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墨書 Inktalez
Cheng Jun heard that his father did not favor the Xu Zhen, so he devised a plan. After returning to the residence, he did not wash up but instead had someone bring hot water to further redden and swell the palm print on his cheek. He then pretended to be unwell, lying in bed and groaning.
Cheng Zhijie, though over fifty, still practiced martial arts daily and had not abandoned his skills. At that moment, he was training in the courtyard of the residence. He was tall and lean, with a physique of refined muscle, exuding a calm and understated demeanor. Contrary to how he would be described in later generations as having a rugged appearance, he instead radiated a hint of elegance and an otherworldly aura.
Holding a broadsword, he assumed a stance with the blade raised. His eyes slightly opened, concentrating his energy in one place. A gentle breeze rustled his clothing; although he did not move, an overwhelming aura of intimidation spread around him, akin to an aging leopard that occasionally opened its eyes or flexed its claws, enough to instill fear in anyone nearby.
In later times, some people exaggerated Cheng Zhijie as a reckless warrior lacking wisdom, claiming he wielded an Eight Trigrams axe and received guidance from the Stone Cave Old Immortal, mastering three moves known as "Split the Head, Ghost Toothpick, Ear Digging."
In reality, Cheng Zhijie was proficient in archery and various weapons; however, his greatest strength lay in the Spear.
Martial practitioners often say one should practice staff for a month, sword for a year, and spear for a lifetime. The spear is considered the king of weapons and is among the hardest to master; however, the Spear is even more challenging!
Having spent half his life on the battlefield and achieving great success as a nobleman, Cheng Zhijie relied on his spear. With countless strategies in mind, now that peace had settled in the world, he could not abandon this mastery of the Spear. Yet in Chang'an, it was impractical to wield a spear at all times; thus, he practiced sword techniques merely to maintain his vitality.
After finishing his training, he cleaned up and changed into fresh clothes before sitting down for a meal. He had someone call Cheng Jun to join him.
He was not one to tolerate loneliness; however, as his old brothers passed away one by one, there was little he could do. Furthermore, now that he held an official position in court, it was no longer like the days of warfare. His old brothers were cautious and did not gather often to avoid gossip suggesting they were forming factions with ulterior motives.
His three legitimate sons had already established their own families; two of his illegitimate sons also had their own businesses. Only his youngest son Cheng Jun remained at home.
As a father, Cheng Zhijie understood Cheng Jun's behavior well but did not impose too many restrictions. Others criticized him for raising a wayward son who might tarnish his reputation; however, Cheng Zhijie knew that raising a wayward child could be more beneficial than harmful.
He did not want to follow the paths of Hou Junji or Zhang Liang nor those of Xue Wanjun or Xue Wanche. Among these old officials, Li Jing was relatively low-key and neutral but still faced troubles when his eldest son Li Deqian became embroiled in rebellion and was exiled far away. Even his second son Li Dejiang distanced himself from court affairs.
The court was rife with hidden currents; raising a rebellious child could spell disaster!
The Sovereign entrusted him and Wei Chi Jing De with the heavy responsibility of guarding the capital. Wei Chi Jing De appeared rough on the outside but was quite clever; he chose to rely on superstitions to deceive others. Yet Zhang Liang also believed in such things and ultimately met his end.
Cheng Zhijie operated discreetly but did not fall prey to superstition; thus, he chose to let his illegitimate son take the spotlight to shield himself from rumors. Now everyone in court said Cheng Zhijie had raised an unworthy youngest son—who would dare claim that Cheng Zhijie harbored ill intentions?
This is his wisdom in dealing with the world!
Now, the remaining old ministers, Li Jing has already retired at home, and his son does not hold any position in the court. Changsun Wuji, relying on his status as a maternal uncle, is doing his utmost to assist the Crown Prince. Li Jue is responsible for external warfare, while Liu Hongji is an old fox.
Those like Hou Junji, who have gained more and more military achievements, ultimately end up with their heads separated from their bodies. The Sovereign can only trust loyal foreigners like Qibi Helix and Asena Sher to serve him, which speaks volumes about the situation.
"I wonder how long that old rascal Fang Xuanling can live..."
Cheng Zhijie muttered to himself, revealing a smile that outsiders could not perceive.
After sitting for a while, a maid came to report that the Young Master was unwell and could not accompany Alang for dinner. Cheng Zhijie snorted coldly; this kid must be up to some mischief again.
Although he was a concubine's son, Cheng Zhijie still cared for his young son Cheng Jun. After hastily eating something, he went to the courtyard to visit.
Upon hearing that his father had come, Cheng Jun curled up in his blanket and groaned loudly. His face was swollen and red like a pig's head after the maid had applied hot water to it.
Seeing this, Cheng Zhijie noticed five distinct finger marks and felt displeased. Although his son was unruly, he was still the son of Duke Lu; who dared to treat him so roughly?
Cheng Jun knew he had touched on his father's important feelings and recounted what Xu Zhen had done with embellishments. Cheng Zhijie understood that listening only to one side could lead to misunderstandings, so he called an elderly servant who attended Cheng Jun to inquire about the situation. That elder had also benefited from Cheng Jun and fanned the flames further.
Cheng Zhijie merely sneered in silence. By afternoon, he took Cheng Jun personally to Beitun Camp.
At this time, Xu Zhen had just returned to her camp's yamen. The troops stationed at Beitun Camp were outside Chang'an City, but the office yamen was inside the city. Upon hearing that the former Left Tunwei Grand General and head of Beitun Camp had come for an inspection, Xu Zhen hurriedly went out to greet them and saw Cheng Jun strutting proudly behind the old Duke.
Cheng Jun thought that his father was going to stand up for him and felt quite pleased with himself. He was not blind; he had heard of Xu Zhen's reputation. In these times, if one had never heard of Xu Zhen, they would feel embarrassed even greeting others.
"Lord Cheng has personally come to visit; I am truly honored!" Xu Zhen warmly welcomed Cheng Zhijie inside. The latter also expressed his apologies, claiming that he had been busy with official duties recently and regretted not being able to meet her during her last visit.
Xu Zhen dared not act arrogantly in front of the renowned Old General, repeatedly waving his hand to brush the matter aside.
The elders of Beitun Camp heard that Cheng Zhijie Old General had arrived and hurried over to join the excitement. A group of them respectfully bowed and greeted him, as if Beitun Camp still belonged to Cheng Zhijie rather than Xu Zhen.
Although Xu Zhen had achieved remarkable military accomplishments and received personal support from the Sovereign, gaining prominence in the army, she still lacked the deep-rooted background compared to veterans like Li Jue and Qibi Helix.
After dealing with these old subordinates, Cheng Zhijie finally pulled Cheng Jun out from behind him.
“Unfilial son, come out and face people. If you have anything to say to General Xu, now is your chance.”
Cheng Jun was confused; he thought his father was bringing him out to settle a score, but instead, he was immediately scolded as an unfilial son, leaving him bewildered.
Xu Zhen, however, felt a tightness in her chest. She knew that Cheng Zhijie did not share the same camaraderie with her as he did with Li Jue and Xu Shiji, having fought alongside them on the battlefield. Although she admired Cheng Yaojin, he had never shown her any favor before.
Now that he personally brought his son here, it must be related to the incident where Li Mingda killed Cheng Jun Leopard.
“Lord Cheng, there was indeed some misunderstanding between me and Young Master. That is all in the past now. Young people can be hot-headed; if I have offended you in any way, I hope you won't take it to heart.”
Cheng Zhijie snorted coldly, seemingly angry at his son's lack of ambition, but to others, it appeared that his disdain was directed at Xu Zhen.
“This unfilial son has been spoiled and blinded by indulgence; he has offended General Xu. Today I brought him here to apologize. If you have any grievances, there’s no need to consider my feelings. Such an unfilial son needs a lesson; otherwise, he won’t know how high the sky is or how deep the earth is!”
Cheng Zhijie scolded angrily while Cheng Jun, still perplexed and unaware of what was happening, suddenly found himself kicked in the back of the knee by his father and fell to his knees before Xu Zhen!
Although the Tang Dynasty valued etiquette, ministers did not need to kneel before the emperor unless it was a significant occasion; thus, it was rare for anyone to kneel. The son of a founding hero kneeling before the newly appointed general, Xu Zhen, was excessive even for an apology.
Xu Zhen's expression changed dramatically. Although she knew that Cheng Zhijie held little affection for her, she never expected him to take such a step back by bringing his son to Beitun Camp. This was clearly an attempt to turn the tables on her!
The situation had escalated to such a degree that, from the perspective of the Brothers at Beitun Camp, even if Cheng Jun had offended Xu Zhen first, having the Old General come down from his high position to apologize had now turned into a fault of Xu Zhen!
If Cheng Zhijie were to play along with this farce, how could Xu Zhen continue to command the troops of Beitun Camp in the future?
This group of soldiers was entrusted to him personally by the Sovereign and would be of great use in the future. The people of Beitun Camp had temporarily been under the leadership of Qibi Helix, but since Qibi Helix had gone to Northern Wilderness to fight, they were still effectively led by Cheng Zhijie, and only now had they returned to Xu Zhen.
If he could not win the hearts and minds of the troops at Beitun Camp, thinking about the upcoming significant events made Xu Zhen feel quite anxious. After considering the situation, she hurriedly went to help Cheng Jun up.
However, Cheng Jun was well aware of the old man's temperament. He knew very well what Cheng Zhijie intended to do and immediately put on an expression of defiance, insisting that he was in the right!
"I did nothing wrong! Those blind women killed my Leopard; should I just let it go? Although I, Cheng Jun, am a bit unruly, I am still the biological son of the Old General. I carry his blood and understand heroism and righteousness. How can I allow others to insult me? If it were just about my own face, I could endure it, but this is a slap in my family's face!"
Upon hearing him mention Cheng Zhijie, Xu Zhen furrowed her brows, realizing that today’s events were not going to end well. Before she could explain further, Cheng Zhijie had already exploded with rage!
"You ungrateful wretch! How have I raised you all this time! Not only did you let beasts harm people, but when General Xu punished you on my behalf, you dared to retort! General Xu does not stoop to your level, but as your father, I cannot spare you!"
Cheng Zhijie trembled as he drew out the imperial jade belt from his waist and struck it against Cheng Jun with a loud crack!
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