It was in early February, the beginning of spring, when the imperial convoy of the Eastern Depot arrived at Qiling, the last county in Jiangan.

The snow had stopped for quite a few days. The cold wind was gone, and the sun appeared in the sky. The temperature gradually rose, spreading some gentle warmth.

Gu Yunxi lifted the thick curtain of the carriage and looked out of the window into the mountains and withered trees. The warm sunshine on her face made her feel very comfortable.

"Master, we are reaching Qiling."

Gu Yunxi squinted languidly. She was fully enjoying the sunlight, with her sweet voice filled with joy.

Suddenly something occurred to her. She retracted into the carriage and took the Master's arm intimately,

"Master, as I know, Feng Yunheng, the prefect of Qiling County, is notorious and corrupt in Jiangan. This time, in the name of disaster relief, can the Eastern Depot take any action?"

Leng Qingtang squinted at her with his deep and bright black eyes. He smiled dotingly and asked,

"How do you know that Feng Yunheng is a corrupt official?"

Gu Yunxi leaned her head on the Master's shoulder and pouted,

"You taught me! Before coming to a strange place, I should try to grasp its general situation, geography, livelihood, and customs. I asked people about Qiling before I left Heshuo. That's why I know it."

Leng Qingtang smiled and pinched Gu Yunxi's nose gently, praising,

"Girl, you are getting smarter. You do make adequate preparations. But besides preparing, finally to see is to believe. What you see with your own eyes is the most reliable."

"Remember, rumors can be dreadful. As rumors spread, even the dead can talk. Rumor is exactly the most powerful weapon. And usually, the most damaging thing is also the rumor!"

"I understand. Thank you for your edification, Master."

After Gu Yunxi listened to all this carefully, she smiled at the Master.

"How will you thank me?" Leng Qingtang leaned his head with his white face approaching her lips.

Gu Yunxi chuckled and gave him a kiss gently and quickly.

Leng Qingtang's smile deepened, "Well, you are worthy to be taught..."

As he spoke, he pulled down the curtain and raised Gu Yunxi's small chin, passionately kissing her pink lips.

When they entered Qiling County, the prefect, Feng Yunheng, led some officers and guards of the Prefect's Mansion lining up to meet the imperial envoy.

He was nearly fifty years old, tall and energetic, with a square, grizzled face and hoary hair.

The only flaw was that he had a sling on his left arm, tightly wrapped inside and out that the palm of his hand couldn't be seen. Seeing the imperial envoy of the Eastern Depot, he appeared more or less indecent as he could not give a salute with his hands.

Leng Qingtang asked about his injury. The prefect said it was caused by a fall when he went out in the heavy snow several days ago.

Prefect Feng invited the Master to rest in the Prefect's Mansion for the convenience of inspection.

Leng Qingtang had another intention in mind, so he readily agreed to go. He ordered Ai Qing, Lu Rong, and Gu Yunxi to go to the Prefect's Mansion with him and the rest people of the Eastern Depot to stay in the post house.

Along the way to the mansion, Gu Yunxi felt something wrong.

The faces of the guards accompanying them were strained, and they were extremely serious and silent.

Sitting inside the closed carriage, Gu Yunxi could feel that countless bright eyes encompassed her and the Master. They were sharp and perceptive. In an instant, they came from all sides around into the carriage, directly piercing them.

Surrounded by the eerie and depressing atmosphere, Gu Yunxi felt her scalp tautened with tension.

Breathing deeply and calming down, she pulled the curtain cautiously and looked out of the window. No sooner had her eyes landed upon a guard than he promptly shifted his gaze away like a reflex.

Gu Yunxi frowned in surprise. She couldn't help but look out of the window again and look at the guard carefully.

He was of medium height, with a pointed cap. He wore a dark red and not very clean official suit, in the front of which existed a hole.

Oh, the prefect of Qiling County was so eccentric! Not only did he meet the imperial convoy with injuries, but also he let his men dressed in tatty clothes. This was indecent and disrespectful to the imperial envoy of the Eastern Depot as well as to the court!

Gu Yunxi rolled her eyes furiously. Her eyes fell upon another guard unintentionally.

He was short, and the official suit appeared wrinkled on him. The sleeves and the trousers folded a lot, which looked quite awkward.

Gu Yunxi looked around him quickly and carefully. As expected, there was a hole on his right shoulder.

"Stop. I want to get off and have a walk!"

As if finding something significant, Gu Yunxi shouted to the driver.

Beside her, Leng Qingtang looked calm and placid. He asked softly, "What's the matter?"

"I have sat here for too long. My feet are getting numb. I want to get off and walk with the procession!"

Leng Qingtang nodded, without showing objection.

Gu Yunxi got off from the carriage, slowed down her pace as if nothing had happened. She walked to and fro in the procession.

"Hey buddy, my name is Yun Guaner. This is the first time I came to Qiling. Hey..."

Pretending to be careless and ignorant, she approached a guard and chatted with him with a smile.

The guard had a blank face. He looked straight ahead without answering her.

Gu Yunxi didn't care. Her smart eyes wavered over and over around the guard, and she saw a small hole in the chest of his official suit.

She smiled coldly and silently. After a few steps, she tried to chat with another guard,

"Hey buddy, how do you do? I am Master Leng's apprentice from the Eastern Depot. I am sixteen years old! Could you tell me the delicious food and interesting entertainments here in Qiling?"

The guard glared at her fiercely, remaining silent. Her eyes moved up and down him until she found a tear on the left side of his official suit.

Just when Gu Yunxi wandered around and accosted the guard, Prefect Feng had been paying attention to her secretly for a long time. His white face gradually turned gloomy, and his two shining eyes suddenly lit up.

In the carriage, Leng Qingtang sat decorously. His sharp eyes looked straight forward, and his thin lips showed a faint smile. His handsome face looked as cold as the iceberg.

As Qiling was the last county for disaster inspection, when people of the Eastern Depot arrived, the disaster had been well controlled. Food was enough, and the houses were renovated constantly. Hence, what Leng Qingtang saw all the way were serene people, and everything was in order in this area.

...

In the room, Leng Qingtang sent some of Lu Rong's guards to disguise themselves and look for the opportunity to climb over the wall to the street when others were unprepared. In this way, he could secretly investigate the prefect, Feng Yunheng.

Feng Yunheng came to invite Leng Qingtang to lunch.

When they arrived at the dining room and took their seats, Prefect Feng stepped forward to welcome them.

Soon, some servants placed a large pot of rice porridge, two plates of steamed buns and rolls, a big bowl of boiled cabbage, and a dish of pickles on the table.

Ai Qing, Lu Rong, and Gu Yunxi were so surprised that they looked at one another without saying anything.

Prefect Feng showed a casual expression. He said to Leng Qingtang with a faint smile,

"Master, please excuse me. Qiling is a small place, relatively poorer compared to the other five counties in Jiangan. Now that we suffered from the snow disaster, I really cannot take out some decent dishes. Please just make do with these."

Leng Qingtang smiled, "That's all right. These are enough."

The servants served a bowl of white porridge to Leng Qingtang and added a steamed roll and a few cabbage leaves that were cooked rotten to his food plate.

Leng Qingtang didn't start to eat, but Prefect Feng took the steamed bun and began to chew it. He had porridge and vegetables, using one hand to take different dishes. His action seemed not very coordinated.

Leng Qingtang moved his mouth a little and picked up the porridge bowl silently.

Seeing the Master was about to eat, all the people from the Eastern Depot started to have lunch without saying anything.

Ai Qing and Lu Rong still looked gloomy. Had it not been for the Master's presence, Ai Qing would have liked to put the big bowl of boiled cabbage on Prefect Feng's head.

Although they had lost their temper for a lavish meal in Fengyuan County, now the lunch appeared too simple and perfunctory for them.

Prefect Feng was a corrupt official. He had accumulated so much wealth from common people, but at the critical moment, he could not even afford a decent lunch for the imperial envoy. How could they not be outraged?

Gu Yunxi did not suffer less in her early years in the Garden, so she didn't feel the simple meal hard to accept. Yet she knew the anger of the two captains.

Who was the Master? He was the rank-second official in the court and the imperial envoy crowned by the Emperor. It was indeed a slight on him to be welcomed by such a meal.

As she ate, Gu Yunxi secretly looked at Prefect Feng's features.

He was energetic and confident in conversation, and his eyes were full of light as if he could see through all the secrets hidden in the dark. He was quick-witted and wise, which was quite different from the corrupt officials in her impression.

Swallowing a mouthful of white porridge, Gu Yunxi's bright eyes focused on Prefect Feng, who was not far away. She asked with a smile,

"Lord Feng, just now I saw the official suits those guards were wearing were broken to different degrees. Could you please tell me the reason?"

Prefect Feng's healthy right hand was holding half of the white steamed bun. Gu Yunxi's sudden question made him stop chewing for a while. He raised his eyes, and on his blank square face, a pair of sharp eyes looked straight at her in an instant.

Gu Yunxi had sensed the hidden anger from the firm eyes fixed on her. She stopped smiling and looked at him silently. In their confrontation, she clenched her teeth.

The atmosphere in the dining room suddenly became heavier and more dreadful.

Separated by a few people, Leng Qingtang leisurely picked up pickles into the bowl of white porridge and stirred a few times with his chopsticks. His movements were delicate and elegant.

Needless to look up, he could sense Prefect Feng's eyes. They were as sharp as the eagle and rather unfriendly to Gu Yunxi.

Lifting his eyebrow, Leng Qingtang smiled coldly,

"Prefect Feng, sorry for that. I spoil my apprentice too much so that he always acts casually and speaks out of line. Please forgive him for his offense."

"Haha, it doesn't matter... doesn't matter..."

Prefect Feng looked at Leng Qingtang, and his complexion softened gradually.

After tasting the porridge, Leng Qingtang put down the bowl and chopsticks, looked directly at Prefect Feng with a poker face, and continued to say,

"But I once taught my apprentice to ask questions when something confused him, and always find out what he doesn't understand. He just acted according to my instructions. He won't give up until he gets a clear answer. Prefect Feng, please answer him as soon as possible, and I will not be disturbed."

"..."

Prefect Feng remained silent. He could clearly feel the pressure from Leng Qingtang's flat tone.

His words seemed to protect his apprentice, but in fact, he was interrogating Prefect Feng,

"Tell my apprentice the answer. Don't waste time!"

It was hard to understand. Why would this Commander-in-chief of the Eastern Depot spoil a teenager?