12dz Chapter 427: Settling the Storm
Chapter 427: Settling the Storm
Murong Yuan's eyes lit up. "Royal brother, can you really let me stay? Can the little uncle agree?"
Murong Feng glanced at her calmly and said, "I'll talk to the King of Yan. You just stay here, but you must follow my arrangements in everything."
Murong Yuan nodded repeatedly, feeling extremely happy. It was great that she could stay! Murong Feng's request was quite simple. He only wanted Murong Yuan to continue to dress as a man and follow him. However, she could not reveal her identity, nor could she have too many special requests. Her daily living habits had to be the same as those of the soldiers. In addition, she had to help him find someone.
Murong Yuan agreed readily, even though she didn't know who her brother wanted her to find. But it would always be a good idea to stay for now. She didn't believe that with so many soldiers in the army, she couldn't find a suitable husband.
After settling Murong Yuan down, Murong Feng went directly to Murong Yanhui's commander-in-chief's tent.
Murong Yanhui saw him come in and placed the map on the table. "Did he send the person away?"
"Little Uncle, I want Yuan'er to stay!"
"What? Murong Feng, you'd better give me a reasonable explanation!"
Murong Feng hesitated for a moment before speaking: "Little Uncle, I actually did this for Qingli."
Murong Yan raised her eyebrows, as if asking what he meant.
"Qingli left me a letter saying she has entered the military camp."
"what!"
This time, Murong Yanhui was really shocked. No matter what Murong Feng said, Lili had already entered the military camp and he knew nothing about it.
Seeing the change in Murong Yanhui's expression, Murong Feng knew that his bet was right. Although he felt a little unhappy, it was obviously not the time to be upset. Now, he had to find Yu Qingli as soon as possible. A talent that he could not control in his hands really made him very uneasy.
Murong Yanhui suddenly understood Murong Feng's idea. Their identities were too sensitive, and it was impossible for them to search the military camp for the sake of Yu Qingli. With so many soldiers in the army, it was not easy to find Yu Qingli among them at once.
In this way, Murong Yuan would be much more convenient, and since she is a woman, it would be more convenient for her to be in the military camp.
Murong Yanhui was silent for a moment before speaking: "You can leave her here, but you have to control her behavior. I don't want what happened today to happen again! Also, find her as soon as possible!"
Murong Feng naturally knew who the "she" King Yan was talking about. He glanced at Murong Yan with a complicated expression and only replied softly, "Yes!"
On the other hand, Murong Yuan was very glad that she could stay, but when she saw the price she paid for staying the next day, she felt terrible.
The news of a woman being found in the military camp soon spread, or it could be said that it was a test for the new general. Although Murong Yanhui was an appointed general, most people did not know him, especially the generals under General Lin, who were particularly dissatisfied with this decision.
So, early the next morning, these people went to Murong Yanhui's tent to cause trouble, simply questioning Murong Yanhui's ability. After all, in their opinion, how could a prince who had been immersed in the arms of beautiful women for years be capable of commanding the army? He was simply relying on his limited connections with the royal family, which happened to be what they most disdained.
Speaking of which, General Lin is a very rare and valuable pillar of talent among the court's military generals. Even though the entire country is emphasizing civil affairs over military affairs, he still manages the army strictly and is very meticulous in his daily training. As a result, the generals under him admire him very much.
So this time, Murong Shiling directly removed General Lin's title of commander-in-chief, and even appointed a King of Yan, who had a bad reputation, as the commander-in-chief. Now that this kind of thing has happened, it is hard to guarantee that they will not make random guesses.
Therefore, by dawn, the rumors in the army had become extremely terrible. It was said that the commander secretly kept a woman for his own private enjoyment, and Murong Yuan's identity was also rumored to be a military prostitute from a princess.
Of course, something even more serious was yet to come. All the generals under General Lin who were known for their strict military discipline actually united and unanimously demanded an explanation from the commander-in-chief, otherwise they would replace him.
For a moment, what was originally a small matter immediately escalated into a major riot in the army. Even Murong Feng was thinking about whether he should report this matter to the emperor. Fortunately, they had not left far away. If the court sent someone to deal with it, it should still be in time.
Murong Yanhui handled military affairs all night, studying routes and tactics. He fell asleep in the early hours of the morning, but was woken up by the noise outside the door just as the sun rose.
"Qingjiu, what's the noise outside?"
"What else could it be? Someone in the army is taking advantage of this situation to intimidate you, my lord!"
Qingjiu brought hot water and helped Murong Yan wash up. He mourned for those idiots in his heart, and was angry for that stupid woman Murong Yuan. If it weren't for her, such a thing would not have happened.
Murong Yanhui wiped his face and put on a neat black suit, looking capable and calm. There was a hint of anger on his usually smiling face, but no one knew what he was upset about.
Qingjiu hurriedly followed. The master was obviously in a bad mood today, and no one knew how he would treat those people who gathered to cause trouble. However, this was also considered as them looking for trouble. Didn’t they see that the master was annoyed?
Murong Yanhui walked out of the tent, and sure enough, quite a few people had already gathered outside. He glanced indifferently at the faces of those in the lead. His sharp gaze weakened the momentum of those who came to cause trouble. They couldn't help but feel a little nervous. Could it be that the rumors were wrong? Wasn't it said that the King of Yan was addicted to alcohol and sex? Why didn't he look like a dandy at all?
Several people who came to cause trouble looked at each other, encouraging each other, and then one of them spoke up, "Your Highness, I heard that a female spy appeared in the camp last night. I wonder how the general plans to deal with this matter?"
Murong Yanhui's gaze fell on the person who was speaking. He was tall and strong, with a tough and dark face. Even in such a cold season, he was only wearing very thin clothes. His words were very tricky. First, he pointed out that the person caught last night was a woman. Second, he used the word "spy", which made it impossible for people to make a big deal out of a small matter. It seemed that this person seemed to have some capabilities.
Murong Yanhui did not directly answer his question, but instead asked: "What's your name?"
The soldier was stunned for a moment, then asked provocatively, "General Yang Cheng! What advice does Your Majesty have?"
Murong Yanhui smiled slightly and praised, "Your courage is commendable! You also have some intelligence. However, I hope you can use this wit on the battlefield in the future!"
Murong Yan's reply left Yang Cheng somewhat bewildered. Wasn't the prince planning to punish him by killing a chicken to scare the monkeys? For a moment, it was a bit confusing.
"Come here, bring up the military sticks!"
Murong Yanhui gave a stern order, and several soldiers took out their military sticks as he said. The soldier named Yang Cheng felt a chill in his heart. It seemed that this prince was just so-so. But it was also good this way. In the future, the brothers in the Lin family army would not have to work so hard for this man. It was a pity that the young master sent by the Lin family was still flattering this prince. Now it seems that it was only because of the imperial power.
Just as Yang Cheng was secretly complaining, Murong Yanhui did something that shocked everyone. He stood in front of them and spoke loudly, "Everyone, a woman did appear in the army last night, but she was not a spy. She was a family member of mine. She was discovered and sent away. However, this matter is inextricably linked to me. The army has secretly stipulated that I am willing to deduct half a year's salary and be caned forty times!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the army was in an uproar. In the dense crowd, a thin figure looked at Murong Yanhui in front of him with concern. Behind him, another person was whispering, "Master, what is the prince going to do?"
The man in front pursed his lips and after a while, he said four words, "Lead by example!"
"Does he really have to endure those forty blows with the military stick? It was Murong Yuan who made the mistake. Isn't this very unfair?"
"Just watch carefully, he knows what he's doing."
These two people were Yu Qingli and Xiluo who had sneaked into the military camp. In order to facilitate their actions, they disguised themselves as accompanying military doctors, and even changed their faces with the help of Yu Qingli's skillful hands. Even if they met with familiar people, they probably would not be recognized.
Looking at the place in front where the crowd was watching, almost everyone was stunned, especially the generals who took the lead in making trouble. They originally wanted to see how capable this commander was, but they didn't expect him to do this.
"Don't do it yet! If you delay, I'll be subject to military court!"
Murong Yanhui harshly rebuked the soldiers holding military sticks on both sides. He had already taken off his outer shirt, leaving only a thin layer of white undergarment. When the soldiers on both sides heard this, they had no choice but to bite the bullet and take action!
The weather was already cold, and the military stick was frozen hard, causing burning pain when it hit the body. However, Murong Yanhui stood there expressionless. His iron-willed appearance made all the soldiers present admire him. Most of these people were simple and loyal, and they especially admired heroes. It was because of the rumors they had heard before that they thought the new general must be a complete playboy, so they deliberately made trouble for him.
The military stick fell on Murong Yanhui's back again and again, and soon, the white undergarment began to turn bright red, as noble as a plum blossom blooming in the snow.
By the time they had reached the 20th blow, the soldiers on both sides were hesitant to continue. They knew full well that according to military law, 20 blows would be enough for such an incident, but this great general insisted on 40. What if something went wrong? He was, after all, a prince of the imperial court.
Seeing this, Murong Feng stepped forward quickly and said, "Since the general has been punished, this matter ends here..."
"General Murong, please step aside!" Murong Yanhui interrupted Murong Feng and then shouted to the soldiers who were carrying out the execution, "Don't you know how to count? I said forty military sticks, how many have you got so far? Keep going!"