There was silence in the hall, so still that even the footsteps of the maidservants could be heard clearly.
“Third brother, you!” The fourth prince wanted to say something, but as soon as he spoke, he didn’t know how to refute what Xiao Jin had said. After all, the words that Xiao Jin had spoken were difficult to counter.
After a long while, a very pleasant laughter came from beside Xiao Jin. Everyone was nervous and followed the sound to see a pure white sleeve and a heart-breaking face. When they saw the smile on Chu Shao’s lips, both the family and the court officials were a little worried for her.
After all, it was not the right time to laugh, especially for a princess whose country had been destroyed. Even the Emperor Qi frowned slightly, and even the speechless fourth prince was angry.
Xiao Jin could make fun of him, but what was Chu Shao’s identity? How dare she?
Xiao Jin also heard Chu Shao’s laughter and leaned forward slightly to block most of the prying eyes. She took a silver chopstick and blindly picked up a piece of bamboo shoot, intending to put it in Chu Shao’s bowl. “Eat more vegetables.”
Of course, everyone could see clearly that the bamboo shoot was lying at the edge of Chu Shao’s plate. But whether it was put in the bowl or in the plate, it didn’t matter much. The important thing was the Prince Yan’s attitude.
Just when everyone was lost in thought, a laughter came from the high seat. The person laughed while shaking a peacock feather fan.
She tilted her chin up and looked at the various expressions of the courtiers below, asking, “What’s wrong? Don’t you think it’s funny?”
Since Xiao Shuang had spoken, the courtiers had no choice but to follow her lead and laugh, saying, “The Prince Yan and her wife are like a harmonious musical duet, it’s truly a wonderful story of our dynasty.”
“Yes, yes, the Prince Yan and her wife are a perfect match, no wonder the Princess Zhao Yang is so pleased.” These courtiers were all astute political figures who could weave lies without batting an eye, without even needing to prepare a script.
Xiao Jin was somewhat surprised by Xiao Shuang’s attitude, but still raised her cup to the courtiers and smiled faintly, “My lords, your praise is too much, I cannot accept it.”
After all, praising her as a perfect match with her wife was a bit outrageous. First of all, Xiao Jin was not even a “郎” (a term for a talented and learned scholar), let alone having any talent in the first place.
If they were to force this idiom on her, it would be shameless. However, Xiao Shuang did not see anything wrong with it. She even turned her head and said to the Emperor Qi, “Jin’er has always been a good child.”
“… “Â
Emperor Qi seemed a little speechless, “What do you think is good about her, Your Highness?”
Xiao Shuang raised her cup and took a sip of wine, smiling. “It’s good because it often makes me so happy.”
This compliment fell on Xiao Jin’s ears without causing any ripples.
If she didn’t know that the first assassin who tried to kill her was most likely brought by Xiao Shuang, she might have believed it.
However, just as she thought of this, Xiao Jin suddenly felt that something was not right.
Since the Blood Rain Pavilion was mostly the Emperor and Crown Prince’s people, the first group of assassins must have been the eyes and ears planted around Xiao Shuang by the Blood Rain Pavilion.
The first possibility was that Xiao Shuang certainly wanted to harm Chu Shao.
But there was another possibility that Xiao Shuang might want to use this opportunity to get rid of the spies that the Emperor Qi had placed around her.
If that was the case, then Xiao Shuang’s scheming was too deep, and this move was a complete two birds with one stone plan.
However, all of the above were just Xiao Jin’s guesses.
It was just that the Fourth Prince today seemed to have contracted some kind of illness and kept biting on Xiao Jin.
Just as he had lost her momentum, he pursed his lips and forced out a smile. “Yes, Third Brother and Third Sister-in-law are truly a wonderful couple when they play music together. It’s a great story for our dynasty.”
Xiao Jin said, “Hmm, thank you.”Â
Fourth Prince: “…”
The ministers sitting at the table were amused by these two people and had to control their facial expressions to avoid laughing out loud.
The Fourth Prince had encountered setbacks many times and estimated that he would become the laughingstock of the entire palace the next day.
However, he looked at Emperor Qi at the top and said with a pale face, “Yes, it is precisely because my third brother married third sister-in-law that she was able to turn bad luck into good. A few months ago, she encountered numerous assassins on Fuhua Street, but with third sister-in-law there, she didn’t have to worry or be afraid.”
Xiao Jin frowned slightly, sensing that the Fourth Prince was up to something.
Sure enough, the next moment, the Crown Prince sitting next to Xiao Jin spoke up, “Fourth brother, you missed the mark with that statement by a hair and lost it by a mile.”
The Crown Prince smiled and picked up a chopstick to put some food in his bowl, saying slowly, “It’s like how my third brother is able to turn bad luck into good because she has third sister-in-law with her.”
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone’s eyes immediately turned to Chu Shao.
They understood the meaning behind the Fourth Prince’s words.
But from his appearance alone, he was like a weak willow in the wind, delicate and slender, nothing more than a weak woman.
How could the Prince Yan avoid disaster just because of the Princess?
Xiao Jin saw the Fourth Prince and the Crown Prince sing in harmony and her tone became colder, “I was able to escape at that time because I sent a carman to borrow soldiers from the Shenji Camp. What does that have to do with the Princess?”
The Fourth Prince looked at Xiao Jin and said slowly, “Is that so? Your younger brother just happened to have newly hired a group of guards at his mansion, one of whom used to be a soldier in the Shenji Camp and had a life-and-death relationship with the other cavalryman who saved you at the time.”
“So what?” Xiao Jin sensed that the Fourth Prince had come prepared, but she still asked calmly.
The Fourth Prince clapped lightly and smiled, “So your younger brother heard a lot of interesting things from him, and I believe my third brother must be very curious as well.”
Xiao Jin replied, “I am not curious.”
 “…” The Fourth Prince was used to Xiao Jin not following the rules, so he had to play out this drama on his own.
He stood up and bowed to the Princess Zhao Hua sitting in the seat of honor, “Aunt, today is your birthday banquet. Please forgive your nephew for being impolite and bringing someone up to clarify something.”
Princess Zhao Hua still had her hair in a bun, her clothes fluttering, and her skin appeared even whiter against her attire. She was the youngest daughter of the previous emperor, but at only twenty-something years old, she had already become the princess of this dynasty.
Although Princess Zhao Hua was still so young, there was a hint of pressure in her gaze as she glanced at the fourth prince, “Yi’er, you clearly know that today is the birthday banquet of this palace, yet you allowed so many courtiers and relatives to laugh at you. Have you ever considered me, your aunt?”
The tone was severe, but the fourth prince wasn’t easily frightened. He looked away, feeling somewhat guilty.
Emperor Qi turned to Princess Zhao Hua and said, “Sister, although Yi’er is a child who likes to play around, he wouldn’t dare to act recklessly in front of so many people.”
Princess Zhao Hua asked, “So, brother, do you think everything has a reason?”
Emperor Qi stroked the Buddhist beads on his wrist and reassured her, “It’s just a guard. He can’t cause any trouble. If he says anything improper, we’ll deal with it on the spot.”
At this point, Emperor Qi looked at the fourth prince at the banquet and said, “Bring him up and let me hear what he has to say.”
At this moment, Princess Zhao Hua wanted to stop them, but she was powerless.
Xiao Jin couldn’t see the guard entering the hall, but she could hear his footsteps.
However, she remained calm throughout and whispered to Chu Shao, “If anything happens later, don’t worry, just leave it to me.”
Chu Shao looked at the white veil covering Xiao Jin’s eyes and nodded obediently, “I’ll listen to Your Highness.”
Actually, Xiao Jin was mainly worried that Chu Shao would be stimulated and reveal her martial arts skills at the banquet.
After all, two fists were no match for four hands, and even a skilled martial artist couldn’t withstand a siege of heavy troops.
To reassure Chu Shao, Xiao Jin reached out from her sleeve and lightly grasped her hand with her fingertips.
But as soon as their hands touched, she froze.
Her hand was colder than Chu Shao’s.
Chu Shao smiled slightly and gently clasped Xiao Jin’s cold fingers, whispering, “Your Highness, with me here, you don’t have to be afraid.”
Xiao Jin: “…”
Okay, it turned out that she was the one who was afraid after all.
This was just a small action between the two of them during the meal, and no one paid any attention to it.
Because everyone’s eyes were focused on the guard standing in the center of the hall.
After the guard bowed and greeted the Fourth Prince, he went straight to the point: “Your Majesty, I was originally a soldier in the Shenji Camp and have always obeyed military discipline without ever committing any offenses. Later, for some reason, I was transferred to another camp as a handyman, and after several transfers, I finally came to work for the Fourth Prince’s residence.”
The Emperor Qi narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice: “According to what you said, there must be something behind this.”
“Replying to Your Majesty, at first I thought I had accidentally offended the commander, which was why I suffered this misfortune.”
The guard looked very sad and mature, “But later I found out that when Prince Yan was assassinated that day, the elite troops dispatched by the camp were all exiled to the border for various reasons and could not return to the capital.”
Hearing the guard’s words, the ministers already understood everything and whispered to each other, “Those people must have known Yan Mansion’s secret and suffered this misfortune.”
The ministers in the court sighed, “If it weren’t for the Fourth Prince stirring up this trouble today, the truth might never have come to light.”
“I didn’t know before that not only was Prince Yan eccentric, but he also had such a great official authority.”
“Shh, Brother Zhao, speak softly, beware of being overheard and leaving something behind.
Chu Shao was highly skilled in martial arts, and she heard all these voices in her ears.
Seeing Xiao Jin’s indifferent expression, she just lifted her cup and tasted her tea, pretending that it was nothing.
The Emperor Qi was silent for a while and then asked, “Empty words are unreliable, do you have any evidence?”
The guard replied, “Among the elite troops, there were brothers who risked their lives with me. Before leaving the capital, he told me something strange.”
“What was it?” The Emperor Qi looked at him sharply, “You can speak freely in front of me.”
“He said that when he went to save Prince Yan, he just arrived at Fuhua Street and saw a pile of corpses. Although Prince Yan had a sword stained with blood in his hand, his body was not stained with too much blood, but the Princess… her robes and wrists were stained with a lot of blood.”Â
The Emperor Qi was shocked, “Why is that?”
The guard shook his head, “I don’t know either. After that, he was transferred to the border. Although I wasn’t part of that team, I was implicated and demoted.”
After a moment of thought, Emperor Qi turned his gaze to Xiao Jin and asked, “Prince Yan, what do you think?”
Xiao Jin answered firmly, “As for Father Emperor’s question, I cannot see and therefore cannot answer.”
Emperor Qi was at a loss for words.
Everyone was shocked by how Prince Yan had become even more domineering after her trip to Qingzhou.
Emperor Qi was also frustrated and said solemnly, “Prince Yan, I am asking you now. Do you know anything about this matter?”
“I don’t know,” Xiao Jin spoke truthfully this time, but no one believed her.
At the time, she had only made a slight threat using the original owner’s name and had not sent them into exile at the border.
Upon closer inspection, it was clear that this ruthless and decisive act was probably done by Xiao Shuang.
After all, other than Xiao Shuang, few could exile one hundred elite soldiers to the border with ease.
Xiao Shuang probably wanted to keep them from talking.
However, Emperor Qi eventually caught onto this and had been waiting to use this against him.
It was actually normal, considering how Xiao Jin had been able to act freely in the world of the book for so long. It was about time for her to take the blame.
And this time, she couldn’t pass the buck to Xiao Shuang. It was more sensible to bear the blame herself.
At this point, the fourth prince laughed, “If Third Brother is not aware of this matter, then it doesn’t matter. But just now, I remembered another thing.”
Xiao Jin “looked at” the fourth prince silently, unable to give him a look, but she was able to convey a chill.
But the fourth prince wasn’t afraid. He turned to Emperor Qi and said, “Father Emperor, do you remember a few months ago when assassins attacked my residence?”
Emperor Qi nodded.
“At the time, those assassins killed my steward and set fire to my house. If it weren’t for Vice Commander Tang and Aunt Zhao Yang, they would have come after me!”
The ministers were all shocked.
The shocked wasn’t about the fourth prince being assassinated, but that he had just openly said in front of so many people that Tang Yu and Xiao Shuang had been to the prince’s mansion.
It seemed like the fourth prince might have contracted the same illness as Prince Shen.
Xiao Shuang furrowed her brows slightly and put her peacock feather fan on the table, casually explaining, “On that day, I heard that Yi’er was beaten, so I went to see how he was doing.”
When the ministers heard this, their gaze turned towards the person sitting on the wheelchair, with a hint of admiration in their eyes.
It was because Xiao Jin did what they had always wanted to do but didn’t dare to do.
Hearing Xiao Shuang’s words, the fourth prince’s face didn’t look too good, but he continued, “Vice Commander Tang and the assassin fought each other, and she also knows about this.”
The Emperor Qi leaned over and turned to Tang Yu, “Tang Yu, is this true?”
Tang Yu looked hesitant, first glancing at Xiao Shuang, then looking at Tang Ling who was sitting next to her, focused on drinking tea.
Finally, she replied, “In response to Your Majesty’s question, this is indeed true.”
Xiao Jin sat at the table, listening to everything. She lifted her hand to adjust the white silk cloth over her eyes, her lips slightly curved, even revealing a hint of a smile, “So, what do you want to say, Fourth Brother?”
The fourth prince suddenly stopped smiling, and said loudly to the Emperor Qi, “Father, when that thief left the prince’s mansion, I was standing outside the courtyard. As I watched her back, I felt more and more familiar.”
The Emperor Qi stared at the fourth prince, “Who do you think the assassin looks like?”
The fourth prince took a deep breath, turned around, and pointed at Chu Shao, who was sitting next to Xiao Jin, “Like the Princess.”
….
Inside the main hall, there was dead silence.
Only the night wind rustled through the noble ladies’s hair ornaments, causing the tremble and shake of their jewels and gold leaf.
Emperor Qi stared at his fourth son for a long time before standing up, slamming the table, and shouting, “You audacious brat!”
The fourth prince lifted his robes and kneeled down, saying, “In front of Father Emperor, I dare not speak a single lie! If there is any falsehood, I will be struck by lightning and suffer an awful death!”
Upon hearing the prince’s oath, everyone in the room changed their facial expressions, including the usually composed Tang Ling, who put down her chopsticks and turned to look at the fourth prince kneeling in the grand hall.
After a while, Emperor Qi sat down slowly and said to Xiao Jin, “Jin’er, your fourth brother has sworn that your Princess has visited his residence and intended to assassinate the prince.”
Xiao Jin nodded and said, “My fourth brother did say so.”
“Are you saying that this is true?” Emperor Qi was surprised at Xiao Jin’s indifference.
“Yes, he is a prince of the country and can say whatever he wants. After all, the prince’s mansion belongs to him, and that guard is also from his residence. He can twist the truth as he likes,” Xiao Jin said coldly.
The fourth prince was furious but dared not argue with Xiao Jin since he had lost the support of the Mu family. He only pleaded with Emperor Qi, saying, “Please judge for me, Father Emperor!”
The guard also chimed in, “Your Majesty, although I work for the fourth prince’s mansion, I did serve in the Shenji Camp before. You can verify this.”
Xiao Jin knew that the guard’s words were probably true, but to protect Chu Shao, she had no choice but to deny, “These are just words written on paper. White lies on black paper may not necessarily be true. Those who are determined can fabricate anything.”
The fourth prince looked at Emperor Qi and spoke earnestly, “Father Emperor, my life and death are insignificant, but Xinyao is still entrenched in a difficult-to-attack position.”
“What if Princess (Chu Shao) is a spy who was deliberately placed by them to harm the third prince, or even you? I’m afraid that…”
Xiao Jin almost laughed out loud and sneered, “What? Is my Qi Country, with its great prosperity and thriving culture, afraid of Xinyao?”
The officials who had initially believed the fourth prince’s words had now shifted their stance, saying in unison, “Indeed, how can a mere speck of land like Xinyao be compared to our great Qi Country? Supporting their arrogance will only harm our own prestige!”
“Yeah, yeah, isn’t this just boosting others’ morale while extinguishing our own power and prestige?” Although Xiao Jin tried to change the topic, she was eventually brought back on track by the Fourth Prince’s words, “Your Majesty, this Prince witnessed Chu Shao and Vice Commander Tang’s match.”
“You see, Vice Commander Tang is one of the best in Qi Country. But Chu Shao managed to hold her ground against her. With such a person lurking within Qi Country’s borders, don’t you feel afraid?”
The thought of Minister Mu being assassinated made some of the officials shudder in fear. Their looks towards Chu Shao also carried a sense of caution.
Upon hearing the Fourth Prince’s words, the Emperor turned his gaze to Tang Yu and asked, “Vice Commander Tang, is what Yi’er said true?”
Tang Yu felt immense pressure under this gaze.
After a moment of silence, she replied in a slow voice, “Your Majesty, a few months ago, I did encounter a skilled person at the prince’s mansion. But that person… was probably not the Princess(Chu Shao).”
The Emperor nodded and urged her to continue.
Tang Yu looked towards Tang Ling, hoping for her help.
But the latter did not even glance her way.
Thus, she had to speak on her own, “Because the Princess and Commander Tang have fought before. Although her martial arts are powerful, she is still slightly inferior to him.”
There was one sentence she did not say, but everyone knew it: Qi Country had two Tangs, both of whom were rare talents. If it came to strategy and planning, Tang Yu was far behind Tang Ling. But when it came to swordsmanship and body movement, Tang Yu was superior.
If Chu Shao was the masked person who assassinated the Fourth Prince, how could she have been so easily dealt with by Tang Yu? On the other hand, when she fought Tang Ling, she was at a disadvantage.
At this point, Xiao Jin also understood why Chu Shao took that step back.
She was clearly retreating for Tang Yu’s benefit.
But now, she wondered if Tang Ling would show mercy.
After all, when Chu Shao attacked her on the cliff, she acted swiftly and without any hesitation, as if it was effortless.
Xiao Jin couldn’t see what was happening in the hall, but since she hadn’t heard Tang Ling speak, she let go of her worry.
However, the Crown Prince suddenly smiled and said to Xiao Jin, “Just like what Third Brother said, words on white paper can be forged. Similarly, martial arts can also hide their sharpness or weaknesses.”
Upon hearing this, the Fourth Prince found a breakthrough, “Yes, if someone deliberately hides their strength, we wouldn’t know.”
Xiao Jin’s expression became cold as ice.
This male supporting character really had no foresight. It was fine if he wanted to pick on Chu Shao, but did he have to hate the female lead so much?
Oh well.
Forget it.
Xiao Jin was too lazy to think any further.
Seeing the situation, she didn’t even need to worry about the male lead suddenly awakening some sort of supernatural power and trying to snatch Chu Shao back.
After all, with his current attitude, he might as well have “I am the no-CP male lead” written on his face.
Emperor Qi looked at the several princes who were arguing below, and finally remembered that he still had to consider the royal face.
He spoke, “Crown Prince, in your opinion, how should we handle this matter?”
The Crown Prince stood up and replied with a clear voice, “In my humble opinion, perhaps we could let the third sister-in-law and the palace guards have a contest to reveal the truth.”
“No,” Xiao Jin interjected before Emperor Qi could speak, denying the Crown Prince’s proposal.
Emperor Qi frowned slightly, displeased, “Jin’er, the Crown Prince is your older brother. How can you be so disrespectful to him?”
“Older brother?” If Xiao Jin’s legs could still move, she would have stood up by now, “My older brother wants to send my wife to her death, should I just sit and wait for my own demise?”
Although Prince Yan’s personality was unpleasant, at this moment, there were courtiers whispering in agreement, “Prince Yan may be rude and unreasonable, but she has a true character and knows how to protect her wife.”
“I agree. If it were the fourth prince, he would have already handed over his wife. The Princess has no use anyway, being a princess of a fallen Country.”
The fourth prince heard the courtiers’ remarks and felt a trace of sadness in his heart.
When the Mu family fell, he had already become a discarded pawn.
But precisely because he was a discarded pawn, he had no choice but to prove his usefulness before being thrown away.
Thinking of these things, the fourth prince put on a domineering and arrogant face and said to Emperor Qi, “Father, what harm is there in just testing it out? A little sparring is all that’s needed to prove Princess Yan’s(Chu Shao? innocence.”
Emperor Qi pondered for a moment and said to Xiao Shuang beside him, ” Sister, why don’t we test it out?”
Xiao Jin’s eyes were covered with a layer of gauze, and all she could see was darkness and emptiness.
The voices of the people in the hall were endless, and listening to those words, she felt for the first time that breathing was difficult.
Clearly, she still had one last card to play.
Clearly, everything was still under control, but she felt inexplicably afraid.
She didn’t even understand what she was afraid of.
Until Xiao Shuang spoke that one sentence, Xiao Jin finally understood.
She was afraid.
Afraid of losing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Translator’s note: Xiao Jin, don’t be afraid. As long as your wife is there, no one can hurt you
–
That’s it for today. Let’s see what day I will update again. I’m busy, so maybe I will update occasionally. But if you are impatient to read, you can search the title on Google to avoid cliffhangers. That’s it! Goodbye!
TO BE CONTINUE…
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