The night was as black as ink, with thick clouds obscuring the clear moon, plunging the entire camp into darkness. Tuoba Rui sat quietly in his tent for a while, waiting until he could no longer hear any sounds before sneaking out. Outside his tent was completely empty, as were the areas around Tuoba Wu and Tuoba Hong’s tents.
Last night, under the pretext of being concerned, he had Northern Wei warriors guard throughout the night. Nothing happened, of course, but the Northern Wei warriors could barely stay awake. After another day of traveling, tonight before he could even speak, Tuoba Wu had dismissed everyone to rest, knowing they wouldn’t be able to march tomorrow without sleep.
At the outermost part of the camp, Commander Zhao Yu led his men on guard duty. While the exterior was well-guarded, the interior was empty.
Tuoba Rui stood in the darkness for a moment, his gaze fixed intently on a large tent not far away. He seemed to be struggling with a decision – to act or not to act – a choice that would lead to vastly different outcomes.
Xu Chang was Tuoba Qi’s man. When they returned to Northern Wei, Tuoba Qi would certainly meet a bad end. With Tuoba Qi’s defeat, only Tuoba Hong and himself remained. Now was the perfect opportunity to eliminate Tuoba Hong!
Although it was only early spring, the mountain forest was dry with little rain. A single spark would easily ignite the year’s worth of dead leaves from winter – a fire would be the most natural accident.
With these thoughts, Tuoba Rui stepped forward. Though his martial arts were ordinary, he was still trained. His footsteps were extremely light, and in the dead of night, he silently approached Tuoba Hong’s tent.
Standing outside the tent, Tuoba Rui could almost hear the breathing from within. He paused for a moment, looked around, and then poured pine oil along the edge of the tent. To ensure success, he circled the tent poured oil, and then threw the oil container there along with a flint.
Once the fire started, it would destroy everything!
With a “whoosh,” the fire spread around the tent. Tuoba Rui thought to himself how effective the pine oil was! As he watched the flames rise, he turned to leave but froze in his tracks.
Dozens of black-clad figures stood behind him like ghosts. He didn’t know when they had arrived, but clearly, they had been there for some time and had witnessed him starting the fire.
In an instant, Tuoba Rui stood paralyzed as if struck by lightning.
Before Tuoba Rui could say anything, suddenly two figures flashed into the burning tent. Soon after, they brought out Tuoba Hong, who had just been awakened by the fire.
At the same time, the rising flames were quickly noticed by the Great Zhou Imperial Guards nearby. People began shouting one after another!
“Fire—”
“Fire! Quick, put it out!”
The shouts erupted throughout the camp. Commander Zhao Yu led the Imperial Guards over, only to find Tuoba Rui surrounded by more than ten black figures. After glancing at these figures and seeing the rescued Tuoba Hong, Zhao Yu suddenly understood. He raised his hand and commanded, “Put out the fire first—”
The Imperial Guards rushed forward. Though they couldn’t immediately extinguish the flames, they prevented them from spreading. Soon, with a loud “crash,” the burning tent collapsed, causing all the surrounding Imperial Guards to break out in cold sweat!
By this time, Tuoba Wu and other Northern Wei warriors had come out. Seeing the scene, they couldn’t understand what had happened! Tuoba Hong had also regained consciousness, now coughing lightly as he was supported by several Northern Wei warriors!
“Vice Commander Zhao! What happened?!” Tuoba Wu called out sharply, then looked toward Tuoba Rui, “Fifth Brother?! What’s going on!”
No one answered her. Tuoba Hong coughed several times, barely managing to stand with the support of the Northern Wei warriors, then hesitantly looked toward Tuoba Rui and these dozen black-clad figures!
Tuoba Rui stood near the great fire, and these dozen figures were completely unfamiliar, not part of the camp. Who were these people, and why did Tuoba Rui stand in such a tense standoff with them?!
“Crown Prince Brother, are you alright?” Tuoba Wu asked with concern.
Tuoba Hong shook his head, “I’m fine, Vice Commander Zhao arrived quickly.”
Zhao Yu snorted lightly. Having received Young Lord Yan’s instructions, he hadn’t dared to be careless these past few days. Of course, he had arrived quickly!
Tuoba Wu was very impatient. Everyone could see that the fire was meant for Tuoba Hong!
“Vice Commander Zhao, what exactly happened?! How did a fire start of nowhere?!”
Zhao Yu snorted again, saying casually, “That’s something you should ask the Fifth Prince!”
Tuoba Rui was drenched in cold sweat, his face pale white. He stood there stiffly, offering no rebuttal to Zhao Yu’s words as if accepting them. He only looked at the dozen black figures and asked, “Who are you people?”
As soon as he finished speaking, these figures suddenly turned and bowed toward the darkness not far away, as if welcoming someone. Everyone looked in that direction.
Through the ink-black night, they saw a figure even darker than the night itself slowly walking over.
Tuoba Wu exclaimed in surprise, “Young Lord Yan?!”
Tuoba Hong frowned even more deeply, “Why would Young Lord Yan be here so late at night?”
Yan Chi should have been at the Weishan hunting grounds camp, yet he appeared here?!
This meant these black-clad figures were his men. Combined with this fire, Tuoba Wu couldn’t help but frown – could it be that… Yan Chi had known someone would start a fire here?!
The moment he saw Yan Chi, Tuoba Rui lost all hope.
He stared at Yan Chi with wide eyes, watching him approach step by step. When he saw Yan Chi’s stern expression, Tuoba Rui knew why he had come.
Yan Chi looked at Tuoba Rui and said leisurely, “Fifth Prince has miscalculated.”
Yan Chi spoke unhurriedly as if discussing something quite ordinary. The distant firelight fell into his eyes, becoming flickering starlight, while sweat continued to pour down Tuoba Rui’s forehead like rain.
“If Fifth Prince could have resisted and not continued trying to harm the Crown Prince, perhaps there would have been no way to deal with you.”
Not continue trying to harm the Crown Prince? Had he harmed him before?
Tuoba Wu hurriedly said, “Young Lord Yan, what do you mean?! You came along because you knew something would happen? This fire… did Fifth Brother start it?”
Though Tuoba Wu’s heart already understood, she still couldn’t believe it. Tuoba Hong’s eyes grew even darker as he looked at Tuoba Rui. When he had been shot on the mountain ridge, he had awakened in the mountain ravine. He didn’t know what had happened in between, but Xu Chang’s attempt to kill him was clear. Had Tuoba Rui done something else? Or was Xu Chang his man?
Tuoba Rui’s lips trembled, “How… how did you know…”
Yan Chi laughed slightly, though his eyes held no trace of mirth, “Xu Chang first shot the Crown Prince with an arrow, and you found him two hours later. Discovering the Crown Prince wasn’t dead, you not only didn’t save him but pushed him into the ravine. That bait was also left by you. You wanted to silently ensure the Crown Prince’s death – not just dead, but destroyed without a trace!”
As Yan Chi coldly spoke these words, Tuoba Wu beside him widened her eyes.
The culprit who harmed Tuoba Hong wasn’t just Xu Chang! It was also Tuoba Rui?!
When Tuoba Hong went missing, Tuoba Rui found him, but not only did he not save him, but he also tried to harm Tuoba Hong again. If he had saved Tuoba Hong then, none of the later events would have happened. Fu Desheng of Western Liang wouldn’t have died, and Tuoba Hong wouldn’t have suffered so much. Tuoba Wu looked at Tuoba Rui with hatred, “Tuoba Rui! Answer me! Is what Young Lord Yan said true?! Did you abandon our brother to die and then try to harm him?!”
After this incident with Tuoba Hong, Tuoba Wu’s personality changed significantly. Though she had previously disliked Tuoba Rui, she had come to view him as a brother afterward. She never imagined Tuoba Rui could be so evil!
At Tuoba Wu’s shout, Tuoba Rui’s fists clenched tightly, “The one who harmed him was Xu Chang! Not me! When I found him, he was already dead!”
Tuoba Wu’s expression changed as she stepped forward, “So you’re admitting it?! How dare you?! Tuoba Qi was audacious enough, and you dared to harm our eldest brother too?! Do you have any conscience left?! He is our eldest brother!”
“He is the Crown Prince of Northern Wei!”
Tuoba Rui shouted back, his eyes red, “He’s not my eldest brother, he’s the Crown Prince of Northern Wei. He was born to be Crown Prince! Why?! Why should he be the one in that position?!”
Tuoba Wu looked at Tuoba Rui with hatred, thinking he truly was evil!
Tuoba Hong felt deep pain – in the end, it was all about the power struggle!
Tuoba Qi wanted the Crown Prince position! Tuoba Rui also wanted the Crown Prince position!
Tuoba Rui laughed coldly, “What good does it do Young Lord Yan to go to such lengths? You can’t kill me anyway?!”
Yan Chi no longer looked at Tuoba Rui, turning instead to address Tuoba Hong, “Crown Prince, Great Zhou has done everything possible for your safety. What happens next is Northern Wei’s internal affair, and we won’t interfere. Of course, if anything else happens to you because of the Fifth Prince, Great Zhou won’t be responsible.”
Tuoba Hong coughed lightly and nodded, “Thank you for your efforts, Young Lord.”
Tuoba Hong looked at Tuoba Rui for a moment, then said slowly, “Bind the Fifth Prince for me.”
Though his injuries hadn’t healed and his voice was still weak, he was the Crown Prince of Northern Wei. How could the Northern Wei warriors dare disobey? Soon, more than ten Northern Wei warriors surrounded Tuoba Rui. He stepped back and drew the short blade from his waist, “You dare?! Do you know who I am?! Do you know who my Royal Mother is?!”
Tuoba Rui made his final struggle while Young Lord Yan’s gaze fell upon his short blade. When Tuoba Rui drew the blade, he held the scabbard in one hand. The scabbard was carved with oriole patterns, and Yan Chi vaguely noticed designs similar to those drawn by Qin Wan. His brows furrowed slightly, but he had no time to investigate further.
At this point, regardless of how it was handled, it was best left to Northern Wei!
Yan Chi said nothing more, beckoning to Zhao Yu as they walked aside. The dozen or so black-clad guards quickly vanished into the shadows.
“Young Lord, will you be staying in camp tonight?” Zhao Yu asked.
Yan Chi shook his head, “No need. If we leave now, we can return to the main camp before dawn.”
Zhao Yu nodded, “Then please report the camp’s situation to His Majesty.” He added, “Actually, we were fortunate to have Young Lord here today, otherwise the Crown Prince might have been injured.”
Yan Chi had followed along precisely to ensure nothing went wrong, and naturally wouldn’t let Tuoba Hong get hurt.
“This matter is resolved and is now Northern Wei’s internal affair. You only need to escort them back to the capital. You’ve done well in this mission, and I will inform His Majesty…”
Zhao Yu already respected Yan Chi deeply, and hearing these words made him even more grateful. Speaking of merit, he truly had none, but since Yan Chi was willing to grant him this favor, he was naturally happy to accept it.
“Young Lord, do you think the Crown Prince can handle that Fifth Prince?”
Yan Chi smiled, “He is the Crown Prince of Northern Wei after all. Though he was ambushed this time, he’s no fool.”
Zhao Yu nodded, and Yan Chi said no more. As he left the camp, he soon saw the guards and Yan Li waiting with horses outside. Yan Chi mounted his horse, and seeing Yan Li’s questioning look, nodded and said, “Everything’s resolved.”
With that, he cracked his whip and galloped back along the path they had come!
When Qin Wan rose early, the camp was still very quiet. The morning light filtered through the tent’s window lattice, while outside the sky still held a deep blue hue. For two consecutive days, Qin Wan had worried about Yan Chi and barely slept. Seeing the Empress Dowager hadn’t risen yet, she carefully left the tent. She had intended to take a walk, but upon leaving the tent, she saw a familiar figure.
Looking again, who else could be waiting near the tent but Yan Chi?!
Qin Wan’s eyes brightened – Yan Chi had returned so early?!
“Young Lord—” Qin Wan called out, walking quickly toward him.
Yan Chi turned around, “Why are you up so early?”
The sky had barely begun to brighten. There was no reason for Qin Wan to be up this early. He had been waiting to seek an audience with Yan Huai, and with his back to the Empress Dowager’s tent, he hadn’t seen Qin Wan emerge.
Qin Wan walked a few steps to stand before Yan Chi and curtsied, “When did you return? Where is Young Master Li?”
Yan Chi’s lips curved slightly upward. Qin Wan usually avoided being close to him in public. Although there weren’t many people around now, there were still quite a few patrolling guards passing by. Her disregard for this meant she must have been quite worried.
“Just returned half an hour ago. He was exhausted and went to sleep.”
Qin Wan quickly asked, “Has everything been settled?”
Yan Chi nodded, “Last night Tuoba Rui planned to start a fire in the camp, and we caught him in the act. Tuoba Wu and Tuoba Hong both know his intentions now. We’ll let Northern Wei handle him themselves.”
Qin Wan smiled deeply, “That couldn’t be better.”
At this moment, the deep blue at the horizon was gradually fading, and dawn light broke through the clouds, turning the sky a brilliant blue. Qin Wan fell silent for a moment, only raising her eyes to look at the horizon, accompanying him as he waited.
Yan Chi said, “It’s cold outside, go wait inside.”
But Qin Wan shook her head. Seeing this, Yan Chi’s smile deepened, and he let her be.
The two stood side by side on the steps until broad daylight, when Yuan Qing emerged from the tent, “Young Lord—”
Seeing Qin Wan there as well, Yuan Qing smiled, “Why is the County Princess here too?”
Qin Wan smiled, “I came to ask Young Lord about the Northern Wei case.”
Understanding flashed in Yuan Qing’s eyes, and he said to Yan Chi, “Young Lord, His Majesty has risen. Please—”
“Go find the Empress Dowager,” Yan Chi instructed before turning to enter Yan Huai’s tent.
Seeing this, Qin Wan naturally returned to the Empress Dowager’s tent. The Empress Dowager had already risen, and Qin Wan informed her of Yan Chi and the others’ return. Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager was relieved. Shortly after, she had Lady Chen invite Yan Chi and Yan Li to dine in her tent at noon. When noon arrived, they saw Yan Li enter the Empress Dowager’s tent looking quite exhausted.
While Yan Chi could easily handle rough living conditions, Yan Li certainly couldn’t. Two days and nights out had thoroughly exhausted her. The Empress Dowager couldn’t help but laugh at the sight, “You’re just not cut out for hardship, yet you want to be like your Seventh Brother! The hunt will be over in two days, today is the last day. Whether you want to race horses or hunt, go enjoy yourselves. After this, it will be two years before the next one. By then, who knows if I’ll still be able to come along!”
These words brought a touch of sadness to everyone. Yan Li smiled and said, “You’re destined for a long life, Grandmother. In two years, your grandson will accompany you again. By then, I’ll hunt a bear for you!”
The Empress Dowager laughed heartily, “Very well, very well! We’ll see how your small frame manages to hunt a bear for me then.”
The hunt had indeed entered its final countdown. That afternoon, the camp relaxed its restrictions, and even the Empress and other noble ladies led their entourages outside the main camp for an excursion. They followed the Wei River upstream, where the flat riverbank was covered in emerald grass and wildflowers – scenery unseen in the capital. Qin Wan was among those invited by the Empress, along with Qin Shuang and Qin Xiang.
With both Qin Shuang and Qin Xiang present, all the noble young ladies who had come were included in the Empress’s invitation. Adding the guards and the ladies’ maids, there were well over a hundred people by the riverbank. Though other young nobles were also free from restrictions, they couldn’t properly join the ladies’ group. Instead, they galloped their horses and held archery and racing competitions within sight of but at a distance from the ladies, creating an atmosphere of shy excitement among both the young ladies and the noble sons.
Qin Shuang pulled Qin Wan’s hand and pointed in that direction, “Look, isn’t that the Wu’an Marquis’s heir?”
Qin Shuang had visited the Wu’an Marquis’s mansion while looking for marriage prospects for Qin Xiang, and it was the only noble house they had visited, so she remembered particularly clearly. Qin Wan looked in the direction Qin Shuang pointed and saw over ten richly dressed young men racing horses, among whom the Wu’an Marquis’s heir was particularly noticeable.
“Yes, that’s him.”
Qin Shuang continued, “The people around him, they’re all from noble families, right?”
Qin Wan nodded, this was natural. Everyone who came this time was either from a noble military family or a prominent official family. These people had frequent social and political interactions, so naturally they gathered together.
Qin Shuang continued asking Qin Wan about various matters, while Qin Xiang beside them seemed distracted and dispirited. Qin Shuang pulled at Qin Xiang, “What’s wrong with you? We’re leaving in two days, and there won’t be another chance to come.”
After returning, Qin Xiang would set her wedding date. Once married, she wouldn’t be able to come to hunts under the Marquis’s name anymore.
Only Qin Wan and Qin Chaoyu would be able to attend future hunts.
Qin Xiang’s face suddenly turned pale, and she forced a smile, “I just feel cold by the river.”
Qin Shuang raised an eyebrow, “Cold?”
They were all wearing cloaks, and since they weren’t used to walking much, today’s excursion had even brought out a light sweat. How could it be cold? She felt a bit hot.
“Are you sick?”
Qin Wan also felt something was wrong and tried to feel Qin Xiang’s forehead, but she dodged away and said with a bitter smile, “I don’t feel well. I should go back. You all enjoy yourselves.”
Before Qin Shuang and Qin Wan could say anything, Qin Xiang left with Wan He.
Qin Shuang sighed helplessly, “Hey, should I go back with you?”
Qin Xiang waved her hands repeatedly and walked away even faster. Qin Shuang frowned deeply, and Qin Wan said, “I think she seems troubled about something.”
At this, Qin Shuang said, “Now that you mention it, there was rustling from her side last night as if she couldn’t sleep.”
Though they felt something was odd, they couldn’t figure out what it was. Qin Shuang sighed, “Well when we get back later, I’ll ask her properly.”
Qin Wan nodded and didn’t pursue it further. Just then, Zhao Shuhua called from ahead, “Why is County Princess Yongci at the very back? And who is that young lady from the Qin family beside her?”
Qin Shuang’s eyes lit up – was the Empress asking about her?
Qin Wan glanced at her and smiled, pulling her forward.
Qin Xiang returned to the main camp with a heavy heart, the jade pendant given by Yan Qi still in her sleeve. She had worried over it all night but truly couldn’t understand Yan Qi’s intentions!
Though the Great Zhou wasn’t strict about the separation between men and women, privately giving gifts could still affect a young lady’s reputation!
Moreover, why would the King, in his lofty position, give her something?
Qin Xiang was both confused and somewhat hopeful. From last night until now, she had been completely distracted, and in two days they would leave Weishan hunting grounds. After leaving here, where would she ever see Yan Qi again?
Even knowing Yan Qi was in the camp, she had no way to ask him.
The difference in their status was like that between heaven and earth…
Thinking this way, a sense of resentment grew in Qin Xiang’s heart. Why? Why could Qin Wan be a County Princess and Qin Chaoyu become the Crown Princess, while she could only marry a mere flag-bearer and live out her life?!
Qin Xiang walked with her head down, face pale, hand tightly gripping the jade pendant in her sleeve. She walked faster and faster, and just as she was about to reach the Qin family’s tent, “Bang!” – she suddenly collided with someone’s chest. She had been walking so fast that she stumbled, but a pair of hands steadied her firmly.
Qin Xiang was already extremely resentful and angry, and now being bumped into made her both angry and aggrieved. She jerked her head up to scold the person but found herself looking into upturned eyes filled with a mischievous smile.
Yan Qi smiled at her, “Has someone bullied Miss Qin?”