Li Chong sat before the desk, his hands supporting himself against the long table to keep from collapsing. His face was deathly pale—he never imagined that among the soldiers who had rushed back to Shuzhou with him, someone had witnessed him being captured by Liang forces.
This made his previous explanations riddled with errors and omissions.
Of course, what made him even more desperate was that Li Zhigao was determined to expose his conduct. With all dozen escaped soldiers under Li Zhigao’s control, even if he could fabricate explanations to defend himself, they would completely fail to withstand scrutiny or questioning.
“You wretched son! The Li family has been full of loyal martyrs—you’ve lost all our face!”
Seeing this scene, how could Li Pu still not understand everything?
Trembling with rage, he stood up and kicked his son Li Chong square in the chest, sending Li Chong sprawling on his back. Only then did he turn his iron-dark face, casting Li Zhigao a cutting glance. With a long sigh, he said full of resentment:
“Your wings have indeed grown hard. Useless people like us should make room for you.”
Having said this, Li Pu walked straight toward the tent exit.
Li Jian hesitated briefly, then seeing Li Xiu support himself on the long table to rise, he too stood to leave, too lazy to spare Li Chong even a glance.
Though they hadn’t personally witnessed Li Chong being captured by Liang forces, when they broke out from Zhongli City, they had seen with their own eyes that when the Black Armored Cavalry ambushed at the foot of Ya Mountain charged forth, Li Chong, afraid to fight the enemy to the death, chose at the first opportunity to flee toward the southeastern gap.
Had it not been for Gao Chengyuan fighting desperately for his life, had it not been for Han Qian just happening to send an elite squad for support, not only would the naval remnants have been completely annihilated, their flank would very likely have suffered assault from the Black Armored Cavalry as well.
Setting aside Li Chong’s cowardice in battle, if Li Chong hadn’t died in battle or been captured at that time, he should have broken through the encirclement heading east or southeast.
First, Li Chong had no injuries or illness from that brutal battle. With his martial skills, escaping alone through enemy blockade lines shouldn’t have been too difficult. He shouldn’t have remained in Hongze Marsh and Shiliang County territory for so long.
Second, even if his circumstances were extremely unfortunate, with enemy scout cavalry surrounding his hiding place making immediate escape impossible, once enemy pursuit relaxed, given Li Chong’s cowardly nature that feared death, even if he directly entered Huaidong territory to seek help from Prince Xin Yang Yuanyan, it was unlikely he would instead risk passing through the heartland controlled by Shouzhou forces to rush to Shuzhou to join them.
Li Xiu and Li Jian had actually long suspected Li Chong’s escape was questionable, but following the principle of relatives concealing for relatives, they hadn’t mentioned these doubts. Even for Duke Changguo’s household’s dignity, they had never once mentioned Li Chong’s cowardly fear of the enemy.
And as Li Pu now departed in a huff, they understood their uncle (father) harbored resentment toward Li Zhigao’s “placing righteousness above family ties,” resenting his failure to cover for Li Chong.
Otherwise, merely confirming two soldiers had been bought by Liang forces would have been enough to give Han Qian an explanation—there was no need to strip away Duke Changguo’s household’s dignity so bloodily.
Though the current situation meant Duke Changguo’s household would face even harsher accountability from the court afterward, as sons and nephews of Duke Changguo’s household, Li Xiu and Li Jian could only leave together at this time.
This was filial duty—they couldn’t draw a clear line with Duke Changguo’s household.
However, Zhou Shu and other officers who originally belonged to Duke Changguo’s faction remained seated motionless, merely lowering their heads to avoid Li Pu’s resentful gaze as he left.
When Li Chong fled back to Shuzhou and allowed soldiers to spread unfavorable remarks about the Marquis of Qianyang, they had all heard of it but hadn’t spoken up. They had hoped that when the court investigated responsibility for the naval forces and Right Divine Martial Army’s annihilation, they would be less implicated—after all, when Li Pu memorialized suggesting the naval raid on Hongze Marsh, they had all supported and followed along.
At the same time, they more or less hoped this towering tree of Duke Changguo’s household wouldn’t fall easily.
But now it appeared this towering tree of Duke Changguo’s household was destined to crash down. They absolutely didn’t want to be buried together with Duke Changguo’s household.
Yang En looked at Li Chong, nearly collapsed on the ground, and sighed slightly in his heart. He said to Li Zhigao: “Should we temporarily imprison Li Chong in the camp and dispose of him after reporting to His Majesty?”
“Since Lord Yang says so, then imprison him. But as for reporting to His Majesty, I must trouble Lord Yang…” Li Zhigao cupped his hands toward Yang En.
“Very well. I’ll return now to draft the memorial. After Marquis Li reviews it for accuracy, we’ll send someone first thing tomorrow morning to deliver both the memorial and the criminal to the capital for trial.” Yang En nodded in agreement.
According to the principle of relatives concealing for relatives, no matter what, Li Zhigao couldn’t publicly memorialize about his adoptive brother Li Chong’s collusion with the enemy. Even placing righteousness above family ties, he could at most secretly report the matter and have the court separately assign officials to investigate the crime.
Yang En had no such concerns. He could directly submit an impeachment memorial, sending both the memorial and Li Chong together to the capital, eliminating many complications and resolving this incident with maximum speed.
Li Zhigao’s face dark as water signaled guards to drag out Li Chong like a dead dog along with the three suspects whose flesh was mangled from torture. Yang En and the other officers, seeing no other business, took their leave and returned to their camps.
Only Zhou Shu and Deng Tai remained inside the command tent.
Zhou Shu and his brother Zhou Yuan had risen from the ranks in their early years, serving as officers under Li Yu alongside Li Zhigao, Chai Jian, Chen Mingsheng, and others. When Li Yu relinquished military authority and retired to the wilderness, the two brothers naturally transferred their service to Marquis of Xinchang Li Pu’s command.
Only afterward did they learn of Marquis of Xinchang’s household’s entanglement with Evening Red Tower and the former dynasty’s Divine Mausoleum Bureau. By then they were already mired too deeply to sever ties with Marquis of Xinchang’s household. The wives Li Pu arranged for them, who bore them children, had identities like Su Hongyu and Chun Shisanniang—all disciples trained by Evening Red Tower.
Over these years supporting the Third Prince’s succession to the throne, Evening Red Tower and Marquis of Xinchang’s household had experienced too many ups and downs. The two brothers actually had few choices, mostly only able to bind themselves together with Marquis of Xinchang’s household—now Duke Changguo’s household.
If Li Zhigao was troubled by being constrained and held back by too many people, Zhou Shu had even less foundation of his own to speak of.
He had always been a subordinate officer and household retainer belonging to Marquis of Xinchang’s household, never independent.
Even though he had been enfeoffed and promoted to rank these past years, receiving twenty household guards and over eighty slaves as rewards for merit, the personal guards serving as his attendants and the subordinate officers he relied on as his right and left arms mostly still came directly from the elite Duke Changguo’s household had trained and recruited over these years.
His succession to Du Chongtao as Commander of the Left Martial Guard Army was mainly due to Li Pu and the Empress Dowager’s arrangements, and it had only been half a year—far from enough to cultivate his own direct confidants in the army.
The military officers of the Left Martial Guard Army at this time were mostly trusted subordinates cultivated during Du Chongtao’s command period. Currently he could only follow court directives to command the Left Martial Guard Army in charges and battles. Not only could he not expect these soldiers to blindly follow his orders, even among subordinate officers who had followed him for years, he couldn’t confirm how many truly supported him wholeheartedly.
Just as no one could imagine a high mountain would suddenly collapse, who could imagine the once-flourishing Duke Changguo’s household would decline so rapidly?
Should Zhou Shu collapse and be buried together with Duke Changguo’s household, or should he gather under Li Zhigao and the shade of Evening Red Tower standing behind Li Zhigao to continue enjoying shelter—this choice was truly simple beyond measure.
In fact, after the naval main force was annihilated and Li Zhigao acted on the Empress Dowager’s edict in Chaozhou, he should have made his choice. But if not for being too deeply entangled with Duke Changguo’s household, with ties too difficult to sever, causing delays until today, he still hadn’t seriously and privately opened his heart to Li Zhigao.
During this period Li Zhigao had also been busy reorganizing troops, frantically rebuilding defenses along the Lujiang-Bijia Mountain line without a moment’s rest. At the same time, he hoped Li Pu could cooperate better with him and didn’t want to act too hastily, so he hadn’t urgently demanded Zhou Shu and others declare their positions—never expecting such an incident would occur.
When the officers and Yang En withdrew but Zhou Shu alone remained behind, his intention was clear.
“Had the Duke trusted the Commander earlier and delegated authority, we wouldn’t have fallen into today’s situation. Though Zhou Shu is a military man who usually only knows how to lead troops in charges, I know that without the Commander, Duke Changguo’s household cannot escape today’s quagmire. From now on, whatever orders the Commander gives, if Zhou Shu furrows his brow even once, may I be struck by five thunderbolts, dead with my clan exterminated.” Zhou Shu pressed his hand on the long table and bowed as he spoke.
Zhou Shu’s attitude actually also represented his elder brother Zhou Yuan, who served as Vice Minister of Works. The two must have agreed on this matter long ago—it was just that no one had anticipated the situation would develop this way.
“I’ve always regarded Brother Zhou as an elder brother—these words are too serious.”
Li Zhigao was quite courteous toward Zhou Shu. Regardless of how deep Zhou Shu’s foundation in the army was, when the Dragon Sparrow Army initially organized plague-stricken refugees into units, Zhou Shu had been appointed Deputy Commander together with him, Chai Jian, Guo Liang, and Gao Chengyuan. In reputation he was even stronger than Chen Mingsheng and his ilk. Moreover, Li Zhigao would still rely on Zhou Shu to control the Left Martial Guard Army’s military authority—only then could he truly hold the Huaixi Imperial Guard in his grasp.
Having said this, Li Zhigao again displayed a worried and troubled expression. After Zhou Shu observed this, he asked intimately: “Is the Commander worried that the court’s investigation of the Duke’s crime of losing armies in defeat will implicate the Commander?”
“His Majesty and the Empress Dowager distinguish clearly between right and wrong—I’m not worried about that. It’s just that Li Chong knows too many things. If we really follow Lord Yang’s suggestion and send him back to Jinling for trial together with the memorial, I fear he’ll talk nonsense and make things unbearable for you, me, and many others.” Li Zhigao said.
Hearing Li Zhigao say this, Deng Tai sitting to one side felt his heart pound with alarm.
“The Commander’s meaning is?” Zhou Shu asked hesitantly.
“If Li Chong still remembers he’s a son of the Li family, he should commit suicide out of guilt to spare others worry—it’s just that given our brotherhood over these years, these words really shouldn’t come from me to tell him.” Li Zhigao glanced at Zhou Shu with sharp eyes and said.
“Zhou Shu understands what must be done.” Zhou Shu knew that so-called allegiance would absolutely not stop at mere words. He bowed and took his leave to do what he must do.
Li Zhigao glanced at Deng Tai, signaling him to follow along to facilitate Zhou Shu’s actions…