The carriage traveled slowly along the road, and soon it came to a halt.
Next, an indignant questioning voice could be faintly heard from outside the carriage:
"Zhou Zeli, do you truly know what you are doing?
Did she not show you great kindness?
Why are you treating her like this?
You cannot possibly be unaware that Father King hates her to the bone, to the point where even grinding her to dust would not be excessive.
Yet now you are personally bringing her before Father King. What difference is there between this and sending her to her death?"
"My affairs are none of your business."
"Zhou Zeli!!!"
"Brother, rest assured, I will not inform Father King of your letting Lord Lin go.
However, in return, I ask that you immediately take your people and leave, and no longer concern yourself with any matters related to Lord Lin."
"And if this General must concern himself today?"
"Brother, have you forgotten that as long as we are within the Northeast Great Camp, there is no news Father King does not know, nor anything he cannot accomplish?"
"Are you threatening me?"
"No, brother, I merely wish to remind you not to do anything foolish for the sake of some inconsequential person.
Remember, not only your life was given by Father King, but all the splendor and wealth you enjoy also comes from him."
"So, for the sake of some unsubstantiated splendor, you use others as bargaining chips to curry favor with Father King?"
"Brother, Father King often speaks of you, saying you are too soft-hearted and prone to emotional decisions.
To put it plainly, you are foolish.
After all, those who achieve great things should have no room for emotions."
"You—"
"I misspoke, brother. I hope you will not hold it against this uncouth villager from the countryside.
It is getting late, and I shall not delay you from returning to the camp for dinner."
With that, Zhou Zeli instructed the coachman to continue their journey.
Lian Chengyi, defeated in this battle without bloodshed, remained silent and offered no further obstruction.
Inside the carriage.
Lin Qingge moved closer to Leng Ningyue, intending to help undo her restraints and shackles, but was stopped by Leng Ningyue.
"I'm sorry."
Faced with Lin Qingge's sudden apology, Leng Ningyue clearly paused.
However, relying on the tacit understanding developed during their time together, Leng Ningyue, who quickly understood the reason for the apology, initially wanted to raise her hand. But due to the restraints on her hands, she could only lightly touch foreheads with Lin Qingge.
"There's no need to apologize, it doesn't matter.
And, I trust you.
However—
This kind of dangerous situation should be a one-time occurrence. No more."
As she spoke the last sentence, Leng Ningyue's tone took on a hint of coldness.
But Lin Qingge, oblivious, nudged her head against Leng Ningyue's, "Madam, why are you so wonderful!"
After a moment of lingering affection, Lin Qingge said loudly without reservation:
"Madam, do you think a person would throw away their original beliefs and principles to the dogs for the sake of fame and profit?"
"Perhaps.
Or perhaps it is simply in some people's nature, and they simply lacked the conditions to be unrestrained and arrogant before.
Now that the time is ripe, they are revealing their true selves."
"Their true selves..."
Lin Qingge murmured, then recited loudly:
My roots are firmly planted in the rocky soil,
Tenaciously holding onto the green peak.
Though battered and tested a thousand times, I remain strong,
Unmoved by winds from any direction.
Hearing this, Zhou Zeli, in the carriage ahead, curved his lips into a barely perceptible arc and then ordered:
"Someone find a clean cloth and stuff Lord Lin's mouth."
...
Lin Qingge, forcibly silenced, huddled indignantly in the carriage, spewing curses in various dialects at Zhou Zeli's paternal ancestors.
The carriage rumbled on for a long time.
The noisy calls of vendors outside ceased, replaced by the rustling sound of leaves in the strong wind.
Had they left the city?
Lin Qingge was not familiar with the Northeast Great Camp. Even if her eyes were not covered with a black cloth, she probably couldn't distinguish where she was.
But soon, she heard faint chanting?
So, had she arrived near a temple?
Wait!
A temple...
Could it be Baoshan Temple, which Lian Chengyi had mentioned?
Lost in thought, the carriage stopped, and Lin Qingge was roughly ushered out.
Because her vision was deprived, she stumbled along the way, but fortunately, Leng Ningyue was by her side.
Whenever she tripped on stones on the ground and lost her balance, Leng Ningyue, with her hands incapacitated, would manage to steady her with her body.
This made her suspect that she might be the only one blindfolded.
"We've arrived."
As these two words were spoken, the black cloth was roughly pulled away, and Lin Qingge finally saw light again.
At this moment, she found herself in a study that was not too luxurious, and in fact, quite simple.
And directly in front of her sat a middle-aged man who bore a four or five-tenths resemblance to Zhou Zeli.
The man had a distinguished bearing, and his face, etched with the marks of time, was even more pleasing to the eye than the fair-skinned young man like Zhou Zeli.
"Lord Lin, we finally meet."
The man's voice was cold, with a subtle hint of gritted teeth.
Lin Qingge, however, acted as if the ropes on her wrists didn't exist, and grinned, "Your humble servant Lin Qingge, greetings to King Wucheng."
"Lin Qingge? Not Lin Jingxing?"
"Replying to Your Highness, Lin Qingge is Lin Qingge, and Lin Jingxing is Lin Jingxing.
Though we are twins, Your Highness, you must not mistake my elder brother Lin Jingxing for your humble servant Lin Qingge, nor mistake your humble servant Lin Qingge for my elder brother Lin Jingxing."
After Lin Qingge delivered this tongue-twister, King Wucheng's face immediately darkened.
"Hmph, I don't care if you are Lin Qingge or Lin Jingxing.
In short, I intend to kill you today to appease the souls of my mother, Xin'er, and Cheng'er in heaven!"
"Your Highness, if you wish to kill me because I have offended you, then your humble servant will accept her fate.
However, if you intend to kill me because I murdered your relatives, then I must have a word with you.
Firstly, Xu Shouxin was murdered because he offended a cold-blooded assassin in prison.
Secondly, Your Highness's mother, Long Yunfeng, was taken away by her junior sister.
After all, they were fellow disciples. Perhaps she is still clinging to life somewhere in this world, atoning for her past misdeeds.
Finally, Prince Cheng was killed by General Xiao Zhanbei after his illicit gold mining operations were exposed.
In summary, the deaths of these three individuals have absolutely no relation to your humble servant or my elder brother.
Therefore, if there is nothing else, may we be permitted to leave?"
"Dream on!"
King Wucheng replied without thinking, then was so angered that he laughed:
"Lin Qingge, oh Lin Qingge, I truly underestimated you.
With just a few words, you have managed to clear yourself completely.
Then I must ask.
Without you, how would Xin'er, who was merely a young master, have been imprisoned?
Without you, how would my mother, who had long retired to the mountains, have been taken away by her traveling junior sister?
Without you, how would Cheng'er's long-established mining operations have been suddenly raided?"