Song Dekang and the other three vied with each other to say: "I’ll go!" They were eager to see the northern frontier.
It had been twenty to thirty years since they last went to the northern frontier. At that ti, war had spread to the north, and it was the Emperor who led Song Dekang and the other three to the north to quell the turmoil. Since then, they had never been to the frontier again. As Great Generals, the best destiny was to guard the border and protect the people of Great Zhou, rather than enjoying prosperity in the capital.
Song Dekang and the other three began to bicker again over the northern frontier.
"Enough." The Emperor interrupted them and instructed Sun Kui on the side, "Prepare four lots and let them draw."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Sun Kui hurriedly withdrew to prepare the four lots.
A mont later, Sun Kui presented the four lots to Song Dekang and the other three.
"Generals, please draw lots."
Song Dekang and the other three casually picked a lot.
Chu Ying was lucky enough to draw the lot, leaving Song Dekang and the other three envious and resentful.
"Your Majesty, is the Xiongnu unsettled, or is it the Northern Garrison that’s turbulent, or is it Youzhou that’s unstable?" Chu Ying, being the smartest and most cunning among the four, discerned sothing different from the Emperor’s earlier words.
Listening to Chu Ying’s inquiry, Song Dekang and the other three’s expressions turned stern instantly.
The Emperor didn’t answer Chu Ying but countered, "What do you think it is?"
Chu Ying pondered for a mont and replied, "It’s Youzhou and the Northern Garrison that’s unstable."
The Emperor crossed his hands under his chin, asking with interest, "Why isn’t it the Xiongnu that’s unstable?"
"At this season, the Xiongnu don’t need to raid southward for food and goods." Chu Ying explained, "If it were just the Northern Garrison, you wouldn’t send us to the frontier, so it’s both the Northern Garrison and Youzhou that have anomalies."
Song Dekang frowned and asked, "Boss, is Prince Han colluding with the Northern Garrison?"
Shen Hu’s face turned cold and angry instantly: "Deng Xianyun that scoundrel betrayed the boss, colluding with Prince Han?"
Zhang Gong was furious: "Deng Xianyun, that bastard, dared to betray the boss. I’ll butcher him."
In Song Dekang’s discussion, Deng Xianyun was the Great General of the Northern Garrison, always responsible for guarding the frontier.
"Could Deng Xianyun the bastard be dissatisfied with years of guarding the frontier, so he secretly defected to Prince Han?"
"Boss, let go and chop off Deng Xianyun’s head." Zhang Gong and the others hated those who betrayed their master the most.
"Back then, it was Deng Xianyun who volunteered to guard the frontier; he vowed to protect the frontier and prevent the Xiongnu from raiding south." Song Dekang was full of resentnt, "Back then, I wanted to go to the frontier, but he told not to fight him for the position, and yet he betrayed the boss. I’ll go with Lao Chu to the frontier and personally slay him."
Chu Ying remained silent.
The Emperor turned to him and asked, "Lao Chu, what do you think?"
"Boss, Deng Xianyun has no reason to betray you." Chu Ying knew Deng Xianyun’s character well; this man was not brainless and his loyalty to the Emperor was unquestionable. The Emperor would ask Deng Xianyun every two years whether he wanted to return to the capital and let soone else guard the frontier, but Deng Xianyun himself insisted on protecting it. He couldn’t be dissatisfied with guarding for years and then defect to Prince Han. "Boss, could it be soone else in the Northern Garrison colluding with Prince Han?"
"Who would dare to collude with Prince Han under Deng Xianyun’s nose?" Song Dekang sneered, "Deng Xianyun isn’t blind."
Zhang Gong echoed, "And he’s not stupid either."
Shen Hu said angrily, "Prince Han must have promised him many things, and he was tempted."
The Emperor listened to Song Dekang’s speculation for a while and then said, "Old Deng is fine, but others in the Northern Garrison are not necessarily."
Chu Ying thought: Just as expected.
"If not Deng Xianyun, then who?" Song Dekang was astonished, "In the Northern Garrison, he calls the shots; who dares to collude with Prince Han under his vision?"
The Emperor asked deeply in return: "What do you think?"
Chu Ying guessed, "It’s Deng Xianyun’s son."
If Deng Xianyun’s son was colluding with Prince Han, then Deng Xianyun’s failure to notice was understandable. And if he found out, he wouldn’t do anything to his son, after all, a tiger cannot eat its cub.
"Deng Xianyun’s son, who?" He rembered Deng Xianyun had four sons; who would dare to collude so boldly with Prince Han.
Chu Ying didn’t answer Shen Hu’s question but respectfully asked the Emperor, "Boss, do you want to go to the Northern Garrison to investigate who is colluding with Prince Han?"
"Old Deng is ill, you go on my behalf to check on him, and help guard the frontier."
Chu Ying exclaid, "Deng Xianyun is sick, what’s the illness? Is it serious?"
Song Dekang asked, astounded, "Deng Xianyun won’t be dying from illness, will he?"
Shen Hu said, "So his son took advantage of his sickness to secretly collude with Prince Han?"
The Emperor smiled aningfully, "Who knows."
"Boss, Deng Xianyun’s sickness couldn’t be man-made, right?" Falling ill is normal, but from the tone of the boss, Deng Xianyun’s sickness sounds suspicious.
Song Dekang had a bad suspicion and said with shocked deanor, "Deng Xianyun wouldn’t have been made ill by his son, would he? Deng Xianyun wouldn’t have been poisoned by his son, right?"
"Prince Han wouldn’t have tead up with his son to make him ill, would they?" Zhang Gong thought, if this were true, Deng Xianyun really was tragic.
"Boss, would going there scare them?" If it were as they guessed, then him going to the Northern Garrison, temporarily taking over Deng Xianyun’s command, would an alarming them.
"The main purpose of sending you is to show strength." The Emperor’s expression beca earnest, "Although the Xiongnu are temporarily quiet, soon they will make a move."
Hearing that the Xiongnu may move, Chu Ying and the others felt a chill and asked quickly, "Boss, are the Xiongnu going to raid southward soon?"
The Emperor nodded slightly, "Very likely, so when you go to the Northern Garrison, the Xiongnu won’t dare to act rashly."
Chu Ying: "I accept the command, Your Majesty."
"As for Old Deng’s matter, you investigate discreetly." The Emperor instructed, "As for Old Five, don’t mind him, act as if you know nothing."
Chu Ying imdiately understood, "I understand, Your Majesty."
"Pack up and depart for the northern frontier in two days."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Knowing now that the frontier situation was complicated, Song Dekang and the others didn’t vie with Chu Ying to go to the Northern Garrison. The three of them were indeed skilled in battle, but when it cos to intrigue and stratagems, they weren’t as adept as Lao Chu.
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