Chapter 1099 – Doubts Deepen
Cheng Jing raised an eyebrow, hesitating to ask, “Brothers in spirit? Those two seem pretty close…”
Feng Jue fell silent for a moment; what happened in the dungeon that day hadn’t leaked out, so not many knew the truth, including Cheng Jing.
He replied淡淡地, “Real brothers.”
The nerves at the corner of Cheng Jing’s eyes seemed ready to pop, as if he wanted to blurt something out.
Real brothers?
With just those three words, Cheng Jing thought of Nie Xun’s and Meng Heng’s backgrounds, mentally conjuring up a tragic tale of aristocratic family drama.
“Let’s go. The Lord is still waiting for our report,” Feng Jue inhaled deeply, suppressing the turmoil within. At this sensitive juncture, Nie Xun’s close ties with Meng Heng, despite their brotherly bonds, raised suspicions. If the Lord found out, who knows what wild imaginings he’d concoct? “In these turbulent times, we must avoid suspicions and internal strife. Trust in personal integrity—this matter is best kept under wraps.”
Cheng Jing understood Feng Jue’s intent.
Doubt not only drives a wedge between the ruler and his subordinates but also sows disappointment among the subjects, leading them to distance themselves.
However, the two forgot—
Their intentions to help cover things up couldn’t stand against someone who was busy spying on Nie Xun and reporting to the higher-ups!
When Feng Jue and Cheng Jing returned to report, they noticed Huang Song’s expression was not so pleasant; a storm seemed to be brewing beneath his frown.
Seeing Cheng Jing and Feng Jue together, he quickly hid the remnants of his anger and asked, “Was everything taken care of?”
Feng Jue cupped his hands in respect and replied, “Mission accomplished, no disgrace to my name.”
Huang Song’s expression lightened slightly, his tone a bit gentler, “That’s good to hear, you two have worked hard.”
Feng Jue noticed something was off with Huang Song and ventured, “Earlier, I saw the Lord looking troubled. Is there a problem?”
“Huang Wei… what do you think of Cheng Yun?” Huang Song trusted Feng Jue far more than others. If it had been someone else, he’d brush them off, but not with Feng Jue. “Does he truly have no ulterior motives?”
Feng Jue was shocked, “Cheng Yun is loyal to the Lord; why would he have ulterior motives? Why say such chilling words?”
Huang Song’s face twitched, revealing a hint of shame.
He truly shouldn’t have let Yuan Xin’s repeated provocations and reports lead him to doubt Nie Xun’s loyalty.
He sighed, “Then it seems I am being overly cautious.”
Feng Jue asked seriously, “Is there no one else sowing discord before the Lord?”
Huang Song didn’t hide it; after all, it was no secret that Yuan Xin and Nie Xun were at odds, constantly reporting on each other.
Feng Jue paused, a flash of irritation flickering in his heart, but his expression remained composed as he advised earnestly, “Lord, the situation is still undecided; you shouldn’t jump to suspicions. If you have concerns, just summon Cheng Yun over and ask him directly. If he’s straightforward in his actions, there should be nothing to hide. If he does harbor ulterior motives, his demeanor will surely betray him.”
Rather than let doubt fester and drive a wedge between the ruler and his subjects, it’s better to just ask the person involved.
Huang Song grew more awkward.
Feng Jue’s trust in Nie Xun made him feel ashamed.
“I’m in the wrong; I will properly apologize to Cheng Yun.”
Upon hearing this, Feng Jue felt a sense of relief.
Little did he know, Huang Song’s “apology” wouldn’t mean a heartfelt discussion with Nie Xun to completely dispel doubts.
It wasn’t that Huang Song felt embarrassed to apologize to a subordinate; it was simply that showing up to apologize felt a little like crying over spilled milk.
Wasn’t that just blatantly telling Nie Xun that he was doubting him because of others’ reports?
Unable to apologize in person, Huang Song pondered and showered Nie Xun with rewards like flowing water.
When the generous rewards reached Nie Xun, he was utterly baffled.
He hadn’t accomplished anything significant or had any good news recently; why was the Lord suddenly offering him such lavish rewards?
One must accept gifts from the elder, while the younger wouldn’t dare refuse.
Naturally, Nie Xun had to accept the Lord’s gifts, but didn’t realize it only fueled Yuan Xin’s anger and resentment.
Nie Xun’s close ties with Meng Heng and the suspicion of harboring ulterior motives didn’t result in punishment, but rather in bountiful rewards. What was going on?!
Though no one openly addressed the conflict, everyone understood.
Until the Nie Clan’s envoy suddenly announced their departure, the bomb that had been buried underground finally exploded, leaving everyone dazed.
Due to pressures from the Nie Clan, Huang Song had to consider multiple times before agreeing to exchange the two Cangzhou regions for Chenzhou.
So when Nie Liang led the Nie Clan envoy to announce their departure, Huang Song wore a smile on his face while thinking, “MMP!”
Did Nie Liang travel all the way from Zhong Zhao just to mess with him?
The Nie Clan left without a hint of warning, and definitely didn’t even threaten further—making Huang Song’s concession of the two Cangzhou regions seem foolish. No wonder, when Feng Jue and Cheng Jing went, Jiang Pengji didn’t frown and agreed right away.
Suddenly, Huang Song remembered a detail—
The idea of exchanging the two Cangzhou regions for Chenzhou, while prompted by Feng Jue’s persuasion, was originally suggested by Nie Xun.
Upon reflection, Nie Xun’s advice was indeed a solid retreat, who knew the Nie Clan would flip so quickly, catching everyone off guard? Huang Song could only suppress his oddly mixed feelings and waste a lot of time discussing the next steps with his confidant.
If things went this way, Huang Song would likely come to terms with it in a few days.
But Yuan Xin refused to back down.
In his eyes, Nie Xun was “riding high on the horse” and “not knowing his place”!
The Lord had spared him multiple times; instead of showing loyalty and gratitude, he was repaying grace with malice.
“This old man will risk everything to make the Lord see this person’s true face.”
Yuan Xin visited Huang Song overnight, filled with a grim determination like he was heading to the guillotine.
Huang Song could only drag himself out of bed, throwing on a thin robe, his face heavy with sleep.
“Yuan General, is there something urgent that can’t wait until tomorrow? Why come at such a late hour?”
Seeing Yuan Xin now made Huang Song’s head throb.
Yuan Xin, with tears in his eyes, exclaimed, “Lord, this is solid evidence of Nie Xun and Liu Xi collaborating!”
Upon hearing this, Huang Song’s previously suppressed anger could no longer be contained; his face went cold.
“Oh? What do you mean by that?”
Yuan Xin explained, “A while back, I often saw Nie Xun mingling closely with Meng Heng from Liu Xi’s side, they would always speak privately, as if discussing something unspeakable. Later, Nie Xun suggested to the Lord to exchange the two Cangzhou regions for Chenzhou. I suspect Liu Xi got wind of the Nie Clan’s envoy’s impending departure and instructed Nie Xun to mislead the Lord. Otherwise, why would Liu Xi accept such a loss with no trouble in return?”
In that context, trading Chenzhou for the two Cangzhou regions was quite a loss and also carried significant risks.
The more Yuan Xin thought about it, the more dubious Nie Xun’s suggestion seemed.
Huang Song’s demeanor changed multiple times before he finally said, “This matter, I have my own conclusions; General Yuan, you needn’t meddle.”
Upon hearing this, Yuan Xin was filled with righteous indignation.
He clearly understood that Huang Song was favoring Nie Xun, wanting to conceal things.
