Chapter 654: Remember to return it to your lordship (2/2)

But when the cries of her baby suddenly rose from an inner room, Chu Qingge came back to her senses. Her servants were all standing around incredulously, uncertain as to why their empress was so moved. Neither did they dare to ask. Head Elder Ling and Lady Lianxin had gone for a few days to pick medicinal plants from the mountains, leaving Chu Qingge to take care of her baby herself. Although she loathed the child, she still felt anxious when he cried. She was about to go inside when Ning Cheng appeared.

As the prince regent, he had freedom to enter and exit Tianning’s harem quarters as he pleased. Nobody would dare to stop him. Today he was dressed in resplendent court robes, looking every inch the honorable and respected noble. His proud and haughty form filled the entire room with pressure as he stepped inside.

“Greetings and good fortune to Your Highness Duke of Ning!”

Everyone in the room fell to their knees. A few servant girls couldn’t help but steal a few peeks before ducking their heads timidly. They feared him, but couldn’t help admiring him as well. Ordinary women couldn’t afford to have him in their fantasies, but all the women here did.

Chu Qingge turned around and almost mistook Ning Cheng for Long Feiye again. She knew he wasn’t, but still couldn’t help staring at him blankly for a while. Ning Cheng had no idea what her look meant, but he disliked it. Ignoring it completely, he strode towards her. The prince regent was still required to pay respects to the empress dowager despite his rank. However, that custom had been abolished as soon as he took the title in West Jing.

“Aiya, what wind is this to blow Your Highness Duke of Ning to my doors!” Chu Qingge smiled.

Ning Cheng only muttered, “Once you finish using that acupuncture needle, remember to return it to your lordship.” When he finished, he turned to leave.

“That’s it?” Chu Qingge didn’t believe it. He came on his own just to tell me this little thing? The evidence she gave to Duanmu Yao was one of Han Yunxi’s personal acupuncture needles, provided by none other than Ning Cheng. She assumed that he’d found the thing just to frame Han Yunxi, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

“Remember it. If it’s lost, your lordship will put the blame on you!” Ning Cheng warned as he stalked off without ever turning his head.

“Is there still use for that acupuncture needle? What else are you planning to do?” Chu Qingge chased him out the doors. Anything to do with Han Yunxi always caught her interest.

“Just do well the things you’re supposed to do. What’s the use of caring about so much?” Ning Cheng lectured coldly.

“Don’t worry. I definitely won’t disappoint you!” Chu Qingge was confident in her skills, as well as Duanmu Yao’s ways. Still, Ning Cheng only saw them both as a pair of numbskulls! They wanted to scheme against Han Yunxi, but had no idea that the deed would affect Long Feiye far more. Han Yunxi was Long Feiye’s official consort. How could anything she did supposed to slip past Long Feiye’s eyes? Anyone with brains wouldn’t believe that Han Yunxi was the one who murdered Empress Xue, but that Long Feiye had done the deed, or that he’d put her up to it in the first place!

“Tch, women involving themselves in government affairs? Long Feiye, take that!” Ning Cheng snorted disdainfully as he slowly strode into the palace.

Reality proved Ning Cheng right. Once news spread, everyone was either interested in Duanmu Yao’s faceoff against Han Yunxi or suspected Long Feiye of arranging murder. Western Zhou’s Emperor Kangcheng couldn’t sit still once he heard the news. He personally penned a long letter to demand that Long Feiye explain himself. Otherwise, Western Zhou and Tianning’s south central region would have to stop their alliance forevermore! Even Long Tianmo and Mu Qingwu in Tianan suspected that Long Feiye was guilty.

“Qin Wangfei has no cause or reason to kill Empress Xue! If something like that really did happen, the Duke of Qin must have been pulling the strings!” Mu Qingwu was already feeling how unfair the accusations were towards Han Yunxi.

“As I see it, there’s something fishy about this whole thing. If the Duke of Qin really wanted to strike, he wouldn’t need to have Qin Wangfei do the deed for him,” Long Tianmo muttered to himself.

Great General Mu was uninterested in the matter at all. “Qingwu, any news from Northern Li’s horse farms recently?”

“I’ve received updates that South City’s horse farms are claiming foals en masse from the herdsmen populace. There’s been no news from the other two,” Mu Qingwu replied.

Great General Mu was unhappy. “That’s common news. Do I need you to report that? Raising foals are only a matter of course. And you’re treating this as legitimate intel?”

Foals needed at least three years of training before they could be made into battle horses. Last year, South City had lost much of its mature stock from three to fifteen years old, but they’d need more than fresh foals to fill in the gaps! If Northern Li was missing battle horses for the next three to five years, then how were they supposed to keep surviving in Cloud Realm Continent?

Mu Qingwu lowered his head in silence.

“Unless Northern Li can afford to transfer their remaining horses, they won’t involve themselves in the chaos of the western regions. If they keep out of the fray, then the western regions will belong to the Duke of Qin and Duke of Ning. We can simply watch their show!” Great General Mu declared, before adding, “Most likely, Ning Cheng is using Duanmu Yao to stir up controversy about Empress Xue’s death.”

Both Long Tianmo and Mu Qingwu were impressed by his deductions. Old ginger was spicier (shrewder) after all! Long Tianmo knew he couldn’t match Ning Cheng’s strength at present, so all he could do was to conserve power and store up energy for now…

—

Although Northern Li wouldn’t get involved in the chaos down west, its emperor urged Jun Yixie again and again to pay attention to signs of trouble there. Despite being expelled from the imperial clan, Jun Yixie was still the equal to his emperor’s left and right arms, a treasured sword at his beck and call. He was quite impatient to team up with Duanmu Yao again for the chaos in the western regions, but master had warned him to stay away. Thus, he had no choice but to watch without getting involved.

Currently, he and his master Bai Yanqing were playing chess. He couldn’t help but ask, “Master, do you think Duanmu Yao will win this round?”