Ling Mohan nodded faintly, approving of Feng Jin's actions this time. The child's current identity was too special, and keeping him here was essentially a ticking time bomb. One could never tell when it might detonate, and the consequences might be beyond their ability to bear.
In the face of such treacherous court politics, he did not wish to be entangled in too much trouble. He was only worried that if the child remained at the Ling residence and was discovered by someone with ulterior motives, they would undoubtedly use it to their advantage. By then, even if he grew mouths all over his body, he wouldn't know how to explain himself clearly.
It was best to send the child away quickly to achieve true peace, and for his heart to find some measure of stability.
"Keep a close eye on this child during this period. Do not, under any circumstances, take him out of the residence where outsiders might see him, lest it lead to further trouble."
Having experienced this incident, he had long grown weary of the endless struggles in the imperial court. He only wished to live a peaceful and harmonious life with Feng Jin and their two children.
"I understand. If I truly cause you trouble, you must tell me immediately. Do not hide anything from me. We will find a solution together."
Feng Jin reached out and hugged the man's strong waist, resting her head gently on his chest. She was also aware of the child's special identity.
If it were truly used to cause trouble, then the label on Ling Mohan would be firmly affixed, and the ensuing infamy would be impossible to clear, even with a thousand mouths.
For a moment, she regretted her momentary softheartedness, wondering why she had brought the child back.
However, when she saw the child, weak and powerless, struggling on the brink of death yet clinging to life, she truly could not bear to leave him unattended. Her heart was filled with a myriad of emotions, and she knew not what to do.
"It's alright. If anything truly happens, I will have a way to resolve it. You just stay at home with peace of mind. It's not peaceful outside during this period, so do not step out of the residence."
Ling Mohan reached out to embrace the delicate woman, his face filled with concern.
The other rebel soldiers had all been captured, but Chu Yanxi's whereabouts remained unknown. Until Chu Yanxi was apprehended, this matter would not be considered resolved, and he would not be able to rest easy.
"Has Chu Yanxi been captured yet?"
Feng Jin hesitated for a moment before deciding to ask.
"Not yet. There is still no trace of him."
This Chu Yanxi was truly adept at evading capture. A full day of searching the city had yielded no sign of him.
A team had also been dispatched to search outside the city, but there had been no news yet. He wanted to see how long Chu Yanxi could hide; he couldn't possibly hide for a lifetime.
"I might have a method that could draw Chu Yanxi out."
Ling Mohan's interest was immediately piqued. He pulled Feng Jin to sit on a chair beside him. "Tell me your method."
"Luring the snake out of its hole… Feng Ruoyan is in our hands now. Although she has gone mad, Chu Yanxi may not know this. Chu Yanxi has always been deeply devoted to Feng Ruoyan. Why not use Feng Ruoyan as bait? Release the news, and Chu Yanxi might come to rescue Feng Ruoyan."
"For a woman, Chu Yanxi shouldn't disregard his own life. Are you sure this will be effective, or will it be all for naught?"
He was somewhat skeptical that Chu Yanxi would walk into a trap for Feng Ruoyan. Any clear-sighted person could see it was a trap. Chu Yanxi shouldn't be so foolish as to leap into it, knowing it was a snare.
Feng Jin rolled her eyes directly and reached out to pinch Ling Mohan's ear, her tone fierce as she questioned, "Let me ask you, if I were captured by the enemy and my life was in danger, and you knew it was an enemy trap, would you come to save me?"
"Of course, I would save you!" Ling Mohan replied without hesitation, his answer firm. Not to mention saving Feng Jin, he would willingly trade his own life for hers.
Ling Mohan's answer was temporarily acceptable, barely passing muster.
"Since you would save me, how can you be so sure Chu Yanxi won't save Feng Ruoyan? Young man, it's best not to speak so absolutely about certain matters. One should always leave room for possibilities!"
Feng Jin put on an air of seasoned wisdom and patted Ling Mohan's shoulder.
"Well, if you put it that way, it is worth a try. Perhaps Feng Ruoyan as bait can truly lure out the big fish."
"Then it's up to you. I've already told you my method. How you proceed is your business."
After all, Feng Ruoyan was in their possession, and setting this up would be a simple matter.
Ling Mohan pondered for a while, finally deciding to adopt Feng Jin's suggestion and act upon it. However… however…
"You have such a hesitant look on your face. What's wrong?"
"Today, we intercepted the Third Prince's carriage outside the city. Liu Menghan is also in our hands now, and it appears she is close to giving birth. I have already arranged for imperial physicians to attend to her."
"Liu Menghan!" Feng Jin was slightly startled. She hadn't expected Liu Menghan to move so quickly, only to be captured in the end.
Ultimately, she couldn't escape her fate. It was just a futile effort, all that running around.
"Then you've just gotten your hopes up for nothing. Chu Yanxi has no feelings for Liu Menghan, and Liu Menghan's life is of no importance to him. I advise you not to waste your energy. Imprison Liu Menghan and hand her over to His Majesty for judgment upon our return. You should calm down and focus on taking good care of your trump card."
Let alone Liu Menghan, even Liu Menghan and the child she would bear would be insufficient to threaten Chu Yanxi.
Only Feng Ruoyan could succeed in luring Chu Yanxi out. She placed not a shred of hope on Liu Menghan.
Ling Mohan's brow was tightly furrowed. This situation was truly messy and complicated, a tangled mess. Were these two not both Chu Yanxi's women? Why was there such a vast difference between them?
If the two stood together, he couldn't tell which was better or worse even if he looked at them all day.
He couldn't figure out what made Chu Yanxi favor one over the other so much. They were both wives, yet he insisted on ranking them. Didn't he find it troublesome?
"Never mind, I can't make you understand. In short, just do as I say, and I guarantee there will be no problems."
There was no point in explaining further. She was too lazy to do so and decided to finalize the matter directly.