Free Web NovelChapter 785: Chapter 791, Chapter 792: Princess Deti
The next morning.
On the official road outside the Capital City.
"Giddy up... giddy up..."
More than a dozen swift horses galloped on the road, making a da-da sound.
Leading them was a tall woman with no jewelry embellishments on her body, simply wearing a black leather skirt, a red tassel around her neck, and her waist tightly bound by a black belt inset with silver. Hanging from it was a finely crafted longsword, with rubies and sapphires on the sheath and a pure crystal hilt. On her back, she carried a longbow that was entirely crimson.
The woman’s long hair was simply tied into a ponytail, fluttering in the wind as she rode. Her black leather skirt was short with slits on both sides, revealing black and red boots and form-fitting black pants. Her thighs were slender yet exuded a sense of taut strength.
Both arms wore dark gold bracers that seemed to contain hidden mechanisms. A small red mole the size of a mung bean adorned her brow, giving her an exceptionally heroic and fierce appearance.
In her hand, she wielded a red leather whip, occasionally lashing it on the horse’s rear. The steed neighed sadly, and its speed abruptly increased.
"Commandery Princess, please slow down. The horse can’t take it anymore." Accompanying her was a guard from the woman’s household, and the speaker was her personal maid.
The maid’s attire was similar to the woman’s but lacked her beauty.
Noticing the numerous scars and fresh blood oozing from the rear of Princess De Yi’s mount, the maid couldn’t help but remind her.
Yet, Princess De Yi, her mind racing with urgency, didn’t heed the maid’s warning. Instead, she felt the current speed was still not enough, and she raised her whip again, swinging it down with a loud "crack."
"Neigh..." freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
The swift horse beneath her finally reached its limit, crashing headlong to the ground, and the momentum flung Princess De Yi forward.
At the moment she was about to hit the ground, she leapt up, using the longbow on her back to brace and redirect her force, then landed firmly on her feet.
"Princess."
"Princess."
"..."
The accompanying guards and personal maid quickly reined in their horses. The maid dismounted to check on Princess De Yi: "Princess, are you alright?"
Princess De Yi waved her hand, wasting no time as she mounted the maid’s horse, saying, "Spring Orchid, squeeze in with someone else."
With that, Princess De Yi spurred the horse and galloped away.
In less than half an hour, she arrived in the Capital City, heading straight for Princess Yanyang’s Mansion without stopping.
At this time, both inside and outside of the Princess’s Mansion, white lanterns were hung, and faint wailing could be heard.
Many people had arrived at the mansion.
Because today was the day Princess Yan Yang was to be buried.
The Kings and Ministers all came to pay their respects, and Xingyin was also present.
Just as all the elaborate rituals were concluding and Xingyin ordered the procession to begin, a guard quickly ran in, respectfully saying to Xingyin, "Your Highness the Third Prince, Princess De Yi has returned."
At this, the surrounding crowd started whispering amongst themselves.
Indeed, many suspicious points surrounded Princess Yan Yang’s death, points they ignored only out of deference to Xingyin’s authority.
Besides the suspicious cause of death, the timing of the Eldest Princess’s burial was also peculiar, being far too hasty.
According to the mourning customs of Yelang Kingdom, the coffin should be left for no less than three days, in hopes that the deceased might revive. For the Emperor’s Imperial Family, especially someone like the Eldest Princess, the time would generally be longer.
Yet now, it hadn’t even been three full days, and Xingyin was already pushing for the burial, which was indeed quite unusual.
Hearing this, Xingyin’s heart sank unexpectedly, realizing that De Yi’s speedy return was beyond his expectations.
But outwardly, he displayed a delighted expression, saying, "She returned just in time to see Aunt off."
As he finished speaking, Princess De Yi, along with her guards, strode in.
But upon seeing the coffin in the sacrificial hall, Princess De Yi, who was suppressing her emotions, could hold back no longer and knelt in front of the coffin, bursting into tears: "Mother, your child is back..."
The depth of her emotion and sincerity evoked great sympathy.
Xingyin, watching Princess De Yi kneel by the coffin, had a glint of fervor in his eyes as he muttered to himself, "De Yi is becoming more and more like Aunt."
Once De Yi had cried her fill, Xingyin approached her with the demeanor of a cousin offering care to his cousin, saying, "De Yi, restrain your grief. I swear to you, I will find the murderer who killed Aunt and bring their head to apologize at Aunt’s tomb."
As he spoke, he bent down to help Princess De Yi, but she discreetly evaded his touch.
Getting to her feet, Princess De Yi confronted Xingyin before all the Ministers, questioning, "Was it really Shuang’Er who assassinated Mother? Did Your Highness the Third Prince witness this personally?"
"Not much different. I happened to go to see Aunt for something and suddenly saw Aunt’s personal maid, Shuang’Er, rushing out of Aunt’s room in a panic. I didn’t think much of it at the time. When I entered the room, I saw Aunt lying on the floor with a dagger stuck in her heart and a teapot overturned nearby. Afterward, the Imperial Physician confirmed that the tea was poisoned, and according to the servants of the mansion, before I arrived, only Shuang’Er was with Aunt."
There were actually many loopholes in Xingyin’s words, such as if he had been there earlier, how could he "happen" to see Shuang’Er rushing out after the assassination? However, he had already bribed all the people in the Princess’s Mansion, allowing him to fabricate stories at will.
"That still doesn’t prove Shuang’Er is the murderer. Shuang’Er has been with Mother since she was ten. If she wanted to assassinate her, she could have done so long ago. Why wait until now?" said Princess De Yi.
