“I understand, I’ll send someone to investigate what’s going on right away!”
“Your Highness!”
Hearing Zhao Zhen’s perfunctory tone, Zong Ze felt utterly helpless.
“Old sir, forget it. His Highness only listens to Master Wang; he won’t heed anyone else!”
Seeing Zong Ze’s desperate plea, several junior clerks nearby quickly lowered their voices and whispered.
“Wang Xiang, oh Wang Xiang, to go to such lengths with Ji Xian, you are going to ruin the Prince’s grand plans!”
Watching Zhao Zhen’s receding back, Zong Ze was filled with grief and indignation, yet utterly powerless.
“Old sir, you should speak with caution. The Pacification Commissioner’s Office is full of Master Wang’s people. What if he overhears…”
Although Zong Ying’s influence in the Pacification Commissioner’s Office wasn’t as great as Wang Xiang’s, he had accumulated some connections over the years.
As his father, these clerks naturally couldn’t stand by and watch him get into trouble.
However, the more they said this, the more stifled Zong Ying felt.
“It seems Lord Zong has quite an opinion of this old man. But Lord Zong, you haven’t been an official for just a day, have you? Do you not know the crime of discussing your superior behind their back?”
Before the clerk could finish, Wang Xiang’s voice suddenly came from behind them.
“Discussing behind your back? Hahahaha! You old geezer, you’re so jealous of the capable that you’d do such a thing, and you won’t let others talk about it?”
Zong Ying, already brimming with grief and indignation, was further provoked by Wang Xiang’s sarcastic remarks. He couldn’t stomach it and retorted without thinking.
This made Wang Xiang’s face even more displeased.
“You say I’m jealous of the capable, do you have any evidence? Do you know the crime of falsely accusing an official? If you don’t have any real proof, do you believe I won’t send someone to apprehend you right now!”
“Evidence? What more evidence do you want? Don’t you know in your heart? You old geezer, people are watching, heaven is watching! For your own selfish desires, you’re trying to condemn a pillar of the court to death! You can silence me today, but can you silence the whole world? You clearly know Han Mo and Xin Xingzong have a feud, yet you sent him to rescue Mingzhou. Isn’t this deliberately sending Han Mo to his death? If Mingzhou falls, you will be the prime culprit!”
Zong Ying’s temper was naturally fiery, and coupled with his anger at the moment, his tone was even more forceful.
“Insubordination! Insubordination! What are you all standing around for? Seize him!”
Being publicly berated and pointed at like this, not only Wang Xiang, the Deputy Pacification Commissioner, but even an ordinary person would find it unbearable.
However, Zong Ze was Zong Ying’s father, and Zong Ying’s relationship with Zhao Zhen was even closer. Despite Wang Xiang’s extreme anger, his subordinates were indeed hesitant to act.
“Old sir, please stop talking! Stop talking!”
“My lord, this is Director Zong’s father after all. Please be more understanding!”
Several of Zong Ying’s confidantes quickly and quietly pacified Zong Ze, while Wang Xiang’s men also hurriedly stopped the constables who were about to step forward and quietly persuaded them.
“You old geezer, even if I have to give up my official post, I will impeach you!”
Before Wang Xiang could speak, Zong Ying shook off the clerks and left in a huff!
“Disrespectful of elders! Disrespectful of elders!”
Wang Xiang was almost exploding with anger, but he ultimately did not take further action.
After all, although Zong Ying was only a director, he was Zhao Zhen’s true confidant. To this day, all of Zhao Zhen’s correspondence was handled by Zong Ying, which showed Zhao Zhen’s trust in him.
If he were to apprehend Zong Ze, it would only cause Zhao Zhen trouble and make him lose trust in Wang Xiang. Instead, if he endured the humiliation today, Zhao Zhen’s trust in him would likely increase even further!
He could still figure out such a simple calculation.
Then, as they were blaming each other, outside Mingzhou city, Lü Shinang’s army had begun their assault.
Although they didn’t have many arrows, their siege weapons were all in place.
With Lü Shinang’s order, except for the north gate, the other three directions immediately turned into a slaughterhouse.
The rebel forces were numerous, but they had not undergone specialized training.
Now, facing a city like Mingzhou, the very beginning of the battle had allowed these rebel soldiers to experience the brutality of war.
The soldiers on the city walls lacked armor and arrows, but the rebels below were not much better off.
As the attacking force, they were already at a disadvantage positionally.
On the main assault direction, the South Gate, within a quarter of an hour, the ground was already covered with a thick layer of corpses.
“You scoundrels, raise your shields! Raise them!”
Seeing his soldiers falling one after another, Lü Shinang was furious.
The men under his command had no military training; at most, they were taught how to shoot arrows during their march.
They were taught how to use shields when facing arrows.
But clearly, he had overestimated these soldiers' psychological fortitude.
While they might have managed to do it during training, it was a different story on the battlefield.
As soon as the war drums sounded, these fellows had completely disregarded their training.
Except for a few quick-witted individuals, the rest died without ever understanding how to use their shields.
“General, these rebels are too incompetent. If they continue like this, I fear they will suffer more than half casualties before long!”
The temporarily promoted officers beside Han Shizhong, who were initially extremely nervous, quickly became a little complacent after the first round of engagement.
However, compared to them, Han Shizhong was clearly not as happy.
Although these rebels suffered heavy losses, war was the best teacher!
After such tragic losses, those remaining were already starting to hold their shields properly!
The rebels were besieging the city, but Han Mo had never said that reinforcements would arrive.
This meant that they could only rely on themselves!
It wasn’t until the soldiers below gradually mastered the necessary skills that the real struggle between the two sides truly began…