Tang Ning looked surprised. “Brother hasn’t reached the Northern Border yet, has he? Why has he sent a letter so soon?”
Cang Lang seemed to know what she was about to ask. “The Lord Commander just arrived in Anxi. It seems he encountered some issues and needs to pause for two days. This letter was sent urgently by our shadow guards through the relay station. I’m not sure what happened, but I brought it to you as instructed.”
Hearing this, Tang Ning's expression shifted slightly, thinking that Xiao Yan might have encountered some trouble along the way. She quickly took the letter and opened it. After scanning it quickly, she relaxed a bit.
“Miss, did the Lord Commander encounter some trouble?” Cang Lang couldn’t help but ask.
Tang Ning shook her head, her expression softening. “It’s not trouble, it’s good news.”
She handed the letter to Cang Lang, who looked at it and immediately brightened. “The Lord Commander actually encountered members of the Zhen’an Army in Anxi?”
Tang Ning smiled as well. After learning about Xiao Yan's true identity, she understood why he had gone to the Northern Border. She had been worried about his safety traveling alone in the border army, but it turned out that when he reached Anxi, he encountered members of the Zhen’an Army.
The letter explained that not long after leaving the capital for the northwest, Xiao Yan and his team had noticed suspicious individuals in the counties along the way. He and his men captured two of them and learned that they were spies from Beiling. These spies were searching for the family of General Di Shuangcheng of the Zhen’an Army.
The spies had learned that Madam Di and her children were visiting their hometown. They intercepted them on the way and attacked. Di Shuangcheng's eldest son, Di Tao, was severely injured while trying to protect his mother and sister. Many of the accompanying guards were also killed or injured.
Beiling and Da Wei had been in conflict for years, and during battles, the casualties were numerous. Beiling had long been planning to invade southward but was consistently repelled by the Zhen’an Army.
This time, Beiling sent numerous spies to capture Madam Di and her children to use them as leverage against General Di. After learning this, Xiao Yan postponed his journey to the northwest and detoured to Anxi in an attempt to rescue the Di family.
Cang Lang held the letter and said, “But the numerous Beiling spies haven’t found the Di family. Do you think the Lord Commander can locate them?”
Tang Ning frowned lightly. “Brother said the Di family has been attacked for several days. Since the Beiling spies blocked their route to the northwest, and they were seriously injured, they wouldn’t risk returning. If Brother can’t find them around Anxi, they are likely heading toward the capital.”
She paused and then looked up at Cang Lang. “Tell someone you trust to secretly leave the city and head north to investigate, but don’t alert anyone else.”
Cang Lang nodded seriously. “Understood.”
Tang Ning thought for a moment. The Di family would likely be wary of anyone offering help, and if their identities were revealed too soon, it could endanger Brother’s safety. He had gone to the northwest for military matters, and the Di family might not be loyal to the current regime. She wasn’t sure how Brother would handle this situation.
She continued to think, then looked up again and asked, “What’s the progress with Jin Yun?”
Cang Lang replied, “There are some leads. The two coroner officials who examined the bodies of the soldiers after the shipwreck twenty years ago have both passed away. However, our shadow guards found one of their sons, and from him, they obtained some evidence. But it’s not enough to convince the public.”
“What about the fire and massacre in Rongjiang?”
“We haven’t found anything useful yet.”
Cang Lang’s expression turned a little colder. “Back then, there were rumors of an epidemic in Rongjiang. Before Prince Li returned to the capital, he ordered the city to be sealed off. All the available records show that the city was sealed due to the plague, and then the entire county was submerged by a natural disaster. There’s no mention of arson or a massacre.”
“And the officials from the surrounding counties at that time?” Tang Ning asked.
Cang Lang replied, “Some were executed for failing in disaster relief, others have disappeared over the years, but two or three have risen through the ranks. The Lord Commander has sent people to investigate them, and shadow guards have already infiltrated their households.”
“Then continue to investigate. As long as they know something, we will eventually find a crack.”
Such a major event, those who survived either knew nothing about it, or they were involved with the Lu family and Emperor An. After twenty years, everyone thought the matter had passed. The current emperor was the one who benefited from it, and the Lu family had risen to the top, solidifying their power in the court. Those who profited from it had been living in comfort for years, and they likely didn’t expect anyone to bring up the matter again. In this case, using some methods might still get them to talk.
Tang Ning thought for a moment, then said, “I’ll write a letter. Please send it to Brother for me.”
Cang Lang nodded. “Alright.”
Tang Ning stood up and walked past the green silk screen, then went to the study to prepare ink and brushes. She laid out the letters Xiao Yan had sent her on the table.
Apart from the two letters regarding the Di family and the Zhen’an military affairs, there was another letter with only a few words, all asking about her well-being.
He said that only a few days after leaving the capital, he had already begun to miss her.
He said that when passing Yangping, he saw a beautiful pair of lotus flowers and had planned to pick them and bring them back to the capital. But thinking that she would surely scold him for not appreciating the flowers, he decided to carve a pair of lotus flowers from wood and send them back instead.
Though the handwriting was the same, the words seemed gentle, as if Brother was speaking softly to her in person.
Tang Ning held the letter and when she pulled out the small peachwood hairpin shaped like a pair of lotus flowers, she couldn’t help but smile.
She joyfully touched the not-so-delicate lotus design on the hairpin, then tried it in her hair, playing with it for a moment before calming herself to begin writing her reply.
After writing a simple note about the situation in the capital and the academy, she mentioned the Di family, and how the Beiling spies, unable to capture them, might resort to killing. She reminded Xiao Yan to be cautious, and also stated that she would send people to keep an eye on things outside the city. If they found any trace of the Di family, they would stop them immediately.
She mentioned Jin Yun’s investigation and also mentioned that Lu Yin had come to see her earlier. She planned to use him to investigate the Guoshi family and Prince Cheng’s matters, considering him a potential spy in the Lu family.
After finishing these topics, she hesitated for a moment before writing about the recent disturbance at Yinghe Lake.
“Le Yang intends to dishonor my reputation, while Empress Lu is using others to kill me, wanting to take over Rongsheng Academy for the Fourth Prince. I do not wish to sit idly by and wait. I intend to use bait to lure them out again. The Yulan Festival at Lingyun Temple is the perfect opportunity.”
“If they don’t act, so be it. But if they do, I will make them pay the price. At that time, the Fourth Prince and Empress Lu may face some complications...”
Tang Ning didn’t want to hide anything from Xiao Yan, especially since Empress Lu and her son were part of their calculations. Before leaving the capital, Xiao Yan had said they would use the Empress and her son to distract the Lu family, but they were too reckless. Tang Ning, for the sake of safety, would try not to act against Empress Lu, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t target others.
After she finished writing, her cold and sharp handwriting softened.
“Brother, your path is fraught with danger. The journey to the northwest is difficult. I hope you will achieve your goal and return soon.”
“Tang Ning.”
She gazed at the letter for a moment before getting up to pick a small jasmine flower from the window and place it between the pages of the letter.
After sealing it with red lacquer, she handed it to Cang Lang, who quickly arranged for it to be sent.
Tang Ning held the hairpin in her hand, gazing at the dark night sky, her fingers tracing the lotus flowers on the hairpin.
She missed her brother a little.
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You can read ahead to chapterr 470 (100+ extra chapters) here
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