Jin Cheng turned to Zong Zhao and asked, "General Zong, what do you think?"
Zong Zhao clenched his fingers and replied, "Your Majesty, I agree with Prime Minister Shen's proposal. We should send troops. I am willing to lead the army to the front lines—please grant me permission!"
He wanted to go to the border.
To bring Zong Yan home.
Before the young emperor could respond, Luo Jingfeng was the first to object. He said sharply, "Why should you go? Do you doubt my ability to command as a general? With His Majesty remaining in the capital, if we all leave, who will protect him?"
Entrusting Jin Cheng solely to Prime Minister Shen was something Luo Jingfeng could never accept. Though he wanted to go to battle, he couldn’t risk compromising his nephew’s safety or the stability of the court.
Zong Zhao said coldly, "Then you stay. I’ll lead the troops."
"You damn—" Luo Jingfeng barely held back a curse. He knew Zong Zhao coveted military authority—it was their foundation, and he would never hand it over.
He sneered, "As I recall, Lady Fusheng is newly pregnant, and her condition is still unstable, isn’t it? This is General Zong’s first child—can you really bear to leave for the border?"
The two generals locked eyes, their hostility palpable.
Prime Minister Shen remained silent, staying out of the conflict and taking no sides.
Seeing Zong Zhao’s reaction, the young emperor had a good idea of the identity of the man in the portrait. He said to Zong Zhao, "General Zong, you should return to your estate and discuss this with Lady Fusheng. I will announce the list of generals for the campaign at tomorrow’s court session."
Truthfully, he didn’t care who went—but if someone had to stay in the capital, Luo Jingfeng would never relinquish military authority to Zong Zhao.
So either both would go, or only Luo Jingfeng would.
The emperor’s suggestion for Zong Zhao to "discuss" it was really just a way to give him time to calm down.
Zong Zhao’s mind was indeed in chaos. By the time he arrived home, he was still dazed, as if trapped in a dream.
When he was sixteen, Zong Yan had saved his life by handing him the only lifeline—the Iron Claw Hook—allowing him to survive the plunge from a sheer cliff.
Later, Zong Yan’s body was brought back to the capital.
Everyone believed he was dead.
Even Zong Zhao, who had been reborn in this life, had thought so. In his previous life, he had died at twenty-six without ever hearing news of Zong Yan. Now, at twenty-seven, he had finally received word.
"Zhao’er, what’s wrong?" The Old Marquis and Old Marchioness were about to leave the estate when they happened to see Zong Zhao return, looking utterly distraught. They hurried over to ask.
Zong Zhao led them back inside and handed them the small portrait, his voice trembling. "Zong Yan… might still be alive."
"What did you say?!" The Old Marchioness’s eyes widened as she snatched the portrait. It was unmistakably Zong Yan—older than she remembered, but his features were unchanged.
The Old Marquis was stunned. He tried to steady himself as he asked, "Where did this portrait come from? Who gave it to you?"
Zong Zhao replied hoarsely, "It was in an urgent report from the border. They said the strategist of You Country’s Crown Prince Jin’an bore a striking resemblance to me."
"Zong Yan… Zong Yan… My child, my child is alive! He’s alive!" The Old Marchioness wept with joy. "Quick, bring him home! It’s been eleven years—he must have forgotten the way back."
Tears welled in the Old Marquis’s eyes as he said, "Yes, yes. Something must have happened to him. That Crown Prince Jin’an must have forcibly detained him—that’s why he couldn’t return."
The Old Marchioness clutched Zong Zhao’s sleeve, pleading through her tears, "Zhao’er, bring Yan’er home. I miss him… I want him back…"
Zong Zhao told her, "The emperor has just ascended the throne. The capital cannot be left unguarded. Luo Jingfeng refuses to relinquish military authority—if troops are sent, it must be him. I… cannot go."
The Old Marchioness’s face fell with disappointment and worry. "Then what do we do? Luo Jingfeng doesn’t know Yan’er—will he bring him back for us?"
"I’ll make sure Luo Jingfeng understands, but I fear Zong Yan may not be willing to return." On his way back, Zong Zhao had considered every possibility.
Eleven years had passed—who knew what had happened to Zong Yan? If he had been forced to stay, they could rescue him. But if he had chosen to remain… then bringing him back might be impossible.
The Old Marquis, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke. "Let me go. I’ll bring Zong Yan home."
"Father?" "Husband?"
The Old Marquis smiled bitterly. "Back then, I was injured and couldn’t go to the front lines. That’s why you two were left in the hands of the wrong people, leading to this tragedy. It was my fault for trusting the wrong person. Now that I’ve recovered, I can go to the border myself and bring Zong Yan home."
Zong Zhao shook his head. "Father, you can’t go to war anymore."
The battlefield was dangerous, and the Old Marquis was already in his fifties—his skills were no match for his younger years.
The Old Marquis scoffed. "You brat, what do you mean ‘can’t’? Are you calling me old? Let me tell you, there’s a saying—‘old but vigorous.’ Even if I can’t lead troops, I can still spar with Zong Yan. He’s my own son—would he dare strike his own father?"
The Old Marchioness gasped and scolded, "Quick, knock on wood! Don’t say such ominous things!"
The Old Marquis obliged. "Knock, knock, knock."
Zong Zhao: "…"
Jokes aside, if Zong Zhao couldn’t go, the Old Marquis was indeed the best choice.
So Zong Zhao personally went to the Duke’s residence to speak with Luo Jingfeng, emphasizing that the Old Marquis’s sole purpose in going was to retrieve Zong Yan—not to lead troops.
Luo Jingfeng clicked his tongue in annoyance. "So many demands. I have to fight a war and babysit your father?"
Zong Zhao shot back, "Then you stay in the capital, and I’ll go to the border?"
"Tch!" Luo Jingfeng’s retort died in his throat.
But as Zong Zhao turned to leave, Luo Jingfeng called after him with a warning. "Zong Zhao, while I’m gone, you must protect Jin Cheng. Put his safety above all else. If anything happens in the capital, send an urgent summons for my return. If anything happens to him… don’t blame me for taking it out on your father."
Zong Zhao despised such threats.
He turned his head slightly, his voice icy. "Luo Jingfeng, your arrogance will be your downfall."
Luo Jingfeng snorted. "Whether I meet a bad end is none of your concern. Worry about your own family!"
After Zong Zhao left, Luo Jingfeng began preparations for the campaign, carefully selecting which officers to take and which to leave behind.
But even after everything was settled, he still felt uneasy.
Leaving Jin Cheng alone in the capital was too dangerous.
If he took the entire army to the border, the imperial city would be left vulnerable. What if Zong Zhao and Chu Heng seized the opportunity to stage a coup? How could Jin Cheng possibly resist the tens of thousands of city patrol soldiers?
And if the rebellion succeeded… what would they do to Jin Cheng?
