Ling Mohan, having been called into the room by Feng Yuanping alone, waited outside the door. As soon as Ling Mohan emerged, Feng Jin eagerly stepped forward.
"What did he say to you just now? Did he make things difficult for you?"
In Feng Jin's subconscious, Feng Yuanping was already a cunning old man. His request to see Ling Mohan alone could only mean trouble, and he might be plotting to make things difficult for Ling Mohan.
Ling Mohan placed a hand on Feng Jin's shoulder and drew her into an embrace. Feng Jin's instinctive concern for him put him in a very good mood.
"Prime Minister Feng is, after all, your father. Moreover, we saved his life this time. On these two counts, he wouldn't make things difficult for me. He merely discussed some court matters with me and, as a side note, handed me the deployment map of border defenses."
To reassure Feng Jin, Ling Mohan even let her glance at the silk brocade and deliberately concealed what Feng Yuanping had asked him not to reveal to her.
"Is he really that kind? Has he turned over a new leaf..."
Feng Jin asked doubtfully, wondering when Feng Yuanping had changed so much that she could hardly believe it. "But you still can't let your guard down. Who knows if this is his scheme to deliberately mislead you?"
Given Feng Yuanping's previous malicious actions, Feng Jin still reminded Ling Mohan with lingering fear.
Ultimately, Feng Yuanping was only the biological father of the original owner and had no relation to her. However, Ling Mohan was different to her; he was the one she would spend the rest of her life with. In comparison, she naturally leaned towards Ling Mohan.
"I've noted it all. Rest assured," Ling Mohan replied with a faint smile at the corner of his lips. He took Feng Jin's hand and walked out. Curfew had not yet arrived, and they needed to hurry back to the Ling Manor.
...
"Did you find them?"
Upon seeing the few people returning in a hurry, Madam Sun stepped forward impatiently to inquire.
"The brothers sent to track the distinguished guest are all dead. The clues have all been broken."
"All useless, utterly useless. I treated you with gold, silver, jewels, beauties, and delicacies, and this is how you repay me? Now that they've escaped, how will you account for yourselves to the master!"
Madam Sun was suddenly enraged, showing no pleasant expression towards them. She had provided them with good food and drink, yet they couldn't even handle such a small matter; they were all useless.
These were men who had fought on the battlefield, soldiers of the highest respect. They had never endured such insult. Madam Sun's words were like slaps to their faces. When had they ever suffered such humiliation? The expressions on their faces instantly turned grim, and they looked at Madam Sun with no pleasantries.
"What are you dawdling for? Hurry up and pursue them!"
The capital was not that large, and the city gates had long been closed. They must still be within the city.
Unless they had grown wings, they absolutely could not escape the capital.
"Search house by house, person by person! They are definitely still in the capital. Bring them in alive, or bring back their corpses!" Madam Sun said in a low voice. Feng Yuanping, that old man, had already become suspicious of her true identity, and she still hadn't obtained the item.
If she let Feng Yuanping escape, and her actions were exposed, would she still have a way to survive?
Thinking of this, Madam Sun couldn't help but shudder. Fear enveloped her entirely. She had to plan carefully and could not act rashly anymore.
The most urgent task was to find Feng Yuanping and eliminate him quickly to protect herself. But in this vast expanse of people and this large capital, how could she find Feng Yuanping?
Just as Madam Sun was worrying about this and feeling utterly helpless, someone from the Third Prince's manor arrived to summon Madam Sun.
Worried that Feng Ruoyan had encountered trouble, Madam Sun rushed over impatiently. Little did she know that just as she left, someone arrived to firmly encircle the once-prosperous Prime Minister's manor, and everyone within was taken away.
"Mother, why are you here?"
Feng Ruoyan was about to retire for the night when a maid informed her that Madam Sun had arrived and was waiting in the hall. Fearing that her mother had encountered further difficulties by coming so late, she hastily put on an outer robe and rushed over.
"It's good that you're alright." Seeing that Feng Ruoyan was unharmed, Madam Sun's anxious heart settled slightly.
"Didn't you send a servant to my manor to invite me, telling me to rush to the Third Prince's manor as soon as possible? That's why I hurried here. Ruoyan, what happened? Did something else occur?"
"Mother, please rest assured, I am safe and sound in this manor. However, I did not send any servants to your manor to invite you. I was also wondering why you came at this hour."
Feng Ruoyan was equally puzzled. When she heard the maid report Madam Sun's arrival, she had also assumed something important had happened and had come in a hurry.
"You didn't send a servant to my manor to find me, then who was the one who reported..." Madam Sun's brows furrowed tightly as she pondered the events of earlier.
"How should I know who it was? In any case, it wasn't me who sent someone to your manor to invite you." Feng Ruoyan, with a look of impatience, stood up with the support of a maid, one hand resting on her slightly swollen belly. Sitting for a while made her feel extremely uncomfortable.
Her pregnancy had been extremely difficult. Not to mention the severe morning sickness in the early stages, where she vomited whatever she ate, but in these past few days, she had been excessively sleepy during the day, and her body was severely swollen. A little activity would leave her breathless, dizzy, and disoriented.
The imperial physician who had examined her could not provide a clear diagnosis, only stating that her pregnancy reactions were greater than usual and prescribing some calming and nourishing herbs.
"Mother, I am too tired right now. I must go back and rest..." Feeling weak and exhausted, even standing for a moment made her feel uncomfortable, and her legs were trembling slightly.
"Ruoyan, why do you look so weak now? You are close to giving birth, and nothing can go wrong. This pregnancy concerns your future glory and wealth, so you must be extremely careful." Seeing how weak Feng Ruoyan was, and how she seemed to struggle even to walk, Madam Sun could not help but worry.
"I'm fine... I just don't have much strength. The imperial physician examined me long ago and only said that it was because the baby was large and pressing on my body, and he instructed me to rest well."
Madam Sun then felt slightly relieved. "It's good that you're fine. Ruoyan, I've already arranged for someone to induce labor. Tomorrow, they will enter the manor disguised as midwives and ensure you give birth to your eldest son before Liu Menghan."
"Mother, I heard that inducing labor is extremely dangerous. With even the slightest mistake, both mother and child could be in danger. Perhaps we should reconsider and think of another method..."