"You two go and play. Your father wishes to speak with her alone." General Lin handed his two sons over to a servant and then looked at Xue Zi Ning, saying, "Please follow me, Madam."
Xue Zi Ning followed General Lin to the study. General Lin looked at her and said, "You truly are bold, to dare come to me. Aren't you afraid I'll report you to the Prince?"
Xue Zi Ning was not offended. She said slowly, "That depends on whether General Lin's legs are faster than my whip."
General Lin shivered all over and looked up at her. "You..."
"General Lin need not be afraid. I have no ill intentions. However, if General Lin pushes me too far, it will be a case of mutual destruction."
General Lin fell silent. Xue Zi Ning continued, "Even if I am captured, the Northern Frontier Prince would not dare do anything to me. But as for you, General Lin..."
She paused and looked into the distance. "General Lin, do you think you can stay out of this?"
"General Lin has lived for so many years; it doesn't matter to you. But your legitimate son is only five years old. It would be a pity..."
"Don't you touch them..." General Lin said, looking at her in terror.
Xue Zi Ning turned her head away. "As long as General Lin is willing to cooperate with me, I do not wish to do this."
After a long period of deliberation, General Lin finally said, "Please, speak."
"Tell me the Northern Frontier Prince's plan," Xue Zi Ning said.
General Lin was slightly stunned. Under Xue Zi Ning's gaze, he still spoke, "His Highness intends to lure the tiger into its lair."
Lure the tiger into its lair?
Xue Zi Ning looked at General Lin and asked, "How will he lure? I will never go to the Northern Frontier Prince's mansion."
General Lin said, "Mr. Feng said that Young Master Shen is close to you. He intends to use Young Master Shen as bait."
"Mr. Feng again?" Xue Zi Ning's expression darkened.
General Lin nodded. "This Mr. Feng is very formidable. Originally, His Highness intended to send troops to the Yan family. It was Mr. Feng who stopped His Highness, saying that even if they went immediately, they might not be able to capture the person. It would be better to use Young Master Shen as bait. That way, even if you wanted to escape, you would have no way to fly."
Upon hearing this, Xue Zi Ning felt that this Mr. Feng was unfathomable and his plan was thorough. If she hadn't come to General Lin's place today, she would have truly entered the Northern Frontier Prince's mansion, with no escape.
"Thank you for today's matters. If the Northern Frontier falls, what are your plans?" Xue Zi Ning asked.
General Lin was startled and shook his head. "I do not know. My wife is no longer here. These two are all the family I have left. I wish to care for them well in an era of peace."
Xue Zi Ning lowered her gaze. "I will certainly return a peaceful Northern Frontier to you."
Leaving the general's mansion, Xue Zi Ning went directly to Shen Yun Xiu's residence. She found the door ajar, not closed. She pushed it open. The courtyard was empty, and there was no one in the rooms either.
Walking into the courtyard, she saw that the tea on the stone table was still emitting a faint heat. Xue Zi Ning frowned. Had she come too late?
She walked out of Shen Yun Xiu's residence and went to the neighboring house to knock. A young man opened the door. Seeing her, he asked in surprise, "Do you need something, miss?"
"I am Young Master Shen's sister. May I ask if he is home today?"
Seeing that she was Young Master Shen's sister, the man said, "So it's Miss Shen. Miss Shen, you may not know, but a group of guards came earlier, claiming to be from the Northern Frontier Prince's mansion, and they took Young Master Shen away."
"Thank you," Xue Zi Ning said.
As expected, he had been taken away by the Northern Frontier Prince. She had no time to think and quickened her pace to the Northern Frontier Prince's mansion.
Because she had impersonated Jiang Yu Li and Xiao Huan last time, the servants in the Northern Frontier Prince's mansion now had specific patterns on their hands to prevent impersonation.
She slipped into a study and drew the pattern on her hand. She knocked out a young maid and put on the maid's clothes before walking out.
Indeed, with the maid's attire, she found things much easier.
"Hey, you, come here..."
Xue Zi Ning turned around and saw the person calling her. She instantly felt that fate was narrowing its path. The person calling her was none other than Jiang Yu Li's maid, Xiao Huan.
Xiao Huan walked over, hung the food box in her hand, and said, "Go and deliver this to Mr. Feng."
Xue Zi Ning was stunned. Seeing her not speaking, Xiao Huan said, "What? You're unwilling?"
"No, Sister Xiao Huan."
Xiao Huan looked at her and then whispered, "If he does anything to you, just run away..."
Xue Zi Ning was startled. Seeing the foolish Xiao Huan, she frowned and asked, "Did you hear what I told you?"
"I heard, Sister Xiao Huan, I heard."
Xiao Huan nodded. "Then why aren't you going? If it's too late, Mr. Feng will be angry."
Xue Zi Ning dared not delay. Following Xiao Huan's directions, she arrived at Mr. Feng's room. She stepped forward and knocked. A senile voice came from inside the room, "Enter."
Xue Zi Ning pushed the door open. The room was somewhat dim, but with her eyesight, she could still see this mysterious Mr. Feng clearly.
His hair was white, but his complexion was ruddy. His eyes were exceptionally sharp as he looked at her at that moment.
Xue Zi Ning bowed and said, "Mr. Feng, I've come to bring you your meal."
Saying that, she placed the food box on the table and turned to leave. As she reached the doorway, the door was suddenly closed.
Xue Zi Ning was startled and turned around. She saw him standing before her, his sharp gaze replaced by a lecherous one. "Since you're here, why don't you have some fun with this old man?"
Xue Zi Ning's gaze turned cold. No wonder Xiao Huan had asked her to deliver this. It turned out this Mr. Feng had an unrepentant lustful heart.
"Mr. Feng, you are already so old. Are you capable?" Xue Zi Ning mocked him inwardly.
Mr. Feng laughed heartily. "Capable or not, shall we try?"
"Mr. Feng, I don't want to try," Xue Zi Ning refused directly.
Mr. Feng's expression turned grim. "That's not up to you."
Xue Zi Ning inwardly felt something was wrong. She hadn't expected Mr. Feng to have such a perverted hobby. It was no wonder that many young girls had gone missing in Northern Frontier City recently. Clearly, this was Mr. Feng's doing.
Since she had him in her grasp, she would not let him continue to go unpunished.
"Mr. Feng, shall we talk over there by the bed?" It was too close to the courtyard, and she was afraid someone might overhear.
Mr. Feng laughed heartily. "Excellent, I had the same thought."
Mr. Feng seemed certain that she wouldn't dare do anything and turned his back to her. At this moment, Xue Zi Ning slid the dagger concealed in her palm towards Mr. Feng.
Mr. Feng dodged and chuckled, "I knew it. How could such a young woman be a servant of the Prince's mansion? So she's here specifically to assassinate me."
"Since you know, then you must have guessed that you will surely die today." With that, Xue Zi Ning lunged at Mr. Feng again with her dagger.
Mr. Feng dodged, laughing, "Do you think you can harm me?"
"Whether I can or not, won't trying tell us?" Xue Zi Ning said not an extra word and charged forward again.
As Mr. Feng dodged, he said, "You can't hurt me."