Her master can get more gossip in an hour with a grin, a few coins, and a bottle of baiju than a trained spymaster could overhear in a week, and his information is probably good.
Ling's goofball badassery is the best. I love how they are here - still dedicated and scheming, but with that one little indulgence which Lanfan has to kind of snap even to take. But she really needs to learn to make use of Ling's deficient sense of propriety.