Chapter Eighty-Three: You Suspect Me
In the Tower of Whispered Words within the War Prince’s manor, Feng Jinye, sunk deep in memory, lay restless in the rocking chair...
With a soft cotton cloth in hand, Wei Shao Qianyu wiped the sweat from his brow...
He had recalled this fragment before, when she had once told him they should part ways. Back then, the memory that surged into his mind had neither beginning nor end...
At the time, he could feel the crushing unease of his former self, yet he did not understand why he had been so unsettled. Now, little by little, it was becoming clear...
The memories came crashing in without restraint, and in his confusion Feng Jinye seized Wei Shao Qianyu’s hand...
In that memory, Ye Eleven said hesitantly, “My lord, a battle report has arrived from Wu Capital. In yesterday’s engagement, Young Master Huangfu killed the Crown Princess of Western Yan!”
Feng Jinye clenched his fists. Then a soldier outside the tent came in to report, “Your Highness, the generals seek an audience outside the camp!”
“Let them in,” Feng Jinye said coldly.
A broad-backed, powerfully built general spoke bluntly, “Your Highness, word has come from Wu Capital that Young Master Huangfu has slain the Crown Princess of Western Yan. Should Your Highness now settle the marriage alliance in Qu Capital? I fear that if we delay, circumstances may change!”
The others chimed in at once. “Exactly, War Prince! With the death of Western Yan’s Crown Princess, their will to fight will surely be inflamed. It is said that grieving armies always prevail!”
“Your Highness, please decide quickly!”
“Your Highness, this subordinate has heard that the future princess consort has taken a man into General Wei Shao’s residence, and that in Yue Capital her reputation is already in tatters. There is no need for Your Highness to hold to that old promise!”
With a sharp crack, Feng Jinye smashed the table before him with a single palm and thundered, “Eleven, prepare my horse!”
Ye Eleven knew there was no changing his prince’s mind. He went straight to the stables and brought the horse over...
Feng Jinye leapt onto the saddle, cracked his whip, and galloped away, leaving the gathered generals in the tent staring after him in stunned silence...
It was already deep into the night, and the War Prince’s manor lay in utter stillness.
This time, perhaps because Feng Jinye had made full preparations, or perhaps because the first half of the memories had been too beautiful, the hypnosis had not once been interrupted...
And yet, for some reason, in that tranquil night Wei Shao Qianyu could not shake a faint unease. Even in his half-waking, half-sleeping state, Feng Jinye was touched by the same unrest...
On the rocking chair his handsome brows were tightly drawn, and from time to time he murmured, calling her name again and again...
Wei Shao Qianyu did not dare fall asleep. Patiently, she answered him each time...
In the memory, Feng Jinye rode alone through the pitch-black night, racing on over a thousand miles...
In his mind was the day he had gone to war, beneath the western outskirts of the city, when she had come to see him off. He had told her to go back, and she had turned and walked away...
Feng Jinye was afraid—afraid she would never turn back again, never look over her shoulder again...
The night was just as cold.
Inside the Tower of Whispered Words, Wei Shao Qianyu glanced toward the open window; within his dream, Feng Jinye never stopped for even an instant, only kept racing toward the place where she was...
In the blackness of the night, the official road held nothing but the dust flung up by a galloping steed and the ceaseless, violent pounding of hooves that seemed almost to shatter the earth...
A cool gust swept in. Wei Shao Qianyu was just about to rise and close the window...
“Qianqian!”
At the sound of Feng Jinye’s voice, she halted and turned back...
On the road, a horse suddenly gave a shrill, tragic cry that split the sky—Feng Jinye had fallen into an ambush.
Inside the Tower of Whispered Words, there came a heavy thud as Wei Shao Qianyu collapsed bodily onto Feng Jinye...
Feng Jinye jolted awake from the memory at once. She was sprawled over him, covered in blood.
“Qianqian!”
In panic he gathered her into his arms and shouted, “Eleven!”
“Bring Leng Ling here!”
Feng Jinye was still shaken to the core...
Impossible. It had to be a dream. Just like that Mid-Autumn night four years ago when he remembered her struck by a poisoned dart—it had to be like that. So long as he woke, she would surely be standing before him safe and whole...
His eyes reddened as he held her tightly in his arms...
It should not have been like this!
He should have returned to the War Prince’s manor and explained to her that he would not marry another woman!
He should have told her that if she wanted white snow and a bright moon, he could place both in her hands;
He should have told her that he would never waver, that there would be no bitter severing between them;
He should have told her that between them there would be only one heart, only never parting;
He should have told her—he would not destroy Western Yan after all. He could lay everything down, so long as she remained by his side!
Ye Eleven entered with Leng Ling. At the sight before him, Leng Ling was struck by how much it resembled the Mid-Autumn night four years ago...
But with the War Prince present, how could he possibly have allowed the princess consort to be hurt?
“Your Highness, this is a hemostatic pill. Let Her Highness take it first,” Leng Ling said, examining the wound as he took out medicinal powder from the medicine chest and sprinkled it over the injury...
“Your Highness...” Leng Ling had intended to ask Feng Jinye to loosen his hold so he could inspect the wound, but he stopped himself midway and changed his words. “The bleeding has already stopped. The dart must be removed first; otherwise, if we wait until Her Highness wakes, I fear the pain will make her faint again...”
At that, Feng Jinye lifted his eyes to Leng Ling. “Leave.”
His thoughts gradually steadied...
Once everyone had withdrawn, Feng Jinye held Wei Shao Qianyu securely in his arms and only then tore open the clothing at her shoulder...
The dart had struck her right shoulder. The poisoned dart from years before had struck the same place. Fortunately, this one was not poisoned...
Feng Jinye gripped the dart, unable to bear looking at it. Turning his face aside, he pulled it out in one motion...
A low cry escaped Wei Shao Qianyu. Startled, Feng Jinye let the dart fall to the floor...
Dongnuan entered carrying warm water and stared in astonishment at the War Prince. Never had she seen him so flustered...
“Qianqian...” Feng Jinye called hoarsely.
There was no response. Looking down at the pale face in his arms, his heart ached. Gently, he brushed the loose strands of her hair behind her ear before continuing to sprinkle medicine over the wound...
Dongnuan stepped forward and laid a light fur cloak over Wei Shao Qianyu...
Feng Jinye glanced up at her.
Dongnuan shuddered all over and inwardly regretted it at once: she should have walked over with her eyes shut.
When Wei Shao Qianyu’s brows gradually relaxed, Dongnuan finished tending to her and went back out, where Xuechun and Qingxia were already waiting anxiously at the door...
“How is Miss?” they asked in haste.
“The same as four years ago. She was wounded in the right shoulder. It should not be serious. It was His Highness who was frightened out of his wits,” Dongnuan replied.
Qingxia let out a small breath of relief. “I’ll go prepare something to eat. Once Her Highness wakes, she’ll surely ask for food...”
Xuechun nodded slightly. When her young mistress behaved sensibly, she made one’s heart ache; when she made a scene, she gave one a headache just as easily...
Speaking of four years ago, Xuechun suddenly remembered how, more than four years earlier, when Wei Shao Qianyu had broken out in a rash, she had awakened in the middle of the night demanding mung bean cakes. General Wei Shao had stayed by her bedside coaxing her countless times, until in the end she and Qingxia had no choice but to make them...
In truth, Xuechun missed that unguarded, spoiled, and even willful Wei Shao Qianyu of old...
Feng Jinye lay down on his side with Wei Shao Qianyu in his arms, keeping her cradled within the crook of his arm so the wound would not be touched...
As he looked at her, he could not help but think again of that figure beneath the western city gate, walking farther and farther away from him...
Fortunately, she was still here. Her long hair had already been dressed for him; she was destined to belong to him alone.
Feng Jinye closed his eyes and carefully considered what had happened that night...
The dart had been shot in through the window. Few people could so easily perceive a weakness in the War Prince’s defenses and seize the moment to strike. One was Mei Ji, one of the Twin Wraith Spirits who had broken into the manor not long ago. The other was... Huangfu Chen.
Within the War Prince’s manor, outside the Tower of Whispered Words, Ye Eleven, Ye Ten, and Ye Nine split into three groups and began an orderly search through everything suspicious, every suspicious person...
Inside the tower, Chujiu stationed guards in every corner...
Watching all this, Qingxia and Xuechun both felt it was strangely unfamiliar...
Early the next morning, Yun Ming arrived at the Tower of Whispered Words. Huangfu Chen, having somehow also learned of the assassination attempt on Wei Shao Qianyu, came rushing over as well...
At the door, Chujiu announced, “My lord, the Crown Prince Yun and Young Master Huangfu have arrived...”
Hearing the form of address Chujiu used for Yun Ming, Feng Jinye’s brows drew together slightly. Then, the instant he heard Huangfu Chen’s name, he became fully alert...
After glancing at the girl in his arms, who still showed no sign of waking, Feng Jinye rose with a grim air, snatched Cangyuan from the sandalwood sword rack, and strode out.
Yun Ming was stunned to see Feng Jinye emerge in such a fierce manner. Then his gaze shifted to Huangfu Chen, and he quietly stepped back...
“You want a fight?” Huangfu Chen said lazily. “No problem. But first tell me how Qianyu is.”
Feng Jinye let out a cold snort and drew his sword, thrusting straight at Huangfu Chen...
“Have you gone mad this early in the morning?” Huangfu Chen exclaimed, retreating at once, not forgetting to curse him as he did.
Feng Jinye paid no heed to his abuse. Turning, he drove another strike toward Huangfu Chen’s right shoulder...
“You... suspect me.” The habitual playfulness vanished from Huangfu Chen’s face at once as he said coldly.
Standing to one side, Yun Ming was utterly astonished...
“At Drunken Jade Tower, you took that dart away,” Feng Jinye said.
The defenses of the War Prince’s manor were something Feng Jinye, Huangfu Chen, and Yun Ming all knew well. Apart from Mei Ji, Huangfu Chen was the most likely.
Huangfu Chen gave a cold laugh. “Fine. It was me. What will you do about it?”
Both Feng Jinye and Yun Ming froze for a moment. Then Feng Jinye thrust once more, this time at Huangfu Chen’s chest...
From inside the Tower of Whispered Words came a faint cry from Wei Shao Qianyu. Feng Jinye’s brows tightened; at once he checked his sword, though not before kicking Huangfu Chen hard enough to send him flying...
“Get out.”
That single word drifted in the wind outside the tower. Feng Jinye had already turned and gone back inside to see his little wife...
Yun Ming sighed. They both knew Feng Jinye could not truly bring himself to do anything decisive to Huangfu Chen...
As for that dart, although Huangfu Chen had indeed taken it away at the time, did Mei Ji not possess the same kind of dart as well? Today’s Feng Jinye seemed rather beyond reason...
Feng Jinye reined in the violence around him and went back in...
Wei Shao Qianyu lay on her side upon the bed. Lifting her eyes and seeing Feng Jinye approach with Cangyuan still in hand, she asked, “Did you... go out to fight?”
Feng Jinye nodded.
“Did you win?” she asked again...
The curve of Feng Jinye’s lips deepened, and he nodded once more.