Chapter 30

Upon hearing that Liu Rong was coming, Bu Tong immediately flew into a panic. "Oh no, we’re done for!"

"It’s fine. My token is with them; it would be strange if he didn’t show up," Lin Qing said, offering a word of comfort.

Before her words had even faded, there was a deafening crash. The two wooden doors were instantly shattered into splinters, and a hand, looking like a tiger's claw, lunged for Bu Tong’s throat.

The attacker was too fast. Bu Tong had no time to react; his eyes widened, and time seemed to stand still.

Lin Qing frowned. Bu Tong could not be harmed.

She casually picked up a teacup from the table and threw it with one hand. Wrapped in inner energy, the teacup transformed into a streak of silver light. It struck the palm with a sharp crack, shattering into pieces and rebounding off.

The room fell into sudden silence.

The man clutched his bleeding hand, casting a threatening gaze toward Lin Qing.

"This must be Vice General Liu," Lin Qing said, calmly appraising him.

Vice General Liu, whose name was Liu Rong, stood nine feet tall. He was broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with a short beard on his chin and a fierce look on his face.

Liu Rong snorted coldly, ignoring her to lash out at Bu Tong: "Bu Tong! I am currently in charge of Weicheng on behalf of the General. Yet you bring these rats, who impersonate the Tianlu Bureau, into the Duke’s mansion? What exactly are you plotting?"

Sweat beaded on Bu Tong’s forehead. He knew he had acted rashly today. "This... this... the prison was in chaos, so I temporarily placed them here, intending to lock them away once things were settled."

Liu Rong glanced at him. "In that case, take these two to the county office. I will send soldiers to guard them."

Bu Tong was at a loss, looking to Lin Qing for help.

Zhou Fusheng immediately moved his wheelchair to shield Lin Qing, watching them vigilantly. "She is innocent. The token is mine. If you want to arrest someone, arrest me."

Liu Rong looked at the wheelchair, then at Zhou Fusheng’s state, and sneered. "A disabled piece of trash like you is fit to speak to me?"

Zhou Fusheng remained composed. "Though I am disabled, I am a legitimate member of the Tianlu Bureau. If the General does not believe me, feel free to send someone to the Bureau to inquire."

"Do you think I need to send someone just because you tell me to? Who do you think you are?" Liu Rong shot him a look of contempt. "Trash."

Zhou Fusheng’s hands, resting on the armrests, clenched into fists. He lowered his head, as if his spirit had vanished in an instant.

Lin Qing had originally intended to deal with this man surnamed Liu tactfully, but seeing Zhou Fusheng like this, a fire was ignited in her heart.

Those under her protection were not to be trifled with; anyone who made trouble for them made trouble for her. And if they made trouble for her, she wouldn’t be Lin Qing if she didn’t make them pay dearly.

Lin Qing brushed the dust off her clothes. "The late Emperor once said that if the people have grievances, one must deliberate before judging. Evidence, witnesses, and motive—none can be missing. Pray tell, Vice General Liu, if I forged a token, what would be my motive? And who can prove that my token is forged?"

"Or does Vice General Liu happen to have a Tianlu Bureau token of his own to serve as evidence?" She strolled forward. "If so, I must ask: why are you, Liu Rong, hoarding a Tianlu Bureau token? How did you obtain it? Is the Tianlu guard from whom you seized it still alive?"

She slammed her hand onto the table, and with a loud crack, the wooden table shattered and collapsed. "Liu Rong, my Tianlu Bureau is the personal guard of the Emperor! We are not to be bullied by anyone!"

The scene stunned everyone in the room. The young person stood tall; though a smile played on their lips, their eyes radiated a bone-chilling intent to kill.

It seemed everyone had forgotten that Lin Qing reached her current position by fighting tooth and nail. The blood on her hands was no less than anyone else’s here—perhaps even more.

Liu Rong felt as if he were staring at a wolf ready to tear him apart at any moment. He instinctively retreated half a step, shocked. But as a Vice General who had spent years on the battlefield, he quickly regained his composure and hissed, "Fake is fake. I will not argue with you about that. You—!"

His voice cut off abruptly as a golden token slammed into his face.

Lin Qing sneered. "Since Vice General Liu does not recognize a Tianlu Bureau token, surely you have seen this Imperial Golden Medal?"

She tapped her forehead. "Ah, Vice General Liu has not been to the capital in years; perhaps you don't know what an Imperial Golden Medal looks like. Since the eldest young master of the Jiang family is still in the mansion, why don't we let him take a look?"

Liu Rong’s face shifted from green to white, then to black, then back to green—a truly spectacular sight.

"No need, I am here." Before anyone knew it, a person appeared behind the guards.

The person was tall and slender, dressed in a sapphire-blue long gown with their hair tied up high, adorned with a small white jade crown. With a dainty, oval face, their features were delicate and beautiful.

Lin Qing noticed something wrong at a single glance.

The heir of the Duke of Zhen’s mansion had a loose waistband, and their clothes were baggy and oversized—much like her own. Their eyebrows were clearly drawn with an eyebrow pencil in a rough, willow-leaf style, and beneath the ears, there were small, visible piercings.

As the person approached, she even caught a faint scent of blood. Looking down, she noticed a small, dark red stain on the hem of their matching trousers.

Lin Qing: "..." The feeling of meeting someone of her own kind was truly not very pleasant.

She quietly stepped forward, blocking the heir of the Duke of Zhen’s mansion from behind to conceal the stain.

The heir of the Duke of Zhen’s mansion, named Jiang Ruoyi, ignored Liu Rong entirely. Though slightly confused by Lin Qing blocking them, they turned around, cupped their hands, and said, "I can testify as the heir of the Duke of Zhen that this Imperial Golden Medal is genuine, and the Tianlu Bureau token is also real."

Lin Qing gave a low cough and turned to Jiang Ruoyi. "The young heir looks pale; you must be unwell. Please, sit and rest." Saying this, she firmly pressed them into a chair.

Jiang Ruoyi found it inexplicable, but guessing that Lin Qing might have her own reasons, she cooperated and remained seated.

Holding the token, Lin Qing smiled. "Vice General Liu, seeing the gold medal is like seeing the Emperor in person. Why are you still standing? Are you dissatisfied with me? Or are you dissatisfied with the Emperor for bestowing this token upon me?"

Liu Rong panted heavily, his eyes reddening. He wished he could rush over and tear Lin Qing to shreds.

"It seems Vice General Liu is unwilling to kneel." Lin Qing sighed. "Very well. Young Heir Jiang, could I borrow your mansion's messenger pigeon later? I need to write a letter to the Emperor..."

"Subject Liu Rong pays his respects to the Emperor!" Liu Rong gasped so hard it seemed steam might pour from his nose. He dropped to one knee with a heavy thud.

Lin Qing felt a phantom ache in her own knees just hearing the sound. She feigned distress as she looked at the medal in her hand. "Vice General Liu, there is no need for this. I know you are just dissatisfied with my Tianlu Bureau. I will explain it clearly to the Emperor."

"This subject is very... satisfied... with the Emperor’s arrangements!" Liu Rong dropped to his other knee as well, his shoulders trembling violently, as if he might pass out from rage at any moment.

"That’s good." Lin Qing patted her chest, as if truly startled, before her tone shifted, carrying a hint of coldness. "Then, what did you mean by what you said earlier, Vice General Liu?"

Liu Rong: "It... it was me who spoke wrongly. I was wrong!"

Lin Qing’s gaze was indifferent. "Why are you apologizing to me, Vice General Liu?"

Liu Rong squeezed his eyes shut and said to Zhou Fusheng, "I was wrong. Please, don't blame me!"

Zhou Fusheng did not speak; he only looked at Lin Qing, his peach-blossom eyes shining brightly.

See? There were always people who didn't care about his disability, people willing to stand by his side. She was indeed someone worth choosing.

Lin Qing smiled at Zhou Fusheng in reassurance, then turned back to Liu Rong with eyes full of frost. "Vice General Liu, an apology should have some sincerity. I hear you have several shops in the city..."

Liu Rong’s heart bled, but he dared not resist. "I will have the deeds sent over later."

Lin Qing looked at Zhou Fusheng, asking with her eyes if he was satisfied.

Zhou Fusheng nodded with a smile.

Only then did Lin Qing put away the gold medal. "Vice General Liu, we have traveled a long way and need to rest. We won't see you out."

Liu Rong stood up, turned, and strode out of the room. He paused at the doorway for a moment, clenched his fists in humiliation, and left.

Only Lin Qing, Jiang Ruoyi, Zhou Fusheng, and Bu Tong remained in the room.

Lin Qing smiled. "Thank you, Young Heir Jiang, for today."

Jiang Ruoyi shook their head. "It is I who should thank Officer Lin for being willing to step into the muddy waters of the North. However, Liu Rong is narrow-minded and arrogant. Even if he doesn't dare to act against the gold medal on the surface, there is no telling what he might do in the shadows."

Lin Qing truly despised Liu Rong. "If he were a good general, working for the country and the people, I would respect him. But he didn't reach his current position through merit; he did it by leveraging the power of the Marquis of Yongqing..."

The Marquis of Yongqing was a relative of the Empress Dowager and held great power in the court. Liu Rong was the Marquis’s cousin. Two years ago, the Tianlu Bureau had already sent back evidence of his crimes: embezzling military pay, forming factions, and reporting false military achievements...

Regrettably, the Emperor had been forced by the Empress Dowager to suppress the case temporarily.

Jiang Ruoyi was also deeply disgusted by this "rat droppings" of a man, but there was nothing they could do. "Officer Lin, let us put him aside for now. The difficult part is my father’s disappearance."

Lin Qing said, "Young Heir Jiang, rest assured. The Duke has spent half a lifetime on the battlefield; he is not someone these petty fools can easily outmaneuver. Rather than being plotted against, I am inclined to believe the Duke has hidden himself. As for why he hasn't appeared, it is likely that the time is not yet right."

Bu Tong, who had been standing to the side, suddenly slapped his forehead. "I just remembered! Before the Duke went to Wanglang Mountain, he left something with me. I’ll go get it!" He ran out.

Zhou Fusheng remarked helplessly, "Officer Bu is always coming and going in such a rush."

Jiang Ruoyi’s eyes lit up. "Brother Bu is my father’s confidant; perhaps he has a clue."

"We shall see soon enough," Lin Qing said as she stuffed the gold medal and the Tianlu Bureau token back into her pouch. Suddenly, there was a click, and the two tokens squeezed the only remaining item out of the bag.

It was a small, green jade whistle, with the character "Nan" engraved on the bottom.

The eyes of all three fell upon the small whistle.

Lin Qing froze. This was the very whistle Jiang Ruonan had given her back at the Prince of Rui’s mansion.

Jiang Ruoyi was Jiang Ruonan’s older brother; naturally, they were intimately familiar with this whistle. They picked it up, examined it carefully, and when they looked back at Lin Qing, their expression had completely changed.

It was the look of a sibling who had caught their sister’s lover and was fighting the urge to kill them on the spot.

Lin Qing: "..."

Fearless as she was, she suddenly felt an urge to run.