The Slender Waist

The young alligator remained blissfully unaware of what had happened, sprawling on the ground, playing around Feng Yun’s feet, still not over its excited frolicking.

Having been raised with affection, the alligator showed no signs of wildness, resembling an innocent child unfamiliar with the world.

Everyone fell silent for a moment, struggling to believe that the young alligator could have killed someone.

Ge Guang hesitated, "Could it be deer blood?"

If it were deer blood, where would it have come from?

The bloodstains on the galosh were few, and too subtle to distinguish with the naked eye.

Feng Yun handed it over to Xiaoman, gesturing for her to keep it in the drawer, and after cleaning the young alligator that night, she let it sleep beside the couch. Before dawn the next day, she asked Ge Guang to go into town to inquire...

Ge Guang understood her meaning, mounted his horse without another question, and left the estate.

In about an hour, he returned.

"Mistress, the person who went up the mountain with the Prince of Danyang that day, a man named Qu Feng, who is the son of the Marquis of Xuanping, went missing yesterday on Little Jieqiu Mountain. They are still searching for him, having roused the servants from his household and even alerted the Governor. But a whole night has passed; I fear the worst..."

Feng Yun furrowed her brows, pondering for a moment before looking at Ge Guang.

"Did you find out why they keep going to Little Jieqiu? What’s the reason?"

Ge Guang hung his head, "It’s the same as what the Lord of Pingyuan County said. No one knows where the information originated, but there were claims of a huge treasure hidden in Little Jieqiu Mountain. Rumors were detailed, saying that during previous Qin wars, some warlord looted imperial wealth and hid it there. After he died in battle, the treasure’s whereabouts became a mystery..."

"A mystery, yet they somehow know exactly where to look? I start mining here and they come treasure hunting? Humph!"

That day, after Chunyu Yan had thrown him down, Yuan Kang broke his leg and ribs, and Puyang Zong was left with injuries all over his body; the others weren’t in much better shape. Feng Yun thought some might seek revenge.

But time passed without incident, as if nothing had occurred. Nobles from the Central Capital, busy with building gardens and houses, banqueting and enjoying entertainments, didn’t approach Changmen to cause trouble, nor did anyone even mention the matter.

Of course, Pei Jue’s efforts were behind this tranquility.

Jin Country now was unlike before; all lands under the jurisdiction of the Western Capital Dynasty answered first to Pei Jue. Even if others were stationed on the frontier, no one dared to trouble Feng Yun in Huaxi Village.

Given the Grand Princess’s love for her son, all she could do was send Puyang Yi with gifts to apologize, rather than to seek accountability...

But what about behind closed doors?

After a silent pause, Feng Yun spoke softly, "Have someone keep watch. I have a feeling this is directed at us..."

A moment of silence followed, then Ge Guang said, "Could it be that they had encountered the young alligator in the mountain and then..."

Feng Yun chuckled softly, "The young alligator wouldn’t kill without reason."

Ge Guang said nothing.

Soon, new information arrived.

The missing Master Qu was found at the bottom of a ravine in Tiger’s Mouth, battered and lacerated as if mauled by a wild animal, his face so disfigured he was unrecognizable.

The identity of Master Qu was confirmed by the pieces of fabric left at the scene.

The distraught Marquis of Xuanping, determined to avenge his son, gathered more than ten hunters from around Jieqiu Mountain, along with his household servants, and embarked on a grand hunt to kill...

"It seems a hunter told them that Master Qu’s wounds looked like the work of lynxes."

"The Marquis of Xuanping also borrowed over two hundred people from the Grand Princess, marching together to the mountain, swearing to exterminate all the lynxes of Jieqiu Mountain..."

Ge Guang’s voice was low, devoid of emotion, but the young alligator seemed to understand, and suddenly became agitated, pacing restlessly and uneasily around the room.

He couldn’t speak human language.

Feng Yun had no way of knowing whether Qu Feng’s death had anything to do with the young alligator or its parent and kin...

"Don’t be frightened, your sister is here," Feng Yun said while stroking the young alligator’s fur. After contemplating for a moment, she took the galosh from the drawer and handed it to Ge Guang.

"Give this to the Governor and say that it was found by our miners in the mountains. Also, mention that wild animals frequently roam the area and advise issuing a public notice warning people against venturing up the mountains to hunt recklessly. After all, wild beasts do not understand the concepts of rank and nobility, nor do they recognize the Marquis of Xuanping..."

Ge Guang complied and left.

He Qia, having received the galosh, visited the Qu family with a condolence gift. By the afternoon, a notice was posted outside the Governor’s Office, cautioning the people not to enter Jieqiu Mountain carelessly and to be vigilant against wild animal attacks.

Feng Yun was anxious about the young alligator; in the following days, she no longer allowed it to leave the house, much less venture into the mountains.

It was at this time that Chunyu Yan came to visit.

"Feng Twelve, it’s time to fulfill the promise you made," he said.

Seeing his leisurely demeanor, Feng Yun was in no mood for jesting.

"I have made no promises to the Princely Heir," she replied.

"No?" Chunyu Yan snorted coldly and signaled Xiang Zhong with his eyes, lazily saying, "Bring it here, to help the Princess of Yonghuai recall."

Lowering his head, Xiang Zhong presented a contract.

Feng Yun’s eyes narrowed as she remembered.

It was the cooperation contract that she had personally signed at the Tu Family Fort for the sake of the Yunchuan Graphite.

It contained clauses about helping Chunyu Yan to "cut through mountains and carve out tunnels," enabling the transportation of Yunchuan Graphite through the mountains, and stated that she could personally inspect the terrain if necessary.

Feng Yun hesitated before replying, "Didn’t it start last winter? With fire heating and vinegar cooling, alternating between hot and cold, supplemented by blasting—I recall the Tu Fort Master said the progress was very quick?"

Chunyu Yan’s eyes narrowed slightly, "But now we’ve encountered a problem with the excavation, and it’s your turn to step in."

Feng Yun asked, "What problem?"

Chunyu Yan raised an eyebrow, "If I knew what the problem was, I would have solved it myself. Why would I trouble you?"

His words made little sense and exposed that Chunyu Yan was not truly interested in this matter.

"Do you want to send me away, so I do not stay in Andu?" Feng Yun’s expression became restrained as she spoke indifferently, "Do you know something?"

Chunyu Yan’s lips curved up subtly, "I’m not that kind-hearted."

He said as he lowered his head to sip some tea before standing up with a sweep of his sleeve.

"Tomorrow, between 5 and 7 AM, I will wait for you outside the villa."

"This is so sudden, I cannot leave." Feng Yun saw his eyes sweep back coldly and smiled lightly, "The Princely Heir has seen that I have so many businesses, so many matters; how can I just leave? That’s making things difficult for me. At the very least, wait until the middle of April when the mine reveals the graphite."

Chunyu Yan chuckled softly, staring at her as she approached, his robe billowing, the corner of his mouth revealing a casual smile.

"So many people are watching you right now—are you pretending not to know, or do you truly not know?"

Feng Yun was expressionless, "Really? Who would watch me? What good does it do them?"

"Nonsense!" Chunyu Yan almost ground his teeth to pieces. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"Keep pretending, Feng Twelve. Doesn’t everyone know that you have raised a lynx? The son of the Marquis of Xuanping was bitten to death by that beast..."

"It was raised by my family, not a wild animal." Feng Yun didn’t let him finish and coldly met his gaze, "If anyone has a complaint, they are welcome to come to my villa for a confrontation. I’ll pretend not to see any sneaky moves they make behind my back."

Chunyu Yan frowned, staring at her intently with an indescribable sternness in his eyes, his gaze so intent that it made Feng Yun stiffen until he suddenly grabbed her wrist.

"Come with me, and I’ll let you see."

Feng Yun was slightly startled, hesitating before she began to follow him without struggling.

They passed through the corridor, and not until Xing Bing and a few attendants looked over did Chunyu Yan let go of her hand.

Feng Yun caught up with him.

From Changmen Village to Yun Village was but a moment’s journey.

Chunyu Yan moved as swiftly as the wind, without pausing, leading Feng Yun straight to his study.

Rows and rows of bookshelves, countless drawers, filled with intelligence and messages from all over—Feng Yun was also shocked at their number.

Hadn’t this Crown Prince of Yunchuan always presented himself as indolent and careless?

Who would have imagined that his way of doing business was also managing a detailed and complex network of intelligence sources?

"Take a look." Chunyu Yan pulled out one of the letters sealed with wax and tossed it in front of Feng Yun, then sat down to leisurely pour himself some tea.

Feng Yun did not speak, quietly unfolding the letter. Her pupils contracted.

It was a secret letter from the Western Capital.

In essence, it said that Pei Jue’s army had marched west out of Cangyan Mountain, pursuing the Northern Rong tribes, only to fall into a trap.

The Northern Rong tribes had colluded with Li Zongxun long before, and their sudden incursion into Dajin was instigated by Li Zongxun.

The letter also mentioned that years prior, Li Zongxun had begun training secret forces in the Cangyan Mountain, with large numbers. At the start of the invasion, Li Zongxun had deliberately laid several treacherous troops to the west of Cangyan Mountain. With high temperatures, dry climate, and sandstorms, it was hard to find water or make one’s way. Once the army entered inadvertently, without someone to guide them, they couldn’t proceed at all.

The Northern Rong army and the traitorous troops of Li Zongxun had formed a huge pocket there. The Prince of Yonghuai’s forces, already exhausted from marching for hundreds of miles, encountered a sandstorm while attempting to break through. Li Zongxun’s traitors took that moment to launch a surprise attack from behind.

With no way forward and no reinforcements behind, Pei Jue’s army suffered a devastating defeat, with countless dead and wounded, and the Prince of Yonghuai was feared dead.

The Imperial Court of the Western Capital had received the news and sent people to verify the events at Cangyan Mountain...

"If this turns out to be true, Feng Twelve, have you considered whether the Grand Princess will let you off the hook, or whether the Marquis of Xuanping, the Yuan Family of Pingcheng, will let you off?"