The Duke's Pampered Darling is So Scheming

Chapter 379: Chapter 379: I Have to Go

An assassination attempt at the Royal Hunting Ground—it was an absolutely appalling event.

Emperor Muwu was enraged. He immediately commanded the Imperial Army to split into three groups and head deep into the forest to search, ordering them to apprehend the assassins at all costs.

"Where is the Second Prince!?" Emperor Muwu demanded, scanning the area. He didn’t see Xiao Chengxuan.

A military general immediately stepped forward. "Your Majesty, Prince Qi is still in the forest. I have already sent men to provide him with backup."

Consort Ru’s slender brows furrowed in apprehension. "I heard there were more than a dozen assassins, and every one of them is a martial arts expert. If Cheng Xuan runs into them, what will he do?"

Emperor Muwu’s face was cold and grim. "He is a Prince! If he doesn’t even have the courage to face an enemy, what a disgrace!"

Consort Ru then realized she had misspoken and hurriedly said, "This consort has spoken out of turn. I beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness!"

At that moment, Emperor Muwu had no time to dwell on such things.

"Where are the ones in charge of the hunting ground? They actually let assassins in! How in the world are they doing their jobs?!"

A group of attendants fell to their knees.

The Eldest Princess tried to placate him. "Now is not the time to assign blame. It won’t be too late to deal with these people after Yanchuan and the others return."

In a corner, Ye Chutang frowned as well.

’A Feng and Yan still aren’t back.’

The hunting ground was vast, with rolling mountain ranges and dense forests. If something had truly happened, just finding someone would take ages.

Suddenly, she felt a gentle tug on her sleeve.

Ye Chutang turned her head to see Xiao Wu gazing at her with a worried expression.

’Our big brothers will be okay, right?’

Ye Chutang patted her head. "Don’t worry. They should be back soon."

The wait stretched into the afternoon.

Those who had entered the forest to hunt earlier gradually returned, most of them still unaware of what had transpired.

Yet as time went on, there was still no sign of the brothers, Ye Jingyan and Ye Yunfeng.

Of course, the Third Prince, Shen Yanchuan, and the others hadn’t returned either.

After a long time, a sound once again broke the forest’s prolonged silence. Everyone turned to look in that direction.

"WHOA—"

Xiao Chengxuan rode up, his attendants behind him dragging a great deal of game.

Xiao Chengxuan had a bountiful harvest, returning fully laden with game. He had been in excellent spirits the entire way, thinking he would surely win first prize.

But before he could even dismount, he noticed the atmosphere was off.

The Imperial Army was standing guard all around, their presence stern and solemn.

He frowned. "What’s going on...?"

"Cheng Xuan!"

Seeing him, Consort Ru rushed forward joyfully, then hurriedly looked him over from head to toe.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Xiao Chengxuan looked puzzled. "I’m perfectly fine. Why would you ask that, Mother?"

Only then did Consort Ru relax, her expression still worried. "You don’t know? There was an assassination attempt on Cheng Qi!"

Xiao Chengxuan was stunned. "What?"

Consort Ru quickly explained the situation to him.

"...The Heir of Duke Dingbei led his men in pursuit, and after your imperial father found out, he also sent out several parties. But there hasn’t been any news so far."

Xiao Chengxuan finally understood.

He immediately said, "Then I shall take some men and go at once—"

"And what do you think you’re doing?" a deep, cold voice interjected. Emperor Muwu had emerged from his tent at some point and was now staring at him with a grim expression.

Xiao Chengxuan quickly bowed in greeting and explained, "Imperial Father, this hunting ground is too large. If I take more men, perhaps we can find Third Brother and the others sooner—"

Emperor Muwu cut him off. "Yanchuan is already in pursuit, and the Imperial Army has been dispatched. There’s no need for you to go and cause more trouble. Just wait here."

His tone was calm, yet it carried an indisputable imperial authority!

Xiao Chengxuan’s heart skipped a beat. He finally realized something was wrong.

’Could it be... Imperial Father suspects this was all my doing?’

Xiao Chengxuan opened his mouth to protest, but in his peripheral vision, he saw Consort Ru giving him a warning look. He swallowed the words he was about to say.

"...As Imperial Father commands."

...

"Chutang, do you think the Second Prince had anything to do with this?" Back in their tent, Princess Qingyang thoughtfully replayed the scene in her mind.

Ye Chutang shook her head. "I don’t know either."

Princess Qingyang rested her chin in her hand and narrowed her eyes slightly. "He didn’t seem to be acting just now. It looked like he really had nothing to do with it... but who knows."

But that wasn’t Ye Chutang’s main concern. Right now, she only cared about one thing: Yan and A Feng still hadn’t returned.

A Feng was one thing, but Yan was always sensible. He should have started back by now, no matter what.

A faint sense of unease settled in Ye Chutang’s heart, and she couldn’t seem to calm down.

It was rare for her to feel this way.

Finally, she said, "I have to go out."

Princess Qingyang didn’t register it at first. But when she saw Ye Chutang start to walk out, she was stunned and rushed to block her path.

"Wait! Where are you going?"

Ye Chutang said frankly, "Yan and A Feng have been gone too long. I’m going to go look for them."

Go look for them?

Doesn’t that mean going into the forest?

Princess Qingyang’s immediate reaction was to refuse. "Absolutely not! The hunting ground is huge! How will you even find them?"

"I have my ways."

"That’s not—" Princess Qingyang felt a headache coming on. "The Imperial Army is already out looking. There might be news soon. Isn’t it better to wait here? What if they return and you’re not back yet? Besides, those assassins haven’t been caught. It’s far too dangerous!"

But Ye Chutang was insistent. "Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. Where’s your horse?"

"My horse is... wait a minute!" Princess Qingyang nearly fell for it. Seeing that Ye Chutang wouldn’t change her mind, she finally gritted her teeth. "Fine, if you insist on going, I’ll go with you!"

Ye Chutang nodded. "Alright."

Only then did Princess Qingyang breathe a small sigh of relief.

"Then I’ll go find a horse for you."

She knew that Ye Chutang wouldn’t be able to rest easy for a single moment until the brothers Ye Jingyan and Ye Yunfeng returned.

It would be too heartless of her to insist on stopping her.

"There’s been no word from my brother and his group either. I don’t know what’s going on with them."

The longer the delay, the more uneasy everyone felt.

Afterward, Princess Qingyang accompanied Ye Chutang to take Xiao Wu to the Eldest Princess’s tent.

Upon learning that the two of them planned to enter the forest, the Eldest Princess merely frowned for a moment before giving her direct approval.

"Take some guards, and be sure to return before nightfall."

Anyone else would have surely refused, but the Eldest Princess had been on the battlefield herself and had no patience for the tedious rules about what a woman could or could not do.

Furthermore, she even specially lent her own horse to Ye Chutang.

It was a warhorse.

Although the Eldest Princess was advanced in years, her estate still housed the horses that had once served her.

Its speed, strength, and agility far surpassed those of an ordinary horse.

Ye Chutang bowed earnestly in thanks, then prepared to set off into the forest with Princess Qingyang.

However, a servant had just led the horse over, and before she could mount it, she heard a familiar voice call out anxiously:

"Chutang!"