The Heir of the Duke of Guardian sought out Xie Jingchen not for the first time; he had done so in Nanliang Capital.

Back then, Dong Chenglang was worried that Xie Jingchen might be won over by the Heir of the Duke. Now, knowing Xie Jingchen is Zhao Xu’s man, Dong Chenglang is no longer concerned.

Watching Xie Jingchen follow the soldiers, Dong Chenglang yawned incessantly.

General Shi fell ill, causing him sleepless nights, and now, overcome by sleepiness, he needed to rest regardless of what happened.

The soldiers led Xie Jingchen to a tent and stopped, opened the tent flap to let Xie Jingchen in, while they stayed outside.

Inside the tent, the Heir of the Duke of Guardian was drinking tea. Xie Jingchen approached him and said, "May I ask why the Heir has summoned me?"

The Heir’s face was icy cold.

In Nanliang Capital, he had wanted to win Xie Jingchen over, but failed.

Today, the camp is in chaos. Dong Chenglang and Young Master Shi joined forces with some of General Shi’s top generals to surround the military headquarters, catching the father and son off guard.

After this incident, the Duke dared not underestimate General Shi’s influence; they realized it was essential to have their own men by General Shi’s side.

If they had received the information earlier, the antidote would not have been hidden and publicly discovered by Dong Chenglang and Young Master Shi, causing them great humiliation.

Even though General Shi professed trust in the Duke, the soldiers did not believe it.

With a formidable enemy ahead, they harmed their comrades, greatly damaging their prestige.

The Duke couldn’t swallow this.

The Duke had made many attempts to win over General Shi’s key generals, but either they couldn’t be swayed or once swayed, General Shi no longer trusted them, wasting their efforts.

The Heir believed Xie Jingchen was an exception.

Xie Jingchen had saved Dong Chenglang several times; not only did Dong Chenglang trust him, but so did Young Master Shi.

General Shi’s tent wasn’t easily accessible, but he could enter.

Being close to Dong Chenglang and Young Master Shi, he even learned of General Shi’s actions earlier than other generals.

The Heir raised his hand, and a guard placed a silver note on the table.

Xie Jingchen glanced at it.

Two thousand liang.

Xie Jingchen looked at the Heir, "What is this...."

"As long as you support me, you’ll benefit in the future," said the Heir.

Xie Jingchen righteously refused the Heir’s offer.

The Heir’s face darkened, "You refuse when I offer you a drink, would you prefer punishment?"

Xie Jingchen turned to leave.

The Heir’s guards stopped him.

Few dared to disregard their Young Master, especially a minor officer.

The Heir, failing to win him over, resorted to threats.

"You’re stubborn, but I wonder if your family shares your backbone?" the Heir asked with a smirk.

Xie Jingchen knitted his brows.

Pretending to be Li Hu’s brother Li Niu at the camp, the Li Family was the only one aware of his identity.

He cautiously refrained from returning to the Daqi Camp, let alone leave traces for others to probe.

Having saved Dong Chenglang, he quickly moved the Li Family elsewhere, claiming publicly they were visiting friends and family.

Even he didn’t know their current whereabouts; could the Heir possibly locate them to threaten him?

"My family was taken away when you tried to win me over in Capital City," Xie Jingchen said, his voice even.

Implying relocations were managed by the Heir of Marquis Changning.

The Heir threatened the wrong target and inadvertently showcased Dong Chenglang’s trust in Xie Jingchen.

The Heir wasn’t patient; Xie Jingchen’s refusal to comply irritated him. He approached Xie Jingchen and said, "If General Shi learns the Red Book Iron Certificate was lost due to your advice, how do you think he’d treat you?"

Xie Jingchen’s expression changed, "When did I ever advise you?"

"When you were drunk," the Heir replied.

He patted Xie Jingchen and said, "Few catch my eye for continual wooing."

"If you’re not useful to me, you know what fate awaits you."

Xie Jingchen displayed fear, "I cannot betray the Heir of Marquis Changning."

He sounded weak, lacking conviction.

The Heir pressured him further, "Don’t just focus on immediate gain; General Shi and the Heir haven’t shown you much kindness, so why cling to a single tree, cutting off your prospects?"

"I won’t make things difficult for you; before ensuring your family’s safety, you can follow the Heir of Marquis Changning. Yet, should General Shi’s side encounter turbulence like today, you must immediately report to me."

Xie Jingchen refused to nod.

The Heir glanced at the guard.

The guard took the silver note from the table.

The Heir said, "I’m generous; if you switch allegiances, I’ll ensure your rise."

This time, Xie Jingchen accepted the silver note.

He said nothing, glanced at the Heir, and said, "I should return or the Heir of Marquis Changning might suspect I’m being swayed."

After speaking, he turned and departed.

Xie Jingchen returned to the tent and sat down to drink tea.

The sleepless Dong Chenglang turned over, sat up, and looked at Xie Jingchen, "The Heir of the Duke tried won you over again?"

"Yes."

Dong Chenglang got out of bed and approached Xie Jingchen, "How did he try to win you over?"

Xie Jingchen took out the two-thousand-leang silver note from his pocket.

Dong Chenglang was shocked, "Why did you accept it?"

"He wouldn’t let me return without accepting," Xie Jingchen said.

"...."

Indeed, Dong Chenglang knew the Heir’s temper. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

At worse, taking the money and not fulfilling tasks; if the Heir knew, he’d be furious.

Dong Chenglang patted Xie Jingchen’s shoulder and said, "You’re quite competent at undercover work."

Xie Jingchen, "..."

"Without you, I couldn’t sleep soundly," Dong Chenglang yawned.

Xie Jingchen massaged his brow and said, "The Great General is fine now, haven’t you sent word to Young Master Zhao?"

Dong Chenglang remembered, "I forgot that."

He summoned a guard to inform Zhao Xu.

Zhao Xu was waiting in the town; should Dong Chenglang fail to find an antidote, he’d have to seek Su Jin for antidote pills.

Seeing the Great General unharmed, Zhao Xu set his mind at ease, thanked them at the Daqi Camp, then departed for the Zhao Family.

In the coming days, the Nanliang Military Camp remained exceptionally quiet.

Though the Great General was cured, he didn’t leave the camp, instead resting in bed.

The Great General didn’t pursue who poisoned him and stopped his men from investigating; when the Duke visited, he tasked the Duke with finding the true perpetrator.

The Duke promised to uncover and harshly punish the true criminal, avenging the Great General.

The Nanliang soldiers expected great turmoil, but it ended peacefully; yet, those knowing the Great General sensed something amiss.

Normally, the Great General reacted fiercely when angry, evidenced by past confrontations with the Duke.

His calmness unsettled them.

The Duke himself sensed discord but couldn’t pinpoint it, ultimately concluding that the Great General was truly terrified, as everyone fears death.