When Leng Wu stopped speaking, Qin Yunuan turned her head unconsciously to Wanyan Su and noticed that he was nodding calmly in her direction. It seemed he had not known that Sima Ray was attacked at all.
“Third Miss Qin, you’d better go back soon. Soldiers are searching for the assassinator all over and they are coming to your tent,” Leng Wu reminded her.
“Okay.” Qin Yunuan left immediately and decidedly. North Di was under suspicion for Sima Ray’s assassination. However, there were only four people from North Di. They were Prince Saichun, her two servant girls, and Wanyan Su himself. Leng Wu was always cautious about his words. He wouldn’t say such words if the emperor had no direct evidence. The four people from North Di were bound to be thorns in the side of Qi.
Although people came and went over the camp, everything was still in order. However, when Qin Yunuan was close to the tent of Princess Saichun, she heard women inside resisting in North Di language. Qin Yunuan couldn’t understand what they were talking about, but she guessed that the emperor Sima Xiu had ordered to siege Saichun’s tent, which aroused the dissatisfaction of the two servant girls from North Di.
“Third Miss Qin, here.” Leng Wu chose a path less trodden on. A few minutes later, they reached Qin Yunuan’s tent. A noise of quarrelling was heard before they went in.
“You see, we are all here except your third sister. She must have done something stealthily outside. My dear sisters, do remember to have your makeup boxes and purses checked when returning. You never know who will steal your belongings in chaos,” Li Weijun clamored ironically in her special voice, which was more special when those harsh words jumped out of her mouth.
Qin Yuzhao whimpered, “It is impossible. My third sister just goes out for some new air. Don’t defile her.”
Before Li Weijun started to speak again, Qin Yunuan lifted the tent curtains and walked in. There stood some ladies from grand families in the capital with an appearance of hatred. They were somewhat disdainful and jealous when Qin Yunuan came in.
They were so surprised to know that the miss unparalleled in the world mentioned by General Leng at the banquet was the Third Miss of the mansion of Grand Commandant, a daughter of a concubine. Put aside her capability, her appearance was just above average at most. They also had a huge gap in terms of their status. It must be that the seductive woman took the initiative to entice General Leng, the First General of Qi.
“How energetic Sister Li is!” Qin Yunuan laughed as she slowly entered into the tent, “The soldiers and guards outside are all mobilized to rummage the tent. Why doesn’t Sister Li join them since you are so energetic?”
“My third sister, you finally come back,” Qin Yuzhao murmured behind Qin Yunuan, “They rush in unexpectedly. I have told them that you just went out to have some new air. They don’t believe me anyway and are making troubles.”
Li Weijun pushed away Qin Yuzhao, glaring at Qin Yunuan, “It doesn’t matter whether I am energetic or not. What matters is where you were and who you met after leaving the banquet, my Sister Qin.”
Qin Yunuan sneered, “Is that important?”
“If you don’t tell us, I’ll go out and report to the nanny that our jewelry is stolen by you during the chaos,” Li Weijun threatened, “Oh, Fourth Miss Qiao, what did you lose?”
A lady with a petite figure stepped forward, “My pearl earrings.”
“And my filigree hairpin with an engraved pattern of peony.”
“My limpid jade bracelet is gone as well.”
The ladies there reported their lost items one by one. Hearing these, Qin Yunuan immediately understood it was Li Weijun’s trick to force her to tell out her whereabouts.
Qin Yunuan sat down directly and made herself a cup of tea, “Find your pieces of jewelry elsewhere. They are not here.”
“You were seen going to the hillside behind the shooting range one hour ago,” Li Weijun stood closer, “You want to deny?”
Qin Yunuan took a sip of tea slowly, showing a confident appearance, and smiled calmly at Li Weijun, “You take every pain for such a trifle? You are so determined. Why not find out the man you declared to have trysted with me to have a face-to-face conversation?”
“Qin Yunzhuang and I are in a league and it is time to teach her, daughter of a concubine, a lesson for Qin Yunzhuang’s sake,” Li Weijun thought to herself and became more rampant. She said in an arrogant manner, “Who knows what you cunning person will come up with. Behave yourself! You are watched by everyone. Never should you seduce the princes or General Leng.”
“Humph,” Qin Yunuan snorted. The fat nanny sent by Empress Chen lifted the curtain and stepped in. She happened to hear Li Weijun threatening Qin Yunuan from outside. Seeing Li Weijun and three young ladies standing in front of Qin Yunuan when she came in, the fat nanny was surer about that Li Weijun was bullying Qin Yunuan by taking advantage of her so-called identity.
She was given a lot of beautiful cloth and garments by Qin Yunuan. Naturally, she inclined to help Qin Yunuan.
“What are you girls doing?” fat nanny blamed, “There came an assassinator in the camp. All girls now are supposed to stay with Empress Chen as instructed for safety except you four. Don’t you hear people urging outside?”
“There they are. But they are kept out by Li Weijun’s four “loyal” servant girls, Chunxiang Xiaxiang, Qiuxiang and Dongxiang.”
Li Weijun stared at Qin Yunuan with extreme anger. Fat nanny reminded her before she continued, “Lady Li, I will be blamed by Empress Chen if you are still not going.”
Li Weijun stared at Qin Yunuan with her furious eyes and said in a low voice, “I will get the goods on you sooner or later.”
Qin Yunuan didn’t care about her at all because she had no actual evidence. It was unnecessary to deal with people like Li Weijun who was all talk and no action.
People soon gathered in the biggest bright yellow tent used for discussion in the center of the camp. Sima Xiu walked back and forth, leaving the crowd waiting in fright.
The air was like frozen and no one dared take a deep breath.
Leng Changxi just had occasional eye contact with Sima Xiu, without any extra words.
A deputy general, who suddenly came in, with his palms crossing in front of his chest, broke such a silent climate.
“Emperor, the North Di’s Seventh Prince is here.”
“Let him in.” Sima Xiu waved his hands then sat on the tiger-skinned couch. Next to him was dignified and elegant Empress Chen who was touching his arm gently to reassure him.
The next moment, Wanyan Su lifted the curtain and came in with a serious and sad look. He paid due respect to Sima Xiu by doing a palm-crossing gesture and said with extreme caution, “ Hearing Prince Ray was attacked, Su is preoccupied as well. Don’t be too sad, emperor. Su will definitely make every effort to help emperor to find the assassinator.”
Hearing these, some young generals couldn’t stand anymore.
“Boo. Don’t shed crocodile tears. We know it’s planned by people of North Di. You just want to assassinate the Prince of Qi in the disguise of the imperial matrimony for peace!”
An older liegeman stood up as well, “I agree! I’m afraid their real target is not Prince Ray but the emperor of Qi. Emperor, North Di has always been scheming. I have said the imperial matrimony for peace is unreliable. Now they really take advantage of it. Emperor, you must severely punish and seek justice for Prince Ray even if at the cost of war.”
A sword to wear heart? Qin Yunuan only knew it was not a tiny thing this time. She did not expect that Sima Ray was seriously injured. No wonder Sima Xiu and Empress Chen were both restless.
Sima Xiu seemed to have been disturbed by these chattering. He looked at Wanyan Su standing at the hall and suddenly stood up questioning, “Seventh Prince Wanyan, I respect you because you are our guest coming afar. I also cherish the first peace talk since the decades of wars between Qi and North Di. But Ray is one of my favorite sons. Now there are people testifying that someone broke into Ray’s tent after the banquet. His skills and weapons are all from North Di. When he left, he said “Long live North Di” in local language and belittled our Qi people as lackeys. For these, don’t you need to explain to me?”
Wanyan Su was astonished and explained in a more sincere attitude, “Emperor, North Di is truly seeking peace with Qi. Otherwise, we will not choose the most beloved youngest daughter of our Khan, Saichun, for the imperial matrimony for peace. Emperor, please find out the truth to certify North Di’s innocence again and seek a fair justice for wounded Prince Ray.”
However, the more explanations Wanyan Su made, the more dreadful Sima Xiu appeared to be. At this time, Leng Changxi retorted lightly but in state, “But the problem now is that when the assassin was about to leave hurriedly after hurting Prince Ray, more than ten people there saw the his face since his black cloth mask was torn down by those guards. And the man was none other than you. Of course, you can still insist there are people with the same outlook, skills and habits in the world. But who will believe you?”
Wanyan Su showed his skills in the shooting range. Whoever noticed him would know Wanyan Su was left-handed. He shot with his left hand, which was in conformity with the characteristics of the assassinator. What’s more, his face was exposed.
Wanyan Su was pushed to a desperate situation by this sudden change. Who could prove his innocence? Suddenly, he turned his head to Qin Yunuan.
