High Martial Arts Three Kingdoms: The Incompetent Strategist

After reading it, Hou Fu said nothing and silently burned the letter.

As he watched the letter burn away bit by bit, his weathered face appeared exceptionally resolute.

“Young Master, I understand what Master means.” His voice was deep and firm. “I will turn myself in as Master wishes and take full responsibility for all the crimes.”

Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Zhang Feng's eyes. He gripped Hou Fu's calloused hands tightly and said, "Uncle Hou, are you really willing to take my place in death?"

Hou Fu nodded, his eyes full of affection and reluctance: "Young Master, you still have a long way to go. The hope of the Zhang family rests on your shoulders. This is all I, an old man, can do for you and Master."

Zhang Fengben was still worried about how to persuade him to take on this heinous crime. After all, he was just a steward in the Marquis's mansion. Even if Zhang Rang executed his entire family, he wouldn't be able to reach him. There was really no reason for him to risk his life for his master.

To my surprise, Hou Fu agreed so readily.

A surge of immense joy instantly filled his mind, followed by a deafening wail: "So Father had already arranged for him to deliver the message. What was the point of me having Lingyi accompany him?"

Hou Fu shook his head: "You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub. If you don't satisfy him, why would he produce this letter?"

Zhang Feng slammed his hand on the dressing table and said angrily, "That's right. This person clearly came to deliver a letter, but he searched everywhere and refused to take it out. He must want something from us."

"He had already shown me the letter before you drugged him." He Lingyi was heartbroken and stared blankly at herself in the mirror.

Zhang Feng gently helped her to the head of the bed and said in a consultative tone, "We can't let him get away with this so easily, Lingyi. You must go to the palace immediately to see the Empress and tell her that the Imperial Guard extorted bribes and humiliated you while enforcing the law. Please ask the Empress to uphold justice!"

Looking at the person she shared her bed with day and night, He Lingyi never imagined that he could be so shameless.

“We can’t go right now.” Before she could reply, Hou Fu had already rejected the suggestion: “Now that we’re down on our luck, everyone’s waiting to see us make a fool of ourselves. He’s the only one who can still help us. If we take him down, it will do us no good.”

"Are we just going to sit here and suffer this loss?" Zhang Feng came to his senses and realized that now was not the time to turn against them. He not only couldn't afford to offend this lifeline, but he also had to hold on to it tightly. However, he was still very uneasy.

Hou Fu glanced towards the door and calmly advised, "A true man knows when to yield and when to stand firm. Didn't Han Xin suffer the humiliation of crawling between someone's legs? When Master returns, dealing with him will be a piece of cake. Why rush things?"

Tang Ke rode his horse at full speed all the way home, and only when he entered the house did he feel the oppression lessen a bit.

He had planned how much money he wanted to make at the Zhang residence and how many antiques he wanted to take, but he never thought of taking over someone else's body.

Unfortunately, this person happens to be the Empress's sister. Although it seems that Zhang Feng arranged it himself, who would believe it if word got out? If this really blows up, he'll probably have to add another crime to his list of capital offenses.

"Where has the young master gone off to enjoy himself again?" Ruyan leaned against the doorway, smiling sweetly.

Tang Ke then remembered that there was another person in the house, and said awkwardly, "Don't talk nonsense, I went out on official business."

Ruyan smiled and said, "I have been in the world of pleasure for many years and have seen many high-ranking officials and nobles. I can tell whether they are having fun or doing official business."

Tang Ke scratched his head awkwardly, unsure of what to say next.

"Just kidding. I'm not your wife. You don't need to feel embarrassed to go out and have fun." Ruyan pointed to the hall: "There's a big, clumsy guy who's been waiting for you for a long time. He said he has business with you."

Cao Hong poked his head out from inside and shouted, "Hey, young lady, who are you calling a clumsy fool? How rude!"

"He was just stating the facts." Tang Ke put his arm around his shoulder and asked, "Why aren't you at home looking after Lord Cao? Why are you wandering around here instead?"

"Lord Cao has woken up and knows that you are now investigating the treason case. He asked me to deliver this letter to you as soon as possible so that you can act according to the circumstances."

Cao Hong took out a thick letter from his pocket and handed it to Tang Ke. The letter not only detailed his assassination attempt but also included his analysis of the case.

The situation of Cao Cao's assassination attempt was very similar to that of Tang Ke. Upon meeting him, they were overwhelmed by the murderous aura and unable to move. Cao Cao had brought a large number of elite guards with him, and they managed to save his life by risking their lives to protect him.

In the chaos, someone recognized the assassin's identity: Qu Mu, the Director of the Imperial Household Department, a eunuch who had entered the palace to be castrated along with Zhang Rang.

This relationship among eunuchs is similar to that of those who passed the imperial examination in the same year; in other words, he was very likely acting under the instructions of Zhang Rang or his family.

Tang Ke suddenly felt a headache coming on. If it really was Zhang Rang who instigated it, then he wouldn't have been so subservient to him in the imperial prison, and Zhang Feng wouldn't have directly set aside "wife money".

The key issue is that he couldn't share this information gap with Cao Cao.

After reading the letter, Tang Ke was quite tired, but Cao Hong was in high spirits. Not wanting to send him away directly, Cao Hong politely invited him to stay for dinner. To his surprise, Tang Ke readily agreed, and the two drank and chatted until late at night before parting ways.

No sooner had Cao Hong left than Hou Fu arrived at the door with a cartload of "local specialties," clearly having been observing outside for quite some time.

Tang Ke originally intended to refuse this wave of money, since taking things while playing was really a bit unseemly. However, Hou Fu was very firm in his attitude and insisted on bringing in a full load of things.

The glittering jewelry during unloading left even someone like Ru Yan, who was used to seeing wealth, speechless. The house was small to begin with, and the only empty room was completely filled with these gold and silver items.

Tang Ke asked Ru Yan to help tidy up, and then led Hou Fu to sit down in the hall.

"Is Lord Tang satisfied?" Hou Fu asked with a careful, apologetic smile.

"Hmm, you're too kind." This was already the umpteenth time Tang Ke had heard the word "satisfied" from the Zhang family's master and servants today.

"I'm glad you're satisfied, sir. I'm grateful for your guidance, sir, which has shown the Zhang family a clear path. There's one more thing I hope you can grant me as well."

Hou Fu smiled, which made Tang Ke a little uneasy. This obvious path could cost him his life. It wouldn't be surprising if Hou Fu came to confront Tang Ke, but his obsequious manner was truly incomprehensible.

"In order to save the master, this old servant is determined to die. However, in order to make the death more worthwhile, I am willing to remove some obstacles for the master."

Tang Ke raised an eyebrow: "What obstacle are you referring to? He Jin? Feng Xu?"

Hou Fu laughed and said, "You flatter me, sir. The emperor's brother-in-law holds a high position and is related to the head of the family by marriage. How could he be an obstacle?"

Tang Ke slapped his forehead, cursing himself for being stupid. If he really wanted to deal with He Jin, why would he consult with someone who came from He Jin's household?