Chapter 232: Chapter 232: Xiang Ying Concedes?

Xiang Ying’s phoenix eyes turned sharp immediately as she followed Skinny Monkey braving the wind and snow to the outside of Jie Chen Gate.

Qi Fengyi felt she might clash with the people of the Sixth Prince, so he immediately took several burly water bandits with him and followed.

Upon arriving outside Jie Chen Gate, as expected, they saw the Sixth Prince’s guards already trying to smash the lock with axes.

One of the guards was quite puzzled.

“This lock looks like it’s made of iron; why can’t the axe chop it open? It’s really strange.”

Skinny Monkey shouted: “Xiang Ying is here!”

Amidst the snowstorm, the Sixth Prince turned around, with Xiang Qianqian standing by his side. The two of them stood under an umbrella, held up by a maid, both looking as if they had not been touched by frost or snow.

Xiang Qianqian subconsciously lowered her head to avoid Xiang Ying’s piercing gaze.

The Sixth Prince squinted his eyes: “Xiang Ying, did you put this lock here? What’s wrong with Jie Chen that you need to lock him up?”

He clearly believed that his plan had succeeded and that Jie Chen must be having an episode.

Xiang Ying’s expression remained unchanged: “These past few days, Jie Chen has been tirelessly managing the affairs of the army. He hasn’t slept well for two consecutive days, and I had just soothed him to sleep when I came over.”

“The reason for locking the door is simply that I didn’t want ordinary matters to bother him anymore and prevent him from getting a good night’s sleep.”

Such a claim sounded ridiculous, and even the Sixth Prince couldn’t help but sneer.

“You soothed him to sleep?”

“What, would the Sixth Prince like to hear the details?” Xiang Ying’s straightforward attitude made the Sixth Prince pause.

She had caught him off guard.

Xiang Ying looked at the guards behind the Sixth Prince.

“Before he went to sleep, Jie Chen discussed with me that due to the harsh cold and heavy snow closing the roads, Bai City’s City Garrison is overwhelmed with their own concerns, so he hopes I could distribute a portion of the stockpiled supplies to the soldiers.”

“Those who are lining up for supplies now can each get two taels of cured pork and four steamed buns, but if they are too late, there will be nothing left. Sixth Prince, do your men want it or not?”

The Sixth Prince was taken aback.

Cured pork! Something he used to scorn, yet now he was desperately craving it.

It was strange how the severe cold and a year of poor harvest made food increasingly scarce.

The Sixth Prince wanted to hesitate, but his guards beside him could no longer endure.

Every time Xiang Ying and her company cooked delicious food, they could smell the inviting fragrance.

It’s just that, due to the temperament of the Sixth Prince, they didn’t dare to come forward and ask. But now, since Xiang Ying was willing to offer the supplies, why wait any longer?

A trusted guard of the Sixth Prince leaned in and whispered, “Your Highness, it’s not easy to get Xiang Ying to give up any supplies.”

Indeed, it was not easy. Previously, Xiang Ying had sold some bundles of wood, and he had to give her 50 taels of gold in return.

The Sixth Prince still remembered that to this day.

Through the snowstorm, he saw Xiang Ying with sharp phoenix eyes, draped in a fox fur cloak, looking entirely like a female lord, not at all the image of a destitute prisoner.

The Sixth Prince turned back, his gaze ominously sweeping over the tightly closed doors and windows.

From the moment they arrived until now, Jie Chen had been silent. With such loud commotion, it was impossible for him not to hear.

And since Jie Chen hadn’t fought back up to now, he was probably down with illness, too afraid to speak out.

The Sixth Prince frowned in thought; he decided to first go and collect the supplies, and then find an unexpected moment in the evening to trouble Jie Chen again.

“Fine,” in just a few moments, the Sixth Prince spoke with a smile, “then I shall thank you on behalf of these servants.”

He waved his hand: “Thanks to Xiang Ying, everyone go get your supplies.”

The guards behind the Sixth Prince all bowed together: “Thank you, Xiang Ying!”

As she watched them leave, a flicker of an unusual hue crossed the depths of Xiang Ying’s phoenix eyes.

She turned around, took a bundle out of her sleeve, and surreptitiously handed it to Qi Fengyi.

“The Sixth Prince’s identity is noble; when the time comes, we’ll need to give him extra food, in addition to two large cloaks and a change of clothes.”

Qi Fengyi took over the task, although she was suspicious in her heart: why would the elder princess be so kind to the Sixth Prince?

But she never questioned Xiang Ying’s decisions and immediately nodded: “Yes, I will get right on it.”

After watching her leave, Xiang Ying unlocked the door and went inside.

What Xiang Ying didn’t know was that at that moment, Xiang Qianqian turned back and glanced at the soft fur winter boots she was wearing.

Xiang Qianqian followed the Sixth Prince back inside the house, where the prince arranged for his trusted guard to go and collect the supplies in his stead.

“Your Highness,” Xiang Qianqian helped him remove his cloak, “this is very strange, my elder sister is usually at odds with us, why would she suddenly become so generous?”

The Sixth Prince glanced at her sideways: “What do you think?”

Xiang Qianqian pondered: “Qianqian guesses that there’s only one reason which could make my older sister so anxious, willing to exchange resources to curry favor—that Jie Chen has fallen ill!”

“That’s right,” the Sixth Prince’s smile was cold, “she must know that Jie Chen is ill and intends to use these supplies to divert our attention; but sadly for her, this time I’m determined to take Jie Chen’s life! No one can stop me.”

Just then, the trusted guard knocked and entered.

“Your Highness, these are the supplies collected from Xiang Ying, her maid said that since you are Your Highness, she provided two extra large cloaks.”

The guard placed the package on the table, and Xiang Qianqian hurriedly began to unwrap it.

Upon seeing the two fox fur cloaks, her eyes widened in delight, a joyful look spreading across her face.

“Your Highness, they are two fox fur cloaks!”

Touching them, she felt they were soft and thick, perfect to shield from the wind and cold.

The Sixth Prince scoffed, his slender fingers caressing the cloak: “Xiang Ying is trying to please me? Too bad, her trick is useless. However, the goods are fine indeed; let’s keep them.”

He had Xiang Qianqian drape one over him and refused to take it off after that.

The fur cloak was warm and beautifully made, likely a quality item that Xiang Ying usually wore herself.

Xiang Qianqian couldn’t stop caressing it; with two of them here, she guessed the Sixth Prince might bestow one upon her.

Unexpectedly, the Sixth Prince suddenly said: “Send one of these to Mei City, as a gift for Lu Pancu from me.”

Xiang Qianqian was taken aback as she listened.

“Your Highness… for Lady Lu?”

The Sixth Prince didn’t even look at her, merely saying, “I received a letter before, it has also snowed heavily in Mei City. I recently had a falling out with Governor Lu, so consider this cloak a conciliatory gift.”

Although he said this, there was still a sour taste in Xiang Qianqian’s heart.

Feeling somewhat dejected, she sat down to the side, preparing to take the Sixth Prince’s dirty clothes from a few days ago to have a maid wash them with snow.

At that moment, however, she noticed a distinct footprint on the hem of the dirty clothes.

It looked as if someone had kicked the Sixth Prince squarely on the backside.

Xiang Qianqian furrowed her brows in recollection; this was the very garment the Sixth Prince was wearing the day he was kicked in the tent, almost falling into the fire basin.

The Sixth Prince was furious, scouring everywhere for the person hidden in the room, to no avail.

Judging by the small size of the footprint, it must be that of a woman, and the pattern of the shoe print was unique, appearing to be thick and soft stitches.

Xiang Qianqian immediately thought of the fur winter boots worn by Xiang Ying, which were remodeled for her own use.

Her eyes swiftly changed expression, she glanced discreetly at the Sixth Prince nearby.

If she reported this and was wrong, the Sixth Prince would surely scold her for stupidity.

But if she guessed right and became a meritorious figure by the Sixth Prince’s side, it would increase her standing in his heart.

To speak or not to speak? To gamble or not to gamble?

Xiang Qianqian hesitated for a long time before making up her mind.

“Your Highness, there’s a footprint here, please look…”