Ling Mo Han took the handkerchief and roughly scanned the list on it, his scalp tingling. The number of people recorded was indeed considerable.
He found it hard to imagine the consequences if these Western Liang spies, having entered the capital and infiltrated the officials one by one, were to succeed.
Was the fall of the nation and the annihilation of the clan not far off? Western Liang's wolfish ambition had never waned.
This time, under the guise of a marriage alliance and feigned goodwill towards Eastern Chu, they were plotting such a wicked scheme. Their actions were malicious, and their intentions were as clear as day to everyone.
"This list has been a great help to us."
With this list, even if Western Liang spies managed to enter the capital, they could be rooted out one by one.
A hint of bloodlust flashed in Ling Mo Han's eyes. Since Western Liang dared to employ such a venomous plan, he would not be blamed for being ruthless.
"What do you intend to do?"
The ruthlessness emanating from Ling Mo Han now was something she had never seen before, making him seem utterly unfamiliar.
Feeling a flicker of worry, Feng Jin instinctively gripped the man's slightly cool hand, finding some solace in the contact.
Ling Mo Han returned the clasp of Feng Jin's soft, boneless hand and said in a low voice, "Since Western Liang has 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 could not be certain if there were other spies besides those on it. Rather than painstakingly uncovering them one by one, it was better to eliminate them all at once, saving future trouble.
"But there are hundreds of them. Moreover, some of them are just ordinary palace maids. They are only fifteen or sixteen years old. Because of a mere suspicion, you want to kill them?"
Feng Jin found it difficult to accept such a thing. She could not stand idly by and watch innocent lives be extinguished.
The youngest palace maid was only thirteen, and the oldest no more than seventeen. In modern times, they wouldn't even be considered adults.
"No, you cannot do this."
Feng Jin directly rejected Ling Mo Han's decision and snatched the handkerchief from him. In Ling Mo Han's hands, this handkerchief was a death warrant, and she could not let him have it.
"They are enemies. On the battlefield, a moment of leniency towards an enemy will become a fatal sword the next day. They absolutely cannot be kept."
He had seen too many such incidents. If you showed mercy today, they would bite you back tomorrow.
Furthermore, they were all Western Liang spies. Western Liang had trained them for years, and the ideology of loyalty to their country was deeply ingrained in their minds.
Allowing them to enter Eastern Chu alive was the greatest threat. The best course of action was to cut the grass and eliminate the roots.
"Give me the handkerchief." Ling Mo Han reached out to retrieve it.
A flicker of hesitation crossed Feng Jin's eyes, and she took a small step back. She understood Ling Mo Han; with his nature, he would never allow even the slightest threat to Eastern Chu to exist. She absolutely could not hand the handkerchief over to him.
"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 can 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 arrive at the capital in three days, and before we reach the capital, all of them must be dealt with!"
Ling Mo Han's tone became somewhat agitated. He was all too aware that if the roots were not cut now, endless troubles would follow.
"But... but... there are so many innocent people among them. Even if they are spies, becoming spies was not their choice. They were forced. Forced by power. If they didn't comply, they would have only one path: death. Living in a chaotic world, everyone tries their hardest to survive. Everything they do is just to stay alive."
The girls forced into becoming spies were the most tragic. Everything they did was merely to survive.
She truly could not bear to watch them die, not even with a sliver of hope. She wanted to try her best to save them.
Feng Jin stepped forward, took the man's hand, and said gently, "Let me try, okay? I want to save them. If it really doesn't work, then you can use your method to resolve it, alright?"
After a moment of silence, Ling Mo Han finally could not 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 live, it would depend on their own fate.
"Okay, two days it is."
She was already content that Ling Mo Han had made such a concession and dared not ask for more.
In two days, she could only try her best. At least she had tried, and her conscience would be clear.
Upon returning to the inn, Feng Jin kept staring at the handkerchief on the table, as well as the half-piece of jade pendant.
How could she persuade them to turn back? Feng Jin's face was full of worry. She had no clue at all.
"Young Madam, this servant has brewed some osmanthus and lotus seed porridge. You didn't eat much at dinner. Please have some."
Feng Jin glanced at the porridge in the bowl, having no appetite. "Cai Qing, I can't eat."
Her mind was entirely occupied with how to save the lives of those palace maids, leaving her with no appetite for food.
"Young Madam, there is still a long time until tomorrow morning. Please eat a little. We still have to travel tomorrow and take care of the two young masters. You must take care of yourself."
Cai Qing looked at Feng Jin's appearance and felt distressed. The young madam had not rested well last night and hadn't eaten much today. If this continued, even an iron body would collapse from exhaustion.
She brought the porridge to Feng Jin. "Young Madam, please do me the favor of eating some, since this servant worked hard to make this bowl of porridge."
Unable to refuse Cai Qing, Feng Jin reluctantly picked up the bowl and took a tasteless sip before losing all appetite and putting the bowl down.
"Young Madam, would you like to eat a little more?"
She only drank a mouthful; what good could that do? Cai Qing continued to urge.
"No, let's go out for a walk."
Being confined in the room was uncomfortable. Feng Jin got up and took Cai Qing to stroll aimlessly.
"Young Madam, this servant knows there is a pond ahead. The lotuses are in full bloom, and it's extremely beautiful. Shall we go and see?"
"Let's go and see."
In any case, she didn't know where else to go. Seeing the lotuses would be nice.
"Young Madam, look, that one is a twin lotus."
Feng Jin followed Cai Qing's gaze and indeed saw a twin lotus. What a good omen.
The entire pond of lotuses in full bloom was truly beautiful, evoking the feeling of "endless green lotus leaves connecting to the sky."
"What is that?" Feng Jin noticed something floating in the center of the pond that looked like a paper lantern.