Ling Mohan took the handkerchief and roughly glanced at the list on it, his scalp tingling at the considerable number of people recorded.
He found it hard to imagine the fate of these Xiliang spies if they entered the capital and infiltrated the officials one by one.
Was the fall of the kingdom and the extermination of the clan not far off? Xiliang's ambition had never faded.
This time, under the guise of a peace marriage and a pretense of goodwill towards Dongchu, they had conceived such a treacherous plan, their actions vicious, their intentions as clear as day to any observer.
"This list has been a great help."
With this list, even if Xiliang spies entered the capital, they could be ferreted out one by one.
A hint of bloodlust flashed in Ling Mohan's eyes. Since Xiliang dared to employ such a wicked scheme, he would not be blamed for being ruthless.
"What do you intend to do?"
The ferocity emanating from Ling Mohan now was something she had never seen before, making him seem utterly unfamiliar.
Feeling a pang of worry, Feng Jin subconsciously grasped the man's slightly cool hand, finding some comfort in the contact.
Ling Mohan clasped Feng Jin's soft, boneless hand back, his voice low as he said, "Since the Xiliang people have used such despicable means, I naturally will not be polite. These palace maids and eunuchs absolutely cannot be kept."
Although he had the list, he couldn't be sure if there were other spies besides those on it. Rather than painstakingly searching them out one by one, it was better to clean them all up at once, saving future trouble.
"But there are hundreds of them, and some of them are just ordinary palace maids. They are only fifteen or sixteen years old, and you want to kill them based on a mere suspicion?"
Feng Jin found it difficult to accept such a thing. She couldn't bear to watch innocent lives be extinguished like this.
The youngest palace maid was only thirteen, and the oldest not more than seventeen. In modern times, they wouldn't even be considered children.
"No, you cannot do this."
Feng Jin directly rejected Ling Mohan's decision, snatching the handkerchief from him. In Ling Mohan's hand, this handkerchief was a death warrant, and she couldn't let him have it.
"They are the enemy. On the battlefield, a shred of mercy towards your enemy will become a sword at your throat the next day. They absolutely cannot be spared."
He had seen too many such incidents. If you showed mercy today and let them go, they would bite you back tomorrow.
Moreover, they were all Xiliang spies. Xiliang had trained them for years, and the idea of being loyal to their country was deeply ingrained in their minds.
Allowing them to enter Dongchu alive was the greatest threat. The best method was to cut them down at the root.
"Give me the handkerchief." Ling Mohan reached out to claim it.
A hint of hesitation flickered in Feng Jin's eyes, and she took a small step back. She was getting to know Ling Mohan; with his nature, he would absolutely not allow even a sliver of threat to Dongchu to exist. She could not hand over the handkerchief.
"No..." Feng Jin shook her head and said, "Trust me, there must be another way to resolve this. I don't think they all want to do this. Like Cui'er and the other two, you could let them leave..."
"There are only a few like them. You can persuade three, but can you persuade thirty, three hundred, all of them? Besides, we don't have that much time. We'll reach the capital in three days, and they all need to be dealt with before then!"
Ling Mohan's tone was somewhat agitated. He was acutely aware that if the roots weren't cut now, there would be endless troubles in the future.
"But... but... there are too many innocent people among them. Even if they are spies, becoming spies was not their wish. They were forced, pressured by power. If they didn't comply, their only path was death. Living in turbulent times, everyone tries their best to survive. Everything they do is just to survive."
The girls forced to become spies were the most tragic. Everything they did was for survival.
She truly couldn't bear to watch them die, even if there was a sliver of hope, she wanted to try her best to save them.
Feng Jin stepped forward, took his hand, and said softly, "Let me try, okay? I want to save them. If it really doesn't work, then you can use your methods to resolve it, alright?"
After a moment's pause, Ling Mohan ultimately couldn't bear to disappoint Feng Jin: "Two days. If it's useless, I can only choose to eliminate them."
This was his final concession. As for whether they could survive, it would depend on their own fate.
"Okay, two days it is."
She was already content with Ling Mohan's concession and dared not ask for more.
In these two days, she could only try her best. At least if she tried, her conscience would be clear.
Upon returning to the post station, Feng Jin kept staring at the handkerchief on the desk, and the half jade pendant.
What exactly should she do to persuade them to turn back? Feng Jin's brow was furrowed with worry. She had absolutely no clue.
"Young Madam, this servant has made some osmanthus and lotus seed porridge. You didn't eat much at dinner, so please have some."
Feng Jin glanced at the porridge in the bowl, having no appetite: "Cai Qing, I can't eat."
Her mind was completely occupied with how to save the lives of those palace maids, leaving no room for appetite.
"Young Madam, there's still a long time until morning. Please eat a little. You still have to travel tomorrow and take care of the two young masters. You must take good care of yourself."
Cai Qing looked at Feng Jin in this state, her heart aching. The Young Madam hadn't rested well yesterday and hadn't eaten much all day. If this continued, even an iron body would break down from exhaustion.
She brought the porridge to Feng Jin: "Young Madam, for the sake of this servant's hard work in making this bowl of porridge, please do me the honor of eating some."
Unable to refuse Cai Qing, Feng Jin reluctantly picked up the bowl and took a bland sip, losing all appetite, and then put the bowl down.
"Young Madam, perhaps you could eat a bit more."
She only drank one sip, what good could that do? Cai Qing continued to urge her.
"No, let's go for a walk."
Being cooped up in the room was uncomfortable. Feng Jin stood up and took Cai Qing out for a casual stroll.
"Young Madam, this servant knows there's a pond ahead, filled with blooming lotuses. It's extremely beautiful, let's go take a look."
"Let's go see."
She didn't know where else to go anyway, so looking at the lotuses would be fine.
"Young Madam, look, that one is a twin lotus."
Feng Jin followed Cai Qing'sæ direction and saw it was indeed a twin lotus, a truly good omen.
The lotuses in the pond, blooming together, were indeed a beautiful sight, truly embodying the sentiment of "endless green leaves stretching to meet the sky."
"What is that?" Feng Jin spotted something like a paper lantern floating in the center of the pond.