After being wrongly married, I stabbed my husband to death and became famous throughout the world.

General Rong had a playful smile in his eyes, as if he understood the thoughts of the Ma family father and son very well.

Once you're on the battlefield, it's normal to want to climb the ranks.

There are plenty of ruthless generals out there; it's not surprising that not all of them care about the lives of their soldiers.

Sometimes, it is precisely this kind of ruthless general who can accomplish great things!

If Cheng Mian didn't praise the father and son as good people, he wouldn't say anything more. As for Ma Chengting, he could use him first, but not give him important responsibilities. He would keep him under control and observe him in the long term, since the other party was also a talented person.

Cheng Mian was shocked to hear this.

"You mean... this Ma Chengting is selfish and greedy for credit, and has caused the deaths of many soldiers?" Cheng Mian immediately said.

“He is a centurion, qualified to command his subordinates, and he has indeed made some contributions. Casualties are inevitable in war. Although his decision was risky, it was not wrong. According to his ability, if nothing unexpected happens, he can join the Poshan Army for training. In the future, he can be transferred to other battalions and at least become a captain. After a few more years, he will become a general.” General Xiao Rong had a long-term vision.

"..." Cheng Mian frowned, feeling quite unhappy.

Because he had just received Li Shu's letter, which praised the Ma family father and son too highly!

They were praised as benevolent and righteous, caring for their fellow villagers and military households, and for being loyal and righteous, promising a good future. These words were so flattering that he developed a good impression of the Ma family father and son.

Now, hearing what General Rong said...

That goodwill shattered completely.

Even a little angry.

Li Shu is just a young girl, how could she have any discernment? It must be that this father and son are lying to her.

"What's wrong? Don't tell me you believe your mountain spirit sister and not me?" General Rong said with a smile as he flipped through the official documents in his hand.

He always pretends to be calm and composed in public, but he is only so relaxed in front of his close friends.

"No..." Cheng Mian felt uneasy. "You have no idea how naive that Miss Li is. I'm worried she'll be deceived. Never mind, her uncle is right outside my tent. I'll go and ask him what's going on."

"No, call him over, I want to hear too. I'm really curious about this mountain spirit!" General Rong quickly called out.

Cheng Mian glanced at him helplessly but didn't stop him.

Soon, Chen Yousong was summoned.

Having guarded the camp for so many days, Chen Yousong knew that Cheng Mian and General Rong had a good relationship. After meeting this "important person," he was not so excited and had become much more accustomed to it.

"Old Chen, you should know about your niece, Miss Ali, right? Could you tell me about her?" Cheng Mian said politely. "By the way, she told me that the Ma family is her benefactor. What's the story behind that?"

Chen Yousong looked up blankly, not understanding why these two were so interested in his niece's affairs.

However, he dared not refuse to answer when asked by his superiors.

Yu had no choice but to bite the bullet and recount all of Ali's life stories from childhood to adulthood.

When Chen Yousong mentioned Ali's miserable childhood, Cheng Mian's brows furrowed so deeply they could have killed a fly. Looking at General Rong, he added, "See, I told you she wasn't lying to me, she really was pitiful!"

Soon, news about the Ma family also surfaced.

The Ma family offered marriage to him in gratitude for saving their life.

But then again, that doesn't quite make sense.

"So that means your niece is Ma Chengting's fiancée? But I heard he's already married? If his wife is your niece... then this girl shouldn't have been on the mountain chopping firewood before?" General Rong found it strange.

"That's how it is. When she got married, someone suddenly shouted that bandits were coming. The scene was chaotic, and then..." Chen Yousong continued.

Cheng Mian had never heard of such a horrific experience.

A person suffering so much was finally about to see the light, but suddenly, darkness fell, and they plunged into an abyss...

Upon hearing that she was forced to marry a sick man and suffered a severe beating, Cheng Mian understood where the old injury he had seen when he took Li Shu's pulse came from...

Most of what Chen Yousong knew came from his family.

A letter recently arrived from home, explaining the Li family's collusion with bandits and the deaths, but it didn't mention Ma Chengtin's deliberate marriage arrangement. This was because Chen Yousong didn't know many characters, and the letter would definitely need to be read aloud to the army. Such a private matter couldn't be leaked, and the family was afraid it would bring trouble to Chen Yousong.

After listening, Cheng Mian felt a deep sense of sorrow.

That's horrible!

"This Captain Ma is a good man, but unfortunately his mother and wife are muddle-headed and don't know how to set things right... But fortunately, he is quite righteous and rescued Miss Ali from prison, otherwise Miss Ali would have been beheaded by now, right?" Cheng Mian sighed.

General Rong rolled his eyes.

"Foolish!" General Rong thought his friend was hopeless. He immediately said, "Didn't you hear what Old Chen said? Lieutenant Ma's colleagues have all been invited to a banquet. If he doesn't take full responsibility for this incident and save that mountain spirit's life, how can he face the army when this gets back?"

"The Ma family is quite interesting. One plays the good cop and the other the bad cop, and that's how they let this fake product into their door."

"And another thing, don't you think it's too much of a coincidence? The Li family was in the way, so they were all wiped out. Who knows whose hand was involved in this... And your mountain spirit sister... In my opinion, she's pitiful but not innocent. Don't you think about it? She's a young woman, how did she manage to build a house on the mountain and survive the harsh winter..."

"Even a rabbit will bite when cornered. I think there are many strange things going on in this story."

General Rong then dismissed Chen Yousong.

"You should stay away from this mountain spirit girl. I think she's a smart person. She specifically mentioned the Ma family in front of you, so she might have ulterior motives. Don't fall for her tricks," General Rong advised earnestly.

Cheng Mian became so engrossed in the story that he found it difficult to extricate himself.

“She never harmed me.” Cheng Mian said somewhat unhappily.

"Forget it, she's just a little girl anyway, she can't cause too much trouble. You can handle it yourself. But this Ma Chengting..." General Rong's voice turned colder, "I'm afraid there's something wrong with him. I'll have to have someone investigate him."

"Why investigate him?" Cheng Mian asked, puzzled.

"The mistaken marriage is unbelievable and too coincidental. I suspect he may have deliberately planned it. If so... this person needs to be kept under control, otherwise, if he gains power, he may cause a great disaster," General Rong said with dissatisfaction.

Being greedy for credit and ambitious is something a young person might do.

Perhaps after a period of tempering, a person will become more composed.

But if these past incidents are added to the mix, it proves that this person is hopelessly stubborn and self-righteous, and any further trials might not be of any use, and moreover...

He also felt a pang of pity for the little mountain spirit and wondered whether the tragedy was an accident or a deliberate act.