Chapter 39: The General’s Pampered Little Wife 39

Chapter 39: Chapter 39: The General’s Pampered Little Wife 39

"Oh? Let’s hear it."

The Second Prince looked at his advisor with great interest. Though the man had only joined his household for a little over ten days, he had already earned the Prince’s great favor, and his words were always pleasing to the ear.

"Young Master Song was once clearing out bandits near the Royal Hunting Ground. It was during that time that he brought back Yue Niang, the only concubine in the Song Mansion to have ever borne a child."

"Of course I know about that. My mother-consort was the one who had a wealthy merchant arrange for that Yue Niang. We never admitted it, but the Song Family was adamant it was our doing, which is why they poisoned me and my mother-consort with that sterility medicine."

The mere mention of it made the Second Prince grind his teeth in hatred.

All he had wanted was to get the Song Family under control, to keep them from getting too full of themselves after helping him ascend. Why did they have to take it so far?

The crucial point was that his father, the Emperor, had refused to act on the matter, citing a lack of evidence.

Besides, he’d already gotten his revenge on Song Yuxi, so he hadn’t had the energy to pursue it further.

"Your Highness, you only know one part of the story, not the other. Though Yue Niang was a courtesan raised from a young age by that wealthy merchant, she has biological parents. And they contacted her once after she arrived in the Capital City."

"Who?"

"The chief of the bandits on Huangmu Mountain, near the Royal Hunting Ground."

"Hah. A mere bandit chief. What is he capable of?"

A cunning glint flashed in the advisor’s eyes. "A bandit chief who operates within ten *li* of the Royal Hunting Ground is no ordinary man," he said. "Your Highness, allow me to explain. The origin of the child Yue Niang carried was a mystery. With no heirs of their own, the Song Family dared not take any chances and decided to wait until after the birth to perform a blood-paternity test."

"Yue Niang seduced a young servant, tampered with the bowl of water used for the test, and thus deceived the Song Family. They were forced to hold their noses and accept both her and her child. It’s difficult to say who the child’s true father is, but regardless, the child is undeniably Yue Niang’s."

"That bandit chief has only ever had one child: Yue Niang. He sold her to the merchant back when he was destitute, but now he wants his descendant back. After all, his stronghold on Huangmu Mountain is also in dire need of an heir."

"Yue Niang is barely clinging to life in the Song Mansion. If we use her as bait and leverage the Song Family’s name to get the bandit chief to cooperate, kidnapping Lady Xiao would be child’s play, would it not? And if anything goes wrong, the Second Prince’s Mansion can remain completely uninvolved, keeping its hands perfectly clean."

A gleam lit up the Second Prince’s eyes. He mused for a moment before speaking. "An excellent plan! If this succeeds, I will be sure to reward you handsomely. I’ll leave the arrangements to you. Make sure everything is perfect."

"Rest assured, Your Highness, I already have it all planned out. I will imitate Young Master Song’s handwriting and write a secret letter to the bandit chief. In the letter, writing on behalf of the Song Family, I’ll promise him great rewards to ensure his cooperation during the autumn hunt. Once the hunt begins, we will bide our time and strike at the opportune moment."

"Excellent. Go and prepare at once. There is no room for error."

*

On the eve of the Royal Hunt, the great families all set out in their carriages.

The thirty-*li* journey was quite long; the procession would need at least two days to reach its destination.

Ji Xiaosong did not bring the children with her; they were still too young and were left behind at the mansion.

The General Mansion was as secure as a fortress, so she had no need to worry about her children’s safety.

Xiao Shen remained by the Emperor’s side. His duty was to protect the Emperor from any potential dangers during the journey.

The journey was uneventful, and they reached the encampment safely. Everything remained calm until the hunt began the following day.

Nearly all the men entered the hunting grounds, while the women remained near the encampment. They gathered in small groups to chat, admired the scenery, or cast curious glances toward the hunting grounds, hoping their husbands, fathers, or brothers would return with a bountiful catch.

"Lady Xiao, General Xiao has been injured in the forest! Please, come with me at once."

Ji Xiaosong’s heart seized. Her face filled with worry, and without a second thought, she followed the man.

"My Lady, if the General were injured, the attending Imperial Physician would be sent. You mustn’t worry so."

Her nanny tried to calm her, but Ji Xiaosong’s mind was consumed by a single thought: Xiao Shen was hurt.

’He came home covered in blood once before. What if he’s really hurt this time? What will I do?’

’What if one of his old enemies has come for revenge?’

’Rongrong has been out enjoying the mountain views for the past few days. She isn’t here. It’s too late to ask her to check on him.’

"I have to go see him."

Ji Xiaosong insisted on going, and her nanny had no choice but to follow.

Along the way, Ji Xiaosong was frantic with worry, constantly urging the guide to walk faster.

The nanny’s stamina gave out, and she was left far behind.

Realizing something was wrong, she quickly signaled for the Hidden Guard to close the distance.

Meanwhile, the unfamiliar man led Ji Xiaosong down increasingly remote paths. The farther they went, the more silent and deserted their surroundings became.

Ji Xiaosong gradually began to feel that something was amiss. She stopped and asked, "Why is this path so remote? Have we taken a wrong turn?"

The man hastily replied, "Rest assured, My Lady. This is a shortcut. We’ll reach the General much faster this way."

Ji Xiaosong’s brow furrowed, her suspicion deepening. "You’re acting suspiciously. Who sent you?"

Seeing that he had aroused her suspicion, the man’s expression suddenly turned vicious. He whirled around and lunged at her.

Just in the nick of time, the guards who had been secretly protecting Ji Xiaosong sprang into action and subdued the man.

Ji Xiaosong broke out in a cold sweat. Composing herself, she said, "Take him back and interrogate him thoroughly. We must find out who is behind this."

"Yes, My Lady!"

’If the Hidden Guards hadn’t intervened, I would have had to use my Spiritual Power.’

’I don’t have much, but it would have been more than enough to escape.’

’That’s why I dared to follow him in the first place.’

But just as she walked back to the camp, Xiao Shen returned.

He was dragging a massive tiger, accompanied by a small group of men.

Following beside Xiao Shen were the sons of several court ministers.

They had accompanied Xiao Shen during the hunt and together discovered the fierce tiger.

Xiao Shen had acted with incredible bravery, striking first to subdue the beast. The young masters had assisted him, and together they had successfully brought down the tiger.

The crowd surrounded Xiao Shen and headed straight for the Emperor’s tent, wanting to claim credit and seek rewards.

Before the Emperor’s tent, Xiao Shen knelt respectfully and presented the tiger. "Your Majesty," he said, "your servant has been fortunate enough to hunt this great beast. May Your Majesty’s fortune be as vast as the heavens, and may your empire stand eternal."

The young masters also bowed, chiming in over one another, "It was all thanks to General Xiao’s fearless bravery that we were able to fell this beast! We merely offered what little help we could."

The Emperor was greatly pleased. He praised Xiao Shen and the others lavishly and bestowed upon them generous rewards.

Just as all eyes were fixed on the tiger, a voice suddenly cried out, growing closer.

"Urgent report! A surprise bandit attack! Lord Song and the Second Prince are injured!"

The messenger was a soldier, covered in blood and wild with panic.

He scrambled and stumbled before the Emperor, his voice trembling as he continued, "Your Majesty, the situation is critical! The Second Prince and Lord Song are trapped in a valley, surrounded by bandits! Their guards have suffered heavy casualties! They need reinforcements urgently!"

The Emperor’s face changed drastically. "Those audacious bandits!" he roared. "Dispatch troops at once! You must rescue my second son and Song Aiqing!"