Chapter 130: It Should Be Fine

Wu Miaofu glanced at Shen Nanyuan’s face and remarked, "Cousin seems to be in a very good mood."

"It's alright," Shen Nanyuan replied nonchalantly. "Just the same as usual, nothing special."

She turned to look at Wu Miaofu, lifting her brows slightly. "You seem to be in good spirits as well, cousin."

"Yes," Wu Miaofu said, her eyes lingering on Shen Nanyuan’s face. "I’ve come to terms with something, so I feel a sense of clarity now."

The room was warm, shielding them from the biting wind outside the tent. Shen Nanyuan felt that the way Wu Miaofu looked at her was strange, though she could not quite pinpoint why. She smiled and asked, "What is it?"

"I don't think you would have such worries, cousin."

Wu Miaofu continued, "I have been away from home for a long time and have been missing it dearly. These past few days have been difficult, but today, it suddenly occurred to me that a woman must eventually leave her home, sooner or later. Once I understood that, my heart felt much lighter."

Shen Nanyuan nodded. "It is good that your heart is at ease. Besides, it is not as if you can never return; you will still be able to see your uncle. If he knows you are doing well in the capital, he will surely be comforted."

"Write a letter home when you return; your uncle misses you too."

Wu Miaofu lowered her head, looking meek and submissive. "Very well, cousin."

The afternoon sky changed abruptly, turning gloomy as if rain were imminent. This year’s imperial hunt had been plagued by misfortune. Yesterday, the Emperor had suddenly fallen ill; though he had recovered, the banquet had been canceled. Now, with the rain approaching, it seemed the hunt would come to an early end.

Standing before the tent, Shen Nanyuan watched the gathering dark clouds and said softly, "It will likely get colder tonight. Remember to have Liu’er ask the steward for more silver-frost charcoal, or you will be cold."

No sooner had she spoken than she saw Shen Jinyu running over from a distance, looking flustered. Shen Nanyuan frowned. "Slow down. Weren't you playing with the other noble youths? Why are you back so early?"

Given his personality, he usually would not return until evening.

"Sister," he gasped, breathless as he reached her. "I’ve heard something major!"

"What is it?"

The words tumbled out of him: "The Third Prince has been injured! Shot in the shoulder with an arrow! They say it was the Prince of Rui who shot him!"

Shen Nanyuan’s breath hitched, and she gasped, "What!"

"It just happened! They say the Third Prince is badly hurt; there was blood all over the ground!"

The news hit her like a physical blow, leaving her mind in a whirl. She moved to rush off, but suddenly realized that Wu Miaofu was still in the tent—and Wu Miaofu was engaged to the Second Prince.

Shen Nanyuan bit her lip to steady herself, though the worry and tension in her heart were hard to suppress. She took a breath, trying to adjust her voice to sound as normal as possible.

"Where is our eldest brother?"

Wu Miaofu, having heard their conversation from inside the tent, walked out curiously.

Shen Jinyu finally noticed her and tempered his words. "Er... with such a major event, our eldest brother must have gone to the Third Prince’s side. The Prince of Rui has intentionally attempted to assassinate an imperial prince; the consequences will be severe."

Because his son had been imprisoned and faced potential execution, the Prince of Rui had laid all the blame on Xiao Yan, which must have been his motive for wanting to kill him.

But... Shen Nanyuan frowned.

Xiao Yan’s martial arts were such that he should not have been hit so easily.

Her eyes shifted, casting a glance at Wu Miaofu out of the corner of her eyes, her voice remaining steady. "With the imperial physicians there, he should be fine."

But the Prince of Rui was clearly headed for disaster.

Not just him, but his entire household would likely be implicated. Even though Shen Jinyu said it was only a shoulder wound, attempting to murder an imperial prince was a grave crime, especially since Xiao Yan was the Empress's son.

Shen Jinyu rubbed his face and took a few steps toward Shen Nanyuan’s tent. "It’s raining."

As if on cue, the rain began to fall—a light drizzle that quickly grew into a downpour. The drops were as large as beans, and the sky darkened further as heavy, ink-black clouds pressed down. The rain lashed against the ground, splashing everywhere.

Shen Nanyuan’s heart grew heavy. Even knowing Xiao Yan should be safe, she was deeply worried and longed to go and see for herself. However, the area around him must be crowded, and with Wu Miaofu here, she could find no excuse to leave. She turned and went back into the tent, where Qing’rui poured three cups of hot tea to warm them up.

A silence fell, and each of them remained lost in their own thoughts.

—

"That Prince of Rui is truly a fool."

Gu Shengyu’s face held a hint of cold mockery and gloom.

"With him like this, he is of no help to me. Perhaps it is just as well that he joins his son in death; it saves me the trouble."

"Your Highness, this servant believes the Prince of Rui is not usually so reckless."

"Careless or not, he has been caught red-handed. If he did not intend it, then he was framed by the Third Prince, which only proves he is a fool nonetheless."

Gu Shengyu’s eyes darkened. "I only hinted that these few days would be a good time to act. I thought I might be able to help him, but I never expected him to lose his patience and clash with the Third Prince so directly. No wonder Father kept him in the capital and granted him an estate without the slightest bit of wariness; there was never any need to guard against him at all."

He spoke with biting sarcasm, yet his expression eased slightly.

"However..."

Fortunately, this event had brought the hunt to a halt, leaving no clear victor. He had never imagined that the Third Prince’s archery skills would be so exceptional; in his presence, his own pride in his hunting prowess had been utterly shattered.

Still, at least the Prince of Rui had done him one last favor before his death.

A faint, cold smirk tugged at Gu Shengyu’s lips. "Let’s go. Let us visit my third brother."

"Yan’er," the Emperor said, his face full of heartache. "How are you feeling now?"

Xiao Yan shook his head. "Father, I am fine. Please do not worry."

"How can you be fine?" The Emperor’s face showed growing anger. "I truly could not have imagined the Prince of Rui would do such a thing."

He asked, "What exactly happened?"

Xiao Yan lowered his gaze, his complexion deathly pale, which only made the Emperor ache for him more.

"It must be because I uncovered the misdeeds of his heir while investigating the case, which led the Prince of Rui to harbor a long-standing grudge against me. That is why he resorted to such actions."