15: Confrontation
In a corner of the hunting grounds, the wind rustled through the trees, and the verdant grass and foliage shimmered with life.
Su Zhuoguang stood tall and straight, composed, calm, and at ease, offering a slight bow to the Crown Prince.
To others, Su Zhuoguang’s attitude might seem audacious.
Even though the Su father and son enjoyed imperial favor, exempting them from performing full kowtows before the emperor, his demeanor toward the Crown Prince still appeared somewhat perfunctory. But those who had interacted with him knew this was simply his way.
Qin Shuo approached leisurely. Standing before Su Zhuoguang, he glanced around at the surrounding grass and swaying shadows, as if the faint sound of hooves had just brushed past.
His gaze shifted to Su Zhuoguang’s face, a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “This grand forest hunt at Mount Jiunu was established during the previous emperor’s reign. Yet now, instead of participating in the hunting competition, Young General Su chooses to ride horses here. How… unusual.”
The implication was that Su Zhuoguang showed disrespect to the late emperor and disregarded royal protocol.
Su Zhuoguang replied evenly, “Is Your Highness not also here?”
Qin Shuo sneered. “I merely heard that Young General Su unintentionally found something precious of mine, so I came to ask for its return.”
Su Zhuoguang said, “Oh,” then added, “Your Highness must have been misinformed. I haven’t seen anything.”
Qin Shuo: “…”
Was he deliberately playing dumb?
This feeling of punching cotton made Qin Shuo’s expression turn increasingly hostile. “Young General Su, there’s no need to beat around the bush.”
He stated bluntly, “Did you take Shili away?”
Originally, he had planned to bring Qiao Shili into the hunting grounds today. He never cared about winning the competition—what rare treasures didn’t he already possess in the palace? He simply wanted to seize this chance to be alone with Qiao Shili and try to win back her favor.
But unexpectedly, his subordinates reported that Su Zhuoguang’s servant had led Qiao Shili out of the temporary palace.
Su Zhuoguang remained expressionless. “Miss Qiao has her own freedom. I never force anyone.”
Qin Shuo suppressed the jealousy burning in his chest, his voice cold and biting. “Young General Su, I advise you to know your place. Secret rendezvous with women aren’t exactly something to be proud of if word gets out.”
The current court placed great emphasis on the private conduct of officials. If an official were found frequenting brothels, demotion and punishment were common consequences.
Finally, a ripple of emotion stirred in Su Zhuoguang’s eyes. His tone remained calm, tinged with a hint of coldness. “If Your Highness truly cares for her, don’t gamble with her reputation.”
“Are you using Shili to threaten me?”
Qin Shuo stared at him with a humorless smile, a sinister glint in his eyes, his attitude forceful. “Shili is the unparalleled choice for Crown Princess in this world. She will be mine sooner or later. So, to avoid misunderstandings, it would be best if you kept your distance from my future Crown Princess from now on.”
Su Zhuoguang subtly furrowed his brows. “Regardless of whether Miss Qiao becomes the Crown Princess, she is still her own person, not someone’s possession.”
Hearing him refer to her repeatedly as “Miss Qiao” grated on Qin Shuo’s nerves. As his patience wore thin, he stepped forward, his oppressive gaze particularly intimidating. “Are you defying my wishes?”
Su Zhuoguang replied indifferently, “Why not ask Miss Qiao her own wishes?”
Qin Shuo laughed coldly, his eyes challenging. “Shili and I grew up together, childhood friends, deeply in love. I have no need to confirm her wishes.”
Just as he finished speaking, Fenglai’s startled cry came from the woods behind them. “Miss Qiao!”
Su Zhuoguang immediately turned and vanished in an instant, leaving only the grass and trees rustling in the wind.
One incense stick’s time earlier…
Sitting alone on horseback, Qiao Shili idly circled slowly through the woods, with Fenglai and Qiuying accompanying her.
“Fenglai, do you know of a certain scent… one that makes people feel weak all over? The fragrance is quite faint, probably a woody scent.” Recalling the scent that had appeared both in her past life and that night at the villa, she couldn’t help but ask.
Fenglai pondered for a moment before replying, “Miss Qiao, are you referring to the ‘Bone-Softening Powder’? That substance is made from Purple Serpentwood. Ordinary people who inhale it become disoriented and lose strength. For martial artists, exposure to this scent temporarily paralyzes their senses and causes disorientation.”
Qiao Shili suddenly understood.
So, the guard who had been protecting her that day must have also been affected by the Bone-Softening Powder. The moment the lights went out, the guard instinctively moved toward her but ended up going in the wrong direction, separating from her.
That night at the villa was chaotic, with heavy rain pouring down. Perhaps the guard himself hadn’t realized he had been compromised, which was why he never mentioned it.
That Crown Prince’s guard named Luo Qi… it seemed they would have to find a way to capture him to unravel the mysteries behind this incident.
She thought, in her past life, Fang Yaoyao harmed her to get to the Crown Prince. But what about now? Just because she confronted Fang Yaoyao at the villa, she would resort to murder? Qiao Shili felt there was more to it.
What benefits could my death possibly bring?
She traced back to the past she had been unwilling to face. After her death, the position of Crown Princess remained vacant for a long time. The reason wasn’t that Qin Shuo felt remorseful for her, but because various factions fought fiercely over it, leaving Qin Shuo undecided during his deliberations. Fang Yaoyao’s background meant she could never reach the position of Crown Princess, so she wouldn’t be the ultimate beneficiary.
There must be a faction determined to secure the Crown Princess position. And she, merely a stumbling block for all those harboring such ambitions, had to die.
But who could this faction be? Someone who went to such lengths to eliminate her must be desperate for power and have a candidate they could push for the Crown Princess position.
Her first thought went to the Zhou family, with whom she had recently grown close. Zhou Shu was already of marriageable age, and her interest in the Crown Prince was evident from the carefully prepared dance she performed at the villa banquet. But if Zhou Shu wanted to harm her, she could have died countless times already on Mount Jiunu.
Lost in her thoughts, Qiao Shili suddenly felt the white horse beneath her stir. The next moment, she was thrown backward uncontrollably as the horse charged forward recklessly.
Qiuying panicked instantly, afraid Qiao Shili would fall off the rapidly galloping horse. She chased after the speeding horse, shouting, “Miss! Miss, you must stop!”
Fenglai had been distractedly eavesdropping on the confrontation between Su Zhuoguang and the Crown Prince. His acute hearing allowed him to pick up the Crown Prince’s aggressive tone, and he couldn’t help but worry for his master. Although the Crown Prince couldn’t do much to his master, the Crown Prince was still the heir apparent. Offending him wouldn’t be wise.
So, when trouble struck on Qiao Shili’s side, he was still some distance away. By the time he reacted, the frenzied white horse had already carried Qiao Shili deep into the woods, disappearing in the blink of an eye, leaving only a white speck in the distance.
“Miss Qiao!” Fenglai cried out urgently, pushing himself to his limits as he sprinted after her.
Ahead, Qiao Shili clung to the horse’s back. The trees around her blurred as they rushed past, and she had to muster all her strength to grip the reins tightly, struggling to steer the horse and avoid crashing into the trees. She had already tried everything—the horse was clearly spooked, and no matter what she did, she couldn’t make it stop. Instead, her attempts only made it run faster.
Jumping off the horse wasn’t an option either. The horse was moving too fast, and as a delicate young woman with no martial arts skills, leaping off hastily would surely be fatal.
Her back was already soaked with cold sweat. Suppressing the rising panic in her heart, she forced herself to stay calm, lowering her body to maintain balance and avoid being thrown off and killed. She could only hope the horse would eventually tire and slow down so she could safely dismount.
But then she heard a clear voice beside her. “Be careful!”
From one side of the dense woods, a sharp arrow shot toward her. Qiao Shili hastily leaned to the side, her trembling hands yanking the reins to change direction, narrowly avoiding the arrow.
The sound of clashing weapons echoed behind her. Looking back, she saw a group of black-clad assassins emerging from nowhere. Su Zhuoguang, who had just caught up, and the Qiao family’s hidden guards were engaged in combat with them. The warning she had heard earlier was Su Zhuoguang’s voice calling out to her from a distance.
The situation was grim. She was still being carried forward uncontrollably by the white horse, and her only hope for rescue, Su Zhuoguang, was now held back by the sudden appearance of assassins, growing farther away by the second.
Before long, Qiao Shili saw more shadowy figures of assassins ahead. Armed with blades and bows, they blocked the only path she could take, sealing off any chance of escape.
Qiao Shili’s heart turned cold. To go to such lengths to kill me? And on Mount Jiunu, where the emperor and all the officials are present?
She pulled a hairpin from her bun, gritted her teeth, and stabbed it hard into the horse’s body. A deafening neigh followed as the horse charged straight into the circle of assassins.
A flash of silver light, flesh and blood flying—she didn’t have time to close her eyes before horse blood splattered across her face. The white horse’s legs had been severed by the assassins, but its momentum carried her forward, putting distance between her and the assassins.
Qiao Shili tumbled to the ground, her entire body aching as if shattered. Ignoring the sticky blood on her face, she clenched her teeth and scrambled to her feet, trying to flee. But how could she outrun the assassins behind her?
Seeing the assassins closing in, she turned and swung the horse whip with all her might, catching the overconfident assassins off guard and slowing their advance.
“Whoosh—”
An arrow whistled through the air. As Qiao Shili dodged hastily, she realized the arrow was aimed at the assassin behind her. A soft thud followed as the arrow pierced flesh, then the muffled sound of an assassin collapsing.
“What scoundrels dare cause trouble here?”
From the dark green depths, a voice rang out before its owner appeared. Qiao Shili saw a heroic figure approaching, drawing a bow and letting an arrow fly, taking down the assassin who had been raising a blade to strike her.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
It was Zhou Shu. Zhou Shu had said she would find her at the hunting grounds, and she truly had come—and saved her.
“Shili, quickly, hide behind me!” Zhou Shu pulled her protectively behind, her expression serious.
Rustling sounds echoed as several black-clad figures emerged from the woods. The number of assassins lying in ambush here was greater than she had anticipated.
Zhou Shu had been hunting in the woods when she heard the commotion. Investigating, she was shocked to find Qiao Shili being pursued by assassins! Fortunately, Qiao Shili had used the horse whip to briefly stall the assassins; otherwise, Zhou Shu wasn’t sure her arrow would have reached Qiao Shili in time.
Even now, Zhou Shu felt a lingering fear.
She regretted that, while chasing a highly alert deer earlier, she had left her horse elsewhere to avoid scaring off the prey. Now, on foot amidst so many assassins, escape would be difficult.
After a moment’s thought, Zhou Shu said to Qiao Shili, “Shili, my horse is in the woods not far from here. Head east for about two li, and you’ll find it. Go there quickly now. Find the horse, then come back for me.”
Qiao Shili immediately understood—Zhou Shu intended to hold off the assassins alone so she could escape first. After all, with Qiao Shili here, Zhou Shu would have to worry about her safety, and she would only become a burden.
“Ah Shu, wait for me.” Her nose stung with emotion. She nodded solemnly, gritted her teeth, and hurried in the direction Zhou Shu had indicated.
**