The Foolish General's Mute Spouse - Chapter 93

93: Prey

Fu Yu’an pursed his lips and asked, “Dead?”

Si Qi nodded. “That’s what everyone says. Song Cang mentioned that since no one could find him and no one cared, they all assumed he was dead. By the way, Your Highness also shares the surname Fu—”

“It has nothing to do with me!”

Fu Yu’an hastily denied, relieved that he had never revealed his full name to him.

His voice was a bit too loud, cutting sharply through the air before fading, leaving only little Yuanbao’s babbling in the room.

“What I meant was…” he tried to backtrack, “it’s just a coincidence. Don’t overthink it.”

“Young Master…”

“I have matters to attend to. You two chat first. I’ll take my leave.”

Fu Yu’an fled in a panic, guilt practically written all over his face.

Xiao Zhu glared at him reproachfully but couldn’t bring herself to scold him.

The child didn’t know any better, and there was no way to explain it to him.

“From now on, don’t mention General Qi in front of the Young Master again, understand? The Young Master can’t bear to hear it!”

Si Qi tilted his head, feigning ignorance. “Why? Did they have some kind of feud?”

Xiao Zhu clicked her tongue and shook her head. “Stop prying. Study hard, and maybe you’ll find out someday.”

Si Qi gave an indifferent “Oh” and went back to devouring the beggar’s chicken, though inwardly, he had already pieced things together.

The Young Master’s guilty conscience and hasty escape only confirmed his suspicions.

No wonder General Qi had taken such an interest in him—it was all because of the Young Master.

He had only heard some rumors from Song Cang and didn’t know the full truth. The Young Master would never talk about it, so he’d have to keep digging on his own.

He just hoped it wasn’t a case of the general wanting to silence a witness. He’d have to keep the Young Master’s whereabouts tightly under wraps!

…

When Qi Ren entered the palace, the Emperor happened to be dining with the Empress Dowager.

Since the Emperor’s ascension to the throne, the Empress Dowager had devoted herself to Buddhist practices, rarely leaving the palace gates and paying little attention to outside affairs, as if she were on the verge of becoming a monastic.

A young palace maid ushered him in. Though it wasn’t even November yet, the palace had already lit warming braziers.

Qi Ren stared blankly at the crackling charcoal fire, lost in thought, wondering if he had caught a chill in the recent cold weather.

The Empress Dowager took one look at his distracted expression and knew exactly what—or who—he was thinking about.

“Ah Ren, have you eaten? Would you like to join us?” she asked gently, her face serene, her demeanor even more benevolent since becoming Empress Dowager.

Qi Ren clasped his hands in polite refusal.

“This subject has come today to request a favor on behalf of my mother. She misses Your Majesty and the Emperor dearly and wonders if, once the weather warms, she might come to the palace to stay with Your Majesty for a short while?”

The Emperor naturally agreed. After all, she was his maternal grandmother. Though they had rarely met, bl00d ran thicker than water, and if it would bring the Empress Dowager some comfort, he was more than willing to invite her into the palace.

Spending all her days chanting Buddhist scriptures, she needed some liveliness around her.

“The servants at the general’s manor might not be attentive enough, and there’s no one to talk to. It’s better for her to come to the palace—this old one could use her company,” the Empress Dowager said with a smile. “The New Year is almost here again. Why not celebrate it in the palace this time? Stay a little longer after the festivities, lest her health suffer from the journey.”

Qi Ren gave a noncommittal hum. “Mother said she doesn’t want to leave with me. I thought the long journey might be too taxing, and without her, there’d be no one to keep you company here.”

The Empress Dowager sighed, her expression tinged with sorrow. “If Yu’an were still here… I could at least talk to him. What a good child he was—how could he just… leave without a word?”

For two years, no one had dared to mention his name in front of him. Now that the wound had been abruptly reopened, the pain wasn’t as sharp as he had expected.

“Who knows? He was always moody, hot and cold. To be honest with you, he had always wanted to leave the capital, to escape this prison that trapped him.”

If it weren’t for the arranged marriage to me, perhaps he would have left long ago.

The Empress Dowager’s tone was full of disbelief. “I always thought the two of you got along quite well. Tell me the truth—did you do something to upset him? Yu’an has been stubborn since childhood. If you coaxed him a little, maybe he’d come back?”

Qi Ren grew angry at her words. “When did I ever upset him? Whether he comes back or not is up to him. He’s a grown man in his twenties—must he be coddled every day just to get by?”

“I heard he left in a hurry back then. He must have been frightened by something. Perhaps it was just a misunderstanding. You should talk it out properly.”

She knew exactly what the “misunderstanding” was, but she was confident that Fu Yu’an would never speak of it.

She understood that child all too well.

Self-sacrificing, sensitive, and insecure. He loved Qi Ren so much—of course he wouldn’t say anything that might sow discord between her and him.

Qi Ren held military power, and it wouldn’t do for him to clash with the imperial family.

The Empress Dowager played the role of a concerned elder sister, her face a picture of compassion—though she genuinely hoped the two could reconcile.

That way, he would remain childless.

A childless general was the safest, sharpest blade the Emperor could wield.

Every time Qi Ren heard her mention Fu Yu’an, his heart grew restless. He hadn’t done anything wrong—why was he the one forced to live like a widower?

“There’s nothing to talk about. He was determined to leave sooner or later. Words won’t change anything.”

The Empress Dowager shot the Emperor a meaningful glance, and just as His Majesty was about to chime in with some persuasion, Qi Ren brusquely took his leave.

The bird’s nest soup on the table was still steaming. The siblings hadn’t even spoken for the time it took to finish a cup of tea.

Fuming, he stormed back to his residence, then after some thought, headed straight for the training grounds.

Today was supposed to be his day off, but with his anger unspent and his pride preventing him from seeking out Fu Yu’an, he decided to take it out on someone else.

Thus, the law lecture was abruptly replaced with an archery and horsemanship class.

Siqi was punished with ten laps for whispering during the lesson.

Song Cang nearly wept as he watched Fu Siqi finish the run without even breaking a sweat. He couldn’t help but feel that his five extra years of life had been wasted.

“Clearly, I didn’t say anything! Why is the general punishing us again?!”

“I don’t know.”

“If this keeps up, I’m going to stop idolizing him, waaah!”

“……”

Si Qi glanced at him, remembering he still needed him to gather information, so he swallowed back his scoff.

That evening, just as Si Qi bid Song Cang farewell and turned to leave, he was abruptly grabbed by the collar by Qi Ren.

On high alert, and considering Qi Ren’s earlier unwarranted punishment, he guessed the man was probably fuming over something again.

And that something was definitely related to the young master.

He felt a wave of exasperation but maintained a respectful demeanor, saluting politely.

“What can I do for you, General?”

Qi Ren snorted and pulled out a small silver object from his robe, tossing it into Si Qi’s arms.

“This ring isn’t mine. Remember to return it to me tomorrow.”

Si Qi pinched the ring and examined it—sure enough, it was the one the young master had swapped.

Strange. When he’d handed it over earlier, Qi Ren hadn’t mentioned any difference. He’d assumed it was just an ordinary ring, so why the sudden fuss now?

Wait—the young master had one just like it! Could it be…?

Of course, this outburst was tied to the young master.

“Huh? Isn’t this yours, General? They look identical to me!”

“It’s not! The inscription inside is different!”

Qi Ren, irritable and careless with his words, jabbed at the ring. “See for yourself!”

Si Qi’s mouth fell open in exaggerated surprise. He tilted the ring under the setting sun, turning it this way and that, still feigning confusion. “But this is clearly engraved with your name, General. How can you say it’s not yours?”

Qi Ren froze, his rationality finally catching up.

He snatched the ring back, brows furrowed. “Then I must’ve remembered wrong. You can go now. And tell your young master to burn more charcoal—his health is already poor. If he catches a chill, no one will care for him!”

Si Qi paused mid-step, baffled by this sudden outburst. He couldn’t suppress a cold laugh.

“No need for your concern, General. I’ll take care of him myself.”

The moment the words left his mouth, Qi Ren regretted them. Si Qi, too, regretted his retort.

The two stood in silence, each drowning in regret.

Silence reigned that evening, and impulsiveness was their shared downfall.

After a long pause, Si Qi finally clasped his hands in a salute and turned to leave.

Qi Ren clenched the ring, watching him go, an indescribable ache swelling in his chest.

So, he really was in the capital.

A reckless impulse surged within him—one he hadn’t felt since his departure. It had been so long that people had nearly forgotten his epithet: “Mad Wolf.”

But now, he felt his bl00d boiling again, like a wolf spotting its prey.

The prey was cunning and skittish, liable to bolt at the slightest misstep.

Yet it was irresistibly alluring—especially after having tasted it once. Part of him wanted to drag it back to his den and pamper it, while another part seethed at its inexplicable escape.