As for hunting, it was completely forgotten.
Emperor Yuanhe could not sleep at all; he fainted from anger last night but woke up early.
Just as he awoke, a soldier rushed into the imperial tent: "Report—"
As soon as they entered the outer tent, the soldier clasped his hands and knelt down, reporting through the tent flap, "Your Majesty! Miss Su, the Marquis of Yuanning, has been found!"
When they found Su Muqing, she was hiding in a clump of grass, unconscious.
She was still unconscious when the soldiers brought her back. She has now been taken to the tent of the Marquis of Yuanning's residence, and the imperial physician is on his way there.
"Cough!" Upon hearing this, Emperor Yuanhe frowned, coughed, and clutched his wound. His authoritative voice came from the inner tent: "Where is the Eldest Princess?"
"Your Majesty, it hasn't been found yet."
"You bastards!" Emperor Yuanhe gritted his teeth: "If you still can't find it today, you'll all come back with your heads!"
Where did Yu Tingyi go?
A bad feeling crept into Emperor Yuanhe's heart. Yu Nanqing had returned unharmed, but Yu Tingyi had disappeared. Could it be...?
The thought had barely formed when a hurried voice rang out from outside: "She's back! Your Majesty! The Princess has returned!"
Finally hearing some good news, Emperor Yuanhe's brows furrowed, and he hurriedly threw off the covers, clutching his wound as he walked to the outer tent: "Where is she?"
The soldier hurriedly said, "It's right outside! It's the Prince Consort... the Prince Consort has brought the Princess back!"
The Prince Consort? Si Yang?
After returning to his camp, he hadn't seen the prince consort and had completely forgotten about him.
Emperor Yuanhe calmly stepped out of the imperial tent, where a large crowd of people had gathered to visit him.
Looking up, Emperor Yuanhe's heart skipped a beat.
Yu Tingyi was still wearing the same clothes she had on the trip, her clothes stained with blood. Beneath the clothes were layers of bandages, her neck, wrists, and face all revealing her miserable state. The blood overflowing from under the bandages had changed color.
Si Yang held her in his arms; her pale face leaned weakly against his chest, clearly having already fainted.
Emperor Yuanhe stared wide-eyed in disbelief, his brows furrowed as he strode forward. When he saw that the person in Si Yang's arms was indeed Yu Tingyi, his eyes flashed with barely suppressed anger and shock: "What on earth is going on!?"
Not only Emperor Yuanhe, but also the assembled officials were astonished.
Looking at the injured princess before them, they exchanged glances, not daring to utter a sound.
This is the eldest princess, second only to the emperor, and Emperor Yuanhe has a deep affection for her. They dare not imagine what Emperor Yuanhe would do for her.
Si Yang, holding Yu Tingyi in his arms, knelt upright before Emperor Yuanhe and said, "Your Majesty, I am guilty. I failed to stop the assassin from harming the Princess. Please forgive me."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Yuanhe felt a wave of dizziness and staggered back a step.
Nonsense!
That's utter nonsense!
He knew perfectly well who had arranged the assassins in the hunting grounds; how could they possibly target Yu Tingyi?
Could it be... Yu Nanqing?
He was the one who set a trap to get rid of Yu Nanqing, but now he has fallen into Yu Nanqing's trap instead!
Seeing that Yu Tingyi's breathing was so weak that it was almost nonexistent, Emperor Yuanhe felt a surge of anger. He gritted his teeth and roared, "Investigate! If you can't find out who injured the Princess, bring me your head!"
This outburst of anger sent a shiver down everyone's spine; it was as if one wave of trouble had barely subsided before another arose.
"Guards!" Emperor Yuanhe roared again, "Summon the imperial physicians! You must heal the Princess!"
Si Yang bowed respectfully to Emperor Yuanhe, then rose and carried Yu Tingyi away.
Emperor Yuanhe frowned, turned and stepped onto the dragon throne, his anger still burning in his eyes: "Guards! Summon Prince Gong to me! I have something to ask him!"
He was the one who set up the scheme to kill Yu Nanqing, so why was it Yu Tingyi who ended up getting hurt?
He had a gut feeling that this matter was inextricably linked to Yu Nanqing!
"Yes!" the eunuch beside him replied.
Emperor Yuanhe looked at the assembled civil and military officials gathered in front of the tent. At this moment, they all looked like quails, each with their heads down and not saying a word.
Despite the bright sunshine outside, the atmosphere inside was so oppressive it sent chills down your spine.
He narrowed his eyes slightly. The plan for the hunting grounds was foolproof. Even if Yu Nanqing's leg injury was cured, it was absolutely impossible for him to be completely unharmed.
Even if we disregard Yu Nanqing, what about Su Wanyan?
She was a woman who didn't know martial arts; how could she possibly escape unscathed?
These court officials all had their own involvement.
Once the seed of doubt is planted, it cannot be stopped.
He suddenly realized, why would Si Yang go to the hunting grounds?
Where did he find Yu Tingyi? And among the people present, are there any who have already colluded with them?
The more Emperor Yuanhe thought about it, the more suspicious he felt. After calming down, he suddenly gave a deep order: "Liu Rencai."
Liu Rencai immediately stepped forward and bowed: "Your Majesty?"
"The Prince Gong and his wife are in danger, and the Princess Consort must be frightened as well. Go and tell the Empress to comfort her properly."
Upon hearing this, Liu Rencai immediately understood and withdrew with a "Yes".
In the room, besides those who dared not speak, there were also those who remained indifferent and uninvolved.
The old Duke of Shunguo and the old Duke of Changguo exchanged a glance, as if they knew each other perfectly well, or as if they understood each other without saying a word.
After exchanging glances, it was Duke Shun who respectfully spoke to Emperor Yuanhe: "Your Majesty is seriously injured. You should take care of your health and not let anger harm your body."
In this dynasty, the situation of the Duke of Shun and the Duke of Chang was almost identical. They were both inherited from the previous dynasty, and their power was gradually stripped away after Yu Nanyi took office.
Now all that remains is the title of Duke.
The two families had previously disliked each other during the previous dynasty, but in this dynasty, they almost simultaneously recognized the situation and chose to band together for mutual support, thus steadily preserving the little power they had left.
Emperor Yuanhe took a deep breath and did not reply to the old Duke's words.
The old Duke of Shun did not really want Emperor Yuanhe to give a reason, so when Emperor Yuanhe ignored him, he stopped talking.
Inside the tent at Prince Gong's Mansion.
Yu Nanqing sat quietly in the armchair by the bed, leisurely flipping through a book in her hand.
He had already showered and changed clothes, washing his hair inside and out, and his body still smelled of soap.
On the bed, Su Wanyan was sleeping soundly.
Perhaps because she was too tired last night, Su Wanyan did not sleep as soundly as usual.
For example, right now, while I'm asleep, one of my feet suddenly sticks out from under the covers.
Yu Nanqing caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye and found her quite adorable. He put down the book in his hand, curled his thin lips, reached out and pulled the blanket over her little feet.
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