"General, your subordinate has searched in secret but found no trace of Chu Yanxi. Ling Mohan's men have also been searching continuously, and your subordinate dared not make too much of a fuss!"
Bai Li Xi slowly put down the wine cup in his hand, his eagle-like eyes narrowing slightly.
The capital was only this large. Two groups had searched everywhere, and still, Chu Yanxi's whereabouts remained unfound. He was indeed curious about where Chu Yanxi was hiding.
"General, Chu Yanxi knows too many of our affairs. If Ling Mohan's men find Chu Yanxi first, our situation will be precarious. The General must make a decision soon."
"You don't need to remind me of this. I, this General, naturally know it. However, the capital is now full of Ling Mohan's spies. When we do things on Dong Chu's territory, we are even more hesitant..."
Bai Li Xi said with great annoyance, surprised that Chu Yanxi was so useless. He had poured so much effort into secretly supporting him.
In such a short time, he had suffered complete defeat. Furthermore, the person in the palace was also useless. They were only one step away from taking the life of the Dong Chu Emperor, yet they had suffered complete defeat at this most critical juncture.
What surprised him even more was that Feng Jin... was actually so powerful, capable of even curing the most potent poison from their Xi Liang.
"General, please calm your anger. It is your subordinates who have failed!"
"Indeed, you have failed. This General had long ordered you to keep a close eye on Chu Yanxi, yet you still let him escape. You are all useless!"
Why did he raise such useless people? They were a waste of food!
"All of you, get out! Your presence irritates me!"
"Yes, your subordinate takes his leave."
"Stop!" As they were about to retreat, Bai Li Xi called out, "What about the Princess? Have the people sent out sent any news?"
"Reporting to the General, the Princess's residence is still guarded by the Black Armored Army. Our people could not enter, and for now... for now, no news can be gathered..."
With a 'bang!', Bai Li Xi slammed his palm onto the table, creating a loud noise.
The people of Dong Chu were truly excessive. Now they were even having guards posted outside the Princess's courtyard, which was essentially surveillance.
Bai Li Xi abruptly stood up and strode out. He wanted to ask Ling Mohan what exactly he intended to do.
...
"General Bai Li, what a pleasant surprise. You are truly a distinguished guest. What brings you to my humble abode?"
Upon hearing the report of Bai Li Xi's arrival, Ling Mohan rushed over. He wanted to see what tricks Bai Li Xi was up to.
"This General has come to ask why General Ling has posted guards outside my Xi Liang Princess's courtyard. What is your intention? Are you intending to monitor the Princess!"
"General Bai Li, you must have misunderstood. I sent people there for the Princess's safety. General Bai Li also knows that the capital has been very chaotic these past few days. The Princess, with her noble status as a princess, cannot be neglected in the slightest!"
"If it were General Bai Li, and you were in my shoes, you would do the same."
Although Bai Li Xi's expression remained calm, his heart was churning. His face was cold, and after a moment of contemplation, he said, "Then General Ling is truly kind-hearted. It seems I have been misjudging a gentleman's intentions with a petty mind."
"Not at all... It is all for the sake of diplomatic relations between our two countries. General Bai Li, you and I should work together!"
What Bai Li Xi probably didn't know was that Ling Mohan, while a military official, had a background in civil service. His verbal skills were quite formidable. Bai Li Xi's own verbal skills were naturally no match for Ling Mohan's.
Even though he had suffered a disadvantage, he could only swallow it. Who could blame him when he was outmatched?
"If General Bai Li has come solely for this matter, there's no need for such a grand display. I promise you, as soon as the capital stabilizes, I will release the Princess. For this period, the Princess must continue to endure and cultivate herself within the courtyard. With the chaos outside, it would be best for the Princess's precious person not to get involved!"
This was the first time Bai Li Xi had been threatened like this. His heart was instantly filled with burning rage. He took a deep breath to temporarily suppress some of it.
"Then, according to General Ling, our Princess will continue to be monitored by you. Why do I feel that General Ling's actions are too overbearing and unreasonable? Do you truly no longer regard our Xi Liang with any respect!"
"Does General Ling believe I am so foolish that I will continue to be deceived by you, or that Xi Liang is so weak and easily bullied that you can do as you please!"
Bai Li Xi abruptly stood up. His imposing manner was indeed somewhat intimidating. Unfortunately, Ling Mohan was not one to be easily swayed. He had seen such displays many times before and was not so easily intimidated by Bai Li Xi.
Ling Mohan picked up his teacup and took a sip, his face as placid as ever, a faint smile still lingering on his lips.
He looked at Bai Li Xi as if he were looking at a clown, and Bai Li Xi's warnings seemed like nonsense.
Had Bai Li Xi forgotten that this was Dong Chu, not their Xi Liang? To threaten him here was like talking nonsense.
"What are you laughing at!"
Bai Li Xi had noticed the faint smile on Ling Mohan's lips. He felt as though the smile was mocking him, and he became even more indignant and ashamed.
"This General is naturally laughing at your foolish dreams and overestimation of yourself. General Bai Li, have you forgotten that this is our Dong Chu, not your Xi Liang, and certainly not a place where you call the shots!"
"Now you can only listen to me, and only listen to me. Do as I say, and you will naturally be able to leave Dong Chu safely. Otherwise, this General cannot guarantee that you will not encounter any danger... or that someone audacious will not break into the Xi Liang Princess's quarters!"
"You! Ling Mohan!"
Bai Li Xi glared furiously at Ling Mohan, his eyes burning with flames. If this were not Ling Mohan's territory, he would have already started fighting with Ling Mohan.
However, he was on someone else's land and could not act rashly. Furthermore, he could not be entirely sure what outrageous things that madman Ling Mohan might do. For now, he had to endure as much as possible.
He would remember this incident and settle the score with Ling Mohan sooner or later. He would not let it go unaddressed.
"What about me? General Bai Li, you must swallow your dissatisfaction now!