Zheng Yun let out a sound of agreement. “When Mr. Hui Cun came to find me before, I already felt something was off. I had intended to look into it, but there’s been so much happening lately that I put it off. What I’ve found is that Nagatani had just returned to Shun Cheng, and after he came back, both Ling’ai and Mr. Hui Cun began behaving strangely. This matter must be connected to him.”
“Nagatani is working together with Shi Guang, so this is also connected to Shi Guang.” Shi Ting said. “The Military Bureau’s affairs for the next few days — let Bai Jin handle them. You go and investigate.”
“Understood.” Zheng Yun felt an urgent need for answers. He could not allow Ling’ai to simply walk away like this, and he had a feeling — a deep premonition — that a vast and treacherous pit lay across Ling’ai’s path, and that she had walked away from him simply because she wanted to hurl herself into it alone.
He couldn’t wait even a moment longer.
“I’ll go find Ling’ai for a talk tomorrow.” The situation weighed on Yan Qing as well. “Though I think she probably won’t see me.”
Yan Qing’s instinct was correct. The very next morning she went to Hui Cun’s residence, but it was Qing Pu who met her at the door.
“Young Madam, this is something Miss asked me to give you.” Qing Pu presented a letter with both hands. “She said she would not be seeing you. And she is no longer here.”
“Where did she go?” Yan Qing asked urgently. “Could she be in danger?”
“Please set your mind at ease, Young Madam,” said Qing Pu. “Miss is quite safe. She has simply gone somewhere where no one can find her.”
Yan Qing understood — Ling’ai had gone into hiding. She was hiding from Zheng Yun, hiding from Yan Qing herself, hiding from everyone who wished to show her care and concern.
She wanted to lick her wounds alone. She wanted to bear everything through her own efforts.
Yan Qing returned to the car and tore open the letter impatiently. It was undeniably written in Ling’ai’s own hand — she knew her handwriting better than anyone.
In the letter, Ling’ai asked her not to worry, said she knew exactly what she was doing, and at the same time asked her to make sure Shi Ting kept a close watch on Zheng Yun, to prevent him from doing anything reckless. She said she owed Zheng Yun a debt she could only repay in the next life.
“You foolish girl,” Yan Qing murmured softly, folding the letter. “When it comes to feelings, there’s no such thing as who owes whom.”
She believed Ling’ai had not meant to wrong Zheng Yun. She was making a choice she had no alternative but to make. Zheng Yun was certainly hurt and devastated, but the one suffering most acutely was still Ling’ai herself, wasn’t it?
Even as Yan Qing was still trying to figure out why Ling’ai had done this, Zheng Yun had already tracked down a reliable piece of intelligence.
Prince Jinren of the Di Kingdom had arrived in Shun Cheng by train from the frontier pass city, and the General Commander was preparing to meet with him.
“Prince Jinren.” Shi Ting murmured the name. “This prince holds an exceptionally prominent position within the Di royal family — very likely the next heir to the throne. His authority is so great that he can be said to represent the entire Di Kingdom.”
“His going to the frontier pass city was most likely for the mines there.” Zheng Yun analyzed. “The men Seventh Brother stationed at Dagu Mountain have successfully intercepted mineral shipments bound for the Di Kingdom every time. The Di side has suffered no small losses. This Jinren went to the frontier pass city this time with soldiers in tow, yet still came away with heavy casualties.”
Shi Ting gave a cold snort. “Dagu Mountain is a pass where one man can hold off ten thousand — especially with Qiao Yishan and Liu Junhuan joining forces. The idea of breaching Dagu Mountain is sheer fantasy. I’d wager Jinren hit a wall there and has come to Shun Cheng looking for support.”
“When Shi Guang was handling the mining affairs at the frontier pass city, he privately cultivated good relations with the Di people. He may have expressed his willingness to cooperate with them. So Jinren’s coming to Shun Cheng is most likely for Shi Guang’s sake — he wants to rescue Shi Guang.” Zheng Yun’s eyes lit up. “Prince Jinren wants to rescue Shi Guang — it has to be.”
“Jinren wants to rescue Shi Guang, but on what grounds? He can’t just ask the Commander to release Shi Guang out of thin air — he’d have no justification.”
Zheng Yun’s mind raced, and he suddenly arrived at a bold conjecture. The moment he spoke it aloud, he felt a ringing echo in his head.
“What if it’s because one of his most capable subordinate’s daughters is to be married to Shi Guang?”
Shi Ting looked at him, his gaze sharp and bright. “Hui Cun’s daughter being betrothed to Shi Guang — that truly is a reason that would bring Jinren here in person.”
“So that’s it.” In an instant, Zheng Yun looked utterly devastated, his body nearly swaying. “Mr. Hui Cun must not want to give his daughter to Shi Guang in marriage, so he tried to have me marry Ling’ai instead.”
“In the Di Kingdom, the orders of the royal family can only be obeyed without question — to refuse is to atone with one’s life through ritual suicide. Hui Cun refuses to give away his daughter, and so he intends to trade his own life for his daughter’s happiness. When Ling’ai learned of this, she decided to save her father — she intends to… marry Shi Guang.” Shi Ting’s sharp gaze moved to Zheng Yun. “If Prince Jinren himself approaches the Commander to raise this matter, the Commander will certainly agree. Given the current delicate relations between us and the Di Kingdom, the Commander would not antagonize the Di royal family over this — especially when the other party’s reason is so perfectly justifiable.”
Zheng Yun’s fist clenched tightly at his side, and he said through gritted teeth: “So this is the escape route Shi Guang had already paved for himself from the start. Even if Qian Lan failed, he had nothing to fear, because he had the support of the Di people at his back. He had read the Commander’s attitude toward the Di people exactly right.”
“Not for nothing is he my Second Brother.” Shi Ting had always known Shi Guang still had moves in reserve — that was just the way Shi Guang operated. But he had not expected Shi Guang to have cultivated such a deep friendship with the Di people for the sake of his own private interests, to the point that even Prince Jinren of the Di Kingdom would condescend to intercede personally on his behalf.
“Seventh Brother.” Zheng Yun’s voice carried a choked quality. “Is there no way out?”
What stood before them was no ordinary obstacle. It was not Hui Cun — it was a prince of the Di Kingdom, a figure of absolute authority in that land.
What chance was there of overcoming such a person?
“What matters most right now is the Commander’s stance.” Shi Ting said. “I’ll go to him now. Perhaps there is still room to maneuver.”
“Seventh Brother.” Zheng Yun looked at him. “Don’t go.”
Zheng Yun knew that even if Shi Ting went to the Commander, it would be futile. The Commander could not possibly confront a prince over Shi Guang alone.
Even if the day came when they had to make the Di Kingdom a true enemy, that day was certainly not now.
“We still have to try.” Shi Ting let out a quiet sigh and clapped Zheng Yun on the shoulder. “Prepare yourself for the worst outcome.”
Zheng Yun watched Shi Ting’s retreating figure and could not help but smile bitterly to himself.
The worst outcome — he had been prepared for that from the very beginning. He knew Ling’ai: once she had made up her mind, she could walk forward without ever looking back, even if it cost her her life.
~
Shi Ting arrived at the Blue Brick Tower, where Liu Yin was just emerging from inside.
“Young Marshal.” Liu Yin quickly gave a salute, then cast a glance inward. “Prince Jinren has arrived.”
Zheng Yun had only just tracked down the intelligence, and already Prince Jinren had appeared at the Blue Brick Tower. It seemed the prince had traveled in secret, deliberately not wanting others to know his whereabouts.
With Jinren having arranged things this way, they had indeed been caught completely off guard. Had they learned of the prince’s movements earlier, Shi Ting would have had a chance to reason and appeal to the Commander before his arrival. But with Jinren here first, Shi Ting had lost that advantage and was now in a very passive position.
“When did he arrive?”
“Not long ago.” Liu Yin lowered his voice. “Mr. Hui Cun is not present.”
Of course.
Hui Cun was the bargaining chip. Jinren would not allow him to appear. And the reason Ling’ai had capitulated was precisely because she needed to save Hui Cun.
Shi Ting entered the Commander’s reception room. The spacious room featured a handwoven embroidered carpet, a set of genuine leather sofas, and a gleaming crystal glass chandelier overhead.
Beneath the chandelier sat a man dressed in a Western suit. He was not particularly tall and appeared to be in his thirties — his features were ordinary, yet his bearing was exceptionally refined and noble, impossible to ignore.
Shi Ting surmised this must be Prince Jinren, of the Di royal family.
“Xingzhi is here.” The Commander spotted Shi Ting and smiled warmly. “Come, let me introduce you. This is Prince Jinren. Your Highness, this is my son — the Young Marshal of our Bei Di, Shi Ting.”
Shi Ting stepped forward and gave a respectful greeting. “Your Highness’s name has long preceded you.”
Jinren spoke Xin Kingdom speech that was not entirely fluent, but understandable. A faint smile played at his lips, yet his body did not rise from its seat — his manner was courteous yet distant.
“The Young Marshal truly is an outstanding young man.” Jinren said. “Even this bearing alone is worthy of admiration — I hear he is also a rare talent who excels in both literary and military arts.”
“Your Highness flatters me.”
Jinren nodded, seemingly losing interest in engaging further with Shi Ting. He turned back to the Commander instead. “Commander, this is a small token of my goodwill. I hope you will accept it.”
As he spoke, several attendants at his side produced a number of lacquered boxes and set them out in a row before the Commander.
When these boxes were opened, their contents proved to be rare treasures without exception — among them a single southern sea pearl, extraordinarily rare and of incalculable value.
The Commander looked both astonished and puzzled. “Your Highness, this…?”
“This is my congratulatory gift to the Commander. I came to Xin Kingdom in haste and had no time to prepare a more lavish gift — I ask the Commander’s generous understanding.”
“A congratulatory gift?” The Commander was entirely bewildered. “What occasion, may I ask, is Your Highness celebrating?”
Jinren looked equally surprised, as though genuinely puzzled by the Commander’s ignorance. “Surely the Commander’s son is to be married — shouldn’t that be celebrated?”
The Commander instinctively looked at Shi Ting. “Your Highness may be mistaken. Shi Ting has long been married.”
“Is Shi Ting the Commander’s only son?”
At the mention of Shi Guang, the Commander’s expression shifted, but he still smiled and said, “Of course not.”
“The Commander has a son named Shi Guang, does he not?”
The Commander’s brow furrowed slightly.
“Shi Guang and Hui Cun’s daughter have a betrothal arrangement. I heard from Hui Cun that the wedding is set for the first month of the lunar year, so I came hastily to deliver a wedding gift. Hui Cun is my most capable subordinate — the envoy and bridge between our Di Kingdom and your Xin Kingdom. In a very real sense, he represents our royal family. Therefore, his daughter’s wedding should naturally be a grandly celebrated affair for our royal house.”
The Commander still wore a look of bewilderment. He was Shi Guang’s father, yet he had no idea when Shi Guang had made a betrothal arrangement with Hui Cun’s daughter.
“I’ve heard the Commander’s health has not been well of late — could it be Shi Guang told you, but you simply forgot?” Jinren offered kindly. “This is such an important matter — a father shouldn’t be unaware of it, surely?”