Zhang Zhaoge returned to the camp. The next morning, Zheng Heyi sent someone to summon her.
Upon entering his office, Zheng Heyi went straight to the point: “You have worked hard on rotations these past few days; why don’t you take a few days off and rest?”
Zhang Zhaoge replied, “After yesterday’s day off, I am already well-rested.”
“What I mean is, you should take a few more days.”
“Why?”
Zheng Heyi looked conflicted. “You received military rewards for capturing the bandits entrenched on Niu Mountain, and recently you have been busy with martial arts drills and leading patrols without rest. I am concerned that your body cannot withstand the strain, so I want you to take a few more days off as a reward.”
Zhang Zhaoge looked at him with an odd expression. “Defending the city and the people is our duty. Besides, if I take leave, the patrol duties will be split between the other two battalions, which would unfairly burden my colleagues.”
“How can a soldier not handle such trivial hardship?! I have already spoken to them in advance; they are quite understanding.”
Zhang Zhaoge’s expression turned into a faint, mocking smile. “Indeed, this amount of hardship is nothing to a soldier, which is why I do not need a few extra days of rest.”
Zheng Heyi choked, growing impatient. “I am trying to show you compassion by letting you rest; are you afraid I am plotting against you?! If it weren’t for the fact that you remember me whenever you have good things, I wouldn’t bother worrying about you.”
Zhang Zhaoge said with a look of feigned shame, “So that is how it is. I thought that because I come from the Huaining Army, you feared I might harbor ulterior motives and intentionally let the Huaixi spies escape, so you barred me from participating in the search. It seems I am the petty one judging a gentleman by my own dark heart. Please do not take offense, Commander.”
Zheng Heyi’s face changed, and he replied with a guilty conscience, “Why would you think that of me? I am not that kind of person!”
The guiltier people feel, the more they like to bluster.
Zhang Zhaoge said, “Since you are ordering me to rest, please issue a formal document. Otherwise, I worry that the Envoy will mistakenly think I am absent without cause, leading him to believe that you are incompetent in managing your troops and that the discipline in your command is lax.”
Without an official document granting her leave, what would happen if she were later accused of unauthorized absence? Unauthorized absence is a minor matter, but if she were treated as a deserter, she could lose her head. Seeing Zheng Heyi’s indignant, wide-eyed reaction, it was clear he had never intended to provide a document.
Zhang Zhaoge sneered inwardly. She usually provided him with plenty of perks, but now, after being influenced by Meng Jiasui, he wanted to frame her? Did he truly think she was soft clay to be molded at will? She took note of this grievance.
Zheng Heyi had not expected Zhang Zhaoge who usually appeared nonchalant and easygoing to be as slippery as an eel when matters of principle were involved. Knowing she was not easily fooled, he still struggled, “I am the commander in charge; who would dare to question my decision to let you rest?”
Clearly, he knew that if he provided the document, he could no longer blame Zhang Zhaoge if something went wrong during that period. However, Meng Jiasui was right; Zhang Zhaoge was of the Huaining Army. Even though she defected because Wu Cheng was hunting her down, who could say if she wouldn’t be lured back? If the Huaixi spy plot succeeded and originated in Ruzhou, Zheng Heyi would certainly be implicated.
Zhang Zhaoge did not want to confront him head-on, but she would not yield on matters of principle. Zheng Heyi did not hold out for long, eventually providing her with a military order detailing the reasons for her leave and naming himself, the commander, as the person responsible, stamped with the military seal.
In the garrison, there were officials responsible for attendance. Although they usually lacked presence, it was their duty to evaluate merit, assess performance, and maintain soldier registries, all of which had to be submitted to the Military Governor and the Ministry of War at the end of each year. Once Zhang Zhaoge received the order, she went to the officials to register it.
As soon as she finished, her squad leaders all came to request leave, preparing to stand up to Zheng Heyi. They had all come from Huaixi with Zhang Zhaoge and would not watch her being bullied in silence.
Zhang Zhaoge said, “I am only taking a few days off, not being dismissed. Why the righteous indignation? Besides, I told you last night that Meng Jiasui is targeting me. Zheng Heyi will not be on guard against you. You stay here and keep watch; while I am on leave, I still need my own people to help me gather intelligence!”
After pacifying her squad leaders, she happily went on leave. Which workplace slacker doesn’t love paid time off? The more, the better! The only problem was that she lived and ate in the camp what was the difference between being on leave and not? Forget it; she would just take the time to practice her calligraphy.
The news of Zhang Zhaoge’s forced “leave” spread through the countryside, embellished by those with malicious intent. Rumors grew increasingly absurd, with some claiming that she was the one who let the Huaixi spies in.
When the news reached Cui Yun, she knew Meng Jiasui had seized the opportunity to retaliate against Zhang Zhaoge.
“Young Mistress already warned Deputy General Zhang; why was he so unprepared?” Qingxi said, feeling frustrated by Zhang Zhaoge’s lack of foresight.
Xilan guessed, “Could he have missed the note in the basket? He treats his soldiers so well that he might have just distributed the dates to them.”
Cui Yun was calm. “Qingxi’s warning was quite obvious. If he didn’t catch it, I would have overestimated him in the past. But based on his past actions, he is not such a foolish person. I think he must have other plans.”
The next day, Qingxi returned in a hurry to say there was excitement in the village. Cui Yun, who usually avoided such things, heard it was related to the rumors about the Huaixi spies and decided to go investigate.
The Zhaoping Villa was located far from the village. Cui Yun, who hadn’t ridden a horse in ages having been confined to ox carts during her years at the ancestral home decided to forgo the carriage and rode a horse into the village.
Upon arriving at the nearby village and hearing the villagers whispering, she realized Zhang Zhaoge had not left the rumors unchecked. Her squad leader, Qiu Hu, had led men into the village to apprehend those spreading them.
“You were so certain that Deputy General Zhang was suspended because she let the Huaixi spies into Ruzhou? Did the Huaixi spy tell you that? In that case, you must have seen the spy; come with us to assist with the investigation!”
The gossiping villagers were terrified and denied everything: “I never saw a Huaixi spy! I just heard it from so-and-so.”
By midday, Qiu Hu had tracked the source of the rumors—a servant of the Meng family. Everyone knew Meng Jiasui must have instigated it, but he would never admit it. The servant was pushed out to take the fall. To distance himself, Meng Jiasui had his internal steward slap the servant in public.
Board after board struck the servant’s face until his entire head swelled up. Later, it became ulcerated and festered, permanently disfiguring him. But that is a story for another time.
After this, no one in the village dared to spread rumors about Zhang Zhaoge, though everyone knew that the feud between Zhang Zhaoge and Meng Jiasui had been firmly cemented.