Queen O's Timid Fugitive A - Chapter 47

47

It was another rare sunny day. The hooves of the horses rose and fell, the wheels rolled over the red earth, and white-haired Ah Fu gripped the long whip, casually turning his head, his gaze slipping through the curtain to the figure inside.

Dressed in a red robe adorned with a qilin pattern, Jiang Ciqing lowered her eyes, her slightly long hair cascading over her shoulders. As the shadows of roadside trees flickered by, her already pale complexion took on an inexplicable air of gloom.

“Family Head, shall we go to the imperial palace first, or…” Ah Fu finally couldn’t help but ask.

Jiang Ciqing lifted her eyes slightly, leaning back against the soft chair, her tone light: “The imperial palace.”

How could she dare go to the Princess’s Mansion first? On the surface, Jiang Ciqing and Xu Fusheng were sworn enemies who couldn’t stand each other. Yet, the Emperor treated the Jiang family exceptionally well, repeatedly bending the rules for Jiang Ciqing.

The spring hunt had ended yesterday, with the Eldest Prince emerging victorious, personally appointed as Marshal by His Majesty. He was to rest one night at the hunting grounds before returning to the capital and heading to the border city.

But no one could have anticipated that something major would happen that very night. A group of assassins suddenly stormed the imperial camp under the cover of darkness. Xu Fusheng and Liang Ji were both gravely injured and were urgently carried back to the capital overnight.

At this thought, Jiang Ciqing’s expression grew even heavier. Her hands clasped together, her palms slick with sweat.

The assassins from last night had taken poison and killed themselves before they could be interrogated. It was said they bore no clear clues pointing to their master, leaving no trace of who had sent them.

“Ah Fu,” Jiang Ciqing frowned tightly, unable to stop herself from confirming once more: “Is it true that Xu Fusheng was seriously injured?”

Ah Fu showed no trace of impatience, his voice steady: “Mu Wu is a reliable man. He wouldn’t speak carelessly unless he was certain. He was there when Miss Xu was carried off the carriage, and he said she was lying on her back on the stretcher, with a thumb-sized bullet wound on her left shoulder.”

Even though it wasn’t the first time she’d heard this, Jiang Ciqing’s heart still trembled. Her fingers clasped tightly, her knuckles turning faintly purple, reminiscent of an ancient torture device—the finger press, where bamboo sticks were tied with rope and tightened around a prisoner’s fingers, causing excruciating pain as the ropes were pulled taut.

Seeing her fall silent, Ah Fu quietly turned back, flicked the whip, and the horses’ hooves quickened their pace.

Jiang Ciqing let out a heavy breath, loosening her grip to stop tormenting herself. Her eyes, however, remained filled with complex emotions.

The Eldest Prince’s victory was expected. His maternal family was a military dynasty, and he had been trained by his grandfather and uncles since childhood. Despite his refined appearance, he was the strongest in martial arts among the three, though he usually kept a low profile. He hadn’t used his full strength during the autumn hunt, but this time, he had gone all out.

Since he gained the most from this spring hunt, he was unlikely to be the mastermind behind the assassination.

Could it be the Third Princess? Or the Fifth Prince?

Would they, out of dissatisfaction, send assassins? Moreover, the incident had delayed the Eldest Prince’s departure.

The Third Princess was cunning and cautious, unlikely to act impulsively out of anger.

Moreover, only the imperial family had the capability to fully manufacture firearms. Even if the Third Princess acted, she wouldn’t use such weapons to expose her identity.

The Fifth Prince, young and hot-headed, couldn’t hide his emotions and was easily provoked. He had seen the victory as his for the taking, only to have it snatched by his elder brother, giving him the strongest motive to act.

Yet, Jiang Ciqing grew suspicious. Even if the Fifth Prince was foolish, he wouldn’t be this foolish. It felt more like he was being set up as a scapegoat.

None of the spies in the city had received prior intelligence about anyone commissioning a large number of weapons or firearms. Even the shipments of iron and steel were at normal levels.

Another possibility surfaced in Jiang Ciqing’s mind.

Xu Fusheng.

Among this group, anyone else getting injured wouldn’t surprise her, but Xu Fusheng was different. Having survived countless assassination attempts in the wildlands, she should have been the first to sense danger and swiftly retreat with her guards.

Her thoughts tangled like a mess of threads. By the time Jiang Ciqing came back to herself, the carriage had entered the city. After last night’s incident, the capital’s atmosphere had turned cold and tense. Armored soldiers patrolled the streets, and entry into the city was strictly controlled. Even the Jiang family’s carriage had to lift its curtain for the guards to inspect.

Jiang Ciqing lowered the curtain and said softly, “Ah Fu, slow down.”

She and Xu Fusheng had tacitly maintained the rumor of their terrible relationship in the city. They avoided meeting in public, and if they had to appear together, it was like that time in the mountains—Jiang Ciqing chatting with Liang Anchen while Xu Fusheng spoke with others on the opposite side.

But now, this rumor had become a shackle, preventing her from visiting Xu Fusheng openly. If she were to go, it would have to be at someone else’s invitation, after multiple refusals, as a reluctant gesture.

Her fingers tapped on the chair as the carriage swayed through the streets. When she spotted the Fifth Prince’s carriage, Jiang Ciqing’s face lit up, and she immediately ordered, “Follow him.”

The atmosphere in the imperial palace was oppressive. Servants kept their heads down, cautiously going about their daily tasks. Jiang Ciqing timed her arrival perfectly, “coincidentally” stepping out of her carriage at the same time as the Fifth Prince, and the two entered the Emperor’s chambers together.

Before they even approached, the strong smell of medicine filled the air. Guards in heavy armor, gripping long swords, stood sternly at the door, refusing entry even to the Fifth Prince.

Liang Anmu, with his fiery temper, immediately snapped, “I’m here to see my father, why—”

Before he could finish, a trusted servant hurried down the steps, whispering, “His Majesty was in pain all night and couldn’t sleep. He just took medicine and is resting.”

“Oh… is that so?” Liang Anmu’s expression stiffened, his face barely holding together. “Then I’ll come back later to see Father.”

Jiang Ciqing nodded slightly, stepping forward and asking softly, “Where was His Majesty injured? What did the physician say? Staying up all night—won’t that worsen his condition?”

Her barrage of questions made her, an outsider, seem more concerned about the Emperor than his own son.

The servant’s tone softened as he answered, “Thanks to Her Highness the Princess stepping in, His Majesty was only grazed on the arm by a bullet. The burning pain kept him awake, but the physician just administered a cooling medicine, and he’s now asleep.”

Jiang Ciqing nodded as if relieved, then frowned slightly, repeating in a colder tone, “Her Highness the Princess?”

The Fifth Prince quickly chimed in, “This time, we owe it all to Fusheng. She saved Father…”

Liang Anmu rambled on about Xu Fusheng’s heroic rescue of the Emperor. His thinking was simple: Jiang Ciqing was already under his wing, and he wanted to win Xu Fusheng over as well. Naturally, he couldn’t stand their fiery rivalry and tried to mend their relationship.

To avoid disturbing the Emperor’s rest, the two bid the servant farewell and left. As they walked to the carriage, the Fifth Prince kept persuading, “Fusheng was injured saving Father. You should go see her.”

“Her injuries are far worse than Father’s. Bl00d was everywhere, and the physicians who arrived nearly panicked.”

“I know you don’t like her, but…”

Jiang Ciqing’s brows furrowed tightly, perhaps unable to endure his nagging any longer. After a long pause, she forced out, “Fine, for Your Highness’s sake, I’ll go take a look.”

Liang Anmu’s face lit up with joy. “I knew you’d see reason, Teacher!”

Jiang Ciqing nodded reluctantly.

The carriage stopped at the gate of the Princess’s Mansion. Jiang Ciqing followed the Fifth Prince inside. It was her first time stepping into this place. A fleeting memory flashed by—of that snowy winter day, the vibrant, ornate mansion gate, and the woman in the red dress turning back to glance at her in the snow.

Jiang Ciqing lowered her eyes, no longer in the mood to take in the mansion’s decor, silently trailing behind the Fifth Prince.

To him, this was further proof of their terrible relationship. He couldn’t help but worry, hoping Jiang Ciqing could keep her composure and not say anything inappropriate at the bedside. But on second thought, he figured that even if Jiang Ciqing disliked someone, she’d only give them the cold shoulder and avoid them, not do anything excessive.

No matter how grand the mansion, the place for rest was just a small courtyard with a single bed. Only two guards stood at the door, no trace of the chaos from before. The Fifth Prince spoke briefly, and the door was opened for them.

Inside, only one physician was packing up a medicine box. Seeing the two, he hurriedly bowed. Remembering the earlier events, the Fifth Prince, ever the model royal, began inquiring about Xu Fusheng’s condition.

But he forgot this was an ordinary physician, who would rather over-explain than conceal anything from a prince. A flood of words poured out, seemingly endless.

The Fifth Prince could only force a smile, nodding along politely.

Jiang Ciqing, meanwhile, found a moment of peace. She glanced through the partition curtain at the figure on the bed. Likely due to a back injury, Xu Fusheng lay flat on her back, her silver hair spread across the pillows. The white bandages wrapped around her shoulder were soaked with bl00d, nearly staining through. Her pale, bloodless face rested against the pillow, her eyes tightly shut, as if enduring immense pain.

Jiang Ciqing’s lips pressed into a tight line, her expression growing colder. She was furious that Xu Fusheng had ended up in such a sorry state for someone like Liang Ji.

Leaving the Fifth Prince to deal with the physician, she quietly approached the bed. Mindful of the others outside, she didn’t dare make any bold moves. She only sat on the wooden chair by the bedside, her eyes lowered, silently watching the other woman.

Her heart, chaotic all day, finally settled, only to be replaced by worry and reproach. Her fists clenched under her wide robe, but she didn’t dare reach out.

The voices outside continued, explaining that while no bones were injured, the firearm’s power was immense. The bullet had exploded near her shoulder and neck, embedding shrapnel in her flesh, which took the entire night to remove.

Jiang Ciqing gritted her teeth, turning her gaze away, afraid of revealing emotions she shouldn’t. She forced herself to think of other things—if she let her eyes redden in front of the Fifth Prince…

“Her Highness will have to endure a lot in the coming days, lying flat on her back…”

Jiang Ciqing swallowed her frustration, cursing inwardly: Serves you right for taking a hit for that Liang Ji.

Lost in thought, she didn’t notice the hand hidden under the blanket slowly lifting it, reaching for her wrist.

Before Jiang Ciqing, head lowered, could react, she was yanked toward the bed. Her left foot instinctively stepped forward to steady herself, her back bending toward the other woman.

Xu Fusheng, who had opened her eyes at some point, slightly raised herself, her chin lifting.

A flash of panic and shock passed through Jiang Ciqing’s dark eyes. Without thinking, she turned her head toward the nearby curtain. Xu Fusheng’s slightly dry lips brushed across her cheek, sending a tingling sensation through her. Outside, the Fifth Prince and the physician were still discussing the injury.

Jiang Ciqing hurriedly pulled back, her heart pounding as if it would burst from her chest.

But then she saw the woman on the bed curl her lips into a smirk, winking at her.

Her expression was utterly mischievous.