Ming Dynasty: pacifying the rebellion and defending the border, dominating the world

Chapter 299 Hate as Wild as a Madman
"My name is Fang Hui, and I greet the General."

Fang Hui bowed to Xiao Wu, his face pale, his legs still weak.

He led Zhang Qian to the Cangyun Army's camp overnight and told him about Zhang Qian's "truth revealed after drinking" at the dinner table. He thought that they might not be able to set off until at least the next day.

Unexpectedly, several Cangyun soldiers from the Cangyun garrison in Hejian Prefecture carried him and Zhang Qian, one on each side, and flew through the air for more than 300 miles to Tianjin.

Xiao Wu raised an eyebrow. "Fang Hui, from the Fang family of Hejian Prefecture?"

"I heard you've learned of a plot to assassinate His Highness. Is that true?"

Upon hearing Xiao Wu's cool voice, Fang Hui shuddered and bent down even lower. With a hint of excitement, he mustered his courage and said, "It is indeed true!"

"From what Zhang Qian said, it doesn't seem like he was just spouting nonsense. Although it was said after drinking, the information he revealed was far from simple, and he was very confident in it."

"I am terrified and have come to report this."

"Fang Hui, right?"

Xiao Wu gave Fang Hui a deep look, while the latter remained silent with his head down. "Tell me everything you know. If there is no falsehood, this general will report to Commander Yan and His Highness, and you will certainly not be treated unfairly!"

Upon hearing Xiao Wu's promise, Fang Hui was overjoyed.

He took such a huge risk, even betraying his friends, to come and report this. In the end, wasn't he just trying to get on Zhu Jinzhen's good side in order to seize a chance to rise to prominence?
Immediately, Fang Hui recounted what he had seen and heard at the dinner table.

In his excitement, he even blurted out his thoughts.

Zhu Jinzhen and Changsun Wangqing raised an eyebrow. To be honest, when the secret guards reported that this person had information about some people plotting something wicked, the two of them didn't take it too seriously.

Unexpectedly, there was a pleasant surprise.

Xiao Wu snorted coldly, her killing intent fully revealed: "Hejian Prefecture, the Zhang family?"

When Zhu Jinzhen received the order, the Zhang family was on the Cangyun Army's list. Unexpectedly, before she could lead her men to raid their home and exterminate their clan, the Zhang family had already committed a crime against her.

Fang Hui's choice, however, eased Xiao Wu's expression slightly.

"You are indeed a smart person."

“If your intelligence is delayed by a day or even several hours, the information will be worthless.”

"Whether it's the Zhang family or the Fang family."

There's only one outcome for them all!

Previously, the Cangyun Army had suppressed the surrounding areas without resorting to the practice of punishing relatives and friends. However, the shocking assassination attempt in Taiyuan Prefecture and the shady dealings in Hejian, Baoding, and Tianjin Wei greatly enraged Zhu Jinzhen and Changsun Wangqing.

If Fang Hui had arrived any later, and the Cangyun Army had followed the list and raided homes one by one, the Fang family, which was related to the Zhang family, would not have escaped unscathed.

"Gulu!"

Fang Hui swallowed hard, a mixture of fear and relief flashing in his eyes.

He was indeed a smart man; he could tell the seriousness of the situation just from Xiao Wu's few words and changes in tone.

A brief silence fell over the hall.

Fang Hui was filled with trepidation, hoping that Zhang Qian wasn't just talking nonsense, but truly knew the inside story, so that his credit could be confirmed.

Xiao Wu patiently waited for the secret guards to interrogate her.

As time passed, about half an hour later...

The secret guard, carrying the information Xiao Wu wanted, came before her.

"The Zhang family, the prefect, the garrison commander! They colluded with certain forces in Japan and Goguryeo, using them as a way out, to abduct and sell the people of the Ming Dynasty..." Xiao Wu's eyes flashed with a cold light. The intelligence that the secret guard had pried out of Zhang Qian's mouth made her already angry mood, which was already annoyed by the assassination of Changsun Wangqing, even more furious.

Despite her overwhelming rage and burning murderous intent, Xiao Wu still awaited Zhu Jinzhen and Changsun Wangqing's decision.

She knew that her prince and Marshal Yan were listening in from behind.

Soon, she heard a word.

"kill!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Wu had no more reservations. She stood up abruptly and shouted loudly:
"Guards!" "Summon the Phoenix Battalion and the Trapped Camp."

The Phoenix Battalion was equivalent to the Women's Guard Battalion, and generally served as the personal guard battalion of Changsun Wangqing.

The Trapped Camp is one of the strongest camps in the Cangyun Army, apart from the Vanguard, Breaking Formation, and Flying Feather Camps. Its formation was modeled after the Trapped Camp of the Three Kingdoms period.

The ambition to be trapped in a battle will lead to death but not life.

Every soldier in the elite vanguard was incredibly brave and fierce.

Its combat strength is among the best in Cangyun.

Fang Hui's heart trembled. He could feel Xiao Wu's overwhelming rage and uncontrollable killing intent. Only two thoughts remained in his mind: "The various forces in Hejian Prefecture are doomed."

"Fang Hui made the right bet."

……

Blood shrouded the entire city of Tianjin.

And it quickly spread to many surrounding prefectures and cities.

Overnight, the commander of the garrison was killed, along with the deputy commander and several other high-ranking officers of the garrison.

Despite the suppression by the Cangyun Army, no mutiny occurred.

However, this also caused great anxiety among the people of Tianjin, who had just been subdued.

Zhang Family, Hejian Prefecture.

Zhang Dingyuan, the fifty-year-old head of the Zhang family, sat upright in the main hall, holding a cherry-scented spear to his right, facing the mansion gate a hundred paces away, with nothing obstructing his view.

In the back room, Zhang Yong, the eldest son of the Zhang family, said angrily, "That bastard Fang Hui, how dare he, how dare he?"

Hejian Prefecture wasn't very big, but given the Zhang family's status, they could learn about even the slightest disturbance immediately, let alone Zhang Qian not returning home all night and someone seeing Fang Hui leaving the city overnight.

The Zhang family simply invited the people they had been drinking with the previous night to their home, asked them a few questions, and instantly guessed where Fang Hui, who had left the city, and the drunken Zhang Qian had gone.

“Yong’er, the world is bustling, all for profit; the world is bustling, all for gain.” Madam Zhang shook her head, stroked Zhang Yong’s head, and glanced outside with a melancholy look: “Your father and the second and third branches of the family have placed their bets on the Azure Dragon Gathering, believing that Prince Su will fail. So they have taken a risk, gambling with the Zhang family’s fortune and survival for hundreds of years.”

"Fang Hui is the same."

"He's also gambling, but he's gambling that by aligning himself with Prince Su, he can rise rapidly in rank and have a bright future."

"Obstructing someone's future is like killing their parents."

"He and Qian'er are just like-minded cronies. If you could exchange them for wealth, honor, and a bright future, would you trade them?" Madam Zhang said, her eyes dimming as she sighed repeatedly.

She hated it, of course she hated it.

He hated Zhang Qian for being so useless, unable even to keep his mouth shut, which led to the destruction of the Zhang family.

As for Fang Hui, although he hated him and wished he could devour his flesh and drink his blood, he also knew that this matter was truly a matter of fortune and misfortune that had no fixed door, but was summoned by oneself. If Zhang Qian hadn't talked nonsense while drunk, Fang Hui wouldn't have been able to exchange Zhang Qian and the Zhang family for wealth and glory.

"How hateful! How despicable!"

Zhang Yong naturally understood this principle, but he still gritted his teeth in hatred.

Fang Hui traded Zhang Qian for a bright future, but he wanted the entire Zhang family to be buried with him!
He hated his good-for-nothing brother just as much. Not only did his brother indulge in womanizing and neglect his duties, but now, because of his drunken slip of the tongue, he had brought such a terrible disaster upon the Zhang family!

"Do not worry."

"Fang Hui wants wealth and fame, and a meteoric rise in his career; we can't stop him."

“But…” A cold, crazed glint flashed in Madam Zhang’s eyes as she sneered, “The Fang family won’t live to see that day. Betraying friends for personal gain, abandoning darkness for light? Ha…”

Zhang Yong's eyes lit up: "Mother, could it be..."

"My mother comes from Changchun Island. Although she is of low status and has not caught the eye of the Empress, she still has some connections. The Fang family is, in the end, just a merchant family with a lowly status. What good is their wealth?" Madam Zhang said, her tone full of disdain.

"They can't see the sun set."

(End of this chapter)