Drei Mandarinenten und eineinhalb

Kapitel 77

Qing'er's eyes immediately reddened, and she sobbed as she said, "How did someone's sword pierce your body that night? I know that once Miss has made up her mind, there's no point in Qing'er saying anything. Go in peace! I will listen to you and take good care of Sister Ling'er, and wait for you to come back safely."

"Hmm, that's good. I'm off then. Explain to Ling'er tomorrow that I won't say goodbye to her." With that, Leng Jie picked up her bundle and headed straight for the stables.

Chapter 109 After eating

The next morning.

Eunuch Fu and Zi Ying met at the door of Leng Jie's room, exchanging a knowing smile. The Emperor and Xiao Jie had finally consummated their relationship!

Grandpa Fu smiled and said to the shadow:

"Lord Ying, the morning court session is about to begin. Should we wake the Emperor?"

"Whether you call out or not is your responsibility; don't try to drag me down with you," Ying immediately retorted.

Their conversation, though not loud, was enough for those inside the room to hear. Even Qing'er and Ling'er next door were awakened. But there was still no sound from Leng Jie's room. The two outside couldn't help but think that the Emperor, experiencing love for the first time, must be exhausted.

After getting up and washing up, Qing'er opened the door, bowed to the two people outside, and called out:

"Good morning, Lord Ying! Good morning, Eunuch Fu!"

As soon as Eunuch Fu saw Qing'er come out, he said with a beaming smile:

"Qing'er, are you here to wake your young lady up?"

The mere mention of her young mistress dimmed Qing'er's eyes. Suddenly, her eyes reddened, her nose twitched, and she choked out a soft reply:

"Miss set off for Beifeng last night despite her injuries."

"Ah!" Fu Gonggong exclaimed in surprise, then looked at Ziying in disbelief!

"What about the Emperor?" Zi Ying immediately exclaimed, "How could the Emperor allow the injured Xiao Jie to leave alone?"

"Yes, where is the Emperor?" Eunuch Fu asked anxiously.

Qing'er pointed to the room and replied:

"The Emperor should be inside!"

Before Qing'er could finish speaking, Ying pushed open the door and rushed into Leng Jie's room. Eunuch Fu followed her in, and Qing'er, having been instructed by her mistress to leave the palace with Lord Zi, also went in.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!" Ying called out to Xuanyuan, who was fast asleep on the bed. But how could the Emperor, who was always a light sleeper, not be woken up? Just as Ying was wondering if Xiaojie had used some trick on him...

"Lord Ying, here are letters that Miss left for you and the Emperor," Qing'er called out, pointing to two envelopes on the table.

Ying leaped forward, took the letter, and read it. He had to admire Xiao Jie's courage; she had actually managed to acupuncture the Emperor's pressure points and escape.

"How is it? What exactly happened?" Eunuch Fu asked anxiously.

Zi Ying didn't reply, but simply handed the text message to Eunuch Fu, letting him read it himself. Then, following Leng Jie's message, he slapped Xuan Yuan's ears several times with both hands. Xuan Yuan woke up with a thud, and when he opened his eyes and saw Zi Ying and Eunuch Fu's enlarged faces, he was startled and exclaimed in surprise:

"Why are you two standing in front of my bed?" He clearly remembered arguing with Xiao Jie about saving Qingfeng in her room! He glanced around and realized he was still in Xiao Jie's room. Looking down, he saw he was lying on Xiao Jie's bed. But something important seemed to be missing from the room? And looking at the strange expressions on the faces of the three people in the room... Xuanyuan immediately asked in surprise:

Where is Xiaojie?

No one dared to answer his question. Ying, cowering, handed him the letter Xiao Jie had left for the Emperor, letting him read it himself.

Seeing the familiar handwriting, Xuanyuan felt a sudden emptiness in his heart. After a moment of stunned silence, his eyes snapped open. He snatched the letter and immediately began to read it. Then, his face instantly became expressionless, utterly indifferent. Only his eyes held a cold, sharp gaze that seemed capable of killing. As if a mountain had suddenly pressed down from the sky, the air in the room became so tight it was suffocating.

Zi Ying and Eunuch Fu, standing by the bed, both trembled! They hadn't seen the Emperor with such an expression in three years! It shouldn't be more terrifying than ever! It seemed Xiao Jie had truly angered the Emperor this time. Even Qing'er, who was furthest away, involuntarily crossed her arms and shrank back a few steps.

Xuanyuan leaped out of bed and sternly ordered Ziying:

"Ziying, heed my command. I order you to set off immediately to protect Xiaojie and help her rescue Qingfeng. Then bring her back to me unharmed. If anything happens to her, you need not return!"

"Yes! Your subject obeys!" Zi Ying replied immediately.

This was the first time Zi Ying had been threatened by the Emperor, but since it was for Xiao Jie's sake, he didn't care at all. He wouldn't let anything happen to Xiao Jie anyway.

"Eunuch Fu, immediately draft an edict ordering Prince Ying to come to the palace for an audience with the Emperor within five days," Xuanyuan coldly commanded.

"This old servant obeys the decree!" Eunuch Fu replied tremblingly. At the same time, he sighed inwardly, "Poor Prince Ying. Even if this imperial decree were delivered by carrier pigeon, it would take a day to reach Jianzhou! The Emperor wants him to be in the capital within five days. Even if he didn't sleep and rode at top speed, it would be difficult."

Xuanyuan's gaze fell on the frightened Qing'er, and he still spoke coldly:

"Qing'er, go and get ready. Someone will be coming to pick you and Ye Ling'er up from the palace. Your mistress wants you to wait for her outside the palace, so you'd better not wander around. Otherwise, if she comes back and can't find you, she'll blame me for not taking good care of you!"

The sourness in that last sentence was so strong it was almost pungent.

Qing'er quickly replied:

"This servant wouldn't dare!"

"Hmph! It's best if you don't dare." Xuanyuan glanced coldly at the trembling Qing'er. He then looked back at the room, which still smelled of Xiao Jie. With an air of frost-like pride, he flicked his sleeve and left, flying straight towards his Dragon Palace.

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Leng Jie, still injured, had another ordeal with Xuan Yuan. Although she tried to speed up, she was still overtaken by Ying just as she entered Xi Town the next day at noon. Because she was riding the Crimson Blood, Ying recognized her at a glance, even though she was disguised.

"Xiao Jie! Are you alright?" Ying rode up to Leng Jie and walked alongside her, asking with concern.

"Uh!" Hearing a familiar voice, Leng Jie abruptly turned around. Startled, she looked at Ying and asked:

"Brother Ying? Why did you follow me here?"

Zi Ying smiled slightly at her and said:

"How could someone as clever as you not have realized that the Emperor would send me to protect you?"

Damn it! Didn't she leave a message instructing Zi Ying to manufacture weapons and ammunition? And why would she need anyone to protect her? Leng Jie immediately said seriously:

"The situation in Jinghe is so tense right now, and Brother Ying is the only capable general by the Emperor's side who can shoulder heavy responsibilities. How can you leave Jinghe at this time? Therefore, Xiaojie begs Brother Ying to turn back immediately. I can handle the trip to Beifeng alone."

Purple Shadow shook his head and sighed:

"Xiao Jie, how could the Emperor not understand your worries? However, he is even more concerned about your safety. Your departure this time, wounded, has truly chilled the Emperor's heart! He seemed like a different person the moment he woke up this morning, even more ruthless than three years ago. He didn't say a word, but directly ordered me to protect you and bring you back safely." Zi Ying cleverly left the last sentence unsaid.

"He doesn't believe in my abilities! Does Brother Ying also think I'm a little woman who needs protection?" Leng Jie blurted out. Although she said that, a warm feeling welled up inside her.

"In my opinion, it's not that he doesn't believe in your abilities, but that you don't believe in the Emperor's abilities! You always think of the Emperor as he was when you first met him three years ago, don't you? In reality, the current Emperor is fully capable of handling anything except for matters of the heart! Therefore, the person the Emperor needs most is not me, but you!"

Zi Ying didn't mince words and directly offered Leng Jie guidance. He had already discerned from the concern Leng Jie couldn't help but show for the Emperor that she also had feelings for him. It was just that she was deliberately avoiding it and didn't want to admit it.

Just as expected. Leng Jie was stunned after hearing his words! Had she really underestimated him? After a long pause, she shook her head in denial:

"In that case, he needs me even less. The imperial family is the most ruthless! This saying isn't my invention, but it's a true reflection of reality. Shouldn't a good ruler be ruthless and devoid of love?"

Ying was utterly speechless at Leng Jie's words! He could only silently cheer for the Emperor, hoping he could soon enlighten this stubborn rock before him. He then said:

"It's past noon, let's find a place to eat something before continuing our journey!"

Leng Jie readily agreed:

"Okay! Now that you mention food, I realize I'm really hungry!"

Leng Jie listened to Ying's words and began to believe that Xuan Yuan could handle everything. Therefore, she didn't urge Ying to go back. It's always better for two people to travel than one. They can discuss things when problems arise, and they can talk and chat when they're tired. At night, when they camp in the wilderness, at least one person can add firewood and keep the fire going, in case wild wolves or other wild beasts suddenly come out to hunt.

They hurried along and finally entered the territory of Beifeng Kingdom in early September.

Upon entering Beifeng Kingdom, stepping onto soft grass and gazing at the boundless grasslands, Leng Jie was immediately struck by the poetic imagery of "the wind blowing the grass low, revealing cattle and sheep." She felt transported back to the ancient northern frontier of China! Unfortunately, Leng Jie had no leisure to appreciate the scenery; after traveling for half a month, both she and her horse were exhausted.

After riding across the flat grasslands for three days and three nights, the two riders finally saw the capital of Beifeng. Beifeng was primarily a nomadic society, supplemented by forestry and agriculture. This was because half of their land was grassland, and the rest was mountains and hills. Their capital was built against the mountains, facing the boundless grasslands and backed by towering, verdant mountains reaching into the clouds! From afar, the vast expanse of glazed palaces, gleaming in the golden sunlight, was exceptionally dazzling.

Leng Jie, mounted on horseback, pointed at the capital and excitedly shouted to Ying:

"Brother Ying, look! That's where Qingfeng lives. We've finally arrived!" At this speed, if she were in modern times, she would have already flown around the earth several times over.

"Yes! We finally made it!" Ying also exclaimed with deep emotion.

There's a saying: "Seeing the house, you cry when you get there!" This was exactly the scene before Xing Lengjie's eyes. They had clearly seen the magnificent palace of the Northern Feng capital when the sun was just rising. But by the time they reached their destination, it was already dusk.

Leng Jie and Zi Ying addressed each other as brother and sister, their attire typical of martial arts figures from the Central Plains. While the locals wore fur coats in autumn, they were dressed in summer clothes: the man in a light blue satin robe, carrying a long sword and wearing cloud-patterned boots; the woman in a silk, fitted, open-front garment. They wore leather whips, the kind only local girls would wear. A unique leather bag and a fine dagger hung at their waists.

Although there are regional cultural differences between Jinghe and Beifeng, they can at least understand each other's languages. They found an inn run by people from Jinghe to stay at. Most of the guests there were merchants from Jinghe, so the conditions were very poor.

It was dinnertime, and the inn's lobby was full of diners. Leng Jie and Zi Ying ate their simple food while listening intently to the conversations around them. But all they heard was talk about was the price of rice and the quality of furs; there wasn't a single piece of news about the royal family. They quickly finished their first dinner of the trip and returned to their room to discuss how to gather information.

"Xiao Jie, what are your plans next?" Zi Ying asked as soon as they returned to the room. "Should we conduct an open investigation or a covert one?"

"The situation is unclear right now, so we shouldn't alert them. I think we should spy first," Leng Jie said, asking, "What does Brother Ying think?"

Zi Ying nodded and said:

“I also think it’s better to spy first. Let’s not delay, I’ll go to the palace to gather information after midnight tonight.”

“I’ll go with you, that way we can at least look out for each other,” Leng Jie said, leaving no room for refusal.

Along the way, they had developed a certain understanding. Seeing her resolute attitude, Zi Ying said nothing more. In any case, he no longer dared to treat her as a weak woman. What young woman could travel tirelessly with a sword wound? What young woman could make sleeping in the wilderness a regular occurrence? What woman could calmly and collectedly shoot wolves as if they were rabbits when facing a pack of wolves? All of this showed that she was both a woman and not a woman. Because she possessed the delicate beauty of a girl, yet at the same time possessed the intelligence and courage that only men have.

Just after midnight, two ghostly black shadows silently flew into the Beifeng Royal Court. Being new to the place, they could only head towards the relatively dimly lit palace.

They landed on the roof of a palace with only two or three lanterns lit. Ying gestured to Leng Jie, indicating that she should stay on the roof. Seeing that she nodded in agreement, Ying leaped down.

About three minutes later, Ying returned to the rooftop. Leng Jie gestured to him, asking if he had found anything. Ying shook his head. Leng Jie whispered:

“Let’s split up! Come back here in an hour, whether we’ve found anything or not.” With that, Leng Jie took out a signal flare that looked like a firework from her backpack and handed it to Ying Dao: “Take this. If you run into trouble, pull the lever at the bottom. That way I can see you no matter how far away you are. Also, if you see a ball of fire suddenly rise in the sky, that means I’m in trouble.”

Zi Ying took the signal flare and tucked it into her waistband. She nodded and said:

"Okay, be careful!"

After saying this, the two flew off in opposite directions. Leng Jie passed several palaces without finding anything. Before she knew it, she arrived at a brightly lit, magnificent palace. A dense circle of guards stood around the palace, so tightly surrounded that not even a fly could get in. There was no doubt that something was wrong here.

Leng Jie hid on a pine tree fifty meters away from the palace, closely observing the mysterious palace and waiting for an opportunity to act. She waited for half an hour without any movement, and just as she was about to give up and try another route, she suddenly saw a palace maid hurrying out of the palace, carrying a lantern in one hand and a food box in the other. She followed the maid silently, following her into another equally magnificent palace.

Seeing her enter the main hall, it seemed someone was already waiting there. Leng Jie quietly followed, subtly hiding under the window. She listened intently to the sounds inside. She heard a woman's stern voice demanding, "Why are you so late?"

"Your Highness, I was unable to leave because I was busy preparing medicine for His Majesty. Please punish me." The palace maid replied tremblingly.

"Knowing I was waiting for you, couldn't you have made an excuse to have someone else do it for you? Let it go this time! Be more careful next time. How is the Emperor?"

"Your Majesty, His Majesty woke up this morning. The First Prince said that His Majesty fainted suddenly because he was poisoned. He is trying to prepare an antidote."

"Where is the Empress? Is she dead?" the Imperial Concubine asked in a sinister tone.

"Your Highness, the Queen has also been saved by the First Prince," the palace maid replied tremblingly.

"Damn it! It's that damned First Prince again! Humph! Since they're all so friendly, let them go to the underworld together and kiss!" the Imperial Concubine roared angrily. Immediately following was a series of loud thuds and crashes.

A satisfied smile involuntarily crept onto Leng Jie's face outside the window. It was truly a case of "searching high and low without finding it, only to have it come to you effortlessly!" Although she didn't know the specifics, Leng Jie had already guessed the gist of the situation from the few lines of dialogue just now. Undoubtedly, it was another old, yet brutally realistic, court intrigue.

As for Qingfeng's role in all of this, she didn't want to speculate. Since he could still heal others, it meant he was alright. As long as he was alright, nothing else mattered. After all, this kind of drama played out in any palace. But perhaps things weren't as urgent or dangerous as her master's letter had described? It had nearly cost her her life while she was traveling.

Just as Leng Jie was about to go back to meet Ying, the gloomy voice of the imperial concubine suddenly came from inside the palace again.