Chapter 108 Crisis

Chapter 108: Crisis

Honored Consort Yu looked at the bowing, head-lowered guard and asked indifferently, "This consort remembers you were the second-place finisher on the first day of the hunt. What was your name again?"

The young guard cupped his hands. "Imperial Guard Cavalry Division Captain Lin Chengfeng pays his respects to the Honored Consort."

"Lin Chengfeng." Honored Consort Yu softly repeated the name, her expression speculative.

Qiu Heng shot a discreet glance at Beauty Qiu.

Beauty Qiu kept her head lowered, her eyelids trembling faintly, but she did not look in Lin Chengfeng's direction.

Honored Consort Yu's languid voice sounded, "Captain Lin, raise your head and let this consort have a look."

Lin Chengfeng, hearing this, was momentarily stunned before slowly lifting his head.

Honored Consort Yu examined him briefly and nodded slightly. "Your features are quite handsome, and with your outstanding horsemanship and archery, you must be skilled in handling imperial horses."

Lin Chengfeng hurriedly lowered his head again, respectfully cupping his hands. "The Honored Consort is too kind."

"Hmph, you people all love to say 'you are too kind.'" Honored Consort Yu swept a glance at Qiu Heng and Beauty Qiu, curling the corners of her lips. "This consort has a beloved horse named Blaze. Its temperament is fierce and difficult to manage. Just as I was troubled over it, I encountered Captain Lin. It must be fate."

Lin Chengfeng felt something was off about these words and tensed up.

Honored Consort Yu ignored his reaction and smiled. "How about inviting Captain Lin to care for this consort's horse?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the other guards who had been keeping their heads low were all startled, glancing at Lin Chengfeng from the corners of their eyes.

Qiu Heng heard an almost inaudible gasp—it came from Beauty Qiu, who was standing close beside her.

After a moment of shock, Lin Chengfeng immediately knelt down. "Chengfeng does not know how to care for horses. I beg the Honored Consort to rescind this order."

Honored Consort Yu lifted her eyelids. "Captain Lin, are you unwilling?"

Those listening inwardly sighed.

Who would be willing to have the son of a military family, a promising young captain in the Imperial Guard, tend to horses?

But this was the Honored Consort, the most favored in the rear palace. She could not be offended.

Lin Chengfeng was in trouble now.

"Chengfeng truly is not skilled in horse care. The Honored Consort's beloved horse is precious. If any mishap were to occur, it would be terrible. I beg Your Highness to rescind the order."

"Not skilled? Your Imperial Guard Cavalry Division deals with horses constantly. How could you not be skilled?" Honored Consort Yu sneered. "Captain Lin, are you refusing this consort?"

"Chengfeng's main responsibility in the Cavalry Division is cavalry training. I truly do not understand other matters—"

"Hah." Honored Consort Yu laughed, her face cold as frost. "This consort understands now. So, you are unwilling to give up the uniform. What, is caring for this consort's horse beneath you?"

Lin Chengfeng lowered his head, cupping his hands, restraining his anger and panic. "I beg the Honored Consort to rescind the order."

"What if this consort does not?"

Lin Chengfeng pressed his forehead to the ground. "I beseech the Honored Consort."

"You refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!" Honored Consort Yu raised her eyebrows. "Guards, strip him of that uniform!"

Immediately, several guards moved to surround Lin Chengfeng.

Beauty Qiu clasped her hands tightly, biting her lip hard.

Lin Chengfeng raised a hand to rest on his scabbard, struggling to restrain himself. But the guards closing in showed no mercy. Four of them firmly restrained him while two others began to strip off his armor.

"Why is the Honored Consort humiliating this humble official so?" Lin Chengfeng could bear it no longer and struggled, but he could not break free.

"Stay still! How dare you resist the Honored Consort's command? Are you rebelling?" one of the guards pressing down on his shoulder shouted.

Lin Chengfeng's struggles grew even more frantic. "Let go of me! Let go!"

As the outer armor was torn off, something suddenly fell to the ground with a loud clatter.

Lin Chengfeng's expression froze, then he frantically tried to grab the object that had fallen.

"What is this?" A guard bent down, picked up the item, and unwrapped the cloth handkerchief covering it, revealing its true form.

Honored Consort Yu spoke coldly, "Bring it here. Let this consort see what treasure Captain Lin so carefully kept close to his person."

Lin Chengfeng, pinned to the ground, stared despairingly at the guard running toward Honored Consort Yu, his entire being as still and lifeless as if his soul had been drained.

"Reporting to Your Highness, it is a wooden doll."

"Bring it here."

A palace attendant beside Honored Consort Yu walked over and presented the wooden doll to her.

"Oh, it's a girl doll." Honored Consort Yu used a handkerchief to hold the wooden doll, examining it carefully. Suddenly, her expression changed. "Why does this consort find this girl doll somewhat familiar?"

A palace attendant beside her looked and gasped, covering her mouth. "It looks like Beauty Qiu!"

"Beauty Qiu?" Honored Consort Yu suddenly turned her head, looking at Beauty Qiu, who seemed struck by lightning, her willow-leaf eyebrows raised high. "It really does resemble her. Beauty Qiu, explain to this consort what is going on here?"

"I—" Beauty Qiu staggered back a step and knelt down. "This concubine does not know..."

"You don't know? A wooden doll bearing your likeness is being carried close to a guard's body, and you claim to know nothing?" Honored Consort Yu's face darkened. "Guards, gag this adulterous pair and bring them before His Majesty to explain clearly!"

Honored Consort Yu strode forward, followed by a large crowd.

In the decorated viewing pavilion, Emperor Jingping instinctively smiled upon seeing Honored Consort Yu, but noticing her stern expression, his smile faded slightly. "What troubles you, Beloved Consort?"

"Bring them forward!" At Honored Consort Yu's command, Lin Chengfeng and Beauty Qiu, both gagged, were pushed before Emperor Jingping.

Emperor Jingping's expression changed slightly. "What is this—"

There were still some ministers present in the pavilion. Seeing this scene, they wished they could cover their faces and flee.

How careless! Accompanying the emperor on duty carried such risks!

Honored Consort Yu held the wooden doll up before Emperor Jingping. "This concubine encountered this Captain Lin and remembered he was the second-place finisher on the first day of the hunt. Cherishing talent, I wanted him to serve me. Who knew this person would be so ungrateful as to dare defy the order? When the guards subdued him, this object fell from his embrace—a wooden doll strikingly similar to Beauty Qiu."

Emperor Jingping stared fixedly at the wooden doll, then looked at Beauty Qiu kneeling on the ground.

"Raise your head," he said, word by word.

Although he had shared some favor with Beauty Qiu these past days, in this moment of rage, Emperor Jingping could not immediately recall Beauty Qiu's appearance.

Or rather, it was not that he could not recall, but that from the depths of his heart, he was unwilling to believe he had been cuckolded by a mere concubine.

Beauty Qiu remained motionless until a palace attendant pinched her chin and forced her face upward.

Emperor Jingping stared intently at Beauty Qiu's face and slammed the table forcefully. "You insolent concubine, how dare you commit such a disgraceful act!"

"Mmph—!" Lin Chengfeng, whose mouth was gagged, struggled desperately.

Unable to break free from his restraints, he resembled a cornered beast with no way out, his eyes bloodshot.

Emperor Jingping looked coldly at the young man he had admired not long ago and said sternly, "Remove the gag from his mouth. We wish to hear what he has to say!"

A guard immediately stepped forward and removed the cloth stuffed into Lin Chengfeng's mouth.

Finally able to speak, Lin Chengfeng took a sharp breath and cried out in anguish, "Your Majesty, this matter has nothing to do with Beauty Qiu. It was this criminal minister—"

"It was me." A woman's voice rang out, clear and composed.

All eyes turned toward the source of the voice.

Xue Han, standing beside Xue Quan, felt his face fall.

A Heng!