CHAPTER 1079: CHAPTER 594: MY SWORD HAS NEVER BEEN DULL!

Watching the entourage of the Princely Heir to Prince Hejian leave this area filled with noble buildings, Zhao Douan also bowed his head, lost in thought.

He had roughly grasped the depth of the Princely Heir to Prince Hejian, who was a notch above the eccentric Yanshan Commandery Princess in terms of temperament, but in the eyes of an experienced courtier like Zhao Douan, he wasn’t much different from a mere stream.

He indeed had talent, but it was limited.

Yet what truly caught his attention was the sentence deliberately said by the Princely Heir to Prince Hejian earlier.

"Sir? Should we follow them?" Hou Renmeng, feeling unfinished, sheathed his sword and couldn’t help but ask.

Zhao Douan thought for a moment and nodded, "You all go and follow them, leaving just a driver. Ha, the morning is almost over. Even if they don’t extinguish their desire to visit the nobles, they probably won’t continue today."

Everyone responded and left, not questioning Zhao Douan’s reason for staying.

After his subordinates had all left, Zhao Douan turned around, lifted his boot, and headed straight for the tightly closed doors of the Duke Chen Mansion.

Since he was already here, he intended to subtly probe the attitude of this once prestigious but still highly respected old noble.

However, before he could proactively knock on the door, the heavy doors of the Duke Mansion opened by themselves, and a servant from inside gave him a bow and said, "Please."

Zhao Douan raised an eyebrow, thinking that the confrontation at the doorstep moments ago had already been detected by those inside, perhaps they were watching through the crack of the door.

"Alright." With a slight smile, Zhao Douan stepped across the high threshold, following the servant into the deep reaches of the courtyard.

The Duke Chen Mansion had long faded from its former glory, with not many servants in sight. Yet the mansion, a grand residence granted years ago, was mostly unused, and the uncleared snow in many empty courtyards gave it an extraordinarily quiet ambiance.

After stepping into the inner courtyard, Zhao Douan was startled to see three figures descending the staircase in a meticulously cleaned courtyard.

One of them leaned on a Dragon Head Walking Stick, with hair as white as snow. Although his frame was thin, he wore opulent clothes, exuding an extraordinary bearing — it was naturally Duke Chen, the owner of the grand mansion.

Beside the old man was a woman supporting him.

The pair walked a step behind, just emerging from the hall, seemingly seeing off a guest. Upon seeing the figure Duke Chen personally escorted out, Zhao Douan was momentarily taken aback.

"Lord?" he exclaimed in surprise.

The guest at the Duke Mansion was none other than Ma Yan, the Imperial Court Supervisor.

Ma Yan, too, was not clad in a third-rank official’s robe but rather wore dark attire. His long, slender face exuded a familiar sternness and chill, intimidating those who met his gaze.

Ma Yan, upon seeing him, was unsurprisingly unperturbed, merely nodding slightly before turning to Duke Chen and saying, "There is no need for the Duke to see me off. In these wintery conditions, I can leave the mansion by myself."

Duke Chen nodded, warmly smiling, "Very well."

Then he turned to Zhao Douan, suddenly smiling, and said, "I heard a Little Yama has emerged recently in the Capital, not bad."

Hearing these words, uncertain of whether they were appreciative or sarcastic, Zhao Douan inexplicably felt as if his mask had turned transparent, revealing his true identity to the other party.

With his heart slightly trembling, Zhao Douan responded, neither humble nor haughty, "You’ve made the Duke laugh."

Duke Chen chuckled but said nothing.

"Let’s go," Ma Yan’s tall figure approached, speaking to him calmly.

Zhao Douan had no choice but to follow. The two were led out of the mansion by Duke Chen’s servant. Zhao Douan initially thought to offer Ma Yan a ride in a carriage outside, but the Chief Eunuch shook his head, suggesting, "It’s not far from here to the government office; why don’t we walk back?"

What’s gotten into you, Little Ma... Zhao Douan mused internally, outwardly agreeing cheerfully as he dispatched his subordinates to drive back alone, leaving the two infamous Kings Yan in the Capital to stroll down the desolate winter street.

After walking for a good while, Ma Yan suddenly spoke up, "Logically, you shouldn’t be appearing in the Capital at this moment, but rather at the Huai River, Zhao Great Governor."

Zhao Douan’s steps abruptly halted, turning his head in surprise towards Little Ma. After a silent pause, he reached up to lift his white mask, pushing it up to his forehead, revealing his true face in resignation, "When did you recognize me, senior brother?"

"It really is you..." Ma Yan exhaled, his eyes tinged with curiosity but without much surprise.

His tone complex, "Ever since you parachuted into Lihua Hall, I’d had my suspicions. Outsiders wouldn’t know, but how could I not understand how troublesome that group of sharp thorns in Lihua Hall was? How could a Deputy Arresting Officer simply make them bow down? Including the style of handling the Pure Stream Party later on, it felt all too familiar. But what truly fueled my suspicion was last time at the Great East Mountain when you reported Zhao Shixiong’s allegiance to the court to Your Majesty. Ha, Your Majesty treats you not as a simple Tributor."

Zhao Douan sighed, conceding, "Indeed, there are many flaws when you put it that way."

Ma Yan shook his head, "No. I recognized you because I was close enough and sufficiently familiar with you. Almost none in the court could possibly see through you. Not to mention, you couldn’t possibly travel swiftly between the Huai River and the Capital, enough to dispel nearly all doubts."

Zhao Douan smiled, briefly explaining the circumstances of his puppet form.

Upon learning it was related to the Martial God Path, Ma Yan was initially surprised and then understood. As a fellow court Tributor practicing the same path, Ma Yan was among the earliest to know of his peculiar advancement down this road.

Thus, even though it sounded like a fantasy, he quickly accepted it, remarking, "So that’s how it is, haha, if the court officials and those countless eyes in the Capital knew your identity, I wonder how many would be frightened. I am rather looking forward to the day you reveal your mask."

Not... since when did Little Ma develop such a wicked interest... Zhao Douan sighed, placing the mask back on, "I’m afraid that day isn’t far off."

As his exposed actions grew, Zhao Douan wondered if this facade could last through winter.

The pair continued walking down the street.

"Let’s talk business. Why did you appear in the Duke Mansion, senior brother?" Zhao Douan asked.

Ma Yan glanced at him, chuckling, "Don’t think you’re the only one troubled by the peace talks. Yesterday, Xu Wenyan sent invitations to the various nobles; how could I remain unaware? As for visiting Duke Chen, it was naturally to convey the court’s stance."

Zhao Douan inquired with interest, "What does Duke Chen intend?"

Ma Yan remained silent for a moment, sighing, "Duke Chen said he is old and can’t bother with too much anymore, nor does he want to."

Zhao Douan furrowed his brow, "He wants neutrality? Not to get involved?"

Ma Yan nodded, "It could be a good thing. Duke Chen’s stance can influence many nobles."

Zhao Douan exhaled, "But lacking a clear stand leads many nobles to perceive it as tacit approval."

Ma Yan watched him thoughtfully, hesitating before earnestly saying, "After all, Duke Chen has substantial prestige and played a role in the matter with Cao Mao; you..."

Zhao Douan responded with a wry smile, "Do you think I plan to act against Duke Chen, senior brother? Do you see me as someone who mercilessly crushes everything after crossing over for more than a year and failing to shake off my negative image?"

Ma Yan remained silent, observing him quietly.

Zhao Douan sighed, wearied by having to once again reassure, and changed the topic, "I was talking to Xu Wenyan earlier — I have some suspicions that the Prince Hejian and Yanshan King might be wagering something on this peace agreement."

"Like what?"

Zhao Douan looked up, watching the sparse snowflakes drifting down from the grim sky, murmuring, "For the outcome, victory at the negotiation table is never what matters. It’s about weapons and battles. Never mind, let’s wait and see. Has the peace negotiation schedule been set?"

Ma Yan replied, "Yes, it’s been set. It starts tomorrow. In a few days, letters will be sent back from the two routes, Xiping and Iron Pass."

"—"

ps: Draft, revisions will be made later.