Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

Chapter 332 Speaking and Teaching

Huangfu Ling sat at the dressing table, her cheeks flushed. She held a box of skincare cream made with clear oil in her hand and gently wiped her cheeks. Her tone was a little angry, yet also mixed with a hint of helplessness: "Remember to knock on the door next time! This is the rule, understand?"

Douya stood aside. Her red, swollen ears, the slap marks on her face, and the large bump on her forehead all showed she had just been severely punished. She held a cup of salt water for rinsing her mouth, her voice trembling, "I understand, Madam." Then, she carefully handed the mouthwash over.

Huangfu Ling frowned, and said impatiently: "Didn't I just rinse my mouth?"

Douya shrank his neck and spoke in a lower voice: "Why don't you rinse it again?"

Huangfu Ling became even angrier and pushed the salt water cup away: "Take it away!"

Zhang Jingwei, sitting nearby, watched this scene and couldn't help but smile as he advised, "Okay, don't be angry. Xiao Cai'er didn't mean it, so just give him a lecture. You're being too violent."

Huangfu Ling turned her head and glared at him. Her cheeks turned even redder and she kept hitting him: "It's all your fault! You had to drag me into doing something like that! It's all your fault, it's all your fault..."

Zhang Jingwei quickly raised his hands in surrender, his tone somewhat doting: "Okay, okay, blame me, blame me." After that, he glanced at Douya and said in a serious tone: "Xiaocai, you go down first and prepare breakfast. Remember, don't look at what you shouldn't look at, and don't say what you shouldn't say. If even a little bit of wind leaks out, I will cut off your tongue!"

Huangfu Ling deliberately frightened her and exaggerated, "Why not cut off her tongue now? If this gets out, how will I face the world?"

Douya's eyes instantly became moist, she covered her mouth, and cried, "No... No, this slave girl won't say anything!"

Zhang Jingwei waved his hand and said in a relaxed tone, "Why don't you go down? Are you waiting to have your tongue cut off?"

Douya felt as if she had been pardoned, and quickly bowed: "I'll take my leave!" After that, she ran out of the room as fast as a frightened rabbit.

After Douya's footsteps faded away, the couple looked at each other and couldn't help laughing secretly.

Huangfu Ling glared at Zhang Jingwei in anger, her cheeks still flushed: "Still laughing! Now that's great! If others see us, they'll think I'm some slutty woman!"

Zhang Jingwei smiled and approached her, his tone relaxed: "Oh, it's okay! There aren't many videos these days, so don't take it seriously. Be careful not to develop a mental illness and become aloof in the future."

Huangfu Ling was confused and frowned, saying, "You are saying something incomprehensible again."

Zhang Jingwei chuckled and put his arm around her shoulders: "Let's go, I have to go to the military camp after breakfast."

Huangfu Ling gently pushed him, her tone a little bit coquettish: "Go quickly, stop talking nonsense here."

……

In the hall, Zhang Liu was wiping the young master's official hat. A cow had died in the countryside, and he had been working on the relevant permits for slaughtering it yesterday. When he heard the young master had returned home, he rushed back.

When Zhang Jingwei's familiar figure appeared before him, Zhang Liu's face instantly showed a mixture of surprise and concern. He quickly stepped forward and said in a trembling voice, "Master...where have you been these days?"

Zhang Jingwei patted Zhang Liu's shoulder gently and replied with a smile, "I'm just dealing with some personal matters. I'm sorry to have worried Uncle Liu!"

Zhang Liu nodded with a sense of relief and breathed a long sigh of relief: "Thank God, as long as you can return safely, young master, that's all that matters."

Zhang Jingwei looked up at the sky, then turned to Zhang Liu and said, "Uncle Liu, as soon as the snow stops, I'll have to leave for Gaoyang to take up my post. Time is tight, so I'll need your help packing for the next few days."

Zhang Liu agreed without hesitation: "This is all part of my job. Even if the young master doesn't tell me, I will do my best to complete it."

Zhang Jingwei looked at Zhang Liu gratefully and patted his shoulder again: "With Uncle Liu here, I'm naturally a hundred percent relieved!"

At this moment, Huangfu Changshui staggered over, his steps unsteady, clearly having drunk quite a bit the previous night. Two officers carefully supported him, fearing he might stumble and fall. His face was pale, and his eyes were somewhat unfocused, but even so, his red official robes still exuded an air of dignity.

Seeing this, Zhang Jingwei hurried forward, frowning slightly, "Father-in-law, how much have you drunk? Wow, the smell of alcohol is so strong that I can smell it from a long way off."

Huangfu Changshui waved his hand, his voice a little hoarse: "I don't remember. I drank and vomited, vomited and drank again. Anyway, I drank a lot." He rubbed his temples and looked up at Zhang Jingwei. "Why haven't you left for Gaoyang yet? Shouldn't you have left a long time ago?"

Zhang Jingwei smiled and pointed at the heavy snow outside: "Isn't it snowing? Gaoyang is not far away, but the roads are slippery in the snow. It's safer to wait until the weather clears up."

Huangfu Changshui nodded, his tone filled with concern. "That's right. You and Ling'er's safety is the most important. Nothing can go wrong on the road." As he spoke, he suddenly remembered something and frowned. "By the way, why did the construction of my general's mansion stop? There's not even a single person on the site. What's going on?"

Zhang Jingwei's expression straightened as he explained, "Father-in-law, the military is currently focusing on building a flood defense camp. The deadline is urgent, so the construction of the General's Mansion has been temporarily halted. But don't worry, this is only temporary. Once the flood defense camp is completed, work on the General's Mansion will resume immediately."

Huangfu Changshui waved his hand in displeasure after hearing this. "The water defense camp is important, but my general's mansion can't be delayed either! Go and recruit a few foremen. If that doesn't work, I'll send a few battalions of soldiers to build it. They're idle anyway."

Zhang Jingwei heard this and quickly shook his head: "Father-in-law, this won't do! Using military equipment for personal purposes is against the rules and military regulations!"

Huangfu Changshui snorted disapprovingly: "What are you afraid of? They eat my food, drink my water, and help me build a house, so what? Besides, I'm their general, so what's wrong with ordering them around?"

Zhang Jingwei took a deep breath and his tone became serious. "Father-in-law, you are now in a high position and command a large army, but the more so, the more you must not forget your original intention. Back then, I only used 200 soldiers from the garrison battalion to defeat Han Ye's iron guard. What did I rely on? It was because you loved your soldiers like your own children and enforced strict discipline, which built this iron-clad army! It is because of this that the Huangfu family's army is invincible and undefeated. But if you, father-in-law, get promoted and start breaking the law and using the army for personal gain, what will the soldiers below think? Once the morale of the army is weakened, even the most powerful army will become a pile of loose sand. How can a thread that cannot be twisted into a rope withstand the wind and waves?"

Huangfu Changshui was silent for a moment, the drunkenness on his face seeming to dissipate a little. He stared at Zhang Jingwei for a long moment, then suddenly laughed, "You little brat, you're lecturing me again! But... you're right, I was drunk." He patted Zhang Jingwei on the shoulder, his tone filled with approval, "I wouldn't let those soldiers who are fighting build my house either!"

Zhang Jingwei heard this and smiled with satisfaction. He bowed and said, "Father-in-law, you are so righteous!"