As those words landed, everyone present was somewhat bewildered.
Reconciliation? Between Cheng Huaili and Chen Baoxiang?
These two had been at each other’s throats so relentlessly — how could either of them possibly be willing to sit down at any so-called reconciliation banquet? Had the Princess Imperial taken leave of her senses?
Then they looked at Chen Baoxiang. She had no particularly remarkable reaction whatsoever — there was even a faint smile at the corners of her mouth, as though what she had heard wasn’t an invitation to reconcile with Cheng Huaili, but news that she’d be getting an extra chicken leg at lunch.
“This subordinate will absolutely be there,” she said. “Thank you for the trouble, Your Highness.”
Li Bingsheng gave her shoulder a pleased pat, then pressed a waist token into her hand for good measure.
Chen Baoxiang received it with both hands, her smile deepening: “This subordinate has other matters to attend to and will take her leave.”
“Very well.” Li Bingsheng inclined her head.
The attendant officials nearby were a little lost — they exchanged quiet glances — but when Li Bingsheng turned her gaze across them, she found Zhang Zhixu’s expression perfectly composed, not a trace of confusion in his eyes.
“Fengqing.” She smiled. “Aren’t you going to say a word on her behalf?”
Zhang Zhixu clasped his hands and said nothing — but the gesture he performed was one of gratitude.
A reconciliation banquet would not be so simple to attend. And so the Princess Imperial had only said she intended to hold one, without even setting a date.
This was the same as telling Chen Baoxiang: short of killing Cheng Huaili outright, you may choose any other method you like — as long as you can get him to sit willingly at that banquet table, someone will cover for you no matter what you do.
How could that not be counted as a great favor?
Li Bingsheng’s smile grew even wider. Chen Baoxiang was wonderful — Chen Baoxiang was remarkable — not only did she handle matters with absolute reliability, she had also brought along a sharp mind as a bonus.
The Zaoyesi was truly not worthy of Zhang Zhixu. In her hands, this person would have a far better future.
·
Chen Baoxiang rode forward with a light heart.
In her hands now was not only the military force of the patrol division, but also the Princess Imperial’s waist token — giving her the immediate cooperation of the chief officials of eight key districts whenever she needed it.
Given conditions like these, if she still didn’t make a show of her authority, then what on earth was she waiting for?
She immediately led Fenghua charging toward the Eastern and Western Markets.
“This shop’s accounts are irregular — close it down for investigation.”
“This money house has a case involving a human life — close it down for inquiry.”
“A martial arts school? I don’t care whose martial arts school it is — it’s not in compliance. Shut it down today.”
Dozen after dozen of shops, all of them fronts that Cheng Huaili used to accumulate wealth.
Chen Baoxiang didn’t even bother to close down a few unrelated businesses as cover — she made it plain for all to see, telling everyone outright: she was specifically coming for Cheng Huaili.
Cheng Huaili could not swallow that humiliation. He immediately sent his star pupil Meng Tianxing with the Forbidden Patrol troops to retaliate.
The two sides clashed near the patrol garrison. The fighting was fierce.
Meng Tianxing sustained some injuries, and Chen Baoxiang didn’t emerge entirely unscathed either. Cheng Huaili assumed he’d taught her a lesson and frightened her off.
But not even half an hour after the fight ended, Chen Baoxiang showed up — wounds and all — and shut down ten more of his establishments.
Even Cheng Huaili was left laughing in sheer exasperation.
“What does she think she’s doing?” he said in a cold voice. “Does she actually believe no one can rein her in now?”
Meng Tianxing held his injured arm and didn’t dare answer.
He couldn’t understand it himself — why did this woman seem to actually enjoy combat? Everyone else retreated as they fought, but she grew more ferocious with each clash. Within just a few days, she had struck terror into his own men — at the mere mention that the other side was Chen Baoxiang, they started calling in sick one after another to avoid going out on duty.
And the fighting wasn’t all she did — she also went through the proper patrol procedures, arresting those of his men who hadn’t managed to retreat in time and throwing them all into the prison in the north of the city.
He tried to send people to get them out. But the prison wardens and cell guards who used to do his bidding had all been transferred away. The new staff followed the rules to the letter, and not one of them would make an exception.
Meng Tianxing had been riding Cheng Huaili’s authority and throwing his weight around for years. This was the first time he had ever found himself in such a sorry state.
“Master, the funds below are running extremely short lately,” he said. “If this keeps up, I fear we won’t be able to keep the Yunzhou side supplied.”
The more men you had under you, the greater the expenses — every source of income Chen Baoxiang cut off was cutting into their momentum. If they kept failing to teach Chen Baoxiang a lesson, the men below would eventually start losing faith.
Cheng Huaili understood this perfectly well, of course — but his current forces were not enough to take Chen Baoxiang down, and in the Three Departments, Li Bingsheng was there backing her up.
He was still turning this over in his mind when word came from below.
“A reconciliation banquet?” Meng Tianxing snorted with laughter the moment he heard it. “That Chen Baoxiang has been biting at everyone like a rabid dog — who in their right mind wants to reconcile with her?”
Cheng Huaili raised a hand to cut him off, deep in thought.
“The Princess Imperial is open-minded and generous. That she would personally step in to mediate for us ministers — naturally, I ought to go.”
“Master?” Meng Tianxing’s face was a picture of disbelief.
“Go back and inform Her Highness on my behalf: tomorrow at the noon hour, I will personally attend at Leyou Plain.”
“…Yes, sir.”
When a man loses two children and then discovers he still has one child alive in this world, the ordinary response is boundless gratitude followed by wholehearted cherishing.
But Cheng Huaili only felt that Chen Baoxiang deserved to die.
She should have died alongside her mother in that remote, forgotten village. That way, he wouldn’t keep looking at her and being reminded of his own disreputable past.
But he was a Grand General now. A high official of great wealth and renown throughout the land.
He would not fear Chen Baoxiang. It was Chen Baoxiang who should fear him.
·
That evening, Hua Lingyin found Chen Baoxiang and told her: “Tomorrow at noon, Leyou Plain. Cheng Huaili has agreed.”
Chen Baoxiang seemed not to hear at all. She went right on pulling down the signboard of the last of Cheng Huaili’s martial arts schools in Yongping Ward, and turned to instruct Fenghua: “The troublemakers — send every last one of them to the prison. Don’t let a single one go.”
“Yes.” Fenghua quickened her pace.
The whole group moved with practiced efficiency, and in short order the largest martial arts school under Cheng Huaili’s name in the district had been stripped down entirely.
Only then did Chen Baoxiang turn to face Hua Lingyin, her expression perfectly innocent: “There’s word from General Cheng’s side?”
Hua Lingyin fell silent for a moment.
She gave a small cough and obligingly delivered the message again: “General Cheng is willing to attend the banquet. Her Highness’s meaning is that you should stand down for now.”
“As commanded.” Chen Baoxiang snapped her fingers and called off her people.
Hua Lingyin walked alongside her, and after a moment spoke: “Between you and General Cheng — is the only grievance truly the matter of Tianningshan?”
She was a female official who had grown up at the Princess Imperial’s side since childhood. Her asking was the same as the Princess Imperial asking.
Chen Baoxiang shook her head: “Of course not.”
“There are other grievances?”
“There are.” Her expression became thoroughly grave. “A murdered father. A hatred that cannot be shared under the same sky.”
Hua Lingyin would naturally have investigated Chen Baoxiang’s background thoroughly — but unfortunately, in covering up his own sordid past, Cheng Huaili had erased every trace of her existence so completely that no matter how deep anyone dug, all they could find was that her parents were both dead.
As for how they had died — she was the one telling the story now.
Chen Baoxiang let out a long sigh: “Cheng Huaili has always treated human lives as worthless. My father simply happened to bear some resemblance to him, and Cheng Huaili found it an eyesore — so he had my father driven outside the city walls at the frontier to serve as a living target. My father died there, not even leaving bones that could be found and brought home.”
Hua Lingyin’s brow furrowed sharply: “Hanqin City, on the frontier?”
“Yes. The very campaign when the Pingye Kingdom’s forces were pressing at the gates.”
The Pingye siege — Cheng Huaili had indeed used living people as shields to hold the city. But that matter had been tidily buried beneath his record of merits, and no one dared speak of it.
Hua Lingyin looked at Chen Baoxiang, and something like sorrow entered her gaze: “He cannot die yet.”
“I know.” Chen Baoxiang smiled. “I trust Her Highness. If Her Highness says I’ll have the chance to take my revenge, then I’ll wait obediently. When the timing isn’t right, I won’t act rashly.”