Ming Yu then changed the question. “How does the Commander view Linghu Sheng and his son?”

Zhao Hanzhang sighed. “Both are general material.”

“Linghu Sheng is truly an excellent general for defending cities. That Jinyang has held for so many years—Yueshi deserves six parts of the credit, and Linghu Sheng should have the remaining four parts.” Zhao Hanzhang said, “He’s steady and upright, just too straightforward.”

“As for Linghu Ni,” Zhao Hanzhang said, “he’s not a bad general talent. Highly skilled in martial arts, with a good memory, and flexible in nature. Such a person, following a righteous lord, could be an excellent general whose name lives on in history; but if he encounters a bad lord, he’d become a treacherous general.”

This matched his own thoughts. Ming Yu immediately asked, “Did the Commander know that Xu Run and Linghu Sheng have a grudge?”

Zhao Hanzhang nodded without hesitation.

Ming Yu: “The Commander feels that leaving Xu Run here would harm Linghu Sheng, and that Linghu Ni remaining here would harm Jinyang and Liu Kun, so you’re taking both away?”

Zhao Hanzhang said, “Xu Run is a petty person, yet Liu Yueshi practices nepotism. Teacher also saw today how Xu Run, relying on Liu Yueshi’s power, does as he pleases in the city. With Linghu Sheng’s character, he won’t be able to endure much longer before advising Liu Yueshi again to punish him. The crisis in Jinyang has temporarily been resolved—who knows if Xu Run won’t slander him in revenge?”

In history, Xu Run did indeed slander, directly saying that Linghu Sheng intended to support Liu Kun in claiming the imperial throne.

Liu Kun was a descendant of King Jing of Zhongshan from the Western Han, a legitimate descendant of the Han imperial house compared to the fake Han clan member Liu Yuan who established the Han state.

Since Liu Yuan claimed the throne, what Liu Kun feared most was others suspecting he too had ambitions for the throne. Xu Run clearly knew his sore point, so he specifically stepped on it.

And Liu Kun, without even investigating, directly executed his own general Linghu Sheng.

Linghu Ni narrowly escaped and, learning that his father and family all died tragically, couldn’t bear it at the time. He vowed revenge!

But Liu Kun was the lord of Jinyang city, commanding a great army. How could he, alone, take revenge?

After thinking it over, Linghu Ni immediately rode alone to pledge allegiance to Liu Cong, selling out Jinyang’s defenses and internal affairs completely. He even borrowed troops from Liu Cong, leading the great army back to kill his way in, directly driving Liu Kun out of Jinyang city.

In the end, Liu Kun himself escaped under his personal guards’ protection, but his parents died among the chaotic soldiers. Only then did Liu Kun regret not listening to his mother’s advice at the time.

But what shocked Zhao Hanzhang most about all this wasn’t Liu Kun killing Linghu Sheng, nor Linghu Ni’s betrayal of Jinyang, but rather—Liu Kun clearly knew Linghu Ni had escaped, yet he still maintained the defenses Linghu Sheng had arranged, making not a single change.

This made attacking Jinyang for Linghu Ni like cutting through tofu.

So Zhao Hanzhang felt he was sometimes intelligent, sometimes of questionable intelligence. To prevent him from repeating his old mistakes, Zhao Hanzhang decided to take both Xu Run and Linghu Ni away. If he could still lose Jinyang under these circumstances, she’d truly have nothing to say.

Xu Run returned home that night and fell ill, gravely so, almost unable to get out of bed. That very night he urgently called for a physician, who said he drank too much wine, caught a chill, and had stomach discomfort, so he’d contracted a cold.

When Zeng Yue went to receive Xu Run the next day but couldn’t, thinking of Zhao Hanzhang’s emphasis on this matter, he immediately returned to report.

Hearing this, Zhao Hanzhang raised her eyebrows slightly and immediately took Fan Ying to visit him.

By coincidence, Liu Kun heard that Xu Run was ill and also hurried to visit.

The two ran into each other at the main gate and went in together.

So before long, two people sat concernedly by Xu Run’s bed.

Xu Run, feigning serious illness: …

He truly was sick. After returning last night, he specifically had servants draw water from the ancient well. He stood in the courtyard and poured two buckets of water over himself, then stood in his soaked inner garments for half the night, finally managing to make himself sick before dawn.

But perhaps his body was too healthy—despite all this effort, though he fell ill, it wasn’t very serious. He could only bribe the physician to lie, making his illness sound more severe, requiring at least one or two months before he could travel.

He wanted to miss the timing of Zhao Hanzhang’s departure to stay behind.

He definitely didn’t know that Zhao Hanzhang had originally planned to send him away today.

But now he knew.

When Zeng Yue came to receive him, his back was completely soaked with sweat. He felt only relief.

But now with Zhao Hanzhang sitting by his bed looking at him gently, he felt only terror.

Xu Run deeply regretted it. Had he known that Zhao Hanzhang, a mere acting inspector, would be so particular, he would never have embezzled wealth in her name, no matter what.

But who could have expected that Zhao Hanzhang, an inspector, would be so petty, personally intervening over such a small matter?

No, that’s not right. It might not be like that. It could be because of Linghu Sheng and his son.

Thinking of those father and son, Xu Run’s expression turned cold, and he had many words he wanted to say to Liu Kun. He looked at him with words left unsaid.

Liu Kun was about to ask him when he heard Zhao Hanzhang say with concern, “Run Lang need not worry. Though the physician says it’s critical, my military camp has capable physicians and miraculous medicine. I will certainly cure you.”

Liu Kun’s eyes flashed as he immediately said, “Right, Commander Zhao has miraculous medicine. She’ll certainly cure you.”

Zhao Hanzhang said, “I’ll send you to the military camp right now and have the physician treat you.”

Xu Run was startled and immediately coughed violently, barely refusing, “No… no need…”

The physician beside him also trembled as he said, “Young Master Xu shouldn’t be moved at this time.”

Zhao Hanzhang said, “Rest assured, I won’t let him exert himself. I’ll have the carriage prepared and people set up a canopy to carry Run Lang onto the carriage.”

She looked somewhat embarrassed. “I should properly invite the physician to the residence, but there are many injured soldiers in the military camp, and the physicians can’t leave for a moment. That miraculous medicine can only be administered by military physicians, so I must ask Run Lang to make the trip.”

Hearing this, Liu Kun’s doubts vanished, but he felt somewhat worried. Zhao Hanzhang seemed too attentive, too kind to Xu Run.

Though he had no interaction with Fu Tinghan, that was still the grandson of Secretariat Director Fu. If their relationship changed because of him…

Now it was Liu Kun’s turn to have words left unsaid, so much so that he didn’t notice Xu Run’s increasingly ugly expression.

Zhao Hanzhang performed too well, so well that even Xu Run himself almost believed her, but that feeling of danger never disappeared. In fact, the gentler she was, the more afraid he became.

In the end, Xu Run couldn’t refuse, nor did he have the opportunity to speak alone with Liu Kun. He was taken away by Zhao Hanzhang’s people.

Zhao Hanzhang treated him with extreme favor. Zeng Yue personally led the personal guards, using heavy cloth curtains to shield him from wind and sunlight. Four personal guards carried the sedan, taking him from the inner courtyard to the outer courtyard carriage, then sending him to the military camp.

Zhao Hanzhang even personally escorted him.

Such favor, no less than what Liu Kun showed, perhaps even more, so that Liu Kun kept showing difficulty on his face, wanting to speak to Zhao Hanzhang but stopping himself.

At this moment, Liu Kun finally realized the inconvenience of having a female confidant—some things were hard to say directly.

If it were Zu Ti across from him, or any random man, he could speak frankly, telling them to be careful not to wrong their rightful spouse.

Liu Kun watched them leave with a worried expression. Thinking this couldn’t continue, he immediately asked, “Where is Young Master Fu at this moment?”

“He seems to be at the Inspector’s residence.”

Liu Kun was displeased. “Commander Zhao is here, yet he’s still at the Inspector’s residence doing what?”

He wasn’t even proactive about competing for his wife—no wonder Zhao Hanzhang would fall for Xu Run.

—