the old men next door, reminding the villagers to prepare in a low-key manner.The fourth is to prepare things well. On the way, you need to be prepared for food, clothing, shelter, self-defense, and...Everyone in the camp frowned.

Although they understood the Chen family's grief over losing a child, they couldn't stand them accusing them right away and bringing up Li family's peasant background.

A deputy general stepped forward, pulling the Chen family apart and shouting, “General Chen, you must remain composed! Right now, the most important thing is to find out the cause of Chen He’s death.”

"What was the cause of death He was murdered by you!" Chen He's father was almost insane, his eyes bloodshot as he questioned, "You said it, wasn't it because my son didn't give you silver that you treated him harshly I won't let this go! I want revenge for my son!"

The elder master Chen and the second master Chen also nodded. The eldest master Chen said: "Little He died in your camp, you don't want to easily find an excuse to cover up the fact that he was killed by you!"

The soldiers clenched their fists, enduring with all their might before refraining from beating the three into pulp.

Still, the Marquis slapped the table with a resounding thud, silencing the clamor.

He gave the three Chen brothers a cold glance and said in a frigid voice, "Chen He trained with thousands of soldiers, exercised together, and was never punished. The other thousands of soldiers were safe and sound, only he died suddenly!

"You filed the charges, but you have nothing to do with General Li!"

Chen Chuan ground his teeth in anger, and with a stiff neck he roared: "The Marquis is saying that my son deserved to die, that no one is to blame!"

The Marquis didn't nod, but instead threw out the jade box and long cigarette holder, asking: "Is this something your family gave to Chen He"

"Especially inside the jade box, what exactly is it If you can make that clear, then Chen He's cause of death will naturally become clear."

The three Chen brothers looked at the long incense burner and jade box, exchanging glances. They all shook their heads.

Chen Chuan's eyes were still filled with hatred, and he sneered: "Chen He never smokes dry tobacco. If it was incense, it might be possible."

"The Lord is trying to shirk responsibility, and it would be best if he chose a more credible excuse."

Jiang Cheng couldn't help but scoff, "Audacious! A mere Chen family is not worthy of our Marquis's attention! This thing is something Chen He uses daily in the military camp. His tent-mates can all attest to it!"

And although the camp had never deprived him of his food and never punished him physically, he wasted away. The reason lay in these two things!

"You act this way, not only uncooperative but also stubbornly believing that our Northern Expeditionary Army is plotting to murder a mere soldier. How ridiculous!"

"You dare to smear the Marquis, it is your Chen family who doesn't sue for peace! Our Bei-Zheng army will not stop until you are punished!"

The three Chen brothers were seemingly cowed, and for a moment fell silent. However, their expressions clearly betrayed their unwillingness to accept defeat.

The Marquis sneered, "Chen He is not only a disciple of your Chen family, but also a member of our Northern Expeditionary Army. I will investigate the cause of his death to the bottom no matter what."

Of course, General Li must be cleared of these charges! Otherwise, who will be willing to train their troops with dedication in the future

"If the Chen family is willing to cooperate, it would be better. If not, just keep your mouths shut and wait for us to investigate! "

The Northern Expedition Army's accomplishments and reputation were forged through blood, sweat, and sacrifice. No one is allowed to slander them at will!

"If this marquis were to find out that you are spreading rumors everywhere, don't blame this marquis for being merciless!"

All the generals quickly assembled beside the Marquis, their eyes equally cold as they stared at the three Chen brothers.

Cold, iron-blooded!

The powerful aura intimidated the three Chen brothers, causing them to instinctively bow their heads.

Chen Chuan finally softened his voice and bowed, saying: "My Lord, please calm your anger. We don't believe the Northern Expeditionary Army killed our child, but we also ask you to understand our grief over losing a son..."

"After I return, I will inquire of my wife. My public duties have always been demanding, and Chen He's luggage was personally packed by my wife..."

The Lord no longer spoke, and nodded at Jiang Cheng.

Jiang Cheng turned and left, quickly bringing people to carry a simple coffin to the front of the tent.

Chen Chuan couldn't bear to see his son lying in the cold coffin, looking so pitiful. He broke down and cried loudly.

Both Old Master Chen and Second Master Chen were weeping, patting the coffin, wishing they could die in their nephew's place!

Li Yong called the army doctor forward and repeated those words, "Dry wood is easily broken."

The three Chen brothers, whether they believed it or not, stopped making a fuss. They just urged the servants to carry the coffin onto the carriage.

Seeing the Chen family leave, everyone let out a sigh of relief.

Li Yong couldn't help but mutter in a low voice: "What the hell is going on It's almost Chinese New Year, can't people have a peaceful time!"

The rest of them also sighed.

It's only natural for there to be casualties in a military camp.

Just a few days ago, an old soldier who raised horses was accidentally kicked to death by a stallion.

But this group of young officers were very different from ordinary soldiers.

It's not about expecting them to go into battle against the barbarians, it's more like they are hostages.

Force the imperial court and all officials to value the Northern Expeditionary Army, and dare not make it difficult for the hostages of the Northern Expeditionary Army!

Now the hostage is dead, and it's unclear how they died.

The family was filled with hatred because their son entered standing up and left horizontally.

The Northern Expeditionary Army did not have brutal training, nor were they subjected to harsh dietary restrictions. They were also deeply wronged.

If this matter is not handled well, the conflict between the two sides will flare up immediately....

Li Laosì thought about it no matter how he couldn't feel that something was wrong today. When the crowd dispersed, he found the Marquis privately, "Marquis, this is not right, I always feel that someone is plotting behind the scenes."

Either we head north against the Northern Expeditionary Army, or we face them at home. I need to go back and talk to my second brother, investigate this Chen family.

The marquis naturally thought of this and replied, "If they are targeting the Northern Expeditionary Army, it's nothing more than aiming at my military power. They are using Chen He's death to incite discontent and panic among the various houses, driving the Northern Expeditionary Army into a difficult situation."

If it's about the Li family, then the opponent can be narrowed down to a few.

"Master has been keeping an eye on those few companies recently. When you get back, cooperate with Master and intensify the investigation. If manpower is needed, just let me know."

"Now that I'm in the open, it's not easy for me to make a move. I can only trouble you all."

Li Lao Si bowed, "Lord Marquis, you flatter me. I shall be going now."

After saying that, he went to look for Li Yong and Jiang Cheng, explained the task at hand, and then led a few personal guards back to Suijin Beach.

At the same time, in the peony garden, Li Lao Er was also carefully examining a jade box.

The little box, with no embellishments, looked quite ordinary.

The box contained some dark, viscous paste that was oily to the touch.

He couldn't see anything amiss and asked Zheng Sanjiang, "You said this thing came from Yaochi and was highly regarded by the people there"

Zheng Sanjiang nodded and replied, "That garden is heavily guarded. I infiltrated it, spent a lot of effort, and finally hid under a wooden bridge."

A little servant carried several jade boxes across the bridge. I heard them muttering that if you dropped one, you'd be beaten half to death.

“The little servant happened to slip, knocking over the tray. I took the opportunity to pick one up.”

Those two servants, in such a harsh winter, actually went into the water directly just to retrieve this box. It must be something very important..At this time, the detachment that had gone out in pursuit also returned. The captain reported to the general, “General, those hundreds of horsemen ran into the forest and we couldn’t catch them. But...