Unparalleled Beauty

Chapter C085

[It's all your fault!]

[What does this have to do with this Prince?]

[Oh, so you're here.]

No one paid him any attention.

Ji Yang also didn't bother with him. Seeing that she had fallen asleep, he carefully scooped her up, held her in his arms, and deliberately avoided her wound, fearing that she would make a fuss with him when she woke up tomorrow.

[This Prince wishes to sleep.]

His voice was filled with smugness, joy, and arrogance. He pulled her even closer into his embrace, even lowering his head to kiss her tender little face, before peacefully closing his eyes.

Although he didn't say a word, this was a demonstration of power.

Prince Wei, the one being shown the demonstration, felt rather unpleasant in his heart. But he was injured, and she was so distressed. He felt complex emotions.

The sky was bright, and the snow was lessening, but within the detached palace, all was chaos and alarm.

After daybreak, the Jinwu Rear Guards, one of Emperor Taihe's personal armies, arrived. The one leading the team was Deputy Commander Wu Fang, also one of Emperor Taihe's confidants.

All of Mount Xiang was now under surveillance. Apart from those few who had escaped into the mountains and were still being pursued, no one else was temporarily allowed to leave.

At the same time, even larger groups of people were clearing the snow from the mountain roads. It seemed that Emperor Taihe had no intention of staying here any longer and planned to return to the capital as quickly as possible.

This incident, precisely, exposed the hidden dangers in the winter hunt's security. Never before had such heavy and urgent snow fallen. After only a few days of heavy snow, it had stirred the thoughts of those who shouldn't be thinking them.

The problems were not limited to the detached palace; there were also some unusual movements in the capital. This matter also made Emperor Taihe realize that emperors, generals, and important court officials were all gathered here. If someone really took the opportunity to rebel and wipe them all out in one fell swoop, would Great Liang collapse from that point on?

Of course, such a thing would definitely not happen. Not to mention whether the other party had such military strength, even if they did, they would not be able to enter the vital area of the capital. Moreover, the capital garrison was under imperial command. The possibility of such a thing happening was extremely small.

But the crossbows that shouldn't have appeared did appear. Emperor Taihe was so furious. Was it really because someone used crossbows to assassinate Prince Wei?

Of course, it was more than that!

He thought of himself because of the crossbows. The crossbows that were impossible to obtain had been obtained. These crossbows could only have come from the Jing Camp or the Imperial Guards. Who dared to say that one day he wouldn't be forced to abdicate in his sleep?

And those black-clad men who were killed on the spot, their identities have not been found out even now. This only shows that the other party even has trained assassins.

All of this made Emperor Taihe highly vigilant, and also made those below him extremely uneasy. Any civil or military official who might be connected to this batch of crossbows felt threatened. Everyone knew that after Emperor Taihe returned to the capital, there would be a purge in the capital, the only question was how large or small it would be.

Especially since the attack on Prince Wei made the matter seem somewhat ambiguous.

The ministers praised the princes for their brotherly harmony in front of Emperor Taihe, but was there truly brotherly harmony? With the position of Crown Prince still undecided, undercurrents were already surging in the capital. The return of Prince Wei, who was once the most favored by the Emperor but was later banished from the capital, caused all the undercurrents to slowly surface.

Prince Wei was too different, too special. He was neither the son of the first wife nor the eldest, yet his achievements overshadowed everyone else's, and they were military achievements at that. Even if all the civil and military officials were gathered to discuss it, they could not deny it.

Some once rejoiced that Prince Wei was a prince, otherwise Great Liang would have faced a situation where there was no title high enough to bestow upon a military commander.

For the imperial court, Prince Wei's bravery and skill in battle were a blessing for Great Liang, because with Prince Wei's existence, the people on Great Liang's borders were spared the suffering of war.

But for the other princes, he was an insurmountable behemoth, especially since Prince Wei still held military power in his hands, and especially since he was once a favored prince.

Although it was in the past, that kind of favor made everyone tremble with fear. At that time, everyone thought that if Emperor Taihe were to name a Crown Prince, it would definitely be the Third Prince, so they would stop at nothing to eliminate him. So how could these princes not be afraid?

If they weren't afraid, the princes, who were originally fighting each other with great relish, wouldn't have unanimously turned against Prince Wei.

So, was this assassination carried out by one prince, or by several princes? And which high-ranking officials and nobles were involved?

There was so much to ponder in this. Now, the only one on Mount Xiang who could remain calm was probably Prince Wei alone.

***

"You are truly muddle-headed!" Marquis Wuding shook his head repeatedly.

Prince Jin stood below, his face full of shame.

"Indeed, this Prince was negligent. Initially, this batch of crossbows was intended to be used to encircle and kill Prince Wei during the hunt, but unexpected changes occurred in the middle, and the plan was disrupted. This Prince also did not expect that Prince Qin would be so impatient, choosing to act at this time and even attacking the Yuhua Pavilion, which caused the matter to escalate."

Prince Jin actually knew what Prince Qin was thinking. Hadn't he lost too much face in front of Prince Wei? Especially with the addition of new and old grudges, he couldn't suppress his killing intent.

If one were to discuss who in this world wanted to kill Prince Wei the most, Prince Qin was undoubtedly the first, and he would have to be ranked behind him. This was the reason why he was willing to submit to Prince Qin. Just thinking about someone rushing ahead was such a good thing.

They had long planned to take action against Prince Wei during the winter hunt. What hunting dogs were secondary; the key was the hundred or so assassins ambushed in the nearby mountains and forests.

The assassins were raised by Prince Qin, and the crossbows were obtained by him using his father-in-law, Marquis Wuding's, connections. If according to the original plan, Prince Wei died from the encirclement and assassination, the assassins would escape through the mountains and forests, and the crossbows would be returned, and nothing would happen.

But plans could not keep up with changes. First, Prince Qin suffered a setback in the first hunt, and then there was heavy snow for several days. Seeing that this winter hunt was probably not going to happen, Prince Wei had already won the first hunt, so how could he venture out to hunt in the wind and snow? In addition, with the mountains closed by heavy snow, Prince Qin had other ideas.

In fact, Prince Qin's idea was not wrong. Using a feint to suddenly attack Prince Wei, it would be best if he could kill him. Even if he failed, he wouldn't be afraid. The assassins couldn't expose their identities, and the crossbows weren't obtained by him. Even if they investigated, they wouldn't find him, only leaving Prince Jin to cry bitterly.

Prince Jin even suspected that Prince Qin had orchestrated this entire affair to entrap him. It was a pity that, to avoid suspicion, he had not met with Prince Qin since the incident. This meeting with Marquis Wuding was also arranged under various pretenses, mainly because the matter of the crossbow still needed Marquis Wuding to resolve.

How could Marquis Wuding not know what his imperial son-in-law was thinking? In the past, he had thought this son-in-law possessed extraordinary strategies and could endure what others could not, and would surely achieve great things, especially since he held the position of the eldest, and there was not necessarily no opportunity.

Now it seemed, he was still too young.

"The fact that he has contended with you for so many years, constantly suppressing you and preventing everyone from acknowledging your birth order, proves that he is not a fool."

Under normal circumstances, Marquis Wuding, with his seasoned and calculating nature, would not have said such piercing words. Who didn't know that Prince Jin's greatest sore point was his failure to secure the status of the eldest son? But today, he had to speak.

Prince Jin had always believed that Prince Qin was brave but lacked strategy, and thus casually dealt with him, unaware that those who underestimate their enemies rarely meet a good end.

"I know my mistake," Prince Jin said, his face flushed red, as he clasped his fist in salute.

Marquis Wuding knew that even if his son-in-law relied heavily on him, he was still a prince, a Prince, and some face had to be saved. Thus, he waved his hand and said, "Enough. This old man will resolve this matter. I hope Your Highness will act cautiously in the future."

Prince Jin hastily left the place.

Only after he stepped out of the door did a hint of resentment flash in his eyes, but this resentment was fleeting. Prince Jin was still the gentle and amiable Prince Jin.

Prince Jin returned to his residence and happened to encounter Princess Consort Jin.

Princess Consort Jin coldly laughed and said, "Your Highness, where are you returning from again?" She had known since early this morning that Prince Jin had spent the night at Secondary Consort Bai's residence last night, so how could she give him a pleasant face?

Prince Jin said nonchalantly, "My father-in-law recently acquired a rare book, and this Prince just returned from his place."

Princess Consort Jin did not expect Prince Jin to say this and was stunned for a moment.

"If the Princess Consort has nothing else, this Prince will go to the study first."

As he spoke, Prince Jin hurried towards the study with the rare book in his hand, looking as if he was truly eager to read it. However, Prince Jin's fondness for writing and ink was well known, so it did not seem out of place.

After Prince Jin left, Granny Bao, Princess Consort Jin's wet nurse, sighed and said, "Princess Consort, why must you speak so harshly to His Highness? His Highness has always cherished the Princess Consort. Visiting the two Secondary Consorts is only due to the difficulty of having children and the Emperor's decree. The Princess Consort has always been loving with His Highness, so please do not push him to others."

A hint of bitterness, unseen by outsiders, appeared on Princess Consort Jin's bright face. She said, "I know my husband well. If he didn't need to rely on my Fan family, why would he tolerate and fear me? If one day my Fan family loses power, he would probably be the first to turn against me."

Granny Bao hurriedly said, "Princess Consort, you must not speak recklessly. His Highness is gentle and benevolent, how could he do such a thing? Marital quarrels are nothing more than bedside arguments and end-of-bed reconciliations. If you suppress your temper and coax His Highness, and the two of you give each other a step down, there is no need to worry about not having a harmonious life."

Princess Consort Jin's expression changed several times, as for whether she listened, only heaven knew.

***

At this moment, Ji Yang, recuperating from his injuries at Yuxiang Pavilion, was experiencing both sweetness and torment.

The sweetness stemmed from her personal care in everything from serving tea to meals. It wasn't merely a beauty's favor he received, yet this sweetness was intertwined with torment. Because of his injury, he was confined to bed, unable to move, and naturally, all matters suitable for recuperation were suspended.

Now, mere verbal endearments could no longer satisfy him. The more he was forbidden, the more he desired. Initially, he was somewhat artless, directly asking for it. But after Wushuang countered him with tears twice, he learned to seek alternative routes.

What began as feeding him medicine gradually transformed into the two of them sharing the bitter medicinal brew.

Wushuang's brow furrowed deeply from the bitterness, while he drank with relish. Not only that, but his hand also ventured beneath her garments. Wushuang's cheeks flushed crimson, and she hastily reached out to restrain his hand.

"Impossible, Your Highness, your injury…"

He simply ignored her, knowing that if he spoke with her, she would resort to tears again. After a flurry of kisses, both of them were breathless.

"Stop, Your Highness. Your wound has only just begun to heal. If you tear it open and it bleeds again…"

Before her words could finish, her eyes reddened. Seeing her pitiable yet alluring appearance, Ji Yang truly wished he could take a stick and poke a hole in the sky. Yet, he couldn't bear to be harsh with her, and he muttered in a stifled voice, "It won't tear the wound."

"How could it not? Your injury is on your shoulder blade." She pleaded with him softly, whispering, "Your Highness, please endure a little longer, alright? Once you've recovered…"

Her face flushed, she made a string of promises, but to a man who had been over-nourished these past two days due to his injury, promises were empty words.

"This Prince is uncomfortable."

Wushuang saw that he was burning hot, clearly suffering from pent-up desire. However, the other day, she had yielded to his entreaties and half-heartedly agreed, only for his wound to split open as soon as they began. When the imperial physician came to change the dressing, although he said nothing, the look in his eyes nearly made Wushuang die of shame. Since then, she dared not let him cross the line even half a step.

Thinking of this, she hardened her heart. "Your Highness, please endure a little longer..."

"Then come up and sleep with this Prince for a while." His tone shifted.

This, at least, was permissible.

Wushuang removed her outer robe and climbed onto the bed. As she slipped under the covers, she specifically instructed him not to move recklessly, but unfortunately, she underestimated Ji Yang's 'stubbornness'.

Seeing that her temples were damp with sweat, Ji Yang kissed her and wiped away the perspiration before sitting up to examine her ankle.

Slender ankles, fair and lovely, adorned with a red string, from which hung a round, golden bell.

This bell appeared simple, but in reality, it was far from ordinary.

The bells of Great Liang were all open-mouthed. This kind of circular bell came from the Western Regions. Ji Yang, who had been stationed at the northwest border for many years, with the Protectorate of the Western Regions within his jurisdiction, naturally knew its worth.

This thing didn't exist before, so need one even ask where it came from?

He raised his hand and shook the snow-white calf. With his movement, the bell rang in a burst.

Ding-ling-ling, ding-ling-ling, exceedingly pleasing to the ear.

Was this a demonstration of power towards him?

Regardless of Ji Yang's thoughts, Wushuang was originally limp all over, even temporarily forgetting to look at his wound. She had intended to lie down for a while and then get up, but who knew he would start playing with her calf.

It wasn't until she heard the sound of the bell that she remembered there was something on her ankle.