A hunt?

Qin Yining knew this was definitely not a simple matter. A’na Ri had eaten her fill of jealousy – her appearance just now was like falling into a vat of vinegar. Si Qin was clearly planning to use A’na Ri for something, and after they had just been arguing enthusiastically, now suddenly talking about a hunt – there must be a conspiracy behind this.

The maidservant saw Qin Yining’s eyelashes flutter as she lowered her eyes in silence. Half of her small face was hidden in the soft fur, while the other half was bathed in the warm orange-red firelight, creating such a charming and lovely appearance that even as a woman, the maidservant felt her heart soften at the sight. How much more so for men? This made her increasingly understand A’na Ri’s guarded and hostile behavior toward Qin Yining.

“Madam?” The maidservant called out inquiringly. She was following A’na Ri’s orders and still needed to report back.

Qin Yining very much wanted to refuse. Her physical weakness combined with the fatigue of the long journey had pushed her exhaustion to its limit. If she were still at the prince’s mansion now, Qin Yining would definitely relax and rest properly for a while, staying in bed eating and sleeping to recuperate. She might even fall ill.

But now she was merely a prisoner, with absolutely no qualification to indulge herself, and no room to refuse or resist A’na Ri’s commands.

It had to be said that desperate circumstances forced her to be strong. In the current situation, she could either grit her teeth and hold on while still having the strength to struggle, or she could only stretch out her neck for slaughter, becoming a lamb awaiting death.

“I understand. Go back and tell the Khan that I will attend.”

Seeing Qin Yining agree, the maidservant nodded, stepped back a few paces, went around the screen, and left the side hall.

As the hall doors closed with a creaking sound, the entire great hall fell silent again, with only the occasional “crackling” sound of firewood burning in the campfire.

But Qin Yining did not relax.

Because she could sense that although the great hall appeared empty now, there were actually at least two people in the shadows watching her every move, and they were in different directions.

They must be two different groups of people, because monitoring one powerless woman wouldn’t require sending two experts, especially when there were layers of guards outside the hall who weren’t afraid of her trying to escape.

Qin Yining tightened the blanket wrapped around her, bundling herself into a ball and curling up to lie down by the campfire.

At this moment, she missed her home in the capital immensely, missed Pang Xiao, missed her father and mother, missed Ma Shi and Yao Shi.

There were also Bingtang and Ji Yun – she wondered if they had escaped.

And Cao Yuqing, so severely injured – she wondered if she was still alive.

She had been separated from Pang Xiao for more than three months now. Knowing she was missing, she wondered how anxious Pang Xiao must be…

Qin Yining closed her eyes, but felt her nose grow sour and her eye sockets heat up. Tears suddenly welled up, and she exerted great effort to barely restrain herself from crying out loud.

Tears made one weak, and she could not be weak now. If she wanted to survive and leave the Tatars under Si Qin’s schemes and A’na Ri’s wariness, she could not allow herself the slightest weakness, much less fear and retreat. Once she developed such soft emotions, all that awaited her would be eternal damnation.

Qin Yining did not sleep peacefully that night. Being imprisoned and monitored in a place that provided no sense of security, she had to constantly guard against whether anyone might come, making peaceful sleep impossible.

However, when she rose early the next morning, she was still as spirited and composed as ever.

The maidservant was the same one as yesterday, named Wuyahan.

Qin Yining observed that she was likely also a martial artist, because she walked silently and always appeared suddenly behind one’s back. However, Wuyahan’s temperament was not disagreeable. Within the scope of what she could know, she would take her around to look and would explain the surrounding architecture and some Tatar customs to her. When serving her, she was also quite attentive.

“Madam, it’s about time.”

“Good.”

Qin Yining took the cotton cloak that Wuyahan handed her and put it on, also wearing a gray rabbit fur scarf and warm boots, then followed Wuyahan toward the hall entrance.

Outside the side gate of the imperial palace, a team of guards and warriors was already waiting. Each guard wore animal skins, carried long bows in their arms, and had quivers full of arrows prepared, ready to depart in formation.

Around them, the slaves leading horses and preparing carriages were all dressed in rags with disheveled hair and faces full of misery. Among the slaves were even seven or eight-year-old children and stooped, withered elderly people.

Qin Yining frowned and followed behind Wuyahan as they walked forward.

Wuyahan pointed to a group of slaves and said, “Madam, the Khan has ordered you to wait here.”

Qin Yining understood this was A’na Ri’s humiliation of her, but she was originally a prisoner anyway. Besides, she had never felt herself more noble than slaves. Born as humans, where was there anyone naturally base? Moreover, with A’na Ri’s methods, these slaves might well be ordinary herders from various tribes defeated in her campaigns.

She didn’t think much of it and turned to stand among the group of slaves.

The slaves hung their heads and stood to one side, slightly bowing their waists, not daring to raise their heads to see who had joined their ranks.

Qin Yining’s composed performance made Wuyahan look at her with new respect.

Before long, Lu Heng, wearing a gray squirrel cloak, arrived together with A’na Ri and Si Qin.

As soon as he emerged from the arched brick gate, he saw Qin Yining standing gracefully among a group of disheveled slaves, like a crane among chickens, completely at ease.

Lu Heng immediately frowned with heartache and said in a deep voice, “General Si Qin, Prince Zhongshun’s consort has noble status. Even though she is now a prisoner like myself, she should still be given a certain degree of respect. How can she be treated the same as slaves?”

Si Qin was quite pleased with this form of address, so he seriously followed Lu Heng’s gaze. Seeing Qin Yining standing among the slaves, he couldn’t help but disapprove. “This was indeed my oversight.” He waved his hand to instruct Wuyahan, “Why don’t you invite the Princess Consort over here.”

“No!”

A’na Ri was already very displeased seeing Lu Heng plead for Qin Yining, and seeing Si Qin immediately agree made her angrily intervene.

“I ordered her to stand there! A lowly servant girl should stand right there!”

Lu Heng raised his eyebrows and looked at A’na Ri strangely. “Is it that my Tatar language isn’t precise enough? The consort of a prince of different surname can only be called a lowly servant girl in Tatar territory? Then may I ask, how many equally base people are there in the Tatar royal family?”

“You!” A’na Ri glared angrily at Lu Heng. “Don’t forget, you’re also a prisoner! For me to kill you would be as easy as moving my lips. You…”

“I see. Last night General Si Qin said I was a friend of the Tatars, and friends naturally help each other. Today I’ve become a prisoner in the Khan’s mouth. So should I now go stand together with Prince Zhongshun’s consort?”

Lu Heng had extraordinary breeding and noble bearing, appearing more like a king than A’na Ri. Combined with the displeased expression on his handsome face, A’na Ri’s fury blazed even hotter.

A’na Ri raised her whip in anger to strike.

But Si Qin timely reached out to grab the whip, then held A’na Ri’s hand in his, saying, “Khan, please calm your anger.”

A’na Ri looked at Si Qin in disbelief. “You’re doing this for that lowly woman again!”

Si Qin’s face had already darkened like water. “Khan, you need to watch your words! With you suspecting me like this, where does that leave me?”

Seeing that Si Qin was truly angry, A’na Ri felt both wronged and resentful. With so many servants watching around them, she felt even more embarrassed.

She wanted to explode and clarify the matters they hadn’t sorted out clearly last night, but seeing Si Qin’s angry expression, she remembered her nanny’s words:

“The Khan must not be so suspicious anymore. The Prince Consort is not that kind of person. If the Khan continues to suspect and accuse him, it will only make the man’s heart lean more toward gentle and tender women.”

Gentle and tender?

A’na Ri couldn’t help but look again at the hateful Qin Yining, who stood among the slaves still maintaining her composure and beauty, forcing herself to control her temper.

Today’s hunt would definitely kill her! What cooperation, what deals – being able to cooperate with the Lu family would be enough. This woman should die!

Seeing that A’na Ri had stopped talking, Si Qin’s anger subsided slightly, and he angrily scolded Wuyahan: “How did you guide her? How could you lead the madam to where the slaves are?”

Wuyahan had acted on A’na Ri’s orders and felt very wronged. But she also knew that at this moment, her master needed to save face and could only push the blame onto her. So she knelt and kowtowed, saying, “It was this slave’s negligence. I beg the Prince Consort’s punishment.”

“Go seek the madam’s forgiveness. If she’s unwilling to spare you, I have nothing more to say.” Si Qin said this in the Great Zhou language, looking toward Qin Yining.

Earlier when these people had been arguing for so long, Qin Yining had heard but not understood. However, judging from their gazes, she could guess they were arguing about her, probably about her standing among the slaves.

She hadn’t expected Lu Heng to stand up and speak for her. Although she didn’t know what he had said, seeing A’na Ri’s face turn green with anger, she felt much more comfortable and was very grateful to Lu Heng.

Now hearing Si Qin speak this way, Qin Yining understood completely and found Si Qin’s little schemes somewhat amusing.

If she really punished Wuyahan, not to mention how fiercely A’na Ri would retaliate later, even if they replaced her with another maidservant, would that be any better? Besides, Wuyahan was just following orders, and her care had always been quite thoughtful.

Qin Yining immediately waved her hand and said, “Get up. You were just following orders.”

She spoke in the Great Zhou language, which the surrounding slaves didn’t understand. But Wuyahan’s Great Zhou was very good. Hearing Qin Yining say this, although she was still afraid of A’na Ri’s retaliation, she was very grateful and placed a hand on her chest in salute before standing up.

The slaves understood Tatar but couldn’t understand what Qin Yining said. However, they had understood the earlier argument between the Khan, Prince Consort, and Lu Heng. Now seeing Qin Yining’s magnanimity, their impression of her improved even more.

These slaves were all former nobles from defeated tribes who had been enslaved by A’na Ri for a long time. They sympathized with Qin Yining’s current predicament. Moreover, she was a woman as beautiful as a fairy. Even though she was the consort of that war god prince from Great Zhou, it couldn’t change their current impression of her.

Qin Yining was invited to stand beside Lu Heng.

A’na Ri suppressed the fire in her heart and ordered someone to give Qin Yining a horse and a bow and arrows, then impatiently commanded loudly, “Depart!”

Once they reached the mountains, she would have plenty of ways to kill her!