Chapter 58 The Truth Comes to Light

Just as Luo Xu was about to speak, he saw Bi Yutang riding a fine, tall steed, galloping all the way to the First Prince's Residence.

"Brother-in-law, are you busy? My father is asking for you; he has some matters to discuss."

Zhou Hao patted Luo Xu on the shoulder, signaling him to keep up the good work and strive hard.

With that, he turned and mounted a horse brought over by a servant, following closely behind Bi Yutang as they departed.

Leaving behind only Luo Xu, who was left letting his imagination run wild and scaring himself.

……

"Yutang, what has the old man discovered? He insisted on summoning me over in such a hurry."

Clearly, Zhou Hao had already meticulously planned out the moving route, and all that remained was to relocate.

Yet for his father-in-law to send for him now meant that he must have uncovered some clues or abnormalities.

Bi Yutang first smiled faintly, then slowly began to speak.

"He merely discovered something amiss with the troop movements, which is why he called you over to take precautions."

Precautions? Had the Great General truly found evidence of the Third Prince's handiwork?

A thought stirred in Zhou Hao's mind. Spurring his horse to a gallop, he bypassed Bi Yutang in a few strides and charged straight into the Great General's Estate.

"Father-in-law, what have you found? Why summon me in such haste?"

The Great General did not reply verbally. Instead, he pushed a wooden box on the table with his hand, signaling Zhou Hao to inspect it himself.

A single glance was all it took for the expression on Zhou Hao's face to instantly shift.

A look of profound astonishment was clearly revealed.

"This document... The Third Prince is ordering General Li to head to a completely different location? Isn't this official dispatch against the regulations?"

The Great General nodded, his expression grave and solemn.

"It complies with the regulations. That is precisely the crux of the problem."

"Your fief was just announced in the imperial court, and immediately afterward, the Third Prince orders General Li to lead two thousand men to that very region to establish defenses?"

"Do you believe this coincidence?"

"The Third Prince is clearly trying to completely cleanse himself of any suspicion. He is whitewashing it thoroughly!"

How could the Great General fail to see through the Third Prince's intentions?

The designated defense location was entirely out of the way, but the timing alone was enough to raise immediate suspicion.

Setting the dispatch aside, another doubt arose in Zhou Hao's mind.

Did the Third Prince currently hold enough authority to directly mobilize a force of two thousand men for garrison duties?

"Father-in-law, does the Third Prince hold any actual military power?"

"Of course not, but given his status and the pretext he used, it all appears entirely reasonable. Even if the Sovereign of Zhou were to glance at it, he would raise no objection and might simply gloss over this dispatch."

A cold sneer crossed the Great General's face. If he could not even see through what the Third Prince was plotting, he would be entirely unsuited to hold the position of Great General.

He would long ago have been murdered by someone else's schemes.

"The Third Prince is not sufficiently wise, but he is certainly ruthless enough."

Upon reading the dispatch, Zhou Hao's expression froze abruptly.

How could he fail to see that these two thousand men had already been treated as expendable pawns?

The moment he himself died, these two thousand men would undoubtedly be silenced as well.

Assassinating an imperial prince was one crime.

And the Third Prince's desire to murder them all to eliminate witnesses—ensuring no one in the world could connect his death to the prince—was yet another crime.

"Is there any hope we might persuade this General Li to surrender?"

After pondering for just a moment, such an idea blossomed in Zhou Hao's mind.

General Li's rank was not exceedingly high, but to have attained the position of a general, he must certainly hold attachment to his career and his future.

As long as he harbored even a sliver of reluctance to die in service to the Third Prince, Zhou Hao was confident he could attempt to persuade him.

"This matter is difficult. For the Third Prince to trust a man this deeply, even to the extent of pushing him out as an expendable pawn, it already proves several things."

"General Li has fatal weaknesses held in the Third Prince's hands, and his wife, children, and elderly relatives are also kept under the Third Prince's surveillance..."

Before the Great General could finish his sentence, however, his expression abruptly shifted to one of delight.

That was correct. Since his entire family was in the hands of the Third Prince, as long as they could seize the right opportunity to rescue those family members, there would be no need to worry about General Li refusing to rebel.

At that time, they could eliminate the loyal diehards within the ranks, and then blend the remaining veterans together with the protective troops dispatched alongside them.

Not only would this neutralize the impending assault, but it would even allow Zhou Hao to retain these two thousand troops for his own use.

Now that truly was a beneficial stroke of fortune serving a dual purpose.

"My good son-in-law, your mind certainly works quickly. Since the Third Prince uses his family as a threat to keep him in line, we can naturally use that same family to force General Li's surrender."

"The only challenge is figuring out how to approach these family members, which is the most crucial task."

Saying this, the Great General waved his hand and beckoned his trusted personal attendant over.

"Go and investigate where General Li's family resides, whether anyone is keeping watch on them, when they change guards, when they leave, and get me a detailed map of the area."

The attendant bowed his head and immediately set off to carry out the order.

Anyone kept by the Great General's side as a trusted personal attendant naturally possessed extraordinary abilities.

Handling such a minor task was effortlessly within his capabilities.

"Father-in-law, lend me a few of your trusted confidants as well."

Zhou Hao chuckled heartily, extending his hand to request men from the Great General.

Without troops and horses under his command, Zhou Hao would truly lack the inclination to make such a request.

But now, since there was a chance to persuade General Li to surrender and incorporate these two thousand men into his own ranks, he simply had to secure a few individuals skilled in military management.

He certainly could not continue to let this General Li remain by his side unchecked.

Should the man harbor any rebellious thoughts, incite the army to surround his household, and then kill him before fleeing, Zhou Hao would have zero means of resolving the crisis.

Upon hearing this, the Great General first chuckled, then slowly began to speak.

"Even if you hadn't asked, I had already prepared them for you. What does your Red Mountain have right now? How many people there actually understand how to lead troops into battle?"

At this point, the Great General paused briefly before continuing.

"You must understand that what your territory lacks most of all is talent."

If things were truly as Zhou Hao described, Red Mountain could be considered a blessed land flowing with gold everywhere.

Yet therein lay the greatest problem.

If it were merely a matter of recruiting laborers or even craftsmen, as long as the compensation was generous, Red Mountain could attract some.

But if one genuinely sought individuals capable of governing a prefecture or commanding troops in battle, how many could Red Mountain possibly produce?

Having long since perceived this weakness in Zhou Hao, the Great General had prepared a grand gift specifically for him.

"Follow me first."

With that, the Great General led Zhou Hao to a martial training ground. In the very center of the grounds, two burly, towering men were sparring intensely.

Both possessed broad backs and heavy waists; just looking at them gave the impression of formidable fierce generals capable of charging through enemy lines.

Zhou Hao looked sideways at them, somewhat puzzled.

He needed fierce generals, to be sure, but these two men looked in every way like frontline shock troops rather than tacticians who could plan strategies behind the scenes.

"My good son-in-law, rest easy. Can my judgment of people ever be wrong?"

The Great General smiled, signaling Zhou Hao to set his mind completely at ease.

Could he possibly plot against his own daughter's husband?

"These two are actually brothers. The older one is called Zhang Chuang, and the younger one is Zhang Zhen. They are arguably the two most promising subordinates under my command."

"As long as you are willing to take them, I have the authority to have them strike their names from the military registry and transfer over to your command."

The Great General had long had his eye on these two, but after much deliberation, he ultimately concluded that Zhou Hao's side was far more suited for them.