Chapter 413
Yan Shizheng carefully asked about Old General Qin's condition.
Qin Yi said that Old General Qin had been badly wounded this time and still hadn't woken up.
Those words made Yan Shizheng extremely worried. How could he still be in the mood to return to the banquet? But the steward reminded him that he should go back. If Fang Zichen hadn't been there, and it was just subordinates, it wouldn't have mattered much if they weren't entertained properly. But right now, Fang Zichen was still there!
They absolutely could not be rude.
Yan Shizheng had no choice but to force himself to return to the banquet.
Fang Zichen saw him come back, but his face was dark and gloomy, as if someone owed him five million and hadn't paid it back. Everyone had been navigating officialdom for decades, so they all had the ability to read people's expressions. They knew he had no heart for entertaining them anymore. After eating a couple of bites, they made excuses about having matters at home and took their leave first.
Yan Shizheng naturally didn't keep them, only saying that he had been a poor host this time and would invite them again next time.
But Fang Zichen didn't leave. He pulled over a stool and sat down beside him: "Lord Yan, has something happened at the border?"
He asked with such certainty that Yan Shizheng looked at him with some surprise. Fang Zichen said, "Am I wrong?"
Yan Shizheng had been an official for decades. What great storms had he not seen? For him to lose composure like this, at present, aside from war, Fang Zichen could think of nothing else.
Yan Shizheng sighed. When it came to reading the situation, this man was truly too sharp.
The Qin family's relationship with Fang Zichen was still quite good, and there was nothing to hide about this matter. Surely the other party wouldn't go around blabbing everywhere once he knew. So Yan Shizheng told him.
He had to admit, when he heard the steward's report, he had been truly frightened.
Old General Qin was Da Xia's strongest pillar. If that pillar fell, Da Xia would teeter on the brink, and what would follow was all too easy to imagine.
How could he not worry? But when he said this, he found that Fang Zichen's face had gone white.
Yan Shizheng: "......" Was Lord Fang really so easily frightened?
Yan Shizheng had originally thought that young people could handle pressure better. Now it was fine—he had to turn around and comfort the man instead.
"Don't be afraid either. Old General Qin is injured, but there should be no threat to his life. Moreover, Lord Fang serves in Hezhou. Even if......" He paused here, seeming to feel that what he was about to say sounded unpleasant, and sighed, changing his words: "Hezhou is a thousand li from the Chao Kingdom. Even if Chao wanted to attack, they could never reach Hezhou. Put your mind at ease."
Put my mind at ease, my foot.
Fang Zichen couldn't set his mind at ease. At this moment his heart was still pounding violently, like a drum, thumping and clanging.
It was precisely because he served in Hezhou that he was afraid!
If anything happened to Old General Qin, small kingdoms like Da Liang and Nothern Qi would probably not be able to sit still for even a moment and would rush over in a fiery hurry to attack!
At this point, the Qin family only told the outside world that they had lost a battle. They didn't mention Old General Qin's serious injury, because if they did, the people's hearts would be unstable. And once the people's hearts were unstable, what then?
There would be chaos — especially in Hengyang, Shangyang, and the surrounding areas. Those two places were close to the border. If Old General Qin was finished, the Chao Kingdom could attack within days.
Flee!
But how could they flee without grain or silver?
Then they would go rob.
Even if they didn't rob, a massive migration of common people would paralyze Hengyang and Shangyang.
The rear must be kept stable.
Therefore, the matter of Old General Qin's injury—the people of Da Xia might not understand it, but the people of Chao Kingdom certainly would. If false information were spread to Da Liang at this time—once Da Xia faced enemies from both north and south at the same time, how long could the soldiers, horses, grain, and fodder hold out?
If Da Liang, Northern Qi, and other kingdoms were a bit smarter, they absolutely would not attack before the news was verified.
But what if Da Liang and Northern Qi were too impatient? After all, they had been eyeing Da Xia for a long time.
Fang Zichen didn't even dare to think about it.
He had only been in office for two years, and there were still three years before he could return to the capital!
Yan Shizheng was also worried, though not as much as Fang Zichen. Outsiders always said that the eldest and second young masters of the Qin family were no good, but in fact, aside from fainting at the sight of blood and being unable to go to the battlefield, Qin Hengxuan, when he got serious, was also brave and resourceful. The second young master of the Qin family could fight, and was not bad either. The reason they were spoken of as utterly worthless was entirely because Old General Qin's radiance was too dazzling, causing both his sons to be overlooked.
Yan Shizheng knew these two had some ability, but...... the second son of the Qin family was now foolish and no different from a child. If he hadn't had his accident, Yan Shizheng wouldn't need to worry like this.
Twenty years ago, when the Chao people tore up the treaty and broke through the defensive line, they massacred every single one of the dozen villages along the border.
At this moment, Yan Shizheng could only hope that Qin Hengxuan and Deputy Generals Lin and Feng would be able to hold the line. Otherwise, once the border fell, given how ruthless the Chao Kingdom was, Da Xia would be utterly devastated!
Fang Zichen couldn't even eat anymore, yet he still forced down three bowls. But Gungun, Dandan, and Guaizai ate until their bellies were round and full. Liuliu, however, couldn't keep up. According to Zhao Ge'er, after two bowls of rice he claimed he was full and couldn't eat another bite. Fang Zichen looked at him with the disappointment of someone watching iron fail to become steel.
[恨鐵不成鋼 (hèn tiě bù chéng gāng): lit. Hate that iron fails to become steel; fig. To feel frustrated and disappointed at someone who won't live up to their potential — out of love, not malice.]
After returning from the Yan residence, Fang Zichen immediately had Zhang Quan check their goods. It was almost all sold out, with barely anything left.
Fang Zichen thought for a moment and decided to set off back immediately.
Zhao Ger saw that he seemed very urgent. Only after returning to the room did he ask: "Did something happen?"
"Mm." Fang Zichen said: "Old General Qin has had an accident."
"What?" Zhao Ger became worried: "What happened?"
"He was ambushed by his subordinates during battle." Fang Zichen shook his head, his expression grave: "I heard his chest was pierced clean through, and he still hasn't woken up. He's already over fifty, and wounded so badly. I'm worried...... I don't know the exact situation over there either, but we need to return to Hezhou as soon as possible. I'm afraid that when Da Liang and the others get the news, they'll attack."
Even though the Northwest Army was stationed there, if war really broke out, Hezhou was close to Jizhou and would inevitably be affected. As the prefect of a province, he had to go back and hold the fort! Otherwise, if something happened and he wasn't there, that would be dereliction of duty. Even if he had someone above him, he would still have to bear the consequences.
He knew where Xia Jinghong's bottom line was, and he also knew where his own bottom line was.
Guaizai, who was listening from the side, froze on the spot. Clutching his candied hawthorn, he didn't know what to do and started getting anxious all over. He timidly tugged on Zhao Ge'er's sleeve: "Daddy, is Grandpa Qin hurt?"
"Mm! But it's nothing serious. Don't be afraid."
Zhao Ger comforted him a couple of times, then went out to give instructions for everyone to pack up and return tomorrow.
Although it was a bit rushed, there wasn't much goods, so it wasn't hard to sort out.
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