Chapter 75: The Last Task (2/2)

If he went, things might…

Xia Zimo frowned, lost in thought for a moment before saying, “Ancheng is dangerous. Since you’ve only recently married, Lord Duan, you should stay in the capital and spend more time with Lady Lin Qi.”

Duan Ling blinked.

“I know my limits. There’s no need for you to worry, Lord Xia.”

Xia Zimo wasn’t ready to give up.

“If His Majesty intends to send you, you could plead illness and stay at home. I’m sure the Emperor would understand, given your recent marriage, and send someone else.”

While the Emperor trusted Duan Ling, that didn’t mean he was the only one who could be relied upon.

Duan Ling replied casually, “Lord Xia, you seem quite opposed to me going to Ancheng.”

“It’s too dangerous. You’re Lingyun’s elder brother-I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

Xia Zimo avoided his gaze.

The Imperial Guards were trained to interrogate prisoners, making them highly perceptive of people’s expressions and eyes.

Duan Ling glanced at him.

“But didn’t you also go to Ancheng? If you’re not afraid of the danger, why should I be? As an Imperial Guard, I’m accustomed to handling perilous situations.”

Xia Zimo clenched and unclenched his fists before blurting out, “It’s different for me.”

Duan Ling feigned ignorance.

“How so? Because you’re the heir to the Shian Marquisate, while I’m just an Imperial Guard?”

Xia Zimo lowered his eyes.

“My father is in Ancheng—he would risk his life to protect me. But you have no one. If something happens, you’ll be left with no support.”

Duan Ling studied him again.

“Lord Xia, you jest. How could I be without support in Ancheng? You and the Marquis will be there, as will the Crown Prince. If anything happens, surely you wouldn’t refuse to help-unless you plan to betray the empire?”

A breeze passed through Duan Ling’s hair, causing the jade hairpin’s tiny bell to chime softly against the carved white feather.

The delicate sound, paired with his voice, was oddly pleasing.

Xia Zimo was left speechless.

After a pause, he raised his eyes.

“Aren’t you afraid the rebels might breach Ancheng? If that day comes and retreat isn’t possible, your life could be at stake.”

Duan Ling smiled gently and said:

“The rebels haven’t even reached Ancheng yet, Lord Xia. Why dampen our morale and embolden the enemy? That won’t do. Besides, careless words have consequences—if His Majesty heard you, he might take offense.”

Xia Zimo fell silent.

“I still hope you’ll stay in the capital, spend time with Lady Lin Qi and your family, and avoid Ancheng.”

Duan Ling’s smile remained unchanged.

“I have matters to attend to, so I won’t see you out, Lord Xia. Take care.”

Xia Zimo left slowly.

The wind gradually stilled, and the bell on Duan Ling’s hairpin fell silent.

He lifted a hand, lightly touching the tiny bell before letting go, then returned to his residence.

On the day Xia Zimo departed, Lin Ting was troubled over how to complete her mission.

The fastest route from the capital to Ancheng was by water, which would take seven or eight days.

If she wanted to see him within ten days, she would have to set out for Ancheng soon.

Before she could dwell on it too long, news arrived that Emperor Jiade had ordered Duan Ling to go Ancheng.

No sooner had Lin Ting learned of this than Duan Ling returned from the Northern Administrative Bureau.

He hadn’t gone to the prison to interrogate prisoners today.

Instead, he had been reviewing case files in the main hall, so his crimson flying fish uniform was clean, free of any unpleasant odors-only the faint, pleasant scent of agarwood lingered.

As soon as she approached Duan Ling, she caught the scent and immediately recalled Tao Zhu’s words from this morning:

“Seventh Miss, sometimes when you approach from behind, the fragrance makes me think it’s Lord Duan.”

Thinking of this, Lin Ting looked down at the apricot-colored sachet embroidered with white feathers at her waist.

For a moment, she couldn’t tell whether the agarwood scent on her came from this sachet or from sharing a room—and often a bed-with Duan Ling.

Yet the capital wasn’t lacking in nobles who favored agarwood, and not everyone who used it carried the same scent-it varied with one’s constitution.

So did her agarwood fragrance come from Duan Ling?

Lin Ting refused to dwell on it further.

It wasn’t important, so why bother?

She leaned out the door to look at Duan Ling, who had just entered the courtyard, her silk ribbons falling from her temples to her front:

“I heard His Majesty is sending you to Ancheng?”

Duan Ling stepped over the threshold, and Lin Ting’s long silk ribbons brushed against his hand.

“Yes, departing in two days.”

Lin Ting began calculating in her mind:

“Then when will you return?”

“Not certain yet, but this trip will take at least two months.”

As he spoke, Duan Ling removed his black official hat and placed it on the rack, then unfastened his wrist guards.

If he hadn’t bathed at the Northern Garrison Command before returning, he would have to bathe first upon arrival.

The servants had already prepared the bathwater.

After bringing it in, they left and closed the door behind them, leaving only the two of them in the room.

Lost in thought, Lin Ting didn’t realize she had followed Duan Ling near the bathtub.

She was considering whether she could go to Ancheng with Duan Ling, but this wasn’t a leisure trip—he was going on official business as an Imperial Guard.

Maybe she should just go alone?

But leaving the capital wouldn’t go unnoticed, especially not for just a day or two.

Duan Ling would inevitably find out.

Most importantly, she hadn’t thought of a plausible excuse for going to Ancheng, where war was imminent.

She couldn’t very well say she wanted to go for leisure, drawn by the danger, could she?

That excuse would sound patently false.

The most plausible excuse at the moment was that she was worried about Duan Ling and wanted to accompany him.

If he refused, she’d have to go secretly and deal with the consequences if caught.

Ancheng was dangerous, but danger didn’t necessarily mean death-there was still a chance of survival.

Failing her mission, however, would mean certain death.

Masking her emotions, Lin Ting looked at Duan Ling:

“You’ll be away from the capital for so long?”

Duan Ling slowly unbuckled his waist belt, revealing the lean, defined lines of his torso.

She didn’t notice, her attention fixed on his face as she tried to read his expression and discern his thoughts.

“Are you reluctant for me to leave the capital?” Duan Ling asked expressionlessly, turning the question back on her.

“Ancheng is dangerous. I’m worried about you.”

Duan Ling hung up his belt, removed his feiyi robe, leaving only his inner garment and trousers.

With a faint, enigmatic smile, he said, “So?”

Lin Ting stated her purpose:

“So I want to go to Ancheng with you. May I?”

Instead of answering, his smile deepened slightly:

“I thought you’d try to dissuade me from going. I didn’t expect you’d say you want to come along.”

Lin Ting raised an eyebrow: “If I tried to dissuade you, would you stay?”

“No.”

Hearing this, she felt an inexplicable tightness in her chest: “Then that’s that.”

Duan Ling had been about to remove his inner garment when a glance at his wrist made the ugly scars temporarily hidden by his sleeves seem to appear before his eyes again.

He lowered his hands and said:

“It’s not that simple. With His Majesty’s decree, I have no choice but to obey.”

Lin Ting didn’t believe him and muttered, “If you really didn’t want to go, you could claim illness and stay at the residence.”

He curved his eyes slightly, dipping his hand into the bathtub and skimming the fragrant water.

“Claiming illness before His Majesty when you’re not sick-that’s deceiving the sovereign. Didn’t you know?”

Even so, Lin Ting still felt Duan Ling had ways to stay in the capital instead of going to Ancheng he just chose not to.

“So, will you agree to let me follow you to Ancheng?”

Duan Ling watched the rippling bathwater, withdrawing his hand as droplets dripped from his fingertips.

“Do you really want to go to Ancheng just because you’re worried about me?”

Lin Ting hummed in affirmation.

She stepped closer.

“I know you have official duties there, and bringing me along would be inconvenient. I can travel separately under a different identity and meet you there.”

Duan Ling also took a step toward her.

“You’ve said it yourself—Ancheng is dangerous. Aren’t you afraid you might not return alive if you go with me?”

“I am. But I still want to go.”

The very reason she wanted to go was because she feared for her life.

Otherwise, who would willingly head toward a place on the brink of war?

It wasn’t like she had a death wish.

Duan Ling said, “If you go to Ancheng, you might see the rebels preparing to attack the city.”

“I know.”

His hand pressed against the bathtub, tracing its patterns.

“Don’t you have anything to say about that?”

Lin Ting blinked innocently and shrugged.

“What could I possibly say?”

Though she didn’t know Xie Qinghe’s exact reasons for rebellion, his treason was an undeniable fact.

She wouldn’t risk trouble by contacting him again.

Duan Ling dropped the subject and suddenly remarked, “I’m going to bathe now. Do you plan to stay and watch?”

Only then did Lin Ting realize she was still standing beside the bathtub.

She quickly slipped past the screen.

“Go ahead. I won’t disturb you.”

Though she had seen Duan Ling unclothed before their marriage, even after their wedding, during their rare moments of intimacy, he seldom removed all his clothes.

Once outside, Lin Ting sat on the daybed, soaking her feet while nibbling on snacks.

She didn’t retire to bed yet, waiting instead for Duan Ling to finish bathing; he still hadn’t answered whether he’d let her accompany him to Ancheng.

After drying her feet, she sprawled on the bed, flipping through a novel to pass the time.

Before long, rustling clothes sounded from behind the screen-Duan Ling had finished bathing.

She glanced up to see his half-damp hair loosely cascading to his waist, dampening his inner robe and faintly revealing the skin beneath.

Lin Ting swallowed, unsure whether it was the snack in her mouth or something else.

Duan Ling approached and sat beside her on the daybed.

Lin Ting remained sprawled, her feet idly kicking in the air.

“You still haven’t answered my question.”

“What question?”

She suspected he was feigning ignorance; they’d just discussed it.

“About going to Ancheng with you.”

Duan Ling’s gaze lingered on her swaying feet.

His hand twitched slightly at his side, as if resisting the urge to catch them.

“If you’re truly set on coming, then fine. We’ll leave for Ancheng together in two days.”

So he agreed just like that?

Lin Ting couldn’t believe it: “Really?”

“Really.”

While Lin Ting was still immersed in the joy of being able to go to Ancheng, Duan Ling suddenly bent down and kissed her foot-he simply couldn’t hold back any longer.

She instinctively pulled her foot back.

But Duan Ling held it firmly, his tongue licking between her toes, leaving a trail of moisture.

Lin Ting’s eyes widened.

She’d only dreamed of him licking her feet before this was the first time it had happened in reality.

Had he gone completely mad?