Chapter 42 What a Husband Ought to Do

For the next two days, Xiao Yuanchi remained cooped up in his study, venturing out only on rare occasions mostly to receive visitors. With Mr. Zhang present, there was no need for Yin Jiaojiao to greet incoming and outgoing guests.

"It turns out that Grand Chancellor Yin was the one pushing hard to investigate the uncleared accounts of Supervisor Yang," said Qiuming. "Fortunately, as soon as the Prince's demotion was announced, the imperial court instantly quieted down. Although Supervisor Yang is also to be demoted, this matter can now be considered as settled. As for the Qingzhou embezzlement case, it is said to be handed over entirely to Grand Chancellor Yin and the Mayor of Eastern Capital. The official stance has not yet been announced, but judging from the discussions among the people on the streets, the matter will likely be handled with grand gestures and concluded with minor consequences."

Yin Jiaojiao listened in silence, lowering her head.

"When I went out to hire them, I secured two men from the martial arts underworld. They belong to different organizations, but upon hearing that we could afford their price, they spoke straightforwardly, though with a condition."

"What condition?"

"They will only investigate the Madam and the Dowager Madam, and will not touch Grand Chancellor Yin."

Yin Jiaojiao was not surprised. "No one dares to touch my father. Since they made their terms clear beforehand, it proves that the people you found are professionals."

"Just as you instructed, I gave them special orders to investigate the time before the Madam and the Dowager Madam were married thoroughly and meticulously, leaving no detail, big or small, unchecked."

Yin Jiaojiao slowly finished writing her final stroke and said, "Well done."

Qiuming hesitated for a moment before asking, "Your Highness, I thought you would investigate the current Madam, Lady Li. I never expected that you would want to investigate the late Madam, your biological mother. She has been dead for so many years; why investigate her now?"

"Naturally, I have my reasons, though they are difficult to explain all at once."

Yin Jiaojiao put down her brush. Perhaps out of habit from copying scriptures, or perhaps for some other reason, even though she no longer needed to put up a facade in order to visit Nanshan Temple, she continued to apply herself to the booklets sent by Xiao Yuanchi. She had already finished copying several of them. With her mind settled, her thoughts grew broader, and she once again recalled Lady Li's visit that day.

Aside from pushing her daughter forward, the Four-Spirit Minor Golden Elixir specifically mentioned by Lady Li had kept her tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

"What did the people at the Prime Minister's residence say when you went to retrieve the medicine?"

"Your stepmother first called me in and questioned me at length. I told her just as you instructed—that you had interceded on behalf of Xialan, but accidentally angered the Prince and were placed under house arrest, leaving you with no choice but to drop the matter. I also said that from then on, I would be the one collecting your medicine. Upon hearing this, your stepmother's expression improved considerably. She instructed me to tend to my duties diligently and not to emulate Xialan, and then she handed me this box of pills."

"To think she handed it to you personally," Yin Jiaojiao mused. "I must find a way to have someone test it."

"Old Master Dong is still at the estate. Why not just ask him? Is there anything in this world that Divine Doctor Dong cannot test?"

"No, that won't do. The Prince will be setting out shortly. With mountains and rivers stretching afar, he needs Divine Doctor Dong even more. Besides, Old Master Dong is the Prince's man. If I consult him, he will surely inform the Prince, and the Prince right now... there is no need to trouble him with such trivial matters."

Qiuming was comforted to hear this and smiled. "You are still thinking of the Prince in every way, Your Highness. However, while the latter reason might be open to debate, the former no longer holds true. Old Master Dong is not accompanying the Prince to Liangzhou."

"Why?"

"Because Old Master Dong is staying behind to look after you! I happened to run into Deputy General Su when I returned just now, and he told me that Old Master Dong will accompany you to Nanshan Temple and will only leave once you have fully recovered."

"But I am already much better now, and an ordinary physician..."

"Being much better is not the same as being fully recovered. If you are not well, the Prince will not let him leave." Qiuming looked at Yin Jiaojiao with utter bewilderment. "The Prince is showing such care for your health, Your Highness. Could this possibly be a bad thing?"

It was good—exceptionally good—but good in a way that felt eerie.

He was sending her away while leaving the divine doctor behind for her, single-mindedly determined to keep her away from danger and preserve her life. He seemed to have suddenly realized what a husband ought to do. Was it simply because she had blocked a sword for him?

Impossible. He had perceived the trickery behind that sword-blocking incident and was not moved at all.

Then why? Since her death was ultimately his goal, why insist on saving her now? What difference did it make whether she died sooner or later?

Could it be that the fatal feathered arrow had not been shot by him?

Even more impossible.

The Grand Mountain and River Bow was the most treasured bow of the founding Emperor of Da Yong, taking three years of painstaking labor to craft. Legend had it that it was made using dragon tendons and phoenix bones, and ordinary people could not even draw it. As for that feathered arrow, it was specially crafted by Xiao Yuanchi to match the bow after he acquired it. The bow and arrow were always used as a matched set, each indispensable without the other, and only Xiao Yuanchi could wield them. If he was not using them, they would be locked away in the armory under the care of a dedicated keeper. Who else could possibly touch them?

Thus, it was still him.

The execution by arrow in her past life had been real, and the present care was also real.

Yin Jiaojiao stared blankly at the newly copied volume of the Lotus Sutra. Mr. Zhang had already come by to inform her of the departure time. Xiao Yuanchi was a man of his word; tomorrow morning, she would set off for Nanshan Temple. He had assigned a squad of his personal guards from the estate to follow her. Now, she had people at her disposal, wealth at her fingertips, and even a divine doctor—she could very well live a carefree life in the temple.

The situation of the Military Commissioner of Liangzhou, however, was quite different. In the days to come, border conflicts would erupt frequently, until the time she was captured by the minor Chanyu of the Di Rong tribe before her death, when the entire imperial court and its surroundings had already descended into utter chaos. Xiao Yuanchi was practically running himself ragged.

In her past life, she too had been one of those running themselves ragged, too immersed to think deeply. Looking at it now from the outside, the slightest misstep would cost Xiao Yuanchi his life.

Naturally, she hoped he would meet with a misstep sooner rather than later. Once he died, she could possess the vast estate of the Prince's mansion and live free from hidden dangers forever.

Yin Jiaojiao stared fixedly at the Lotus Sutra, causing Qiuming to look on in bewilderment.

"Your Highness, are these characters poorly written?"

"They are fine, couldn't be better!" Yin Jiaojiao put down the scripture with a restless heart and asked casually, "Is there any movement from the Western Courtyard?"

"Your Highness!" Qiuming perked up. "You've finally asked the crucial question! The Western Courtyard is certainly striving hard. Madam Sun goes to the study every day to visit the Prince, bringing food and drink. One day, I even heard the sound of a zither coming from inside. Your Highness, I heard that the Prince is preparing to take her to Liangzhou, just lacking an official pretext."

A pretext was not hard to find. In her past life, Gu Xuezhi had submitted a petition to enter the palace and have an audience with the Emperor, claiming she wished to return to her husband's family in Liangzhou. The Emperor had granted permission and instructed Xiao Yuanchi to escort her back to Liangzhou on his way to assume his post. No better pretext could possibly exist.

Presumably, once she left the Prince's residence, they would begin arranging it. It showed that what was meant to happen would happen in the end; she could not afford to soften her heart and must seize the opportunity to escape quickly.

After a long silence, Yin Jiaojiao sighed and said, "Very well, Qiuming, accompany me out for a trip."

Xiao Yuanchi's study, named Sinking Boat Studio, was a moderately sized courtyard. Within the courtyard grew a bamboo grove connected to the Western Courtyard. When the wind blew, it rustled with a clear, tranquil, and secluded sound. This was Xiao Yuanchi's favorite place; whenever he was in the Prince's residence, he could be found here nine times out of ten.

Before her rebirth, she had often come here to find him, making her quite familiar with the paths. Therefore, she successfully ran into Gu Xuezhi.

Along the only path leading to the study was a winding, secluded little bamboo grove, and the two of them met face-to-face in this narrow passage.

Spring had arrived, and the weather was much milder than in previous days. Draped in a sparrow-feather cloak and looking as delicate as a wind-blown willow, Gu Xuezhi blocked the middle of the path. It appeared she had just seen Xiao Yuanchi, and her delicate, frail charm had not yet faded away. Yin Jiaojiao once again regretted coming to the study, but since she had reached the threshold, she could only press forward.

As they drew closer, Gu Xuezhi's crimson lips parted slightly as if she had something to say. Yin Jiaojiao did not even need to guess; it would undoubtedly be those utterly hypocritical falsehoods. Too weary to humor her, Yin Jiaojiao gave a slight nod and prepared to walk past, denying her any opportunity to speak.

However.

"Your Highness's life is truly tenacious," Gu Xuezhi called out, her voice unusually cold and heavy. "To survive a deep sword thrust and still find a way to escape a sudden calamity—Xuezhi is truly curious: are you deeply in love with the Prince, or are you merely a knife wielded by your father, Grand Chancellor Yin, to deal with him?"