As the maid from the little stream spoke, she cast a flirtatious glance at General Lin. General Lin considered himself experienced, having frequented places of entertainment and enjoyed the company of ladies there, which he had always found to be a pleasant experience.
However, this tall woman gave him only a feeling of discomfort.
Although she was indeed attractive, all he felt was a sense of nausea.
"Your servant, Xiao Ya, pays respects to the General."
General Lin turned around and saw another maid, his face turning pale, causing him to step back several paces. "You... you are..."
"General Lin, these are my two maids," Xue Zi Ning said.
Hearing this, General Lin frowned. "Miss, your tastes are rather peculiar."
Xue Zi Ning smiled. "The General flatters me. It is good enough if the maids are content with themselves."
General Lin twitched the corner of his mouth and said no more. Seeing no suspicious individuals in the mansion, he left the Yan residence with his soldiers.
Xue Zi Ning breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, she had managed to pass the inspection.
Wen Yu Xi, standing nearby, couldn't help but praise herself. "What do you think? My disguise as a maid is quite good, isn't it?"
Xue Zi Ning replied, "It is indeed good. Didn't General Lin say my tastes are peculiar?"
"That is because they lack discernment," Wen Yu Xi said indignantly.
When General Lin reported back to the Northern Frontier King, the King asked, "Are you certain no one left the residence, and that you searched thoroughly?"
General Lin nodded. "Your subordinate is certain. Not even a single insect was allowed to fly out."
"And the person?" the Northern Frontier King asked, looking at General Lin coldly.
General Lin felt his scalp tingle, a sense of dread washing over him. He could only brace himself and say, "Your subordinate did not find any suspicious individuals in the Yan residence."
Upon hearing this, the Northern Frontier King sneered. "General Lin, are you questioning my intelligence?"
General Lin, terrified, quickly knelt on one knee. "Your Highness, please forgive me. Your subordinate means no disrespect. I swear to heaven, I truly found no suspicious individuals."
The Northern Frontier King frowned. Looking at General Lin, he didn't seem like he was lying. Could his intelligence be false?
However, could the information from the Yan residence be wrong?
Or perhaps Xue Zi Ning possessed the ability to traverse heaven and earth?
General Lin secretly wiped the sweat from his forehead. This task assigned by the Northern Frontier King was truly difficult.
"Your Highness..."
A hoary voice echoed. The Northern Frontier King looked up and saw the approaching figure, a slight smile appearing on his face. "Mr. Feng, you have arrived."
Mr. Feng walked over, glanced at General Lin kneeling on the ground, and then looked up to ask, "Your Highness, what has happened?"
Hearing Mr. Feng inquire, the Northern Frontier King sighed. "Mr. Feng, you may not know, but we received accurate intelligence that the Empress appeared at the Yan residence. I immediately dispatched General Lin to search, but General Lin reported finding no suspicious individuals."
After hearing the full story, Mr. Feng approached General Lin and helped him up. General Lin dared not rise and quickly shook his head.
Mr. Feng looked at the Northern Frontier King, who then said, "Mr. Feng has asked you to rise, so you should."
General Lin quickly stood up and heard Mr. Feng ask him, "Could you tell this old man in detail what happened at the Yan residence?"
General Lin nodded and recounted everything that had occurred at the Yan residence. Mr. Feng listened, his brow furrowing slightly. "Were there any suspicious moments? For example, was Yan Jin Chao initially unremarkable, and then suddenly some people appeared?"
General Lin thought for a moment and then suddenly said, "Yes. Just as your subordinate was about to search the back courtyard, Young Master Yan said that his family members were in the back courtyard and asked your subordinate to wait a moment before searching."
The Northern Frontier King heard this and asked, "Why didn't you mention this earlier?"
General Lin found himself unable to explain. "Your Highness, you asked if there were suspicious people, and truly, there were none!"
"Who were the Yan residence's family members?" Mr. Feng asked.
General Lin replied, "Young Master Yan called her A Ning..."
The Northern Frontier King's expression darkened, and he said coldly, "It's her. She is Xue Zi Ning, the former Empress..."
With that, his gaze turned icy, and he commanded, "Guards, accompany me to the Yan residence..."
"Your Highness, please hear this old man out," Mr. Feng interrupted the Northern Frontier King.
The Northern Frontier King looked at Mr. Feng. "Does Mr. Feng have something to say?"
Mr. Feng nodded. "If Your Highness goes now, it will be of no avail. Based on my understanding of Young Master Yan, if the Empress is truly at the Yan residence, do you think Young Master Yan would allow Your Highness to capture her there?"
The Northern Frontier King was slightly taken aback and frowned. "Mr. Feng's words are not without reason. In that case, according to Mr. Feng, what should we do? Please, Mr. Feng, offer your guidance."
Mr. Feng said, "Lure the tiger out of its den."
The Northern Frontier King blinked. "Mr. Feng, the Empress is not a fool. How could she willingly come to the Northern Frontier King's manor?"
Mr. Feng heard this and smiled. "If the Empress does not come, Your Highness can make her come."
The Northern Frontier King laughed wryly. "Mr. Feng, you might as well just tell me. If I knew how, I wouldn't have waited until now."
Mr. Feng heard this and said, "Did Your Highness mention that Young Master Shen has some connection with that Miss A Ning?"
The Northern Frontier King nodded. "Indeed. Could it be that Mr. Feng intends to..."
Mr. Feng nodded. "Since Your Highness has mentioned it, the Empress is cunning and intelligent, but also values loyalty and affection. Why not use Young Master Shen as bait to force the Empress to come?"
"Mr. Feng truly thinks of everything." The Northern Frontier King was overjoyed.
"Your Highness, this matter must be handled with absolute certainty. Should there be any slip-up, it may be very difficult to capture the Empress in the future," Mr. Feng said.
The Northern Frontier King nodded. "Mr. Feng's words are wise. Mr. Feng, please discuss this matter with me."
General Lin, seeing that he was the only one left in the room, quickly got up to leave. Otherwise, if the Northern Frontier King remembered him as someone who had performed his duties poorly, he might not be able to leave.
Leaving the Northern Frontier King's manor, General Lin mounted his horse. Suddenly, a hurried servant from the manor rushed towards him. "General, someone has arrived at the manor and wishes to see you..."
General Lin's only legitimate sons were at his own residence, and they were no more than five years old. Thinking of this, his heart tightened, and he spurred his horse towards his residence.
Finally arriving at the General's residence, General Lin dismounted and hurried into the courtyard. A slender and tall figure stood there, her water-and-sky colored long dress making her appear exceptionally graceful and beautiful.
General Lin's body trembled. This figure was far too familiar. Although he had never seen her in person before, he had looked at her portrait no less than a hundred times.
His two legitimate sons were holding the woman's hands, happily calling out, "Sister, sister..."
The woman smiled and said, "Call me Auntie!"
"Why? Sister, you are so young," his eldest son said.
The woman laughed heartily. "You speak so well."
Perhaps sensing the sound of footsteps, the woman turned her head. Her peerlessly elegant face was adorned with eyes of utmost clarity.
They were like the vast sky on a clear day, without the slightest flaw.