After a male student transmigrated into the body of a widow,

Chapter 184 Weng Ting

Gu Lin asked, his light brown eyes fixed on the young man, waiting for his answer.

Perhaps because he had waited for many days, the young man was not as anxious and helpless as he had been when he first learned that the Red Army had set out. However, as he watched more and more soldiers and officers in the city, he could not rest easy. He gradually became certain that this was not a rumor or an exaggeration, but the real thing.

"Uncle Gu, please calm down," Zheng Hao said. His voice was low and slightly cool, and his deep, unfathomable eyes gradually calmed the young man down.

Zheng Hao: "The reason why the Red Army did not continue north after capturing Jizhou Prefecture was because of insufficient food supplies. Now that the autumn harvest is plentiful, they naturally want to take Jibei Prefecture before the winter snow."

If the Red-Clad Army were to actually capture Jibei Prefecture, it would be equivalent to taking over the entire prefecture's newly harvested grain. The Red-Clad Army would then be like the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, waiting to plunder the autumn grain after Jibei Prefecture had stored its grain in the granaries.

Putting down the medicine he was holding, Gu Lin asked Zheng Hao, "So how does Zhen Hongjun plan to deal with this?"

I didn't want Uncle Gu to worry, but not telling him some things isn't protecting him, it's harming him.

Zheng Hao said, "A general in the army has offered a plan to defend the city. General Yu, please accept this advice."

"Isn't this just reckless?!"

Even though Gu Lin wasn't knowledgeable about military affairs, he knew that the Zhenhong Army's defense of the city would turn their advantage into a disadvantage. Remembering that Zheng Hao had been invited there by General Yu, he quickly asked, "What did you say?"

Thinking of the military's wariness towards him, Zheng Hao said in a calm tone: "I am the imperial supervisor. From General Yu to ordinary officers, everyone is wary of me interfering in military affairs. I cannot interfere in the matter of fighting against the Red-Clad Army."

We will not interfere.

If the commander of the Red Army was intelligent and willing to listen to advice, Zheng Hao would not hesitate to offer suggestions. However, it was clear that the other party was stubborn, favored his own people, and was unwilling to confront the Red Army head-on. Even if Zheng Hao had many ideas, he would have to consider them carefully.

Thinking this, Zheng Hao pulled himself back to reality and turned his gaze to the young man, saying, "Jibei Prefecture is no longer safe. Uncle Gu, prepare your luggage today, and I will send someone to escort you back to the capital tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Gu Lin's expression turned icy: "What do you mean?"

Seeing the young man's increasingly cold expression, Zheng Hao felt uneasy.

If he could, he wouldn't want to send Uncle Gu away. However, although he had made a series of preparations to protect Uncle Gu's safety, the Zhenhong Army was exhausted and the Red Army was winning one victory after another. If something happened... Zheng Hao dared not gamble with Uncle Gu's life.

He will bear all the risks; Uncle Gu can simply enjoy himself without worry.

Slowing his tone, Zheng Hao's eyes flashed with complexity, and his hands clenched tightly beneath his sleeves: "If Uncle Gu is unwilling to return to the capital, how about I send him to Jiangnan?"

He thought that Jiangnan had always been a place that Uncle Gu had longed for, and this time the other party probably wouldn't refuse...

Seeing that the young man had even agreed to let him go to Jiangnan, the place he least wanted him to go to, Gu Lin felt no joy at all. He sneered at Zheng Hao and said, "Don't even think about it!"

“Zheng Hao, I’ll say it one last time: I am not a dead thing that acts according to your will and is at your mercy.”

“Uncle Gu!” Zheng Hao said in a deep voice.

What Zheng Hao couldn't stand most about Gu Lin was that the latter constantly talked about death. From watching Gu Lin lie sickly in bed when he was young to still frequently suffering from colds, Zheng Hao wished he could keep the young man with him at all times to check on his health.

Gu Lin wasn't afraid of angering him and firmly said, "In short, no matter how you arrange things, I will not leave Jibei Prefecture."

Zheng Hao should have been worried or anxious, because Jibei Prefecture would soon become a battlefield, but Uncle Gu was unwilling to leave. However, when he heard the young man say that he did not want to leave and wanted to stay in Jibei Prefecture with him, Zheng Hao's heart raced and he could not utter a single word of refusal.

With his eyes slightly lowered, concealing his truest emotions, Zheng Hao thought to himself, "How despicable I am. I clearly don't want Uncle Gu to leave, yet I pretend to want to see him off. When Uncle Gu expressed his unwillingness to leave Jibei Prefecture, I felt both worried and delighted, and the delight was no less than the former."

Gu Lin waited coldly for the young man's reaction. He had already made a concession by imprisoning the young man before, and if the young man threatened him again with Zhao's wife and others, Gu Lin would not back down.

Gu Lin gradually figured out how to deal with someone like Zheng Hao. If you take a step forward, the other party may not necessarily back down, but if you dare to take a step back, you can expect the other party to take advantage of you.

The young man slightly raised his eyes and looked at the young man: "Uncle Gu, if you want to stay, then stay. However, Jibei Prefecture may not be peaceful afterward. Uncle Gu, reduce the number of times you go out of the city and bring your guards with you when you go out."

Gu Lin had expected the other party to be resolute in sending him away, but things had changed unexpectedly, and his eyes were filled with hesitation.

Zheng Hao said, "There will be some activity in the city in the next few days, so Uncle Gu should be careful when he takes his men out."

Disliking ambiguous language, Gu Lin said, "Speak clearly."

Zheng Hao explained, "The Red-Clad Army is skilled in tunnel warfare, and the officers and soldiers in the city will be on high alert during this period."

Seeing Zheng Hao's brow furrow slightly as he spoke, Gu Lin guessed: "The Zhenhong Army can't handle the Red Army's tunnel warfare?"

Zheng Hao did not hide anything: "Yes, in many previous battles, the Zhenhong Army was defeated by tunnel warfare. In terms of numbers, the Zhenhong Army had the advantage over the Hongyi Army and was more suitable for frontal warfare. However, the Hongyi Army was cunning and never faced the Zhenhong Army head-on. Instead, they hid their soldiers in tunnels and at night, when the city guards were off guard, they would come out of the tunnels and open the city gates to let the Hongyi Army outside attack."

Hearing Zheng Hao's words, Gu Lin expressed his doubts: "The Red Army won the first time because of the surprise attack, and it is understandable that the Zhenhong Army could not resist. Why was the Red Army able to win again and again afterward?"

With a wry smile, Zheng Hao, impressed by the young man's insightful question, said, "The secret passage was dug from behind the Red Army, making it impossible to guard against. In addition, the generals of the Red Army were fond of pleasure, the soldiers were lazy and unwilling to work, and there was no one who was skilled in this kind of thing, so the Red Army succeeded every time."

When he stated this fact, Zheng Hao's tone was indifferent, and his expression was extremely cold.

The morale of the Red Army in Zhenhong was worse than anyone imagined. Uncle Gu probably didn't know that during his few days in the camp, the officers and soldiers were initially wary of him because he was the supervising officer, patrolling him day and night. But after seeing that he posed no threat, they gradually became lax, until finally the soldiers who were specifically monitoring him were all transferred away. At night, the officers would patronize prostitutes in their tents, while the soldiers would gamble together. During the day, instead of training the soldiers or organizing military affairs, the officers would sleep in their tents until late morning, and the soldiers would be yawning and extremely lazy.

After finishing his meal, Gu Lin got up and left.

Zheng Hao then stood up: "I'll take Uncle Gu back."

Gu Lin raised his hand to stop him: "What's the big deal about seeing me off just a few steps? You should get some sleep. The dark circles under your eyes look like you've been beaten up."

The young man wouldn't let him escort him, but Zheng Hao was worried about letting him go back alone. It was getting dark, and he couldn't see anything outside. If he accidentally slipped and fell, it would be a serious matter.

He called in the large swallow that was guarding outside.

Da Yan never raised his head, but stood with his head slightly bowed in front of Lord Zheng and his husband.

Zheng Hao said, "Have a few more people lead the way and escort your husband back to the courtyard."

"Yes."

In the past, Da Yan might have thought to tease Lord Zheng and his husband in his heart, but after Lord Zheng's warning, he dared not do it again.

Da Yan respectfully said to the young man, "Please, my husband."

Seeing that Zheng Hao had already given instructions to Dayan, Gu Lin felt helpless and speechless, but he knew that the other party was stubborn and that if he refused, who knew how much trouble would arise.

Gu Lin said to Da Yan, "Let's go."

After returning to the backyard from the front yard where Zheng Hao lived, Da Yan bowed and left immediately.

Seeing the other person acting strangely today, and looking at him like a mouse seeing a cat's ears, Gu Lin was puzzled. However, it was already late, and it was not good to call the other person back. Gu Lin thought he would talk to the other person properly in a few days.

After washing up, Gu Lin lay on the bed. Unusually, after a long day of exhaustion, he did not immediately fall into a deep sleep.

His thoughts drifted back to his conversation with Zheng Hao. In the darkness, Gu Lin's originally light brown eyes shone with a deep black light. He parted his lips slightly, whether recalling something or reminding himself, it was unclear: "The Red Army... tunnel warfare..."

The quiet of the night makes it easiest to stimulate the brain. Many problems that are difficult to solve during the day can be solved in the dark. With the help of the night, most problems can be solved.

Gu Lin closed his eyes slightly, his thoughts racing with various ideas. But as his breathing gradually became steady, his consciousness slowly entered a deep sleep. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration crossed his mind, but before he could think about it carefully, he had already fallen asleep.

The next day, just as Zheng Hao stepped out of the courtyard to leave the mansion, a slender figure ran towards him from a distance. Martial arts practitioners have excellent eyesight, and before Da Zhuo could even see who it was, Zheng Hao had already started walking towards the figure.

"What's wrong with Uncle Gu?"

Knowing the young man's habits, and that this was the time for him to sleep, it was impossible to persuade him to change his schedule unless something extremely important happened.

Lowering his gaze slightly, Zheng Hao looked at the young man's sweaty forehead, rosy cheeks, and slightly pale lips as he ran over, and frowned as he asked, "Has Uncle Gu had breakfast yet?"

Upon waking up early in the morning, Gu Lin recalled the flash of inspiration that had crossed his mind the previous night. Without even washing up, he immediately jumped out of bed and wrote down his thoughts on paper.

After making the notes, fearing that Zheng Hao might stay in the military camp for several days before returning, and that he wouldn't even have time for breakfast, he rushed over.

"Let's not worry about that for now."

Gu Lin raised his hand and shook the paper in his hand: "I know how to discover that the Red Army is digging tunnels."

Upon hearing the young man's words, Zheng Hao's eyes narrowed, and intense emotions flashed across his eyes. However, considering that the young man had not eaten breakfast, he suppressed his thoughts and said, "If Uncle Gu's method is really useful and will greatly help the battle between the Red Army and the Red-Clad Army, let's go inside and talk."

It was windy outside, and Gu Lin didn't want to stand outside and talk to Zheng Hao; these things would take a lot of time to explain.

Before turning around and entering the house, Zheng Hao raised his eyes to Da Zhuo, who immediately withdrew and instructed the servants to fetch breakfast from the kitchen.

Zheng Hao led Gu Lin to the table and poured him some hot water. Gu Lin took the water and handed the blueprints to Zheng Hao, saying, "Take a look first."

Zheng Hao took the drawing and looked at it. The drawing depicted a large, round, protruding object. Combining this with some markings the young man had made on the drawing, Zheng Hao, no fool, quickly processed a series of thoughts. However, he remained silent, slightly raising his head and glancing at the young man beside him, asking with a hint of doubt, "Uncle Gu, what is this…?"

The young man's question inspired Gu Lin to explain. He put down the warm water and said, "What you are holding is the blueprint for the 'Urn Listener.' This 'Urn Listener' is not an ordinary bowl. It can be placed inside the city to detect the movements of the enemy two or three miles outside the city."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Hao remained unmoved, but a ripple appeared in his eyes. He looked down at the young man beside him who seemed oblivious to the shocking words he had uttered. Living within the city, one could detect the movements of enemy troops several miles away without sending out scouts.

Seeing that the young man remained silent, Gu Lin said, "Although this thing has limited uses and can only hear sounds from a few miles away, it can still be heard clearly if someone listens carefully at night."

The young man's words drew the attention of the other young man, who stared at him with deep, burning eyes. Gu Lin was a little overwhelmed and turned his head slightly to find that his cheeks were no longer burning.

The young man's words made Zheng Hao realize once again the gap between the two of them. What he considered to be a great advantage, something that could determine the outcome of the battlefield, was just an ordinary thing in the other's eyes.

Zheng Hao lowered his eyes slightly. Was the only difference between the two of them really just a nominal father-son relationship?

Slightly clenching the blueprints in his hand, Zheng Hao withdrew his gaze and said, "Thank you for the blueprints, Uncle Gu. I will have someone take them down for testing immediately."

Gu Lin nodded slightly: "This thing is easy to make. If you don't have enough manpower, I'll have the white porcelain factory send a few people back to help you."

Knowing that the white porcelain factory was the result of Uncle Gu's hard work over many days and had only recently gotten on track, he felt that since he hadn't provided Uncle Gu with a stable environment where he could do business with peace of mind, how could he possibly trouble him?

Uncle Gu has already given him the blueprints, which is equivalent to completing the first ninety steps. If he still cannot make the urn in the remaining ten steps, he does not need to stay in Jibei Prefecture as a military supervisor. He can simply return to the capital by the same route.

“Uncle Gu, there’s no need to worry. Leave everything to me,” Zheng Hao said.

After handing over the blueprints, Gu Lin knew that things were half done, so he wasn't too worried.

However, a hint of hesitation crossed his face as he said, "I'd like to borrow a few guards from you."

"What's wrong, Uncle Gu? Are you going to the outskirts?"

At this time, because the Red-Clad Army was about to attack, all the capable people in Jibei Prefecture fled outside to avoid unrest and shake the morale of the army. Prefect Ren ordered the city gates to be closed, so it was very difficult to leave the city.

However, Gu Lin is Zheng Hao's uncle, so this order is useless to him.

Gu Lin said, "I bought land from Baijia Village, but not all the grain has been delivered yet. Relying solely on Brother Chen and his group to deliver grain may not be enough to meet the needs of the people outside the city."

With grain prices soaring, Gu Lin dared not let Brother Chen and the others help the villagers of Baijia Village deliver grain; it wouldn't be delivering grain, it would be sending them to their deaths.

Knowing that it wasn't Uncle Gu who wanted to venture out of the city, Zheng Hao was relieved: "I will have Da Zhuo arrange this matter."

Seeing that the matter was settled, Gu Lin did not linger and said to Zheng Hao, "I'm going back now."

Zheng Hao: "Breakfast is coming soon. Uncle Gu, why don't you stay and have breakfast before you leave?"