Duan Ling’s hands paused as he tied the string, then he slowly finished the knot and said, “If you die before the Nanli Poison is removed, I’ll die too.”
Lin Ting’s lashes trembled.
She had to get Duan Ling to break the Nanli Poison as soon as possible—she could revive after death, but he couldn’t.
He finished tying her cloak and fixed her collar, his fingertips brushing a lock of her hair, black and white intertwining: “Why are you asking about this all of a sudden?”
“Just curious.” Lin Ting’s expression was calm, as if she really was just a little curious.
Duan Ling’s hand slid down her hair to her wrist, then his fingers threaded between hers.
Lin Ting gripped Duan Ling’s hand and started walking toward their courtyard, changing the subject: “It’s so cold, I’ll need two Hand Warmers when I get back.”
As the sun set behind the mountains, the last rays of light shone into the courtyard, casting two slanted shadows across the stone path.
***
Half a month later, Duan Ling received Emperor Jiade’s decree to return to Jingcheng.
Since he was returning, Lin Ting naturally had to go as well.
As soon as she heard the news, she quickly packed her belongings that very night.
Duan Xinning would be returning with them.
Duan Xinning hadn’t come to Ancheng for Xia Zimo, but for Lin Ting.
Besides, she’d been away from home for days and needed to go back and explain to her parents.
At first, Duan Xinning had left home under the pretense of “spending half a month in a temple, eating vegetarian and chanting for Duan Ling’s blessing.”
Her parents hadn’t suspected anything.
But soon after, they realized something was off.
Her father, being the commander of the Imperial Guard, could easily find out where she’d gone if he wanted.
He immediately wrote a letter to Duan Ling.
They’d originally wanted Duan Ling to send someone to escort Duan Xinning back to Jingcheng at once, but then worried she might run into danger on the road.
In the end, they decided it was safest for her to return with Duan Ling.
Her father, as the commander of the Imperial Guard, had great power but also restrictions—he couldn’t leave Jingcheng without an imperial order, or else he’d come fetch her himself.
So, Duan Xinning stayed in Ancheng for a while and didn’t return to Jingcheng until now.
Lin Ting packed her own things, then went to help Duan Xinning.
Since Duan Xinning was pregnant, she needed a lot of daily items.
Lin Ting worried the servants might forget something, so she wanted to help pack and check everything herself.
After a long ordeal, Lin Ting finally finished helping Duan Xinning pack, even shooing away Xia Zimo who came looking for her again.
By the time she got back to her room, she was exhausted, lying motionless on the Luohan Couch.
Duan Ling bent over her, brushed the hair from her face, and wiped her sweat with a handkerchief.
Lin Ting let him.
In this weather, she’d still worked up a sweat—packing was no easy task.
“Did His Majesty only summon the Imperial Guard to return?”
Duan Ling’s gaze fell on her face: “No. The Eastern Depot is coming too.”
With the Eastern Depot coming too, that meant Treading Snow Mud Sect would also be returning to Jingcheng.
But that wasn’t what Lin Ting wanted to ask—she was more concerned if the Crown Prince would be returning with them.
Now that Jin Anazai had regained his martial arts, he’d surely look for another chance to assassinate him.
If Emperor Jiade ordered the Crown Prince to return with them, it was likely the Imperial Guard would have to protect him.
If Duan Ling failed to protect the Crown Prince, at best he’d be blamed, at worst he’d be buried with him.
If Duan Ling succeeded in protecting the Crown Prince, that meant Jin Anazai’s revenge would fail again.
Every time Jin Anazai failed to assassinate the Crown Prince, he was seriously injured, each time worse than the last.
Most importantly, he couldn’t always escape—one slip and he could die.
Lin Ting didn’t want to see that outcome.
“What about the Crown Prince? Is he staying in Ancheng?”
Shijian Marquis kept losing to the Xie Family Army.
If the Crown Prince stayed in Ancheng, it’d be dangerous.
Emperor Jiade would probably summon him back to Jingcheng.
Duan Ling put the handkerchief into the warm water, wrung it out, and wiped her face again and said, “The Crown Prince will return to Jingcheng with us the day after tomorrow.”
Lin Ting’s worst fears were confirmed: “The Crown Prince is returning with us?”
He replied with a soft “Mm.”
She sat up cross-legged: “Why isn’t the Crown Prince returning with the Eastern Depot?”
Duan Ling put the handkerchief by the water basin, droplets dripping from his fingers into the basin with a splash: “He is—both together.”
The Imperial Guard and Eastern Depot would both be escorting the Crown Prince.
Lin Ting grew even more worried.
After all, the Crown Prince had his own secret guards, and last time, Jin Anazai was gravely injured just fighting them.
Now, with the Imperial Guard and Eastern Depot as well, it’d be certain death.
She hoped Jin Anazai wouldn’t do anything reckless on the road back to Jingcheng.
Lin Ting really didn’t want to have to collect his corpse.
Duan Ling was sensitive to Lin Ting’s shifting mood and glanced at her a couple more times.
He dried his hands and asked her thoughtfully, “What are you worried about?”
Lin Ting’s mind was elsewhere: “I’m afraid something might happen on the way back to Jingcheng.”
Duan Ling walked to the window, lifting the beaded curtain: “With the Imperial Guard and Eastern Depot, what could possibly happen?”
Before Lin Ting could answer, he asked, “Are you worried Young Master Jin will try to assassinate the Crown Prince on our way back to Jingcheng?”
After all this time, he finally brought up the Crown Prince’s assassination again.
They’d both known about it, but Duan Ling had never said outright that it was Jin Anazai.
Now, he finally did.
Lin Ting pursed her lips and admitted, “You guessed right. That’s exactly what I’m worried about.”
Duan Ling looked out the window: “Why does Young Master Jin want to kill the Crown Prince? Was he hired, or does he have his own reasons?”
She was hungry again and took a few peach crisps before replying, “He wants to kill the Crown Prince himself.”
Duan Ling let go of the beaded curtain, and a string of beads clattered down: “Young Master Jin has a grudge against the Crown Prince? If he’s not a hired killer, then the only thing that could make him risk his life to assassinate the Crown Prince is revenge.”
Lin Ting finished her peach crisps and poured herself some water: “That’s right, he has a grudge against the Crown Prince.”
Jin Anazai’s grudge with the Crown Prince had nothing to do with the former dynasty’s fall .
Even if she admitted there was a grudge, Duan Ling wouldn’t think of the past dynasty.
Lin Ting had forgotten to ask Jin Anazai at the restaurant half a month ago whether she could tell Duan Ling his identity, so for now, she kept quiet.
Duan Ling: “What kind of grudge?”
She turned her teacup in her hands, considering: “The Crown Prince owes Jin Anazai a life.”
He spoke slowly: “The Crown Prince was always cautious even as a prince. After becoming the Crown Prince, he’s been even more careful, never daring to make mistakes or abuse his power, afraid of giving anyone leverage.”
Lin Ting believed Jin Anazai wouldn’t lie to her: “Even so, that doesn’t prove the Crown Prince never hurt anyone. There are plenty of people who are two-faced—maybe he’s done something in secret.”
“The Crown Prince’s every move is monitored by the Imperial Guard. He really is careful with his words and actions.”
Lin Ting set down her teacup, muttering, “Jin Anazai wouldn’t lie to me. The Crown Prince must have killed someone he cared about, and now he wants a life for a life.”
Duan Ling looked at her.
Lin Ting realized her words sounded wrong: “I’m not saying you’re lying to me. I mean, your Imperial Guard is ordered to watch the Crown Prince, but you might not know everything he does. I’m not saying the Imperial Guard isn’t good at their job, either…”
Why did it sound worse the more she tried to explain?
Duan Ling’s smile didn’t fade, as if he didn’t mind: “I wasn’t finished just now.”
She quickly said, “Please, go on.”
He listened to the faint jingle of bells in her hair and continued, “No matter how careful someone is, they’ll still make mistakes. A few years ago, the Crown Prince made a grave error in Suzhou.”
Suzhou.
Jin Anazai had come to Jingcheng from Suzhou to take revenge—Lin Ting felt that what Duan Ling was about to say would be related to Jin Anazai’s revenge.
“What mistake?”
Duan Ling returned to Lin Ting’s side and said, “The Crown Prince stole a life-saving medicine from an old woman. Not only that, but his men, afraid she’d spread the word, killed her. To destroy the evidence, they chopped up her body and fed it to the wolfdog.”
Lin Ting’s instincts told her the old woman the Crown Prince killed had something to do with Jin Anazai.
That was probably why Jin Anazai was so determined to kill him: “Do you think this has anything to do with Jin Anazai?”
Duan Ling didn’t answer.
Instead, he kissed her: “You’ve talked about Young Master Jin all night.”
“Weren’t you the one who brought it up first?”
Duan Ling said nothing more, kissing Lin Ting’s cheek, gently licking her earlobe, trailing down her neck, his tongue landing on her collarbone as he slowly loosened her sash.
After half a month, he suddenly brought up the matter of Aphrodisiac:
“I’m a Medicine Man. Aphrodisiac has no effect on me…”
Lin Ting’s eyelid twitched.