Chapter 104 Disturbance in the Harem
Well, the sudden “suicide” of Imperial Concubine Duan left Sima Han alone. Adding that the evidence of Imperial Concubine Duan killing Imperial Concubine Shu, his biological mother, was irrefutable, Sima Han was in a quite embarrassing position.
Leng Wu gave Qin Yuzhao a look subconsciously, lowered his voice, “Now the Fourth Prince is wrangling in front of the emperor, insisting on moving outside the palace and have his own house. The emperor is persuading him by the fact that he hasn’t married yet.”
There was a tradition that when a prince grew up, he would get a feud, a title of nobility, and a house outside the palace. However, in this generation of the emperor, both Imperial Concubine Yun and Empress Chen didn’t want to part with their sons, Sima Ruo and Sima Ray. So the tradition had been postponing. And Imperial Concubine Duan was no exception. What’s more, according to the stupid appearance of the Fourth Prince, it was not good for him to move out alone.
“Hasn’t married yet?” Qin Yunuan raised her eyebrow, and hold Qin Yuzhao’s hand with her right hand, “Now that he hasn’t married yet, it will be good for him to marry someone.”
Easier said than done.
The moment Qin Yunuan and Qin Yuzhao were outside Sima Xiu’s tent, there were arguments inside. The officers that followed Sima Xiu to the hunting were not so many. Shangguan Yuan, the Left Chancellor was on behalf of the emperor to deal with part of the national issues together with Qin Zhi. Therefore, those in the tent were old officers and conservative scholars in the Imperial College, who were illustrating the infeasibility of the marriage raised by Sima Han by citing the classics.
“‘A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband.’ I cannot see any virtue in the Fourth Miss of the Qin Family in the mansion of Grand Commandant.”
“I agree with Officer Ma. The Fourth Prince has both inherited the blood from a prominent family through Imperial Concubine Shu and the royal blood through the emperor. Despite the fact that the Fourth Miss of Qin Family is not mature mentally, she was born by a concubine. She doesn’t deserve to be the wife of the Fourth Prince.”
The voice of Sima Han called out immediately, “Who cares about the blood? Blood is only important when it comes to selecting horses. I am a human, not a horse.”
Sima Han’s voice showed only a little anxiety, but at once there were sounds of kneeling down as well as old and humble voices, “Fourth Prince, please calm down.”
“Alas! You!” Sima Han lost his temper, “You are such a bunch of fuddy-dudduddies! I won’t speak to you anymore. I will speak to my father. Father, I just like the goddess! When I told mother that I wanted to marry the goddess in the afternoon, she asked servants to lock me up. Father, will you cage me? Well… I….” His voice became timid for a while, then was raised up suddenly, “I still want to marry her!”
The turn seemed to amuse Sima Xiu. His voice became bright and clear, “Is it true that you like the Fourth Miss of the Qin Family?”
Just at that time, Qin Yunuan shot a glance to the eunuch guarding the entrance, who had received money from her. He immediately lifted the curtain to report inside that the Third Miss and the Fourth Miss of the Qin Family arrived.
Hearing the report, Sima Han’s eyes lit up. Sima Xiu compressed his lips and squinted slightly. He had told people guarding outside not to report if there were no important issues and people. He glanced at the little eunuch, knowing that it must be Qin Yunuan who got around the restriction. She was quite smooth. If she became the wife of Leng Changxi, she could help him after she entered the Prince Ning’s Mansion.
“Let them in,” Sima Xiu waved and ordered.
Qin Yuzhao held the hand of Qin Yunuan, wanting to come in together with her sister. However, Qin Yunuan let go of Qin Yuzhao’s hand with a smile, “You just come in alone. Don’t be afraid.” With a glance just now, she spotted Maner, who was hiding behind the opposite tent. So she knew that Maner must have something important to say. What’s more, she knew that although both Sima Han and Qin Yuzhao looked foolish, they were clear of the truth from the bottom of their hearts. She didn’t need to worry much.
“Third sister, are you not coming? I want to be with you,” Qin Yuzhao twitched her mouth.
“One should fight for her own happiness,” Qin Yunuan smiled and touched Qin Yuzhao’s temples, where still grew some fine hair, “Just come in. The Fourth Prince is waiting for you.”
There was a layer of mist in Qin Yuzhao’s eyes without her knowing, making her clear eyes more beautiful and purer. Nobody had ever told her that one should fight for her own happiness. Ever since her sickness at four, her mother kept telling her that it was the legal mother’s trick, aiming at killing her. She couldn’t say anything, nor could she know too much, or she would die immediately.
Her young and innocent heart was covered by ashes due to the filthy and worldly truth suddenly. Her future was ripped off vitality by the war and blood in the harem. At that time, she decided to pretend to be foolish. If she looked foolish enough to relax other’s vigilance, she could live longer. After witnessing the deaths and the inside stories behind them, she didn’t dare to show others her true self.
But now when she was facing Qin Yunuan, she felt a sense of safety which she never had before.
“Third sister, actually, the death of Concubine Yang in the past… had some facts hidden.” Qin Yuzhao picked up the topic suddenly. She appreciated Qin Yunuan, so she decided to get rid of her mask bravely and told her something she happened to witness. Although it might hurt Qin Yunuan’s feelings temporarily, Qin Yuzhao hoped that she would no longer be deceived by the so-called truth.
“I know.” Qin Yunuan lowered her head a little. Qin Yuzhao didn’t know that Li Qiqi had told her everything. She had figured out the cause and effect of the incident in the past. Those who killed her mother would get what they deserved.
Qin Yuzhao nodded without doubting Qin Yunuan’s words. She knew clearly about her sister’s ability. She just stared at Qin Yunuan for some time, then she turned her head and followed the little eunuch into the tent.
Seeing Qin Yuzhao’s figure disappear behind the yellow valances, Qin Yunuan inhaled deeply and walked towards Maner.
Maner had waited for so long that sweat dripped from her face.
“What happened? Is there any message from the mansion of Grand Commandant?” Qin Yunuan asked. This time when she took Maner and Tong out, she divided their work clearly. Tong was responsible for taking care of Qin Yuzhao, while Maner was responsible for following her and communicating through the carrier pigeon with nurse Liao and Ting Xue, who were left in the mansion of Grand Commandant. Now Maner came to her abruptly, indicating that nurse Liao and Ting Xue might send some message.
“Third Miss,” Maner seemed solemn, “The carrier pigeon from the mansion of Grand Commandant just arrived. It brought a message, saying that Madam was crazy.”
Madam Dou was crazy? Qin Yunuan twitched her mouth. No. It should be “Madam Dou was finally crazy!”
Seeing that Qin Yunuan was buried in her thought, Maner continued, “This is what in the first letter. The second one was more detailed, saying that this morning Madam had told everyone she met, ‘It wasn’t me who killed you!’ Xiu Gu couldn’t even stop her. Nobody could control her when Master was working. But now it’s time for Master to come back. I don’t know what’s going on in the mansion right now.”
“It must be in a mess.” Qin Yunuan’eyes seemed chilling and scheming at that time. Madam Dou was crazy? I sent people to imitate the deceased Concubine He and my mother, pretending to be their ghost in your yard every night. I also bought over most of your servant girls, asking them to put the jewelry my mother wore when she was dying under your makeup box and pillow. For what I had done, I wanted more than your madness.
Remember, blood will have blood!
Because of the assassin, the paddock hunting was not as successful as people had expected before. What’s more, Sima Ray got injured. So many ladies left in the acquiescence of the emperor and Empress Chen, staying away from the troublesome place.
Watching that the servant girls of some ladies in the Royal City were busying clearing up the carriages back, Qin Yunuan sighed with expectation, “Maner, now that Mother is crazy, I should hurry to return home to visit her and be a filial daughter.”
When Qin Yuzhao came out of the tent again, she was together with Sima Han. Both of them showed excitement and joy. However, their long-term camouflage made them still look stupid to others. Many even said privately that the Fourth Prince, Sima Han, was a fool without a doubt. Because he had lived so many years under the control of Imperial Concubine Duan, the killer of his biological mother, Imperial Concubine Shu. Now Imperial Concubine Duan was dead, how come he was able to laugh?
Nobody except Qin Yuzhao knew that Sima Han had spent so much time learning medicine himself that finally, he detoxified the chronic toxicity that Imperial Concubine Duan asked servants to put in his daily diet. The toxicity did no harm when taken just little of it, but it could make people react slowly and mentally decline if it was taken in the long run. All the people, including Imperial Concubine Duan, thought that Sima Han was really foolish. Yet nobody knew that he was crystal clear of everything in his mind.
“Sister,” Sima Han shouted at Qin Yunuan loudly. His face showed immature and innocent, “You know what? Just now my father entitled me as Prince Fu. I won’t go to my feud but live in the Royal City. I will buy a big mansion, and let the goddess live in it! At that time, you will be welcome!” as he was saying, he turned to dismay, “But father said that the goddess could only be my concubine. I don’t know what concubine is, but there must be something better than it. I will scrape it for my goddess.”
Sima Han smirked at Qin Yuzhao, with his eyes full of happiness.
“It’s good that you can be together,” Qin Yunuan watched them and smiled.
According to the etiquette, Qin Yunuan asked for the permission of the emperor and Empress Chen before she left with Qin Yuzhao. On their way home, Qin Yuzhao’s smile never faded which just like the Venus, the brightest star in the north, would never fall.
The carriage was bumping. As Qin Yunuan had done so many things, she leaned on the mat pillow covering a jade for resting. All of a sudden, the carriage stopped, causing her quiver.
“What’s up?” keeping close to the window of the carriage, Qin Yunuan asked Maner who was outside.
“The carriage of Prince Ray just passed by,” Maner answered in a low voice, “Perhaps his servants are hurrying to take him back to the palace for a cure. We would have knocked into them had it not been the groom who managed to draw rein in time.”
So hurried? Qin Yunuan lifted the curtain, only seeing the ashes raised by Prince Ray’s carriage. It seemed that it had already gone far.
Qin Yunuan thought for a while and smiled, “With a sword stabbing at his heart, how could Sima Ray bear the bumping of the carriage like that? He must have other things to do urgently.”