Though her heart was in turmoil, Teng Yu Yi could only smile and shake her head given Chief Eunuch Guan and the others present. “It’s nothing.”

Lin Chengyou suppressed his doubts and turned to face forward. “Let’s go meet His Majesty.”

Along the way, Teng Yu Yi’s mind was consumed by thoughts of her father meeting Wu Ying Ying. As they walked, she suddenly realized Lin Chengyou was also unusually quiet.

She slowed her pace slightly and turned to look at him, instantly freezing at what she saw.

Dark currents surged in Lin Chengyou’s gaze, his expression ice-cold.

She had never seen such a complex expression on his face before.

It seemed to contain both extreme heartache and bitter resentment.

After a moment’s pause, Teng Yu Yi slowly turned her head back. Before coming, she had agreed with Lin Chengyou that when she spoke with Li Huai Gu, only he would be allowed to listen from outside.

So Lin Chengyou had heard everything Li Huai Gu said.

What was going through his mind now?

The shock was inevitable.

Beyond that, he seemed deeply saddened.

Was it because learning of her death in her previous life disturbed him, or was he lamenting that he hadn’t saved her in that past life?

Either way, his dejection showed her that her conversation with Li Huai Gu had caused tremendous turmoil in his heart.

A peculiar feeling arose in Teng Yu Yi’s heart.

Similar to the sweetness she felt as a child whenever eating her favorite desserts—

Sweet.

She unconsciously shook her head.

This unfamiliar flutter had been repeatedly creeping into her heart lately.

How annoying, she thought, collecting herself before casting a seemingly casual glance his way.

The head-shaking motion caught Lin Chengyou’s attention, and he turned to look at her as well.

Lin Chengyou seemed to never show dejection in front of others. In just a blink of an eye, he had tucked away all his negative emotions, the corner of his mouth curving into a somewhat roguish smile.

At the same time, Lin Chengyou made several strange gestures.

He first pointed at his chest, then curled his index and middle fingers like an insect’s antennae, beckoning to her.

Teng Yu Yi understood what Lin Chengyou was up to.

With Chief Eunuch Guan and others ahead, Lin Chengyou could only use hand signals.

After some consideration, she understood he was asking: “Hey, did I really tell you I ‘wouldn’t marry’ you?”

She pursed her lips and raised her thumb, bending it like a nodding motion: If not you, who else said it? You said you looked down on me.

Lin Chengyou raised two fingers and made a motion of poking his own eyes as if saying: I must have been blind.

Teng Yu Yi had been deliberately frowning, but Lin Chengyou’s gesture unexpectedly made her laugh, revealing her dimples.

Lin Chengyou laughed along with her.

After this exchange, the gloom in Teng Yu Yi’s heart completely dispersed.

For the rest of the way, Lin Chengyou would occasionally make silly gestures at her.

Childish, Teng Yu Yi snorted inwardly but made gestures back at him.

Chief Eunuch Guan suddenly stopped walking.

“Lady Teng, we’ve arrived,” Guan smiled.

The two had already stopped their gesturing before Chief Eunuch Guan turned around, acting as if nothing had happened as they ascended the steps into the hall.

Inside, Teng Shao was politely declining His Majesty’s conferment on behalf of his daughter.

“Even though my daughter saved the Crown Prince in her childhood, we dare not accept this honor. I know the Crown Prince has a pure and kind heart, but Your Majesty must have heard that recently my daughter has faced several dangerous situations, all of which the Crown Prince saved her from. In terms of repaying the life-saving debt, the Crown Prince has already repaid it a thousandfold. Rather, my daughter and I have repeatedly received great kindness, yet haven’t found an opportunity to repay the Crown Prince. Please, Your Majesty, withdraw this decree. My daughter’s unintentional childhood deed truly does not deserve such favor.”

Teng Yu Yi approached and performed a formal bow. Her father was wearing the military uniform commonly worn in army camps, an attire that didn’t look like he had rested somewhere for long.

The Emperor and Empress exchanged smiles. One person had falsely claimed to be a benefactor seeking rewards, while another firmly declined to accept them. The family values of these two households were as different as heaven and earth.

The Emperor smiled, “General Teng doesn’t know. After that incident occurred, to commend You’er’s pure heart and encourage such righteous acts among the common people, I told You’er that once we found that young benefactor, I would immediately bestow the title of ‘Hou De’ County Princess. Now that we’ve found her, You’er and I must fulfill this promise. General Teng’s repeated refusal puts me in a difficult position.”

Teng Shao hesitated slightly before carefully saying, “My daughter has always had a good memory, but she has never mentioned this incident over the years. This suggests the matter deserves further investigation. What I fear most isn’t other consequences, but that if we’re mistaken, it would hinder the Crown Prince from finding his true benefactor.”

Lin Chengyou lifted his robes and knelt, kowtowing several times to his uncle and aunt before saying with a smile, “Nephew only learned today that in the eighth year of Long Yuan, Lady Teng had fallen gravely ill with a fever that nearly took her life. After her recovery, she had forgotten everything that happened during that period. Fortunately, General Teng had consulted the Imperial Physicians at the time, so this can be verified. Moreover, my nephew recognized Lady Teng today through several pieces of evidence. Whether Lady Teng acknowledges it or not, or whether she remembers, nephew is certain Lady Teng is the young lady who saved me back then.”

Teng Shao was first surprised, then seemed moved, looking at his daughter with unconcealed tenderness.

Teng Yu Yi kept her eyes lowered, remaining prostrated on the ground.

The Emperor and Empress smiled.

“General Teng, You’er have explained it clearly. Over the years, many have falsely claimed to be that young girl, but You’er has never been wrong. Now that he’s certain Lady Teng is that child from that day, there must be no doubt. If there is any mistake, the responsibility lies with him alone.”

The Empress also smiled, “General Teng, even if the court didn’t bestow honors on your daughter for this matter, she deserves commendation. That time when the corpse demon invaded Prince Cheng’s mansion, A’Zhi and numerous guests were trapped in the flower hall. If not for your daughter holding off that great demon with a small sword until You’er and the others returned, there might have been a bloodbath. Then that night when Master Jing Chen intended to transform into a blood rakshasa, it was your daughter’s quick thinking that prevented a city-wide massacre. Your daughter’s various righteous deeds deserve the words ‘exemplary conduct.’ Just now, I discussed with His Majesty that since the title ‘Hou De County Princess’ has been falsely claimed before, we shall instead bestow upon your daughter the title ‘Jia Yi County Princess.'”

At this point, further refusal would seem affected. Teng Shao bowed his head, “Yu’er, quickly thank Their Majesties for their grace.”

Teng Yu Yi had no choice but to respectfully kowtow, “This humble subject Teng Yu Yi thanks Your Majesty and Her Majesty for their profound grace.”

Chief Eunuch Guan smilingly handed the imperial decree to Teng Shao.

The decree not only bestowed upon Teng Yu Yi the title of Jia Yi County Princess but also granted her the tax revenue from two hundred households.

The Emperor looked lovingly at Teng Yu Yi, then at Lin Chengyou, “Good, finally the pearl has returned to Hepu.”

Meanwhile, the Empress beckoned Teng Yu Yi forward, took her hand, and asked, “Dear child, have you eaten before coming to the palace? As it happens, Chang Yi and A’Zhi also wish to speak with you. Come with me to the Shi Cui Palace.”

Teng Yu Yi followed the Empress away from the Lin De Hall.

She knew that His Majesty’s urgent summons for her father to enter the palace late at night wasn’t just for bestowing honors – there were other reasons.

Looking back, she saw Lin Chengyou had also been detained by His Majesty. It seemed they would discuss countermeasures against the Peng family through the night.

***

As soon as the Empress and Teng Yu Yi left, the Emperor dismissed all palace servants from the hall.

“Have the Peng sisters’ carriage been detained?”

Lin Chengyou replied, “They were stopped just as they left the city. The Peng family had disguised the two children, and the carriage was an ordinary one specially hired by the horse outfitter. It seems after moving the Peng sisters, the Peng family planned to secretly escort Madam Peng out of Chang’an.”

The Emperor nodded with satisfaction. That night when Peng Si Shun suddenly proposed a marriage between his granddaughter and You’er before the throne, he and You’er had anticipated the Peng family would make some moves soon. These past few days, every movement of the Peng family had been under court surveillance.

Tonight after Li San Niang presented the evidence, the Left and Right Wing armies immediately surrounded all of the Peng family’s residences in Chang’an. The action was swift as lightning – unless Peng Si Shun and his son grew wings, they had no chance of escaping Chang’an.

The Emperor looked at Teng Shao, “General Teng, Prince Cheng has already had someone rush your confidential letter to me by express horse. In your letter, you warned that some in the court were deliberately plotting rebellion, possibly acting as early as the tenth month, and suggested the court investigate the merchants buying horses from the Uighurs, reminding Prince Cheng that these people were using the names of small countries like Nanzhao and Bohai. It was because of your letter that Lin Xiao delayed his return to the capital. I know you had concerns – you hadn’t yet obtained concrete evidence of the Peng family’s rebellion. If you had directly stated it was the Peng family rebelling, not only would they immediately turn their spearhead toward Huainan, but the court would also question your motives. To confirm that the people mentioned in your letter were the Peng family, Lin Xiao spent nearly two months gathering evidence.”

Teng Shao responded solemnly, “Your Majesty sees through everything. This subject’s small consideration couldn’t escape Your Majesty’s notice.”

The Emperor smiled slightly, “What do you mean by small consideration? You’ve devoted yourself wholeheartedly to exposing traitors to the court, your actions showing utmost dedication. I suspect the Peng family, upon hearing some could foresee future events, had already planned to rebel ahead of schedule. These two months, while Peng Si Shun and his son appeared to be reporting for duty in Chang’an, they were secretly deploying troops. If not for your letter, Lin Xiao wouldn’t have discovered that the Huaixi Region had secretly amassed fifty thousand troops near the Heyin Granary recently. Once they surrounded the Heyin Granary, the court would have been constrained at every turn.”

Heyin Granary? Lin Chengyou frowned slightly.

From the evidence presented by Li Huai Gu, the Peng family’s first move was originally to march south and seize control of the Chen Ying waterway.

With the waterway cut off, grain transport would be disrupted. The Peng family would essentially control the lifeline of the Jing-Luo region. Over time, with military provisions in the capital region cut off, the battle would become extremely difficult.

The Peng family must have confirmed Li Huai Gu’s ability to foresee events and thus adjusted their battle plan accordingly. The Peng father and son were indeed battle-hardened generals – this move targeting the Heyin Granary was also brilliant.

Currently, most of the court’s tax grain from Jianghuai was stored near the Heyin Granary. Additionally, there were tens of thousands of hu of millet stored there. Whether they seized the Heyin Granary for themselves or burned it to the ground, it would be a heavy blow to the court’s material reserves.

“After Lin Xiao investigated this matter, he immediately sent word back to the capital. I planned to have Lin Fen from the Hedong Region secretly deploy troops to the north of Heyin Granary while ordering Zhou Gui Ren from Youzhou to march south. The two armies would form a pincer movement to secretly encircle this fifty-thousand-strong Peng army.”

Teng Shao said, “Your Majesty is wise. The Peng family has controlled the Huaixi Region for many years and has planted countless spies in neighboring military regions like Hedong and Youzhou. Once the two armies move, Huaixi will certainly receive word. The rebel army has already been stationed there for some time – whether they retreat to Caizhou overnight or turn to attack the Chen Ying waterway, it would only take a few days’ march. The Hedong and Youzhou armies might not be able to save the Heyin Granary, and might even painfully lose the Chen Ying waterway. Instead, let me lead the Zhenhai Army north from Shouzhou overnight to launch a surprise attack on the Huaixi army from behind. Shouzhou is only separated from the Huaixi Region by a few prefectures, and troops can march there overnight.

“To prevent the Peng family from suddenly making their move, I have been preparing for this these past two months. The troops are already stationed near Shouzhou, just waiting for Your Majesty’s approval. I guarantee that news of the troop movements from Shouzhou absolutely cannot reach the Huaixi Region. Although the Peng family has been trying to plant spies in the Huainan Region over the years, I’ve never let them succeed. To the Peng family, the Huainan Region is like an iron plate.”

The Emperor was greatly encouraged. He might not believe such words from others, but Teng Shao’s military talent was renowned throughout the world. As long as Teng Shao didn’t want the Peng family’s hand to reach into the Huainan Region, they definitely couldn’t even get a fly in there.

“Your words are most wise. Let us follow your plan,” the Emperor rose and paced. “Additionally, Lin Xiao and Qin Yao warned me in their letter that the Peng family has harbored many practitioners of evil arts, likely remnants from the Wuji Sect who were taken in by the Peng family. These people have used the advantages of their evil arts to lure many wealthy gentry and scholars under the Peng family’s banner. Once war breaks out between the court and the Peng family, I don’t fear anything else except these people using evil arts to harm our soldiers on the battlefield. You’er—”

“Nephew awaits your command.”

“The Wuji Sect’s ‘Scatter Beans to Summon Soldiers’ talisman alone can call forth many yin soldiers. To reduce casualties among our troops, this campaign to suppress the rebellion will require those skilled in the Dao arts. Your Grand Master is too advanced in years—we absolutely cannot trouble him, and your mother being a woman would face many inconveniences in the army. The only solution now is to send you along with General Teng to suppress the rebellion. You are thorough in your planning, and you gained military experience last year. The Duke of Zhenguo told me that when Dangxiang soldiers were pillaging near Fenxiang Prefecture, you were only sixteen, but upon hearing of this, with just one horse and rider, you slew over a hundred Dangxiang soldiers. With you going, your uncle can rest assured.”

Lin Chengyou had anticipated such arrangements. Just from that extremely sinister “New Moon Mirror,” one could tell that the Peng family harbored no ordinary individuals, but rather several great “evil beings” deeply versed in the various evil arts of the Soul Scripture. Surely after these people escaped Chang’an back then, they had practiced evil arts extensively to seek revenge against the court.

After careful consideration, there truly was no one more suitable than him in the court. While Chang’an had no shortage of those who understood the Dao arts, the Peng family had been plotting for years and had likely bought off many people. Now with military intelligence being urgent, there was no time to investigate one by one. Thus, he solemnly replied, “Nephew accepts the command.”

The Emperor earnestly said to Teng Shao, “General Teng, though this child You’er appears casual and willful, he is as alert as a divine being. With his assistance, this campaign will surely be like adding wings to a tiger. However, being young, he inevitably has some impetuous moments. If his words are rash, I ask General Teng to guide and look after him.”

Such a tone and gaze could only be seen in elders who deeply cherished their children.

Teng Shao responded solemnly, “This subject dares not fail Your Majesty’s grace. Please be at ease—with me present, I absolutely won’t let the Crown Prince make any mistakes.”

Lin Chengyou smiled, “Nephew is nearly twenty, yet uncle still treats me like a child.”

The Emperor glared at Lin Chengyou in feigned anger before composing himself: “Teng Shao, Lin Chengyou, hear the imperial decree.”

Both men bowed their heads.

“General Teng, I appoint you as Commander of All Forces Under Heaven and Grand General for Suppressing the Huaixi Rebellion, leading the Zhenhai Army and overseeing all general affairs of the three armies in this rebellion suppression. Lin Chengyou will lead the Divine Strategy Army as Left and Right Divine Strategy Deputy Commander of Rebellion Suppression and Concurrent Field Marshal, departing immediately for the Huaixi Region to lead troops in taking the Heyin Granary.”

He continued, “Continuous warfare brings suffering to the common people. In this campaign, you must achieve swift victory. I give you only two months. Barring the unexpected, the Peng father and son should be under court control tonight—”

At this moment, Chief Eunuch Guan suddenly entered the hall: “Your Majesty, General Guo seeks an audience.”

The three men in the hall tensed simultaneously.

Lin Chengyou pondered silently. Guo Su was the General of the Left Guard, ordered tonight to arrest the Peng father and son. His sudden return to report to the palace, could it be—

“Quickly, let Guo Su enter,” the Emperor hurriedly said.

Guo Su hastily entered the hall and immediately prostrated himself: “Reporting to Your Majesty. We have failed in our duty—we only captured Peng Si Shun and various female members of the Peng household, but failed to capture Peng Zhen.”

“He escaped?”

Guo Su shook his head, sweating profusely: “The ‘Peng Zhen’ in the mansion was an impersonator. This person’s disguise skills were excellent, and their speech and behavior were very similar to Peng Zhen’s. It seems they had been training for this day for several years. We only discovered it was fake after removing the mask. However, the Peng family, likely not wanting to arouse Your Majesty’s suspicions, did not have someone impersonate Peng Si Shun. When I arrived, Peng Si Shun surrendered calmly, probably knowing the court had been monitoring the Peng mansion these past few days. Escaping would only alert us, and besides, he was already as weak as a thread—he couldn’t have made it alive to the Huaixi Region.”

The Emperor was greatly alarmed: “You mean to say, Peng Zhen has been in the Huaixi Region all along?”

“It appears so.”

Lin Chengyou frowned. Peng Zhen had hidden himself in the Huaixi Region making secret arrangements, yet sent his elderly father and female family members to Chang’an. He must have been confident his father could successfully escape Chang’an with the family, and even if they didn’t escape, given his uncle’s benevolent nature, he wouldn’t carelessly deal with the Peng family’s wives and children.

The Emperor paced quickly, saying to Teng Shao and Lin Chengyou: “Chang’an is full of Peng family spies. Tonight’s surrounding of the Peng mansion by court troops will certainly reach the Huaixi Region’s ears. It seems we must deploy troops immediately.”

Teng Shao said: “The military strategy will also need some adjustments.”

Lin Chengyou, recalling Li Huai Gu’s words, suddenly said: “Uncle, Peng Zhen might send people to deal with General Teng. No matter how strong General Teng’s martial arts are, he cannot resist evil arts. These days, General Teng cannot be without protection. Tonight I will escort General Teng home, but tomorrow I must go to the Divine Strategy Army and won’t be able to spare the time. I request uncle to have Master Yuan Jue send several senior disciples from the temple to protect General Teng day and night.”

The Emperor and Teng Shao were startled.

The Emperor quickly nodded: “Your consideration is most appropriate.”

After discussing matters for a while, it was unknowingly late into the night. Teng Shao worried his daughter might disturb the Empress’s rest, and wanted to fetch her to leave.

Lin Chengyou had already planned to escort Teng Shao and Teng Yu Yi home, so they left Lin De Hall together.

Halfway along, they met Grand Master and Jue Sheng Qi Zhi coming from the opposite direction.

Lin Chengyou was surprised—the Grand Master rarely entered the palace so late, and given Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi’s habits, they should have been sleeping like pigs at this hour.

“Grand Master, why aren’t you asleep yet?”

Teng Shao also bowed slightly in surprise: “Daoist Master.”

Qing Xu Zi’s expression was extremely solemn. He nodded slightly to Teng Shao, then said to Lin Chengyou: “Grand Master has urgent matters to discuss with you.”

Teng Shao quickly said: “The Crown Prince need not escort us. Teng and my daughter can return home by ourselves.”

Qing Xu Zi: “You want to personally escort General Teng home?”

“Chang’an has many of Peng Zhen’s followers. This disciple fears they might harm General Teng with evil arts. As for Teng Yu Yi, she already tends to attract evil spirits.”

Teng Shao’s eyebrows raised slightly. Although he had long known Lin Chengyou intended to seek his daughter’s hand in marriage, this casual use of “Teng Yu Yi” was perhaps too familiar.

His heart was filled with mixed emotions. Lin Chengyou was a good child, but he wondered what Yu’er thought. These days his heart had been weighed down by too many matters. This departure left him worried only about Yu’er. If Lin Chengyou could—

He turned his head to examine Lin Chengyou.

“Let Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi escort them,” Qing Xu Zi said. “After studying for so many years, breaking a simple evil art is no challenge.”

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi patted their chests: “Senior brother, you talk with Grand Master. We’ll escort General Teng and Lady Teng.”

Teng Yu Yi emerged from the Shi Cui Palace with palace servants just in time to hear this conversation. She walked straight to her father’s side without a sideways glance, bowed to Daoist Master Qing Xu Zi, and after bowing didn’t look at Lin Chengyou, only fixing her bright black eyes on Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi.

Teng Shao also said: “The Daoist Master is advanced in years and shouldn’t stay up waiting. Crown Prince, attend to your matters. With the two young Daoist Masters as escorts, there will be no concerns.”

With that, he made a welcoming gesture to Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi: “I trouble the two young Daoist Masters.”

As the group was leaving and just boarding the ox cart, Lin Chengyou also came out, ordering palace servants to bring his horse. He smiled and said to Teng Shao: “General Teng, let me escort you after all. The night is too deep, and my junior brothers are too young—they might not handle unexpected situations well. I’m not at ease letting them escort you.”

Ever since hearing Teng Yu Yi and Li Huai Gu’s conversation, it felt as if an invisible stone constantly lay across his chest. Regarding the safety of the Teng father and daughter, he didn’t want to risk any more mistakes.

Teng Yu Yi nonchalantly lowered the window curtain, taking the opportunity to pop a preserved apricot into her mouth. She had been tired for a while, and with Lin Chengyou’s arrival, she couldn’t help adjusting her sitting position and contentedly began to doze.

A hint of warmth showed in Teng Shao’s deep gaze: “Then I trouble the Crown Prince.”

Lin Chengyou cleared his throat and mounted his horse: “No need for such courtesy, General Teng.”

***

Qing Xu Zi sat meditating in the warm chamber of the Shi Cui Palace. After an unknown period, hearing light, vigorous footsteps outside, he suddenly opened his eyes as his three disciples returned.

Qing Xu Zi leaped up: “Quickly tell Grand Master what Li San Niang said today.”

Lin Chengyou was extremely puzzled: “You’ve waited until now without sleeping, just to ask about this?”

An anxious look crossed Qing Xu Zi’s face: “Grand Master felt something wasn’t quite right with the heavenly omens these past days. Tonight, thinking of this matter, I couldn’t sleep no matter what. Quick, what exactly did Li San Niang and Lady Teng say? Tell me everything in detail.”

Lin Chengyou waved for the palace servants to withdraw, helped the Grand Master sit back on the couch, and related everything from tonight’s conversation between Li Huai Gu and Teng Yu Yi.

Qing Xu Zi’s eyes widened: “Li San Niang said she died of plague in the so-called ‘previous life’?”

“Correct.” Lin Chengyou frowned in thought. “She said a plague broke out three years later.”

Qing Xu Zi muttered: “Plague… plague…”

He couldn’t sit still and paced in circles around the hall: “No wonder so many evil spirits have appeared in Chang’an recently. Tonight the outskirts are full of wandering ghosts coming from all directions. Grand Master can roughly guess what’s happening. Plague, evil spirits, borrowed fate, the wrong-hook curse that Lady Teng was under…”

Finishing these words, he turned back to see his disciple’s unsightly expression. Qing Xu Zi, his mind in chaos, beckoned: “This matter is extremely serious. Come, Grand Master will explain it to you in detail.”

***

Teng Mansion.

Teng Yu Yi had slept very soundly on the journey. By the time she alighted from the cart, Lin Chengyou had already left. She rubbed her eyes and looked at the empty end of the street, turning back to meet her father’s complex gaze.

“Come, Father has something to discuss with you.”

This suited Teng Yu Yi’s wishes perfectly, as she had wanted to ask her father why he went to see Wu Ying Ying today.

When the father and daughter reached the study door, Teng Shao removed his cloak and handed it to Steward Cheng, saying softly: “No need to serve tea. I have something to discuss with Yu’er.”

Steward Cheng responded solemnly.

Teng Yu Yi watched her father’s movements from the side, then stepped forward to follow him into the study.

Teng Shao seemed to have a tumultuous heart, his gaze sweeping distractedly around the room before he got straight to the point: “Father and Lin Chengyou must lead troops to the Huaixi Region to suppress the rebellion, departing camp no later than the day after tomorrow. Lin Chengyou will lead the Divine Strategy Army. His Majesty has given a two-month deadline.”

Teng Yu Yi was shocked. She had expected the court would soon go to war, but never imagined Lin Chengyou would campaign together with her father. After a moment’s daze, she looked up to find her father gazing at her with deep affection and reluctance, as if on this night, he wanted to deeply imprint his daughter’s appearance in his mind.

Teng Yu Yi grew increasingly puzzled.

“But don’t worry, Father has prepared for a long time, and Lin Chengyou is also Heaven-given talent. This war will be finished in two months at the latest,” Teng Shao added, carefully examining his daughter’s expression before suddenly asking, “My good child, tell Father, do you like Lin Chengyou?”