Chapter 788: Expired Agreement

When one's own house is in chaos, one dislikes seeing others at peace. When a powerful nation descends into turmoil, ordinary citizens often delight in the spectacle.

He Lingchuan, with his hands clasped behind his back, walked with a proud, upright posture, head held high. "I've heard about it," he stated, "but I don't know who was responsible."

In the front garden, pear trees bloomed profusely, their white blossoms resembling fragrant snow on jade trees. Two youths passed beneath them, their elegant figures like jade trees against the wind. The beautiful trees and the handsome youths left the nearby maidens spellbound.

"The most audacious rumor circulating in Yuan's court and among the people claims it was the work of immortals. Just a few days ago, Grand Tutor Yan even mentioned it to me, believing the chaos in Lingxu to be a herald of the immortals' return and a declaration of war against Beijia." He Yue let out a long sigh. "What kind of world is this? Could immortals, absent for thousands of years, truly reappear just to stir things up?"

The emergence of immortals into the world held an exceptionally profound significance. Its importance was such that all nations and powers felt compelled to speculate and deliberate upon it.

"The spiritual energy of the world has recently begun to revive, so nothing that appears now would be surprising," He Lingchuan remarked idly. "Perhaps a monumental transformation, unseen for centuries, is on the horizon, and this is merely its inception."

He Yue sighed, "All living beings are players in this game, and I wonder what kind of world Great Yuan and we will have to face in the future."

"As long as we don't become pawns," He Lingchuan mused. "But every time spiritual energy begins to revive, conflict breaks out among humans. I wonder when this curse can finally be broken."

"I'm not sure what Lingxu City has uncovered, but it seems to have remained silent so far," He Yue said. "I've heard that Beijia's eastern front has been struggling, and now Lingxu City is in turmoil. You're right, elder brother, perhaps a major change is indeed on its way. Even our monarch is considering reinstating customs duties on Beijia's tobacco products entering our country."

Previously, Beijia's exports of chewing tobacco and honey to Yuan were not only duty-free, but Yuan was even obligated to dispatch escorts for their teams traveling in and out. Now, however, Yuan is no longer prosperous, and this outflow of funds continues, akin to a patient who not only receives no treatment but is also constantly losing blood. It would be strange if their condition didn't worsen.

He Lingchuan understood the Yuan Monarch's concern over the lost silver, but cautioned, "This isn't a wise move. Beijia has just suffered two significant setbacks and is seething with nowhere to direct its frustration. It would be unwise to provoke them at such a time."

Beijia's authority has been challenged, and they desperately need a punching bag. Even if Lingxu City experienced turmoil ten more times, Yuan is still vastly weaker than Beijia. It would be best not to entertain such ill-conceived notions.

"The court ministers share that view, which has left the monarch quite dispirited."

"Oh, by the way," He Yue reminded him, "your former subordinates, Ding Zuodong and Shan Youjun, are now working under Father. As for Sun Hongye, he departed a few days ago."

"Oh?" He Lingchuan expressed a touch of surprise. "Why did Sun Hongye leave?"

"He came to join you, but with you absent, he didn't wish to remain at the manor, so he tendered his resignation and left. If you had arrived just a few days sooner, he might not have departed. It's truly unfortunate."

So Sun Hongye had left, He Lingchuan thought with a sigh.

"Oh, that reminds me," He Yue added, "before Sun Hongye left, he gave me a letter and asked me to secretly deliver it to you, telling me not to mention it to anyone else—should you return."

Immediately, He Lingchuan accompanied He Yue back to the courtyard, where the latter retrieved the letter from his study.

"Here it is," He Yue said, handing it over. The seal was still intact.

With a quick "I'll find you for a drink later," He Yue left to attend to his affairs.

He Lingchuan opened the envelope to find a piece of yellow paper and a letter. He first unfolded the yellow paper, discovering it was a lease agreement with numerous clauses. Its main content was as follows:

Qing Kingdom leased Blade Harbor and the surrounding land from the Bailie people for forty years, at an annual rent of three thousand taels of silver. During this period, Qing Kingdom held the right to develop, reconstruct, collect rent, and conduct other profitable activities within Blade Harbor.

Below, the start and end dates were listed, along with the signatures and seals of both parties.

He Lingchuan checked the agreement's expiration date. It had, in fact, expired seven years prior. This meant the agreement had been in existence for nearly fifty years. Yet, the paper appeared to have undergone special treatment, remaining undamaged and remarkably crisp to this day.

After reading it, He Lingchuan was utterly perplexed. Why would Sun Hongye specifically leave him an expired agreement?

Upon reflection, he vaguely recalled hearing about Qing Kingdom, one of the parties that drafted the agreement, during his travels in Beijia. Indeed, students at Lingxu Imperial Academy seemed to have mentioned Qing Kingdom while drinking, noting it was located east of Mou Kingdom, though they only brought it up briefly without elaborating.

Still puzzled, he then unfolded Sun Hongye's letter. It was undeniably Sun Hongye's handwriting, but remarkably brief:

"Eldest Young Master, receiving this letter is like seeing you in person."

Beneath this, there was a series of strange numbers, such as three-seven-one, and nine-six-three, among others. He Lingchuan counted five sets of numbers.

The Soul-Capturing Mirror in his arms clicked its tongue. "That Sun Hongye," it chirped, "is actually playing games with you using codes?"

Having experienced the messenger case, and especially having witnessed how Xi Yunhe left clues for He Lingchuan, the mirror was now quite worldly. It understood that such number combinations were likely codes, requiring a corresponding cipher to be solved.

The single agreement could not be the key to cracking the code; it was far too brief. "But a decryption always requires a basis," He Lingchuan murmured. "What good is a letter that's so cryptic?"

He Lingchuan carefully noted down the number sets, then put away both the letter and the agreement.

"Back then, Xi Yunhe also kept the code and its key separate, never together," He Lingchuan mused. "This suggests Sun Hongye deemed the matter highly significant, fearing interception."

He set aside this question for the moment and went to find Qiu Hu and the others, to ascertain if Butler Wu had settled them properly. In addition to their individual strengths, the dozen or so Rongshan disciples also possessed military experience, exhibiting excellent combat skills, cultivation, and practical knowledge. Elder Dao had certainly not misled him; those assigned were indeed elites.

Logically, the Rongshan disciples accompanying the special envoy could have stayed at the official guesthouse, which was reserved for diplomatic personnel. However, since Madam Ying had extended an invitation, they did not decline. Qiu Hu, though, had one small request: As He Lingchuan's designated personal guard, he needed to reside in the same location as the special envoy to ensure close protection.

Butler Wu, taken aback by the request, was momentarily stunned. "Young Master is at home, perfectly safe," he stammered.

"That's what you assume," Qiu Hu stated stiffly. "The special envoy holds noble status, and his mission is crucial. It is my duty to be close at hand!"

He Lingchuan, who happened to be strolling by and overheard this, waved a dismissive hand. "What's the fuss?" he said. "Qiu Hu can stay in my annex. It's settled."

Since he had already spoken, Butler Wu could only comply.

As her sons walked out together, Madam Ying watched their upright figures, her heart swelling with pride. Both her sons were truly exceptional individuals. Among all the prominent families in Yuan Capital, how many had young masters as promising as hers? How many noblewomen in Yuan Capital could claim to be more fortunate than she?

She turned to see her husband's solemn expression, staring absently at the garden, and couldn't help but playfully chide him: "What's the matter? Your son has returned from the dead, and you're still wearing such a grim face? Are you putting on airs even with me?"