Chapter 66 Beat the Trap
The man turned over and lay against Imperial Concubine Xian, but she was still determined and held Sima Ray’s back tightly with her soft breasts, and touched the chest of him casually with her small hands, “Third Prince, don’t pretend to be sleepy.”
Imperial Concubine Xian said in a very soft voice with a unique tone from East Qin.
Sima Ray seemed to be tired of her. He got up, staring at Imperial Concubine Xian for a while. He quickly picked up the shirt at the end of the bed and put it on, and then wore the belt.
“Are you off? Third Prince”
“Shouldn’t I?” A creepy smile that was different from the gentle and humble smile in daily life emerged on his face. This kind of chilling smile only emerged on the face of a crucial headsman, “Do you want to stay here and let the servants in your palace find us, or even we are found by all people in the Imperial Palace, and then the emperor executes us?”
Imperial Concubine Xian did not want to give up but she dared not to say anything, so she lowered her head but heard the cold words from Sima Ray, “Imperial Concubine Xian, you have been ill for many days and you have gained those things that father has given to you. I have got what I want. You should be recovered.”
Imperial Concubine Xian lowered her head with her unwilling eyes. She had fallen in love with this man, but the man seemed not to care much about her. However, She could suffer and accept completely all the pains and coldness the man gave to her, “If I was fully recovered, you would not come to look in me, right?”
Sima Ray turned back slowly and suddenly leaned forward and pinched the small and delicate chin of Imperial Concubine Xian with his big and powerful hand. He said with his cold eyes, “I heard that your lover in East Qin fought against Leng Changxi for saving you to escape. You’d better remember your position. You are the lady of my father, the emperor. You are the imperial concubine of Qi Land. Though I dislike Leng Changxi, you’d better know early that he can’t successively fight against Leng Changxi. When he died, you’d better behave yourself and let father believe you well. Understand?”
Imperial Concubine Xian got stunned and tears emerged in her eyes. She nodded.
Sima Ray smiled evilly and put on the purple-golden long robe he wore when he came. He put on the belt and left straight.
By passing the isolated path, he stopped at the back gate. The henchman Liu Bao of Sima Ray had already waited at the door. When he saw Sima Ray, he held immediately the incense.
Sima Ray reached his arms naturally and let Liu Bao use the incense to expel the disgusting fragrance in his body. He caught the fragrance with the smell of some rare perfume at the palace of Imperial Concubine Xian. He disliked that very much.
“The medicine almost runs out. You try to find more.” Sima Ray closed his eyes. Last night, he had a very bad dream, an unprecedented dream. His dream was always frothy but this time, a new figure emerged in this dream. It was a lady, who feared him very much.
Liu Bao nodded perplexedly, “But Third Prince, we have little money left. A tael of the acid is worthy of one thousand catties of gold. The secret tribute submitted by those stores and the revenue from farmland in the suburbs of Royal City cannot meet our expenses.”
Sima Ray was silent. He just opened his eyes slowly and looked at Liu Bao coldly, “You just do that and I will find solutions. The woman will be useless quickly, very quickly.” Sima Ray paused and said in another mood, “My mother gets up?”
Liu Bao answered, “She got up just now and now is waiting for your greeting, Third Prince.”
Meanwhile, Family Qin was breeding a big store.
The death of the eldest son of the legal wife of Family Shangguan, Shangguan Rang, who died in the suburb of the Royal City, had caused a sensation like the fire burning wheat. And the news had secretly swept the whole noble circle quickly. What’s more, Yan Chengbing visited the mansion of Qin himself, which further added firewood into the boiled Qin Zhi.
“Your Honor, how dare you!” Qin Zhi put down the teacup heavily. In the flower hall, the maidservants of the mansion and the two police officers coming with Yan Chengbing were astonished. They had not thought that the humble and gentle Grand Commandant Qin now was so threatened when he vented his anger.
Qin Zhi glared at Yan Chengbing, “Your Honor Yan, we are not the imperial relatives, but I am the first-grade officer in the imperial court. Now you come here with the two police officers and tried to take my little daughter out for investigation. How flighty you are!”
Qin Zhi was obstinate but Yan Chengbing was more indocile. He came from the ministry of penalty so he spoke in a harder tone, “Law can’t be fake. Your Grand Miss appeared in the room where Shangguan Rang died. Everybody saw that. It is my duty to check the whole thing and find the truth.”
Qin Zhi had heard about the whole thing from Qin Yunzhuang. He was angry because Qin Yunzhuang did not know good from bad and was determined to visit Her mother Dou Qing’e in Guo’an Temple, and finally she met such tough trouble on the way to the temple. He was angrier because Li Qiqi cheated him and dated with other men. However, the two women were from his mansion and he cared much about the fame of the family. The scandal could not challenge the prestige and reputation of the Family Qin and himself.
“Law?” Qin Zhi suddenly sneered, “You talk about the law, so I tell you what the law is. According to the law of Qi Land, any case related to the two or more officers in higher three-grade rank should be investigated by the officer with higher ranks personally. My Honor Yan, you are just seven-grade rank. How dare you threaten me?”
Yan Chengbing was not stunned but laughed. He seemed to be confident, “Your Honor Qin, you are right. But as to the law of Qi Land, the case which belongs to imperial lawsuits or should be handled by the emperor can be tried by the local officers first, and then the case can be transferred according to the situation. Your Honor Qin, you together with the related Shangguan, both are the officer in first-grade rank. The only officer higher than you is the emperor. Mountain Sheshan was in my jurisdictional limits. Your Honor Qin, will you let the emperor make a decision?”
Qin Zhi, “Are you threatening me?”
Yan Chengbing bowed his fist, “No! But I am just a menial lonely officer. But Your Honor Qin, you together with Shangguan, should care much about the reputation and interests of the whole family.”
Yan Chengbing did not feel scared though he was just a lower-rank officer. On the contrary, he straightened his body tightly and responded to Qin Zhi without any fear. A man without any limit was not afraid of a man with many limits.
Qin Yunuan who returned to the mansion in a hurry together with Maner now was sweaty. Huang Dashi at the back gate drove the showy horse carriage away after he picked the two girls up. The whole path from the back gate to the Fuxi Courtyard had been prepared all well by Concubine Chang. Nurse Liao and Tong had waited worriedly at the Fuxi Courtyard.
“Huh, how seriously you hurt.” Nurse Liao uncovered the collar of Maner and she almost cried.
“It is not the right time to be sad. How is the mansion?” Qin Yunuan was very calm. The moment she left, Leng Changxi told her that the poison in the wound of Maner had nearly been cleaned out and Maner was safe. The exhausting journey, as well as hunger and coldness, would cause the second hurt to the wound. Maner should rest well. Qin Yunuan believed the words of Leng Changxi.
Tong told the whole thing last night shortly to Qin Yunuan when nurse Liao was cleaning the wound of Maner again. And then a loud sound from the little maidservant Ting Xue came, “wow, nurse Zhao from Shunchang Courtyard. Nice to meet you and why do you come to this courtyard?”
From Shunchang Courtyard? She served Qin Zhi. So Qin Zhi started to suspect her?
“I come here for Third Miss,” A shrewd and capable voice answered.
Hearing nurse Zhao stepped closer, Qin Yunuan looked at Maner who lay on her bed and her bloody clothes. She found a solution quickly. She threw a pair of mandarin-duck cups into the ground heavily.
People outside only heard a crisp sound came from the room. Nurse Zhao stopped suddenly and then she heard Qin Yunuan’s cursing, “Such a menial girl! You even can’t do a trivial job. Nurse Liao, don’t freeze there. Take her to wood-shed, and imprison her for 7 days! Nobody could see her.”
The door suddenly was opened. Nurse Liao raised the curtain made of green soft brocade. She together with Tong held Maner’s arms respectively. They cursed Maner who lowered her head, “You have served Third Miss for a long time. How come you fail to finish your job.”
Nurse Zhao looked doubtfully at Maner whose legs were dragged. She worked in this mansion for such a long time and nothing confusing could escape from her eyes. She was about to call them to stop but Ting Xue suddenly reached her foot and treaded the skirt of nurse Zhao. Nurse Zhao almost tumbled.
“Ah! Are you OK, nurse Zhao.” Ting Xue stepped forward to hold her but nurse Zhao shook off her hands.
Qin Yunuan had already stood at the gate somehow and pretended to be surprised, “Ah! What’s wrong with you, nurse Zhao?” Qin Yunuan now had changed a piece of loose and white cloth with a light-yellow cloak. Her incompact hair seemed to show that she just got up.
“Nothing, I am fine,” Nurse Zhao stood up quickly. She saluted to Qin Yunuan and she had already caught the whole scene in Qin Yunuan’s room. She found nothing confusing and then showed her fusty smile, “Master is waiting for you in the flower hall. Grand Miss and Grand Young Master have already been there.”
“Really?” Qin Yunuan seemed to be still sleepy, “Anything urgent?”
Nurse Zhao lowered her head and answered frankly, “I heard that they are discussing to handle a lawsuit.”
