Chapter 44

The next day, in General Zhao Zheng's tent, the same four people were present: Zhao Zheng, He Ping, Wen Fang, and He Chuan. The execution of Wolf and Brian the previous day was a great cause for celebration. Not only had the military strength of the Lance family been significantly weakened, but the Zhao family's reputation in Qingyang had also reached its peak. At least during Zhao Zheng's reign, Qingyang would be very stable, and there would be no more opposition.

Therefore, even after a day had passed, Zhao Zheng's face was still full of smiles. The three wolves of the Wolf clan had all perished, the Lance family's heirloom was shattered, and the greatest enemy of Qingyang was on the verge of collapse. It was easy to imagine that Zhao Zheng's achievements would soon spread throughout Tianhua and reach the emperor's ears. As long as Zhao Zheng capitalized on his victory and occupied the Lance province, it would be a great feat. Whether it was the rewards from above or the reputation among his peers, Zhao Zheng would gain a lot.

"Ha ha, Brother He Ping, we must drink until we are thoroughly drunk today!" Zhao Zheng said happily. "There were too many trivial matters yesterday, and I had to attend a victory banquet with other generals, which was not very satisfying. Today, it's just the four of us, so we must have a good drink! Come, someone—"

"General, please wait!" He Ping quickly interrupted Zhao Zheng. He still had important matters to discuss, and drinking could wait. If he got drunk, the matter would have to be postponed until the next day. Seeing Zhao Zheng's puzzled look, He Ping said, "Before we drink, there are a few important matters to discuss. No rush, no rush."

"Important matters?" Zhao Zheng thought for a moment and then realized, "Oh! Is it about the spy? The other day, when I was about to execute Zhao Bing, you said he was still useful, so I kept him in custody. Does this mean the time has come?"

Mentioning the spy, Wen Fang, who was responsible for Zhao Zheng's guards, could no longer sit still. He was partly to blame for the Zhao Bing incident, especially since there were early signs. If Wen Fang had suspected the spy among the guards and been more vigilant, he would have noticed Zhao Bing's suspicious borrowing of money. Fortunately, He Ping discovered it in time, or the situation might have been uncontrollable.

"General!" Wen Fang left his seat and knelt before Zhao Zheng, saying, "I failed to manage my subordinates properly, nearly causing a disaster. Please punish me, General, or I will not be at ease!"

"This..." Zhao Zheng was a bit conflicted. Wen Fang was indeed at fault in the Zhao Bing incident, but it was difficult for him to decide on the punishment. Too severe or too lenient would not be appropriate. Wen Fang was actually his nephew, the son of his wife's elder brother. Because of his excellent martial skills and intelligence, Zhao Zheng had brought him along. There were too many considerations in dealing with Wen Fang, which made Zhao Zheng somewhat hesitant.

"General, I have a request, and I hope you will grant it," He Ping said, seeing the difficulty between the two. "Most of the information the spy sold was about me. Therefore, I would like to decide the punishment for General Wen Fang and the spy named Zhao Bing."

Zhao Zheng's frown finally eased. He was very pleased that He Ping was willing to help him with this difficult task. If someone else decided the punishment, there would be nothing to say. Moreover, He Ping was also a victim in the spy incident, so it was reasonable for him to decide the punishment. Wen Fang was not a fool and understood his uncle's dilemma, so he said to He Ping, "Thank you, Mr. He Ping."

He Ping waved his hand, and a package of compressed biscuits appeared in his hand. He smiled and said, "Speaking of punishment, it's not a big deal. My main purpose for coming here is to do business. The item I want to sell to General Zhao is this. It's a special type of food suitable for soldiers to eat in the field. The punishment for General Wen Fang is to try this food."

The punishment seemed a bit simple, and Wen Fang was a bit surprised, but he still took the compressed biscuits from He Ping and, along with Zhao Zheng and He Chuan, examined it. The vacuum packaging was still intact, so it didn't look like food at all. Moreover, this palm-sized piece didn't seem to have much substance. For soldiers, it probably wouldn't be much different from ordinary rations.

Under the puzzled gazes of the three, He Ping demonstrated how to open the packaging. Wen Fang looked at the brownish block in his hand, even more puzzled, but he couldn't go back on his word. He put a piece of the compressed biscuit in his mouth and chewed a few times. He found that this unassuming food was actually quite tasty, much better than the rations used during forced marches. It looked hard but was quite crispy in the mouth. The only downside was that it was a bit dry and required more water.

Seeing the inquiring looks of Zhao Zheng and He Chuan, Wen Fang said, "It's quite tasty."

Zhao Zheng and He Chuan were stunned. Who asked about the taste? The taste of military rations is secondary; the key is whether there are any special effects.

Wen Fang ate a bit too quickly and got choked, so he immediately drank a large mouthful of water and continued, "It's a bit dry, and you need to drink a lot of water when eating it, or you might not be able to swallow it."

Is that all? Zhao Zheng and He Chuan were clearly disappointed. If that was all, it was just ordinary military rations, and it didn't seem worth He Ping's grand promotion. But at that moment, Wen Fang's expression suddenly changed, which made Zhao Zheng and He Chuan very nervous. Was there some adverse reaction? But Wen Fang, oblivious to the attention, closed his eyes and carefully experienced it for a moment before saying, "I don't seem to be very hungry anymore."

"Ha ha, that's right!" He Ping said with a smile. "The key to this food is that you only need to eat a small amount to fill your stomach. Though it can't be eaten long-term, it can save lives in critical moments. As for General Wen Fang, when we drink and eat meat later, you won't be able to eat much. You'll just have to watch, and that's my real punishment for you!"

He Ping spoke lightly, but Zhao Zheng, Wen Fang, and He Chuan were not fools. Even Brian instantly understood the significance of the compressed biscuits for the army. Among the three, Wen Fang was slightly less perceptive than Brian, but the other two were even more astute. Seeing Wen Fang's reaction and He Ping's explanation, they couldn't fail to understand the importance of this food for infiltration behind enemy lines. Moreover, Zhao Zheng immediately thought of another matter: "Does Zhao Bing's role have something to do with this?"

He Ping nodded and said, "Exactly. This is called a 'counterintelligence' strategy!"