But he was a Grand General now. A high official of great wealth and renown throughout the land.
He would not fear Chen Baoxiang. It was Chen Baoxiang who should fear him.
·
That evening, Hua Lingyin found Chen Baoxiang and told her: “Tomorrow at noon, Leyou Plain. Cheng Huaili has agreed.”
Chen Baoxiang seemed not to hear at all. She went right on pulling down the signboard of the last of Cheng Huaili’s martial arts schools in Yongping Ward, and turned to instruct Fenghua: “The troublemakers — send every last one of them to the prison. Don’t let a single one go.”
“Yes.” Fenghua quickened her pace.
The whole group moved with practiced efficiency, and in short order the largest martial arts school under Cheng Huaili’s name in the district had been stripped down entirely.
Only then did Chen Baoxiang turn to face Hua Lingyin, her expression perfectly innocent: “There’s word from General Cheng’s side?”
Hua Lingyin fell silent for a moment.
She gave a small cough and obligingly delivered the message again: “General Cheng is willing to attend the banquet. Her Highness’s meaning is that you should stand down for now.”
“As commanded.” Chen Baoxiang snapped her fingers and called off her people.
Hua Lingyin walked alongside her, and after a moment spoke: “Between you and General Cheng — is the only grievance truly the matter of Tianningshan?”
She was a female official who had grown up at the Princess Imperial’s side since childhood. Her asking was the same as the Princess Imperial asking.
Chen Baoxiang shook her head: “Of course not.”
“There are other grievances?”
“There are.” Her expression became thoroughly grave. “A murdered father. A hatred that cannot be shared under the same sky.”
Hua Lingyin would naturally have investigated Chen Baoxiang’s background thoroughly — but unfortunately, in covering up his own sordid past, Cheng Huaili had erased every trace of her existence so completely that no matter how deep anyone dug, all they could find was that her parents were both dead.
As for how they had died — she was the one telling the story now.
Chen Baoxiang let out a long sigh: “Cheng Huaili has always treated human lives as worthless. My father simply happened to bear some resemblance to him, and Cheng Huaili found it an eyesore — so he had my father driven outside the city walls at the frontier to serve as a living target. My father died there, not even leaving bones that could be found and brought home.”
Hua Lingyin’s brow furrowed sharply: “Hanqin City, on the frontier?”
“Yes. The very campaign when the Pingye Kingdom’s forces were pressing at the gates.”
The Pingye siege — Cheng Huaili had indeed used living people as shields to hold the city. But that matter had been tidily buried beneath his record of merits, and no one dared speak of it.
Hua Lingyin looked at Chen Baoxiang, and something like sorrow entered her gaze: “He cannot die yet.”
“I know.” Chen Baoxiang smiled. “I trust Her Highness. If Her Highness says I’ll have the chance to take my revenge, then I’ll wait obediently. When the timing isn’t right, I won’t act rashly.”
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