Poison Genius Consort

ow would disrupt one of their most important events of the year, their spring hunt!

Long Feiye looked with interest at Han Yunxi.
“Keep talking.”

“Chenqie is simply making conjectures,” Han Yunxi wasn’t being modest; she really didn’t know anything about Northern Li.
For all she knew, they had plenty of provisions in store!

“Then just guess as you’d like,” Long Feiye said, extremely interested.

With that, Han Yunxi decided to say whatever was on her mind.
“Your Highness, the young general’s fought a few times with Northern Li as well, so he should understand their situation clearer than anyone else.
He didn’t even consider whether Northern Li would lack for provisions, so it’s likely they have plenty of stores at hand.” After a pause, she continued, “But Your Highness is also certain that Northern Li won’t wage war at all.
So chenqie makes bold to guess that Your Highness must have some way to sabotage the fodder of the Northern Li’s army horses!”

How easy it’d be to sabotage others during a war! It was hard to track down where the supplies even came from, much less the meddling interlopers.
Han Yunxi felt that she’d over thought the issue, so she waited for Long Feiye to reply.
But Long Feiye only patted her on the shoulder and said, “It’s getting late, go rest.”

So…I guessed the wrong thing?

Han Yunxi shrugged and dropped the issue.
Even if she knew the facts, he probably wouldn’t tell her just to whet her appetite.
Who told her to win their gamble?

Just wait, I’ll get my answer soon enough.

She knew that Long Feiye would return to the capital eventually.
Now that Emperor Tianhui had failed over and over again to invite them back, he was probably going to resort to begging next.
If that was the cause, he’d have to act in all sincerity.
Although Han Yunxi wasn’t the person who understood Long Feiye best in this world, she could guess things fairly accurately.

A few days later, Northern Li really did reinforce their southern boundary with more troops.
Emperor Tianhui was sent into a panic before sending Long Feiye petitions to the throne from the Ministry of Civil Personnel and other recommendations from various bigshot ministers of the court.
All of these letters were offering people to fill in the vacancies of the South Ning senior provincial official’s position.
Some of them recommended people from Long Feiye’s side, while others urged for men on Emperor Tianhui’s side.
Two or three straddled a moderate stance.

Emperor Tianhui said that the Duke of Qin had personally gone to the disaster regions, so he would be clearest on the situation at South Ning Prefecture.
The Duke of Qin would be the one to decide who filled in the vacant post.
Though the situation looked perfectly justifiable as a matter of course, those in the know knew that Emperor Tianhui was actually taking a step back! To put it plainly, he was begging Long Feiye back to the capital with this show of good faith.

The various memorials and petitions were all spread out on the study desk as Han Yunxi paced around them, examining each candidate.
Some of the names she recognized, while others were strangers to her.
She inquired into them until she understood them all, before dividing the documents into three piles.
One was for the Duke of Qin’s faction, the other for the royalists, and the last for the moderate side.

“Your Highness, please choose one that’s pleasing to your eye,” Han Yunxi assumed the attitude of a servant as she spoke respectfully.
She couldn’t help but feel like this was asking Long Feiye to choose a new concubine instead.

But Long Feiye simply reached for one of the names in the royalist faction pile.
Seeing this, both Han Yunxi and Chu Xifeng gave a start.

“Master, it’s the wrong pile!” Chu Xifeng blurted out.

Yet Long Feiye only glanced at the name before tossing it over.
“He’s the one, report it back to the palace!”

What did His Highness Duke of Qin mean by this? He didn’t want an easy advantage? Chu Xifeng stood rooted in place until, out of a custom that had long turned into habit, he glanced at Han Yunxi with questioning eyes.

Han Yunxi burst out into silent laughter.
“Your Highness, I heard that His Majesty’s fallen ill and can’t take any form of provocation.
Is it alright for you to do something like this?”

She had been intelligent to realize at once that anyone Long Feiye chose would surrender to him immediately.
The Duke of Qin had spent months in South Ning Prefecture living in the senior provincial official’s estate.
He’d long had time to spread his influence here, so anyone sent to take his place would have no choice but to fear his prestige.
Even if the candidate selected was one of Emperor Tianhui’s men, he’d definitely defer to the Duke of Qin.

It had taken Han Yunxi a bit to draw this conclusion, but she rejoiced at the thought while looking at Long Feiye. Thank goodness I didn’t make an enemy out of him.
Otherwise, I might die without even realizing why!

But there was one thing she still didn’t understand.
If Long Feiye wasn’t here to claim the senior provincial official’s post for his side, then what for? Why did he delay things here so long? It was getting time to go back.

“Chu Xifeng, deliver the missive back.
Just say that esteemed wangfei’s in a bad mood and needs your lordship to accompany her for a few more days,” Long Feiye said mildly.

Chu Xifeng had no idea what was going on, but only went with his orders.
Han Yunxi’s heart filled with warmth at the words, because she knew perfectly well.
A few days later, the empress dowager’s letter arrive.
This time, she made no mention of kindness or favors, but comforted Han Yunxi and clarified that anything with the gecko cinnabar mark was something between husband and wife, so there was no need to pry into the matter.
Verbal claims meant nothing, but a piece of evidence like this was a guarantee against the empress dowager in case she changed her mind in the future.
Han Yunxi knew that now, she was completely safe.

She discovered for the first time that this man could even take mind of the smallest details when accomplishing a task, until everything had been successfully resolved.
After repeated requests and pleading, His Highness Duke of Qin and esteemed wangfei were finally leaving back for the capital!

The battle with Northern Li, the soldiers at Fishery Island, and the upcoming wedding date of the emperor were all on the horizon.
Tianning’s capital was about to turn lively once again!