Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 153. Infiltration
153. Infiltration
In an ordinary residential house in Xinyang City, Han Mingyue sat on a bamboo couch with a sullen look on his face, staring at the man in grey kneeling before him. "What did you say?"
The man in grey showed no fear on his face and calmly replied, "My lord, our men have found it impossible to get close to Miss Su." Han Mingyue casually waved his hand, and the porcelain on the table beside him crashed to the floor, shattering into pieces. "Useless! I refuse to believe that in just a few days, Princess Consort Ding was able to secure the Governor’s Mansion so tightly that you couldn’t find a single loophole!" The man in grey pondered for a moment and said, "Princess Consort Ding seems to have a very unique strategy for defense and security. Two months ago, all the countries’ forces gathered in the Capital City and still couldn’t break into the King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion. In my opinion... it is impossible to safely take Miss Su out of the Governor’s Mansion with our current manpower."
Han Mingyue said grimly, "Then bring in more people! Even if we have to bring in everyone from the Northwest, we must rescue Zuidie."
The man in grey frowned slightly and said, "Please reconsider, my lord. If a large number of people suddenly appeared in Xinyang City, I’m afraid it would arouse Princess Consort Ding’s suspicions. It would probably put Miss Su in an even more disadvantageous position." Han Mingyue closed his eyes briefly, let out a slight sigh, and said, "Fine, you decide. Pick as many men as you need, but make sure Zuidie is safe." The man in grey hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, my lord."
With a deeply furrowed brow, Han Mingyue asked, "Is there any news from the Governor’s Mansion?"
The man in grey said, "Apart from one serving girl, Princess Consort Ding has prohibited anyone from getting close to Miss Su. I’ve instructed our men to approach that servant girl, but she is extremely loyal to Princess Consort Ding; there’s no way she would help us get close to Miss Su. However, we did manage to get some information from her. Miss Su indeed suffered a head injury, and although a doctor was called, it’s likely that scars will remain. Additionally, Miss Su has been calling for help every day. But the small courtyard is surrounded by the covert guards from Prince Ding’s Mansion. I’m afraid Miss Su must be having a..." A flash of pain crossed Han Mingyue’s eyes. He waved his hand and interrupted, "That’s enough! Rescue Zuidie as soon as possible. Ye Li... if you harm her, don’t blame me for being ruthless!"
Inside the Xiling camp, the Southern Garrison Prince read the recently received news. His mood seemed to have lifted, a stark contrast to his somber demeanor of the previous days.
"Why hasn’t Han Mingyue arrived yet?" Looking at the message in his hand, the Southern Garrison Prince’s eyes gleamed with the certainty of success. He turned to the attendant beside him and asked. The attendant paused briefly before replying, "Your Highness, Young Master Han arrived a few days ago." The Southern Garrison Prince frowned. "If he’s here, why hasn’t he come to see me?" Truth be told, the Southern Garrison Prince didn’t hold Han Mingyue in high regard. In his view, someone who would betray his homeland, friends, and brothers for a woman was not only incapable of achieving great things but also deserving of very limited trust. If it weren’t for Tianyi Pavilion, which Han Mingyue controlled and which the Prince desperately needed, he wouldn’t have bothered with him at all.
"Your Highness, Young Master Han... Young Master Han didn’t come to the military camp. It seems he went straight to Xinyang."
BANG! The Southern Garrison Prince slammed his hands on the table and shot to his feet. His face was filled with anger, his imposing aura immediately silencing the attendants in the tent, who dropped to their knees with a thud, daring not to speak. The Southern Garrison Prince scoffed, "What audacity, Han Mingyue! I thought he was merely arrogant due to his talents, but it turns out he’s just a fool!"
"Your... Your Highness?" The attendants by the Southern Garrison Prince’s side were all his trusted aides and clearly understood Han Mingyue’s identity. While the Prince indeed despised Han Mingyue’s character, he had always praised his talents. Where is this ’fool’ accusation coming from? they wondered. The Southern Garrison Prince sneered, "Does he think Xinyang City is so easy to infiltrate? I’m afraid he’ll get in but won’t be able to get out!" A look of shock crossed the attendant’s face as he tentatively asked, "Your Highness... should we inform Young Master Han?" The Southern Garrison Prince sat down again, lost in thought for a moment, then said, "Han Mingyue... HUMPH! He’ll be ruined by a woman sooner or later. Forget it; it’s probably too late to notify him now. Send men to take control of Tianyi Pavilion’s forces in the Northwest. I fear trouble is brewing." The attendant hesitated for a moment, then reported honestly, "Tianyi Pavilion has always been under Young Master Han’s sole control. Without his seal, no one else knows the full details of Tianyi Pavilion’s operations; I’m afraid we..."
"Damn it! Send someone into the city to bring Han Mingyue back alive, no matter what!" the Southern Garrison Prince’s face darkened as he ordered coldly.
"Yes, Your Highness. Young Master Han likely rushed into the city because of the... Noble Consort. If anything happens to her..."
"It doesn’t matter. I just need Han Mingyue to come back alive! Otherwise, his Tianyi Pavilion will be useless!" To the Southern Garrison Prince, while Bai Long was beautiful, a beauty’s value was far less than power. Since Bai Long no longer had any further use, rescuing the more valuable Han Mingyue was naturally the priority. If Bai Long were to die, Han Mingyue and Mo Xiuyao would become mortal enemies, which also aligned with his interests.
"Understood, Your Highness."
「Xinyang City」
In a secluded courtyard within the Governor’s Mansion, Su Zuidie, dressed in plain clothes, sat sullenly by the window, lost in thought. She had always prided herself on her unparalleled, flower-like beauty, which had captivated countless heroes, dignitaries, and emperors over the years. From an orphaned daughter of an official in Great Chu, to the fiancée of the Second Young Master of Prince Ding’s Mansion, then to a daughter of the renowned Bai Family of Xiling, and finally, to the Noble Consort of Xiling who held great power in the harem—she had never doubted her allure. But now, it was precisely her overconfidence that had led to her confinement in this small courtyard, living her days in a muddled haze. She once believed that even if Mo Xiuyao blamed her for abandoning him when he was gravely injured, he would forgive her and be overjoyed if she just apologized. However... she recalled that day in the study. The moment she was about to strike the pillar, she saw Mo Xiuyao’s indifferent expression; his calm eyes showed no ripple of emotion. It was as if he wasn’t witnessing someone about to die, but merely a servant girl reporting something mundane. At that moment, she clearly understood: Mo Xiuyao didn’t care about her. He wouldn’t be swayed by her beauty, nor would he feel any pity for her. Yet, because of this, the love she had hidden deep in her heart only grew stronger. She was madly jealous of Ye Li. That man was supposed to be mine, and the position of Princess Consort Ding should have been mine! But now, Ye Li has me trapped here, unable to move...
"Miss, it’s time for your meal." A young maidservant walked in, holding a tray with simple dishes, speaking cautiously. This beautiful Miss Bai was not easy to serve, a fact the young maid had learned well over the past few days.
"Get out! Tell Ye Li if she doesn’t release me, I’ll starve myself to death here!" Su Zuidie ordered sternly.
The little maidservant glanced up at her, then quickly lowered her gaze and said softly, "The Princess Consort said... even if Miss Bai starves to death, the Prince won’t blame her. So... if Miss Bai really doesn’t want to eat, then please don’t. Miss Bai... you really shouldn’t try to anger the Princess Consort..."
"Impossible!" Su Zuidie stood up, glaring fiercely at the timid maidservant. "Xiuyao wouldn’t treat me like this! I want to see Ye Li! Tell her to come out and see me!"
Looking at the beautiful yet frenzied woman before her, tears welled up in the young maidservant’s eyes. "Miss Su... The Princess Consort... the Princess Consort is very busy. You... you should eat your meal. I’ll leave it here." After speaking, she placed the meal on a nearby table and fled as if a man-eating monster was hot on her heels.
Su Zuidie glanced at the food on the table: four simple, plain dishes, a soup, and a bowl of rice. No exquisite ingredients, no superb cooking, even the knife work was ordinary—clearly common home-style food. Su Zuidie had lived a life of luxury for years, always having the best of everything. How could she deign to eat such fare? With a sweep of her hand, she sent all the dishes crashing to the floor. The maidservant, who had only just run out, heard the commotion and quickly returned. Seeing the mess on the floor, she stammered, "Miss... Miss Bai..."
Su Zuidie lifted her chin and said coldly, "How do you expect me to eat this lowly stuff? Take it away and make something else!" The maidservant said with difficulty, "But... this is what everyone is eating now."
"Insolence!" Su Zuidie raged. "Do you even know who I am? How dare you serve me this kind of food?"
"But... the Prince and Princess Consort eat this too. Miss Bai, these dishes are actually quite tasty. You... this is too wasteful." With the Xiling army currently besieging the city, although grain was plentiful, vegetables were gradually becoming scarce. Even the Prince and Princess Consort ate very simple meals daily. There was no way they would prepare special dishes just for Miss Bai. Su Zuidie’s face turned livid with anger. These past few days, she had come to understand this servant girl somewhat. She looked timid as a mouse, and a few words would make her cry, but at certain times, she was infuriatingly stubborn. And Su Zuidie couldn’t even punish her to vent her anger, because if she made any excessive moves, the guards stationed outside the door would come in and stop her.
Quite incensed, Su Zuidie snorted and snapped, "Get out!"
The little maidservant glanced at her carefully and respectfully retreated. Miss Bai is angry, she thought. It would be best to come back later and clean up.
Alone in the room, Su Zuidie looked at the scattered food on the floor, a wave of frustration washing over her. She hadn’t eaten anything for breakfast or lunch due to her tantrums, and now she was indeed hungry. Thinking about the suffocating frustration of the past few days, she clenched her teeth and, with a flick of her sleeve, returned to her inner room. Ye Li, you better pray you don’t fall into my hands! Otherwise, I, the Noble Consort, will make you wish for death but find no release in it!
"Zuidie..."
A very soft call came from a corner. Startled, Su Zuidie turned to look. Han Mingyue, dressed in black, had somehow appeared in the corner behind the window. Su Zuidie was stunned for a moment, then, her senses returning, her eyes lit up with pleasant surprise as she called out joyfully, "Mingyue..." Han Mingyue shook his head, gesturing for her to be quiet. Su Zuidie collected herself, cast a cautious glance outside, then closed the half-open window completely. Turning back to Han Mingyue, she demanded angrily, "Why did it take you so long to get here?! Do you have any idea how miserably I’ve been bullied?"
Looking at the mess on the floor, Han Mingyue gave a helpless, bitter smile. "I’m sorry. I’ve let you suffer."
