Qi Shen told Jing Xin to rest properly and forbade her from riding horses up the mountain or entering the forest again to engage in any strenuous activity.
After he left, Jing Xin summoned Shou Quan to ask about everything that had happened after she fainted.
After hearing his report, Jing Xin felt something was off.
When they had watched the sunset on the mountain before, Qi Shen had already seen Shen Qingyue secretly meeting with Qin Wuheng. If Qin Wuheng was deliberately presenting a beauty to him, why had he not exposed it?
And earlier, he had strictly ordered her not to interfere in Shen Qingyue’s affairs. Could it be that he already had his own plans?
He was the Son of Heaven. His intelligence could not be low. Jing Xin was more willing to believe that he had already seen through Qin Wuheng’s flaws. If that were true, then everything she had done would not have been in vain.
And earlier in the forest, Qi Shen had wanted to take her back on horseback, but Shen Qingyue had advised against further jolting. So Shen Qingyue had actually helped her?
Jing Xin wanted to see Shen Qingyue. She stood up, and just as she stepped outside, she saw that the guards in the courtyard and under the eaves had increased significantly, at least three times more than before.
She went to Shen Qingyue’s room but did not find her. A palace maid said Shen Qingyue had gone into the mountains.
She summoned the imperial physician to recheck her pulse. The physician said her condition was stable and there were no signs of weakness or illness. This body was still very healthy.
Jing Xin calmly ordered Shou Quan to prepare Li Song.
Then she headed into the mountains.
Chang Huan kept trying to persuade her not to go, worried that something else might happen. However, she noticed that the fragility Jing Xin once showed before the emperor had completely vanished. The noble face before her was now sharp and cold, almost entirely transformed.
She vaguely felt that Jing Xin had changed for the better, though she could not tell exactly how. It felt as if everything had changed, as if she had become a completely different person, deeper, more radiant, and more striking.
At this time, Qi Shen should have been accompanying Jing Xin, but Qin Wuheng had mentioned that Shen Qingyue was familiar with the terrain and understood the habits of wild beasts, so she could help him capture a live tiger. Qi Shen entered the forest at his invitation, with Shen Qingyue riding at his right side.
The red-clothed girl indeed relied on her intelligence and courage to successfully capture a live tiger. The surrounding feudal lords and officials were astonished. Even Chai Hu, a veteran feudal lord of the State of Xu who was one of the few to sincerely submit to Qi Shen, praised Shen Qingyue repeatedly as a heroine among women.
Qin Wuheng smiled lightly and said, “She is not only a heroine among women. The safety of the villagers at the foot of the mountain depends entirely on Miss Shen’s wisdom and help, otherwise countless more would have been harmed by these beasts.” He then turned to Qi Shen and asked, “Your Majesty has been troubled by the matter of Imperial Consort Jing. Fortunately, this hunting trip was not in vain. Are you satisfied, Your Majesty?”
Qi Shen lifted the corner of his lips slightly. “I am very satisfied.” Then he looked at Shen Qingyue. “Miss Shen, how old are you?”
Shen Qingyue replied, “In half a year, I will be twenty.”
“Mm, indeed the age of youth and beauty.”
Qi Shen said no more.
Everyone present was trying to interpret his words. Some naturally assumed he intended to pair her with the emperor. Although Qi Shen already had a famously beautiful favored consort in his harem, that consort was known to be delicate and weak, unable even to ride a horse. In contrast, Shen Qingyue was proper, virtuous, intelligent, and brave, seemingly the most suitable woman for the Son of Heaven.
The accompanying officer Zhai Hu stepped forward and said, “Although the live tiger has been captured, how does Your Majesty intend to transport it back to the royal capital? Our soldiers are brave, but they lack the skill to handle tigers. We fear any mistake may endanger Your Majesty.”
Qin Wuheng immediately said, “Why not have Miss Shen accompany us back to the capital?” He then looked toward Qi Shen for approval.
Qi Shen nodded. “Does Miss Shen have any objections?”
Qin Wuheng’s eyes brightened slightly before he quickly lowered his gaze to conceal his thoughts. Qi Shen had never asked others for their opinion before. He had always taken what he wanted without hesitation. Yet now he was showing such respect.
Everyone present felt there was something unusual about this. It was clear this was Qin Wuheng’s attempt to present beauty. As Qi Shen’s most trusted confidant and childhood cousin, Qin Wuheng’s intentions were obvious. All the feudal lords understood that this red-clothed woman was destined for great fortune.
Shen Qingyue bowed respectfully. “I have no objections. It is my honor to serve Your Majesty.”
A playful depth appeared in Qi Shen’s eyes. He licked the inside of his teeth and chuckled softly. “Oh? They say I am a tyrant. Are you not afraid of me?”
“I am not afraid. One who has not suffered another’s pain has no right to judge them. Your Majesty may have his own story. Everyone deserves respect.”
Qi Shen’s gaze shifted slightly. He waved for her to come closer.
Shen Qingyue walked to him. He bent down slightly to look at her. “You are quite good with words.”
At that moment, Jing Xin arrived.
What she saw was this scene. Not far away, the tall and imposing man leaned forward slightly, speaking with Shen Qingyue with a faint smile. The atmosphere between them seemed unusually intimate. The surrounding officials all lowered their gazes as if avoiding the scene, as though everyone already believed Shen Qingyue would soon become the emperor’s woman.
Her heart turned cold for a moment. She muttered under her breath, “Damn emperor,” but instinctively reminded herself that Qi Shen had likely already begun suspecting Qin Wuheng and was merely acting. Still, having read the original story, she could not help fearing that he might truly be drawn to someone as dazzling as Shen Qingyue.
Jing Xin pushed the thought aside for now and suddenly shouted, “Your Majesty, be careful! Protect the emperor!”
As soon as her voice fell, a massive black bull charged toward Qi Shen.
Qi Shen turned and saw Jing Xin. His expression changed instantly. He was about to rush toward her, but was blocked by the guards.
“Get out of the way!” he barked coldly.
The guards quickly parted, and he rushed toward her.
The black bull brushed past his shoulder but did not attack him. Instead, it charged directly into the crowd.
Qi Shen reached Jing Xin in a few strides, pulling her tightly into his arms with his wide sleeves shielding her completely.
“Who allowed you to come up here?” he demanded angrily.
“Your Majesty, I failed to stop the bull. I startled you and the Consort,” Jing Xin said.
Qi Shen followed her gaze back. The bull had not been subdued by the guards and kept circling Qin Wuheng. It was clear the bull was not attacking randomly but was targeting him alone, its horns locked onto him.
Jing Xin quickly explained what had happened. “I went out to clear my mind and encountered villagers seeking justice. Their elderly father died in the fields, and their three-year-old child nearly drowned after being harmed. Someone claimed it was the emperor’s doing. Of course I knew Your Majesty would never harm a child.”
Behind her, Chai Kaijie knelt and reported, “Your Majesty, Your Consort, I could not stop this man. I failed to protect you both. I deserve death!”
Beside him, Li Song also knelt, carrying a small child on his back. When he knelt, the child slid down. The boy looked adorable but had wounds on his nose and forehead. His face was pale with fear, eyes dull, only capable of crying.
Qi Shen snapped, “Drag them away.” He covered Jing Xin’s eyes with his sleeve.
Jing Xin grabbed his wrist. “Your Majesty, please seek justice for the people. This child is so pitiful. If our own child were harmed by evil people, would you not be heartbroken?”
Qi Shen paused, then pulled her into his chest, turning her away from the scene so she could not see.
“Since when did this happen?” he asked coldly.
Behind them, the chaos continued. The black bull, already pierced by several arrows, still refused to stop attacking Qin Wuheng. Eventually, Qin Wuheng personally struck it down with his sword.
Jing Xin still caught a glimpse of blood and trembled.
In a world like this, similar to the Warring States era, she longed for peace without conflict, for fields without bloodshed. She longed for a prosperous age.
Li Song said loudly, “Your Majesty, this happened at dusk last night! My father died in the field, and it was our own black bull that led us to his body. It kept charging at that official. They say animals are spiritual. Perhaps he is the murderer!”
He pointed at Qin Wuheng.
The child buried his face in Li Song’s chest and cried loudly.
Qi Shen’s expression remained unreadable.
Qin Wuheng stepped forward. “Your Majesty, do not listen to this commoner’s nonsense. The bull was frightened in a crowded place. If it charges Your Majesty, would you also accuse Yourself? And this child is clearly simple-minded. How much can a child’s words be trusted?”
Li Song shouted back, “Impossible! My bull has been raised for twenty years! It led us to my father’s body!”
They argued endlessly.
Qi Shen remained expressionless. Finally, he asked, “Ah Heng, where were you last night?”
“Your subject was by the river with Chai Hu. I never went down the mountain.”
Qi Shen lowered his gaze. Jing Xin could see his face clearly from her position, but there was still no emotion on it. The emperor’s joy and anger were perfectly concealed.
Chai Hu stepped forward to testify, but Qi Shen interrupted him.
“So it is said I killed him?” Qi Shen gave a cold laugh. “Do I need such crude methods to kill someone? Enough. This is a tragic matter. Offer compensation with heavy rewards and settle it.”
Then he turned sharply toward Jing Xin. “Do my words mean nothing to you? Who allowed you to come up the mountain?”
Without another word, he lifted her into his arms and walked down the mountain path.
Li Song’s desperate cries still echoed behind them, begging the emperor to deliver justice.
Jing Xin wrapped her arms around Qi Shen’s neck. He walked steadily, but the distance was long.
“Your Majesty, why not use the imperial carriage?” she asked.
Qi Shen did not respond.
She understood. There were already doubts forming in his heart.
The people he trusted most had lied to him. His most trusted cousin had offered him a woman he secretly met. Even Chai Hu, the officer earlier, was Qin Wuheng’s confidant, yet that same man had been a key general in suppressing Prince Zhou’s rebellion.
Everyone he trusted… had they betrayed him?
The more silent Qi Shen became, the more uneasy Jing Xin felt.
Her plan had already begun. Qin Wuheng was already halfway exposed, but could Qi Shen accept it?
Bringing the child here was not her idea, but letting Li Song enter the emperor’s domain was her doing. That black bull had indeed lived for twenty years and was unusually intelligent. She had gambled that it might even recognize the murderer’s scent. She had taken a risk, and she had won.
But Jing Xin also understood that her victory came with exposure.
Her breathing tightened. She could not predict what Qi Shen was thinking.
When they returned to the room, Qi Shen placed her on the bed. Chang Huan and several maids entered, but he dismissed them with a single glance.
One look from him carried such cold pressure that everyone retreated immediately.
The door closed carefully behind them.
Jing Xin still had her arms around his neck, unsure what to say, when she heard his icy voice.
“Who are you?”