Chapter 60: Action at the Third Watch Tonight

The soldiers all looked toward Xiao Moting.

The Prince had been so good to Zhang Zhao, yet in return, he received only false accusations!

They wanted to slaughter Zhang Zhao!

Xiao Moting finished reading the secret letter, his brows slightly furrowed.

Zhang Zhao was a founding fierce general of the Daliang Dynasty; he was a master of warfare who once made the Daye Army tremble with fear.

He was loyal and brave his entire life, governed his troops with extreme strictness, and the soldiers under his command never once harassed the common people.

In order to resist the barbarians, Zhang Zhao once led his entire army to lie in the snow for three full days and nights, launching a surprise attack when the barbarian army passed by.

The root of his lifelong illnesses was contracted at that time.

Therefore, although Zhang Zhao was a great general under Yang Wei, he also treated him with courtesy.

Xiao Moting looked at Zhang Zhao, lost in thought.

He wanted to set a trap.

Xiao Moting folded the letter and placed it back into Zhang Zhao's bosom.

"Prince!" Qin Zhan was stunned. "What are you..."

"Old General Zhang is a veteran general of Daliang who has served the country his whole life; treat his illness." Xiao Moting ordered in a deep voice, "As for this letter, I will pretend I never saw it; none of you are allowed to mention it!"

After speaking, he turned and strode out of the infirmary.

The Military Doctor dared not disobey the order and had no choice but to give Zhang Zhao injections and medicine.

The soldiers also looked at each other, not understanding Xiao Moting's intentions.

But he was the Chief Commander; even though everyone was gnashing their teeth at Zhang Zhao and wanted to hack him into pieces, they dared not disobey the order.

The injections and medicines sent by Bai Wei took effect quickly.

By evening, many of the patients who had been on the verge of death had already regained consciousness.

Zhang Zhao also woke up; although his spirit was still poor, the symptoms throughout his body had already lessened significantly.

"General Zhang Zhao, it is time for your injection."

The Military Doctor held a syringe and walked into the ward.

The needle tip glinted with silver light; Zhang Zhao had never seen such a thing, so he stared at it fixedly, his eyes full of wariness.

Could it be that Xiao Moting had discovered the secret letter in his bosom and wanted to use this hidden weapon to kill him?

"What are you going to do to me?"

"Old General Zhang, this is called an injection; it is simply injecting medicinal liquid into your body." The Military Doctor had to explain patiently, "Your life was saved using this method, and the Prince came personally to visit you."

"The Fourth Prince came to see me?" Zhang Zhao was startled. "But this place is full of patients; is the Prince not afraid of being infected?"

"The Prince knew your life was hanging by a thread, so he sought medical help and medicine everywhere, and even prayed to the gods, ordering us to ensure you were cured."

As the Military Doctor spoke, he reached out and pointed to Zhang Zhao's waist.

"Do you see? The Qizheng pain-relieving patch on your waist is medicine the Prince specifically sought out."

Only then did Zhang Zhao discover that the rheumatic waist pain that had tormented him for half his life had completely vanished.

Two strange patches were stuck to his waist, emitting waves of rich medicinal fragrance.

"Was it the Prince who cured me..." he muttered to himself, an indescribable complexity welling up in his heart.

Several soldiers walked in.

"Old General Zhang!"

Zhang Zhao looked up and saw that the visitors were his adjutants, and he was immediately surprised.

"Didn't you all contract the plague? Why are you fine now?"

"The Fourth Prince ordered the Military Doctor to give us injections and medicine, and our illnesses are now almost completely better."

The soldiers wore expressions of shame.

"It was the Fourth Prince who saved our lives."

Zhang Zhao was shocked on the spot!

Such a severe plague had infected several thousand people overnight.

Yet it was easily cured by Xiao Moting.

Furthermore, his waist had been hurting for over a decade; taking all kinds of precious medicinal herbs had been of no avail, and now his waist pain had become increasingly severe, making it not only difficult to walk but also impossible for him to ever return to the battlefield.

When Zhang Zhao was at the Heyuandaying, he had asked the military doctor for medicine many times, but because the herbs were expensive, he was refused by Yang Wei repeatedly.

To think!

Such an incurable disease had actually been cured by the Fourth Prince.

Moreover, the Fourth Prince had also saved his life.

Zhang Zhao was speechless.

The Military Doctor urged him from the side to roll up his sleeve for the injection as required.

A slight stinging sensation came from his arm, and Zhang Zhao felt complex emotions within.

Had he been wrong?

There were rumors at the Heyuandaying that Xiao Moting was a good-for-nothing who had nearly let the barbarians break into Xuancheng, and it was only thanks to the Second Prince turning the tide that the hundred-thousand-strong barbarian army was repelled.

But after arriving at Beijiang, he felt more and more that this was not the case.

Under Xiao Moting's leadership, the Northern Frontier Army was orderly; not only were the troops strong and the horses sturdy, but there was grain in the granaries and meat in the pots!

The soldiers were also full of fighting spirit.

The Second Prince could not handle the forty thousand refugees and drove them to Beijiang.

Yet Xiao Moting took them all in one by one, letting the young and strong enter the military registry, the physically weak do odd jobs, the sickly recover from their illnesses, and the young enter schools... arranging all the refugees properly.

The refugees were endlessly grateful to Xiao Moting and worked with all their might.

Zhang Zhao's heart grew increasingly suspicious.

Was it that he had seen wrong, or were the rumors he heard all false?

At this moment, a person dressed like a servant walked in.

He looked around vigilantly, then darted forward in a single stride and lowered his voice.

"General Zhang, I am a special envoy sent by the Second Prince."

"The Second Prince told me to inform you that the plague is spreading in the Northern Frontier Camp and the guard is lax; it is the perfect opportunity to strike."

"He orders you to place the secret letter framing Xiao Moting for treason and colluding with the enemy into his tent at the third watch tonight."

Zhang Zhao's expression stiffened.

After a moment, he cupped his hands, "Please convey to the Second Prince that this general understands."

The visitor said, "The Second Prince said that as long as this matter is completed, he will beg the Emperor to grant you a hereditary title, ensuring wealth for your descendants."

Late at night.

A figure arrived silently outside Xiao Moting's tent.

Usually, the Northern Frontier Camp was heavily guarded, but the sudden outbreak of the plague over the last two days had left the camp in chaos.

The figure looked around, and seeing no one, slipped into the tent.

Inside the tent, the candlelight was dim.

Xiao Moting lay on the bed, unconscious.

He had also contracted the plague; his eyes were tightly shut, his handsome cheeks flushed bright red, clearly suffering from a persistent high fever.

Zhang Zhao stood before the bed, looking at the unconscious Xiao Moting, his eyes full of struggle.

In his hand, he clutched a secret letter.

This letter could guarantee him and his descendants eternal glory and wealth.

"Prince, if you must blame someone, blame this general for being ungrateful."

Zhang Zhao gritted his teeth, placed the envelope under Xiao Moting's pillow, and turned to leave.

But just at this moment!

Xiao Moting suddenly opened his eyes and sat up.

"Old General Zhang, what is the rush to leave?"

Zhang Zhao's expression changed drastically, "Prince, you..."

Outside the door, a dozen Northern Frontier Army soldiers in armor suddenly rushed in, holding torches that illuminated the room brightly.

Xiao Dabao walked into the tent with a dark expression, carrying a Long Sword.

"Zhang Zhao, it seems your illness has recovered quite well; you can walk and jump, and you even have the strength to frame the Prince."

Zhang Zhao looked up and around, then suddenly sneered.

"So you were prepared all along! Since that is the case, there is no need for more words; kill me then."

Xiao Moting walked up to him, took out a sheet of blank letter paper, and shook it.

"Old General Zhang, what exactly is the meaning of you placing a blank sheet of paper under my pillow?"