The night is cool as water, and the Yuanhuang City lies on the bed, with furrowed brows and closed eyes, but it is difficult to fall asleep.
Outside the window, the cold moon hangs high, the clear and cold moonlight filters through the lattices onto the ground, as if a thin layer of frost.
As soon as Yuanhuang City closes his eyes, he sees Yu Yaoyao risking her life to protect him.
His lips curl into a sweet smile, and his eyes are filled with pain.
But then, involuntarily, a scene of Yu Yao returning from the outhouse at the horse stable appears in his mind.
At that time, she was distracted, her gaze was always wandering, and she looked like she had something heavy on her mind.
At that time, she said she was tired, and he didn't think much either.
However, on the way back, they encountered an attack by the Western Kingdom's court.
Thinking that she was a dancer presented to Jing by the Western Kingdom's court...
Yuanhuang City doesn't want to doubt whether she has anything to do with it.
But the harder he tries to suppress it, the stronger the suspicion becomes.
He fidgeted, turning over in his mind, like a ball of tangled yarn that couldn't be untangled.
The night wind stealthily blows into the room, moving the bed curtains slightly, as if mocking his sensitivity and suspicion.
Even to doubt the woman he loves.
Or to save his woman without hesitation, without any regrets.
If Yu Yao finds out that he has such suspicions about her, I don't know how sad she will be.
Yuanhuang City sat up, his gaze blankly fixed on the dark corner, his mind filled with her every frown and smile, and the image of her pushing him out of the way, throwing herself in front of the arrow that struck him, her whole body stained with blood.
"Yu Yao, how could you be so foolish?" He held her tightly, his heart breaking with every question.
"My lord, I am fine, and I don't regret... "
Her face was pale, but she stifled the pain with a smile.
"My lord, to be able to protect you and keep you safe, I am very happy."
"My lord, don't worry, I am fine."
......
Thinking of this, Yuanhuang City slapped himself hard, the loud sound of the slap echoing in the night.
He felt like a mental case, a beast, and a scoundrel.
A person like him doesn't deserve the love of a woman.
He kept his eyes open until dawn, unable to sleep all night.
Unknown for how long, several bird songs are heard outside, and dawn is gradually approaching.
Yuanhuang City, however, was still lost in his own thoughts, unable to pull himself out.
At this moment, a faint knock on the door is heard, it is Li Fu's voice: "My lord, it's time to get up."
Yuanhuang City took a deep breath, trying to calm his emotions, he replied: "Come in."
Li Fu, with the maid, pushed open the door and saw that the prince looked tired, with dark circles under his eyes, knowing he hadn't slept well last night.
Thinking that perhaps the prince couldn't sleep because of yesterday's attack...
Li Fu didn't ask any questions, nor did he have the right to as a servant.
He merely signaled the maid to attend to the prince's bath and grooming.
While the servant attended to him, Yuanhuang City asked, "What happened at Mingxia House? Did Yu Yao sleep well last night?"
Li Fu, hearing the prince's words, slightly bowed his head and respectfully said: "My lord, the old servant has not heard any abnormalities in Mingxia House. It is likely that the concubine Nuo should be sleeping peacefully."
Yuanhuang City's eyebrows furrowed slightly, as if he was not satisfied with this answer, but he did not say anything more.
After washing and having a simple breakfast, he went to the study.
He began to dive into official business.
He tried to distract himself with official business, to prevent his mind from wandering aimlessly.
In the back yard's Mingxia House, Yu Yaoyao leaned against the bedpost, holding a silk handkerchief in her hand, but her eyes were somewhat empty.
The sunlight streamed through the window sills onto her, yet she was unaware of the warmth.
The room she lived in was tastefully and exquisitely decorated, with carved window lattices and bed curtains embroidered with exquisite patterns, all demonstrating the dignity of the owner.
Xiang Ling carried a bowl of medicine and pushed open the door, walking over to her. She stopped next to her and whispered, "Master, it's time to drink the medicine."
Yu Yaoyao snapped out of her daze, took the bowl of medicine, frowned slightly, closed her eyes, and drank it all in one go.
After drinking, she handed the bowl back to Xiang Ling and sighed.
Xiang Ling saw the master sigh and worriedly asked, "Master, is it because of the pain on your body? Otherwise, should I call the doctor?"
Yu Yaoyao shook her head and stopped Xiang Ling from wanting to call a doctor over.
"My heart is in disarray, I don't know what thoughts the prince has about me now."
"Master, don't worry too much. As you protected the prince with your body, the prince must be grateful to you. With your child carrying the prince's genes, as long as you don't commit any serious mistakes, you will have a lifetime of wealth and comfort. Even if a future queen enters the palace, there will still be a place for the master."
Xiang Ling, who was unaware of the situation, smiled and comforted her.
Yu Yaoyao pulled at the corners of her mouth. If she hadn't had the identity of a killer from the Western Regions, indeed, she wouldn't have to worry. With her act of saving his life, the child in her belly, and Yuanhuang City's affection for her, she wouldn't need to fret.
Even the position of the concubine, she has the ability to occupy.
But the Western Kingdom's killer identity stood between them, and her purpose of coming to Jing was to kill Yuanhuang City.
She's not sure how this man will treat her after he finds out the truth.
Would he execute her as an assassin, or let her go and stay in the palace backyard…
Or, after she gives birth to the child in her belly, he might let her leave far away, so that from then on they are just a stone's throw apart but forever separated by distance, never to see each other again for the rest of their lives…
"But I hope that's true. However, my identity... Ah, I'm always afraid that I will lose the trust and favor of the prince."
Yu Yaoyao looked out the window, her expression complex, with a thousand thoughts in her heart that she couldn't express.
Meanwhile, after being assigned their tasks, the West Wind and the North Wind began their investigation.
The West Wind infiltrated what appeared to be an ordinary inn.
He acted like an ordinary guest, chatting with other guests in the lobby, while his ears keenly caught every word around him.
The inn was filled with the aroma of food and the noisy chatter of guests. The West Wind, while drinking and eating, carefully distinguished useful information.
At the same time, the North Wind walked into an old teahouse.
The teahouse was filled with people from all walks of life. He sat in a corner, quietly listening to the high talk among the martial artists, trying to find any trace related to the attack incident.
In addition to the West Wind and the North Wind, the hidden agents of Qin Wang's Mansion scattered across various places were also mobilized, investigating in secret in various ways.
As night falls, the lights are just beginning to shine.
The West Wind, dressed in a black night-time outfit, quietly climbed into the mansion of a wealthy merchant.
In that well-guarded mansion, he carefully evaded the patrolling servants and sneaked into the study in search of any secret letters or ledgers that might exist.
The North Wind, on the other hand, was among the gamblers in a hidden casino, blending in with them.
He skillfully chatted with them, digging valuable information from their casual boasting and complaints.
After several days of investigation without rest, they indeed discovered quite a few useful clues.
Even more, the West Wind and the North Wind discovered an earth-shattering secret.
The beloved concubine Nuo, whom the master cherished deeply, was actually a top-level assassin secretly cultivated by the Western Kingdom's court.
She was proficient in beauty, martial arts, music, calligraphy, painting, and singing and dancing.
Even more, she had undergone special training on how to deal with men.
The reason she was sent to Jing country was to assassinate the master.
This discovery startled both the West Wind and the North Wind greatly.
The two had suspected the authenticity of the investigation information before.
But no matter how they investigated and confirmed.
All the clues pointed to the fact that Concubine Yu was a top-level assassin trained by the Western Kingdom's court.
This matter is of great importance, and the West Wind and the North Wind dared not keep it a secret. They quickly went to report to Yuanhuang City.
At night, the Qin Wang's Mansion was enveloped in darkness. The moonlight was thin and could barely illuminate the cobblestone path that led to the study in front of the courtyard.
Within the study, the candlelight flickered, casting a somber glow on Yuanhuang City's stern face.
He wore a black brocade robe, with dark gold cloud patterns embroidered at the sleeves. He was buried in processing a mountain of official documents, and a subtle exhaustion could be seen between his eyebrows.
"My lord, I have something important to report."
The voice of the West Wind echoed outside, with a hint of urgency and gravity.
Yuanhuang City lightly raised his eyes, casually said: "Come in."
He continued to handle official matters, lowering his head.
The West Wind pushed open the door, holding a rolled-up secret document, which was the information they had collected tirelessly over several days.
He approached Yuanhuang City, bowed respectfully, and said, "My lord, after the investigation by the West Wind and the North Wind over several days, we have some leads on the attack that occurred in the forest on that day."
Yuanhuang City stopped writing and looked up at the West Wind, indicating for him to continue.
"The black-clad assassins who attacked your majesty that day were indeed the assassins from the Western Kingdom. They disguised themselves as a caravan, traveling long distances from the Western Kingdom to Jing country, with the sole purpose of taking your majesty's life."
The West Wind's voice was filled with fury, and he couldn't wait to kill the Western Kingdom's court right now and slaughter those brats.
Yuanhuang City's face darkened, and with a snap, he broke the wolf-hair brush in his hand into two pieces.
He rose abruptly, the wide sleeves fluttering with his movement. He sneered coldly, "Indeed, it was them!"
The words were forced out through clenched teeth, laced with endless anger.
The West Wind had expected the master to become angry, and thought that the identity of Concubine Yu as a Western Kingdom assassin had yet to be reported. He wondered what the master would do if he discovered the truth.
He suddenly had a splitting headache.
