Early on the morning of June 17, Murong Chui ordered his son Murong Ling and Deputy General Sun Gai to lead eight hundred infantry and cavalry in escorting Chen Caozhi, Xi Bao, and their party to Gong County. Chen Caozhi took it calmly, but Xi Bao was weighed down with worry. He knew Gong County was not their journey's final destination; a trip to Ye City, the Yan capital, was unavoidable. As for when the Yan people would send them home, that depended on how much pressure Qin and Jin could bring to bear on Yan-
Murong Ling was twenty-one that year, tall and handsome, valiant and resolute, composed, perceptive, and resourceful. Murong Chui was very fond of him. Chen Caozhi knew that Murong Ling was Senior Consort Duan's son, and that Senior Consort Duan was the younger sister of Duan Si, who had now sought refuge in Jiangdong and become a Cavalry Commander-
In those days, Murong Huang, Prince of Yan, had loved his fifth son, Murong Chui, most of all his sons, favoring him even above Crown Prince Murong Jun. Murong Jun resented this, while his wife, Lady Kezuhun, envied the beauty of Murong Chui's wife, Lady Duan, and the sisters-in-law were at odds. After Murong Jun took the throne, Empress Kezuhun framed Senior Consort Duan in the Witchcraft Case and brought about her death. The Duan tribe rebelled, and Murong Chui had no choice but to lead troops himself to suppress the rebellion as a demonstration of his loyalty. Duan Si fled south to Jiangdong. Through Murong Ke's strenuous mediation, Murong Jun sought to appease Murong Chui by marrying Empress Kezuhun's younger sister, Junior Lady Kezuhun, to him. The Kezuhun family was famed for its beautiful women, but Murong Chui treated the lovely Junior Lady Kezuhun with