Feng Jin had deliberately held back, fearing he might trick her.
"This subordinate understands, this subordinate understands!"
He did not want to experience the torment he had just endured and begged for mercy repeatedly.
"Speak, who ordered you to come here?"
"This subordinate does not know who the mastermind is. It was a masked man who has been in contact with me. He told me to keep an eye on the Ling residence and report any unusual activity to him immediately."
Feng Jin lowered her eyelids, contemplating how much truth there was in his words.
"Madam, my name is Li San. I was just a street rogue. I did this purely for money and had no other intentions. Madam, please let me go!"
Li San begged repeatedly, his words earnest and seemingly sincere.
However, one can only know a person's heart through their actions, and Feng Jin still harbored many doubts. Whether he spoke the truth or not would be revealed with a test.
"When and where did you agree to meet for the transaction, and how much money did he promise you?"
"We agreed to meet at the City God Temple in the east of the city. As long as I gathered information about the Young General, he would give me one thousand taels of silver as payment. Madam, I am telling the truth, please spare me!"
After a moment of thought, Feng Jin said, "I can let you go, but you must do something for me."
"Madam, please tell me. If it is within my capabilities, I will certainly do it."
"Continue to contact that person. Just tell him that the Young General is unharmed and has awakened. After you've completed the task, I will give you two thousand taels as reward."
Two thousand taels of silver! Li San's eyes lit up instantly at the thought of the money, "I'll do it, I will definitely do as the Young Madam says."
This way, he could get money from both sides, totaling three thousand taels of silver. Such a windfall was truly unbelievable.
Feng Jin smiled and nodded with satisfaction. She took out an antidote pill from her embrace and handed it to him, "This antidote will suppress the poison in your body for three days. After you complete the task, I will give you the antidote and two thousand taels of silver."
Li San took the pill and swallowed it immediately, "Thank you, Madam."
"You two, escort him out of the residence," Feng Jin casually instructed two people.
After they left, Feng Jin's expression gradually turned grim, "Lu Shi, take the hidden guards and follow him. As soon as he meets with someone, capture them all."
"Your subordinate obeys."
The reason she let him go was to cast a long line to catch a big fish. This person, dressed as a common ruffian, walked with light steps, and his index and middle fingers were long and slender, indicating he was accustomed to petty thievery.
The mastermind's intentions were truly deep. He found common folk and bribed them with money to gather information.
Even if something went wrong, it would be difficult to trace back to her. It was indeed very meticulous.
After Li San was sent away through the back door, Lu Shi followed with the hidden guards, remaining in the shadows.
After leaving the Ling residence, Li San went directly to the City God Temple in the east of the city.
He looked around, and seeing no one following him, he walked inside.
Inside the City God Temple, a man in black with a curved saber at his waist stood there. Upon seeing Li San, he asked, "Have you gathered any information?"
"I have."
Li San's eyes darted around suspiciously, his mind rapidly working on a plan.
"Speak, is Ling Mo Han dead or alive?" the man in black asked angrily.
"This... we had an agreement. One thousand taels of silver. I won't say anything until I see the money."
Li San, having grown up in the bustling streets, was more cunning and calculative than others. He would not speak without seeing the money first.
A murderous glint flashed in the man in black's eyes. He took out a package and threw it on the ground, "Here is one thousand taels of silver. Now tell me what happened."
Li San hurriedly counted the silver. It was the first time he had seen so much money, and his eyes lit up. He quickly clutched the money to his chest.
With one thousand taels already in hand, he would be financially secure for the rest of his life once he received the remaining two thousand taels.
"I have found out. Young General Ling has awakened. I bribed a servant in the Ling residence's kitchen to get the information..." Fearing the man in black might not believe him, Li San recounted the event of the Prince of Jing and his wife visiting that day.
"Prince of Jing and his wife visited at noon today. I saw them enter the residence with my own eyes."
Upon hearing "Prince of Jing," a flicker of surprise crossed the man in black's eyes.
If Chu Chenyi had gone to the Ling residence, did that mean Ling Mo Han still had contact with Chu Chenyi? He needed to inform the Third Prince of this quickly and make plans accordingly.
"I have finished my task and received my payment. From now on, we have no further connection. I will be leaving now."
Li San had sensed early on that this matter was not simple, but he was only after the money. Once he got the money, he wanted to distance himself from them as quickly as possible.
After receiving the remaining two thousand taels, he would not be able to stay in the capital. He needed to find an opportunity to leave and live a good life elsewhere.
As Li San was about to leave with the money, a long sword suddenly pierced his chest.
Intense pain shot through his chest, and hot liquid dripped down. Li San's eyes were filled with disbelief as he turned to look at the man in black who had struck him from behind, stuttering, "You... you..."
"You won't be able to take this money!"
The man in black twisted the sword in his hand, pushing it further into his chest.
Li San fell to the ground instantly, his eyes wide open, dead with unfinished business.
Picking up the package, the man in black stepped out of the City God Temple only to be surrounded by Lu Shi and his men.
"Surrender obediently, and I can spare your life," Lu Shi said, approaching from behind.
The man in black's heart tightened as he realized he had fallen into Li San's trap.
"Even if I die, you will never get any information from me."
Surrounded, the man in black raised his saber, intending to commit suicide.
In an instant, his hand felt a sharp sting as if bitten by a mosquito. Suddenly, his strength failed him, and he couldn't even hold his saber. It clattered to the ground, and his tall body fell straight down.
Lu Shi retrieved his arrow. This small object, no larger than his palm, was quite potent. The Young Madam had indeed calculated everything, entrusting this item to him, which proved to be very useful.
"Take this person back to the residence and interrogate him thoroughly."
It was worth all his efforts these past few days. Finally, there was some progress.
...
Feng Jin played with the various bottles and jars in her hand, making pleasant tinkling sounds.
She was developing a serum that could lighten fine lines and scars when applied to the skin, a true beauty elixir. When used with a nourishing lotion, it would surely preserve youthfulness.
Once developed, its sale would surely set the capital ablaze. She would undoubtedly be making a fortune, and her personal treasury would soon be overflowing.