Chapter 192: Firepaint, mending, teaming up to count.

The letter was sent by horse expedited.

The messenger said, he was going to deliver the message to Wangcheng, but when he passed by Baiqiu post station, he heard the post master said that the young general was stationed here, so he came straight here, and presented a private letter first.

Chi Xiaochi opens the letter, and inside is General Shi Jinghong's elegant handwriting.

Chi Xiaochi read the entire letter, his face slightly sullen.

Chu Ziling: "Gong Zi, how's it going?"

Chi Xiaochi casually handed him the letterhead, "Something's wrong."

Chu Ziling hesitated a bit, "Gong Zi , this is not the rule ......"

Chi Xiaochi gave a tsk, "Master Gong Zi isn't here, so don't make a fuss with me. I'll let you see it."

These words are right in Chu Ziling's heart.

In Shi Tingyun's mind, he is really better than that sick bone.

Now that Master Gong Zi was recuperating in his tent and was not nearby, Chu Ziling was able to pry a little.

He took the letter, a little scan, could not hide the consternation: "Dingyuan three days ago nearly broken city?"

"Aye. Perhaps that group of Great Green Mountain bandits sold the news of Uncle Wen's injury to the Southlanders."

Chi Xiaochi English, complaining under his breath and anxious on his face, "Uncle Wen is also like this! He is always so irritable, victory or defeat is a matter of military affairs, how can he be so angry that he vomited blood? Now he is injured, I don't know ......"

Chu Ziling went to one side to fetch a map of the southern border's military layouts, spreading it out on the table case, his eyes calm: "...... Gong Zi, look at the map."

Chi Xiaochi heard him, Fang Cai pulling back his haste: "Yes. Figure."

They were thousands of kilometers away, unable to help, Shi Jinghong naturally also knew this, the letter in addition to calling him to come to Zhennan Pass, there is a second layer of purpose.

Every time there was an emergency at the border, Shi Jinghong would write a letter, stating the situation of the war, not to make Shi Tingyun anxious, but to ask him to write out a response and send it back to Zhennan Pass.

In fact, whenever the letter is sent, the crisis has mostly been resolved, so this is just an unscheduled examination of the son by the father.

As for the third layer of meaning implied in this letter, only Chi Xiaochi and Shi Jinghong know it well.

What went wrong was Tingyuan City, so it was already clear who was the insider.

If Shi Tingyun was still a white-furred little fox, who would not suspect his own cohort, Shi Jinghong was a ripe old red-tailed fox, quite composed, and his letter did not ask about the internal affairs, but only talked about the military situation, which was in no way different from the wording of his letters in the old days.

Moreover, Shi Jinghong considered more than Chi Xiaochi, fearing that Wen Feiru and other military generals are too honest to deceive the eyes of the Southern Border people, so he directly made up an excuse of heavy injury, telling him not to come out to see people during this period of time.

The words return to the present.

Chi Xiaochi asked Chu Ziling, "How do you think Tingyuan City should be fortified?"

Chu Ziling knelt in front of the map, pointed out a few places and talked about his feelings.

After Chi Xiaochi shared his memories with Shi Tingyun, he could tell that the few decisions he made weren't bad, they were just a little rough and left out a few details.

Chu Ziling will not dig his own grave.

He's been undercover for years and knows Shi Tingyun's stuff.

Shi Tingyun is still simple-minded, and only uses his calculations on the enemy, rather than easily suspecting his own people.

This is a good thing, but if Chu Ziling is so self-righteous that he tries to get some wrong ideas on the formation that Shi Tingyun has been practicing since he was a child, he is just asking for his own death.

He watched as Shi Tingyun wrote down his proposed strategies and thoughtfully added what he had "missed", with a trace of relief.

"Don't worry, I won't compete for credit." Shi Tingyun put aside his pen and fell to saying, "I will inform in my letter which were your ideas and speak more favorably for you in front of father."

Chu Ziling bent his eyes, "Thank you Gong Zi for your kindness."

Shi Tingyun was indeed a frank person, and he was true to his word. He took a vermilion pen and circled the first half of the war strategy, noting that it was contributed by Chu Ziling.

Chu Ziling looked at this sincere, naive and foolish young general and felt a sense of pity.

The solid defense plan is written, followed by the imperial plan.

Chu Ziling would not make any effort in this regard, and on the pretext of going out to pour tea and chatting with A Shu, he dawdled for some time, and when he returned, Shi Tingyun had already put aside his pen, folded the letter paper into a small round wooden seal, and closed the cover with a wooden lid, and then took a block of fire lacquer, and used a firebrand to start a fire to roast it.

The fire paint melted with the heat and dripped the melted liquid, which landed right on the seal of the small wooden cylinder.

Sealed with fire lacquer, the color of which was carefully blended with Yin Zhu, the color was not quite the same as that of the fire lacquer sold on the market, making it difficult to imitate, and it was obvious at a glance that it was sent from the General's residence, and then stamped with Shi Tingyun's seal, which would form a unique insignia on the seal, so that once it was opened, one would be able to tell that it had been opened.

Shi Tingyun said, "The Round Badge."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Chu Ziling arrived with his badge, thoughtful and unobtrusive at the same time.

Shi Tingyun took it and knocked the specially shaped curved round medallion down over the seal of the wooden cylinder.

When the fire paint had dried, Shi Tingyun said, "Go and send it by carrier pigeon."

Chu Ziling deliberately asked one more question, "Aren't you waiting for the messenger sent by General Shi to return?"

Shi Tingyun said, "Didn't I tell you to bring along good experienced pigeons before the trip? They recognize the way, and it saves the trouble of having to make a special trip around the marching line to fetch them."

Chu Ziling took the small wooden cylinder in both hands and saluted, "Ziling will go and do it."

He went to the pigeon cage, grabbed one out in his hand, and with skillful movements tied a small wooden tube to its leg and released it.

After the pigeon's snow-white figure disappeared into the sky, Chu Ziling smiled slightly, squatted down, and tapped his index finger twice on the pigeon cage.

A gray-furred pigeon with a white patch on its forehead hopped twice to the edge of the cage and pecked his fingertips affectionately.

Chu Ziling took out some rice from his pocket and gently fed it.

Shi Tingyun's sudden departure from Wangcheng caught him off guard.

Did he give up the handful of killing moves he had prepared beforehand, or did he have to seize the moment and make them quickly?

Suddenly came behind the wooden wheel rolling noise, Chu Ziling ear is not bad, in time to retract the finger, pretending to check the lock of the dovecot, stand up, just to face a black power hedge.

This person's eyes are hidden under layers of veil and fog, can not see clearly, Chu Ziling can not through his eyes to guess this person's thoughts, and do not feel a little bit of wariness.

Li Yeshu, who was pushing Yu Fengmian, didn't realize the darkness between them and said, "A Ling, Gong Zi asked you to send a letter again?"

"Yes."

Chu Ziling arched his hand at Yu Fengmian in the wheelchair, "The dew is heavy at night, why has Master Gong Zi come out?"

That person's slightly mute voice from the power hedge out: "The body is better, since I do not want to be smothered in the army tent, the smell is too heavy. You go to the tent to light a stick of incense."

Li Yeshu was stunned: "Fang Cai Gong Zi teacher why not say it to A Shu, A Shu will go back later and order it."

Yu Fengmian faintly said, "Today has already troubled you enough. Now you push me to blow off some steam while he goes to light the incense, so I can be more comfortable when I return to my tent."

He said, raising his head slightly, "Please."

Chu Ziling has long been used to the Sixth Prince's explicit sarcasm, and this is the first time he has received this kind of implicit stab that does not say much explicitly but reminds him everywhere that he is a slave, but after all he has been undercover for many years, and has cultivated a temperament that is able to withstand no matter what kind of insults he is subjected to.

Before ...... becoming the prince of the southern border, these small things do not have to be put in the heart.

He was unassuming, "Yes, Ziling obeys."

He arched his hand to leave, trying to get away from the sickly man with the odd and fussy nature.

Who would have thought that Yu Fengmian would open his mouth again, "Ziling, is that your name?"

Chu Ziling had to stand still: "Yes."

Yu Fengmian said mildly, "I thought your name was A Ling."

Chu Ziling was uncomfortable with this gentle yet reserved attitude.

Li Yeshu on the side explained: "Gong Zi division, is this way, small real name Li Yeshu, A Ling real name Chu Ziling. Gong Zi when we were first accepted into the house, called me A Shu, called him A Ling. at that time, Wangcheng wind behavior for the boys to change their names, what 'clear wind', 'bright moon', 'qin, chess, calligraphy and painting' to show elegance, some even changed their surnames for fear of being ridiculed that the master's family belly, 'qin, chess, calligraphy and painting'. At that time, the Wangcheng Wind House changed the names of their servants to something like 'clear wind', 'bright moon', 'qin, chess, calligraphy and painting' to show their elegance, and some of them even changed their surnames, for fear of being ridiculed by people who said that the master's family didn't have any literature and ink in their bellies. Gong Zi didn't change our names, saying that our parents named us and shouldn't have changed it, and only called us by the last word, which seemed close and sounded good."

Yu Fengmian nodded once, and when he turned to Chu Ziling again, there was a bit more playfulness in his voice, "Do you have any comments on the name Gong Zi has chosen for you?"

Chu Ziling's heart was a little agitated within, "Zi ...... A Ling didn't mean it."

Li Yeshu had the heart to explain for Chu Ziling: "Master Gong Zi is not to be blamed, Gong Zi has always favored A Ling and allowed him to call himself by his own name in private."

Yu Fengmian gave a sound: "In front of Gong Zi, you can be more casual, but in the army, the hierarchy is very strict, everyone is waiting to see how the young general behaves, you as his sidekick, if you mess up the rules of honor and respect, it will be a disgrace for your family Gong Zi, do you understand?"

Upon hearing that this matter might have a bearing on Gong Zi's face, Li Yeshu immediately stopped making a sound, and gave Chu Ziling a wink, telling him to answer in the affirmative.

Chu Ziling pursed up his lips and looked as if he genuinely knew he was wrong, "It was A Ling's poor consideration,"

Yu Fengmian seems to have made a casual remark and said so.

"Let's go. Go to Gong Zi's tent."

A Shu answered yes, and when he pushed him to go, Yu Fengmian turned his head and commanded, "Don't forget to light the incense."

Seeing Master Gong Zi leave, Chu Ziling's face was no longer half-smiling.

He once again realized that without Gong Zi, he would be nothing more than a clever boy in the eyes of the generals.

How is a boy supposed to win the favor of others and get them to look at him differently?

...... Only credit, only credit.

With that in mind, Chu Ziling looks behind him at the pigeon cage.

The pigeon with the speckled forehead had eaten its fill and was hopping around the cage, mingling with the other pigeons and looking no different.

That plan, he had to do it.

......

After entering Gong Zi's tent, Chi Xiaochi informed Lou Ying of the news he had received: "Master Gong Zi, Dingyuan was attacked, but the city was saved."

Lou Ying knew what he meant when he said, "Then we should go to Dingyuan first?"

A Shu, who thought they were going to Yongzhou, didn't have much of a reaction when he heard that.

He was not well versed in the military and knew only two things:

Firstly, the matters entrusted by Gong Zi are all important matters, Gong Zi wants him to keep his mouth shut about the military intelligence, then he will not say more than half a word even if he is killed.

Secondly, the military is ever-changing, and it's not for him to say anything about it as a houseboy. No matter if he is in Yongzhou or Dingyuan, Gong Zi will go wherever he goes.

He realized that the tea in the teapot was too strong and might not be good for Mr. Gong Zi's stomach, so he took it out and poured it out, intending to re-brew it.

After A Shu left, Chi Xiaochi asked him, "Why don't you rest in your tent?"

Lou Ying: "I'm just worried that you'll suddenly change your plans, and Chu Ziling won't go easy on Shi Jinghong for the sake of safety. That's why I came out here to give him a reason to do it."