Chapter 58: General Tianbao (Guaranteed Chapter 1)

Zheng Shi'an was in a deep sleep when he was awakened by someone sent by Zheng Yanqing.

Groggy and bewildered, he arrived at the back courtyard study to find Mao Xiaonian chatting with a young lady who looked somewhat familiar. Two Tibetan mastiffs kept watch behind the courtyard gate, while Zheng Yanqing paced back and forth nervously along the veranda, looking anxious.

"Yanqing, what has happened?"

Zheng Shi'an was stunned!

Though advanced in years, he possessed a vigilance far surpassing ordinary people. Even before stepping into the courtyard, he could feel a tense atmosphere.

Zheng Yanqing hurriedly went up to greet him.

The main gates of Huaiyin Ward were tightly shut, and the imperial court had secretly deployed regular troops into Luoyang City, enforcing a strict curfew. At the same time, interrogations of travelers arriving from Xiangyang had begun, all of which indicated that the authorities were preparing to take major action against the White-Clad Maitreya.

As to why they were suddenly striking now, Zheng Yanqing could not yet figure it out.

However, he could vaguely guess that Husky and the others had likely been exposed... How had they been exposed? Yanqing was not clear.

According to Dudu's account, the White-Clad Maitreya was not without backers within the imperial court.

How could they suddenly end up exposed to the authorities' sight?

Unless...

There was a traitor!

This matter carried huge implications. Dudu could certainly no longer show her face in public, and for all he knew, she might already be exposed. The best course was to hide her in the Zheng estate first, and then look for an opportunity to send her out of Luoyang. But the problem was that the Zheng estate was vast and had quite a few servants. If Dudu was hidden in the estate, she would sooner or later be discovered, and it would be impossible to keep it from Zheng Shi'an. As for his grandfather, Yanqing felt entirely at ease.

Yet, he could not avoid briefing Zheng Shi'an on the matter beforehand.

Old men grow wiser with age.

Though Zheng Shi'an had not read widely, he possessed a wealth of experience and methods for handling problems. In fact, when it came to practical execution, even with his forty years of adult experience, Yanqing might not necessarily match Zheng Shi'an's worldly sophistication. Therefore, Zheng Shi'an had to be made aware of this matter. Only with his grandfather's nod could he proceed with other plans.

Initially, Mao Xiaonian held a trace of hostility toward Dudu.

Because she worried that Dudu would steal away a portion of Zheng Yanqing's care and affection. After all, the rumors about Yanqing and Pei Cuiyun had been flying about wildly. She had already lost a share of his attention, and if she were to lose yet another portion, how much would she have left?

Later, however, she heard Yanqing recount Dudu's story.

Of course, Yanqing could not possibly reveal Dudu's true identity to Mao Xiaonian, otherwise it might easily backfire and cause Mao Xiaonian unnecessary panic.

The minds of young maidens were truly peculiar.

When Mao Xiaonian heard about Dudu's wandering background, forced to drift from place to place to escape her enemies, her perception of Dudu shifted dramatically. In truth, Dudu had known Yanqing the longest—even longer than Mao Xiaonian—so what qualification did she have to feel jealous?

"Xiaonian, keep watch outside for me. If anyone approaches, report immediately."

Mao Xiaonian gave an affirmative reply and hurriedly stepped out of the room.

Although she still did not understand what had happened, seeing Yanqing's grave expression made her heart tense up considerably as well.

"Grandfather, do you still recognize her?"

Zheng Shi'an first helped Zheng Shi'an to a seat, then took Dudu's hand and stepped forward.

Zheng Shi'an narrowed his eyes, scrutinized her carefully from top to bottom for a long while, and shook his head, saying, "She looks familiar, but I can't place her."

"She is Dudu. Do you remember?"

"Ah!"

Zheng Shi'an was startled. After studying her once more for a good while, he finally nodded and said, "Dudu, it really is you."

Back in the day, Mother Xu and her daughter Dudu had hidden in the Zheng household for five years, living right in Zheng Shi'an's quarters. Had it not been for the passage of five years, during which Dudu had blossomed from a sallow little girl into a graceful and poised young beauty, how could Zheng Shi'an have failed to recognize her?

Mother Xu and her daughter had left the Zheng family back then to cover for Zheng Yanqing. In his heart, Zheng Shi'an still held a deep fondness and concern for them. Yet he also knew that Mother Xu and her daughter were no ordinary people. A single letter capable of turning Zheng Dashi's face pale and making him dare not keep it was enough to prove the extraordinary nature of this mother and daughter. Thus, even after recognizing Dudu, Zheng Shi'an still maintained a sufficient level of respect in his demeanor.

"Grandfather, have you been well all this time?"

"Well, well, very well!" Zheng Shi'an nodded with a chuckle, "It has been five years since we parted. Is Mother Xu well? Where have you two been all these years?"

"My mother... she has already passed away!"

As Dudu spoke, her eyes reddened.

At this moment, Zheng Yanqing was whispering softly into Zheng Shi'an's ear. At first, Zheng Shi'an wore a smiling expression, but gradually, his expression grew heavy. By the time Yanqing finished speaking, Zheng Shi'an's face had turned pale.

"Yanqing, you... have lost your mind!"

Dudu said, "Grandfather, this is not Master Zheng's fault. Please rest assured, this is my own affair, and I will leave right now."

"Dudu, stop right there!"

Zheng Yanqing suddenly let out a sharp reprimand, and Dudu looked at him in surprise.

"Grandfather..." He dropped heavily to his knees, "Dudu and I grew up together since childhood. If you let her leave at a time like this, wouldn't you simply be watching her walk into danger? Besides, she had no control over the family she was born into. Why should the grievances of the older generations be dragged onto her? Grandson begs you, help her, and don't let her take such risks."

Zheng Yanqing's act of kneeling moistened Dudu's eyes.

She quickly knelt down as well, tugging at Yanqing's sleeve as she said, "Little Scholar, this matter has nothing to do with you. Please don't exhaust yourself on my account..."

"Alright, both of you get up."

With a wry smile, Zheng Shi'an stepped forward and pulled both Dudu and Zheng Yanqing to their feet.

"Yanqing, grandfather is not blaming you, nor am I trying to chase Dudu away. It's just... you always bring up such unexpected matters that grandfather was completely unprepared. Dudu, truth be told, I watched you grow up as well, and I cannot simply stand by and watch you fall into mortal peril. Regardless of your identity, from this moment on, you are my distant relative.

We will call you Zheng Duo... Remember, you have come from Shu, and be careful not to let slip anything else to outsiders.

Yanqing, what do you plan to do?"

Zheng Yanqing thought for a moment. "Right now, the outside world is probably in chaos, and we haven't the slightest clue what the actual situation is.

However, since Wang Hu mentioned that regular troops have entered the city, security is likely extremely tight. After dawn, I plan to go out and inquire about the situation, and take the opportunity to visit my teacher's residence to sound out the mood. First, we need to determine exactly what has happened, and what the current status of Chief Ha and Yaya is...

Dudu, from now on, you must listen entirely to my arrangements.

I will have Xiaonian stay with you the entire day, and you are not to act on your own accord or make unilateral decisions. Furthermore... and I mean if, Chief Ha and the others truly met with an accident, what will you do?"

"Father Ha will not be in danger, his martial arts are so formidable..."

"I said *if*!" Zheng Yanqing's expression darkened, and Dudu immediately clamped her mouth shut.

At this moment, she felt utterly helpless.

In the past, although she had faced such crises, her mother had always called the shots and protected her. Later, Husky took charge of everything, and she only needed to focus on practicing her martial arts without worrying about other matters. But now... if Husky truly met with an accident, what should she do? Dudu felt completely lost, having no idea how to arrange her affairs for the days to come. At this moment, it seemed the Little Scholar was the only one she could rely on. Seeing Yanqing drop his friendly facade, she instantly fell silent.

"If the imperial court is targeting Chief Ha, then I surmise that Xiangyang and Hannan will not be peaceful either.

Dudu, listen to me... Let us prepare for the worst. If Chief Ha genuinely meets with an accident, you must follow my arrangements."

Tears swirled in Dudu's eyes as she nodded gently.

That delicate and helpless appearance tugged deeply at the heartstrings. Zheng Shi'an sighed and pulled her into his embrace, "Dudu, just follow Yanqing's plan. At a time like this, none of us can offer much help, so let Yanqing handle everything.

Dudu will stay with me. Go and brief Xiaonian, Yanqing, and make sure she doesn't let anything slip. Once day breaks and we find out what is actually going on, we will decide our next steps."

Zheng Yanqing gave an affirmative response and sat at the doorway of the study, his head feeling somewhat heavy.

Things had happened far too suddenly...

——————————————————————

For both Yanqing and Dudu, this night was agonizingly long.

After dawn broke, Yanqing mounted his horse, rode out of the Zheng estate's main gate, and headed toward the ward's exit. Both gates of Huaiyin Ward were wide open, yet ten soldiers guarded each entrance. Ward Chief Wang and Wang Hu were leading the able-bodied men of the ward to conduct door-to-door inspections.

"Master Zheng, heading out so early?"

Zheng Yanqing smiled faintly. "Indeed, I am going to my teacher's residence to attend to my studies."

"Ah, then take care along the way."

Wang Hu gave a special reminder: "Master Zheng, make sure not to court trouble these past two days; the situation in the city is very complicated."

"Thank you for the warning, Brother Wang... By the way, do you need to inspect my home?"

Ward Chief Wang laughed. "Master Zheng jokes. I know the situation in your esteemed household better than anyone; there is no need for further inspection."

Wang Hu chimed in, "That's right. My grand-uncle is right there in your courtyard. If I went over to inspect, wouldn't I get an earful of scoldings? Master Zheng, go ahead with your business; with me keeping watch here, I guarantee no one will disturb your estate and no accidents will happen."

"Then I am obliged!"

Zheng Yanqing whipped his horse and rode away.

Upon leaving Huaiyin Ward, he instantly felt the tense atmosphere permeating the city.

Of the five gates of Jianyang Gate, only two were open—one for entry and one for exit. Passing travelers all had to undergo rigorous searches before they could pass through Jianyang Gate. Along the way, patrolling soldiers could be seen everywhere, constantly stopping pedestrians for questioning.

Zheng Yanqing himself was stopped three times.

Yet, each time, upon stating his identity, the soldiers immediately let him pass.

After all, Yanqing enjoyed a wide reputation; he was the disciple of Senior General of the Right Xiaowei, Zhangsun Sheng, and maintained good relations with Feng Yanqian, the尹 of Henan. Coupled with the prestige of the Zheng clan behind him, no one would deliberately make things difficult for him.

When crossing the floating bridge at Tongyuan Market, the inspections became even stricter.

Zheng Yanqing was blocked once again and had to dismount, stating his identity: "I am Zheng Yanqing, living in the Zheng residence in Huaiyin Ward, and I am heading to the Thunderbolt Hall in Tongtuo Ward."

"You are Zheng Yanqing?"

Previously, whenever Yanqing was stopped, merely stating his name was enough to secure passage.

This time, however, a young general in his early twenties blocked his path and looked him up and down with curiosity.

He stood well over nine feet tall, with a slender waist, broad shoulders, a face like powdered jade, white teeth, and red lips. He wore a set of dual-plate armor, a jade belt around his waist, and carried a pitch-black, heavy, roughly three-finger-wide long saber. He cut an imposing and rather dashing figure.

Standing before him, Zheng Yanqing felt considerable pressure.

Because this fellow was exceptionally tall, nearly matching the height of Xiong Dachui and his nephew.

He cupped his fists and said, "I am indeed Zheng Yanqing."

"Are you the Half-Edge Master who composed the verse 'Once having seen the sea, waters elsewhere are hard to woo'?"

"Uh, indeed."

The young general smiled and extended a fan-like palm. "I am the Heavenly Precious General, grandson of the Duke of Puyang, Yuwen Chengdu."

"Ah?"

Zheng Yanqing was startled. Raising his head in astonishment, he blurted out, "Wasn't the Great General guarding the Emperor in Chang'an? When did he arrive in Luoyang?"

"Three days ago!"

Yuwen Chengdu laughed. "When I was in Chang'an, I already heard of the Half-Edge Master's fine reputation. Seeing you today, you truly live up to it... Are you heading to Senior General Zhangsun's residence?"

Facing this legendary second-greatest hero of the Sui and Tang dynasties, the pressure on Zheng Yanqing surged abruptly.

He feigned calm. "Yes, to pay my respects to my teacher."

Yuwen Chengdu nodded. "Then when you see the Great General, please convey my regards... Oh, and please tell the Great General to recuperate peacefully and not worry himself over other matters. Half-Edge Master, you are quite talented. I enjoy reading your *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*."

"Ah, I am honored by the Heavenly Precious General's praise."

Just as Yuwen Chengdu was about to speak further, a commotion arose in the distance.

"What is the disturbance?"

"Reporting to the General, it seems a corpse has been discovered near Tongyuan Market..."

Yuwen Chengdu's expression shifted. "Head over immediately to investigate."

With that, he cupped his fists toward Zheng Yanqing. "Half-Edge Master, I am on official business and cannot speak with you at length. If there is an opportunity another day, I will surely visit you in person."

Yanqing hurriedly returned the salute and watched as Yuwen Chengdu led his soldiers away.

The clothes on his back were completely soaked through. The pressure brought by this second-greatest hero of the Sui and Tang dynasties was indeed extraordinary.

In terms of height, Yuwen Chengdu was comparable to Xiong Dachui.

As for killing intent, Xiong Dachui was wild and unbridled, his murderous aura formidable when enraged. Yet compared to the cultured and refined Yuwen Chengdu, Xiong Dachui lagged far behind in temperament and other aspects. Consequently, after exchanging only a few words with Chengdu, Yanqing had felt immense pressure.

Yuwen Chengdu was in Luoyang as well?

A growing sense of foreboding settled in Zheng Yanqing's heart as he mounted his horse and galloped forward.

Along the way, he encountered no further obstructions and quickly arrived outside the gates of Thunderbolt Hall. Servants came forward to welcome him and took his horse.

"Has my teacher risen yet?"

"The Great General is feeling somewhat unwell today and is resting in his chambers. However, the Great General gave instructions that Master Zheng need not announce himself should he arrive."

Zheng Yanqing felt a pang of doubt. Zhangsun Sheng's health was poor?

Weren't things fine just days ago, when he could even mount a horse to demonstrate the use of the spear for him? Why all of a sudden...

Connecting this with Yuwen Chengdu's words just moments ago, Zheng Yanqing's heart skipped a beat. He hurried into Thunderbolt Hall and proceeded straight along the middle courtyard corridor toward the inner residential quarters. Up ahead, he spotted a white-haired elder in a green robe conversing with Lady Gao.

Yanqing recognized the elder; it was none other than Chao Yuanfang.

"Master Chao!"

"Ah, it's the Half-Edge Master."

Chao Yuanfang exchanged pleasantries with Yanqing, who then quietly stepped behind Lady Gao. He heard Chao Yuanfang telling Lady Gao, "The Great General's condition is not optimal; the Madam must pay close attention. Do not let him overwork himself, nor allow him to grow angry or agitated. Keep his state of mind peaceful and let him recover slowly... I have left a prescription. Should anything amiss occur, you may send someone to fetch me at any time."

"Thank you for your trouble, Master Chao."

Lady Gao turned to see him off, and concurrently told Zheng Yanqing, "Yanqing, go straight to your quarters. I have matters to attend to."

"Understood."

To the Zhangsun family, Zheng Yanqing was treated like one of their own.

Thus, Lady Gao did not stand on ceremony with him as she went to see Chao Yuanfang out. Zheng Yanqing scratched his head, filled with a bellyful of worries as he walked into his bedroom.