Lin Ting thought to herself that General Yang had quite a domineering personality.
Her gaze shifted to the national master.
The national master, after hearing her words, did not budge.
If he gave way today, it would be like letting Yang Liangyu trample on his authority.
How could he then command respect from his subordinates and the admiration of the common people?
He put on a smile again and humbled himself by saying:
“I am but a humble Taoist, of course I can’t compare to you brave soldiers who risk their lives for the Great Yan. However, His Majesty places great importance on this exorcism and blessing. It truly cannot be delayed.”
“Since it cannot be delayed, why don’t you just let me pass quickly?” Yang Liangyu retorted.
The national master earnestly persuaded, “The exorcism and blessing must not be interrupted. It can only move forward, not backward, and certainly not to the sides. Otherwise, it would be like giving away the nation’s fortune.”
Lin Ting felt that the national master was quite skilled with words.
He spoke in a way that seemed very reasonable, no wonder he had earned the trust of Emperor Jiade and become the national master.
Yang Liangyu let out a cold snort and did not engage in a verbal spat with him.
“In short, are you going to move or not?”
The national master remained silent.
The answer was clear; he would not move.
“Then don’t blame me,” Yang Liangyu tugged on the reins and led her troops to charge through, dispersing the national master’s entourage.
The national master’s face turned pale as he emerged from his sedan chair.
“If His Majesty finds out…”
Yang Liangyu did not look back as she crossed the street.
“I will personally apologize to His Majesty. No need for you to worry about it.”
This time she did address him as “national master,” but it sounded sarcastic.
After Yang Liangyu had passed the national master, a young woman ran out from the crowd, smiling and waving at her, calling out, “Sister.”
Lin Ting, who had been watching from the side, was stunned.
The woman’s voice sounded somewhat familiar.
It seemed like she had heard it somewhere before.
Then it hit her.
It was the guest from the study.
She had asked the study to find someone named Fu Chi.
Lin Ting wasn’t someone who could remember every voice she heard, but this one was so distinctive that her mind had automatically stored it.
When she heard it again, she recognized it.
After learning that Jin Anazi was a prince from the previous dynasty, she had suspected that Fu Chi might be connected to him.
The Imperial Guards and Prince Liang had both investigated Fu Chi before.
Moreover, the words “Your Highness is still alive” were carved inside the wardrobe of the house where Fu Chi had stayed, which further fueled her suspicion.
Lin Ting had also asked Jin Anazi about this matter.
He claimed not to know anyone named Fu Chi, but he was certain that someone had sent Fu Chi to find him.
Over the years, many people had sought him out with the intention of restoring the former dynasty.
Jin Anazi was no stranger to such attempts.
Sometimes he would personally deal with those with ill intentions, but he could never find out who had sent the Fu Chi who was killed by Prince Liang.
If this woman was indeed the guest who had asked the study to find Fu Chi, could Jin Anazi possibly find a clue through her?
Lin Ting’s peripheral vision inadvertently swept across a distant pavilion, where she spotted Ta Xuening.
Ta Xuening stood on the pavilion, holding a bunch of grapes, occasionally popping one into his mouth.
He was looking down at the street, a smile playing on his lips as he watched the confrontation between the national master and Yang Liangyu with great interest.
She was surprised to see Ta Xuening here.
How had he happened to be on this street?
Surely he hadn’t come just to grab fortune bags like them.
Besides, if he had wanted to grab bags, he wouldn’t have stood on a distant pavilion.
Lin Ting felt that he seemed to have anticipated something would happen here and had come specifically to watch.
Next to Ta Xuening stood a man, presumably his subordinate.
The man whispered something into Ta Xuening’s ear, causing him to pound the pavilion’s railing with his hand and laugh, though his laughter was sinister.
They didn’t notice Lin Ting watching them.
Her spot was somewhat concealed.
After listening to the man, Ta Xuening said a few words to him, and the man seemed to take his leave with a mission.
Lin Ting was filled with curiosity.
Duan Ling noticed and followed her gaze towards the pavilion.
“What are you looking at?”
“I saw the director of the Eastern Depot,” she replied.
He glanced at Ta Xuening, who had caught sight of them but merely gave a cursory look before reacting indifferently.
“So what if he’s here?”
Lin Ting countered, “Don’t you find it suspicious that he’s here today? I can sense something’s off. How could you not?”
He leisurely replied, “As long as the Eastern Depot doesn’t interfere with the Imperial Guards, and vice versa, whatever his purpose for being here today is none of my concern.”
Lin Ting stopped looking at Ta Xuening and turned her attention to the girl who had called out to Yang Liangyu as “sister.”
She watched as Yang Liangyu said nothing, simply lifting the girl onto her horse before riding off swiftly, like a gust of wind disappearing down the street, leaving behind the disrupted exorcism and blessing procession and the national master who could no longer maintain his composure.
After a moment of contemplation, Lin Ting tugged at Duan Ling’s wrist guard.
“Director Duan.”
Duan Ling looked at her hand on his wrist guard.
She gave it a tug before releasing it.
“Do you know General Yang?”
By “know,” she didn’t mean having met in court; she meant having a relationship where they could have a conversation.
He made no move to adjust the wrist guard she had dislodged, letting it remain askew.
“I don’t know General Yang. Why do you ask?”
Lin Ting carefully chose her words.
“She’s the first female general of the Great Yan Dynasty. I’m just curious.”
Duan Ling seemed to believe her.
“General Yang comes from a common background. Her parents died when she was young, and she had no other relatives. She and her sister relied on each other for survival. The girl she just took on her horse is her sister.”
“General Yang was spotted by the Empress at seventeen and brought into the palace. She became a general at twenty and made a name for herself in one battle. She’s twenty-six now.”
Lin Ting inwardly marveled.
“Twenty-six and already a general? Anything else?”
Duan Ling continued, “Before returning to the capital, General Yang guarded the border and repelled the Tartars countless times. Because of this, even the court officials who had strongly opposed her appointment as general have come to respect her.”
“The Empress truly had a keen eye. In a dynasty where there were no precedents for women holding official positions, she overcame all objections and helped her become a general.” Lin Ting sincerely admired this.
“But if you don’t know General Yang, how do you know all this?”
Duan Ling glanced at her.
“Before His Majesty employs anyone, the Imperial Guards investigates their background thoroughly. And even after employing them, the Imperial Guards continues to monitor their every move.”
“I see,” Lin Ting raised her eyebrows, subtly shifting the topic to Yang Liangyu’s sister.
“What about General Yang’s sister? Does she also practice martial arts? Does she usually accompany General Yang outside or stay in the capital?”
If she accompanied Yang Liangyu outside, she wouldn’t have time to meet Fu Chi, who came to the capital for the imperial exams, nor would she go to the study to ask for help in finding him.
Lin Ting wanted to verify this further.
Duan Ling replied, “It’s dangerous on the march, so General Yang would leave her sister in the capital.”
Lin Ting’s heart raced. “Oh.”
He took a few steps forward.
“You’re rather curious about General Yang, aren’t you? Just because she’s the first female general of the Great Yan Dynasty?”
She followed him.
“Yes.”
Duan Ling looked back at Lin Ting but didn’t mention Yang Liangyu again.
Instead, he changed the subject. “How many fortune bags did you grab today?”
The abrupt change of topic caught Lin Ting off guard.
“Thirty-six. I gave three to Lingyun, one to you, and I have thirty-two left.”
She didn’t give any to Xia Zimo since he had grabbed two for himself.
She had given three to Duan Xinning and one to him.
Duan Ling slowly raised his eyes and glanced at the string of fortune bags Lin Ting was still holding.
She noticed him looking at her fortune bags and uncertainly asked, “Do you want more?”
Duan Ling averted his gaze. “No.”
“Le Yun, Second Brother!” Duan Xinning returned, carrying two exquisite little lanterns.
She and Xia Zimo had gone to the other end of the street to buy lanterns but were blocked by the standoff between the national master and Yang Liangyu, who refused to give way.
They had to wait until they moved on to come back to find Lin Ting.
Duan Xinning’s spirits were unaffected by the incident, and she was still unaware of the rebellion.
She pointed ahead and said, “Shall we go check it out over there?”
Lin Ting didn’t dampen Duan Xinning’s enthusiasm and accompanied her for another half hour of wandering.
After their stroll, Lin Ting made an excuse to go home by herself, declining their offer to accompany her.
She then went to the study to find Jin Anazi, asking if he knew anything about Xie Qinghe and if he had any contact with him.
***
Jin Anazi was also in the dark.
Unlike her, he didn’t have connections with people like Duan Ling who had access to court information.
Xie Qinghe hadn’t contacted him recently either, so the situation was unclear.
Lin Ting hesitated for a moment before asking, “Do you think Xie Qinghe could have rebelled?”
Jin Anazi removed his mask, his expression indifferent as he stroked the dog lying on the ground, refusing to eat.
“I don’t know, but I hope not.”
He didn’t want to get involved in a rebellion.
Lin Ting didn’t press further and left the study.
Duan Ling was waiting for her outside the study, twirling the string of the fortune bag between his fingers.