"The末将 of Yuncheng, Fan Shun, respectfully welcomes General Ling."
"General Fan, please rise. Lead us into the city!"
"This末将 obeys. General, please." Fan Shun quickly stepped back, making way for Ling Mohan and his party to enter the city.
"General, your subordinates have prepared your residence. Please do come in."
Fan Shun followed Ling Mohan respectfully, with a fawning expression.
"The officials assigned to enter the city are all to stay at the posthouse. Does General Fan not know this?"
"This... Yuncheng is located in a cold, border region, rarely visited by people. The posthouse is old and dilapidated, and too simple. This末将 was worried that the General would not be accustomed to it, so I sent people to prepare our residence. Please, General, do move to our residence."
Ling Mohan stopped and looked coldly at Fan Shun. "Thank you for your kind intentions, General Fan. However, this general's mission is special, and it is best to follow the rules."
"Lu Shi, lead the generals to the posthouse to settle in."
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Lu Shi cupped his hands in acknowledgment and then looked at Fan Shun. "Thank you, General Fan, for leading the way."
Fan Shun gave an awkward laugh, glancing at Ling Mohan. "General, you..."
Before Fan Shun could finish speaking, Lu Shi stepped forward and blocked him. "General Fan, please lead the way."
"Brother, this posthouse is truly uninhabitable. Go and speak to General Ling."
Fan Shun earnestly persuaded him. When he looked around for Ling Mohan, he found that the man was no longer there.
"Thank you, General Fan, for leading the way," Lu Shi said again, patiently.
"You... you all..."
Fan Shun stammered without finishing his sentence. Angrily, he flicked his sleeve. "Follow me."
He stepped forward and led everyone towards the posthouse.
Feng Jin glanced at the man hiding in the carriage. "Aren't you going to take a look? What if Fan Shun leads us the wrong way?"
"With Lu Shi there, there's no need to worry."
He hid in the carriage because he didn't want to listen to Fan Shun's nagging any longer. He trusted Lu Shi to handle it.
"You're quite good at slacking off. Why do you insist on staying at the posthouse?"
"I simply feel that Fan Shun has an untrustworthy face, and living with him would lead to trouble."
Feng Jin's lips twitched slightly. He never expected Ling Mohan to give such a reason.
"General Ling, you are truly..."
"Truly what?"
Ling Mohan asked, his tone slightly raised. He seemed to see a hint of disdain in Feng Jin's eyes, but he wasn't sure if it was real.
"Truly amazing, incredibly amazing."
He spoke the opposite of what he meant, without any sense of impropriety.
"Young General, we have arrived at the posthouse." Lu Shi's voice sounded from outside the carriage.
Ling Mohan, who had intended to argue further with Feng Jin, swallowed the words that had reached his throat.
Lifting the curtain, Ling Mohan alighted from the carriage first, then helped Feng Jin down.
"Where is Fan Shun?"
"Your subordinate found an excuse to send him back."
Ling Mohan nodded with satisfaction. "Well done!"
He had long disliked Fan Shun. His fawning demeanor and sycophantic behavior made him look like a petty person. It was a mystery how such a person was appointed as the city's守将.
"Young General, your subordinate has inspected the posthouse. The tea sets, tables, chairs, and benches have all been newly replaced. The walls have also been freshly painted. Everything has been repaired, which is completely inconsistent with what Fan Shun said."
Ling Mohan picked up the candlestick on the table and snorted. "The Western Liang people stayed here before."
Lu Shi's eyes suddenly tightened. "But Yuncheng is a border city. Foreign envoys are not allowed to reside here. Fan Shun couldn't possibly not know this?"
"The paint used on this candlestick is the unique blue sand lacquer of Western Liang, and it is exclusive to the royal family. There is such a candlestick in the rooms of the Western Liang princesses."
"Indeed, Murong Jinyun's room has an identical candlestick, and the lacquer on the candlestick also has a faint orchid fragrance."
Feng Jin took the candlestick and sniffed it. The familiar scent further solidified her suspicions. She nodded at Ling Mohan. "This is indeed an item of the Western Liang royal family."
Ling Mohan let out a cold laugh, his voice extremely frigid. "The presence of Western Liang royal items in the Yuncheng posthouse means that Fan Shun, the Yuncheng守将, is at the end of his rope. Lu Shi, have someone investigate Fan Shun. I want to know everything, every detail."
"Yes, Young General." Lu Shi took the order and retreated.
"Are you suspecting Fan Shun of colluding with the Western Liang people?" Feng Jin voiced her suspicion.
Ling Mohan nodded slightly, not denying it. "Indeed. However, I am more curious as to why Fan Shun would open the city gates to welcome Western Liang envoys. This is a capital offense. Yet, there was no disturbance in Yuncheng to report it."
Such an event, with no rumors whatsoever, made it uncertain whether it was true or not. It was also possible that Fan Shun had already gained complete control of Yuncheng, and no one dared to oppose his will.
However, he was certain that there was something fishy about Yuncheng and that Fan Shun.kuAiδugg
Since he had come, he didn't mind cleaning up Yuncheng.
"Fan Shun's attempts to prevent us from going to the posthouse were likely to conceal this matter. The dragon cannot suppress the local snake. Fan Shun has been operating in Yuncheng for many years, and his influence is deeply rooted. We must be careful."
"The dragon cannot suppress the local snake..." Ling Mohan's voice was extremely cold. "I will suppress this local snake!"
A hint of worry arose in Feng Jin's heart. She instinctively grasped his hand and leaned into his embrace, letting out a deep breath. "Be careful with everything. I don't want you to be in danger."
"The person who can put me in danger has not yet appeared."
Ling Mohan rested his chin on Feng Jin's forehead, his deep voice resonating.
...
Fan Shun returned to his residence and angrily smashed a teacup on the ground, kicking over the table.
"My lord, why are you so angry?"
"You've come at the right time. Find a way to get rid of Ling Mohan."
"My lord is truly muddled. That is Ling Mohan, the God of War of Dongchu. You know how fierce his Black Armored Army is. Killing him is impossible. My lord should remain calm."
Wang Nanshi's face suddenly changed in fear. He had personally witnessed Ling Mohan's ruthlessness and poisonous methods. Offending him would lead to no good end.
He didn't want to lose his life while enjoying his good days, so he quickly urged Fan Shun to endure.
"You fear him, Ling Mohan, but I do not. No matter how powerful a God of War he is, this is Yuncheng, my territory. Killing him here is as easy as flipping my hand. If the Emperor investigates, I'll just find an excuse to fob him off. He can be killed by the enemy or bandits. Without proof, who can find fault with me!"
Fan Shun had been uneasy all along. He always felt that Ling Mohan would find his handle and would not let him leave Yuncheng alive.