"More than just met, I know precisely that he has a peach-shaped mole on the three inches below his navel."
Upon hearing Murong Bai's words, Yongning was so startled that she stumbled back several steps.
"Brother Bai, I always felt you were quite indifferent to women. Could it be that you actually prefer..."
"What nonsense are you thinking? If you haven't woken up, go back to your room and sleep!"
Murong Bai, still groggy from waking up, waved his sleeve as if swatting away a fly, then stopped in front of Lin Qingge and yawned, "When the Tenth Prince wasn't yet the Tenth Prince, I once saved his life. That's all there is to it."
Hearing that it was a matter of saving a life, Yongning eagerly leaned in again, "Brother Bai, what does the Tenth Prince actually look like? Does he have fierce eyes, long fangs, and three heads and six arms?"
"Has this girl read too many storybooks and gone silly?"
Murong Bai moved away with a look of disdain and said unhappily, "The Tenth Prince is just an ordinary person with one nose, one mouth, and two eyes. What's so curious about him? If I had to say, he's a bit darker skinned, his clothes were a bit messy, and his appearance was somewhat hard to stomach. That's all."
Hua Jinrong, overhearing this, retorted softly with displeasure, "No, he can't be that ugly, can he? He's of royal blood after all, it's not like he can be that hideous, right?"
"That's hard to say. After all, we have the example of the Second Prince. It's possible that the Tenth Prince's appearance is indeed unsightly, otherwise, why would he never show himself in public?"
"Lord Lin speaks wisely. I grew up in the capital, yet I've never even seen a shadow of the Tenth Prince!"
Lin Qingge nodded in agreement, her gaze sweeping over the increasingly fast-swaying fan, and said meaningfully, "Miss Yongning, perhaps you haven't seen him not because you haven't looked, but because the Tenth Prince has changed his identity? For example—"
"Ah!"
Hua Jinrong let out an exaggerated shriek and then abruptly changed the subject, "My Lord, if Ling Han isn't going to be executed, then there's no need to continue building the stage at the execution ground, is there?"
"Ling Han isn't going to be executed?"
Yan Tinghao looked over with great joy, then scratched his head in confusion, "Could it be that this is what My Lord meant by 'wait a bit and a turning point will appear'? But what exactly is this 'turning point'?"
"The former Emperor has passed away, and the Crown Prince has ascended the throne. As per custom, there will be a general amnesty. And one of the provisions of the general amnesty includes the remission of death sentences for all condemned prisoners."
The speaker was Lin Yan, who walked over carrying a stack of official documents. He smiled faintly at Lin Qingge, "Now that Lord Lin has returned, I can finally withdraw with my mission accomplished."
"No, I think Lord Lin has done an excellent job and can continue. I, who have always been accustomed to being a hands-off manager, was not good at handling official duties when I was in Changzhou County. But fortunately, Changzhou County was small with few affairs. However, Fengtian Prefecture is different. Although not an emperor of a small domain, it still governs a region, with constant major and minor events occurring daily. With Lin Yan's help, I wouldn't say I'm worry-free, but I can at least be considered leisurely and content."
As if guessing Lin Qingge's thoughts, Lin Yan smiled and volunteered, "Reporting to My Lord, Changzhou County has been idle recently. I wonder if My Lord could allow me to continue to share your burdens?"
"You must be allowed. Whoever doesn't allow me to allow it, I will punish them!"
Seeing the other person beaming and almost clapping his hands, Lian Cheng'yi's mouth twitched fiercely. He asked the aloof woman standing beside him, "Is this Lord Lin always like this?"
Leng Ningyue remained silent. Lin Zimò, whose hand she was holding, tilted his small head and said proudly, "Daddy said, if it's not used, it's a waste, and if it is used, it's still a waste. So why not use it for free? So, little general brother, what can you do? Mo'er will tell Daddy for you, and let Daddy find a suitable job for you too!"
Lian Cheng'yi: ...
After waiting for a long time without receiving an answer, Lin Zimò strained his head up and then looked enlightened, "Could it be that little general brother can't do anything? It's okay, Mo'er can't do anything either, but Mo'er is trying hard to learn every day. But it's boring for Mo'er to learn alone, so why don't little general brother accompany Mo'er in learning! That way, Tutor Murong won't always scold Mo'er for being stupid!"
Lian Cheng'yi, who felt he would definitely stay ten feet away from this little child in the future, felt his eyelids twitch. He reluctantly squeezed out from between his teeth, "This general is skilled at leading troops in battle."
Lin Qingge, who happened to walk by, was delighted to hear this. "That's great! The prefectural office is in need of a constable. I'll trouble Lieutenant General Lian for this. Of course, it's a bit of an overkill to have a distinguished Lieutenant General serve as a constable. But my office is small, and the only position I can offer is that of a constable. So, I hope Lieutenant General Lian will bear with me. It's only for less than a month anyway, so consider it an experience of life in our Fengtian Prefecture office."
Saying this, Lin Qingge called Yan Tinghao over. "Constable Yan, you are the acting constable, and Lieutenant General Lian will be our office's constable for the next month. You should guide him more and teach him more. I'm not asking you to teach him to understand obscure meanings from music like you, but at least teach him to know one thing and not the other, like you. Most importantly, you must stay by his side at all times."
"Yes, My Lord! However, your subordinate has a question!"
"Speak."
Yan Tinghao habitually scratched his head, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "My Lord, if I have to go to the privy, must I also stay by Lieutenant General Lian's side? And what about bathing and changing clothes? My newly bought bathtub isn't for anyone except My Lord."
Lin Qingge, who didn't know why this simpleton was so fixated on the bathtub, waved her hand impatiently, "If you don't want to lend it, then don't. You can handle the rest yourself."
"Yes!"
Lian Cheng'yi, whose regret had turned into utter remorse: ...
Since Ling Han's execution crisis had been averted, everyone was naturally going to celebrate. However, the three days of mourning for the former Emperor had not yet passed. As the Prefect, it was really not appropriate to be seen in and out of places like restaurants in a big way. Therefore, everyone decided to close the doors and have a meal together in the prefectural office. Er Niu brought chickens and ducks from his hometown, Hua Jinrong brought fish and shrimp, and even brought a basket of hairy crabs that shouldn't have appeared in Fengtian Prefecture! Even the stingy Murong Bai brought out his treasured wine from the bottom of his collection. However, Lin Qingge felt that this fellow was celebrating not so much Ling Han's survival as the former Emperor's demise. After eating and drinking their fill, all that remained was a long wait. However, what Lin Qingge received, besides the proclamation of the general amnesty, was a transfer order.