Chapter 29

After resolving the matters with the Qian family, Lin Qing fashioned a wheelchair for Zhou Fusheng, hired a carriage and a driver, and set off toward the Northern Frontier.

Inside the carriage, after hesitating for several days, Zhou Fusheng finally spoke up: "That Magistrate Gu is not a good official."

"During those days I spent making your wheelchair, I walked through the surrounding villages. The Qian couple has been wantonly seizing land and forcing sales in Sinan, and Magistrate Gu has been aiding and abetting them while engaging in significant corruption. However, none of that is enough to cost them their lives."

"Do you remember that floating cloud jade carving we saw at the Qian residence?" Lin Qing handed him a waterskin.

Zhou Fusheng’s lips were slightly chapped; he took the skin and drank a few gulps. "Was there something wrong with that jade carving?"

Lin Qing replied, "That was dragon-patterned jade. It is emerald green, but reflects a bright yellow under sunlight. Since the founding of the Great Yuan Dynasty, only the Imperial family has been permitted to use it."

She reassured him, "Don't worry. Before we left, I sent word to the capital from a secret branch of the Heavenly Records Bureau. With a piece of dragon-patterned jade that large, the Qian family won't be able to escape, and that man surnamed Gu will have to suffer the consequences as well."

Zhou Fusheng had not expected that Lin Qing had arranged everything the moment she stepped into the Qian residence. His eyes filled with admiration. "No wonder you are a favorite of His Majesty. While others hadn't even noticed, you had already settled everything."

Lin Qing leaned lazily against the backrest. "I have no choice; if I don't have the ability, how am I going to climb the ranks and get rich? You focus on resting; the journey ahead is still long."

Zhou Fusheng was momentarily stunned by the mention of "climbing ranks and getting rich." He gave her a peculiar look but didn't press further. "The Northern Frontier is vast. Where exactly are we going?"

"Let's go to Weicheng first. The Duke of the State's mansion is there; perhaps we can gather some useful information," Lin Qing replied.

Before departing, she had already told everyone that if they were separated, they should gather in Weicheng. With Meng Jie accompanying them, there shouldn't be any major issues.

Sinan was not exactly close to Weicheng. The carriage traveled for nearly half a month before the city walls finally came into view. The line to enter was long, with pedestrians in one lane and carriages in another.

The driver pulled the carriage into place and joined the queue.

Zhou Fusheng found it quite strange. "I have been to Weicheng once before, and it didn't seem like this."

"We'll know once we ask," Lin Qing said, lifting the carriage window curtain and beckoning to a beggar nearby.

The beggar was young; seeing this, he fawningly ran to the carriage. "Do you have business, noble one?"

Lin Qing handed him a small silver ingot. "What is going on with the city gates of Weicheng?"

The beggar’s eyes lit up at the sight of the silver, and he immediately replied, "Rumor has it that spies from Shangju have infiltrated the city. They’ve been conducting strict inspections for the past few days."

Shangju was a small country bordering the Northern Frontier. Like Gouyue, it was difficult to deal with, though it was not as active as Gouyue; one could even say it was quite isolationist.

Lin Qing pretended to be truly curious. "Are there any unusual events here? Tell me about them to pass the time."

"Unusual events?" The beggar scratched his head, then slapped his forehead. "I remember now! A few days ago, two groups of people entering the city got into a fight."

"Oh?" Lin Qing asked, puzzled. "They weren't arrested for fighting in front of the city gate?"

"Not only were they not arrested, but the guards at the gate respectfully invited them in. They said it was the... Heavenly..." The beggar struggled to recall.

"The Heavenly Records Bureau," Lin Qing supplied.

"Right, that’s it, the Heavenly Records Bureau," the beggar nodded repeatedly.

Lin Qing understood immediately that Meng Jie had arrived. "What about the other group?"

The beggar said, "There were very few in the other group. I remember them clearly because the young master leading them was exceptionally handsome. Many young ladies were blushing at the sight of him."

Lin Qing waved him off and retreated into the carriage. That other group must have been Mu Wantang.

Just then, a guard patrolling the city rode past and shouted, "The city gates are under martial law! No entry allowed!"

Following this, the city gates slowly began to close.

The people left outside fell into chaos. Some gathered in small groups to whisper, some paced back and forth in anxiety, and others sighed in despair.

Zhou Fusheng sighed. "It seems something has happened in the city. It’s a pity we are trapped outside."

"Where is the closest place to Weicheng?" Lin Qing watched the various reactions of the people outside, a bad feeling settling in her heart.

Zhou Fusheng thought for a moment. "If we head back, it should be Lu Family Village. Shall we go there?"

Lin Qing shook her head gently. "No rush, let's wait and see."

Perhaps because it was a settled fact that they couldn't enter the city, many people began to leave. Those who lived nearby were fine, but those from further away had no choice but to head toward Lu Family Village. About an hour later, only a scattered few remained before the city gates.

The guards began to drive the remaining people away.

Lin Qing said, "We’re going in."

Zhou Fusheng was startled. "Wouldn't that be unwise?"

Lin Qing shook her head. If she followed the crowd to Lu Family Village, she might miss news from inside the city. While Lu Family Village was important, the Duke of the State currently inside the city was more critical.

The driver was elderly and, seeing the guards' posture, was terrified and refused to move forward.

Lin Qing sighed. She didn't want to make things difficult for him, so she simply grabbed her pack and pushed Zhou Fusheng out of the carriage.

The guards immediately surrounded them. "The city gate is under martial law! Leave at once!"

"Wait," Lin Qing pulled the Heavenly Records Bureau token from her waist and held it toward the carriage window. "Lin Qing, Deputy Commissioner of the Heavenly Records Bureau, requests to see the Duke of the State."

The guards looked at each other. One of them took the token and ran into the city. Shortly after, he returned with a young man.

The young man was dressed in fine, wealthy attire, fiddling with a folding fan. He had a square face and arched eyebrows, his expression full of arrogance. He snorted through his nose upon seeing them. "I have inspected it; this token is fake. Tell me, who are you to dare impersonate an official of the Heavenly Records Bureau!"

Lin Qing raised an eyebrow. *Oh?* She was usually quite arrogant herself, but this guy was even worse. He was practically begging for a beating.

It seemed that the Duke of the State's mansion in Weicheng was in trouble.

"I am indeed not Lin Qing; I picked up this token."

The young man was stunned. He had expected Lin Qing to argue with him or perhaps resort to force, but he had never expected her to simply admit it!

This cut off all the things he had planned to say next.

The young man’s face turned black and red with frustration. "Men! Throw these two thieves into the dungeon!"

"No need to drag us; we have legs. Just lead the way," Lin Qing stared at the young man, a smirk playing on her lips. "However, I don't like being touched. If anyone's hand happens to slip, don't blame me for being impolite."

Lin Qing’s gaze was sharp and cold, causing the young man to unconsciously take a step back, not daring to look at her again.

Seeing this, the guards felt an inexplicable fear toward Lin Qing and stopped giving her trouble.

Lin Qing pushed the wheelchair into Weicheng, with guards following on all sides to prevent them from escaping.

Zhou Fusheng turned his head, looking at her with concern.

Lin Qing patted his hand on the armrest reassuringly. "Look, we got into the city, didn't we?"

Weicheng was the last city closest to the border; thirty miles further lay the territory bordering the Shuo State. Because the garrison was stationed just outside the city, many households in Weicheng were military families. Usually, it was quite lively, but today it appeared rather desolate.

Most shops along the streets were closed, pedestrians hurried by, and even the beggars were nowhere to be found.

Seeing this, Zhou Fusheng’s face was filled with worry. He whispered, "Lin Qing, you should go. Don't worry about me."

"It'll be fine," Lin Qing patted his shoulder, her eyes darting toward a corner. "We won't end up in jail."

Sure enough, the young man from earlier caught up to them. He said to the guards, "Some dangerous criminals have escaped from the prison; take them to the Duke's mansion for custody instead."

The guards followed the order and changed course. Two quarters of an hour later, Lin Qing and Zhou Fusheng were locked in a guest room within the Duke's mansion.

After the guards left, the young man sneaked in. Gone was his previous arrogance; he respectfully returned the Heavenly Records Bureau token to Lin Qing’s hand. "I hope you will forgive my rudeness earlier, Deputy Commissioner Lin."

Lin Qing had noticed something off about him from the start. She put away the token. "What exactly has happened?"

"I am Bu Tong, a colonel in the army, and now... I am the head of the city gate guards," Bu Tong said, looking somewhat embarrassed. But thinking of the current state of Weicheng, he had to suppress his shame. "Deputy Commissioner Lin, the Duke... has gone missing."

"What!" Lin Qing was shocked. She knew something was wrong with Weicheng, but she hadn't expected the Duke—the anchor of the region—to be gone. Everything had been perfectly normal before her master returned.

"Ten days ago, scouts reported signs of bandits. The Duke led the army to encircle and suppress them, but he went missing on Wanglang Mountain, ten miles outside the city."

Lin Qing asked carefully, "Tell me the details. What happened?"

"I was in the ranks that day. The army pushed deep into the heart of Wanglang Mountain when a thick fog suddenly descended. We couldn't see anything. When the fog cleared, the horse was still there, but the Duke who had been riding it was gone, as if he had seen a ghost." Bu Tong shuddered at the memory.

Zhou Fusheng raised his eyes and looked at him. "How could there be so many ghosts and spirits? It was nothing more than deception. Why didn't you report it?"

Bu Tong felt depressed mentioning this. "We couldn't."

Lin Qing understood immediately. "The military power has been seized?"

Bu Tong nodded. "After the Duke disappeared, we searched Wanglang Mountain thoroughly but found nothing. We had to return to camp, only to find that the tiger tally had already fallen into the hands of Deputy General Liu."

The result was obvious: with military power in the hands of others, the veterans loyal to the Duke were naturally suppressed, and even Bu Tong was relegated to guarding the city gate.

Lin Qing’s expression was grim. More importantly, not a single word of this had reached the capital.

Seeing her expression, Zhou Fusheng could only stare down at his crippled leg. "Do whatever you need to do; don't worry about me."

Bu Tong quickly added, "The two of you, rest assured. Although the Duke is missing, the Heir is still here, and the Duke's mansion is still safe."

Lin Qing knew the Heir to the Duke of the State; he had been exceptionally talented in both literature and martial arts in the capital and was quite a prominent figure.

Since the Duke's mansion was safe, it was best for Zhou Fusheng to stay here.

However, just then, someone outside announced that Deputy General Liu had arrived.