"General Xu..." A tall and majestic figure appeared before them, shouting loudly.

  Xu Haifeng smiled slightly and didn't seem to speed up, but in just three or two steps, he had already pulled Jiang Kongming far behind and arrived in front of Liu Junshu.

  "General Xu, the other general has already sent Zhang Jie to your residence. As soon as you return, you will be able to see him." Liu Junshu said calmly.

  "Thanks a lot, Liu." Towards this great Han general who had yet to fully submit to him, Xu Haifeng maintained a polite and courteous attitude.

  "General Xu was being polite, and the other general took his leave." Liu Junshu glanced at Jiang Gongming who was walking towards them, cupped his hands in a farewell gesture, and strode away.

  Jiang Kongming let out a light sigh and said, "Although Liu Junshu has not yet been able to calm his mind, this attitude is just right. Let Su Chunwei and the others suspect and doubt as they please."

  Xu Haifeng was taken aback and lost his smile.

  Indeed, Liu Jun suddenly changed his attitude from being absolutely uncooperative to not only taking on the role of city defense army commander but also handling all matters big and small with great diligence, even more so than when he was in the Huanglong Army Corps.

  Such a 180-degree turn has left everyone who had high hopes for him speechless.

  They all guessed what kind of aphrodisiac or special trick Xu Haifeng had used to make Liu Junshu, a brave man who had gone through nine deaths and one life, surrender.

  However, no matter how hard they try to think, they absolutely cannot guess that Liu Junshu stayed behind because of Little Princess Liu Ting.

  "This man is trustworthy, he will never betray the little princess, heh... only afraid that at this time in his heart, even Liu Zhengqi is far inferior to the little princess's weight. Female charm, alas..."

  Jiang Kongming shook his head and said, suddenly discovering that Xu Haifeng's face was different, and he immediately knew that he had spoken hastily, feeling embarrassed.

  He unconsciously chuckled a few times and hastily changed the subject: "Master, what did Liu Junshu want to see you about?"

  Xu Haifeng looked at him helplessly, after all, Jiang Kongming's identity was different from others, and he couldn't possibly hold him accountable for such a trivial matter.

  Moreover, in his heart, he deeply understood that if Liu Ting's Xuantian Jingnuo Gong had not reached the realm of Neizhen, it would be impossible for Liu Junshu to change his mind immediately after one meeting.

  Moreover, whether it was he or Jiang Kung-ming who knew that every half month, Liu Ting would inevitably find an excuse to summon Liu Junshu for a meeting, nominally to see a fellow clansman in distress, but actually also to win him over.

  Although he didn't want to admit it, the fact proved that this emotional investment was far more effective for Liu Junshu than those gold and silver treasures.

  Xu Haifeng suddenly had a thought in his mind, Liu Ting did this with his own consent, but he was afraid that she also had similar thoughts in her heart.

  After all, among his several wives, Liu Ting was the only weak woman who had no one to rely on. This delicate girl born in an imperial family also made some arrangements for her own future and prospects without realizing it.

  "Master..." Jiang Gongming was surprised and lightly exclaimed after not seeing Xu Haifeng return for a long time.

  Xu Haifeng woke up from his own thoughts, this matter had a number in his heart, but it was not something that could be discussed with others, even if it was Jiang Kongming.

  With a faint smile, Xu Haifeng said: "This time in the night raid, Liu Junshu caught a Han person in Caesar's camp. He gave orders to seal off the informants and secretly sent this person to my mansion."

  "Chinese?" Jiang Gongming was shocked, this was the first time he had heard of this news, Xu and Liu's secrecy work was extremely good.

  "Not bad, he's a Han Chinese who fled to Kaisar twenty years ago due to a mistake." Xǔ Hǎifēng explained.

  Then he immediately saw the shining eyes of Jiang Kongming, apparently his interest in this person was far greater than anything else.

  In Jiang's repeated urging, Xu Haifeng returned to the imperial palace.

  He moved into the original Tufan imperial palace with such grandeur, without any evasive actions or measures. In Jiang Gongming's words, it was a heart of disobedience, clearly evident.

  In the imperial palace, the guards were strict and the city's garrison was no exception, with many of its top warriors being deployed here. Moreover, within the palace there was also Xia Yakun, a master of the sect, as well as some members of the Demon Gate serving as guards. Although it couldn't be said to be impregnable, self-defense was more than sufficient.

  In the imperial study, Xu Haifeng and Yan Yuese asked: "Zhang Jie?"

  Zhang Jie respectfully responded, he had served in the Fourth Legion of Bancroft for over a decade, and with the legion's conquests east and west, he was also considered to be well-informed. He knew that the combat power of the Fourth Legion on this continent was absolutely second to none.

  But that night, the Fourth Legion suffered its greatest defeat since its formation, and more importantly, it was a defeat without warning or signs.

  He also learned about the process from the city guards' discussions after the war.

  The cavalry that went to raid the camp was almost completely annihilated, and the infantry suffered a nearly devastating blow. The main camp had long since fallen into enemy hands.

  If the enemy had relied on a strong advantage in numbers, that would have been one thing, but the number of people they mobilized was clearly less than that of the Fourth Legion.

  Moreover, Bancroft's every move seemed to be within the other party's expectations, and every step of the Black Flag Army was like a pre-arranged trap waiting for Bancroft to step into.

  It was this kind of ingenious calculation that truly made him surrender.

  Zhang Jie's gaze secretly glanced at Xu Haifeng's side, where Jiang Kongming was gently shaking his feather fan.

  Is this the man who has been playing with the illustrious Bancroft?

  "Tell us about your experience yourself." His actions naturally couldn't deceive the two superiors in front of him, and Xu Haifeng said with a smile.

  "Is..." Zhang Jie bowed respectfully to the two of them again, indicating that in his heart, they were on an equal footing: "A humble person... My name is Zhang Jie. Eighteen years ago, due to a momentary loss of luck, I was wanted by someone and had to flee to a distant land."

  He started speaking slowly at first, but later on, he gradually became more fluent.

  Xu Haifeng turned his head and looked at each other, Jiang Kongming nodded slightly. This person obviously hadn't used Chinese for many years, so he was extremely unfamiliar with it.

  "What have you done?"

  According to Xu Haifeng's original intention, as long as he can provide detailed intelligence on the domestic situation of Kaisa, no matter who he has offended or what mistakes he has made, even if it is the king of heaven, it will be written off.

  Chiang Kung-ming also deeply agrees with this point. During wartime, all actions must serve the war effort. Any national law or legal code is inferior to a single command from a general on the front lines.

  This is what is called being a ruler abroad but not accepting all orders, it has been so since ancient times.

  Once they have decided to do so, what they should do first is not to ask themselves the answers they want to know, but to calm their minds.

  Zhang Jie hesitated for a moment, having drifted about for many years and seen much of the world, he naturally knew what the two men in front of him were after. He had thought that they would ask about the main matter as soon as they came up, and he was already prepared, wanting to use this opportunity to win their favor and ultimately take refuge under their wings.

  It never occurred to them that the first thing they would ask about was their own private affairs. At this time, for themselves, it was a matter of life and death, but in the eyes of these two, it was probably just a small matter like sesame seeds and green beans. Even one's own life, in the eyes of these two marshals, was probably as worthless as straw, not worth mentioning.

  Their behavior this time, if not genuinely trying to clear themselves, must be harboring a mind of perfunctoriness. After autumn, when accounts are settled, he has seen no shortage of cases where the millstone is cast aside and the donkey is killed.

  Seeing him not speaking, Jiang Kongming suddenly hummed softly and said: "Since you've come here, there's no need to be so cautious anymore. My master has asked you, even if the sky falls, someone will take responsibility for it. Besides... remember, this is your only way out now."

  Zhang Jie's heart skipped a beat as he immediately understood the truth - Xu Haifeng was now his only reliance, and his own life and death hung in the balance of the other man's whim.

  "I dare not conceal, eighteen years ago, I started my business from scratch and accumulated wealth over the years, making my family quite affluent. However, during a trip to handle some goods, I unintentionally discovered something that unexpectedly brought about a calamity of epic proportions."

  "What's wrong?"

  Zhang Jie gritted his teeth and said, "Smuggling... military smuggling. The Northwest King's family, under the guise of the military, engaged in rampant smuggling. It was just a small stroke of bad luck that I inadvertently stumbled upon this matter. From then on, the Lu family issued a warrant for my arrest, and I had no choice but to flee to Kaisa."

  "Is everything going well?"

  "It's right." Zhang Jie lowered his head, not daring to look up, although he was eager to know the expressions on the faces of these two people, but he didn't have the guts to raise his head and take a glance.

  He has lived in the northwest for many years, so he naturally knows about the Lu family's great power in the northwest, which can turn clouds into rain with a flip of their hand. If these two cannot be provoked, it is not an unthinkable thing.

  Xu Haifeng slightly shook his head, Lu Ding Sheng's actions were nothing new, powerful families using the military as a cover for smuggling was a very common habit. The imperial court also knew it all too well, although they repeatedly issued decrees to prohibit it, but there were rarely any results.

  "Come on..." After a brief pause, Xu Haifeng shouted loudly.

  One of the attendants immediately rushed over, and Xu Haifeng instructed: "Go invite Vice Commander Lu Tongzhou to come."

  Then he responded with a "yes" and turned away.

  Zhang Jie's heart tightened, and then a look of joy appeared on his face. When he left the Great Han, Lu Tongzhou was just beginning to show his head in the northwest, so naturally he had heard of his great name. In the past few days since returning to the Great Han, he also learned from the idle chatter of the city's garrison troops that he had become the de facto master of the Lu family.

  At this time, listening to Xu Haifeng's tone, it seems that he is just treating Rutongzhou as a subordinate, so his own life may be preserved.

  "Is there anyone else at home?"

  "Go back, sir, it's all over. As I was unmarried at that time, I could escape alone."

  Xu Haifeng nodded and exchanged a glance with Jiang Kongming, patiently waiting.

  Zhang Jie held his breath, not even daring to take a deep breath.

  Fortunately, this dull time did not last long. After receiving the news, Lu Tongzhou immediately put down everything and rushed over in a hurry.

  For this new generation of Lu family's leader, whether it is Xu Haifeng or Jiang Kongming, they have all shown great enthusiasm.

  "After all the hustle and bustle, Lu Tongzhou opened his mouth and said straightforwardly: 'General Xu, I've been here for so long, but this is the first time you've actively invited me to meet with you.'"

  Xu Haifeng smiled slightly and said, "Lu brother, this is a private residence, not a military camp. Let's still address each other as brothers. This matter was indeed my fault. In the future, our two families can be closer."

  Tongzhou didn't expect him to be so affectionate, first stunned, then immediately smiled and said: "Since Brother Xu has said so, Tongzhou will humbly obey."

  After a lively conversation with Lu Ding Sheng this morning, Xu Haifeng has grasped the meaning of the Lu family.

  They knew that in this chaotic world, the power of their family was not enough to contend for dominance, and for the benefit of the entire family, they had to attach themselves to the forces that would control the world in the future.

  In Lu Ding Sheng's eyes, the Cheng family was the most promising Han Chinese to succeed, followed by the Black Flag Army based in Wulong City.

  That is to say, at least before the end of the Battle of Taiyuan, the two families of Xu and Lu must have maintained a harmonious and friendly relationship.

  They chatted for a while, and due to their deliberate efforts, the conversation naturally carried a warm and intimate tone.

  Xu Haifeng saw a hint of joy on Zhang Jie's face, and immediately returned to the proper transmission: "Lu brother, this is one of my subordinates, who had previously offended your esteemed mansion. Today, I called him here specifically to apologize."

  He turned his head and said: "Zhang Jie, don't you hurry up and kowtow to Master Lu?"

  Zhang Jie responded with a sound, quickly moved forward and knocked several loud heads.

  Lu Tongzhou was confused by their actions, but he was also a perceptive person, otherwise he wouldn't have been chosen to succeed Lu Ding's position.

  As soon as he saw Xu Haifeng's behavior, he understood the meaning behind it. Xu Haifeng was doing this to exonerate that person.

  He quickly thought back in his mind, but he couldn't think of anyone named Zhang Jie. His eyes quickly scanned the man's face, but there was no impression at all.

  An unknown minor figure, this was the only conclusion he could draw.

  Such an insignificant person can find a backer like Xu Haifeng, and the choice left to him is only one.

  Lu Tongzhou suddenly had an idea in his mind and smiled: "Since it's Brother Xu who took the lead, this small matter naturally doesn't need to be mentioned again."

  As he promised in front of everyone, his words were naturally unshakeable and irreversible.

  Zhang Jie let out a long sigh and finally put down the burden that had been weighing on his mind for over ten years. He bowed deeply to Xu Haifeng and said, "Thank you, General."

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