Cheng Yuan's guards were all blocked outside the tent. He did not panic when he saw them. Instead, he smiled faintly and walked into the main tent alone.
Looking at his appearance, he wore a dark-colored wide-sleeved crane cloak with a jade pendant hanging from his waist.
His clothes fluttered elegantly in the wind.
The corners of his eyes were slightly raised. His brows carried the vigor of a young man, but there was no lack of steadiness.
Seeing Xu Bei sitting on the seat of honor, he calmly bowed in greeting.
"Your humble servant, Cheng Yuan, greets Duke Xinzhao on the orders of my army's commander."
Xu Bei, courtesy name Xinzhao.
Now that the world was in chaos, the official positions of the feudal lords were meaningless.
Jiang Pengji was still the governor of Wanzhou, but which governor could conquer the northern borderline? Not only did he cripple the northern borderline, but he also occupied their territory?
Xu Bei was the governor of Zhe County, but his territory was not limited to just Zhe County. There was also Hu County and half of Zhangzhou.
The royal family was extinct. As one of the five countries, Dongqing had been destroyed in name and in reality.
Since the country was gone, many titles naturally had to be changed accordingly.
For example, Cheng Yuan respectfully addressed Xu Bei as "Duke Xinzhao," which made him feel very comfortable.
Of course, he could also address him as "Duke Xu," but that would violate the ancestors' taboo. As a descendant, he could not offend the ancestors.
Xu Bei's expression softened. He smiled and tried to sound Cheng Yuan out.
Although Cheng Yuan was young, and his innate talent was not as frightening as those evildoers, he was still someone who had experienced several years of high-intensity work. He was someone who could handle various strategists with ease. Xu Bei's probing had been subtly leveraged by him, and he had unknowingly taken control of the rhythm of the conversation.
A few words of greeting were exchanged like a few rounds of swords and knives.
Seeing that his probing had failed, Xu Bei switched to playing the emotional card. He reminisced about the past at Huangshui with a face full of emotion and was concerned about Jiang Pengji's current situation.
Cheng Yuan dealt with them one by one, avoiding the small hole that Xu Bei had dug.
Sometimes, the enemy's concern was not necessarily concern. It could very well be a big trap.
The officials should keep the lord's health condition a secret and not reveal it easily. Even more so, they could not let the enemy know the truth.
Cheng Yuan's responses were watertight. Xu Bei did not gain any advantage.
After a while, Xu Bei knew that he could not pry open Cheng Yuan's mouth. He could only dispel the thought that he should not have.
He looked at Han Yu, who gave him a wink.
Xu Bei understood and went straight to the point. "You didn't come here just to greet me, did you?"
Cheng Yuan pretended to be annoyed and raised his hand to pat his forehead. He blamed himself and said, "Please forgive me, Duke Xin Zhao. I was a little dazed when I saw you treating me so kindly just now. I forgot why I came and almost delayed the important matter. Other than greetings, I also have a letter for Duke Xinzhao. "
Xu Bei resisted the urge to twitch the corners of his mouth. However, he maintained a candid expression and said, "It's alright, it's alright. Teacher and I hit it off the moment we met, and we had a pleasant conversation. If someone were to be blamed, it would be my fault. How could I blame Sir? Who wrote this letter? "
Vaguely, Xu Bei felt that this letter was Cheng Yuan's true motive for this diplomatic mission.
After talking nonsense for so long, it was finally time for the main course.
In other words —
The warm up was over. Was it finally time to reveal the dagger?
Cheng Yuan looked at Xu Bei with a smile that was not a smile. "The person who wrote this letter was your Lord Wen."
Ling Wengong?
Xu Fei?
Xu Bei was also a man of superb acting skills. His reflexes were breathtaking.
Upon hearing the name Xu Fei from Cheng Yuan, Xu Bei's eyes immediately reddened, as if he had recalled a sad past.
When an elder brother heard that his younger brother had died in the prime of his life, anyone with feelings for him would definitely feel terrible.
"I … I heard that Ling Wengong has already passed away …"
Xu Bei's voice was hoarse, and he seemed to be choking with emotion.
Cheng Yuan sighed. "Ling Wengong, he used silk as a piece of white silk and hung it on a large tree in a farmer's courtyard. He then stepped on a stool and hung himself. He committed suicide."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Bei burst into tears, calling out Xu Fei's name.
Many people were infected by his sorrow, and their eyes silently reddened.
Xu Bei wept bitterly as he said, "Ling Wengong and I were as close as brothers. The scene of us studying together in the past is still vivid in my mind. At the poetry gathering, we held hands and traveled together. Along the winding stream, we drank wine together. We were originally of the same clan. Although there was discord, it was not to this extent … "
No matter who it was, upon seeing Xu Bei's heartfelt weeping, even if one's heart was made of iron, they would still melt.
Cheng Yuan's face revealed a look of sympathy, but no one knew what he was thinking in his heart.
"Duke Xin Zhao and Ling Wengong had a deep brotherly relationship. Now that he has passed away, I hope that Duke Xin Zhao will not be too sad. "
The other officials under Xu Bei's tent also consoled him. Only then did Xu Bei stop crying and restrain the grief on his face.
He asked Cheng Yuan, "Did Teacher bring Ling Wengong's will?"
Cheng Yuan retrieved a letter from his bosom.
Han Yu took the letter and passed it to Xu Bei.
Xu Bei hurriedly opened it, but there was only a piece of bamboo paper stamped with Xu Fei's personal seal.
Apart from the seal, there was not even a stain on this piece of paper, not to mention a single word.
"Emissary, what is the meaning of this?"
Xu Bei changed the way he addressed Han Yu. His tone carried a hint of anger.
Cheng Yuan bowed unhurriedly and said mournfully, "Ling Wengong is now extinct!"
Extinct?
Xu Bei was enraged. "How could Ling Wengong be extinct? He had a large number of children, with three sons and three daughters still alive. How could he be extinct? "
Han Yu felt a chill in his heart. His previous conjecture had been confirmed.
Cheng Yuan said, "The barbican city was breached, and the pursuing soldiers were like an inescapable net. Ling Wengong broke out of the siege several times and was accidentally separated from his wife and children. In order to find his wife and children, he had no choice but to turn back. Not only did he fail to find his wife and children, but he also encountered several waves of pursuing soldiers. After a fierce battle, only two guards were left. There were pursuers behind, and there was no way out. Ling Wengong had no choice but to hang himself! "
Xu Bei subconsciously wanted to stop Cheng Yuan, but he knew that if he berated him, he would be admitting to the bad reputation of forcing his own brother to his death.
Cheng Yuan continued, "Ling Wengong's wife and children were also unfortunate. After they were separated from Ling Wengong, they unfortunately encountered bandits and villains. The villainous tycoon killed three innocent children, ending Ling Wengong's bloodline. The two concubine-born daughters also died young. Fortunately, Ling Wengong's wife protected them with her life, delaying time until the arrival of the main army. She was able to preserve her only bloodline. "
Three sons and three daughters. Five of them died.
The sons who could carry on the bloodline were all dead, leaving only one daughter. Wasn't this the end of the line?
Cheng Yuan calmly stated his intentions. "Ling Wengong's daughter grieves over her deceased father's desolate state. She boldly borrowed her deceased father's name to ask Duke Xinzhao for an heir to continue the bloodline of the second branch of the Xu family. If there were no filial sons, Ling Wengong would not be able to sleep peacefully in the afterlife. "
Xu Bei's eyes widened in shock. He finally understood what was going on with the 'will' in his hands.
This wasn't just a piece of paper. It also contained the lives of Xu Fei's entire family.
Xu Bei glared at Cheng Yuan, as if he wanted to chew his flesh off. His eyes were filled with a strong murderous intent.
Cheng Yuan was neither sad nor happy. He was like a hermit who had nothing to do with this matter, coldly observing the various expressions of the crowd.
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