At first light, a party of riders entered Langxuan City. At their head was Du Tanqing, the intelligence chief under the Left Xian King, followed by Cao Aning and the others.
Compared with a few days ago, Cao Aning's standing had undergone an earth-shaking change. By raising one man up and putting the other down, the Left Xian King had made his appreciation for Cao Aning plain. Du Tanqing could no longer order him around in a superior's tone; even on horseback, he rode beside him, lest his own fortunes turn and the rising newcomer retaliate once he gained power.
But although Cao Aning was black-hearted, he had always presented a loyal, generous face. He did not grow arrogant after winning favor, deliberately keeping half a horse's length behind and humbly asking for guidance:
"His Highness sent us to investigate his whereabouts. How exactly should we go about it? If Ye Jingtang discovers us, the few of us might..."
Du Tanqing rode at the front, surveying Langxuan City as he answered:
"Today, King Gouchen will make trouble and force the Dongming Tribe to replace its chief and increase its annual tribute by twenty percent as an apology to the prince's household. The Dongming Tribe is bound to refuse. As a descendant of the Yechi Tribe, Ye Jingtang should speak up for them. We'll gather intelligence first, then wait for the experts hired by the prince's household to deal with him..."
After listening carefully to the plan, Cao Aning nodded thoughtfully and glanced at Xu Tianying beside him.
Xu Tianying had originally been the leader of Cao Aning and the others, but he was not much of a talker and had almost become a mere follower now. He gave a slight nod, followed them a little farther, then took the opportunity