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Zheng Family's head, Zheng Moru, was a member of the Sang Family Army.
Years ago, the Sang Family controlled the entire military of the Great Jing Dynasty, and Zheng Moru belonged to the Northern Army of the Sang Family Army, which was the same unit led by Marquis Wu Yuan's Zhou Yunjin. True to his name, he was a cultured general, overseeing logistics for the Northern Army while also serving as a military strategist. When war broke out, he could ride into battle, excelling in both civil and martial affairs—a rare talent highly valued by the Sang Family Army.
Before the troubles struck the Sang Family, a major incident occurred within the Northern Army, involving widespread implications and severe consequences that nearly shattered the Sang Family's undefeated military record. Troops from other regions were mobilized for a rescue operation, which alleviated the crisis, but the significant loss of manpower and civilian casualties were irreparable.
The incident stemmed from greed. In the frigid northern climate, warmth took precedence over food; after all, when starving, even a mouthful of snow could sustain one for a few more days. Thus, the Military issued strict orders to ensure every soldier had two sets of thick Cotton Clothes. Each summer, they began calculating the required number of Cotton Clothes, focusing on new recruits and replacements.
Everyone tried to be frugal, patching their clothes for three years. However, with such a large number of soldiers, the annual demand was still considerable. Just before the troubles began for the Sang Family, a batch of new clothes arrived, coinciding with a sudden drop in temperature at night. Some Warriors changed into their new Cotton Clothes just before bed and fell asleep in them.
By morning, those who wore the new clothes faced dire consequences; many froze to death, while even more suffered severe frostbite. In contrast, those wearing old Cotton Clothes were unharmed. When the new clothes were torn open, they revealed scraps of paper and fabric as stuffing—bulky and thick in appearance but utterly ineffective at providing warmth.
Faced with extreme cold after a long day’s labor, many soldiers fell asleep without feeling chilly at first. When they were eventually awakened by the cold, their bodies had already stiffened; they could not move or cry out and ultimately perished in the cold wave. Those who survived were left with injuries that rendered them unable to serve in the Military.
Statistics showed that among hundreds of thousands in the army, nearly fifty thousand were directly lost due to the Cotton Clothing Incident. With teammates dying and morale plummeting, news reached enemy nations quickly. Several surprise attacks led to cities being breached and territories occupied; during multiple battles, tens of thousands more from the Northern Army perished. Rough estimates indicated that nearly half of their forces had been lost.
Rescue troops rushed to reclaim territory but took several months to stabilize the situation. Once order was restored, the first task was to thoroughly investigate the Cotton Clothing Incident. As head of logistics, Zheng Moru was among those first detained. However, this detention was merely for show; aside from his good reputation within the Military, he was also a victim himself.
A single cold wave had rendered him unable to stand again; despite returning to the capital and consulting numerous renowned doctors who managed to save his legs from amputation, he could no longer stand on his own.
In people's habitual thinking, victims are often excluded from suspicion; moreover, given his good relations with others and their sympathy towards him, a petition was organized to secure his release from a particularly harsh cell. The subsequent inquiries directed at him were relatively gentle.
At that time, Zheng Moru cooperated fully. Through his seemingly casual remarks, key clues emerged regarding the incident. The truth behind the Cotton Clothing Incident came to light, implicating local officials including several high-ranking members of the Court and even a member of the royal family.
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