It was also the young madam's brilliant calculation. She had foreseen that Baili Xi would not surrender easily. When he left, she had given him this sleeve arrow dipped in the muscle-weakening powder, which allowed him to be subdued so effortlessly.
Otherwise, it truly would have been a big trouble. Lu Shi waved his hand, and the surrounding soldiers stepped forward to restrain Baili Xi.
"Despicable, shameless, to do such a disgraceful thing in secret!"
Baili Xi roared through gritted teeth, unable to accept that he had been defeated by a mere trick, falling into the hands of such a villain when he was in his prime.
"General Baili, save your strength. You can speak more later."
Lu Shi completely ignored Baili Xi's angry shouts, treating him like a mad dog barking.
"Guards, take General Baili back."
Following that, Baili Xi was bound tightly and escorted onto a carriage.
"Return to the capital."
Lu Shi mounted his horse. This time, he had fulfilled his mission and brought Baili Xi back.
With such a great merit, the young general should at least reward him, preferably with a few days off to rest. That would be simply perfect.
Lost in daydreams, Lu Shi escorted Baili Xi to the capital. Instead of taking him to the prison, he brought him directly to the mansion, awaiting the young general's orders.
"Reporting to the young general, Baili Xi has been captured and is now detained in prison."
"Well done."
For the rare praise, Lu Shi immediately became a bit conceited. "It is all due to the young general's excellent guidance. As long as the young general is satisfied, that is all that matters."
"Your flattery is quite good. Starting tomorrow, you will have three days of leave."
"Thank you, young general."
Lu Shi happily accepted, realizing that flattery could lead to unexpected surprises.
"You may go. Send people to keep an eye on Baili Xi, and ensure no trouble arises."
"Your subordinate obeys."
Lu Shi walked out excitedly, his face beaming with unconcealed joy, as if he had bathed in the spring breeze.
"Did you find money? You're smiling like this."
As Cai Qing entered the courtyard, she bumped into Lu Shi, whose smile was so wide he could barely close his mouth. She thought he must have found money to be so happy.
"Happier than finding money. The young general has given me three days off. I'll take you out to play."
"No, I still need to attend to the young madam. Since you have leave, you should rest well."
Cai Qing directly refused Lu Shi's suggestion. "I can't talk to you anymore. I need to deliver these items to the young madam."
As soon as she finished speaking, Cai Qing hurried forward. The young madam was waiting for these items, and she couldn't afford to delay.
"Young madam, your items have been brought by this servant."
Cai Qing placed the bottles and jars on the table, almost filling it. It could only be said that the young madam made too many things.
Feng Jin stood up and searched for a long time before finding the bottle she wanted. She opened it, took some ointment, and applied it to the wound on Murong Jinyun's arm.
As the cool ointment was applied to her arm, Murong Jinyun felt a sharp sting and instinctively let out a small cry, pulling her hand back.
"Be gentle..."
Gu Beichen, who was watching from the side, saw Murong Jinyun in pain and felt a pang of heartache. He motioned for Feng Jin to be gentler.
"Shut your mouth and don't make noise."
Feng Jin said unhappily, contemplating whether to just kick Gu Beichen out.
"The medicine might sting a bit, but it works very well. The wound will heal quickly and won't leave a scar, so you don't need to worry."
The best medicine was used, and it would absolutely not leave any trace.
"Thank you, young madam."
Murong Jinyun lowered her head, her words filled with gratitude.
"It's nothing. The medicine cost will be charged to Duke Gu's account anyway."
Upon hearing this, Gu Beichen was instantly stunned. The hand holding the teacup faltered slightly.
He had experienced just how expensive Feng Jin's medicine was more than once and immediately felt uneasy, unsure how much it would cost this time.
He mentally calculated his savings, thinking it should be enough.
Feng Jin glanced at him and immediately guessed Gu Beichen's thoughts. She snorted, "I'm just joking with you. This time, consider it me being kind and helping the needy."
Since Gu Beichen wouldn't be able to repay it anyway, she might as well be generous.
"Don't let the wound come into contact with water for the next two days. Take this ointment back and apply it three times a day. It should heal in two to three days."
"Thank you, Young Madam Ling."
Murong Jinyun took the ointment handed by Feng Jin. She recalled that due to their differing stances, she had been disrespectful to Feng Jin with her words. Now that Feng Jin did not hold a grudge, it made her feel a bit guilty.
"Young Madam Ling, I was disrespectful to you before. I hope you will be magnanimous and not hold it against me."
She didn't seem like someone who would quibble over every detail. Since Murong Jinyun had extended an olive branch, having one less enemy and one more friend was always a good thing, so she decided not to dwell on past events.
"Since it's all in the past, there's no need to mention it again."
With a casual remark, she completely put the matter aside.
A hint of awkwardness on Murong Jinyun's face quickly faded back to normal.
As Feng Jin was about to leave, she stopped abruptly. After a moment of hesitation, she voiced a question that had been on her mind for a long time. "Princess, there's something I've been thinking about for a while and I wish to ask you. If my words cause any offense, please forgive me."
"Young Madam, please speak."
Gu Beichen sensed danger. Feng Jin's expression indicated that this was no trivial matter. He was about to intervene when Feng Jin's sharp voice stopped him in his tracks.
"Sit down, this doesn't concern you!"
"Don't scare her..."
Under Feng Jin's warning, Gu Beichen could only mumble a quiet complaint.
Feng Jin shot Gu Beichen a fierce glare, thinking how useless he was, then turned her full attention to Murong Jinyun.
"Princess, when you left with Baili Xi this time, was it voluntary or were you coerced?"
"I... I was..."
Gu Beichen instantly became tense, eager to hear what Murong Jinyun would say.
"It was... Baili Xi knocked me unconscious and abducted me. I had no intention of leaving Dongchu, and I knew... what would happen if I left."
Naturally, she did not wish to leave. Her current status placed her between two nations. Any change could potentially incite war, leading to widespread suffering and countless casualties.
"That's good. Does the princess truly wish to form this alliance? If not... or if you have other intentions, then please find someone else to utilize, or voluntarily leave Dongchu."