After finishing breakfast, Tan Taisi headed to the military camp.
As Duo Fu saw him off at the door, the servant, who typically paid little mind to the affairs of the estate, suddenly asked, “How long has that maid who served the dishes this morning been in the Prince’s Manor?”
“Four years.”
Duo Fu thought to himself that surely his master wasn’t taking a fancy to that maid.
Pulling his cloak tightly around himself, Tan Taisi casually instructed, “Expel her from the manor.”
Duo Fu was slightly startled, but quickly recovered and complied.
“Understood, this slave will see to it immediately.”
He couldn’t help wondering how on earth that maid had managed to offend the Prince.
Once Tan Taisi departed, Rong Xun returned to the eastern courtyard, where Mammy Wang promptly approached him.
“The Prince Consort would do well to act on that matter as soon as possible. Do not forget, Wenxi is still waiting for you at the Marquis Residence.”
With no one else around in the room, Mammy Wang no longer bothered to keep up pretenses with Rong Xun.
Anxiety was eating away at Rong Xun from the inside, yet he forced an outward calm to snap back at her.
“My memory is perfectly fine, I don’t need you reminding me. Is an item like that really so easy to get your hands on? If you’re so capable, why don’t you go do it yourself?”
“The Prince Consort needn’t waste breath arguing with this slave. You’d better figure out a way to get your hands on the item.”
Rong Xun’s expression turned icy.
He bit out each word deliberately, “None of your damn business.”
“You!”
Mammy Wang’s face twitched with rage, but since this wasn’t the Yong’an Marquis Residence, she couldn’t afford to act recklessly.
Just as the two of them reached a standoff, Duo Fu knocked on Rong Xun’s door, carrying a stack of account books.
Rong Xun shot Mammy Wang a final glare, then called out toward the door, “Come in.”
The door opened, and Duo Fu entered carrying several thick ledgers, followed closely by Changning.
Yet Rong Xun was in no mood whatsoever to look at account books at a time like this.
After flipping through them listlessly alongside Duo Fu for a short while, Rong Xun set his brush down.
“Duo Fu, how far is the military camp from the Prince’s Manor?”
“About half an hour’s distance. Is the Prince Consort missing His Highness?”
“Uh.”
Rong Xun offered an awkward, forced smile.
“Didn’t His Highness say he wouldn’t be back for lunch today? I just happened to make a few pastries and wanted to deliver them to him.”
After turning the matter over and over in his mind, Rong Xun decided he wanted to test Tan Taisi one more time.
Perhaps he could carve out a glimmer of survival, even if only by a hair.
Hearing this, Duo Fu was utterly delighted.
“His Highness will surely be thrilled to see the Prince Consort!”
He briskly cleared away the ledgers.
“This slave will go ready the carriage for Your Highness right away.”
“Ah, wait.”
Rong Xun called Duo Fu back. “I still have an account book here that I haven’t finished copying. How about this, I’ll have Mammy Wang stay here and copy it, and I must trouble Public Official Duo to stay here and keep an eye on things, seeing as this mammy of mine can be rather slow-witted.”
Duo Fu.
Mammy Wang glared malevolently at Rong Xun, finding no excuse to tag along with him.
She could only watch in burning frustration as he took Changning and left.
The military camp was situated in a remote location, and the surrounding streets grew increasingly desolate the further they traveled.
Sitting inside the carriage, Rong Xun looked across at Changning, suddenly recalling something.
He asked casually, “Changning, do you and Changji know martial arts?”
“Replying to Your Highness, this slave and Changji are merely errand-running servants, we do not know martial arts.”
“Oh, is that so? Back when I saw Changji block my Third Brother, I assumed you both knew how to fight.”
Changning lowered his head.
“This slave and Changji have done heavy labor since we were young, so naturally, our strength is a bit greater.”
That sounded plausible enough, and Rong Xun didn’t suspect Changning’s words.
Half an hour later, the carriage came to a halt outside the military camp.
Rong Xun picked up his food box and walked toward the entrance.
“Halt, who goes there?”
The guards stationed at the gate blocked Rong Xun’s path.
Rong Xun handed over his identity token.
“I am looking for His Highness Prince Chen.”
“Ah, so it is the Prince Consort. Please pardon this humble one’s lack of respect.”
The guard offered a bow to Rong Xun, then added, “Everyone entering or leaving the camp must submit to a search, so we ask the Prince Consort to accommodate us.”
“Of course.”
Rong Xun understood the protocol and proactively handed over the food box for inspection.
Once the inspection cleared without issue, he was allowed to carry the food box further inside.
Multiple watchtowers had been erected throughout the camp.
In the distance, a troop of soldiers was in the middle of drills.
Faced with several rows of buildings ahead, Rong Xun ran into a dilemma.
He had no idea which building Tan Taisi was in.
“Halt, who are you!”
A sudden shout rang out from behind him.
Startled, Rong Xun spun around to look.
A large, imposing man stood behind him, wearing a displeased expression.
“I, I am the Prince Consort, here to see His Highness Prince Chen.”
Guan Mu looked Rong Xun up and down.
Then let out a strange, mocking laugh. “So you are the Prince Consort.”
Rong Xun.
This person clearly bore some hostility toward him.
Rong Xun lowered his gaze to search his memory, recalling no prior encounter with this individual from the original owner’s recollections.
Yet since he was stationed here, he was undoubtedly one of Tan Taisi’s subordinates.
Perhaps they had crossed paths on the wedding day.
“General, could you point me to the building where Prince Chen is? I have something to deliver to His Highness.”
Rather than giving directions, Guan Mu pointed straight at the food box in his hands. “Anything brought into the camp must undergo thorough inspection.”
Rong Xun furrowed his brow.
“But the guards at the entrance already checked it when we came in, there were no problems.”
“How am I to know whether the others inspected it properly? For safety’s sake, it is better if the Prince Consort lets me inspect it once more.”
Rong Xun could practically conclude that this fellow simply had a personal bone to pick with him.
This was plainly a deliberate attempt to make things difficult.
Yet he had urgent business with Tan Taisi today and didn’t wish to waste time.
With a sigh, he handed the food box over for another check.
Guan Mu took it, opened it up, and poked through its contents with deliberate slowness.
Only after a good while did he hand it back. “The Prince Consort may proceed. His Highness is handling official duties just ahead.”
“Thank you for the trouble.”
Carrying the food box, Rong Xun followed behind Guan Mu.
As they ascended the steps to reach the doorway, Guan Mu raised his hand to announce their arrival inside.
The door swung open, and two soldiers emerged carrying a stretcher bearing a man covered in blood.
Caught entirely off guard, Rong Xun caught sight of the horrifying gasps and lacerations on the man’s body.
His breath hitched, and a wave of intense dizziness washed over him.
The man on the stretcher wasn’t dead, letting out harrowing shrieks as he was carried past.
Turning pale, Rong Xun looked toward the man beside him, whose expression remained entirely undisturbed.
“General, there are no ongoing wars at present, is he?”
Guan Mu cast a chilly glance at Rong Xun.
“That man attempted to desert the military. A beating of military staves is getting off lightly, at least his legs weren’t crippled.”
Cold sweat began to break out all over Rong Xun’s body.
From yesterday to today, these events felt like continuous warnings that betraying Tan Taisi would lead to a gruesome end.
“Go on in.”
Pushing the door open, Guan Mu left Rong Xun to his own devices and strode away.
Seeing Rong Xun standing frozen, Changning asked with concern, “Prince Consort, are you alright?”
“I, I am fine.”
Rong Xun reached up to wipe his face, took a deep breath, and stepped inside.
Soldiers were stationed at various points around the interior. At the main desk, Tan Taisi stood with his back to Rong Xun, seemingly polishing something.
Hearing the movement, he turned around, locking eyes with Rong Xun quite unexpectedly.
Looking somewhat surprised, he asked, “Why are you here?”
Rong Xun gave no reply.
Because the moment Tan Taisi turned, Rong Xun caught a clear view of the object in his hand.
It was a sharp, gleaming long sword, its edge reflecting a cold, merciless light under the lamplight.
And that sword was stained entirely with fresh blood, while the cloth in Tan Taisi’s other hand was busy wiping it clean.
Rong Xun’s breathing grew increasingly ragged and shallow.
“I asked you a question?”
Looking somewhat impatient, Tan Taisi strode over to Rong Xun.
“Why does the Prince Consort refuse to answer my question again?”
As Tan Taisi drew closer, a pungent wave of fresh blood drifted into Rong Xun’s nostrils.
Tan Taisi.
The light inside the room grew dimmer and dimmer.
Tan Taisi’s face blurred before Rong Xun’s eyes.
“Hey, what is wrong with you?”
“I.”
Crash!
The food box slipped from his grip and hit the floor, spilling most of the delicate pastries across the boards.
Tan Taisi instinctively reached out to catch the collapsing figure.
Looking down at the unconscious man in his arms, Tan Taisi furrowed his brow.
“Changning, fetch the military physician.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Once Changning rushed off, Tan Taisi swept Rong Xun up horizontally into his arms and carried him toward the inner chamber.
Laying him down on the bed, he reached out to check Rong Xun’s forehead.
There was no fever, so why had he passed out again?
Tsk, tsk, to think a grown man could be so fragile.
The military physician in the camp hadn’t been called out for quite some time.
Per regulations, he was required to remain stationed within the camp at all hours for emergencies.
Being dragged out of his tent by an anxious pageboy in such a rush today had naturally caught the eyes of patrolling soldiers, and before long, word reached the ears of Tang Jiu and Guan Mu.
Guan Mu nudged Tang Jiu with his elbow.
“Hey, I hear the physician rushed over to the Prince’s tent. Did something happen?”
“What could possibly happen to His Highness? Didn’t you say the Prince Consort went to see him just now? Chances are the Prince Consort is feeling unwell again.”
“Again? Is that Prince Consort’s constitution really that wretched?”
Guan Mu stroked his chin in thought for a moment, then pulled Tang Jiu along. “Come, let’s go take a look too.”
“Why would you go over there? Besides, you shouldn’t pull stunts like the one you just pulled. He might be difficult, but he is still the Prince Consort. Is he someone you can casually interrogate and suspect?”
Word of Guan Mu stopping and searching Rong Xun earlier had already reached Tang Jiu’s ears via patrolling guards.
Yet Guan Mu remained unrepentant.
“I was merely performing my routine duties, no laws were broken. Besides, I simply can’t stand these aristocratic families shoving people into His Highness’s inner circle. Who knows if this Prince Consort is a spy planted by the Yong’an Marquis?”
With that, Guan Mu dragged Tang Jiu outward.
“Let’s go, why are you so long-winded, let’s go see for ourselves.”
Inside Tan Taisi’s tent, the military physician had just finished taking Rong Xun’s pulse.
Standing nearby, Tan Taisi asked, “Well?”
“Rest assured, Your Highness. The Prince Consort merely suffered a sudden fright which led to fainting. A dose of herbal decoction will have him right as rain shortly.”
Just as the physician finished speaking, Tang Jiu and Guan Mu stepped inside.
Hearing this, Guan Mu rolled his eyes.
Fainted from fright?
That was truly humiliating to hear.
Tang Jiu gave Guan Mu a swift kick, then stepped forward to offer a formal greeting to Tan Taisi.
“Your Highness.”
Tan Taisi turned back and gave the two a brief nod.
After writing out the prescription, the physician turned to Tan Taisi and added, “Your Highness, the Prince Consort’s constitution is quite delicate. It is best to shield him from excessive shocks in the future, and cold or raw foods should be minimized as well.”
“Understood. Go get the medicine brewed.”
Once the physician withdrew, Tan Taisi shifted his gaze to Changning.
“Why did he suddenly come to the military camp, and why did he get frightened to the point of fainting?”
“Replying to Your Highness, the Prince Consort said he personally made some pastries to bring for Your Highness to taste. As for why he was frightened.”
Changning hesitated, then offered tentatively, “Just as we arrived at the entrance, Ge, General Guan stopped the Prince Consort and subjected him to a routine search.”
Guan Mu, who had simply come to watch the spectacle, never expected the fire to land squarely on him.
He froze in place.
Tan Taisi’s gaze bypassed Tang Jiu and landed squarely on Guan Mu.
Guan Mu hastily defended himself. “Ah, Your Highness, this really has nothing to do with this subordinate! I was merely checking, er, checking whether there was any problem with what the Prince Consort brought. I didn’t mean to frighten him.”
Sweat beaded on his forehead as inspiration suddenly struck him. He clapped his hands together.
“Ah, this subordinate remembers! Just as I was escorting the Prince Consort in, we happened to pass by the execution site at the gate where that deserting soldier had just been disciplined.”
Silence settled heavily over the tent for a long, awkward beat.
Tan Taisi shot a withering glare at Guan Mu.
“Get out and resume drills. Stop being an eyesore here.”
Guan Mu grimaced, offered a salute to Tan Taisi, and muttered, “Yes, Your Highness.”