“Prince…” Qin Yunzhuang was at a loss for words. All she could do was to watch Qin Linfeng being taken away. She was still thinking about what Sima Ray’s words meant.
Sima Ray turned back. “Why are you still here? I don’t want to hear your voice.” Before he noticed, Qin Yunzhuang had followed Liu Bao through the secret path like she was crazy. The following things happened beside the lotus pond were what Qin Yunuan had seen.
The rockery where Qin Yunuan hid behind was a perfect cover. She was having a good time watching them without worrying about being discovered as Leng Shuang was taking care of the surroundings carefully.
“Please, your highness. Please let my brother go.” Qin Yunzhuang knelt beside Sima Ray and begging him very hard. There were several masters beside Sima Ray. Leng Shuang made a rough estimate that there were more than three first-class masters right now in this courtyard. And the man who was holding Qin Linfeng’s arms had excellent arm strength and hawk-like piercing eyes.
“Tie her up and get her back,” Sima Ray ordered coldly to the men standing by his sides, “Deal with him as soon as possible.”
“No, Prince Ray! Please!” Before Qin Yunzhuang shouted anything else, her mouth was covered tightly. At the other side of the pond, Qin Linfeng was tied up with two big stones by the two men in black. And Qin Yunzhuang could do nothing but watch him being tortured helplessly. One of the men stood up and trod on his body deliberately for several times. Then, Qin Linfeng was kicked into the pond by him together with the heavy stones which were used to drown him.
Qin Yunzhuang froze at this scene and passed out after a choke.
Sima Ray’s eyes revealed his acuteness and ruthlessness, which was just the nature of him. Even though he had no feelings for Qin Yunzhuang, he could not stand the fact that his woman was coveted by another man. He did need a button man in the Qin Family, but he never trusted that Qin Linfeng would really surrender to him. So, a big problem was solved this time.
Sima Ray stood by and watched the whole process. He did not smile until the ripples in the pond disappeared, and the surface became peaceful again. His clothes were waggling strangely.
“Well,” Sima Ray said to himself, “The lotus will have a beautiful blossom next year.” He left after finished this sentence.
Qin Yunuan and Leng Shuang walked out from the rockery after those uninvited people all left. Gazing at the place where Qin Linfeng was drowned, Qin Yunuan seemed to be lost in thought, while Leng Shuang still looked serious.
Qin Yunuan wanted to check out but was stopped by Leng Shuang all of a sudden. “Third Young Madam, we’d better leave right now.”
“Why?” Qin Yunuan asked cautiously, “Is there anything wrong?”
“Yeah,” She nodded, “The genuine energy around us was still there even though the masters had all left. I was afraid that some Qigong masters were approaching,” she looked around cautiously, “We’d better leave now.”
“Okay,” Qin Yunuan nodded, “Grandpa and Baochuan are still on the loft. It’s time to come back.”
Leng Shuang also nodded. Before leaving, she looked back at the lotus pond subconsciously.
Shangguan Yi’s hearty laughter lingered in the room when Qin Yunuan came back.
“Well, well! Bravo! You are excellent! Who taught you to match antithetical couplets?”
Hearing the compliment, Qin Baochuan just smiled. There were innocence and modesty on his face. “My mother died young, so it was my sister who urged me to read and write in usual times. As for matching antithetical couplets, my sister taught me some, and I also learn from the teacher from the family academy.”
Before leaving, Qin Yunuan had told Shangguan Yi that Baochuan had no idea of the real identity of their mother. She really hoped that Shangguan Yi would hide the truth from him for a longer time because Baochuan was very aspirant and proud. That was why Qin Baochuan addressed him as Sir Shangguan, and their topic was mostly around poetry.
Qin Baochuan got very excited at the sight of Qin Yunuan. “Sis, Sir Shangguan had talked about the rhythm of poetry with me. I was very impressed by him! He really is the most respectful scholar in Qi. How lucky I am to talk with Sir Shangguan!”
Qin Yunuan took a glance at Shangguan Yi who looked kind and satisfied. Knowing that he was favorable with the behavior of Baochuan, she touched Baochuan’s head and said warmly, “That’s what they called fate.”
Shangguan Yi also nodded with his eyes sparkling with tears. The three of them talked for a long time, and it was getting late. When they were about to leave, the sudden noises of footsteps, armor, and weapons made the atmosphere serious.
In a minute, the hasty footsteps were going upstairs. It was a vice general in his armor. He cupped his hands to Qin Yunuan after a cold and short glance at all the people there. “Third Young Madam from Prince Ning’s Mansion, please come with me,” he said.
There were strict rules in the imperial palace that limited the entry and exit of the men who were not eunuchs. An armed man should be much harder to enter the palace.
With a faint smile, Qin Yunuan asked, “I have never met you before. Why would I leave with you?”
The vice general squinted at Qin Yunuan contemptibly for a while and answered, “We had just found the dead body of Grand Master of the Qin Family in the lotus pond. There are witnesses who saw you quarreling and having physical fights with him.” He sneered coldly and continued, “Third Young Madam, I respect the family of General Leng because we are both soldiers, though not on the same side. But still, I have to follow the rules as murder is involved. Please give up resistance.”
Qin Yunuan did have conflicts with Qin Linfeng. But the one who drowned him in the lotus pond was Sima Ray. It would not be him who accused her because he had no idea that she was there behind the rockery. That person actually knew where she had gone and insisted that she had conflicts with Qin Linfeng. Who would that person be?
“General, I think you are mistaken,” Qin Baochuan tried to protect his sister, “My sister felt ill during the feast and took me to the loft for a talk. We met Sir Shangguan there, and the three of us have been there all the time. How could she do that?”
Qin Yunuan did leave for a while, but Baochuan lied to protect her this time. She looked at Shangguan Yi who was standing by and watching the whole thing. He was also aware of that, and it was neutral and natural for him to say nothing.
“Okay, I will come with you under one condition,” Qin Yunuan said bravely with firm eyes, “My brother Qin Baochuan was talking with Sir Shangguan Yi the whole time, and they had nothing to do with the murder. In addition, I have to see the one who identified me at the lotus pond.”
The vice general sneered and said, “You will surely know who the person is before Her Majesty.”
Qin Yunuan took a deep breath and then said something to Qin Baochuan who looked much more worried than her. Compared with him, she was so confident and calm.
The fact that the dead body of the bride’s brother was found in the lotus pond on the wedding day was humiliating for both the Qin Family and the royal family. That was why Qin Zhi choked back his tears and did not dare to defy the emperor’s orders before him even though he was in deep sorrow for the death of his only lineal son.
Emperor Zhaoxuan was sitting high on the dragon throne, trying to comfort Qin Zhi with words. But Qin Zhi’s darkened eyes showed that those efforts were in vain.
He would find out the murder who killed his son. He would!
At this time, Qin Yunuan was taken to the hall. There were just a few people in the hall, including the emperor, the empress, Qin Zhi, and the so-called witnesses. The death of Qin Linfeng was odd and abrupt, so they did not want to have new problems cropping up unexpectedly.
“My greetings, Your Majesty. I’m your humble servant Qin Yunuan.” Qin Yunuan made a curtsy. She looked very calm, which was in sharp contrast with the tense atmosphere in the hall.
“You have been rewarded with a rank, and there’s no need to address yourself as a ‘humble servant’. Didn’t Queen Mother grant you a title?” Empress Chen smiled kindly, trying to lighten the atmosphere.
But suddenly, Qin Yunuan looked up with tearful eyes, “I don’t dare to do that. The fifth-grade rank of infanta was a surprise that brought me honor as well as uncontrollable accidents. Infanta Ping was much too heavy for me. Please tell Queen Mother that it’s my fault and let her withdraw the rank.”
Before the emperor questioning the death of Qin Linfeng, she changed the subject to gain the initiative.
“Don’t say that. The words of Queen Mother were valuable. She had given you the title, and it doesn’t make sense to withdraw it,” said Empress Chen in a comforting tone. She knew that Qin Yunuan was resourceful, and she would love to see what she was going to do.
“Oh, your Majesty, you don’t know,” Qin Yunuan looked so wronged and threw a miserable glance at Qin Zhi as if that meant something, “The title had made me a scapegoat in the Qin Family for so many times. I… I could not bear it anymore.”
