The imperial decree arrived quickly: out of consideration for the meritorious service of Qin Hu’s ancestors, his death sentence was commuted to banishment to Youzhou, where he would serve in the vanguard to atone for his crimes, while retaining his title to see if he might prove his worth in the future.
However, upon reaching Youzhou, he was immediately assigned to the front lines—to serve under the command of the vanguard tent.
As these details flashed through Qin Hu’s mind, he quickly realized that this was likely a trap. Duke Chen had long wanted to break off the engagement. The Qin and Chen families were joined by a political marriage, with both sides hoping to expand their power. Yet the Qin Hu they knew was a wastrel, useless in every way, a man who had dragged the reputation of the Champion Marquess’s estate through the mud.
Chapter 868