Chapter 614

Xiao Yuanhang glanced at Tuan Tuan: "An'er, you first take Tuan Tuan back to sleep."

Cheng Ru'an nodded: "Prince, Xun Er just came back, he needs more rest, he's already tired enough."

Xiao Ningxun hurriedly replied: "Mother, don't worry, I'm fine."

Cheng Ru'an smiled, picked up her daughter and got up to leave.

Xiao Yuanhang said: "Follow me."

"Yes."

Xiao Ningxun followed his father to the entrance of a tent, surprised to see a row of soldiers standing guard at the door.

Such an ordinary tent, not the Emperor's imperial tent—why need so many guards?

He looked puzzled: "What is this place?"

The soldiers saw the father and son, quickly reached out and lifted the curtain.

Xiao Yuanhang strode into the tent, and Xiao Ningxun hurriedly followed.

Inside the tent the furnishings were simple; a person lay on the cot.

Seated beside the bed were Xiao Ningyuan, Xiao Ningchen, and Xue Tong.

The two brothers saw their father arrive and hurriedly rose: "Father."

Xue Tong glanced back, frowned, said nothing, then turned his gaze back to the person on the cot.

Xiao Ningxun quickly stepped forward a few steps and looked at the bed; the person was obviously severely injured, his whole body wrapped in bandages, his face covered except for his tightly shut eyes.

His heart sank: "Who is he?"

Xiao Ningchen replied: "Feng Zhou."

Xiao Ningxun exclaimed in shock: "What? Feng Zhou?"

Only then did he recall that they had brought back so much Wu Jin Mud from the Western Regions, yet today he didn't see Feng Zhou, who should have been delighted enough to jump up.

His mind and spirit were shaken: "How did he end up like this?"

Xiao Yuanhang patted his shoulder: "Sit down and speak."

The father and sons took their seats.

Xiao Yuanhang looked at Xue Tong: "Old Valley Master, you've worked hard, just returning from the Western Regions, and now we trouble you again..."

"Let's cut the pleasantries," Xue Tong said impatiently, waving his hand. "This person is injured to this extent; being alive now is already no small feat. I'm worried about how to treat him."

"Yes," Xiao Yuanhang, knowing his temperament well, said: "Old Valley Master, do you have a good remedy? Feng Zhou is Tuan Tuan's close friend; if she saw him like this, she'd surely be frantic."

Xue Tong snorted: "Naturally, it's all for my disciple's sake."

"Thank you, Old Valley Master," Xiao Yuanhang said, clasping his fists. "May I ask when he might recover?"

Xue Tong shook his head: "I've already applied my Unique Injury Medicine to him and given him acupuncture."

"His life is temporarily preserved, but with such severe injuries, don't expect him to get out of bed for a year and a half."

The father and sons exchanged glances, each wanting to speak but holding back.

Seeing this, Xue Tong rose: "When feeding him, be careful not to let any water touch his body. I'm tired too—I'll go sleep first."

Everyone rose together; Xiao Yuanhang personally escorted him out of the tent: "Someone, take the Old Valley Master to his tent."

"Yes."

Xue Tong followed the soldiers away.

Xiao Yuanhang returned to the tent; the father and sons fell silent for a moment.

Xiao Ningxun took a deep breath and asked: "What exactly happened?"

Xiao Ningchen replied: "Several days ago, the man who had previously come to deliver a message brought a reply letter from Chen Hao to the Nine Prince."

"Chen Hao wrote in the letter that he would wait quietly in Jingcheng, and when the army attacks the city, he told them to let him know if they needed anything."

"The Nine Prince was very pleased upon reading the letter and even praised Chen Hao's virtues before His Majesty."

"The messenger said Chen Hao had asked him to stay a few days in the Main Camp and report back the situation here."

"He had come twice already; we had no suspicions, so we arranged for him to stay."

"A few days ago, Feng Zhou's smelting furnace in his tent suddenly exploded; if it weren't for the nearby soldiers who risked their lives to rush in and pull him out, he would now be a charred corpse."

"But that man tried to flee amid the camp's chaos and was caught by our secret sentries."

"I interrogated him under torture for several days, but he kept protesting his innocence, saying only that Chen Hao had told him to secretly deliver a letter to Feng Zhou and that he knew nothing else."

Xiao Ningxun understood: "So the one beheaded by Second Brother today was him?"

Xiao Ningchen snorted: "If Feng Zhou's mishap had nothing to do with him, why would he rush to flee?"

"I also found a bottle of poison on him—heh, he's actually an assassin."

"Since we can't get anything out of him, naturally we have to execute him."

"But I didn't expect that, just as you returned, we almost let Tuan Tuan see it."

Xiao Ningyuan frowned: "Do you think Chen Hao had him secretly harm Feng Zhou?"

"Did Chen Hao put something in that letter that exploded the smelting furnace?"

The three brothers exchanged glances; Chen Hao is after all the eldest legitimate son of the Chen Wang—if the Chen Wang could keep holding the reins of power, wouldn't Chen Hao be tempted?

Xiao Ningxun thought: "Let's not worry about that for now."

"The last time they sent an imperial edict, it was to grant Feng Zhou an official post; this time they want his life—clearly both are aimed at those Nine Keys."

Xiao Ningyuan, somewhat irritated, said: "Then their plan really hit the mark."

"It took great effort to bring back the Wu Jin Mud from the Western Regions; without Feng Zhou, it would just be a pile of useless stones."

Xiao Ningxun nodded: "Worse still, the 40,000-strong army of the Western Regions is already gathering."

"According to the Old Valley Master, Feng Zhou won't be able to get out of bed for half a year."

"Even if we wait for him to recover, finish with the keys, and then set a date for the assault, wouldn't we have to wait at least seven or eight months on the Western Regions side?"

Xiao Ningchen said: "That definitely can't wait."

In marching and fighting, what we fear most is laxity; we must press forward with vigor.

After waiting this long, it's hard to say whether the Western Regions' alliance still exists.

The three brothers all fell into silence.

At this moment, only Tuan Tuan could possibly resolve this predicament, but the three of them, in unspoken agreement, did not bring her up.

Last time, to save Xiao Yuanhang, Tuan Tuan slept for so long; in the end, it was Chu Yuan who expended half his life's cultivation before she recovered.

Although Feng Zhou's injury is urgent now, none of the three brothers wants to let their sister risk danger again.

Xiao Yuanhang naturally knows his sons' thoughts: "Don't let Tuan Tuan know for now, after all, the Old Valley Master is still here."

"Feng Zhou is so young; he might recover in two or three months—who knows."

The three brothers nodded together: "Father is right."

Xiao Ningxun asked: "By the way, what about those keys?"

"It's fine," Xiao Ningchen replied, "Feng Zhou is careful; he usually keeps the keys in a Thick Iron Box."

"When the soldiers rescued him, he was still clutching that box tightly in his arms."

"It's now with me; nothing is missing, so there's no need to worry."

He glanced at Feng Zhou: "Just, when the furnace exploded, he was standing guard nearby, which is why he's so badly injured."

Xiao Ningxun let out a soft sigh: "Feng Zhou, no wonder he's Tuan Tuan's person."

Xiao Yuanhang rose: "Everyone go to sleep; those remaining here are all old retainers of our Prince's Mansion."

"I will issue an order: no one except the Old Valley Master may be allowed in."

He looked toward the bed: "Now, we can only rely on him himself."

Xiao Ningxun suddenly remembered: "Father, early tomorrow morning we must quickly tell the Old Valley Master, so he also won't tell Tuan Tuan."

Xiao Yuanhang nodded.

The next morning, as soon as Tuan Tuan opened her eyes, she opened the box where Xiao Feifei lived, her eyes widening instantly: "Wow! Xiao Feifei, what happened to you?"