
Xiao Yunting, however, remained good-tempered. He personally reached out to help Zhang Zongbin down from the carriage, then turned and reprimanded the others: “Why haven’t you set up camp yet? The night air is cold and damp. Don’t let the gentlemen catch a chill!”
Zhang Zongbin’s expression improved somewhat. Everyone who had accompanied Xiao Yunting to Jiangxi had said that he never did things according to convention.
When traveling with him, one should not expect ceremonial processions, nor should one expect him to accept banquets hosted by local officials.
Zhang Zongbin had heard some of those stories beforehand and had mentally prepared himself for the journey.
Still, while the trip was indeed exhausting, Xiao Yunting genuinely knew how to respect and value capable men. Considering that the prince had personally helped him down from the carriage, Zhang Zongbin’s tone softened. “Your Highness, I know you’re anxious about this case, but we must also consider the bigger picture. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Xiao Yunting laughed. “Indeed! Indeed! What senior says is perfectly reasonable. Imperial Grandfather specifically instructed me that no matter what happens, I am to seek guidance from the two of you. Your advice is absolutely correct.”
Zhang Zongbin immediately felt much better.
Good. The boy was teachable. Very teachable.
Qingfeng raised an eyebrow and quietly stopped Lin Hai, who was about to speak, giving him a meaningful look.
Only then did Lin Hai hold his tongue. Afterward, while making his patrol rounds, he could no longer restrain himself. “Why are we giving that old b*stard so much face? All along this journey, he’s been the one causing the most trouble. One day it’s because we’ve traveled too far and he’s tired, the next day it’s because the wind gave him a headache. Otherwise, he complains that the carriage is too bumpy and demands a different one! Is he here to assist His Highness in investigating the case, or is he here to command His Highness?”
“He’s completely throwing his weight around!”
Qingfeng smiled knowingly. “When have you ever seen His Highness come out on the losing end?”
Not to mention a mere Shilang of the Ministry of Justice. Even when the Crown Prince himself offended Xiao Yunting, Xiao Yunting still handled things exactly as he wished.
The reason he wasn’t acting now was simply because he was waiting for the right opportunity.
Lin Hai snorted. “If only Miss Qi were here!”
Sure, His Highness wouldn’t suffer any losses. But Miss Qi’s methods worked.
One forceful blow could overcome ten clever schemes.
She’d beat that old b*stard to death!
Qingfeng immediately rolled his eyes.
Ever since spending more time around Qi Yuan, he had noticed that these Dao soldiers had all picked up some of her habits.
Namely, they no longer wanted to waste effort on complicated matters.
That wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
After all, not everyone could simply be killed.
The two men led more than a dozen Dao soldiers on a patrol round. Seeing that the guards had already arranged themselves properly according to formation, they nodded in satisfaction.
Lin Hai still felt annoyed.
What did it mean to be tired?
The soldiers marching on foot were the truly exhausted ones.
Not everyone was fortunate enough to have a horse.
Many of those soldiers had worn the soles of their feet raw and bloody.
Yet they still could not fall behind.
Meanwhile, those important officials riding comfortably in carriages were still complaining about a bumpy ride.
He spat in disgust.
Even after returning to camp, he remained indignant.
Xiao Yunting was studying a map.
When he saw the two of them return, he looked up briefly and asked in a deep voice, “What is it?”
Qingfeng immediately answered first. “Nothing, Your Highness. Lin Hai simply can’t stand Lord Zhang…”
“He’s relying on his age to throw his weight around!” Lin Hai interrupted, unwilling to let Qingfeng cover for him. With obvious irritation, he said, “Every day it’s one ailment or another. Either this hurts or that hurts. Your Highness has been riding horseback the whole time and hasn’t complained once. Just look at him!”
Xiao Yunting continued studying the map. Without even changing expression, he instructed: “If you have time to gossip, you’d be better off watching the cooks. I’ve already said that there must be absolutely no mistakes with the food. And the medicinal herbs we’ve brought must be brewed on schedule and distributed in the proper amounts.”
The weather was freezing, and they were enduring a journey of this intensity. A moment’s carelessness could easily result in illness.
People often said that soldiers’ lives were cheap, that a commander could not afford excessive compassion.
But Xiao Yunting disagreed.
He believed his soldiers should be treated like human beings.
Lin Hai hurriedly acknowledged the order and went off to work.
Xiao Yunting then raised an eyebrow at Qingfeng. “Well? Any developments?”
Qingfeng immediately lowered his voice. “Your Highness, it’s the same as before. Every three or four days, one of Lord Zhang’s attendants leaves for a while. Sometimes he claims he’s buying medicine. Sometimes he says he’s looking for food. And when we’re out in the wilderness, he says he’s hunting game for his master.”
The corner of Xiao Yunting’s mouth curled upward in a mocking smile.
Late into the night, the camp cooks worked for hours before finally preparing food for everyone. The soldiers lined up with bowls in hand to receive their meals.
Besides food, each man also received a bowl of medicinal soup. In such bitterly cold weather, a hot brew containing ginger and various herbs warmed the body immediately after drinking it.
Holding his own bowl, Zhang Zongbin stood outside his tent and watched the soldiers. He let out a scornful laugh. “They’re just a bunch of old campaigners and troublemakers. His Highness spoils them far too much!”
Beside him, Feng Nanmu silently sipped his medicinal tea and said nothing.
After dinner, it wasn’t long before everyone except those assigned to night watch retreated into their tents.
Zhang Zongbin did the same. A long while later, after hearing a rustling sound outside, he suddenly opened his eyes and sat up. All traces of fatigue vanished. Frowning, he asked, “Have they all fallen asleep?”
His attendant, a powerfully built man, stepped forward and laughed. “They’re sleeping like the dead. Even if someone cut their heads off, they wouldn’t wake up. And we owe that to His Highness’s kindness. He was so worried that those soldiers might suffer hardship that he specifically ordered medicinal tea to be brewed for them.”
The tea would not actually ward off the cold.
But it could take lives.
If one wanted to leave everyone unable to move, it was remarkably simple.
One only needed to tamper with the medicinal tea.
And tampering with it wasn’t difficult at all.
If they were in the capital, especially inside the palace, it would have been nearly impossible.
But this was the wilderness.
Adding a sufficient amount of drugs to the water supply was enough.
The attendant could not suppress his triumphant grin. “My lord, after enduring so many days, you finally won’t have to endure any longer.”
Zhang Zongbin snorted coldly. His mood was equally foul. “I never wanted to get involved in this kind of messy business! But trouble came looking for me. What choice do I have? Whether I wanted to do it or not, I had to do it.”
The more he spoke, the darker his expression became. Impatiently, he ordered, “Go send the signal. We finish this quickly. We still need the latter half of the night to clean up the battlefield. Not a single piece of evidence can be left behind.”
The attendant immediately bowed. “Yes, my lord.”
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