Chapter 151

Chapter 151: His People

Inside the tent, Sheng Zhi Wan drank tea at ease.

From time to time, other Madams and Misses came to chat, and Sheng Zhi Wan answered with calm grace.

Duke Qi and Meng Yang kept going to the front to ask whether any scouts had reported back.

They went three times, and there was still no news.

Meng Yang rested a hand on her lower belly. When Meng Yang saw that Sheng Zhi Wan could still sit there drinking tea, Meng Yang could not help speaking up. “Princess is not worried about the Heir Apparent at all. This hunt is life or death at your own risk!”

Duke Qi looked over.

Sheng Zhi Wan said, “I only have confidence in the Heir Apparent. Concubine Meng, do you not believe in the Heir Apparent’s ability?”

“…Of course not!” Meng Yang took a soft rebuff to the face and sat down, no longer daring to pick a fight.

Just then, a commotion rose from the crowd ahead.

Sheng Zhi Wan raised a brow and stood.

On the simple sand table, a black marker and a white marker represented the enemy and our side.

At that moment, the scouts delivered the first message from the deep forest.

“Our side has appointed Qi Shu Xian as Commander-in-Chief, with the Second Prince as Deputy Commander. After the Second Prince and Qi Shu Xian discussed matters, they took South Hilltop as their camp, preparing to use the terrain and the beasts of the forest to weaken Northern Di’s strength…”

“Northern Di excels at nomadic warfare. They split into two routes, led by General Hu Shu Xie and General Jin Ri Xu. Their strategy is to split into two and attack in place of defense…”

The Palace Eunuch placed the black and white markers in two positions and used different figurines to represent the numbers on each side.

Someone nearby praised Duke Qi, flattering him.

Sheng Zhi Wan pressed her lips together. Before the Palace Eunuch stepped down, Sheng Zhi Wan spoke. “How is the commoner team doing?”

The Palace Eunuch froze.

Only then did the others remember there was such a team. Even Minister Ye felt embarrassed to mention his son.

They were unarmed. If they could protect themselves, that would already be enough. How could they possibly affect the greater situation?

“Th-this…” The Palace Eunuch hesitated.

Then another carrier pigeon landed. It was the third report from the scouts.

The Palace Eunuch opened it and blinked.

“The commoner team… led by Young Master Shang Er… is now, now heading toward North Hilltop.”

Once the Palace Eunuch said that, everyone was stunned.

These dandies would be safer if they hid on the south mountain. Running to North Hilltop was basically handing themselves over to Northern Di.

At once, displeased gazes turned toward Shang Tian Hao.

First Madam Liu was also there with Liu Yan. The earlier matter had left Liu Manor deeply resentful toward the General’s residence, especially toward Shang Xing Yu.

Hearing this, First Madam Liu spoke with a sharp, mocking tone. “I thought they had some skill. Turns out they are just arrogant, all talk, and they are rushing off to die. Heh. General Shang had better teach his Young Master well when he gets back…”

First Madam Liu’s smile turned colder. “Of course, he might not have that chance.”

First Madam Liu wanted Shang Xing Yu to die inside the forest, so she would not need to pay those fifty thousand taels.

Shang Tian Hao’s face darkened. Shang Tian Hao wanted to say something, but Shang Tian Hao did not want to argue with a woman in front of so many people.

In the end, Shang Tian Hao only moved his lips, then flung his sleeve and left.

That unfilial son. Shang Xing Yu really did nothing but bring trouble.

Inside the main command tent, Emperor Chong Sheng sat with the Empress, Noble Consort Qi, the Eldest Prince, and the Third Prince.

Before them sat a larger sand table, and the Imperial Forest Guard Commander, Xie An, personally demonstrated and explained.

When Emperor Chong Sheng heard that Shang Xing Yu and the others had gone to North Hilltop, Emperor Chong Sheng’s brows knit tightly.

The Third Prince said, “Did these people wipe out a bandit nest by dumb luck and now think they can charge into the enemy camp for merit? How foolish!”

“Foolish indeed.” Emperor Chong Sheng nodded. Emperor Chong Sheng had seen Shang Xing Yu and the others speak so confidently before, and Emperor Chong Sheng thought they might have improved. It seemed Emperor Chong Sheng had simply overestimated them.

Seeing his Imperial Father agree, the Empress glanced at the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince hurried to follow along. “That is right! Northern Di warriors are fierce and can fight one hundred to one. They are nothing like a bandit group!”

Emperor Chong Sheng: “…”

Emperor Chong Sheng lifted his gaze and looked at the Crown Prince in silence.

The Crown Prince immediately grew afraid and lowered his head.

Sheng Yuan Hao’s lips curled slightly.

The Crown Prince was both foolish and self important.

The Third Prince had called Shang Xing Yu and the others foolish, but the Crown Prince, copying him, had praised Northern Di’s bravery instead.

That was not support. That was stabbing straight into their Imperial Father’s sore spot.

No wonder the Crown Prince was not favored by their Imperial Father.

Inside the tent, undercurrents swirled.

Outside, it was no calmer, because more scout reports came.

No one knew what Shang Xing Yu and the others were doing, but wherever they passed, there were marks left behind – scratches at the base of tree trunks, on fallen logs, and even on dirt slopes.

They brought out the shape of those claw marks.

The people around them could not figure it out at first. Sheng Zhi Wan only took one look and could not help showing a smile.

Meng Yang saw Sheng Zhi Wan smile and frowned. “What is Princess laughing at? Does Princess know what these are?”

Meng Yang did not believe a woman of the inner residence could understand such things. Meng Yang asked in front of everyone on purpose, trying to embarrass Sheng Zhi Wan.

Sheng Zhi Wan raised her brows at Meng Yang. “I do know.”

Meng Yang choked, thinking Sheng Zhi Wan was bluffing.

“Then Princess should tell us,” Meng Yang said.

Others also looked curious.

Sheng Zhi Wan did not tease them with suspense. “red fox claws are sharp. Whenever it passes, it leaves scratches on many surfaces. Young Master Shang Er and the others are forging red fox traces.”

“Ah?” Everyone froze. “What is the use of that?”

Sheng Zhi Wan lowered her gaze. “Northern Di excels at nomadic warfare, and their soldiers are brave, but they do not easily submit to each other. That is why the two Northern Di Generals split into two teams as soon as they entered the forest.”

Sheng Zhi Wan continued, “It is not only between those two Commanders. I fear it is the same among the soldiers. With the Imperial Father’s heavy reward set before them… tell me, if someone sees these traces, will they tell anyone else?”

The red fox was Emperor Chong Sheng’s top prize prey for this hunt.

If someone could hunt it alone, they would naturally earn a greater reward.

With Northern Di soldiers’ confidence in themselves, they would never want to share their reward with others.

So Sheng Zhi Wan looked at the sand table and faintly guessed Shang Xing Yu’s plan.

But… how did Shang Xing Yu know that the Imperial Father would use the red fox as the top prize?

Unless Shang Xing Yu also had people beside the Imperial Father.

Sheng Zhi Wan felt a jolt of alarm, but Sheng Zhi Wan did not let a hint of it show on her face.

Meng Yang had not expected Sheng Zhi Wan to truly know. Meng Yang bit her lip and stopped speaking.

“Is that so?” Minister Ye leaned toward Pei Ling Yuan. “Could it be that my son and the others plan to lure Northern Di’s soldiers to spread out one by one, and then break them one at a time?”

The two of them, with perfect unspoken agreement, ignored Shang Xing Yu entirely and wondered when their own sons had become so clever.

Sheng Zhi Wan did not deny it, but Sheng Zhi Wan still trusted her own guess.

First Madam Liu curled her lips nearby, thinking Sheng Zhi Wan had given those dandies far too much credit.

What plan could they have?

red fox claw marks? In First Madam Liu’s eyes, those useless boys might have left marks because they were afraid of getting lost.

The crowd waited another two hours.

They ate a simple midday meal delivered by the Palace Eunuch, and then the scouts sent a stream of new reports.

First came news from the scouts following Qi Shu Xian and the others. By noon alone, Sheng Kingdom had hunted quite a lot of prey.

Qi Shu Xian’s strategy also advanced steadily, and two fierce tigers had been driven toward the north mountain.

Then came news about Shang Xing Yu and the others.

“Uh…” The Palace Eunuch looked at the note and could not believe it. The Palace Eunuch flipped it over, front and back, and it really was only that one line.