Only now did he realize that the imperial princes and nobles of Great Zhou were not merely a bunch of fat-headed fools.
He asked warily: “What do you want?”
Xiao Yunting curled his lips in mockery. “You’ll know soon enough.”
He walked out of the tent. Outside, the moonlight was beautiful. The clear, cool light spilled over the treetops and onto the ground, spreading across the earth like a layer of white frost.
At a time like this, it would have been nice if Yuanyuan were here with him.
The moment he thought of Qi Yuan, much of the anger he had felt upon learning that Yang Qingshan was the traitor melted away.
There was nothing surprising about it.
Wealth moved people’s hearts.
During the previous dynasty, it wasn’t just the Commander of Great Tong. The Commander of Xuanfu had even directly sent silver to an Oirat prince, begging him to withdraw his troops.
Instead, that prince advanced unhindered and actually surrounded the capital.
It had been one of Great Zhou’s greatest humiliations.
And how long had it been since then?
Yet now someone wanted to do the same thing again. And that person was even…
He tugged at the corner of his mouth coldly and let out a soft sigh.
If Yuanyuan were here, what would she say?
At that same moment, Xie Ying was also suffering as he asked Qi Yuan: “Miss Qi, you’ve been riding through the night like this. Can your body handle it?”
Liujin and Babao exchanged glances at the same time.
Babao laughed without much restraint. “Martial Uncle Xie, why do you look so weak? Back on Mount Mao, you were one of the most outstanding disciples in the sect!”
…
One should never hit someone where it hurts or expose their weaknesses.
That was just cruel!
Xie Ying snorted coldly and looked at Babao with a smile. “Babao, you do remember that I’m your martial uncle, right? Then do you also remember the sect rules?”
Babao’s smile instantly disappeared.
He cupped his fists solemnly. “My apologies, Martial Uncle. This disciple overstepped his bounds.”
Xie Ying was still irritated.
Did he want his martial skills to deteriorate?
But what choice did he have?
He was preparing for the imperial examinations!
After years of studying day and night, where was he supposed to find the energy to keep up his martial arts practice?
And now he was being mocked by a junior disciple. It was humiliating.
Fortunately, Qi Yuan chose that moment to stop and look at the inn before them. “We’ll rest for the night and continue tomorrow.”
Oh, thank heavens!
Babao let out a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness. If no one had interrupted, Martial Uncle Xie might really have eaten him alive.
He shrank his neck.
Liujin glared at him. “Who told you to have no filter on that mouth of yours? One day that mouth is going to get you killed.”
Laughing and bickering, they entered the inn. After giving a few instructions, Qi Yuan went upstairs to wash up.
Liujin immediately hurried off to have a large tub of hot water delivered to her room.
Then he hesitated and looked at Xie Ying. “Martial Uncle Xie?”
Xie Ying came back to his senses. “Send me a tub as well.”
He was a scholar, maintaining proper appearance at all times was important.
Liujin quickly agreed.
It was not until dinner that Qi Yuan finally came downstairs.
Xie Ying was reading in the courtyard.
When he saw her descend, he greeted her.
Qi Yuan sat down opposite him. “This trip has been very rushed. You’ve worked hard, Young Master Xie.”
Xie Ying smiled dismissively. “Don’t worry about it, Miss Qi. This is how we interacted on the mountain too. It’s nothing.”
Closing his book, he looked up at her. “Actually, there’s something else I’d like to ask you.”
Qi Yuan gave a quiet acknowledgment.
“The secret letter will inevitably implicate quite a few court officials. Whoever supplied iron and horses to the Oirat for so many years and framed Elder Lu must hold a very high position.”
Xie Ying tapped his finger lightly against the stone table, his expression serious. “Miss Qi, can you truly accept the consequences of what that letter may reveal?”
He paused before asking more directly: “Or perhaps I should ask, are you certain the Imperial Grandson won’t be implicated?”
Qi Yuan laughed softly. “But he already is implicated. What you really want to ask is: what if it leads back to the Crown Prince?”
Xie Ying fell silent.
He had not expected Qi Yuan’s courage to exceed even his own assumptions.
Qi Yuan spoke with obvious disdain. “The Crown Prince will never personally trap himself. Haven’t you noticed? He never does anything with his own hands. He won’t even use people directly connected to him. He always has the perfect scapegoat waiting in reserve. This matter will be no different.”
Someone would take the blame but it would not be the Crown Prince.
At most, the secret letter will mention Duke Cheng’s estate and the actual traitor who corresponded with the Oirat royal court.
That was why she was determined to uncover the truth.
Xie Ying studied Qi Yuan seriously for a long time.
He had to admit it, he was truly becoming attracted to her.
How could someone be so open and straightforward, yet so boldly arrogant at the same time?
Everything she did carried the conviction:
I am going to do this, and what I’m doing is right.
How many people went through their entire lives without ever possessing such confidence?
Yet Qi Yuan had it naturally.
She practically glowed.
Xie Ying froze for a moment and forgot to speak.
Qi Yuan smiled. “Young Master Xie, why are you looking at me like that?”
Xie Ying shook his head and slowly pressed his left hand against his chest. “We’ve been traveling too quickly. I’m still not entirely used to it.”
Qi Yuan nodded. “Then get a good night’s rest. We’ve made excellent progress. In another three days we’ll enter the territory of Jinling. There’s no need to rush so much anymore.”
Xie Ying took a deep breath and softly agreed.
After watching Qi Yuan’s light, graceful footsteps disappear upstairs, he suddenly slapped himself lightly. “What are you thinking? She’s the girl Yunting likes!”
He laughed out loud and snapped his book shut.
There were plenty of flowers in the world. His own flower must be blooming somewhere, waiting for him to discover it.
At that same time, Lai Chenglong was standing outside the Qi family’s Mingyue Pavilion. Unable to help himself, he slapped himself as well. “What are you thinking?!”
You’re a member of the Imperial Guard!
How could you sneak into Miss Qi’s chambers at night?
How could you break into a marquis’s residence after dark?
Yet despite those thoughts, his feet did not move.
Chunlin crouched atop the wall, looking miserable. “It’s over. I think our lord is really pitiful.”
Chunsheng sighed as well.
Yeah. How could he not be?
Their lord had been alone for so many years. He had finally found a girl he liked. But unfortunately, that girl happened to like the Imperial Grandson.
Sigh.
What was their lord supposed to do now?
Qi Zhen was nearly frightened to death by Lai Chenglong’s appearance.
He had almost blurted out: “Sir, you didn’t come in the middle of the night to confiscate our property, did you?”
After calming himself down, he finally asked: “Lord Lai, your visit at such a late hour…”
Wasn’t this a bit inappropriate?
Did the Imperial Guard not know what sort of reputation they had?
Showing up without warning in someone’s inner residence could scare people to death!
Then Qi Zhen suddenly realized something.
He looked at Mingyue Pavilion.
Then he looked at Lai Chenglong.
Slowly, understanding dawned on him.
Oh.
He had come for Yuan Jie’er.
Qi Zhen immediately felt a headache coming on.
What a disaster.
The people who fell for Yuan Jie’er were getting more troublesome one after another.
Scratching his head, he said: “Yuan Jie’er isn’t home. Lord Lai should come back another day.”
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