Xin Kui quickly replied, "Yes, Your Highness." She held Xin Jiuwei's arm and gently applied force.
A strong sense of humiliation welled up in Xin Jiuwei's heart, along with a strange sense of irritation. She suppressed her emotions and nodded slightly to Qin Lang: "General Qin, farewell." Then, without looking at Xiao Xun again, she let Xin Kui support her and slowly turned to walk down the slope.
She could clearly feel the cold, sharp gaze behind her, as if it were a physical object nailed to her back, carrying scrutiny, control, and an intense possessiveness that she didn't want to delve into.
Qin Lang stood there, watching Xin Jiuwei's departing figure, then glanced at the Sixth Prince standing on the high slope with his hands behind his back, his face cold and stern. His handsome brows furrowed deeply. He keenly sensed that the Sixth Prince's attitude towards this prospective princess was far more complex than it appeared. The coldness in his eyes sent a chill down his spine, even to this outsider.
Xiao Xun's gaze swept over Qin Lang without lingering, as if he were merely roadside weeds. He turned and, with You Ye in tow, walked in another direction, his steps steady, his back as cold and hard as iron.
Xin Jiuwei returned to her tent, her mind in turmoil. Xiao Xun's cold, commanding attitude, his undisguised possessiveness and controlling nature, suffocated her. She loathed this feeling of being treated as an object. However, what troubled her even more was the fleeting flutter in her heart when he appeared on the high slope, and the uncontrollable panic she felt when his gaze locked onto her.
Frustrated, she picked up the bottle of imperial medicine from the small table, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the cool porcelain jar. The coolness of the ointment seemed to penetrate the bottle, calming her chaotic thoughts slightly.
“Miss…” Xin Kui hesitated, unable to finish her sentence.
“I’m fine,” Xin Jiuwei interrupted her, her voice carrying a hint of weary calm. “Prepare yourselves; we’re returning to the capital tomorrow.” The autumn hunt was nearing its end, and this turmoil had temporarily subsided. But Xin Jiuwei knew that the real contest had only just begun. Xiao Xun’s suspicions, Qi Huaiyu’s shadow, Xiao Zhuo’s treacherous attacks, and the dangerous, inappropriate stirring within her own heart were all like lurking beasts, waiting for the next opportunity to erupt.
The autumn hunt ended hastily, and the gloom hanging over the royal hunting grounds did not dissipate with the return of the procession to the capital. Princess Yongjia remained confined to the inner palace, and Liu Yiyi's interrogation at the Imperial Clan Court seemed to have reached a stalemate, with no further news emerging. Xin Jiuwei returned to Jingyuan, and life returned to a superficial calm, but an invisible tension permeated the air.
Xiao Xun didn't mention the scene on the high slope again, nor did he question Qi Huaiyu further. He simply sent over more copies of the official gazette regarding the military situation in the northern border through You Ye, the contents of which were far more detailed and timely than Xin Kui could obtain. Xin Jiuwei understood that this was another form of his "control"—using Xin Yunzhou, whom she cared about most, to firmly hold her back. She silently received the messages, carefully reading each one, trying to piece together her brother's safety from them.
Xin Kui's investigation continued cautiously, focusing primarily on Qin Lang, the young general of the Pingxi General's Mansion. The feedback stirred something within Xin Jiuwei. Qin Lang seemed quite disdainful of the Second Prince Xiao Zhuo's overly smooth methods of courting him, having publicly declined Xiao Zhuo's invitation to a banquet. As for the Sixth Prince Xiao Xun, he maintained a professional and distant attitude, but privately, he seemed to harbor a subtle sympathy and curiosity towards Xin Jiuwei, this "notorious" yet capable "fiancée" who staged a comeback at a palace banquet and survived a wild boar attack.
This sliver of sympathy and curiosity might be exploitable. Xin Jiuwei pondered to herself. Qin Lang held military power, and his father, General Qin, enjoyed immense prestige within the army. If she could gain this support, even if it was merely to maintain neutrality, it would be crucial for the Xin family and for her own sake. However, how could she do this without arousing Xiao Xun's suspicion? This required an extremely cautious opportunity.
Days slipped by in a veneer of quietude. Xin Jiuwei handled the affairs of Jingyuan methodically, perusing the military reports from the Northern Frontier and secretly monitoring Qin Lang's movements. A strange tacit understanding seemed to have formed between her and Xiao Xun—they didn't interfere with each other, yet maintained a cold connection through nightly outings and those military reports. He no longer easily set foot in Jingyuan, and she never took the initiative to approach the Prince's residence.
That afternoon, Xin Jiuwei was practicing calligraphy in her study, trying to calm her mind. Xin Kui rushed in, her face more solemn than ever before, clutching a copy of a newly received letter stamped with the Northern Army's urgent wax seal.
“Miss…” Xin Kui’s voice trembled slightly.
Xin Jiuwei's heart skipped a beat, and the pen in her hand fell to the Xuan paper with a "thud," instantly spreading a smudge of ink. She almost snatched the paper from Xin Kui's hand, her eyes quickly scanning the writing on it.
The newsletter was short, but every word was like a knife:
"Xin Yunzhou led his troops to pursue and annihilate the remnants of the Northern Di army at Black Stone Ridge. He was ambushed and hit by three arrows, one of which pierced his chest. His injuries were extremely serious. He has been rushed back to the main camp for treatment and is in critical condition."
"boom--!"
Xin Jiuwei felt her mind go blank, all sounds disappeared, and all that remained before her eyes were the four bloody words "Life in Danger" spinning wildly! Brother! Yunzhou! The brother who had protected her since childhood, who had sheltered her from the wind and rain! The brother who had fought bloody battles in the Northern Border, just to earn a sliver of hope for the Xin family! At this moment, he was lying in the cold Northern Border military camp, on the verge of death!
A wave of overwhelming fear washed over her like an icy tide! The image of her brother's death on the battlefield in her past life, his body never to be found, replayed before her eyes like a nightmare! The excruciating pain and despair gripped her heart more clearly and violently than in her past life! She abruptly covered her mouth, her body trembling violently, a suppressed, broken sob escaping her throat, tears streaming down her face like a burst dam, instantly blurring her vision.
"Brother...brother..." She collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. All her strength, all her calculations, all her defenses crumbled at that moment. She was just a helpless and desperate younger sister about to lose her loved one.
Xin Kui, her eyes red-rimmed, knelt down and hugged her trembling body tightly, her voice choked with sobs: "Miss...Miss, please don't be like this...Young Master is a lucky man...He'll be alright..."
However, Xin Jiuwei's cries, like the mournful howls of a wounded, dying young animal, were filled with a heart-wrenching despair. These cries pierced the silence of the study and the heavy guard of Jingyuan.
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