Li Ce returned to the courtyard just as Qingfeng and Lin Jing arrived back as well, all empty-handed.
"We searched the Prefecture Office of Jinzhou, even the temporary residence of Commissioner Zheng—no trace of Physician Ye," Qingfeng said, wiping the sticky sweat from his brow, visibly anxious.
Lin Jing, however, remained silent. His pale, icy face taut with tension, as if his whole being were a drawn bowstring.
"Physician Ye most likely went to the Prefecture Office," Li Ce said calmly. "If you can't find the man, then search for his horse."
"We did. It's not in the stables," Qingfeng replied, his concern growing.
"Then check outside the walls of the Prefecture Office," Li Ce ordered after a moment's thought, his gaze sharp. "Take my royal token, lock down the city gates—no one goes in or out."
Even before his words had fully fallen, Lin Jing had already turned and darted away, as swift as ever.
Qingfeng chased after him, calling out as he ran, "Are you part rabbit?!"
Qingfeng had always been Li Ce's most dependable aide. But with Lin Jing now in the mix, he suddenly felt overshadowed.
"I'm not," Lin Jing called back flatly as he ran. "I'm heading for the gates first."
Given the tense situation in Jinzhou, only one main gate was normally kept open. Lin Jing flashed the token, and the gates were swiftly sealed.
"Sir," the gate officer flattered nervously, "do proceed with your duties. We will keep vigilant watch."
But Lin Jing did not leave.
"Record the logs," he ordered, raising a hand.
Years of guarding city gates had taught him the importance of recordkeeping. Though the gates were now closed, he still needed to know who had left earlier.
The register was scrawled sloppily, as if done merely for show. Lin Jing scrutinized it carefully, then pointed to the last entry.
"These two carriages that just left—were they together?"
"Yes, they were," the gate officer replied, surprised that Lin Jing could even make sense of the messy records.
Lin Jing nodded. "Men or women? How many? What were they carrying? Why are their names left blank?"
The officer awkwardly pulled Lin Jing aside and whispered, "They had passes from the Prefecture. Our own people—we didn't check too thoroughly."
Lin Jing neither rebuked nor questioned him. He looked toward the city outskirts, hand pressing the hilt of his short sword. After a brief moment of thought, he borrowed a horse and galloped out of the city.
Beyond the gates were two camps.
Five li from the city, the Hedong garrison had set up a military encampment—over ten thousand men, arranged in a floral formation, with cavalry, archers, crossbowmen, and frontline assault troops. Their tents were uniform, their gear impeccable, their discipline strict.
Further south, near the Yellow River, lay a more scattered sprawl of makeshift shelters. These were hardly military-grade—some were just planks leaned against trees, draped with tattered cloth to block the wind and rain. Others were mere pits dug into the ground.
The chaos extended beyond the encampment to the soldiers themselves. At most a few hundred wore proper uniforms. The rest were clad in mismatched attire—young and old, with women delivering meals and children wailing in the background.
Two women chatted near the camp's edge, comparing tofu prices in different parts of the city.
One glance from afar, and Lin Jing knew these were men under Peng Jinrui, Commandant of Puzhou.
Peng had set up camp here to put pressure on the Prefect of Jinzhou and hasten the resolution of the case. Rumors had been swirling that the powerful crossbow used in the crime had been placed there secretly by the Crown Prince, Li Zhang, and that the prisoner had been killed by his hand.
Peng Jinrui had blocked access to the Yellow River, hoping the injustice would reach the imperial court and vindicate his son.
The court was still investigating the Crown Prince. Unless there was blood for blood, they would not rest.
Lin Jing shook his head faintly. Those who rode on the backs of the people—who among them truly cared for their lives?
He had survived in Chang'an for more than a decade, and only one person had ever treated him as human.
After all this time away from the capital, he wondered how she was doing. She was the only one who dared look upon neither the Crown Prince nor Prince Wei with reverence.
Lin Jing could not return to assist her now. His heart weighed heavy with worry. He had to find Ye Changgeng. Nothing must happen to him.
He drew a deep breath and turned around—just in time to hear shouts from the Puzhou camp.
"Did you hear? The Ministry of War refuses to accept the Dali Court's ruling—they're reopening the case!"
The cry stirred the crowd like a thrown stone rippling across water. People surged toward the sound.
A woman rushed up from the riverside, brushing past Lin Jing and splashing him with water as she ran.
"What does that mean, reopening the case?"
"They're letting the Crown Prince off?"
Voices rose in messy unison. Lin Jing pushed into the crowd, head down.
"Have you not heard?"
A man stood atop a rickety grain cart, narrow-eyed, bearded, and indignant. "The Ministry of War is interfering—they want to overturn the ruling, retry the case, free the Crown Prince! So his life counts, and ours doesn't?"
"We cannot let them succeed!" cried a commoner, raising his fist. "We must go to the capital! Petition the Emperor! The Crown Prince is unworthy—he defies the law, he's a butcher! We demand justice! Let His Majesty depose him!"
Lin Jing's expression remained cold, his head slightly lowered. These commoners seemed far too articulate.
He carefully stepped back, blending with the jostling crowd, and slowly edged away.
Just as he turned to leave, he came face to face with someone familiar.
Yan Yun, dressed in coarse blue cloth, a peasant's towel tied around his head, wore a vacant expression as he moved through the throng, waving his hand and shouting like the rest.
"Brother Yan," Lin Jing whispered as he drew close, shaking his head. "It's dangerous here."
Yan Yun grinned foolishly, undisturbed by the soldiers or civilians. "Our master sent me to return to the capital."
Naturally, his master was Li Ce. It seemed the moment Lin Jing had left, Li Ce had dispatched Yan Yun.
With Puzhou forces blocking the road, returning to the capital meant slipping through their ranks. They exchanged a brief glance before Yan Yun disappeared into the crowd again.
Lin Jing understood—Puzhou's officers must be nearby. Yan Yun was searching for a passage token. Lin Jing wished to help, but within moments, they were already dozens of feet apart.
No doubt Yan Yun would succeed. But Lin Jing's task was far from complete.
Li Ce's future brother-in-law was missing, yet the prince appeared entirely unruffled.
Lin Jing couldn't tell if that calm was real—or a masterful act hiding a flawless plan.
"Should we search the city?" he asked at last, unable to suppress the question.
"No need," Li Ce replied. "He's already left the city."
"Then search the outskirts?"
Qingfeng returned from his sweep, leading only a horse. Ye Changgeng's steed neighed, reaching up to nibble at the new leaves on a poplar branch.
"No need," Li Ce repeated. "They likely intend to use him for leverage. For now, Physician Ye's life is not in danger."
Hearing this, Lin Jing briefly recounted the situation with the Puzhou troops, sticking to the facts without offering opinion.
When he finished, he looked up, eyes cold and unflinching, waiting for Li Ce's response.
"They want chaos," Li Ce said simply. "Let's go—to the Jinzhou prison."
Not far from the prison stood the villa of Commissioner Zheng Feng'an, stationed in Jinzhou.
Just before the city gates had shut, a squad of guards escorted four carriages through the city to this villa.
They passed through the streets and stopped at the villa's gate. Servants removed the panels and helped the first carriage inside.
Past the corner gate, the carriage halted. Two old servant women brought over stools, helping the lady inside to step down.
The woman who emerged was strikingly plain. Her skin was dark and blemished, pocked and uneven. Though her eyes were clear, her brows were sparse, lashes short, nose flat, and lips thick. One glance at her, and people instinctively looked away, fearing offense.
One of the servant women hadn't noticed a bump on the ground. As the lady stepped down, she stumbled and nearly fell.
The servant dropped to her knees in apology, but the lady, unfazed, helped her up.
"Get up quickly. This house…"