Chapter 449 A Tragedy Caused by a Misunderstanding
As she spoke, she took the jade hairpin from her hair and threw it into the secret passage.
With a few "clicks," several crossbow bolts shot out and embedded themselves in the opposite wall!
Everyone gasped in shock.
If it weren't for Daiyu's quick thinking, anyone who dared to enter would surely have died.
Yuan Hongqu made a decisive decision: "Use smoke to force them out!"
The constables immediately gathered firewood, lit it at the entrance of the secret passage, and used fans to blow the thick smoke into the passage.
Soon after, coughing and hurried footsteps could be heard from inside the secret passage.
Several disheveled foreigners rushed out, escorting the Tenth Prince, who was clearly injured, his arm covered in blood.
"Release the prince!" Lan Su shouted sternly.
The leader, a man from Southeast Asia, spoke in broken Chinese: "Get out of the way! Or I'll kill him!"
During the standoff, Daiyu suddenly said in Siamese, "You can't escape. Release the hostages, and you might have a chance to live."
The Southeast Asian man was taken aback, not expecting this seemingly delicate girl to speak the language of her motherland.
Daiyu continued in Siamese, “Your master has abandoned you. Surrender now and you may live.”
Taking advantage of the moment when the other party was distracted, Lan Su suddenly struck, hitting the wrist of the man holding the Tenth Prince with pinpoint accuracy. The man cried out in pain and released his grip, allowing the Tenth Prince to break free.
Suddenly, the courtyard erupted into chaos. Yuan Hongqu protected Daiyu and retreated to safety, while Lan Su, like a tiger among sheep, subdued several Southeast Asians in a matter of moments.
Despite his injuries, the Tenth Prince laughed loudly, "That was exhilarating! Truly exhilarating! I never expected the Princess could speak Siam!"
Daiyu said softly, "There is a nanny in the academy who is Siamese. I have learned a few phrases from her."
After this incident, everyone looked at Daiyu with new respect.
Yuan Hongqu felt both fear and pride: fear of the danger they had faced, and pride in Daiyu's composure and resourcefulness in the face of peril.
The kidnapped women and children were quickly found in a secret room deep within the passageway, and thankfully, they were all safe and sound. With the case solved, the people could finally celebrate the New Year in peace.
But Daiyu felt a growing unease: why would those Southeast Asians risk coming to Suzhou to kidnap people? There was likely a larger conspiracy behind it all...
Daiyu's premonition was soon confirmed.
During the interrogation of those Southeast Asians, a shocking truth came to light: the reason these Siamese spies risked committing crimes in Suzhou was because they had heard a secret report that the Celestial Empire was preparing to send officials to attack Siam, intending to destroy the country and bring it under Chinese control.
"We traced the source of the information back to Suzhou," the Siamese leader said in broken Chinese. "So we plan to commit a few major crimes in Suzhou during the New Year to give the imperial court a warning."
Upon hearing this, the Tenth Prince flew into a rage: "Nonsense! Our dynasty has never intended to conquer Siam!"
However, Yuan Hongqu's expression suddenly changed.
She recalled that not long ago in the imperial study, the emperor had indeed half-jokingly suggested that she go and "conquer a small Southeast Asian country to relax."
Could it be that this joke was overheard and spread through misinformation, leading to today's disaster?
That night, Yuan Hongqu paced alone in her room, her heart filled with unease. If it was truly because of her that the people of Suzhou had suffered such an undeserved calamity, how could she face herself?
"Is Granny worried about the Siamese affair?" Daiyu appeared at the doorway, holding a calming tea.
Yuan Hongqu sighed and voiced her doubts. To her surprise, Daiyu shook her head and said, "Granny, you are overthinking it. Even if His Majesty really intends this, Siamese spies should not kidnap or injure people within our territory. Since they have done such a thing, they must bear the consequences."
Just then, Lan Su rushed in: "An urgent dispatch from the capital!"
Yuan Hongqu unfolded the document and turned pale. It turned out that the Emperor was furious to learn that Siamese spies had dared to kidnap members of the royal family and had decided to personally lead an expedition to destroy Siam.
"What...what should I do?" Yuan Hongqu slumped into her chair. "If a mere jest really ignites a war, wouldn't I be a sinner for all eternity?"
Daiyu grasped her hand: "Don't be anxious, Granny. The most urgent thing is to return to the capital as soon as possible to persuade His Majesty. Although Siam is small, it is a waste of manpower and resources to launch an expedition to Southeast Asia. It is really not a wise move."
Yuan Hongqu suddenly stood up: "You're right. I'll pack my bags right now and head back to the capital immediately!"
However, at this moment, another secret report arrived: due to the incident involving Siamese spies, the Emperor ordered the Tenth Prince, Lin Daiyu, Yuan Hongqu, and others to return to the capital immediately.
Even Lin Ruhai was summoned back to the capital.
This news surprised Yuan Hongqu once again.
When the Tenth Prince, whose injuries had slightly healed, learned of this, he said, "This has really blown up. My brother is definitely angry. He can't even care about Lord Lin's wedding date. I'm afraid he'll make an even bigger fuss after we return to the capital."
The imperial decree could not be disobeyed. This matter was urgent, and there was no time for preparations. They hurriedly boarded the ship and returned to the capital.
As soon as they disembarked, they were taken into the palace.
In the imperial study, the emperor saw his younger brother's arm wrapped in bandages, and his face was so gloomy it could drip water.
"Those Siamese! How dare they harm my imperial brother!" the Emperor roared. "I will personally lead my army to crush Siam!"
Yuan Hongqu immediately knelt down and remonstrated: "Your Majesty, please reconsider! Although Siam has made mistakes, their crimes do not warrant the destruction of the nation. A distant expedition to Southeast Asia would be a waste of resources and manpower, and I am afraid it is not a wise move!"
The Emperor said, “My dear minister, there is no need to persuade us further. Siamese spies have dared to abduct and injure people within our territory, and even kidnap members of the royal family. If such provocation is not severely punished, how can the Celestial Empire maintain its dignity?”
Daiyu, who was listening nearby, suddenly had a flash of inspiration and knelt down as well, saying, "Your Majesty, I have something to say, but I don't know if I should say it."
When the Emperor saw that it was Daiyu, his expression softened slightly: "Princess, please speak freely."
Daiyu said, "The Siamese spies are indeed guilty, but as far as I know, they resorted to this tactic because they believed the rumors that the Celestial Empire was going to conquer Siam. If Your Majesty were to send troops now, wouldn't that just confirm the rumors? It would make our dynasty seem intolerant."
The Emperor pondered for a moment: "Then, in the Princess's opinion, what should be done?"
Daiyu said, "Why not send an envoy to Siam first to find out the situation? If the King of Siam is aware of this matter, it is not too late to send troops; if it is just a few spies acting on their own, the King of Siam only needs to hand over the mastermind and apologize. In this way, we can show the majesty of the Celestial Empire without losing our benevolence."
The Tenth Prince chimed in, "Your Majesty, Princess Lin is right. It is indeed not easy to launch a campaign to the South Seas. Wouldn't it be better if we could subdue the enemy without a fight?"
The Emperor looked at Daiyu, then at the Tenth Prince, and suddenly laughed, “What a fine Princess Jiangzhu! Just as the Empress said, she is exceptionally intelligent. As you suggested, let’s send an envoy to Siam to demand an explanation.”
Yuan Hongqu breathed a sigh of relief and cast a grateful glance at Daiyu.
However, things are not that simple.
After receiving the letter, the King of Siam expressed his willingness to hand over the mastermind, but he put forward a condition: that the Celestial Empire send an envoy to formally apologize, because the joke about "subduing Siam" did indeed come from the mouth of the Celestial Empire's emperor.
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