The Framed General 02

Two days later.

"Report! All the army commanders have arrived!" A personal guard, his face dripping with sweat, couldn't understand why the general had been acting so strangely lately—constantly pacing the courtyard, twisting his body, and occasionally bursting into laughter with his hands on his hips.

"Let them all in!"

"Aye!"

Soon, the courtyard was packed with people, some exchanging greetings.

"Wang Cai! Long time no see!"

"Li Ergou! Hahaha! You look sharp in that uniform!"

"Keep it down. I heard the old general passed away."

"What?!"

The courtyard fell dead silent. Dozens of commanders wore varying expressions, while only the few military governors at the front murmured among themselves.

Ahem. Fang Zhiyi emerged slowly, dressed in plain white mourning robes.

"Subordinates pay respects to the Young General!" The crowd saluted in unison. They were accustomed to calling the elder Fang "General," while Fang Zhiyi had always been referred to as the "Young General."

Fang Zhiyi waved weakly, his gaze drifting skyward as if lost in thought. After a long pause, a single tear rolled down his cheek.

The courtyard was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

"My father is dead."

Those who had doubted the news now looked utterly stunned.

"General!" Many fell to their knees, weeping. These were soldiers who had followed the elder Fang into battle since their enlistment.

Fang Zhiyi was still building his performance. Trembling, he stretched out a hand toward them. "Many of you are older than me. By rights, I should call you uncles." This was true—when he first joined the military, these men had shared drinks and feasts with his father.

"Two days ago, I faced a dilemma I couldn't resolve alone. So, I ask for your counsel." He made as if to kneel, but the nearest military governors rushed forward to stop him.

"You mustn't, Young General!"

"Indeed! Just speak your mind. By rank, you outstrip us. By age, we are your elders. Nearly all of us were trained by the old general. Whatever you need, just say the word!"

Fang Zhiyi squeezed out another tear. "I received a secret report—my father was poisoned by the new emperor." He raised a thin sheet of paper. To forge this letter, he had spent over a day practicing left-handed calligraphy.

Yet no one stepped forward to examine it. Instead, they stared at him in shock.

Damn. Wasted effort. Fang Zhiyi kept his face impassive. "The poison was administered by a concubine in our household, but the order came from Liu Wenhui, the Minister of Revenue! Her father—and the emperor’s trusted confidant!" This wasn’t slander. Anyone could see it: who else would dare poison a duke?

Heavy breathing filled the courtyard.

"Now, my family summons me home. I fear if I go, I won’t return—unable to avenge my father or protect you, his old comrades." Fang Zhiyi emphasized old comrades deliberately. If the Northern Garrison’s leadership changed, most of Fang’s loyalists would be purged. To rally men, sentiment alone wasn’t enough—their fates had to be tied together.

One man suddenly stepped forward. "Goddamn it! We guard the frontier for him, and he repays us by murdering a hero?!"

"Brothers! Let’s escort the Young General back to the capital and demand answers from the emperor!"

"Agreed!"

"Stop!" A military governor raised his hand. "March to the capital? What about the border? If the barbarians attack? And if the emperor accuses the Young General of rebellion for bringing troops?"

Fang Zhiyi studied the five military governors—his father’s closest allies, men he privately called "uncles." In the original timeline, they had raised doubts, but the grief-stricken protagonist, obsessed with mourning and a transmigrated woman, had ignored them.

"Uncles, you may not know—the emperor’s officials are already spreading rumors of my treason." Fang Zhiyi closed his eyes, swaying slightly until someone steadied him. "Our Fang family served loyally for generations, only to end like hunted game."

"If I go, I won’t return." He sighed, glancing skyward while secretly scanning the crowd. He needed to identify his allies.

If this fails today, I’ll purge the ranks. This army must be mine.

Just then, a military governor yanked his saber free. "Screw this! Poisoning the old general proves the emperor’s rotten! Young General, don’t go back—let’s rebel!"

Silence. Then, seconds later—shing! shing!—more blades unsheathed.

"Rebel!"

"Rebel!"

Fang Zhiyi gaped at the furious commanders. He couldn’t squeeze out more tears. "Everyone... is this wise?"

"Perhaps I should return. With my family’s merits, I might beg the emperor to grant you titles and lands..."

A grizzled veteran stepped forward. "Young General, I started as a foot soldier under your father. He saved my life!" He stripped off his armor and undershirt, revealing a torso crisscrossed with scars.

"This arrow? The old general pushed me aside—it would’ve pierced my heart."

"This slash? See how shallow? The old general caught the blade bare-handed!"

Younger officers paled.

"Today, I, Wu Jue, swear this: if the emperor shows no mercy, neither will I! I’ll follow the Young General to the capital and ask that brat if he’s forgotten how his father won the throne—with our blood and steel!"

Perfect. Fang Zhiyi cheered inwardly.

Another bearded governor turned. "Seal the gates! Say we’re strategizing!"

Two commanders barred the exits.

Fang Zhiyi relaxed. The future looks bright. Beside him, his materializing system looked baffled.

"Why are humans so complicated?"

"You wouldn’t get it."

"Host, shouldn’t you return to the capital, secretly gather allies, and humiliate your enemies?"

"How much trash have you read?"

"Uh... other systems told me. I don’t read much."

Three days later, a group of several hundred, dressed as civilians, departed. Beyond the northern border, they dispersed, blending into the populace.

In the palace, Liu Guxia nestled against the new emperor.

"Do you think Fang Zhiyi will come back?"

"After your letter, of course. Though I hate to see you endure this." The emperor’s gaze softened with affection—then hardened. "Once the military is mine, you won’t need to placate him!"

Liu Guxia sighed. "You... I told you, he’s a good man. Don’t harm him."

The emperor sulked.

"They say emperors are heartless. You truly are."

"Very well, very well! I promise you, I shall not harm him. On the contrary, I shall appoint him to an official position so he may help me purge the court of these treacherous ministers and rebellious factions!"