Zhang Ji clutched his stomach, his mouth agape as he burst into laughter. He didn't intend to laugh, but he couldn't stop.
"You... haha... what did you give me, haha..."
Lu Shi, seeing his state, suppressed a smile. "This is something good, specially concocted by our young madam. Not just anyone gets to enjoy it, so you savor it."
To be able to enjoy it was his good fortune, even if it meant death was worth it.
"Just watch him here. When he dies, throw him into the mass grave."
Zhang Ji no longer held any value, so after he died, they would just dispose of him.
"Yes!"
After giving instructions, Lu Shi went out to report to Ling Mohan.
"Young General, the medicine has been administered. Do we still need to interrogate him? Perhaps we can extract more information."
After all the effort to capture him, it would be a shame for him to die without revealing anything.
"There's no need for further interrogation. Nothing more can be extracted. This person is a death warrior trained by the Xiliang royal family. Even if he dies under torture, he will never divulge any information." He had accidentally seen the black plum blossom tattoo on Zhang Ji's wrist, which revealed his true identity.
Initially, the Xiliang royal family had trained a group of people specifically to monitor court officials, who then evolved into death warriors specializing in assassination missions. This group of people would not rest until their objective was achieved, disregarding life and death in their loyalty to the state. Torturing them to death would still yield no useful information, and most other countries would kill any Xiliang death warrior on sight.
"Xiliang death warrior!"
Lu Shi's surprise was evident. He had heard of the Xiliang death warriors before; they were devoid of humanity, like cold weapons, employing any means to achieve their goals. Indeed, no information could be extracted from such warriors. Killing him with a single blow would be more efficient. It was a shame that so much effort and manpower had been wasted on saving him; it turned out to be a wasted effort.
"Kill him tonight. No survivors."
His voice was icy, his eyes filled with a bloodthirsty intent. Ling Mohan was instantly filled with killing intent. The Xiliang Emperor had even infiltrated death warriors into Dongchu territory. This showed a clear intention to subvert Dongchu, their ambition was truly despicable.
This matter concerned the survival of Dongchu and was by no means trivial. Upon returning to his room, Ling Mohan recorded the subsequent events in a memorial to the emperor. He ordered the dark guards of the Black Armored Army to deliver the memorial to His Majesty. He also wrote a separate copy to be secretly delivered to Chu Chenyi, instructing him to proceed to the capital promptly, make preparations, and be wary of Chu Yanxi.
...
After Feng Jin had lulled the two children to sleep, she went to find Ling Mohan.
"You look so troubled. How long do you plan to sit here? It's so late, why aren't you resting yet?"
Feng Jin draped her cloak over Ling Mohan's shoulders. She had waited for him in the room for a long time but he hadn't returned, so she came to look for him.
"It's nothing."
Ling Mohan replied faintly, drawing Feng Jin into his embrace. He rested his chin on her slightly thin shoulder, his steady breaths falling on her neck.
"What's wrong? Did something happen?"
She had never seen Ling Mohan like this before. Clearly, the current matter was beyond his ability to handle, and she couldn't help but worry.
After a long pause, Ling Mohan cleared his throat and looked at Feng Jin. "When we return to the capital, you will take the children and stay elsewhere for a while. Come back after everything is resolved."
"You want us to leave?"
"It's not that you're being sent away, but the upcoming matters are too complicated. It would be too dangerous for you and the children to remain in the capital. After much thought, it is best for you to leave the capital for a period of time. I will find a safe and reliable place, arrange for heavy guards, and ensure that you and the children are not in any danger. I will come to pick you and the children up once the matters in the capital are settled."
After careful consideration, letting Feng Jin and the children temporarily leave the capital was the best course of action. The capital was fraught with danger, and he was worried about the safety of Feng Jin and the children. Moreover, if Feng Jin and the children fell into the hands of others, and were used to threaten him, he would have no choice but to abandon everything and protect Feng Jin and their children. To ensure their safety, he would gladly endure the world's scorn or even give up his life.
"I can protect myself and the children, and I will never be a burden to you. As long as I can be with you, I am willing to die."
She did not want to be someone hiding in the background; she was willing to die with him rather than live alone.
"I don't have complete confidence in this matter. For the sake of the children, you must leave. Don't worry... I will definitely come back to see you alive."
Ling Mohan held Feng Jin tightly, truly feeling her presence and cherishing this rare moment of peace and security. Listening to the strong, rhythmic beat of his heart, Feng Jin leaned into his embrace, her hands tightly gripping his clothes, a sense of unease rising within her.
"Ling Mohan, if something happens to you, I will never forgive you in this life. I will find another man and live happily with him, letting your son call someone else 'father'."
Knowing that this was what Ling Mohan valued most, Feng Jin did not hesitate to threaten him.
"How dare you!" The man's angry roar echoed, and the hand holding her tightened unconsciously. "If you dare, I won't let you off even as a ghost." The mere thought of Feng Jin standing with another man made him feel disgusted, his heart burning with jealousy, wishing he could tear that man apart.
"That remains to be seen. I mean what I say. If you die, I certainly won't wrong myself by remaining a widow for you. Life is short, and one must live for oneself." Her thoughts were rather progressive; a wife remarrying after her husband's death was a perfectly normal thing in her eyes, and she did not feel there was anything wrong with what she had just said. Did Ling Mohan expect her to remain a widow for him? Did he want to erect a chaste memorial archway for her? The thought of it made Feng Jin feel ironic. Chaste memorial archways were merely restraints on women, not something good.
"Throw all those messy thoughts out of your head. I'm not dead yet, and you're already thinking about remarriage. You really don't take me seriously!" If Feng Jin continued speaking, he would be angered to death. He suspected that if he died before Feng Jin, she would likely take the children and remarry immediately. To avoid being cuckolded, he had to strive to stay alive.
Ling Mohan reached out and firmly gripped Feng Jin's delicate chin, forcing her to meet his gaze, his tone carrying a threatening undertone. "If you dare to be unfaithful, I will break both your legs."