Agente secreto Wind Boy

Capítulo 59

"My lord, please do not be alarmed, it is I."

A soft, gentle female voice drifted into the study. Qin Hui composed himself slightly and forced a smile, saying, "So it's you, young lady. Why are you standing outside silently? You frightened me quite a bit!"

The woman's face was hidden under a large cloak, making it impossible to see her features. Only when she slowly entered the room did the dim oil lamp illuminate her delicate face, revealing her to be Tang Yufeng's maid, Nongying!

“Miss Qingmei received a message from the master, and after searching for a long time, she still couldn’t find what the master wanted, so she specially sent me to apologize.”

Qin Hui was somewhat displeased upon hearing her words. In the first few years when Qingmei was caring for his wife, Madam Wang, in the Qin household, Qin Hui had valued her highly and treated her well. He never expected that she would now ask him for something, and Qingmei would give him such evasive answers.

"That's what she said. Can't find it? Can't find anything the prince uses in the palace? Does she think I'm that stupid?"

Nongying stood calmly in front of Qin Hui and said, "My lord, there is no need to blame Qingmei. You know how serious this matter is. It is normal for her to be undecided for a while. I came to see you today to discuss this matter. Otherwise, why would I have bothered to come all the way from Lin'an to Bianjing?"

Qin Hui scoffed, "A woman's kindness cannot accomplish anything without extraordinary measures. She also wants to assist the prince in ascending to a high position, but she hesitates like this. How can she achieve great things?"

"But you, sir, are demanding the prince's personal belongings from us, I'm afraid you're planning to do something unjust and then frame the prince, aren't you?"

Seeing Qin Hui's hostile words, Nongying also subtly revealed her tough side.

Qin Hui, however, made no attempt to conceal his intentions, saying, "That's right, I intend to frame the Prince, because only in this way can the brothers completely turn against each other. Only in this way will the Prince be determined to pursue his grand ambitions!"

Nongying frowned and said, "Your Excellency has already discussed this matter with the Prince many times, and Your Excellency understands the Prince's intentions. Why be so stubborn and insist on doing it this way?"

Qin Hui stood with his hands behind his back, offering no answer. Nongying lowered her head, thinking for a moment, and realized she'd asked a foolish question. Qin Hui was simply after the throne; why ask further? But… Zhao Gou and Qin Zhen… one didn't want to be emperor, the other didn't want to be empress. Why was he so busy with this?

The atmosphere between the two was somewhat awkward. Nongying took a step back and said, "Actually, Qingmei is unwilling to help you with this matter because she has other concerns. Although Your Highness has some support now, it seems that he is still lacking in some aspects if he wants to accomplish great things. Qingmei is worried that insufficient preparation will harm Your Highness."

So that's what you were worried about. Qin Hui relaxed a little and said with a smile, "Does the young lady think I'm an impulsive and reckless person? The military forces in the world are now divided into three parts: the Imperial Guard, the Northern Garrison Army, and the Northwest Army. The Imperial Guard is currently in Gao Qiu's hands, and the Northern Garrison Army is controlled by Zhong Shidao and Zong Ze. These can all be transferred to Your Highness's use. The majority of the military forces in the world are in Your Highness's hands, so what is there to worry about?"

Nongying chuckled and denied it, saying, "My lord is confused. Whether Gao Qiu can be trusted is another matter. I only ask you, my lord, would loyal generals like Zhong Shidao and Zong Ze really commit such treasonous acts as you? Are they currently on good terms with the Prince?"

"Your Excellency is working for the court and the Emperor. If the Prince were to rebel, how many of you would support him?"

Nongying's words put Qin Hui in an awkward position. He was indeed confused. His desire for power had blinded him, and he had become detached from reality, indulging in fantasies!

"It seems that you haven't thought it through yet, sir. I'll take my leave now. I hope you'll have a clearer understanding when I visit you again next time."

After speaking, he turned his cloak and disappeared from the study, leaving Qin Hui alone in deep thought.

The crescent moon hung like a hook. Qin Zhen lay on the city wall of Jizhou, gazing at the clear sky, yet her heart was filled with restlessness. Zhao Gou leaned quietly against the bluestone wall, watching Qin Zhen's profile bathed in moonlight. He was momentarily dazed, only snapping back to reality when Qin Zhen turned to speak to him.

"Judging by the days, Sister Nongying should have arrived in Bianjing by now. Do you think she can persuade my father?"

Zhao Gou replied, "Why worry so much? Whether or not he can persuade her, Qingmei won't do this for him."

Qin Zhen said uneasily, "I'm afraid that as long as my father's ambition remains, you will still be in danger. If it comes to that, do you really intend to rebel?"

"The world is vast, if my royal brother really can't tolerate me, then let's just go far away and roam the world together."

Seeing how easily Zhao Gou spoke, Qin Zhen knew him all too well; Zhao Gou's heart was not one that the martial world could tolerate. Sigh, these two ambitious men really gave Qin Zhen a headache.

Seeing that Qin Zhen did not respond to him, Zhao Gou thought to himself that he was afraid Qin Zhen would not want him to retire from the court. She cared about the world, so why would she want to travel the world with him?

Silently, the two stood on the city wall, gazing at the vast night sky and the earth, each lost in their own thoughts.

With the aid of firearms, the fighting on the northern front of the Liao Kingdom has eased considerably. The Jin Kingdom has suffered repeated defeats and is now retreating to Zhongjing to hold out for the time being, seemingly having temporarily abandoned its plans to continue southward.

The Liao Dynasty had lost half of its territory to the Jin Dynasty, and many cities in the south had been returned to the Song Dynasty according to the treaty. The situation at this time was extremely dire.

When news of Qin Zhen's garrison in Jizhou reached King Yelü Chun of Qin and Jin, he immediately ordered someone to find Qin Zhen, hoping to see her. Yelü Chun had been wounded multiple times on the battlefield, and coupled with his advancing age, his health was deteriorating rapidly.

When she heard the news that Yelü Chun was seriously ill and wanted to see Qin Zhen, she immediately began packing her things to go to the Qin-Jin King's Palace in Nanjing.

When Zhao Gou saw her off, he reluctantly instructed her, "The Jin people's morale is low now, which is a good time for us to pursue them. So I can't go to Nanjing to find you for a while. You have to take good care of yourself and wait for me to come and get you, okay?"

Qin Zhen smiled and nodded, then reminded Zhao Gou to be careful, not to act rashly on the battlefield, and to listen to the advice of the generals, before the two parted ways.

After Han Shizhong led a small cavalry squad to escort Qin Zhen to Nanjing, they happened to meet Nongying, who had just arrived in Nanjing. Qin Zhen then asked Han Shizhong to take Nongying to see Zhao Gou so that the soldiers could be taught how to use firearms as soon as possible.

Before leaving, Qin Zhen remembered something else and said to Han Shizhong, "Sister Hongyu helped me go to Tokyo to find Senior Brother Wuhuan to prepare the antidote for Sister Shishi. It has been more than two months, and I have not yet received any news of her return. I'm afraid she encountered difficulties on the way. You should contact my elder brother Yue Fei and send a ship to Tokyo to investigate."

Han Shizhong had been worried about Liang Hongyu recently, but Qin Zhen hadn't mentioned it, and he was too embarrassed to ask. Now that Qin Zhen brought it up, he naturally agreed immediately.

The land route between Tokyo (Liaoning Prefecture) and Nanjing (Qijin Prefecture) was cut off by the Jin army. The only way to get to Tokyo was by boat from Bohai, where Yue Fei was leading troops to guard the area. Naturally, to find Liang Hongyu, one had to find Yue Fei first.

Volume Two: Eagle Soars Through the Sky 110 An arranged marriage arrives suddenly

Brother Han, it's been a long time!

"Haha, you've gotten even stronger!"

Yue Fei and Han Shizhong greeted each other with a fist bump upon meeting. These past few years have been unlike their early days as imperial guards in the palace; they have been busy with their respective military duties, making it rare for them to meet again.

By this time, Yue Fei, who was already seventeen years old, had become a valiant major general. However, Han Shizhong still treated him like a younger brother, calling him "boy, boy" incessantly in front of the soldiers. Although Yue Fei noticed that some soldiers were secretly laughing, he did not say anything. Laughter was a rare sound in the camp, which was quite nice.

"Brother Han, shouldn't you be enjoying your retirement in Bianjing after quelling the unrest in the south? Why are you here again?" Yue Fei asked slowly as he walked side by side with Han Shizhong.

Han Shizhong said, "How can I stay idle? If I stop, I'll turn back into a drunkard. I was just delivering some things to Jizhou with your sister when I came here."

"Oh? Qin Zhen, it's been quite a while since I've seen her. How is she?" Yue Fei asked with concern.

Han Shizhong laughed and said, "Good, this girl is wonderful. The prince treats her like a treasure. What could possibly go wrong? It's just that she's restless and likes to cause trouble everywhere."

Hearing that his sister was alright, Yue Fei was relieved. Although he occasionally corresponded with Qin Zhen, he knew nothing of the true situation from just a few words and could not help but worry.

Han Shizhong asked, "Is there anything unusual here?"

Yue Fei said, "Last month, the Jin soldiers occasionally harassed us, but this month, after hearing about the great victory at Jizhou, the Jin soldiers have stopped coming here, and the sea has been very calm."

Upon hearing Yue Fei's reply, Han Shizhong didn't know whether to be happy or not. The sea remained calm, so there was still no news of Liang Hongyu.

Seeing the unusual expression on Han Shizhong's face, Yue Fei asked, "Brother Han, what's wrong?"

"Two months ago, Qin Zhen and I delivered some things to Jizhou. At the same time, she also had to go to Liaoning Prefecture to ask her second senior brother, Ji Wuhuan, for a favor. Because both matters were urgent, she entrusted the matter of going to Tokyo to a girl named Liang Hongyu. However, it has been so long now, and Miss Liang has not sent back any news. So I came to ask you about it."

Yue Fei thought for a moment and said, "Two months ago, a young woman did come to the camp with the seal of Princess Dingguo of Liao. However, I was searching for seafarers at the time and did not see her. But I heard that a ship was indeed sent to take her to Liaoning Prefecture. So much time has passed. Has she not responded yet?"

Han Shizhong nodded silently, his heart filled with worry.

After discussing it for a long time, the next day, Han Shizhong and Yue Fei led ten warships and more than a thousand soldiers to Tokyo, because Yue Fei was really worried that something unexpected might happen to Tokyo, which was surrounded by the sea on three sides and faced the enemy on one side.

Inside the Prince Qin Jin's palace in Nanjing, Qin Zhen took the medicine bowl from a servant and blew on each spoonful of steaming Chinese medicine to cool it down. He then brought it to the lips of the half-reclining Yelü Chun and softly called out, "Father, it's time to take your medicine."

Yelü Chun laboriously lifted his eyelids and drank the medicine from the spoon, but after only a few sips, he suddenly choked and coughed violently.

Qin Zhen hurriedly put down the medicine bowl in his hand and began to gently massage Yelü Chun's chest and back.

"Mingzhen..." Yelü Chun coughed for a while, then called out to Qin Zhen in a trembling voice. "My father is dying, but he was able to find you and your father before he died, and now you are showing filial piety. I can die in peace."

Qin Zhen said worriedly, "Father, don't talk nonsense. You've only suffered some injuries. Once you've rested and recovered, you'll be just like before!"

Yelü Chun smiled bitterly and said, "The Liao Kingdom is now in dire straits, and it is all up to your father to hold it up. I am powerless to help him anymore. Although you are a girl, you should do more to help your father and the Liao Kingdom."

Qin Zhen nodded gently and said, "Father, rest assured, I will do my best to help the Liao Kingdom overcome this calamity."

Seeing Yelü Chun nod and smile, Qin Zhen took the medicine bowl back and continued to feed him the medicine. After he finished the bowl, Yelü Chun had the servants take the bowl away and kept Qin Zhen in the room to talk.

Yelü Chun remained silent for a long time, his brows furrowed as if he had something to say. Qin Zhen then took his hand and asked, "Does Father have something to say to me? Please speak freely."

"Mingzhen, you're almost thirteen this year. In two years or so, you'll be getting married. Have you thought about that?"

Qin Zhen was surprised. Did Yelü Chun really think his health was failing and even want to bring forward her marriage arrangements? She stammered, "I'm still young... I haven't thought about this..."

Yelü Chun held her hand tightly and said, "Since I returned from the battlefield to recuperate, I have been thinking about this issue from time to time. There are many fine men in the Liao Dynasty, but I always feel that no one is good enough for you. After much thought, I think only your cousin, Prince Ao Luwo of Jin, is suitable. Although he is much older than you, he is of noble status and has the highest prestige among the princes. I think he will not wrong you."

Like a bolt from the blue, Qin Zhen froze on the spot. Yelü Chun had actually arranged a marriage for her! And that person was her nominal cousin, a man who was more than ten years older than her!

Ao Luwo's indistinct face appeared in Qin Zhen's mind, and she couldn't help but chuckle to herself. Who would have thought that one day she would encounter such a problem?

Qin Zhen's first reaction was to stall. Yelü Chun was giving instructions as if he were leaving his last will and testament, and she knew she couldn't refuse, so she decided to put things off for now. She shook her head vigorously and said to Yelü Chun, "Father, the country is in peril and war is raging. How can we be in the mood to talk about marriage? You should focus on recovering now. Once you've recovered and Father returns victorious, we can discuss everything in the long run."

“Good child,” Yelü Chun said with a smile, “It’s good that you have such high aspirations, but your father probably won’t live to see that day. Besides, recently the court is in disarray, and there are occasional rumors that Huan’er is holding onto his military power and colluding with the Song soldiers to try and take over the Liao Kingdom. The Emperor and Prince Jin may not believe it now, but what about later? No matter how the situation turns out, it will have a negative impact on Huan’er. Only… only you marry Prince Jin…”

Yelü Chun couldn't continue speaking after that point, because he saw the light in Qin Zhen's eyes dim. She must be heartbroken!

Seeing Qin Zhen biting her lip without saying a word, Yelü Chun finally couldn't bear it and said, "Never mind, we'll talk about it later. Go play by yourself. Father Wang is going to sleep for a while. You don't need to stay by his bedside all the time."

Qin Zhen agreed casually and turned to leave the room. As she closed the door, she let out a heavy sigh. It would be a lie to say she wasn't heartbroken. She had thought Yelü Chun would cherish her like any ordinary grandmother, but it turned out he was using her as a tool to balance the relationship between the royal family and the Prince's residence. It was inevitable that she felt disappointed.

As she stood outside the door, lost in thought, a servant rushed in to report, "Princess, there is an urgent report from Tokyo."

Volume Two: Eagle Soars Through the Sky 111 Like a Blow to the Head

Xiang shallow bottom 1

What kind of urgent report?

Qin Zhen hurriedly returned to her room with the messenger, who then took out a letter from his robes. This messenger, named Xu Hanwen, was a courier Qin Zhen had brought from the Kang Prince's residence and placed there to handle communications between her and the Song Dynasty. He had just informed Qin Zhen that there was an urgent report from Tokyo, the capital of Liao; if possible, it could only be a report from Liang Hongyu.

As expected, Qin Zhen opened the letter and saw Liang Hongyu's elegant handwriting. Qin Zhen quickly scanned the contents of the letter, his fingers trembling slightly, almost dropping the letter.

She slowly sat down at the round table in the room, leaning against it for support, and softly said, "No... this is impossible..."

A breeze blew in through the carved window lattice, knocking the letter from Qin Zhen's hand and gently landing at Xu Hanwen's feet. He picked up the letter but didn't read its contents, a matter of course for him as a messenger.

"Princess, do you have any instructions for me to follow?"

Qin Zhen took a deep breath, forcing back the tears welling up in her eyes, before saying, "Have someone from the Prince's Mansion prepare a guest room. Sister Hongyu will be back tomorrow. As soon as she enters the city, bring her to see me immediately."

"yes."