Chapter 71: Zhixi's quick wit and the prince's alienation
The morning mist still hung in the enclosure, condensing into dewdrops on the grass, making it slippery and cold to the touch. Yun Zhi accompanied Xiao Jin as they slowly walked along the edge of the hunting grounds, leading a docile chestnut horse. Her eyes would occasionally glance toward the distant tents—according to the agreement, Liu Zhong's men would deliver medicine at noon, along with news from the palace.
"What are you looking at?" Xiao Jin's voice suddenly came. He reined in his horse and turned to look at Yun Zhi with a scrutinizing look in his eyes. "You're so distracted, are you scared?"
Yun Zhi immediately retracted her gaze, lowered her eyelashes, and spoke in a gentle voice: "I just felt that the fog was too thick, and I was worried that the prince would not be able to see the road clearly when hunting, and I was worried about his safety."
These words hit the nail on the head. The corners of his mouth curled up, and just as he was about to say something else, he saw a man in a guard's uniform walking quickly towards him from a distance. It was Ali, an old subordinate of Liu Zhong. He was now dressed as a guard of the palace, carrying a medicine box in his hand, and was obviously here to deliver a message.
Yun Zhi's heart instantly leaped to her chest, yet she remained calm on the surface. While adjusting her horse's reins, she quietly inched her way towards Ali. Ali walked up to Xiao Jin, bowed, and spoke in a resonant voice, "Your Highness, the palace has sent medicine and clean clothes. Also... the princess sent a message saying there was some unusual activity in the palace last night, so Your Highness need not worry."
"Unusual movement?" Xiao Jin frowned. "What unusual movement?"
Ali's eyes flickered, and he glanced at Yun Zhi out of the corner of his eye. He said in the codeword they had agreed on before, "The princess didn't elaborate, only saying that it seemed like some scoundrels had sneaked in, and that they had already sent people to search, so His Majesty could focus on the hunt."
"A rogue sneaked in?" Xiao Jin's brows furrowed even deeper, a trace of inexplicable irritation rising in his heart. The mansion was heavily guarded, so how could a rogue sneak in? Furthermore, Lin Wanru only passed on such a vague message, which was too perfunctory.
Yun Zhi's heart sank to the bottom. "Sneaking in" and "dispatching people to search" were clearly code words for Xie Heng being trapped and Shen Qingyue sealing the mansion! She had to find a way to get Xiao Jin back home immediately, otherwise Xie Heng and the evidence would be in danger!
"Your Highness," Yun Zhi suddenly spoke, her voice a little timid, "Why don't we go hunting nearby today? The fog is too thick, and it might not be safe to go deep into the hunting grounds, and... I'm a little shy." As she spoke, she deliberately leaned closer to Xiao Jin, her posture appearing particularly dependent.
Xiao Jin was already a little upset because of the "strange movements in the mansion." After hearing what Yun Zhi said, he nodded and said, "Okay, let's take a look around first."
Yun Zhi breathed a sigh of relief, saddled up, and mounted, deliberately choosing a slightly restless white horse—she had specifically instructed the groom the previous night, "Don't make it too docile," just in preparation for this moment. She rode slowly behind Xiao Jin, her eyes glancing at the nearby bushes where a frightened hare lay hidden, a spot she had Ali place there beforehand.
The time was almost right. Yun Zhi quietly kicked the horse's belly, and the white horse suddenly accelerated, charging towards the bushes. A hare was startled and darted out, and the white horse was so frightened that it suddenly stood up, its front hooves raised high!
"Be careful!" Xiao Jin's face suddenly changed and he immediately rode his horse forward.
Yun Zhi feigned panic, her body swaying as she fell from the horse. With a thud, she landed heavily on the grass, a long gash on her arm from the gravel. Blood instantly seeped out, staining her plain sleeves red. Her forehead also bruised purple from hitting the stone, making her look both disheveled and pitiful.
"Zhi'er!" Xiao Jin dismounted and quickly rushed over to help her up. His voice was filled with panic, "How is it? Are you seriously injured?"
Yun Zhi leaned against his chest, sweat breaking out on her forehead from the pain, tears streaming down her face. She wasn't pretending—the pain from the fall was truly excruciating, but it was exactly what she wanted. "Your Highness... I'm fine... It's just... It's just that the horse got startled, and I lost my grip..."
Xiao Jin looked at the wound on her arm, which was still bleeding. He felt both pain and anger in his heart, and shouted at the guards behind him: "Call the horse trainer! If he can't even train a horse, what's the point of keeping him here!"
The guards were frightened and quickly agreed. Ali took the opportunity to come over, opened the medicine box, took out the medicine for the wound, and said to Yun Zhi in a low voice: "Shen Qingyue has sealed the palace, and Doctor Xie is hiding in the cellar. The situation is critical."
Yun Zhi's heart tightened. Taking advantage of the time Xiao Jin was bandaging her wound, she cried out in a voice deliberately intended for Xiao Jin to hear, "Your Highness... Guard Ali just said there were unusual movements in the mansion. Could it be... could it be related to Miss Shen? I heard that Miss Shen sent someone to inquire about the situation in Your Highness's study yesterday. Could the unusual movements in the mansion be... a search of the study?"
Xiao Jin paused as he bandaged his hand, his eyes instantly sharpening, "How did you know Qingyue was asking about the study?"
Yun Zhi immediately showed a panicked look as if she had said something wrong, and quickly waved her hands: "This servant... This servant was outside the tent yesterday, and accidentally overheard the maid sent by Miss Shen asking the guards. She said that she wanted to sort out the documents in the study for the prince, and was worried that it would be inconvenient for the prince to use when he came back... This servant did not mean to eavesdrop, Your Majesty, please forgive me!"
These words were like a stone dropped into Xiao Jin's heart. He remembered that Shen Qingyue had indeed mentioned a few days ago that she "wanted to help the prince organize his study." At the time, he had simply thought she was being considerate and hadn't thought much of it. But now, considering the "unusual movements in the mansion" and the "search," a trace of doubt in his heart arose - why was Qingyue always staring at his study? Were the unusual movements in the mansion really "sneaking in," or was she searching for something?
"Your Highness," Yun Zhi saw his expression soften, and continued to add fuel to the fire. Her voice was lowered with a hint of hesitation, "I know I shouldn't say too much, but...but there are your private documents in the study. Although Miss Shen is doing this for your own good, if outsiders knew about this high-profile search, they would probably say...that you can't even protect your own study and have to rely on a woman to worry about it...it would be bad for your reputation."
These words hit Xiao Jin's soft spot precisely—he cared most about his reputation and even more about his control. If Shen Qingyue really searched the study, it would not only cross the line, but would also make outsiders think that he, as a prince, "couldn't control the backyard" and even doubt his ability.
"Enough!" Xiao Jin suddenly growled, his tone filled with irritation. He looked at the wound on Yun Zhi's arm and thought of Shen Qingyue's "abnormality". His doubts grew heavier. "Pass on my order! Pack up immediately, end the hunt, and return home immediately!"
"Your Highness?" The guards were stunned and quickly reminded, "But His Majesty is still in the enclosure. If we suddenly return home, will..."
"I will explain to His Majesty!" Xiao Jin interrupted the guards, his tone firm. "Such a serious incident has occurred in the palace. I must return! Do it immediately!"
The guards didn't dare to persuade her anymore and quickly turned around to pass on the message. Yun Zhi leaned in Xiao Jin's arms, looking at his tense profile, a barely perceptible cold light flashing in her eyes - the first step was successful. Xiao Jin had begun to suspect Shen Qingyue. As long as he returned home as soon as possible, he could disrupt Shen Qingyue's search plan and buy time for Xie Heng.
Xiao Jin carried Yun Zhi towards the tent. His fingers touched the wound on her arm, and a sense of guilt inexplicably welled up in his heart. He looked down at Yun Zhi. She was biting her lip, trying to hold back the pain, tears welling in her eyes. She looked extremely pitiful.
"If it hurts, just cry it out. Don't hold it in." Xiao Jin's tone softened, and his movements became gentler. "After we return home, I'll have the imperial physician treat your injuries."
"I'm not hurt." Yun Zhi shook her head, but her tears fell even harder, her voice filled with a hint of grievance. "I'm just afraid... afraid that the prince will be delayed in the hunt because of me, and His Majesty will be unhappy. I'm also afraid... I'm also afraid that Miss Chen will misunderstand and think that I deliberately let the prince return home to target her..."
This statement seemed to be made with Shen Qingyue in mind, but in reality it reminded Xiao Jin once again that Shen Qingyue might have "misunderstood," and the root of this misunderstanding was Shen Qingyue's own "over-concern." Xiao Jin's brows furrowed even more, and his suspicions about Shen Qingyue deepened. He remembered that Shen Qingyue had always used "concern" as a pretext to inquire about things in the mansion, even including his relationship with Yun Zhi. At the time, he had just thought she cared about him, but now it seemed like she was testing him everywhere, even spying on him.
"Don't overthink it." Xiao Jin's tone was a little impatient, but he still consoled her, "Qingyue isn't the kind of petty person. I'll just ask her about it after we get back home."
Even so, he knew in his heart that something was no longer the same. His trust in Shen Qingyue was like a lake with a stone thrown into it, rippling through it, and it would never return to its previous calm.
Outside the tent, the guards had already begun packing. The clatter of horses' hooves and footsteps blended together in a hurried manner. Yun Zhi leaned back on the soft couch in the tent, watching Xiao Jin pace anxiously back and forth. She knew her plan was already halfway successful. All she had to do now was wait for Xiao Jin to return and use the chaos he created to allow Xie Heng to safely leave the palace with the evidence.
Meanwhile, in the cellar of Prince Duan's mansion, Xie Heng was carefully sorting the secret letter in his arms by the dim light. Uncle Fu had just delivered a message saying that Xiao Jin had ordered his men to return home early and was expected to arrive by noon. Xie Heng breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Yun Zhi had succeeded. As long as he waited for Xiao Jin to return home and Shen Qingyue's attention was attracted, he could seize the opportunity to leave.
But he didn't know that Shen Qingyue had already received a report from the guards and knew that Xiao Jin was returning home early. She stood in the study, looking at the draft of the secret letter on the table, her eyes full of cruelty - she would never let Xiao Jin see this evidence, and she would never let Yun Zhi and Xie Heng succeed!
A battle over who will return to the palace is about to begin. Yun Zhi and Xiao Jin, one scheming, the other filled with doubts, see their relationship quietly and irreversibly changed in this crisis.
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