Starting with Intercepting and Marrying the Eldest Princess - Chapter 25
Chapter 25: “Xie Ning, Xie Ning!”…
Xie Ning was sitting in the Grand Princess’s carriage, deep in thought.
It was heading towards the palace. The purpose of coming here late at night was to search for someone.
A little princess named Yinyin had gone missing in the palace.
Pei Shujing said Yinyin was her sister, the last child of the late Emperor and the Empress Dowager.
“Could she have… run away secretly because she was being playful?”
Pei Shujing shook her head: “Yinyin is only five years old.”
Where could a girl that small run off to?
Pei Shujing said somewhat anxiously: “Mother was the one who sent word. There were over a dozen eunuchs and palace maids, as well as several wet nurses, with Yinyin at the time. They have all been found.”
Xie Ning took a deep breath and said in a low voice: “Are they all dead?”
“No.”
Pei Shujing pinched the space between her eyebrows: “They were all drugged.”
“Then she was taken by someone. Has the palace been searched?”
“Yes, it was just searched, but no clues were found.”
Xie Ning frowned and thought for a while. She suddenly realized something: “Wait a moment. Xiao Zhu, go to the Vermillion Bird Camp and tell Liang Cheng to bring A’Cai (the dog) over!”
“Right, tell him to wear his armor!”
Pei Shujing was startled: “Are you worried about…”
Xie Ning nodded slowly: “Better safe than sorry.”
Upon reaching the inner court, the Empress Dowager looked anxious. She quickly grabbed Pei Shujing’s hand and said: “Yinyin went for a walk in the Imperial Garden after dinner, but… who knew such a thing would happen.”
Pei Shujing comforted her softly: “Mother, please calm down. If you don’t stay calm now, only the mastermind behind this will be pleased.”
Xie Ning agreed: “That’s right. I have ordered the soldiers on night duty to come over. If there are any clues, they will surely find them.”
The Empress Dowager took a deep breath, finally calming down a little: “Imperial Son-in-Law, thank you for your hard work today. Please endure a little more, for Shujing’s sake.”
Xie Ning waved her hand: “We’re family; no need for formalities.”
Pei Shujing glanced at her silently, not speaking.
Xie Ning searched the perimeter but did not find any clues.
By this time, Xiao Zhu had arrived with Liang Cheng.
Xie Ning took the leash of the hunting dog from Liang Cheng’s hand: “Mother, please find some of the Princess’s clothes for me. Ideally, ones that were just taken off; washed ones won’t work.”
Although the Empress Dowager didn’t know what it was for, she went without hesitation.
Xie Ning proactively explained to Pei Shujing: “This hunting dog from my Vermillion Bird Camp is very smart. We just need to let it remember Yinyin’s scent, and it will definitely find a clue.”
Pei Shujing was relieved to hear this: “I’m counting on you.”
Soon, the clothes of Princess Yinyin were brought by the Empress Dowager. Xie Ning took them and actually smelled milk.
Wow!
This imperial family really knows how to raise children! Five years old and still drinking milk. No wonder Pei Shujing is also fair and tender.
Xie Ning placed the clothes near A’Cai’s nose: “A’Cai, smell this. Just like when you hunt normally, see where the prey is.”
The people nearby watched Xie Ning’s actions, feeling as if it were a child’s play.
Eunuch Yan, who was behind the Empress Dowager, whispered to her: “Your Ladyship, this… is a bit unreliable!”
Pei Shujing glared at him, and Eunuch Yan immediately dared not speak again.
“Just watch.”
The Empress Dowager was mentally exhausted.
A’Cai sniffed, then immediately bolted toward the direction the Empress Dowager had just come from. If Xie Ning hadn’t been holding the leash, it would have run right into the palace.
Looking back at the crowd, Xie Ning awkwardly explained: “This dog is too literal. It knows to search the place where the clothes just came from.”
The Empress Dowager’s eyes lit up: “It’s fine.”
A reaction was better than no reaction. Perhaps this dog could really find a clue.
A’Cai was pulled out of the Palace of Benevolent Tranquility: “A’Cai, start searching from here.”
Since the Palace of Benevolent Tranquility had been searched thoroughly without result, she must have been taken outside.
A’Cai searched the palace grounds, sometimes fast and sometimes slow. Gradually, it headed toward a certain palace hall.
Xie Ning grabbed the somewhat frantic leash and turned back to ask: “Whose palace is this?”
Please don’t tell me we’ve searched all the way around and returned to Princess Yinyin’s own hall.
But Pei Shujing said with a terrible expression: “This is the Emperor’s sleeping quarters.”
Xie Ning also stopped, her eyes flickering as she stared at the tightly closed palace gate.
“Woof!”
A’Cai began to roar at the main hall, even trying many times to break free from Xie Ning’s leash and rush inside.
“What is the meaning of this commotion?”
An angry voice came from behind. It was the Emperor himself.
He frowned at the group of people: “Elder sister, Imperial Son-in-Law, what are you doing?”
“Am I not even allowed to sleep?!”
Xie Ning looked at the furious Emperor, carefully observing the expression on his face.
Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, the Emperor seemed to be laughed into anger. He waved his hand and said with disgust: “Hurry up and get out of here!”
Pei Shujing sneered: “Does the Emperor know where Yinyin went?”
The Emperor was startled: “Yinyin is missing?”
“Why didn’t you say so earlier!”
“Xie Jing, what good are you! How could a person just go missing! What are you standing here for, hurry up and go search!”
“Heh heh!” Xie Ning smiled, loosening the leash in her hand. A’Cai rushed into the sleeping quarters without hesitation!
“How dare you, Xie Jing, what are you trying to do?!”
“Elder sister, control your Imperial Son-in-Law!”
Pei Shujing ignored him and followed Xie Ning inside.
The Emperor watched their retreating figures, the corner of his mouth curling up unconsciously.
Xiao Yu, standing nearby, had a flicker in her heart. She nudged Liang Cheng, signaling him to follow as well.
“You, go arrest him!”
Just as A’Cai was trying to squeeze under the bed, the Emperor finally caught up. He pointed at Xie Ning and commanded Liang Cheng, who was beside him.
Liang Cheng’s gaze was fixed on Xie Ning. Then, he looked inquiringly at Pei Shujing.
He couldn’t obey the Emperor, but he also couldn’t openly obey his Commander-in-Chief in front of the Emperor, so Liang Cheng naturally passed the decision to the Grand Princess.
“Liang Cheng, dare you defy my order?”
This was Pei Shujing’s sharp question: “Did you not see what your superior is doing?!”
Liang Cheng immediately went to the Emperor’s bed and helped Xie Ning flip the bed over.
Everyone was silent. The Emperor’s face was ashen.
When the bed was flipped over, everyone saw a wooden chest underneath. Xie Ning’s eyes lit up. She wanted to open the lock on the chest but didn’t have a tool.
Fortunately, Liang Cheng was in armor. Xie Ning pulled out the saber from Liang Cheng’s waist and brought it down hard onto the wooden chest.
The Empress Dowager, who had rushed over, looked terrible, and Pei Shujing’s face was also covered in dark clouds.
“Clang!”
Xie Ning opened the wooden chest. What greeted her eyes was a little girl with a pale, blue-tinged face.
“My Yinyin…” The Empress Dowager’s eyes rolled back, and she immediately fainted.
“Mother!”
Pei Shujing quickly supported the Empress Dowager, turned her head, and glared angrily at the Emperor: “Call the imperial physician. If you’re a step late, I’ll skin you alive!”
The Emperor was terrified by the Grand Princess’s gloomy eyes. He involuntarily retreated a few steps and hastily ordered the guards to summon the imperial physician.
On Xie Ning’s side, she noticed a faint breath coming from the little girl. Overjoyed, and regardless of the consequences, she immediately began pressing on the little girl’s chest with her hands, then leaned close and forcefully blew air into her mouth.
A few minutes later, the little girl’s complexion gradually improved, and she finally slowly opened her dim eyes.
She stared at Xie Ning for a long time, her voice as thin as a mosquito’s, and said to Xie Ning.
“Be careful.”
“Hmm?” Xie Ning was first stunned. Then, she heard the sound of the hall door slowly closing. She sharply looked at the Emperor.
“How dare you?!”
The Emperor’s face was pale, his body shaking like chaff.
I didn’t want to, but did I have a choice?
It’s all your fault! It’s all your fault for forcing me!
A guard in the hall immediately walked out from a side chamber, unfolded an imperial decree, and recited: “I, the simple and unlearned, having suffered misfortune in the family…”
This seemed to be a signal. Chaotic footsteps and the sound of swords being drawn immediately rang out from the side chambers on both sides.
“Liang Cheng, Xiao Yu, protect the Mistress!”
“Xiao Zhu, open the door!”
Hearing Xie Ning’s command, Liang Cheng immediately stepped forward, kicked down the guard, drew his saber, and stood in front of the Grand Princess.
Xiao Zhu tried to pull open the hall door, but the door wouldn’t budge. She immediately broke out in a frantic sweat.
“Swoosh!” An arrow cut through the air. Xie Ning’s pupils contracted. She quickly turned around, holding Yinyin with one arm.
A muffled groan sounded like a sudden clap of thunder near Pei Shujing’s ear.
“Xie Ning!”
In this critical moment, Pei Shujing didn’t care about exposure anymore. She pointed at the Emperor like a madwoman: “Don’t mind me! Kill the Emperor! Kill them!”
The Emperor was so scared he crawled under the imperial desk, trembling: “It’s not my fault! It’s not my fault!”
Yinyin stared blankly at the arrow lodged in Xie Ning’s shoulder. Xie Ning smiled and said softly: “Yinyin is the best girl. Can you close your eyes?”
Yinyin shrank into Xie Ning’s arms and obediently closed her eyes.
“Xie Ning!”
Pei Shujing stumbled over, looking at her with deep worry.
Xie Ning shook her head, placed Yinyin in Pei Shujing’s arms, and once again raised her long saber. As she stepped forward, she had the presence of mind to say: “Don’t be afraid!”
A bolt of saber light descended from the heavens like silk. The leading general and his followers instinctively swung their sabers to block, but they couldn’t stop Xie Ning’s powerful downward strike.
Xie Ning struck the person directly across the chest, then a horizontal slice, and blood spurted high.
“Xiao Zhu!”
Xiao Zhu rushed out from the other side, meeting one or two soldiers.
But as soon as they clashed, another enemy closed in.
Xie Ning stepped forward and brought her saber down forcefully. The person was sliced open with a terrible wound from shoulder to abdomen. The horrifying scream was earth-shattering, almost tearing off the hall’s rafters.
After killing a few more people with Xiao Zhu, Xie Ning walked step by step towards the side chamber.
As soon as she entered, a sword came straight at her face.
“Kill!”
Xie Ning parried the sword with her horizontal saber and walked towards the person step by step.
Because her body was not armored, the previous arrow had deeply pierced her shoulder.
Coupled with the exertion of fighting all this way, Xie Ning’s face was now incomparably pale due to blood loss.
“You old man, you’re quite decisive.”
Xue Hanyan originally intended to take advantage of her weakness to kill her, but when his eyes met Xie Ning’s gaze, he shivered in terror.
What kind of eyes were those? Fierce, bloodthirsty, and various other negative emotions were concentrated there. Staring at him, it was as if she were looking at a pig or a lamb, considering where to make the first cut.
Xue Hanyan immediately abandoned the fight, turned around, and ran madly.
“Hoo!” A saber swung down. Xue Hanyan felt a trace of coldness chasing his neck.
“This old man, his legs are quite fast…”
Xie Ning licked her bloodless lips and pursued him step by step.
Xue Hanyan quickly rushed to the front hall. He looked up and saw that the Vermillion Bird soldiers on night duty in the palace had already broken through the door.
As for the soldiers he had arranged, they were in a panic.
Some were running around, looking for places to hide.
Some knelt and begged for mercy but still had their heads roll to the ground.
The one-sided massacre did not last long. Everyone’s gaze was fixed intently on the cornered Xue Hanyan.
Xue Hanyan retreated to the front of the imperial desk where the Emperor was hiding and said tremblingly.
“I am a Grand Secretary of Great Xia, Xie Jing, you…”
The sentence was only half-finished when a flash of saber light sliced across his vision in a beautiful arc.
The Emperor under the imperial desk clearly saw the look of disbelief on Xue Hanyan’s head as it fell to the ground.
“Ah!”
“Don’t kill me.”
“Don’t kill me!”
“It was all his idea, I was forced too!”
At this moment, the hall seemed to have been rained upon by blood. The Emperor’s dragon robes were soaked. Hiding under the imperial desk, he screamed in fear, begging for mercy, not daring to come out for anything.
The Grand Princess, Pei Shujing, sank weakly to the ground.
The clash of sabers and swords and the bloody massacre a moment ago made her dizzy. Her head was still buzzing, and various thoughts rushed in, finally coalescing into just one sentence: “Don’t be afraid!”
She felt a surge of strength. She slowly got up, carried Yinyin to Xie Ning, and gently wiped the blood from her face.
Xie Ning grinned, then fell straight onto the other side of Pei Shujing’s body.
Support Starting with Intercepting and Marrying the Eldest Princess
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
