Chapter 68: The Heir Apparent Part 1

The little maid’s words were half-understood, and Wei Lingci was stunned for a moment. Xun Changqing stood up first, curving her lips in a mocking smile. “How could it just be eating the wrong thing? Go find Uncle Yuyin and head to the stables. I’d like to see if it’s real poison or fake. With so many horses in the stables, if one had to die, they all should have died together.”

Wei Lingci suddenly thought of something and opened her mouth, her lips moving, but she said nothing more. The pair of stallions, one male and one female, now had one dead. The horse in the County Princess Mansion was probably left all alone now.

Yuyin had been in the accounting room tallying accounts. Upon hearing the little maid’s words, he was also dazed for a moment. Without checking the ledgers, he hurried to the stables.

Xun Changqing liked horses but rarely rode them, so she knew nothing about them. Wei Lingci stepped forward instead, examined the horse that still had white foam in its mouth, then went to look at the dead horse in the other stable with similar symptoms. She asked the still-trembling stablehand nearby, “What did it eat to end up like this?”

The stablehand was a young lad who had come in through connections because the Pingnan Prince’s Mansion had few masters and the work was easy. But after the Prince returned to the mansion a few days ago and the Second Young Master came to take a horse, the stables had been unsettled.

The Princess’s horse was an imperial gift, and as servants, they had taken good care of it. But when he arrived that morning, the horse was already dead. Losing his job was a small matter; the Princess getting angry was the big problem.

He glanced at the silent Xun Changqing and felt his heart sink. He knew how much the Princess treasured her horse. Hearing Wei Lingci’s question, he hurriedly said, “This lowly one doesn’t know. When I came this morning, these horses had no energy. I thought they were hungry, so I brought hay for them to eat. But after a few bites, they all frothed at the mouth and collapsed.”

The stablehand knelt on the ground and looked pleadingly at the arriving steward. “Steward, this lowly one really doesn’t know what happened… Please… save this lowly one.”

Yuyin also felt a headache coming on. A few days ago, the Second Young Master and the Princess had nearly quarreled over this horse, and now it was dead. The Prince’s Mansion was growing more restless by the day. At a loss, he glanced at the fallen horse and tried to mediate. “Princess, how about sending someone to investigate?”

Xun Changqing’s expression flickered between dark and light. Suddenly, she smiled faintly, a chill rising in her eyes. A cold smile, neither deep nor shallow but chilling to behold, hung on her face. She patted the steward’s shoulder. “Uncle Yuyin, do you think there’s any need to investigate? It’s just a beast. It’s my fault for letting it disturb the entire household. Dead is dead.”

Yuyin was speechless and broke out in cold sweat. Whether they investigated or not, it was the servants’ fault. This way was actually simpler. Besides, making a big fuss would be improper. From Xun Changqing’s earlier words, he knew she suspected someone behind it, but he wasn’t sure if “beast” referred to the horse or the culprit.

Only the stablehand, hearing there would be no investigation, let out a deep sigh of relief. He had kept his job.

……

When a crescent moon arced across the sky, Zi Jin returned.

Dressed in black, she carried no weapons.

Wei Lingci spotted her at once and hurried out of the room in shock. “Did you make a move?”

Silver moonlight sprinkled lightly on her black clothes, her long hair draped over her shoulders. Zi Jin’s face was pale, but her steps were steady. Looking at Wei Lingci, guilt filled her eyes. “After tracking him all afternoon, I was discovered. Several people came, all with high martial arts. I had to flee in a panic.”

Xun Changqing came out upon hearing the noise and looked her up and down. Seeing her injuries weren’t severe, she relaxed. “As long as you’re alright, go rest. Don’t bother with this anymore.”

Zi Jin shook her head, an inexplicable chill surrounding her, as if invisible ice had frozen her blood. “That peddler is no ordinary man. The ones who fought me had decent skills too. If Lingyun Mountain disciples encountered them, they’d only suffer.”

Xun Changqing didn’t interfere in Lingyun Mountain matters and let Wei Lingci question her. She heard, “Did you clash with them? Could you tell which sect they were from?”

I don’t know. Their moves were eclectic, like those from minor jianghu sects with no big background. But these kinds of people are popping up more and more in the Imperial Capital.

Wei Lingci nodded. Zi Jin was injured, so she sent for a physician, and they bustled about half the night.

The matter alarmed Xun Yi, who specially sent someone to inquire. Hearing she was fine, he sent over some medicinal herbs.

But there was even more commotion in the front courtyard. Xun Changqing sent someone to scout, but it came to nothing.

Xun Changqing hadn’t expected the daytime incident to alert Xun Yi. He was not one to tolerate sand in his eyes. A few days ago, the two children had quarreled unhappily over the horse, and he hadn’t spoken. Today, hearing the horse was dead, he wasn’t stupid—he could guess what happened.

Xun Yibai’s temperament had been spoiled by his mother Gu Liangyin into what it was now. He and his elder twin brother Xun Yitan were born together; as the younger and legitimate, everyone doted on him. Previously, the two illegitimate daughters in the mansion didn’t dare provoke him. Now, Xun Changqing had a stubborn personality, and since it was their first meeting, they didn’t know each other’s tempers—quarrels were normal.

But resorting to poison was intolerable.