"General, your subordinate has searched in secret but found no trace of Chu Yanxi. Ling Mohan's people have also been searching continuously, and your subordinate dared not act too conspicuously!"
Bai Lixi slowly put down the wine cup, his eagle-like eyes narrowing slightly.
The capital was only so large. Two groups of people had searched everywhere, yet Chu Yanxi's whereabouts remained undiscovered. He was quite curious where Chu Yanxi had hidden himself.
"General, Chu Yanxi knows too much about us. If Ling Mohan's men find Chu Yanxi first, our situation will be precarious. The General must make a decision soon."
"You don't need to remind me of this. I, this General, know it naturally. It's just that the capital is full of Ling Mohan's informants, and we have to act with extreme caution when doing things on Dongchu's territory..."
Bai Lixi said in great annoyance, never expecting Chu Yanxi to be so incompetent, a waste of all the effort he had put into supporting him in secret.
In such a short time, he had suffered a complete defeat. And the one in the palace was also useless. They were only one step away from ending the Dongchu Emperor's life, yet at this most critical juncture, they had suffered a complete defeat.
What he didn't expect was that Feng Jin... was actually so powerful, capable of even curing the most potent poison from their Xiliang.
"General, please calm your anger. It is your subordinates who have failed in their duties!"
"Indeed, you have failed in your duties. I, this General, had already ordered you to keep a close eye on Chu Yanxi, but you still let him escape. All of you are useless!"
Why did he raise such useless people? They were truly wasting food!
"All of you, get out! Seeing you irritates me!"
"Yes, your subordinate withdraws."
"Stand still!" As they were about to retreat, Bai Lixi called out, "What is the situation with the Princess? Has there been any news from those sent?"
"Reporting to the General, the Princess's residence is still guarded by the Black Armored Army. Our men cannot enter for the time being... for the time being, no information can be gathered..."
With a 'bang!', Bai Lixi slammed his palm heavily on the table, creating a loud noise.
The people of Dongchu were truly excessive. Now they were even stationing guards outside the Princess's courtyard. This was essentially surveillance.
Bai Lixi suddenly stood up and walked out, intending to ask Ling Mohan what exactly he wanted.
...
"General Bai Lixi has excellent taste. What a distinguished guest! What brings you to my humble abode?"
Upon hearing the report of Bai Lixi's arrival, Ling Mohan immediately rushed over. He wanted to see what scheme Bai Lixi was up to.
"This General has come to inquire why General Ling is stationing guards outside the courtyard of our Xiliang Princess. What is your intention? Are you trying to monitor the Princess!"
"General Bai, you must have misunderstood. I sent people there for the Princess's safety. General Bai also knows that the capital has been very chaotic these days. The Princess, with her noble and esteemed status, cannot be neglected in the slightest!"
"If it were General Bai, and you were in my position, you would do the same."
Although Bai Lixi's expression remained calm, his heart was churning like the tide. His face was cold, and after a moment of contemplation, he said, "Then General Ling is indeed kind-hearted. It seems I have judged a gentleman with a villain's mind."
"Not at all... It is all for the sake of diplomatic relations between the two countries. General Bai, you and I should also work together!"
What General Bai Lixi might not have known was that Ling Mohan, while serving as a military official, was also from a civil service background. His skills with words were quite formidable, and Bai Lixi's verbal skills were naturally no match for Ling Mohan.
Even though he had been wronged, he could only swallow it himself. After all, he was inferior in skill.
"If General Bai has come only for this matter, then there is no need for such a grand display. I, this General, promise you that once the capital stabilizes, I will release the Princess. For now, the Princess must continue to endure the hardship of cultivating her character within the courtyard. With such chaos outside, it is best that the Princess, with her precious body, does not get involved!"
This was the first time Bai Lixi had been threatened like this. His heart was instantly filled with burning rage, and he took a deep breath to temporarily suppress some of it.
"Then, according to General Ling's wishes, our Princess is still to be monitored by you. Why do I feel that General Ling's actions are too unreasonable and arrogant? Are you truly not taking our Xiliang seriously anymore!"
"Does General Ling think I am too foolish to be deceived by you again, or do you think Xiliang is weak and can be bullied, allowing you to do as you please!"
Bai Lixi suddenly stood up, his imposing presence indeed capable of deterring people. It was a pity that Ling Mohan was not one to be trifled with. He had seen such displays before and was not easily intimidated by Bai Lixi.
Ling Mohan picked up his teacup and took a sip, his face as calm as ever, a faint smile still lingering on his lips.
His gaze towards Bai Lixi was like looking at a clown. The warnings he spoke were like nonsense.
Did Bai Lixi forget that this was Dongchu, not their Xiliang? To threaten him here was like talking nonsense.
"What are you laughing at!"
Bai Lixi also noticed the faint smile on Ling Mohan's lips, feeling as though the smile was mocking him. He became even more enraged.
"I, this General, am naturally laughing at your wishful thinking and overestimation of your abilities. General Bai, have you perhaps forgotten that this is our Dongchu, not your Xiliang, and certainly not a place where you call the shots!"
"Now you can only listen to me, and only to me. Do everything as I say, and you will be able to leave Dongchu safely. Otherwise, I cannot guarantee that you will not encounter any danger... or perhaps some audacious individual will barge into the Xiliang Princess's quarters!"
"You! Ling Mohan!"
Bai Lixi glared furiously at Ling Mohan, his eyes burning with an intense flame. If this were not Ling Mohan's territory, he would have already fought Ling Mohan.
But now that he was on someone else's land, he could not act rashly. Furthermore, he could not be entirely sure what outrageous things that madman Ling Mohan might do, so for now, he had to endure.
He would record this matter for now and would settle the score with Ling Mohan sooner or later. He would absolutely not let this injustice go unanswered.
"What about me? General Bai, no matter how displeased you are now, you must swallow it!"