"Sorry, I..."
The more intimate a person was to her, the more Lin Mengya did not know what to say to him.
Snow finally awoke. Its rough tongue started licking Lin Mengya’s finger. Its docile and sweet mannerism as totally unlike that of a wolf.
"Silly you, why did you apologize? That’s not necessary between you and me."
Qinghu said with a smile as he stroked Lin Mengya’s long hair.
She played along and rested her head on Qinghu’s elbow pit. In her heart, Qinghu was as close to her as her elder brother.
"I didn’t expect them to move so fast and be so despicable with their approach."
Having come from modern times, Lin Mengya was still considered infantile in these struggles between kingdoms.
Lin Mengya shuddered at the thought that even the royals of the western vassal state could act so despicable and filthy. She wondered how many more of such things would be waiting for her down the road.
"I told you. These people are like savage beasts. They are extremely vile and repulsive. You’re far too pure and innocent."
The dissension and internal strife within the royal harems did not come in the form of open and straight forward dealings.
The so-called glory was only a facet which covered all the filthiness.
"I so want to protect everyone who matters to me. What should I do, Qinghu?"
Lin Mengya’s heart was so unsettled that it had become a struggle for her, groping for what she should do.
With a pained look in his eyes, Qinghu stroked her long hair and with a tone of indifference, he said,
"This is a world in which people would cause you harm if you don’t cause them harm. If you desire to protect everyone who matters to you, you can’t wait for people to strike. Lass, do you know how Peach Blossom Dock became the number one organization for assassins in the bohemian?"
Lin Mengya shook her head. Qinghu rarely talked about the things regarding Peach Blossom Dock.
"It was because when Peach Blossom Dock was first established, all the more powerful assassins outside Peach Blossom Dock were annihilated.
What happened in the past had lost its original feel now when Qinghu spoke about them.
"Before that battle, Peach Blossom Dock did not allow any information leak." For this reason, the people in the martial realm were totally unprepared. From that time on, no one dared to go against Peach Blossom Dock.
Lin Mengya lifted her eyes to gaze at the mountain and forest afar off and her eyes twinkled with a strange radiance.
She had to remove all the obstacles in order to protect the people around her.
Be it the Crown Prince or the Queen, they had abused their powers to violate and ravage the integrity and destiny of anyone they wish to lay their hands on.
If she took away all the powers from them, they would not be able to bring harm to the people who mattered to her.
"I get it now. Thank you, Qinghu."
Her trembling and hesitant voice had turned to one with hopefulness and positivity. When Qinghu turned around, he could only see the hair on her head.
"Lass, I’ll always stay by your side to protect you."
Qinghu had been through too much filthiness and corruption in the first half of his life. He was going to use the rest of his life, even if it was only three short years, to use his life to protect and guard her.
"No way. How could I be considered strong if all I do is hiding behind others?"
He shook his head and a faint smile appeared on his handsome face.
If he had not seen how grieved she was last night, her smile would have fooled everyone in the world.
"Let’s get going. I’m afraid there is not going to be any peace and quiet even in the capital city from today on."
There was no hint of panic and anxiety in her voice, even though she was aware of the storm and bloodshed that was coming her way.
Lin Mengya put Snow down on the ground, and the little beast looked at her curiously with its large round eyes.
"Indeed, there is an impending storm."
Qinghu lifted his head to gaze at the clear sky as a mocking smile flashed across his face.
Back in the camping ground, there was an atmosphere of hostility in the air.
Hu Lunan was after all the Second Prince of the western vassal state, no matter King Ming’s pleasant disposition, it’d be impossible for him to let this matter rest so easily."
At this moment, some imperial guards appeared and walked up to Lin Mengya. Qinghu had quickly made himself visible while he kept an eye on Lin Mengya.
One of the imperial guards who looked to be in his thirties cupping one fist in his other hand and said,
"Greetings to Princess Yu. The Crown Prince had asked for you."
That was fast.
Lin Mengya nodded lightly and in a relaxed manner, followed the imperial guards on the way to the Crown Prince’s tent.
Snow had stopped looking adorable and submissive, as it always did in Lin Mengya’s presence.
There was an air of pride in as Snow lifted high its head, walking behind Lin Mengya.
Without a doubt, the tent belonging to the Crown Prince was the most luxurious and elegant one in the entire camping ground.
Before she even entered the tent, Lin Mengya could hear the voice of argument in the tent.
"Please hand over your princess, Prince Yu. Everyone saw that Princess Yu was the only person who had gone into the Second Prince’s tent. Now that the Second Prince had been seriously injured, Prince Yu, you have to give an account to us."
A eunuch had lifted the curtain at the entrance of the tent to allow Lin Mengya to enter. In that instance, all the eyes in the tents turned to her.
"Greetings to the Crown Prince and King Ming."
As Lin Mengya paid her respects to them, there was no hint of panic or fear in her mannerism at all.
Lin Mengya was wearing a gentle smile on her beautiful countenance. She looked almost flawless.
In the tent, King Ming and the Crown Prince were seated at the two sides respectively.
Both their faces were ashen. From the moment Lin Mengya entered the tent, their eyes were lit up. As they lifted their gaze to Lin Mengya, their eyes appeared to be boring into her.
"Let me ask you, Princess Yu. Were you the one who did harm to the Second Prince of the western vassal state?"
The gaze of the Crown Prince was fiery, but the expression on his face was chilly and stiff.
It seemed that he had a fierce argument with King Ming just a moment ago.
That was why his face was looking ashen.
Lin Mengya blinked, let her arms fall to her side and lied with her eyes wide opened.
"I’m so sorry what happened to the Second Prince, but I am not aware of what happened."
King Ming’s eyes were exuberating deep fury.
Unfortunately, there were no guards around when Hu Lunan was injured. The dancers who were with Hu Lunan were nowhere to be found too.
The imperial physician had given King Ming’s second son a diagnosis that he would be a useless person from now on.
King Ming clenched his fists and wished he could break the neck of this young girl before his eyes.
"Humph, let’s be honest; we are all intelligent people. I know you had a conflict with Nan. However, what’s been done to him was far too cruel and vicious."
To him, his second son was almost blameless, except for the fact that he loved to frequent brothels.
Not only did he have many concubines back in the palace, he even brought along the singers and dancers all the way to Dajin to entertain him.
No matter how much an underachiever he was, he was after all his son.
How would he not be heartbroken seeing him in this state?
"Do I have a conflict with the Second Prince? I don’t get what you’re trying to say. I remember during the state banquet, Second Prince had picked Elder Sister Yueting out of ignorance, but he can’t be held guilty because of his ignorance. I thought this misunderstanding had been resolved?"
Lin Mengya’s relaxed tone of voice coupled with the innocent expression on her face made it difficult for the people to see through her.
Lin Mengya took her seat by the side, acting as if nothing had happened. At the same time, an indifferent expression on her face did not betray any emotions. However, she acted as if she was as concerned about what happened as the others in the tent.
"You..."
King Ming had to quietly suffer his loss, although he had also heard about how Hu Lunan kidnapped Princess Yu.
For the sake of one woman, his unfilial son had upset his well-thought plan to secretly plant a spy in Dajin.
If he had not decisively abandoned this lead, more of his secret agents and spies would come to light.
"No matter what, since the Second Prince’s injury had something to do with Princess Yu, you have to be accountable somehow."
King Ming sounded as if he was trying to threaten Lin Mengya, but to no avail.
The smile on Lin Mengya’s face faded right away, and it was replaced by a chilly expression upon hearing King Ming’s words.
"Talking about accountability, I would like King Ming to give me an account too!"
Lin Mengya’s voice suddenly sounded severe.
On the surface, it appeared to everyone that the western vassal state guards were the ones who violated Yueting.
While Hu Lunan was merely enjoying a good time with his entertainer dancers when he was here.
The horrible thing happened to Yueting must have something to do with the Second Prince of the western vassal state.
The atmosphere intensified and everyone was holding their breath in anticipation.
There was no way King Ming could evade responsibility. All was down to his useless son.
Others might not know, but he was clearly aware of the power of the Lin Family. In the past many years, wherever the soldiers led by Lin Muzhi stationed, no one else could argue over that land.
What an imbecile Hu Lunan was, to have provoked the Lins and brought great shame to King Ming’s family.
Although Princess Yu was a young lady, she had a very sharp tongue.
This made it even more difficult for King Ming.
"There isn’t a conclusion to this matter yet, perhaps..."
The Crown Prince had thought that if he intercepted this matter, Lin Mengya would quietly back off and swallow the shame.
Little did he expect that Lin Mengya would use this to make things even more difficult for him."
"No conclusion yet? Is there any conclusion for the matter regarding the Second Prince of the western vassal state? Why then do you behave as if you are the judges here, while you humiliate the relatives of the royal family? Is this the solution the Crown Prince and King Ming you have come out with?"
Lin Mengya’s imposing manner was in no way inferior to that of the two men.
In an instant, silence filled the tent. No one would have expected that this demure Princess Yu was such a sassy personality.
Although the Crown Prince did have a part in supervising the state matters, he had yet to ascend the throne. Based on the laws of Dajin, he was not qualified to convict Lin Mengya.
Therefore, from the position of command, the Crown Prince had since given Lin Mengya a chance to retaliate.
"I’ve sent for you so that I can clarify what happened yesterday. Princess Yu had been oversensitive."
The Crown Prince had to back off given that the situation had come to this.
If the subjects and the nobles were to find out about this, there would a lot of finger-pointing and judging.
They might accuse him of helping their opponents. This could be catastrophic to him, as a supposed gentleman with integrity.
This would be extremely risky.
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