Chapter 197 Deception
Though Leng Shuang was very confused, Qin Yunuan had no more time to explain it to her in such a short time. If they were late, there would be another grand general missing in Qi.
In the meanwhile, Sima Ray was taken by Leng Wu secretly into custody in a secret room temporarily under the closest surveillance in the Imperial Clan Court.
“Go in.” Leng Wu glimpsed at Sima Ray coldly with a poker face.
“You recover so quickly.” Sima Ray looked at the injured arm of Leng Wu with defiant eyes, but Leng Wu did not respond. Sima Ray smiled coldly and then raised his head to look at the three lights in the room through the window from outside. He said suddenly, “What a pity! There will be another grand general missing in Qi within half an hour.”
At dusk, Qin Yunuan had returned to the courtyard. For the safety of Qin Yunuan, Leng Changxi did not let her out anymore. He deployed Leng Shuang and two of the most careful master-hands among the 18 shadow guards in charge of the safeguarding. Maner collected all of the news Qin Yunuan from everywhere.
“How?” Qin Yunuan looked at Maner who rushed back from outside and pulled her sleeves to ask.
Maner was out of breath and said, “People dispatched by the emperor had been already in the military camp before Miss Leng arrived there. At that moment, they were in a deadlock and almost started to fight. But luckily, one of the eunuchs dispatched to announce the imperial edict knew Miss Leng, and he just said he would report to the emperor after he heard the words of Miss Leng.”
“It’s good to report to the emperor.” Qin Yunuan felt relieved.
But Maner felt confused, “Third Young Madam, how did you know that General Meng in the military camp was real, but the one imprisoned in the hidden path was fake? It was hard to tell their real identities. If we got it wrong…”
“I couldn’t make sure at the beginning,” Qin Yunuan frowned, “Actually, for most people, they must believe that the one outside was fake when they saw that the man in the hidden path was identical to General Meng. To the surprise of all of us, Sima Ray was so cunning. He knew the conventional thinking of people. I guessed that at that time, he had found my trace. He seduced me to enter the secret room, and he wanted everybody to believe that General Meng in the military camp was fake. The emperor was decisive and resolute, so he must order to kill General Meng in the military camp at once secretly. He would not confirm the news towards the Imperial Concubine Yun and the Grand Prince.”
“Third Prince is so cunning.” Maner sighed.
“No, he is not cunning. He is smart, smart too far,” Qin Yunuan sighed, “We have to admit that that is a perfect trick for him. If his trick was done, he would eliminate the first martial art family in Qi, which was a half supporting power of the Imperial Concubine Yun and the Grand Prince. If he made it successfully, he would transfer the fake Meng Hua into the real one, and then take the chance to master the military power in the imperial court.”
“But,” Maner frowned, “The Third Prince has been…” Maner wanted to say that Sima Ray had exposed himself, and the emperor would never trust him forever.
“I know your confusion,” Qin Yunuan sighed slowly, “Sima Ray played secret tricks with the emperor, but this time I think he will be more unscrupulous. Do you believe that on the way to the Imperial Mausoleum, the horse carriage where the Third Prince was imprisoned will get some trouble.”
“Somebody will hurt him?” Maner asked.
Qin Yunuan shook her head, “No. He will save himself.” Having seen the hesitant Maner, Qin Yunuan just held the scissors on the table to cut the candlewick shorter to brighten the light, “We can’t stop the issue. It seems that the turmoil in the Royal Palace won’t end but will get a new start.”
In the evening, Leng Changxi was very exhausted when he came back. Qin Yunuan held the basin for feet-bath intimately. She let all maidservants and nannies quit and was about to wash his feet carefully. But suddenly, her tender hands were pulled up when her fingers just touched the hot water.
It happened so surprisingly. The arms of Leng Changxi had held Qin Yunuan. They lay down on the quilt of the bed.
Leng Changxi seemed to look at a naughty animal. He touched the tip of her nose by his fingertip, “I have told you that you should have a full rest here. I heard that you let Maner collect information outside in the afternoon. You are such a busy sweetie.”
Qin Yunuan did not deny it. She just held him tightly and fawned on him, saying proudly, “Without me, you guys would not know that General Meng in the military camp was true. Sima Ray was good at deception.”
Qin Yunuan should be praised for this issue. Emperor Zhaoxuan felt outrageous when he knew at dusk that Qin Yunuan had stopped his secret imperial edict. But he felt astonished after the detailed news came from the military camp. General Meng rescued from the secret path was unconscious all the time, and nobody could tell which one was real and which one was fake, so the emperor had to order to judge the case later.
Qin Yunuan felt a little bit tired after she heard the whole thing happening in the imperial palace. She lay on the knees of Leng Changxi and almost fell asleep. In a daze, she felt that Leng Changxi bent and kissed her forehead lightly, and then he let her lie low on the bed and covered the quilt for her. They fell asleep without taking off their clothes.
Later, Qin Yunuan was woken up by some noise. She got up and found Leng Changxi was not in the chamber. Ting Xue and Maner outside immediately came in with hot water and towel after they heard Qin Yunuan had got up.
“Why is it so noisy outside?” Qin Yunuan kneaded her sore temples. The noise seemed to come from outside the mansion. It was always silent in the Prince Ning’s Mansion, and such sound was seldom heard in the mansion.
Maner and Ting Xue looked at each other without a word.
Qin Yunuan glanced at these two little maidservants. She still pinched the spoon of almond soup leisurely, and just turned her eyes to the silent Xi’er, “Xi’er, what happened?”
Xi’er was very bright and lively in daily time, but today she was very restrained. She nodded timidly, “Third Young Madam, it is the wedding of Princess Jinhe outside.”
“Princess Jinhe? Wedding?” Qin Yunuan felt so surprised. She had never heard about such a princess in Qi, and the big wedding recently in Qi.
“Yes,” Xi’er continued, “After the death of the Forth Miss, the emperor planned to send Infanta Zhaojing to West Xia for the imperial matrimony for peace. But there was no end finally. Now Infanta Zhaojing was under house arrest in the Mansion of Princess Jing, and her title was almost removed. Princess Jinhe was conferred the title in a short time, and she was just a replacement sent to West Xia.”
In Qi, at this age when men were more powerful than woman, it was not strange to confer the title of the princess on a girl in a short time and send the girl into the marriage bridal sedan chair casually, because women here were just like goods waiting to be exchanged. And men would tell you that you were valuable only because you could be utilized.
“Where is the girl from?” Qin Yunuan asked specifically.
“She is Shangguan Yee in Shangguan Family.”
Qin Yunuan felt a little bit stunned, “Her? Impossible. Now there is still an intense phenomenon between West Xia and Qi. She is maybe in danger there. Why didn’t Shangguan Yuan and the old man, Mr. Shangguan, stop it?”
How ironic. The two people, one was the Left Chancellor in Qi, and the other was the leading academic scholar in Qi. They even could not protect the weak girl in their family.
“But if she was willing to marry?” A soft voice like a yellowbird came from outside. Men would like the voice, but Qin Yunuan felt disgusted about such a lewd sound.
It was Concubine Tang, who was punished for staying in her room by Prince Ning due to her provoking disputes.
Facing Concubine Tang who had never entered the courtyard of Qin Yunuan proactively, Qin Yunuan would not give a smile to her because there were many disputes between the two women.
“Xi’er, Maner, go to check if the maidservants at the door are working.” Qin Yunuan even did not give a glimpse at Concubine Tang, “Now they neglected their duty. How dare they let such a person in.”
Concubine Tang turned gloomy, but then became flattering after she saw Qin Yunuan let their maidservants quit, “As my expectation, Third Young Madam will not be so stingy to stop such a trustworthy woman who comes to report.”
Qin Yunuan squinted at Concubine Tang. After the death of Princess Ning, Concubine Tang seemed to find Qin Yunuan was a new moneybag and came to her courtyard frequently.
“Trustworthy?” Qin Yunuan rolled up her sleeves and walked to the shelter of embroidering. She started to embroider and ignored Concubine Tang, “I have never found you are trustworthy to me, Concubine Tang.”
“But now,” Concubine Tang came closer, “Now I have a very important piece of news to tell you, Third Young Madam.”
“If you want to tell me the issue that Shangguan Yee was conferred Princess Jinhe, thanks. I knew it already.”
Concubine Tang continued with a smile, “But Third Young Madam, you must do not know that why Miss Shangguan requested the imperial matrimony for peace to West Xia.”
Qin Yunuan looked at Concubine Tang without a word.
“Huh, I just heard that the grand maidservant selected to serve Miss Shangguan recently was from the Royal Palace. And the maidservant and the eunuch Du Sheng, who served Third Prince Sima Ray, constituted an asexual couple when she served in the Royal Palace.”
Qin Yunuan raised her eyes slightly. This issue was related to Sima Ray again. And then Concubine Tang whispered to Qin Yunuan in a mysterious voice, “And there is another thing. After the death of Sister Sun, Sun Family lost powerful support in the Royal City. I heard from those old nannies in the mansion that Sun Family seemed to plan to select another eminent daughter of a concubine to marry into Princess Ning’s Mansion. Now the application of granting the marriage has sent to the emperor. They are waiting for the agreement of the emperor.”