When Feng Jin saw Lu Shi's figure, she stopped her useless argument with Ling Mo Han and hurriedly asked, "How is it? What happened..."
She fired off several questions in a row, not giving Lu Shi a chance to breathe, and pressed him urgently for an answer.
Lu Shi was so flustered by the barrage of questions that he didn't know where to begin. He opened his mouth slightly, unsure of how to respond.
"Enough! Look at yourself, what kind of demeanor do you have? Where is the bearing of a soldier? What do I usually teach you? Move like the wind, be still like the pine. Look at you now, flustered and beaming, what kind of image is that? You'll lose your life as soon as you reach the battlefield."
Ling Mo Han glared at Lu Shi, filled with disappointment. He had become like this just from being in love. It seemed my three months of teaching were no match for finding a wife. You must be too idle usually, to have time for such romantic affairs."
No wonder Lu Shi had been distracted all day, sometimes not even reacting when he called him. It seemed he had been too lenient with them, and they needed to be tempered more severely.
"Yes, Young General." Lu Shi immediately suppressed the smile on his lips, his expression returning to its usual demeanor.
Ling Mo Han looked at Lu Shi's current appearance with satisfaction and nodded. This was more like it. What was that earlier display of indiscipline?
"Ling Mo Han, move aside. I have things to ask."
Feng Jin shouted angrily, pushing the man blocking her path aside. Her gaze fell on Lu Shi, "Quickly, tell me what's going on?"
Lu Shi forcefully suppressed the urge to blurt out the truth, his tone as level as possible, "Young Madam, please forgive me. This subordinate merely went to speak with Cai Qing."
This was precisely the moment when she should have been witnessing some public display of affection, but Ling Mo Han had interrupted it so inappropriately.
With Ling Mo Han present, it was clearly impossible to get any more information from Lu Shi. Before she could even tell Lu Shi to leave, Ling Mo Han spoke and dismissed him.
"Lu Shi, you may go."
"As you command, Young General."
Lu Shi had been looking for an excuse to leave, and upon receiving the order, he hurried out.
"Alas..." She still had questions, but Lu Shi had already vanished. Feng Jin sighed in disappointment and finally turned her target to the culprit, Ling Mo Han.
"Why did you send Lu Shi away? I haven't finished asking my questions."
Ling Mo Han ignored Feng Jin's current interrogation and took a sip of tea, frowning as the rich aroma entered his mouth. The taste of the tea was truly... indescribable.
It was worlds apart from the tea at the capital's manor. After just one sip, Ling Mo Han put down the teacup. He didn't have another drop of tea until he left Yun City.
"Where are you going?"
The man suddenly stood up, and Feng Jin couldn't help but call out to him from behind.
"We were delayed on the road yesterday, and the envoy from Xiliang did not arrive. They will reach Yun City today. I'm going to take a look."
Stopping his steps, Ling Mo Han turned around and explained patiently.
"Then go."
Knowing that Ling Mo Han was going on official business, and being a reasonable person, she directly let him leave.
"Young General, the Xiliang envoy has arrived in Yun City and is currently at the city gate. As per your instructions, I have notified Fan Shun to go and receive them."
The moment Ling Mo Han stepped out, Lu Shi stepped forward to report.
"Let's go take a look."
Ling Mo Han strode away, followed by more than ten black-armored soldiers. When they arrived outside the city gate, Fan Shun was already engaged in pleasant conversation with the Xiliang envoy.
"Lord Fan truly knows people everywhere. Are you acquainted with the Xiliang envoy?"
"General Ling, you must not speak carelessly. This is a crime punishable by the extermination of one's nine generations. This humble official is extremely alarmed, extremely alarmed!"
Fan Shun casually wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve, his eyes cast a dark glance at Ling Mo Han.
"It was just a joke, Lord Fan. There's no need to be so frightened!" The man's lips curved into a cold smile, his eyes still filled with a chilling depth.
"Is this the Xiliang envoy?"
"This is Baili Xuan, the envoy from Xiliang. General Ling, greetings."
"Baili Xuan..." Ling Mo Han murmured the name and said lightly, "Who is Baili Xi to you?"
"He is my cousin."
"Your Baili clan has served the royal family of Xiliang for generations, truly a loyal family of warriors. Your grandfather, Baili Xiong, was a great general, but alas..."
Ling Mo Han's words were like knives piercing Baili Xuan's heart. Baili Xuan's gaze immediately turned cold, and his eyes held a murderous glint as he looked at Ling Mo Han.
"My grandfather is naturally a hero of our Xiliang. The subjects of Xiliang will forever remember my grandfather. My grandfather's death at Mount Tai is the pride of my Baili descendants."
Baili Xuan said neither subserviently nor arrogantly, appearing more composed than his cousin Baili Xi.
"Indeed, this general has always admired Baili Xiong's loyalty."
During the war with Xiliang that year, Baili Xiong, who was known to have never lost a battle, had been defeated by his hand.
Upon returning, he had been consumed by melancholy and died not long after.
From then on, the Baili family had harbored a deep resentment towards him, with some even vowing to kill him to appease Baili Xiong's spirit.
Baili Xi had been enraged and tried to kill him at first sight. However, Baili Xuan today was far more cunning and able to maintain his composure, showing some measure of grace.
"General Ling, Lord Baili, there's no need to dwell on these past events. Let's focus on the matter at hand."
Fan Shun, listening to their exchange, had heard enough and quickly interjected to mediate.
"These are the dowry gifts bestowed by His Majesty upon the Princess. The gift list is here, General Ling, you may verify it item by item."
Ling Mo Han took the gift list and scanned it, quickly discovering something amiss. Xiliang had been plagued by natural disasters in recent years, and the national treasury was in deficit. While the rest of the dowry for the Xiliang Princess was not substantial, the number of maids and eunuchs alone was considerable, totaling three thousand people.
Xiliang could no longer afford to support them and was devising a way to send them to Dong Chu to be raised. What a clever scheme.
"General Ling, is there anything unsuitable with this gift list?"
"Your Emperor truly dotes on his Princess. This dowry is more than double the usual amount."
"The Princess is His Majesty's youngest daughter and has always been pampered and spoiled. As she is marrying into Dong Chu, His Majesty worries that the Princess will miss her homeland while in Dong Chu. Therefore, he has prepared a generous dowry to alleviate her homesickness."