Chapter 174: The Visitor

Cheng Maoming's enthusiastic agreement had been well within Qi Shuo's expectations. He provided his prepared explanation: "No need for anything else. If it isn't too much trouble, just ensure his food and living conditions are decent, and simply don't let him run out."

The strangeness in Cheng Maoming's eyes was almost impossible to conceal.

This must be a woman involved with the Prince of Jing's Heir. Since the Heir had already become engaged, he couldn't simply dismiss her, and had actually thought of confining her within the Jinlin Guard. One had to admit, the Prince of Jing's Heir acted quite differently from ordinary people.

"Not a trouble at all, not a trouble at all," Cheng Maoming said, wearing an expression of understanding.

Although Qi Shuo felt the man's expression was odd, he still thanked him with a smile: "Thank you, Grand Commander. I will have my family's guards bring the person here immediately."

"No problem. How long does the Heir intend to keep them confined?"

"Keep them confined for now, until they figure things out."

Cheng Maoming nodded. "Very well. Rest assured, Heir, I will restrain my subordinates and keep their mouths shut."

Qi Shuo thanked him once more and returned to the Prince of Jing's Mansion.

Hearing the footsteps outside the door, Du Qing's eyes flashed with vigilance.

He had been in this airtight room for several days. Aside from someone delivering food and drink on schedule, no one had paid him any attention the rest of the time. Prolonged silence and lack of communication could drive a person mad.

It wasn't mealtime; who was here?

Just as he was thinking this, the door creaked open, and a tall, slender young man walked in.

Du Qing's gaze tightened.

It was the Prince of Jing's Heir!

He stared at Qi Shuo as the latter approached in a few steps, remaining silent.

"I'm moving you to a different place today," Qi Shuo said in a casual tone, as if engaging in small talk.

Du Qing looked at him, seeing nothing but calm on that youthful face.

He thought to himself that this truly did not look like a young lord raised in luxury and nobility.

"What exactly do you want?" After a brief silence, Du Qing asked.

Since the other party was determined that he intended to harm the second Miss Lin, why leave him here to be ignored instead of giving him a quick end?

Qi Shuo smiled. "Didn't I say? I'm moving you to a different place."

Toward those who intended to harm Lin Hao, he found it difficult to maintain a good attitude. This smile held no warmth, and in Du Qing's eyes, it felt increasingly unpredictable.

"Take him away." At Qi Shuo's command, two young guards quickly entered and led Du Qing out.

A carriage was waiting at the moon gate. He was shoved into the carriage and sent directly to the Jinlin Guard.

Cheng Maoming had been waiting for a long time.

Normally, he wouldn't need to personally handle such a trivial matter as confining someone, but he couldn't suppress his curiosity.

He wanted to see what kind of woman could cause such endless annoyance to the Prince of Jing's Heir.

"Is the person here?" Cheng Maoming went to the place where Du Qing was being held.

It wasn't a dark dungeon; rather, it looked more like an ordinary guest room. Such rooms were common in the Jinlin Guard, primarily used to detain individuals of status who had not yet been convicted.

Seeing Cheng Maoming enter, the subordinates bowed one after another.

"Grand Commander."

Cheng Maoming ignored the greetings, his eyes glued to Du Qing's face.

A... a man?

Unable to believe the reality before him, he looked to his left and right. "Is this the person sent by the Prince of Jing's Heir?"

Upon receiving an affirmative answer from his subordinate, Cheng Maoming's expression became even more peculiar.

"Grand Commander—"

Cheng Maoming snapped back to his senses, his face returning to a serious state. "Do not let the person go hungry, and do not let him escape."

"Yes, sir."

Cheng Maoming gave Du Qing one last deep look before turning to leave.

***

That night, there was movement in a deathly silent, abandoned house. A few people were gathered in the hall discussing matters, with only a single, pea-sized oil lamp illuminating the table they huddled around.

"Latest news: Boss Du is no longer at the Prince of Jing's Mansion; he's been sent to the Jinlin Guard," a man with a scar near his eye whispered.

The expressions of the others were equally grim.

"I didn't expect the Prince of Jing's Heir to be so cunning. He simply doesn't play by the rules!"

"Yeah, all those days of scouting and setting up were for nothing."

For the past few days, they had halted all other business to circle the Prince of Jing's Mansion, intent on rescuing Du Qing, only to find their efforts were in vain.

"That Prince of Jing's Heir... we'll find a chance to teach him a lesson!"

The scarred man glanced at the speaker. "Don't go looking for trouble. You think it's that easy to mess with the Prince of Jing's Heir after he managed to trip up Boss Du? The most important thing right now is to get Boss Du out."

"That'll be difficult. The Jinlin Guard's cells are like walls of bronze and iron. Besides, once we make a move, we'll be on the Jinlin Guard's radar, making it even harder to operate in the future."

The group fell silent.

The Jinlin Guard's job was searching, capturing, and investigating; they would rather avoid them than risk a prison break that would draw the Guard's scrutiny and cause trouble later.

After a long while, someone tentatively suggested, "How about... we wait for a better opportunity?"

"That's the only way," the others agreed one after another.

The pea-sized light went out, plunging the hall into darkness. Taking advantage of the moonlight, the group quietly left the abandoned house, scattering in all directions.

***

The frequency of sweeping on the main streets of the capital increased. The blue stone-paved roads were kept bright at all times, especially on Jinxiu Street, where even the trees and flowers on both sides were beautifully manicured.

The Imperial Court's intention was clear: they wanted to present a prosperous capital of the Great Zhou to the envoys of Yuliu.

This was not just about saving face; it was also a form of alternative deterrence.

Whether it be individuals or nations, people cannot help but admire the strong. Once the Yuliu people recognized the prosperity of the Great Zhou, they would act more cautiously between the Great Zhou and the Great Qi.

As time entered early summer, the day for the Yuliu envoys to enter the capital finally arrived.

Many commoners crowded the streets to watch, and Qi Shuo and Lin Hao were among them.

Now that the two were engaged, they could finally meet openly and properly.

"There are quite a lot of people. Do you want to go up to a teahouse to watch?" Qi Shuo pointed to a teahouse across the street.

The private rooms on the second floor of such street-facing teahouses had long been booked up, specifically to provide a high vantage point for watching the festivities. Qi Shuo had reserved one of them.

"No need, watching from here is quite interesting." Lin Hao stood on her tiptoes, looking toward the city gates.

Qi Shuo was amused by her enthusiasm for watching the spectacle.

Surrounded by people, the sounds of laughter and commotion were endless. He quietly took hold of her soft hand.

Lin Hao shot him a quick glance and whispered, "Someone will see!"

"Everyone is looking at the Yuliu envoys," Qi Shuo replied without changing his expression, refusing to let go.

Lin Hao lowered her eyes to look at their joined hands, hidden beneath their sleeves. She pursed her lips and could only let him be.

Only after being engaged did she realize that the Prince of Jing's Heir was incredibly thick-skinned!

"They're coming! They're coming!" Cheers erupted, and the crowd grew restless.

Qi Shuo stepped to the side to block the surging crowd and looked toward the direction.

A procession dressed in Yuliu attire approached from the city gates. The procession was long, consisting of riders, pedestrians, and carriages.

Two carriages in the center moved one after the other, each pulled by four magnificent steeds. The horses had identical coats and looked exceptionally majestic; one didn't even need to guess that the occupants of these two carriages were the two highest-ranking individuals among the Yuliu envoys.

Qi Shuo whispered in Lin Hao's ear, "I heard there is a prince among the Yuliu envoys this time."

The curtains on both sides of the windows of the leading carriage were rolled up. Because the carriage was moving slowly, a young man sitting inside could be clearly seen.

Lin Hao took one look and lost interest, turning her gaze toward the carriage that was tightly covered.

(End of Chapter)