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

Chapter 186 Heavy Drinking

The tunnel was filled with screams. Even in the darkness, when nothing could be seen, the people could still make out the gradually darkening soil by candlelight, and the increasingly strong, pungent smell of blood mixed with the stench of the soil in the air.

The Red-Clad Army, which had been hiding in the tunnels, was exposed. The Red-Clad Army that had been lying in ambush outside the city, waiting to launch a night attack on Jibei Prefecture, also revealed themselves. Upon seeing this, General Chang immediately ordered the archers who were ready to fire!

Instantly, on the city wall, rows of archers who had been hiding stood up. Their expressions were resolute, one hand holding a bow and the other drawing the string. Arrows, like a fine rain, shot down at the red-clad soldiers hiding below. In the cool night, the sounds of fighting, screams, and the splattering of sharp weapons piercing flesh were chilling.

The Red Army was defeated and forced to retreat without any chance of fighting back.

On the city wall and below, the soldiers all wore jubilant expressions. For the first time, they had effortlessly defeated the Red Army in a night raid, greatly boosting the morale of the soldiers who had suffered repeated defeats.

Seeing the Red-Clad Army retreat, General Chang did not let his guard down. He raised his eyes and looked towards the other city gates, his brows furrowed, clearly worried that the other generals would not be able to defend the city gates.

Zheng Hao timely reassured them: "The general has already sent people to deliver the urn to each city gate, and none of the generals have sent anyone to ask for help. They must have successfully repelled the Red-Clad Army just like the general."

Although General Chang tried to comfort himself in this way, he knew all too well the habits of the other generals in the Zhenhong Army. Apart from a few who were strict with themselves, the other generals were all pleasure-seeking and cowardly. He was truly uneasy about this.

Suddenly, several figures rushed past from different directions, their shouts echoing through the sky: "The Zhenhong Army has utterly defeated the Red-Clad Army! The Red-Clad Army has retreated!"

The once pitch-black streets were now filled with people who had been hiding in their homes, too afraid to come out. They all got up and lit candles in their homes, and then one after another, they stepped out of their homes in disbelief.

They gazed toward the city gate, where cheering soldiers and flickering flames were present, but there was none of the Red Army's expected rampage through the city, leaving behind mountains of corpses and seas of carnage.

"Bastard!"

All the books and official documents on the desk were thrown to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. General Yu raised his fan-like hand and slammed it hard on the table, his face grim.

"Well done, Zheng Hao! I really underestimated this supervisor. I thought he was a weak and timid scholar, but I didn't expect him to be so good at doing things quietly and building good relationships with other generals behind my back."

The staff member standing nearby saw that General Yu was angry and remained silent.

General Yu's expression flashed with a fierce light: "A few days ago, no one in the army took this supervisor seriously. But after last night, everyone received his benefits, and when they sent people back to report, they all mentioned his merits."

"I have been fighting against the Red-Clad Army for a long time. I have worked hard, even if I have not achieved any great feats. But now that he has come, it seems that I am useless. Now, everyone in the army only knows that Supervisor Zheng made the jar and repelled the Red-Clad Army. They do not know that I am the commander-in-chief who is in charge of suppressing the Red-Clad Army."

Seeing that General Yu's words were becoming increasingly absurd, his aide stepped forward and said, "General, please calm down!"

General Yu turned his head and saw that his staff were not angry at all, but instead advised him to calm down. He shouted, "They are about to ride roughshod over me. How can you expect me to calm down?"

He stepped forward and picked up the books and documents from the ground. The aide then walked up to General Yu and, under the general's gloomy gaze, placed the books on the table.

After a moment, the aide spoke up: "General, don't be angry. In my opinion, Supervisor Zheng's actions are actually helping you. You should be happy."

The advisor before him was not a failed scholar or a mere graduate, but a capable man hired by his family, who had been advising him from the sidelines. General Yu put down the official business he was about to throw away and asked in a somber voice, "What do you mean by that, sir?"

The advisor calmly analyzed: "No matter what, no one can change the fact that the general is the commander of the Red Army. Zheng, the military supervisor, is a commoner with no background. Even if he manages to defeat the Red Army at Wengting, the court will still attribute the credit to the general when it comes to rewarding merits."

"A commander is still a commander."

The advisor advised: "General, you must not only refrain from showing dissatisfaction with Supervisor Zheng, but you must also devise a plan to win him over and demonstrate tolerance and magnanimity."

General Yu was not a brainless brute. After being persuaded by his advisors, he gradually calmed down and understood the advantages and disadvantages involved. Zheng Hao's creation of the urn-shaped cannon to repel the Red-Clad Army gave him the greatest advantage.

General Yu said to his staff, “Sir, you are right. No matter how powerful Zheng Mingzhang is in front of His Majesty, he is nothing more than a commoner in front of our aristocratic families.”

After thinking it through, General Yu regained his usual magnanimity: "The Zhenhong Army's great victory over the Red Army is truly something to celebrate. I hereby order the entire army to hold a victory banquet, and send someone to invite Supervisor Zheng back to the camp to attend the banquet."

When General Yu's personal guards came to invite Zheng Hao back to camp, General Chang was also present. He instructed his deputy general, "You stay here to clean up the battlefield. I will return to the camp with Supervisor Zheng and report the battle situation to the commander."

Lieutenant: "Yes, sir!"

When they returned to the military camp, a victory banquet had already been set up in the tents, with many generals, each with their own table.

When General Yu saw them enter, he laughed heartily and said, "Lord Zheng, General Chang, please take your seats."

Zheng Hao looked up and saw that there were two empty seats left in the tent. One was near the main general, below General Yu, and the other was in a corner.

It was obvious who was to sit in the seat below General Yu, but to prevent confusion between the two, General Yu called out to the young military supervisor, "Lord Zheng, please come and take your seat."

Knowing that General Yu was intolerant of others, and given that Zheng Hao had only recently gained prominence, General Chang looked at the young man with some concern.

Zheng Hao remained expressionless and walked towards the empty seat next to General Yu.

After he took his seat, General Yu raised his cup and smiled at everyone, saying: "The great victory of the Red Army over the Red-Clad Army, the defense of Jibei Prefecture, and the protection of the safety of all the people in the prefecture are all thanks to the efforts of everyone present. Let us drink this cup to celebrate!"

The assembled generals raised their cups in response: "Let us drink together!"

After the wine was finished, General Yu put down his wine cup and said with great enthusiasm, "After we have eaten and drunk our fill, I will write a letter tomorrow to request credit for everyone!"

"General, you are so kind!"

Everyone raised their glasses in a toast once again.

After a round of compliments and toasts, a general suddenly spoke up: "The victory in this city defense battle, without causing heavy casualties, is largely thanks to the urn sent by Supervisor Zheng."

After drinking several bowls of wine, the general was in high spirits. Thinking about how they had defeated the Red-Clad Army without losing a single soldier the night before, much of the pent-up frustration in his heart dissipated: "This great achievement should belong to Supervisor Zheng!"

Upon hearing this, the previously cheerful and lively tent gradually quieted down. Everyone looked at the two people in the upper seats. Although they were in the upper seats, the one who was actually sitting in the main seat was General Yu, while the young man sat below him. However, despite his lower position, the handsome young supervisor's aura was in no way inferior to that of the head general, and even seemed to have a slight tendency to overshadow him.

"Why are you all staring at me like that?"

General Yu suppressed his anger, his face twitching, and he held back until he managed to keep from losing control.

But he couldn't help but look at the general who had spoken earlier, only to find the man drunk and slumped on the table. Thinking of what the man had said, General Yu felt a surge of anger and wished he could tear the man's tongue out.

Even if Zheng Hao created the urn to help the Zhenhong Army defeat the Red Army, so what? Without the Zhenhong Army, what use would his urn be, no matter how powerful it was? Moreover, as the commander of the Zhenhong Army, the credit for the Zhenhong Army's victory over the Red Army should have been his.

General Yu lowered his eyes and looked at the young man below, saying with a forced smile, "As the saying goes, heroes emerge from among the young. His Majesty's wise decision to send Lord Zheng to Jibei Prefecture is truly brilliant. Just look, in less than half a month, Lord Zheng has already defeated the Red-Clad Army. I must write a memorial praising Lord Zheng for his achievements."

Seeing this, the staff below closed their eyes. As the commander-in-chief, he may not be skilled in martial arts, but he must have strategy and a broad mind. General Yu has some of the former due to his family background, but he is really narrow-minded.

Looking at the young military supervisor who remained calm and composed despite being mocked by General Yu in front of everyone, and whose expression did not change at all, the advisor sighed slightly: If the general had three parts of this boy's composure, he would not have been so helpless against the Red-Clad Army.

Unaware of his advisors' thoughts, General Yu raised his wine cup and addressed the young military supervisor below, "Tonight is a victory celebration banquet for the army. I noticed that Lord Zheng hasn't touched any wine since entering the tent. Why is that?"

"Could it be that you have a shrewish wife at home and dare not drink too much outside? If so, Lord Zheng, there is no need to be afraid. I will send someone back to inform your sister-in-law that you will stay overnight in the military camp."

Zheng Hao stood up, his nearly nine-foot height exuding a powerful aura, causing General Yu to narrow his eyes. He looked at the other man and, seeing that Zheng Hao still showed no intention of raising his cup, grew increasingly displeased: "What, does Lord Zheng think that drinking this cup of wine with me is an insult to you?"

Upon hearing this, even some slow-witted and thick-skinned military officers realized something was amiss.

They looked at the two men locked in a fierce confrontation: the former was their commander, and the latter was Zheng, the military supervisor who had helped them defend the city and avoid death.

Someone tried to speak up to ease the tension, but was pulled back by a colleague who whispered, "When the Kings of Hell fight, the little devils suffer. You and I are the little devils!"

That person then returned to their original position.

General Yu sat in his seat and saw the young military supervisor below facing him without any fear or expression, making him look like a clown. General Yu became even more annoyed.

The young man moved his feet, and General Yu's gaze followed him. Zheng Hao leaned slightly forward, picked up the wine from the table, and said to everyone in a deep and calm voice, "I congratulate you all on this great victory!"

After speaking, Zheng Hao raised his cup, tilted his head back, and drank the wine in one gulp. Upon closer inspection, everyone noticed that the young man was drinking from a large bowl, not a cup, and not a drop of wine was spilled. The entire camp consisted of straightforward warriors, who, even if they had some ulterior motives, were not particularly cunning. Seeing the young supervisor drink the entire bowl of wine without hesitation, the generals, their heads flushed with alcohol, couldn't help but shout, "Good!"

Seeing the generals cheering for Zheng Hao, General Yu's face grew increasingly grim. But at this moment, no one paid attention to him. His aide quickly raised his eyes to signal to the other party, and before being noticed by everyone, General Yu managed to conceal his expression.

The victory banquet ended as dawn broke, and the generals in the tent dispersed.

On his way back to his residence, General Yu saw his trusted confidant walking towards him, and he frowned, feeling the headache brought on by his hangover.

The next moment, his confidant's words enraged him.

"General, it is widely reported that the great victory of the Red Army in this battle was all thanks to Supervisor Zheng."

"What did you say?!"

General Yu's eyes widened, but before he could ask any further questions, his vision went black and he fell backward. Even as he passed out, he could still hear his confidants shouting.

Da Zhuo helped Lord Zheng onto the carriage, and the next moment, Zheng Hao opened his eyes: "Go back."

This "going back" certainly doesn't mean going back to the military camp. Da Zhuo asked, "Sir, would you like some hangover soup from the military camp?"

Zheng Hao closed his eyes and said, "No need, let's go back to the manor."

Da Zhuo agreed, and then instructed the groom outside.

News of the Zhenhong Army's great victory over the Red Army spread throughout the city. It was nearly midnight before Gu Lin was able to fall asleep with some peace of mind. When he woke up in the morning, he was still a little tired. When he saw Zheng Hao's carriage drive into the mansion, Gu Lin couldn't help but get up and walk over.

As the young man stepped down from the carriage, Gu Lin immediately smelled the strong odor of alcohol.

He frowned but didn't back down, asking, "Were you injured last night?"

Zheng Hao's dark eyes were bloodshot, but he looked at the young man with a gentle and warm expression: "I am not injured. Thank you, Uncle Gu, for sending someone to deliver the urn."

Seeing that the other person's lips were unusually red, she frowned slightly: "Why did you drink so much?"

Zheng Hao said, "A victory celebration banquet was held in the army."

Gu Lin paused for a moment, then said, "It was just driving the Red Army out; what kind of real victory is that? How dare they hold a victory celebration banquet?"

In Gu Lin's view, a victory banquet doesn't necessarily have to be a major victory, but at least it shouldn't be a victory if one's own forces outnumber the enemy by several times and one cowardly retreats into the city, preventing the enemy from entering.

Seeing that the young man in front of him had a rare bit of color on his jade-like face, which was due to drunkenness, Gu Lin asked Da Zhuo to help him inside. Then he turned to Da Yan and instructed her: "Have the kitchen prepare some hangover soup and a bowl of easy-to-digest clear soup noodles."

Da Yan agreed, and without calling anyone else, went to the kitchen herself to keep an eye on things.

Gu Lin entered the house, while Zheng Hao was taking a bath and washing up in the next room. Da Yan quickly brought over some hangover soup and clear soup noodles.

About fifteen minutes later, Zheng Hao pushed open the door and came in. He saw a figure sitting at the table and stopped in his tracks.

Gu Lin turned his head and looked over: "Come over and drink the hangover soup."

Zheng Hao approached the young man and saw the steaming soup noodles and hangover soup on the table. Instantly, the smell of blood in his nose was swept away, leaving only the aroma of food.

He sat down next to Gu Lin. The young man paused, but said nothing when he saw the dark circles under the young man's eyes.

Zheng Hao lowered his eyes slightly: "Why didn't Uncle Gu go out?"

When Zheng Hao asked the question, his face remained expressionless, but his heart skipped a beat.

He seemed to be anticipating something, hoping that Uncle Gu would worry about him and stay at the mansion to wait for him to return.