Chapter 52: I didn’t see the leader’s heart, but I did get something good out of him…

Qi Xin paused, and said awkwardly, "Lord Lan, don't you think you've hidden yourself well enough?"

Lan Xiwu felt as if nails had grown under her feet, pinning her to the spot. "Your Highness, have you always known this?"

Qi Xin secretly raised his eyebrows, then turned around and sat down on the wooden chair next to Lan Xiwu:

"Lord Lan, you hold a high position and are in charge of the Imperial Eunuchs. You often do favors for the nobles of Shengdu, acting like a jester, causing widespread resentment among the people. As a result, the traitor will find you neither formidable nor useful. Even if you spoke up for Lord Xi in public, as you did before, others will assume you were just being idle and casual, and won't dwell on it too deeply."

"Your Majesty," Lan Xiwu paused, thought for a moment, and then continued, "He kept this a secret from Your Majesty for Your Majesty's safety. I hope you—"

"Master Lan, Master Lan—" Qi Xin interrupted him bluntly, "Do you believe what you're saying? Okay, let's put aside the past. The most important thing right now is that Sheng is in chaos."

"Your Highness, what else do you know?" Lan Xiwu was already over seven feet tall, a man of considerable stature. The leader of the Shadow Capital Guard, usually known for his commanding presence, always exuded a subtle murderous aura. Now, he stood while Qi Xin sat, and to alleviate the oppressive feeling caused by the height difference, he leaned forward slightly.

However, Qi Xin sneered and did not buy his story:

"There's no need to play games with me. We all share the same goal: to ensure the well-being of Shengdu, and for the people of Shengguo to live a long and peaceful life. Chen Yu is rushing back to Ningbei because of the unrest on the border, and Shengdu has you, the Shadow City Guard, stationed there? The Imperial City Army has been neglecting training for years, so how long can they hold out if a disaster strikes? So, according to my father, what crime are you going to accuse Chen Yu and the National Protection Army of this?"

Under Qi Xin's series of questions, Lan Xiwu had some doubts in his heart, but he was the leader of the Yingdu Guard and should be the most loyal subordinate of Emperor Shengde. The emperor's orders were heavier than Mount Tai. Even if he made some mistakes, how could he allow others to interfere?

Lan Xiwu knelt on one knee beside Qi Xin and said without looking up, "Forgive me for what I said, but even if you are the eldest princess, you should not speculate on the emperor's intentions in this way!"

"Lan Xiwu, this princess has no time to argue with you about right and wrong. I believe you are not a blindly loyal person. I have said all I want to say. I hope Chief Lan will consider it." Qi Xin stood up, took the reins, and rode away.

Qi Xin was anxious, but she couldn't just sit there and watch Lan Xiwu wander around Ningbei without knowing her purpose. She followed the path to the back hill of a farmer's courtyard, observing Lan Xiwu's movements while summoning a carrier pigeon and writing a note to Xing'er, who was still at the Princess's residence. She watched Lan Xiwu disappear into the mist in the direction of Shengdu before releasing the pigeon and heading towards the three major camps in Ningbei.

However, she was in a hurry and couldn't write it clearly. As for whether Xing'er could decipher it, that was all she could do. This way, even if it was intercepted, the other party wouldn't immediately get hold of the crucial information.

After doing all this, Qi Xin was already extremely tired, but she always felt that there were some changes in her body. She was not sure what exactly it was. From the surface, it seemed that her physical fitness was much better than before, so she would not faint even in such a situation of extreme physical overdraft.

She thought again and again, if she barged in like this, wouldn't she alarm Shen Yu? She didn't want him to send her back to Shengdu without even seeing her face.

Qi Xin followed the river to the edge of the camp. The terrain here was even more complex. Although she had been led around for a while last time, she still got lost. She had no choice but to sneak into an empty tent, put on a wart armor, and sneak into the army.

"I really don't understand why the Marshal is still helping that dog emperor to take the initiative to attack. We have lost so many brothers. Even if we win, with the dog emperor's character, it's a blessing that he doesn't regard us as traitors."

"That's right. I heard that the Marshal returned to Sheng not just to investigate the cause of the old Duke's death, but mainly because he was worried about the eldest princess he had saved. He's even now entangled with her."

"Is there such a thing? I think the Marshal doesn't seem like someone who is addicted to women. This princess really takes after her father, a troublemaker who is used to playing tricks on people."

…

Qi Xin was shocked when she heard this. Although she did not quite agree with her father's behavior, her mother had always felt guilty towards her master, so this might be related to the death of the old Duke.

When she was distracted, she realized that the soldiers around her had stopped, and the soldiers who were talking at once were all looking at her.

"Little brother, are you new here? You look a little unfamiliar."

"Why are you so thin? Did you slack off during training?"

A few burly men came over to pinch her out of curiosity. In their haste, they accidentally knocked off the helmet that was loosely covering her head, and then hooked off the jade hairpin that was inserted in her bun.

Qi Xin's long hair flowed freely like ink, making her face look even paler. The soldiers of the Jingguo Army looked at her in bewilderment, each suspicious of her inexplicable presence in the Jingguo Army. Just as someone suggested tying her up and taking her to the commander's camp for a final decision, a tanned lieutenant recognized her identity.

"Isn't this, isn't this that vixen princess?" the deputy general exclaimed. "Brothers, teach her a lesson. With the enemy at hand, don't let the commander-in-chief see her again or she'll mess with his mind!"

As soon as the man finished speaking, the crowd rushed forward like crazy. It wasn't that the deputy general had such a strong following, but rather the old Duke's confusing death and Emperor Shengde's attitude towards the Jingguo Army and Shen Yu had become a thorn in the hearts of the Jingguo Army. Qi Xin's experience and identity were very sensitive, so it was no wonder that they blamed her, a member of the royal family.

Uprisings throughout history have stemmed from the injustice of this world. Perhaps in some obscure corner, countless impoverished souls, suffering from cold, endured the twelfth lunar month's snow, silently passing away in silence. And yet, this world, still absurdly wrapped in its so-called order, openly swallowed up the last remaining ray of light in this endless night.

It is really hard to judge who is right and who is wrong.

After all, the last time I came to the Ningbei Three Camps, I was accompanied by my master and others, and I didn’t see many people from the army. Besides, even if I saw them, they would not dare to act rashly in front of Shen Yu, no matter how dissatisfied they were with me and my father.

Therefore, Qi Xin really did not expect that her image in the Jingguo Army would be like this. She could understand, but the fault was not hers, so she would not bear this unwarranted accusation in vain.

Qi Xin dodged a blow from a palm and ran toward the stables. She whistled, startling a snow-white warhorse with flecks of blood in its fur. Without hesitation, she stamped on the stirrups and leaped forward, putting some distance between them.

"This princess had no idea that she had such a great reputation." Qi Xin stood on the horse's back, without a trace of panic in her eyes after breaking through the siege. Instead, there was a faint smile on her face, a bit indifferent and a bit playful.

The rest of the crowd, faced with Qi Xin, were ultimately constrained by the ingrained sense of hierarchy and abruptly stopped a meter away. Although they hated him, when the moment came, they didn't know what to do with Qi Xin after capturing him.

The Yasukuni Shrine had always been a disciplined army, so if they were to do anything out of line, they wouldn't be able to do it. However, the pent-up anger and resentment they felt was also a source of indignation they couldn't resolve.

"Since none of you are willing to face our noble Princess, then I will be the villain—" The deputy general pushed through the crowd and stared at Qi Xin indignantly.

"What have you done that you still need us to tell you? I don't know what kind of agreement you reached with the Yue Kingdom to get them to release you, and then you used sweet words to spread rumors in front of the Marshal, causing him to risk his own life to protect your Qi family's kingdom, forgetting the revenge of us old Dukes. Now that we've exposed you, you can still pretend to be so nonchalant! To say you have a heart of a vicious snake is not an exaggeration!"

"General, do you not trust your Marshal Shen, or are you deliberately trying to make things difficult for me?" Qi Xin pulled the reins and turned his horse around to face the surrounding soldiers.

"This princess's previous marriage was to stop the war; and now, I am alone, helping Lord Shen with a helping hand, also for this reason. Believe it or not, the truth is, no matter whose surname is on the throne, when power changes, it is the people of this world who suffer. At least in this respect, what this princess is doing is the same as yours. As for the old Duke's affairs, this princess has also heard a little bit and is secretly investigating. Please do not believe those groundless rumors and fall into the trap of those treacherous people!"

When Zheng Ba heard that Qi Xin had been captured by his deputy, he rushed over without stopping before reporting to the cavalry commander's tent. He happened to hear Qi Xin's magnificent speech and was somewhat surprised. He had only known her for her courage and her willingness to take risks, and had always overlooked her status as the eldest princess. But she had, after all, grown up in the palace, and even when she spoke of such boring principles, she had a set of rules.

Zheng Ba had no good impression of Qi Xin, the variable that suddenly appeared in Chen Yu's plan, but after getting along with her for a long time, he gradually understood why Chen Yu was attracted to her.

Qi Xin didn't notice Zheng Ba hiding in the corner. Seeing that some of the crowd had been persuaded by him, he took advantage of the situation and pulled out the golden hairpin from his bun. Without blinking, he cut a hole in the palm of his left hand.

"You are all loyal and righteous men, and I believe you have your own opinions. Today, this princess swears an oath with her blood, and I ask all the soldiers to be witnesses!"

"Your Highness Jialing is right. We are willing to follow Your Highness Jialing!" The responses came one after another, and the expression on the deputy general's face became more and more strange.

Seeing that things had come to this point, the deputy general simply stopped pretending, drew a dagger from his sleeve, and rushed towards Qi Xin.