Chapter 22

However, according to the rumors circulating within the palace, the Emperor hasn’t favored the Empress for many years…

Thinking about this, Jiang Xiurun looked again at Feng Liwu, who had just alighted from the phoenix carriage, and strangely felt a sense of pity for him.

Though she herself had an estranged father, fortunately, her mother was affectionate and treated her and her elder brother with great kindness.

But as for Feng Liwu, it was evident that he lacked affection from his father and mother. It’s no wonder he appeared so cold and solely focused on political maneuvers and ruling the nation.

With these thoughts, Jiang Xiurun surprisingly felt a rare surge of sympathy for him and said to Feng Liwu, “Crown Prince, sweet potatoes are filling, and you’ve been out in the cold wind. It’s inevitable that you might catch a chill. The journey is quite long, and it’s almost noon. Why not take advantage of the relatively smooth carriage ride and have some hot noodles to warm your stomach?”

Jiang Xiurun’s words were considerate, but she couldn’t explicitly say, “Crown Prince, you’ve eaten all my snacks, and now I’m hungry. Lunch is still an hour away, and I can’t hold on. How about you eat first, and I can share some food when it’s my turn?”

Indeed, such words displayed the thoughtfulness of an adviser. Feng Liwu, with nothing better to do, had already finished digesting the sweet potato and jerky he had during the early hours. When he heard her suggestion of hot noodles, something he hadn’t tasted before, he nodded in agreement.

In fact, these noodles were made by Bai Ying. Conveniently wrapped in cloth bundles, they were easy to eat. Bai Qian also brought pre-refined butter, a small pot with a charcoal stove, beef slices, finely chopped cabbage, and some seasoned salt, making it a convenient and filling meal during the journey.

Since they were in the Crown Prince’s carriage, using charcoal was convenient. Jiang Xiurun openly set up the charcoal stove and began heating the buttered rice noodles.

If Bai Qian was deliberately sought after, her sister Bai Ying was truly an icing on top of the cake.

It was said that when the Bai family was still in their home country, they operated a restaurant, and Bai Ying, following her mother’s skill in making soups and stews, excelled in creating local snacks.

Jiang Xiurun had only eaten these noodles once since bringing them back. The butter was mixed with shelled clam meat, creating a rich and flavorful soup. It was incredibly delicious, and when the noodles were cooked to perfection, it was ready to be enjoyed.

Feng Liwu had a bowl, and in the rising steam, he slowly relaxed his brows and eyes.

After serving the Crown Prince, Jiang Xiurun also had two bowls herself. Being young and still growing, if she missed a meal, it would truly make her uneasy for the rest of the day.

For a while, the two of them sat quietly in the carriage, savoring the lingering taste in the air.

Taking advantage of Feng Liwu’s warm mood after enjoying the meal, Jiang Xiurun mentioned her fatigue in recent days. Due to her weakness from childhood, prolonged carriage rides often caused headaches. She earnestly requested that the Crown Prince allow her a brief rest.

Feng Liwu has always been generous with the treatment of his advisers. Since Jiang Xiurun spoke in such a manner, he naturally arranged for a separate carriage for her, allowing her to rest comfortably without sharing with others.

Once Jiang Xiurun and Bai Qian got on their carriage, Jiang Xiurun breathed a sigh of relief and actually laid down to sleep.

By the time the convoy reached the hunting ground, it was nearing sunset.

According to the usual custom, they would first set up camp to experience the hardships of ancestral marching, and then on the second day, they would begin hunting and archery.

Jiang Xiurun tried hard to recall the events of her previous life when the crown prince was attacked. It seemed he was hit by a poisoned arrow, leading to lingering effects. Although the injury was not severe, the poison was difficult to remove, leaving a hidden illness in the end.

Since it involved archery, it should have happened during the chaotic hunting.

Jiang Xiurun could only ensure that she stayed neither too close nor too far from the crown prince. Being too far away might make her an unwitting scapegoat, accused of assassinating the crown prince. After all, she was a hostage from a foreign country, standing out among the dignitaries of Great Qi. It was somewhat conspicuous, especially after showcasing her archery skills previously, making her vulnerable to gossip.

On the other hand, if she stayed too close, who would know if the assassin was skilled? If the arrow accidentally missed its target, she would end up getting hurt alongside the crown prince. It was better to scatter the suspicions; otherwise, the secret might not be kept.

However, managing this delicate balance was not easy.

But when the second day arrived and Cao Xi, Tian Ying, and other glamorous noble ladies from the capital came, Jiang Xiurun felt that the opportunity had come.

Just using the excuse of feeling cold in her tent last night and needing to warm up before riding, she found an opportunity to chat with those noble ladies.

Great Qi’s ancestors were a nomadic tribe, not bound by many conventions. Even after establishing the capital in Luo’an, some customs remained unchanged, such as the winter hunt, where both men and women, especially unmarried ones, could gather around the bonfire to chat and socialize.

Leveraging her previous casual conversation with Tian Ying during a banquet, Jiang Xiurun quickly became acquainted with those noble ladies.

The name of young master Jiang was quite well-known now, having engaged in verbal battles at the academy, becoming the Crown Prince’s Tutor, and recently displaying arrogance in the archery range against the Southern Yi envoy.

For such a versatile and handsome young man, which young lady of marriageable age wouldn’t be interested?

Therefore, except for Cao Xi and Tian Ying, who needed to be cautious and appear proper in front of the Crown Prince, the other noble ladies smiled at young master Jiang, engaging in conversation with warmth and grace.

This made many young men who couldn’t join the conversation feel anxious, thinking that this prince of the Bo State was a bit too flirtatious, boldly stepping into the territory of Great Qi, attempting to seize vast fertile lands.

Before mounting his horse, Feng Liwu also saw Jiang Xiurun surrounded by a group of noble ladies, chatting and laughing animatedly.

In his eyes, it would be a good thing for this Bo State hostage to interact with the noble ladies from Luo’an. Now, on the Deer Cry Platform, watching him interact with those girls like a clueless fellow, unsure whether he prefers men or women.

But now, if he remained loyal and obedient to him, he would undoubtedly have to find a noble lady from Luo’an for him to marry, settle down in Great Qi, and serve him with loyalty and duty…

Thinking like this, His Highness developed a generous attitude once again. He didn’t call Jiang Xiurun, who was engrossed in lively conversation, and instead left with Qin Zhao and other attendants on horseback.

Watching the Crown Prince leave with a group of noble sons from Luo’an, Jiang Xiurun finally breathed a sigh of relief. She followed the noble ladies and some young sons of ministers to a nearby elevated platform, gazing at the distant group of horses galloping through the forest.

Surrounded by people, Jiang Xiurun relaxed.

The life-and-death situations that would follow were of no concern to her. Therefore, she had no intention of pretending to be charming with the young sons and daughters around her. Using the excuse of a headache from the cold wind, she selected a tent with a windproof location and sat down, leisurely drinking the hot tea brought by Bai Qian.

Boredom led her to casually observe the diverse faces inside and outside the high-platform tent.

The Emperor and Empress, sitting in the highest positions, exchanged no words, showing a scene of mutual disdain.

Beside the emperor, there were other concubines serving as companions, but they too had wrinkles appearing at the corners of their eyes. As they aged, they seemed to lose their luster, while the empress, on the contrary, appeared increasingly radiant and charming.

Watching the emperor, whose temples were fully white and his dragon-like back slightly stooped, and then looking at the resplendent and captivating Empress, one could automatically envision a tale of love, hate, and intrigue within the cold palace.

However, the old emperor himself, taking advantage of his son’s absence, didn’t spare a glance at the alluring noble ladies below the stage. In the last two years of her previous life, he even brought three charming and captivating young girls into the palace…

Jiang Xiurun observed for a long time, gradually withdrawing her gaze. For some reason, her palms began to sweat. Just a moment ago, she suddenly understood some past events.

In her previous life, after Feng Liwu fell critically ill during the winter hunting expedition and the Emperor eagerly shifted the blame to the Southern Yi envoy, triggering the Southern Yi War, the prolonged conflict consumed the strength of those military officials who supported the Crown Prince.

Later, although the Crown Prince returned and decisively halted the war against public opinion, the balance of power shifted. Despite the Crown Prince’s faction remaining intact, they couldn’t completely suppress the imperial authority anymore.

In her previous life, she had never considered who the mastermind behind the assassination attempt on the Crown Prince was. Yet, just now, as she watched the emperor gaze straight into the distance, his eyes occasionally twitching, she sensed an unstoppable killing intent!

It was like the frenzy of a former beast king eager to bite off the neck of a young challenger.

In the face of this frenzy and eagerness, the so-called father-son affection seemed so weak that it could hardly withstand a blow!

Feng Liwu was ruthless, seemingly faithfully inheriting his father’s traits, but being somewhat younger, he lacked the cruelty to the end, giving Emperor Duan Qing the opportunity for a desperate counterattack…

For some reason, she, who had always been indifferent to Feng Liwu’s life and death, suddenly felt a sense of tragedy.

Like her, without the protection of a father, perhaps even more miserable, he might end up dying at the hands of his biological father in the end…

Just at that moment, a distant cavalry unit suddenly arrived. As they dismounted and reported the hunting situation to the emperor, Jiang Xiurun learned that they were presenting a report to His Majesty about the hunting conditions ahead.

Hidden in the corner, she distinctly saw Emperor Duan Qing’s imperceptible disappointment when he heard that these scouts were just reporting numbers. It further confirmed her internal thoughts.

The mastermind behind the assassination attempt on Feng Liwu was none other than Emperor Duan Qing of Great Qi!

She took a deep breath, suddenly worried that there might be some mistakes or deviations in the upcoming assassination, different from her previous life.

If Feng Liwu, instead of being merely injured as in the previous life, accidentally got killed… Then, with the tree fallen, would Emperor Duan Qing, who had suppressed his anger for so many years, not vent all his fury on people like her, the Crown Prince’s faction?

As the new favorite strategist of the Crown Prince, she would be the first to bear the brunt!

The more Jiang Xiurun thought about it, the more she shivered, as if she had opened a crack in an iceberg, revealing a bottomless abyss!

When the cavalry came for the second time to report, Jiang Xiurun found herself waiting for their news just like Emperor Duan Qing, with her heart suspended in mid-air.

As the cavalry came and went, reporting the number of wild boars and mountain deer shot, Emperor Duan Qing’s eyebrows were almost sagging to the wrinkled corners of his eyes.

Just as the horn was about to sound, calling back the hunting party, snow was stirred up in the distance again, and the sound of hoofbeats reached their ears.

However, this time, the cavalry formation was chaotic, with one horse racing to the front. Before the horse could stop, someone dismounted and rushed into the camp, kneeling and crawling to report, “Re… Reporting to Your Majesty, Crown… Crown Prince is in danger ahead!”

Jiang Xiurun’s heart slowly tightened, while Emperor Duan Qing’s shoulders relaxed slightly. Yet his white eyebrows tensed again, his face showing concern as he asked, “How is the Crown Prince?”

The scout, with a mournful expression, said, “Ahead, the cliff suspension bridge collapsed, and the Crown Prince, along with General Qin and a few guards, fell into the abyss… General Qin managed to be caught by a tall tree halfway down, only breaking his leg. He was just pulled up with a rope. However, the Crown Prince’s whereabouts are unknown. The guards below have already sent people down to search…”

As these words came out, Emperor Duan Qing slammed the dragon case with a bang, and his whole person stood up. He loudly asked, “You say… fell into the abyss?”

Empress Wei also lost her composure, sharply shouting, “Why aren’t more people sent to search!”

The entire tent was immediately filled with continuous whispers, and people’s hearts were in turmoil.

However, Jiang Xiurun knew that the most chaotic individuals in the tent right now should be Emperor Duan Qing and herself. In her past life, although Feng Liwu was in danger during the winter hunt, General Qin was unscathed and certainly didn’t break his leg.

Why did it change from being shot and injured to falling into the abyss?

Jiang Xiurun looked at Emperor Duan Qing’s face full of suspicion and was convinced of one thing: this time, more than one group was targeting Feng Liwu! Emperor Duan Qing had been played by someone!

And her lord was in a life-or-death situation!

However, no matter what, as long as Feng Liwu died, she would undoubtedly not escape the bloodbath that Emperor Duan Qing would unleash on the Crown Prince’s faction.

For a father who could ruthlessly kill his own son, what else would he hesitate to do?

Jiang Xiurun stood up abruptly, without needing anyone’s orders. She led Qian’er down the stairs at a brisk pace, commanding the stable attendants from the Crown Prince’s residence to bring two fast horses and join the search party looking for the Crown Prince’s trail.

Since there were more than one group trying to kill Feng Liwu, finding him quickly was the only way to avoid the danger of being implicated.

At worst… it was to take advantage of the chaos to escape, quickly return to the capital, and flee from Luo’an with her brother!

Of course, this was the last resort. If she escaped, she would not be able to evade any connection to the Crown Prince’s attack. She might be falsely accused and become a wanted criminal, leaving her and her brother isolated and helpless with no way to escape.

While urging the horse forward, Jiang Xiurun’s mind was like an abacus, rapidly calculating numerous thoughts.

When they arrived at the scene, the top of the cliff was noisy with people letting down countless ropes, and below, people had descended, shouting that they only saw dead horses and countless scattered arrows, but no sign of the Crown Prince.

This hunting ground, aside from being reserved for the royal family’s winter hunt during the winter season, also allowed nobles to bring their families for hunting for a month during the summer.

Jiang Xiurun had been here with General Qin in her past life, but at that time, there was no icy snow-covered plain. She remembered that under this broken bridge was a turbulent and swift river.

The guards who went down said that those dead horses broke open a large hole in the frozen river surface. Could it be that Feng Liwu coincidentally fell into the river and was swept away downstream?

Thinking like this, she dared not delay any longer and dared not call the guards on the mountainside—among these people, there must be the Emperor’s men, lying in wait and ready to strike Feng Liwu.

So, she only took Qian’er and, as master and servant, rode their horses along the mountain, taking a detour to the foot of the mountain. They followed the frozen river surface to search for Feng Liwu’s traces.

However, at this cold moment, the river was frozen thick, and there was no sign of human presence. Even if the Crown Prince was excellent at swimming, with the ice layer blocking him from the frigid water, he might have been suffocated!

Suddenly, she stopped, thinking that the river had branches. Not far from where he fell off the cliff, around a mountain, there was a cave leading to a hot spring that never froze…

If Feng Liwu, familiar with the hunting ground, was still alive, would he think of swimming to that place to climb ashore?

Thinking of this, she turned her horse’s head in the direction of that cave.

Before reaching the cave, they heard the sounds of a struggle.

As they approached the cave, they saw two bodies lying on the ground, and a soaked Feng Liwu was surrounded by four masked men.

Seeing the person behind Feng Liwu suddenly raise a sword, Jiang Xiurun quickly lifted a small bow and shot an arrow towards the man’s throat.

Without needing any instructions, Bai Qian let out a strange howl, leaped off the horse, and kicked towards the two men surrounding Feng Liwu with her legs in the air.

These people were originally engaged in stealthy activities, and seeing someone coming to aid, they thought reinforcements were arriving soon. They didn’t dare to fight anymore. Except for one person who was lifted high by Bai Qian and slammed to death on a protruding large rock, the other two turned and fled from the mountain corner.

Their eerie speed didn’t even give Jiang Xiurun time to aim with her bow.

Jiang Xiurun shouted urgently, “Qian’er, don’t let them escape; it will reveal the Crown Prince’s whereabouts!”

So Bai Qian quickly mounted the horse and chased after the two fleeing individuals.

Jiang Xiurun then turned to look at Feng Liwu. Surprisingly, there was a cut on his waist, and blood was oozing out.

She hurriedly ran over, supported him, and whispered, “Your Highness, let me help you onto the horse to find the royal physician.”

However, Feng Liwu stared fixedly at her without moving.

When Jiang Xiurun lowered her head to take a look, she found that the tip of the knife that Feng Liwu hadn’t let go of was pointing directly at her abdomen…

It seemed that this sudden assassination had put Feng Liwu on high alert, and he couldn’t easily trust anyone approaching him!

But perhaps realizing that the youth showed no intent to kill, Feng Liwu slowly moved the knife away and said, “There is another group of people lurking around; don’t expose yourself easily; stay hidden here for now.”

As he spoke, weakened by excessive bleeding, he finally staggered and collapsed on the ground.

Jiang Xiurun’s medicinal kit finally came in handy.

She helped Feng Liwu into the cave, found a flat area for him to sit down, and began to take out the medicine bottle to stop the bleeding and bandage the wound.

Fortunately, the blood flowing out was red, indicating no poison. After applying the top-quality medicinal powder, the bleeding quickly stopped.

Feng Liwu had encountered archers below the cliff, lurked all the way to this place, and was ambushed again, leaving him exhausted.

He had left secret signals in several places just for his death warriors to find this location.

It seemed that, until the situation became clear, he had no intention of actively revealing himself.

Jiang Xiurun silently followed his instructions, removing the wet clothes from him. Then, she averted her eyes as much as possible, avoiding looking at his robust chest, waist, and other areas. She unbuttoned her own fur cloak and handed it to Feng Liwu to ward off the cold.

Due to the need for concealment, they couldn’t light a fire to keep warm.

After Feng Liwu sneezed, he waved his hand towards Jiang Xiurun.

Jiang Xiurun froze in place, suspecting that he wanted her to undress and give him her clothes.

However, seeing Jiang Xiurun hesitate to come over, Feng Liwu pulled her into his embrace and tightly wrapped both of them in the fur cloak, saying, “Get closer; it helps against the cold… Didn’t I tell you not to use incense? Why are you still using it?”