The crowd in the spectator seats was still unsettled, while the hunting ground was in complete disarray. Surrounding guards and palace attendants all rushed toward Zhao Xi, inquiring whether he was injured.
The Crown Prince and Crown Princess remained unruffled by the crisis, their composure intact throughout the incident.
The person involved, Zhao Xi, also quickly regained his calm. After dismounting, he clasped his hands in gratitude toward Yeli Chong, then turned to comfort the various sons of noble families around him who were older than he.
This composure beyond his years gave a very comfortable impression. Whether meant to flatter or truly heartfelt, several court officials in the spectator seats praised him in succession.
Only excepting Xue Jie’s father, Xue Ce.
The scene Shen Lingzhen and Huo Liuxing had just missed was Xue Jie, in his haste to shoot a gray wolf before Yeli Chong could, shooting his arrow off course. The arrowhead grazed the rear of Zhao Xi’s horse, causing it to suddenly panic.
The sons of noble families interrupted the hunt and crowded around Zhao Xi as they returned to the spectator seats.
Xue Ce rose from his seat and knelt before the Crown Prince, kowtowing: “My worthless son’s archery is imprecise. He nearly injured the young prince. Please, Crown Prince, impose punishment.” As he spoke, he raised his head slightly and gave an ashen-faced Xue Jie a look, indicating he should kneel as well.
Xue Jie opened his mouth as if to explain something, but was pinned down by Xue Ce’s severe gaze. He could only grit his teeth and kneel as well: “Please, Crown Prince, impose punishment.”
Zhao Chen’s expression remained normal, showing no anger: “This palace did not participate in the hunt, so I won’t interfere in this matter.” He looked gently toward Zhao Xi beside him. “How this matter should be handled—Xi’er, you decide.”
Zhao Xi clasped his hands behind his back, quite the little adult, smiling as he said: “In competitive contests, collisions are inevitable. How can there be talk of guilt? If we truly must blame Lord Xue for imprecise archery, then shouldn’t I, with my imprecise riding skills, also be punished? We hunted happily together—there’s no need to impose punishment on anyone over such a minor accident.” He looked toward Xue Jie kneeling on the ground. “Lord Xue, the original intent of today’s competition was merely for enjoyment. Don’t take victory or defeat too much to heart. Later, when we have another opportunity, we’ll compete again to our hearts’ content!”
Xue Jie bowed his head: “Thank you, Your Highnesses, for your mercy.”
Zhao Xi raised his hand, indicating the Xue father and son should rise and return to their seats, then looked toward Yeli Chong: “However, while punishment is waived, rewards cannot be lacking. Today, thanks to General Yeli’s rescue, I was spared injury. Father, here I wish to request a reward for General Yeli on his behalf.”
Zhao Chen smiled warmly: “Speak. How should he be rewarded?”
Zhao Xi contemplated for a while, then answered: “General Yeli will soon depart the capital. He must be quite concerned about Prince Weiming left alone in this foreign land. I think, why not have Prince Weiming come to the palace later to select some items he likes to take back? If Prince Weiming lives well here, General Yeli will naturally feel at ease. For General Yeli, this should be the reward that best addresses his urgent concerns.”
At these words, everyone present was astonished by Zhao Xi’s diplomatic eloquence.
Shen Lingzhen drew a sharp breath, equally surprised that this fourteen-year-old youth could be raised to be so astute and capable.
Clear in rewards and punishments, magnanimous in tolerating others—that was one thing. More importantly was his attitude toward Yeli Chong and Weiming He.
Yeli Chong was the servant, Weiming He the master. Though the merit indeed belonged to the former, ignoring the latter to reward the former would somewhat overstep boundaries and show suspicion of not respecting the Xiqiang royal house. But rewarding the latter while ignoring the former would show suspicion of erasing gratitude and being excessively superior.
Handling it this way—giving Yeli Chong honor while giving Weiming He face—achieved the best of both worlds.
The earlier frightened horse incident was caused by Xue Jie, clearly not something the Crown Prince’s side had designed and arranged, but rather unpredictable beforehand. In the short span of less than half an incense stick’s time, without anyone having taught Zhao Xi a single word, this youth managed to go from panicked alarm to his current composed grace, properly handling the aftermath—truly unexpected.
Shen Lingzhen vaguely understood the Crown Prince’s deliberate non-intervention in this matter earlier, as well as the reason for setting up today’s private banquet.
Zhao Chen’s health deteriorated daily. Perhaps knowing his time was limited, and seeing his second brother Zhao Rui imprisoned for collaborating with the enemy while his fourth brother Zhao Xun harbored boundless ambition and was equally no saint, he began considering his posthumous affairs.
Having been ill his whole life, he needed to become firm at the final moment. While he still had breath, he wanted to find a worthy successor for Daqi.
This legitimate eldest son Zhao Xi should have been personally raised and trained by him. Though young in years, his mind was in no way inferior to grown men.
Zhao Chen planned, at this critical juncture of political turmoil, to show the Xiqiang people that Daqi was not without excellent princes and imperial grandsons of both virtue and talent. He would also reveal his attitude to those below, hinting to the wavering court officials that now was still the time to choose the right side.
In Shen Lingzhen’s view, Zhao Xi’s deficiency in horsemanship was understandable. His handling afterward had already beautifully accomplished the purpose and intent Zhao Chen hoped to achieve.
Those present offered thanks and praise, returning to a harmonious atmosphere. Huo Liuxing had long since regained his normal expression and composure, drinking tea naturally.
But Shen Lingzhen’s heart still held some unease.
Huo Liuxing always concealed his emotions before imperial family members. If it were merely seeing Zhao Xi’s frightened horse, his earlier expression wouldn’t have turned so grim.
Upon leaving the imperial hunting grounds and boarding the carriage, she urgently wanted to ask Huo Liuxing what had gone wrong, but he beat her to it by instructing the driver not to return to the Huo residence but to go to Duke Yingguo’s residence.
“What exactly happened to you just now?” Shen Lingzhen asked worriedly.
Naturally Huo Liuxing needn’t pretend before her. His expression turned serious and grave: “I suspect Yeli Chong may have some connection to the Huo Family Army.”
That maneuver alone couldn’t actually prove anything. Though this aerial horse-switching was Huo Qi’s original creation, the Huo family had after all crossed swords with Xiqiang for many years. If Xiqiang produced a martial arts prodigy who learned it by copying on the battlefield, that wasn’t entirely impossible.
But Huo Liuxing suddenly recalled another matter because of this.
Last year when Huo Qi suppressed the Xiqiang refugee uprising, he broke two ribs in one battle.
At the time, Huo Qi told him he had been distracted during combat when he glimpsed a middle-aged man in the refugee crowd who closely resembled a child from the Huo Family Army long ago, giving the enemy an opening.
And that child was an orphan Huo Qi had picked up from the border, who had been as close as brothers with his eldest brother, only unfortunately dying in battle alongside his eldest brother.
Huo Liuxing wasn’t certain whether these two matters had any inevitable connection, but Yeli Chong—also in his early forties, also an orphan with a blank early background who only suddenly “emerged” in Xiqiang twenty-eight years ago—made him want to verify.
Huo Qi was currently far away in Hexi. Setting aside whether correspondence would be safe, the time required alone would be too long. So Huo Liuxing planned to first visit Duke Yingguo’s residence to ask the Grand Princess, who had personally experienced the wartime chaos of those years.
Upon returning to her natal home, Shen Lingzhen had no time to catch up with her parents before being entrusted with an important task—drawing a portrait of Yeli Chong.
Huo Liuxing couldn’t have private dealings with the Xiqiang envoy under the Emperor’s nose, nor did he have reason to have the Grand Princess, who had long since withdrawn from politics to live in the inner residence, meet Yeli Chong in person. He could only use this method as a substitute.
Fortunately, both Shen Lingzhen’s artistic skill and memory were superb. In no time she completed the painting.
When Huo Liuxing saw this portrait—not quite ten-tenths similar, but certainly nine-tenths—he showed it to Zhao Meilan: “I must trouble the Grand Princess to examine whether this person in the painting seems familiar?”
Zhao Meilan frowned slightly, looking back and forth several times, then shook her head.
“What if he might have been seen in the Huo Family Army twenty-eight years ago? Would the Grand Princess have any impression?”
Zhao Meilan still shook her head: “Too much time has passed. Even if such a person truly existed, I probably wouldn’t recognize him.”
This was human nature.
Huo Qi would remember someone from twenty-eight years ago because that was a child he had personally brought back to the army and raised. But for Zhao Meilan, the other party had at most a few encounters with her, and had undergone the physical transformation from youth to middle age. Having no impression was quite normal.
“I didn’t help you.” Shen Lingzhen sighed.
Huo Liuxing shook his head indicating it was fine, rolled up the portrait, and being eager to return and continue investigating this matter, immediately took leave of the Grand Princess and Duke Yingguo. But just as they were leaving the residence gates, seeing Shen Lingzhen looking back somewhat reluctantly, he suggested she stay alone: “Since you’ve entered your family home, have a proper meal with Father and Mother. I’ll come pick you up around the hour of Xu tonight.”
Shen Lingzhen missed her parents especially today, which was actually also related to the upset feelings stirred by this morning’s consummation matter. Hearing him say this, she was on one hand somewhat tempted by this proposal, on the other hand worried about him.
“You seem to look unwell. Can you go back alone?”
“Am I you?” Huo Liuxing raised his eyebrows, jerking his chin to indicate she should go back.
“Then after you return, get another good rest,” Shen Lingzhen said while walking back toward the Duke’s residence, turning back every few steps to instruct him. “If you’re tired tonight, there’s no need to personally come fetch me. Just have Jingmo make the trip.”
Though Shen Lingzhen said this, she knew Huo Liuxing cared deeply for her. No matter how she urged, he would probably still handle it personally. But unexpectedly, near the end of the hour of Xu that night, something occurred beyond her expectations.
The person who came from the Huo residence was neither Huo Liuxing nor Jingmo and Kongqing, but rather an ordinary servant.
Of course, calling him ordinary probably wasn’t quite accurate. Shen Lingzhen recognized this person—she often saw him coming and going around Huo Liuxing, probably one of his trusted aides.
The servant arrived at the hall and bowed apologetically to Shen Lingzhen: “Young mistress, the young master has a message. He says he must attend to official business tonight and cannot get away to fetch you. Since you rarely return to Duke Yingguo’s residence, please lodge here tonight.”
Originally staying overnight at Duke Yingguo’s residence would be nothing unusual, but Shen Lingzhen found it strange that Huo Liuxing would send such a person: “Are Kongqing and Jingmo also unable to get away?”
“Yes, young mistress.”
“Alright, I understand. Thank you for your trouble.” She turned to reward him with money, then on second thought felt something wasn’t quite right. “Has something happened at home? Are they all not at the residence?”
“Young mistress, please forgive this humble one for not being able to say more.”
So something truly had happened.
Connecting it to the afternoon’s events, she felt inexplicably panicked. Forcibly suppressing her inner anxiety, she frowned: “If you won’t say more now, I can simply take Duke Yingguo’s carriage back myself. Then everything will be revealed.”
“Please don’t make things difficult for this humble one, young mistress.”
Shen Lingzhen rubbed her aching forehead: “Is it about General Yeli? They’re all not at home—could they have gone to find General Yeli?”
The servant dared not speak.
Shen Lingzhen was frightened into alarm.
Huo Liuxing shouldn’t be an impulsive person. What could have happened to make him venture out on a risky journey late at night?
Shen Lingzhen couldn’t make things more difficult for the subordinate. She waved her hand to let him return. After a while, growing increasingly uneasy, she had Jianjia and Bailu prepare the carriage and still set out to return to the Huo residence. Upon entering the gate, she went straight to Huo Liuxing’s courtyard.
Order within the residence was entirely normal. Guards and servants on duty were all at their posts. There was no sign of any disturbance. But the more this was the case, the more Shen Lingzhen’s heart palpitated.
Only if something major had truly occurred would Huo Liuxing possibly disguise the household in this peaceful appearance to fool the Emperor’s informants.
Walking hurriedly the whole way, just as Shen Lingzhen reached the courtyard gate, she saw Kongqing, who had been guarding outside Huo Liuxing’s bedroom, come out to meet her with a troubled expression: “The young mistress still came back after all…”
Shen Lingzhen was both anxious and angry: “How could I not come back? Where is he? What exactly happened at the residence?”
Kongqing stamped his feet, exclaiming “Ai”: “Come inside with me.”
Shen Lingzhen followed Kongqing into the bedroom. The moment she crossed the threshold, she smelled a thick scent of blood. Turning past the screen, everywhere she looked were basin after basin of bloody water.
On the bed, Huo Liuxing lay half-naked and blood-soaked. At his waist and abdomen was a wound with flesh curled back, a blur of red and white.
This wound was identical to what she had previously seen on her life-saving benefactor…
Shen Lingzhen’s knees went weak and she collapsed toward the footstool.