The princess regretted it.

After reading it, Zhang Chengde took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and then handed the note to the old tutor.

As soon as the old master saw Zhang Chengde's solemn expression, he guessed that the content of the note might not be very optimistic. However, he had experienced a lot after all, and his face did not show any obvious emotions. He still looked calm. He took the note calmly, his eyes fell on the note, and read it word by word.

After reading the above content, the old master slowly raised his eyes and looked at Zhang Hengrui with a deep and serious look. He said in a deep voice: "Hengrui, before reading this note, Grandfather hopes that you can control your emotions. You must always remember that for our Zhang family, the family business should always be the first priority. Don't lose your composure because of a momentary impulse."

After hearing what the old master said, Zhang Hengrui suddenly felt uneasy, as if a chill was running up from the soles of his feet, making him shiver uncontrollably.

He didn't quite understand what his grandfather meant, but from the serious expressions of his grandfather and father, he could feel that the content of the note must be extremely important and tricky. His heart suddenly rose to his throat, and he was so nervous that his palms were slightly sweaty.

The old Grand Tutor slowly handed the note to Zhang Hengrui, his gaze fixed on him, a look of seriousness and solemnity. Zhang Hengrui had been filled with anxiety, eager to know what was written on the note, but at that moment, he hesitated. He stared at the note, feeling a heavy weight weighing on his heart. He hesitated for a long moment before slowly, slowly reaching out his hand, as if it weighed a thousand pounds, and tremblingly took the note.

When his eyes fell on the contents on the note, he was instantly struck by lightning, as if he had fallen into a cold cellar. His whole body was cold, and his face turned pale as paper, without a trace of blood. His lips began to tremble violently and uncontrollably, and his hands shook even more violently. The note rustled in his hands, as if it would fall at any time.

The note read: "I have received the Lord's order and am proceeding as planned. The Young Master and his men have been intercepting food supplies, but there has been no news. The Fifth Master has led his men to various locations to search secretly. He sent a message to me and learned that none of the Young Master's entourage have returned. I advised the Fifth Master to send a message back to the capital, but he refused, saying that no action should be taken without authorization. I suspect the Young Master and his men have perished. To stabilize the army's morale, please make a decision."

Zhang Hengrui's eyes widened as he read the words over and over again, his head buzzing like countless bees. Every word on the note was like a sharp blade, piercing his heart and causing him to feel so painful that he could hardly breathe.

"Zhenyuan... How could this happen..." Zhang Hengrui's voice was filled with tears as he muttered to himself, his eyes filled with fear and despair. He simply couldn't accept this tragic news. That was his legitimate son! The hope of the family's future! Now his life or death was uncertain, and it was even very likely that he had met with an accident. How could he accept this? His body swayed. If he hadn't been holding on, he would have collapsed to the ground.

There was pity in the old master's eyes, but more of it was cold. He slowly raised his hand and slammed his cane into the ground. A deep, powerful "dong" echoed through the silent study, as if striking everyone's heart. Simultaneously, his old, deep voice echoed: "Hengrui!"

Zhang Hengrui seemed to be pulled back from the abyss of despair by this scolding. His body shook violently, but his eyes were still empty and blank. He turned his head mechanically and looked at the old master. His lips trembled slightly, but he couldn't utter a word for a long time. He seemed to have lost his soul, and was still immersed in the great grief and shock that his son might have died.

Seeing this, the old master frowned even more tightly. He stared at Zhang Hengrui with a sharp gaze and said sternly, "Now is not the time for you to indulge in grief. The family cause is ahead. No matter what happens, we must hold our ground and not lose our composure. Zhenyuan..."

At this point, the old master's voice paused slightly, and a subtle trace of regret flashed in his eyes, but was quickly covered up by his cold expression. "Even if something unexpected happens to him, our Zhang family must not be devastated by it. There are still many things waiting for us to plan and deal with. Do you understand?"

When Zhang Hengrui heard this, his lips trembled, and he wanted to say something, but in the end he could only utter a few discordant syllables. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he forced himself not to let them fall. He knew that his grandfather was right, but the piercing pain in his heart was really hard to dissipate.

After a long while, he seemed to have found his voice again, and with a thick nasal tone, he replied with difficulty: "Grandfather, grandson... grandson understands, but the news is too sudden, and grandson can't accept it for a while." His body trembled slightly, his hands clenched into fists, his nails deeply embedded in his palms, trying to use this pain to make himself sober, to break free from the grief as soon as possible, but the sadness in his heart could not be wiped away so easily.

From birth, Zhang Hengrui seemed blessed by fate. His path had been smooth and uninterrupted, without encountering any major setbacks or setbacks. His grandfather, a veteran of three dynasties, held high esteem in the court, his words carrying weight and prestige unmatched. His father, leveraging his talent and family strategy, steadily rose through the ranks to the position of Minister, earning him the trust of the Emperor. His younger sister, leveraging the Zhang family's influence and her own talent and beauty, was crowned a noble concubine, earning the Emperor's deepest favor.

With such a strong background, Zhang Hengrui lived in the envy of the crowd. No matter what he encountered, it seemed as if he could easily resolve it simply by mentioning the Zhang family's name. Problems that others considered intractable were, to him, nothing more than passing clouds. Not only did he smoothly gain entry into the Imperial Guard, he was quickly promoted to the position of Left Commander, enjoying immense glory.

But ever since that incident, when he, in a fit of rage, secretly arranged for someone to attack Lin Qian to avenge his sister, and the truth came to light, the Zhang family seemed to be plagued by bad luck, with one setback after another. First, at court, some of the Zhang family's previously smooth sailing affairs began to be targeted; and in the palace, his sister was demoted and fell out of favor.