Even though Qin Yunuan was the one who took the initiative to call Qin Yunzhuang, Qin Yunzhuang dared not to approach her. To Qin Yunzhuang, Qin Yunuan was no longer the concubine’s daughter in the Grand Commandant’s Mansion. She knew clearly that Qin Yunuan’s capability was far stronger than herself.
Qin Yunzhuang looked at Qin Yunuan timidly. She didn’t say a word but merely stared at her.
“If elder sister has nothing else to say, I’m leaving now.”
“Wait, third sister.” Qin Yunzhuang finally boosted her courage and stopped Qin Yunuan. By that time, Leng Changxi had left cleverly, leaving the two sisters with a complicated relationship on the grand stairs.
Qin Yunuan smiled, looking at Qin Yunzhuang, who wanted to talk but didn’t.
“Third sister,” Qin Yunzhuang said timidly, “I helped you this time, but father…”
“What?” Qin Yunuan sneered, “I’ve told you from the very beginning that father is on the same side with the third prince. As you dared to do it, you have to be prepared for him to abandon you.”
“But Sima Ray killed brother.” Qin Yunzhuang said in a panic, “No, no. He didn’t personally kill brother, but brother died because of him. What have I done wrong to seek revenge for him? Father, he loves me so much, as well as a brother. He won’t do that.”
“Qin Yunzhuang, face it.” Qin Yunuan held Qin Yunzhuang’s chin with her fingertips so that she had to look at her in the eyes. “If father really treasures his children’s lives, why would he agree to cooperate with third prince and have Qin Linfeng faking his death in the first place? Why didn’t he part with Sima Ray after Qin Linfeng died? Also, why would he send you into the palace like a tool? The reason is that he is very clear deep down that his glory and his future is more important than you are. Or another possibility is, just because he lost his son, and a woman that could help him. He has lost too much to turn back. I believe that it’s also why Sima Ray won’t let him go.”
Qin Yunzhuang suddenly appeared that she understood everything, “Then what about tomorrow? Sima Ray is captured, then what about the Qin family?”
Qin Yunuan looked at Qin Yunzhuang with the corner of her eyes and said, “What do you think? Qin Zhi had his own way to get away with it, don’t worry.”
“Naturally, you’re not worried,” Qin Yunzhuang suddenly held on to Qin Yunuan’s sleeves tightly and said, “You and your brother are now all living in Prince Ning’s Mansion. The Prince Ning’s mansion had contributed a lot in settling the riot, and naturally, it would be rewarded generously. However, how could you abandon all these people in the Qin family?”
“I abandon them?” Qin Yunuan found it amusing, “Elder sister, it was father who abandoned Baochuan and me in the back courtyard. It was you, the so-called family, who let us live on our own. It was your dearest mother, who always blamed us for everything. Yet, now you’re blaming me for all that might happen to the Qin family.”
Qin Yunzhuang immediately realized that she had spoken inappropriately. She could no longer yell at Qin Yunuan like the past. They were now different in status and even more different in capability. She had to admit it.
“Infanta Ping, I didn’t want to…”
“I don’t want to say anything else.” Qin Yunuan turned around and summoned Leng Shuang, “Let’s go, Leng Shuang.”
Qin Yunzhuang knew well about the martial art skills of the servant girl in purple clothes, so she dared not do anything inappropriate. She could only stand there and watch Qin Yunuan’s figure walking away, until she met Leng Changxi, who was waiting outside the hall. The two held hands, looked at each other, and left.
On the carriage, Leng Changxi didn’t want to let go of the little hedgehog in his arms. He put his chin with a short beard on Qin Yunuan’s forehead, and he lowered his head to kiss Qin Yunuan’s earlobe, eyelashes and nose tip from time to time.
“Okay,” Qin Yunuan straightened up shyly and asked softly, “Now you could tell me, what actually happened last night?”
Leng Changxi only hugged Qin Yunuan tighter and told her about everything that happened last night simply. He deliberately missed out the more dangerous part, and he rubbed against Qin Yunuan’s neck when he was done. “As for you, it was too risky. If I didn’t know that you left a message at the seventh prince in the Imperial Clan Court, and you used scent to deliver your message and let me know about the secret pathway, you know how dangerous it is to stay with Sima Ray alone.”
Qin Yunuan snuggled into Leng Changxi’s arms, “I only cared about your safety, and I didn’t think about it that much.”
The carriage was on the palace road when a brisk call came from behind.
“General Leng, please stop.”
They thought it was some messenger from the Leng army, but it was the Grand prince, Sima Ruo.
“General Leng.” Sima Ruo was walking fast. Even though the carriage of Qin Yunuan and Leng Changxi didn’t go really fast, it made Sima Ruo sweat catching up with them, in such a cold winter day.
Seeing Sima Ruo in such a rush, Leng Changxi narrowed his eyes and got off the carriage directly.
“Grand prince?”
“General Leng, I’m here to ask for Infanta Ping’s help.”
Qin Yunuan stuck her head out. Sima Ruo looked around and lowered his voice as he spoke to Qin Yunuan, “The fetus in Saichun’s womb…”
The grand princess Saichun was now eight-months pregnant. It was the most crucial time. Since the confinement incident last time, Imperial concubine Yun and Sima Ruo had become more protective for Saichun. Qin Yunuan had no idea what happened now.
“Saichun’s pulse had become very weak. Even the Imperial doctor Zhang Ruting couldn’t tell what’s going on. I was worried that someone sneaked something bad into Saichun’s medication.” Sima Ruo was leading Qin Yunuan to Chenxi Palace as he anxiously explained.
“Don’t worry, grand prince.” Qin Yunuan tried to calm Sima Ruo down. “Probably, it’s all just in your mind.”
“Nothing can happen to Saichun now.” Sima Ruo’s face suddenly became strange for Qin Yunuan, as if there was some sort of ambition in it. “Now that my third brother is going to be sent to the royal cemetery, and the government needs to be reformed. The seventh prince didn’t have his own power yet. It is the best time for me to regain my power, don’t you get it, Infanta Ping?”
“Grand prince?” Qin Yunuan looked at Sima Ruo, whose eyes were filled with hysteric desire for power. At that moment, the once fairy-like person looked as fierce as a demon.
Qin Yunuan had a bad hunch. She asked something that she had long doubted but didn’t dare to make sure of, “Grand prince, where were you when seventh prince was captured?”
Sima Ruo was shaken, and his eyes were already fierce-looking.
However, Qin Yunuan approached him to step by step fearlessly, “Something so big had happened in the palace, even the Queen mother was under Sima Ray’s watch. But why did nothing happen to the Chenxi Palace? Why? Tell me, grand prince.”
“What do I have to tell you?” Sima Ruo’s tone was turning unnatural.
“And Imperial concubine Yun, why hadn’t her palace suffered any loss either?” Qin Yunuan opened her eyes wide, “Grand prince, did you and imperial concubine Yun know about Sima Ray’s action in advance, but didn’t think of telling the Emperor and the Queen mother? You were hiding the whole thing so that you could watch Sima Ray and Changxi fight against each other and get benefits for yourselves. After this incident, Sima Ray must be imprisoned and killed by the Emperor, while the Leng army and the eighteen shadow guards would suffer either. By then, you could reach for your own benefits as planned.”
The tiny body of Qin Yunuan was exerting extraordinary power, forcing Sima Ruo into the corner. Qin Yunuan could see Sima Ruo’s struggles. Sima Ruo didn’t want to fight for anything deep down. However, he had a mother who was fascinated by richness and fame. With the dominating Imperial concubine Yun, how could she let Sima Ruo let go of the status of the first heir?
“Why would I harm General Leng?” Sima Ruo forced a smile. “Even if you’re right, that I’m fighting to be the first heir, General Leng is just an official. No matter how powerful he is, he’s just an official.”
Qin Yunuan suddenly bowed and said lightly, “Grand prince, don’t you know that according to the law of Qi, not only the children of the Emperor can be the first heir, but also other princes?”
Sima Ruo looked at Qin Yunuan, stunned.
“Actually, you knew that Leng Changxi is the son of the Grand Princess, just like Sima Ray, and you knew that he’s qualified to be the heir of Qi, right?”
“That’s not what I want.” Sima Ruo paused for a while, as his tone turned miserable. “But I need to fight for it. My mother said that if I don’t, more people will die. I’ve seen too many of them leaving me. Xiao Fangzi who was my childhood friend, my wet nurse, and the first woman I’d loved, they…”
Qin Yunuan took a few steps back and seemed to have thought of something. Apparently, it was possible that Imperial concubine Yun and the grand prince knew about Sima Ray confining General Meng Hua.
Oh God, General Meng Hua is supposed to be Imperial concubine Yun’s biological brother. Was it possible that she could give up her own brother to lure Sima Ray in and let Meng Hua live as a prisoner in that dark and cold secret pathway?
Or actually…
“Leng Shuang!” Qin Yunuan suddenly yelled. A servant girl in purple clothes leaped off the wall immediately and waited for further instructions. “What’s the news from the military camp?”
Leng Shuang arched her hands and replied, “The order of the Emperor to eliminate the fake General Meng is on the way.”
“Stop it.” Qin Yunuan ordered calmly. The order made Leng Shuang shocked. Blocking the Emperor’s order, that’s a quick way of suicide.
“Are you disobeying my words now?” Qin Yunuan yelled seriously, “You must arrive before the order. Bring more people with you to protect General Meng if you could.”
“But third young madam…” Leng Shuang didn’t get it. It was apparent that the one in the military camp was fake. The Emperor was angry at the moment sweeping off the impact of third prince in the Royal City.
Qin Yunuan gripped the corner of her clothes with some strength, as she secretly exclaimed, “Sima Ray, you’re such a master. You actually almost fooled us all.”
