NOVPUB
Chapter 114: Chapter 114: Four Veterans Compete for Zhan Lan!
Zhan Feng was in the courtyard having his legs massaged by two maids, when two Deputy Generals of the Zhan Family Army walked straight in.
The servant saw the two approaching fiercely and immediately said, "Young Master, two Deputy Generals have come to see you."
"Let them wait a while, can’t they see what this young master is doing!" Zhan Feng initially wanted to show some attitude, but unexpectedly, his shoulders were suddenly pressed down by a pair of strong hands.
The two maids immediately stopped what they were doing and stood to the side, not daring to make a sound.
Zhan Feng, being picked up by Deputy General Lu Youjun, angrily said, "What are you doing? I am Zhan Feng, who do you think you are? Are you mad? How dare you treat me like this? Believe it or not, I’ll tell my grandmother and father!"
Zhan Feng cursed and spoke disrespectfully to the two Deputy Generals, who had long disdained Zhan Feng’s style.
The other Deputy General, Li Meng, angrily said, "Someone, tie him up!"
Instantly, several men tied up Zhan Feng, and Li Meng even stuffed a rag, that was used for wiping tables, into Zhan Feng’s mouth.
Lu Youjun turned to the servants and maids and said, "Old General Zhan wants this man taken away. Anyone who causes trouble inside or outside the mansion, or spreads messages, will be executed without hesitation!"
Zhan Feng was terrified inside. He didn’t know what he had done wrong to deserve being tied up!
Where were these brutes taking him?
With his mouth stuffed with a rag, Zhan Feng was still shouting when Lu Youjun knocked him out with a chop of his hand.
After Zhan Feng was taken away, soon thereafter, four Old Generals arrived at the General Mansion.
Zhan Xinzhang, dressed in robes not worn for a long time, along with the four Old Generals and Zhan Beicang, went to meet the Emperor.
Just as they were preparing to set off for the palace, one of the Old Generals with keen eyes spotted Zhan Lan.
"Ah, it’s Miss Zhan!"
The other three Old Generals followed his gaze and looked at Zhan Lan.
Zhan Lan respectfully greeted the four Old Generals.
One cheerful and limping Old General laughed and said, "Let’s go, Miss Zhan, come to the palace with us! Ride in my carriage!"
"Limping Leg, are you joking?" another Old General protested, slapping his carriage loudly, "Come here, ride in my carriage!"
"One Ear, who wants your broken carriage, come, Miss Zhan, ride with me, One Ear’s carriage is about to fall apart!"
"Pfft, Shao Yizhi you shameless scoundrel, my carriage is made of iron frames!"
"Stop arguing, all of you, I am the eldest, Miss Zhan should ride in my carriage!" an Old General with a scar on his eye said.
"Pfft! Scar Eye, you shameless fool!" the three Old Generals chorused.
The four Old Generals were Zhang Zhao, nicknamed Limping Leg,
Wang Chen, nicknamed One Ear, Li Qiang, nicknamed Shao Yizhi, and Zhao Feng, nicknamed Scar Eye.
The four elders, all over fifty years old, almost came to blows over which carriage Miss Zhan should ride in.
Zhan Xinzhang looked bemusedly at his old friends, scolded, "What time is this to be fighting!"
The four men, not willing to back down, glared at each other with slanted brows.
Zhan Xinzhang looked at Zhan Lan, these four Old Generals, very discerning.
Somehow they had taken a liking to Zhan Lan.
But he knew why his old friends insisted on taking Zhan Lan with them to meet the Emperor.
"Fourth Daughter, let’s go, to the palace together! Take my carriage," Zhan Xinzhang said to Zhan Lan.
Zhan Lan, seeing the urgency of the men, knew of course why this was so.
She couldn’t be prudish or waste time, so, under the watchful eyes of the four Old Generals, she got into her grandfather’s carriage.
Zhan Beicang drove the carriage, and the group set off for the imperial palace.
Along the way, Zhan Xinzhang worried that the Wang family would likely cause a disturbance.
However, regarding Zhan Feng’s matter, anyone who dares to cover it up would harm the entire Zhan Family.
It’s essential to seize the time now, to meet His Majesty before this matter becomes known to others.
He could not manage much anymore!
Zhan Xinzhang, with his military achievements and the jade token rewarded by the previous Emperor,
was not stopped by anyone when entering the palace; the little eunuchs sprinted all the way, announcing his audience with the Emperor.
Emperor Xuanwu, hearing the person requesting the audience brought such a grand entourage, wondered what matter could possibly involve the descendants of several founding generals.
He immediately signaled Eunuch Li to summon several generals to wait at the Taiji Palace.
Because Zhan Lan was a lady, she was not summoned and thus waited outside the temple.
The entire Taiji Palace was extremely magnificent, but its interior was decorated like a Taoist temple due to Emperor Xuanwu.
Because the doors were open, Zhan Lan could clearly hear the sounds inside from outside.
After Emperor Xuanwu arrived, he sat on the dragon throne, his gaze sweeping over several old ministers before finally settling on Zhan Beicang to ask, "My subjects, what matters do you wish to present?"
Seeing Zhan Beicang’s return, he guessed it was related to the case of the stolen provisions.
But with so many people coming for a theft case, there must be something unusual.
Perhaps, the mastermind behind it was a very special person.
Zhan Beicang took out a dossier and presented it with both hands, "Your Majesty, this subject has clarified the truth behind the stolen provisions, please review."
The little eunuch immediately trotted over, taking the dossier from Zhan Beicang’s hands and handing it to Eunuch Li, who then presented it to Emperor Xuanwu.
After opening the dossier, Emperor Xuanwu’s expression drastically changed.
He looked at Zhan Xinzhang and the four old generals.
No wonder they all came together!
It turns out the Zhan Family came to denounce their own kin!
In this case, the incident involving Zhan Feng wouldn’t implicate the main branch of the Zhan Family.
With a grim expression, Emperor Xuanwu raised his eyes to Zhan Beicang, asking with imperial authority, "Zhan Feng allowed people to rob military supplies and steal money, and colluded with Tuoba Hong of Western Rong. Being a Zhan Family member, how do you explain this!"
Zhan Beicang’s fingers curled into a fist inside his sleeve, thinking to himself: Despite their actions of severing kinship ties for justice, does His Majesty still relentlessly seek trouble for the entire Zhan Family.
Zhan Xinzhang, steadier than Zhan Beicang, bent down and said, "Your Majesty, it was my poor instruction that led Zhan Feng to commit such a severe mistake, but the person behind this scheme harbors malicious intentions. According to the leader of the pirates, Shui Zhongyue, they were commissioned by a Prince."
Emperor Xuanwu was distracted by Zhan Xinzhang’s words.
The dossier indeed contained such a statement, but he did not wish to bring it up now.
However, he was also curious about which Prince would dare to collude with Western Rong, promising them and perhaps even thinking of overthrowing the dynasty, to kill his father and take his place.
Thinking thus, Emperor Xuanwu felt a chill down his spine.
"Where is Zhan Feng? Bring him here!" Emperor Xuanwu still wanted to initially place the responsibility on Zhan Family first.
After all, if his son truly intended to rebel,
That would be a domestic affair of the Imperial Family.
He would see to it personally.
His gaze darkened, firmly believing that now was the best opportunity to weaken the Zhan Family; they cannot be allowed to grow stronger!
Right now, Western Rong would not dare to invade, with several old generals present, couldn’t he select a new generation of generals through the annual Martial Arts Examination?
He did not believe!
