Chapter 28: But seek to have no regrets in your heart

"Commander, please!"

Su Shanhe drank it in one gulp, and Tang Zheng also picked up the wine pot and drank a few mouthfuls, but choked himself, making a series of violent coughing sounds.

He sat there, finally adjusted his breathing, then smiled miserably, and suddenly asked: "Supervisor Su, I want to ask you about something."

"Please speak, Commander."

"I heard that you and your sister were held hostage by river bandits ten years ago, and an Embroidered Uniform Guard saved you. Is there such a thing?"

Hearing Tang Zheng mention this old past, Su Shanhe's face gradually became serious, and he said righteously: "It is true. The Embroidered Uniform Guard who saved us was named Tang Xiao, and he was also a Commander. In our siblings' hearts, he is the most admirable hero."

"Can you tell me about the situation at that time?"

"Of course." Su Shanhe answered readily: "Ten years ago, river bandits were rampant near Zhenjiang Prefecture. The river bandit leader was named Yagyu Ichiro. He colluded with some corrupt officials to harass the waterway and the people on the river bank, making everyone miserable. So Commander Tang Xiao led the Embroidered Uniform Guard Zhuque Flag soldiers to come secretly to encircle and suppress."

"After a big battle, the Embroidered Uniform Guard won a complete victory. The river bandits were either captured or executed, only the river bandit leader Yagyu Ichiro escaped by luck, and Commander Tang Xiao chased after him."

"At that time, Xiao Xi and I were still children, playing on the river bank, and happened to be seen by Yagyu Ichiro, so he kidnapped Xiao Xi as a hostage, and I was also injured by him. Fortunately, Commander Tang Xiao arrived in time."

"The river bandit first wanted to lure him with profit, but was sternly refused by Commander Tang. Then the river bandit used Xiao Xi as a shield to try to carry out a sneak attack, but was also resolved by Commander Tang. Later, the two sides fought, and Commander Tang had already won, but unfortunately, he was negligent for a moment, and his cheek was scratched by the opponent's ninja dart."

Speaking of this, Su Shanhe paused, sighed lightly, gestured with his fingers, and said to Tang Zheng: "Just such a small cut, it shouldn't have been a problem, but I didn't expect that the dart was coated with highly toxic poison, which eventually led to Commander Tang Xiao's death from poison."

"Did you see Commander Tang die with your own eyes?" Tang Zheng couldn't help but ask.

Su Shanhe nodded: "Yes, I was at the scene at that time."

After hearing this, Tang Zheng was silent for a long time, and finally raised his sleeve to wipe the tears sliding down the corner of his eyes.

This scene fell into Su Shanhe's eyes, and he obviously guessed something, and asked from the side: "May I ask, Commander, how are you related to Commander Tang Xiao?"

If someone asked this question before, Tang Zheng would definitely say he didn't know him, because since he was a child, his mother had warned him countless times not to say his background, and not to tell anyone his father's name.

However, now that he is in prison, impersonating an Embroidered Uniform Guard is a capital crime, and it is estimated that this life will be like this.

It seems that keeping this secret has no value.

"He is my father." Tang Zheng sighed and said.

The four words seemed to evoke countless memories of Su Shanhe, and he also sighed lightly: "So you are the son that Commander Tang Xiao couldn't forget before he died."

"What's the use of not forgetting." Tang Zheng shook his head when he heard this, smiled bitterly: "I didn't even see him for the last time."

Su Shanhe didn't speak, and Tang Zheng asked again: "Did my father say anything before he died?"

"I still remember the sentence Commander Tang said before he died, and I dare not forget it for a moment."

"What sentence?"

"He said—Let others be petty and mean, I am peerless scholar!"

When saying this sentence, Su Shanhe's eyes shone with a different light.

"Peerless scholar?" Tang Zheng repeated these four words, then whispered: "What's the use of being a peerless scholar, it cost him his life, and it cost his son his father since childhood."

His voice was very low, and Su Shanhe didn't hear it clearly, so he asked again: "Commander, what did you say?"

And Tang Zheng didn't answer directly, just drank a glass of wine and smiled bitterly: "This Zhenjiang Prefecture, I shouldn't have come!"

Seeing Tang Zheng's low mood, Su Shanhe took the initiative to change the subject: "Commander, did you find the account book I mentioned?"

"Found it."

"Did you find any tricks?"

"Found it. The mastermind is Li Sheng. He colluded with Japanese pirates and river bandits to embezzle water transport money and grain by reporting sunken ships." Tang Zheng said, while listlessly picking up the steamed bun on Su Shanhe's tray and stuffing it into his mouth.

"Commander, you said Li Sheng colluded with river bandits, do you have any proof?"

"Of course." Tang Zheng answered: "We found the account book that Li Sheng recorded privately, and that grain on the sunken ships was piled up in the abandoned shipyard, and Xiao Xi and I both saw it with our own eyes."

"Then why didn't you present the evidence to Prefect Zhou?"

"I presented it, but that muddled official Zhou Yunqing said I was fake and didn't believe anything I said."

Su Shanhe pondered for a moment when he heard this and said: "Although I don't have much contact with Prefect Zhou, he shouldn't be a muddled official. This matter is a bit abnormal."

"Zhou Yunqing is going to use you to sacrifice to the River God, and you are still speaking for him?" Tang Zheng sneered when he heard this, complaining: "It's not impossible that this sunken ship insurance reporting was instigated by him."

This time it was Su Shanhe's turn to smile bitterly, and after a while he asked again: "How is the River God sacrifice investigation going?"

Tang Zheng shook his head: "Didn't find it."

"It's a pity." Su Shanhe sighed: "Now everyone is frantically worshipping the River God, almost falling into a state of blind fanaticism. If we can't get to the bottom of this, I'm worried that even if you have ironclad evidence, it will easily incite a civil uprising."

"I'm locked in prison and about to die, so what's the point of investigating." Tang Zheng poured another glass of wine, then said to Su Shanhe: "Supervisor Su, I also advise you, it's this time, can you stop thinking about these annoying things, and eat and drink enough to go on the road happily."

"I have long known that people will always die, but if I can do something for the people like Commander Tang, it is not a wasted life."

"My father at least got a good reputation, what about you? You will be spurned until you die!" Tang Zheng asked: "I say, do you feel it's a loss?"

"How can everything be satisfactory, but seek to have no regrets in your heart."

When saying this, Su Shanhe's tone was firm and exceptionally determined.

*Clap, clap, clap*—the sound of clapping suddenly came from not far away, and then Lin Zuo walked out from the corner, sighing while walking: "Righteous and awe-inspiring, admirable and sighable!"

Seeing Lin Zuo, Tang Zheng's anger suddenly rose, and he threw the unfinished wine pot at him, while shouting angrily: "Shameless villain! What are you doing here?"

Lin Zuo dodged, avoiding the wine pot, but some of the wine splashed out on him.

And he didn't look angry, but shook a bunch of keys at Tang Zheng: "Come to save you, if you don't need it, I'll leave now."

Tang Zheng's expression changed instantly. ===== CHAPTER 29 =====