Chapter 158: This Humble Servant Has Come to Work Alongside the Lord Marquis

Even if you beat Zhao Hengyi to death, he would never believe that a wastrel like Chen Yongzhong would risk great danger for the sake of defending the country and proactively head to Yonggu City to help garrison it.

There must be details unknown to Xing Xiaorong within this matter, even though Xing Xiaorong's information originated from the Mighty Marquis's Mansion.

The entire affair reeked of bizarreness everywhere. Consort Chen, residing deep within the imperial harem, was nearly driven mad with anxiety. Chen Yongzhong was the single seedling on the Chen family's vast expanse of land; throughout the entire younger generation of the Chen family, he was the sole remaining male descendant.

If Yonggu City were breached and Chen Yongzhong died under the enemy's blades, then in the traditional sense, the bloodline of Consort Chen's family would be considered severed.

To perpetuate their family lineage, they would have no choice but to rely on Consort Chen's aging father to sprout new branches in his twilight years.

Of course, if Chen Yongzhong truly perished in Yonggu City, the Chen family could still adopt a young male child from among their relatives; in short, the ancestral incense would not be cut off.

Yet, no matter what, an adopted heir could never compare to a biological one, not to mention that Chen Yongzhong and Consort Chen were close in age. The brother and sister had shared a deep bond since childhood, and Consort Chen simply could not accept her younger brother dying so inexplicably beneath the barbarians' blades.

The various garrisons were like startled mules, no longer caring whether they could defeat the barbarians; they all swarmed toward the direction of Yonggu City in a disorderly rush. Even a detachment of elite troops stationed near the heavily guarded capital was dispatched.

Consequently, the barbarians, who had already regarded Yonggu City as a thorn in their side and a thorn in their flesh, became even more convinced that there must be some immensely valuable VIP holed up inside the city. Even those who previously acted as informants for the barbarians did not dare to betray Consort Chen's own younger brother. However, the strange behavior of the Great Yan garrison forces caused the barbarians to intensify their siege of Yonggu City.

This twist of events actually saved a great deal of effort for Zhao Hengyi and the Mighty Marquis, who had been pulling strings everywhere to rescue Song Ying'an.

After all, as long as the barbarians besieging Yonggu City were driven away, it wouldn't just mean saving Chen Yongzhong alone; military officers and soldiers like Song Ying'an and Zhang Zhaoyang, along with countless commoners trapped within, would all be saved along with him!

It appeared that everyone was basking in Chen Yongzhong's reflected glory, but if one were to think carefully, leaving aside past years, just considering this year's barbarian incursions alone, how many innocent commoners across the entire Great Yan nation had perished under the barbarians' blades?

Could it be that these commoners slaughtered by the barbarians had all popped out from cracks in stones? Did they not have parents and relatives? Did they not have brothers and sisters? When they died beneath the barbarians' swords, was there no one to grieve for them with heavy hearts?

In this world, Chen Yongzhong was not the only living human being, nor was he the sole person burdened with the responsibility of continuing a bloodline.

Unfortunately, everyone is born differently in this world. While some live in silk and brocade while plotting how to extract more benefits for themselves from this world, others merely pray for a full stomach and to avoid freezing or starving to death, yet even this simple wish remains out of reach.

Zhao Hengyi had long since grown accustomed to such sights. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, he could not fathom why, at a time when barbarians invading the heartland of Great Yan were gathering, and when the barbarian armies were intentionally or unintentionally pointing their spearheads toward the vital capital, those senior officials in the imperial court would dare to mobilize the elite guards defending the capital simply because of a single Chen Yongzhong. It was truly the height of absurdity!

When Magistrate Liu Rui, wearing a peculiar expression, brought along a person who had no business appearing in Dangyang County to find Zhao Hengyi, it seemed as though all these baffling matters finally found a vague and rational explanation.

"This servant greets Lord Zhao. Since our parting at the early summer poetry gathering, my lord's demeanor remains as distinguished as ever."

Eunuch Xi Ning was dressed in the scholarly robes of a literatus. With a fair complexion and no facial hair, outsiders could spot nothing amiss; if he kept his mouth shut, he simply looked like a handsome young scholar. "From now on, this servant will be working alongside Lord Zhao. I ask the lord for your kind guidance, and this humble servant offers his thanks in advance!"

With that, holding a folding fan and looking far more like a scholar than either Zhao Hengyi or Liu Rui, Eunuch Xi Ning bowed with a flourish.

Faced with such a scene, Zhao Hengyi was utterly bewildered.

Had he not recognized Eunuch Xi Ning, he would likely have driven this eunuch—who had studied in the inner imperial study—out on the spot as a common fraud!

Even though he knew full well that the rules and regulations of the Great Yan nation had long since collapsed, and various protocols and institutions had been dismantled into disarray through the joint efforts of the court officials and nobility, no one with the slightest bit of backing would take them seriously.

Yet, you, an imperial eunuch, were traveling in and out of the palace and the capital as casually as eating and drinking, strolling freely through the provinces... Wasn't this a bit too high-profile?

"Eunuch Xi has actually come! What a truly rare guest!"

Despite harboring doubts in his heart, Zhao Hengyi still wore a smile, brimming with hospitality. Although this Eunuch Xi, who had studied in the inner imperial study since childhood, possessed decent character and literary talent, how could anyone who managed to stand out in the inner harem and become Consort Chen's external spokesperson possibly be a simple and kind-hearted soul?

"My lord is truly amiable! As I've always said, if even half of the officials in Jiangling Prefecture possessed the capability and disposition of my lord, the tasks entrusted to everyone by the imperial court would never have ended up in their current wretched state!"

Eunuch Xi raised his voice to express his gratitude for Zhao Hengyi's warm reception. Beside him, Liu Rui's face flushed alternately red and white. Knowing full well that this imperial attendant sent by Consort Chen was deliberately reprimanding him, as an official holding an imperial commission, he dared not speak up in dispute, let alone launch a counterattack.

Zhao Hengyi cast a covert glance at Magistrate Liu's rather embarrassed expression while pondering in his heart: what exactly was the task Eunuch Xi spoke of?

"For the Eunuch to have traveled all the way to such a backwater as ours, you have been grievously wronged. Zhao must certainly host you properly."

The smile never left Zhao Hengyi's face. "I simply wonder what mission brings the Eunuch here this time? If I can provide any assistance to the Eunuch, Zhao will say nothing against it!"

Zhao Hengyi held no fondness whatsoever for Consort Chen, for the faction of officials aligned with her, or even for the eunuchs emerging from the palace.

However, back at the early summer poetry gathering in Jiangling City, this very Eunuch Xi Ning had covertly and overtly helped protect him. Had it not been for his intervention, Zhao Hengyi would never have escaped the poetry gathering so easily, nor would Lu Jiuniang's assassination of Su Shenchang have succeeded with such ease.

Business is business. Although Xi Ning's identity made Zhao Hengyi uncomfortable, he still owed him a favor.

Moreover, regardless of why Xi Ning had appeared in Dangyang County, he had better help him finish his business quickly so as to dispatch him on his way sooner.

No matter what the inner attendant's disposition was, no one wanted such a person lingering in their own territory.

"My lord is truly loyal and devoted to His Majesty and the imperial court! It is well worth Consort Chen frequently bringing your name up before His Majesty!"

Eunuch Xi first established a tone before explaining the purpose of his visit. "My coming here this time is precisely to work alongside my lord. I have heard that aside from your peerless mastery of poetry and prose, my lord's skill in training troops and waging war is also unmatched in this world. Therefore, the palace pays exceptional attention to the local militia you are organizing, and they dispatched me here to study under my lord for a period of time, while incidentally serving as my lord's assistant."