Aunt Gu Ju was awake but pretended to be asleep. She didn't want this mad wench to put her blade on her neck, again. But under her thin sheet, she snatched a look at them who were leaving, both of them had their swords.
Standing in the door frame, Chaoxiang turned back, "We might come back late."
His voice was dry and tensed. But aunt Gu Ju cursed, how could they do this to her? When the door was slammed back, she sat straight, itching her head.
"What if they find the bracelet and give me no share?"
She sighed and stood up, going to change up. "I showed them the illustration, I deserve more than a silver coin."
Wearing her shoes, she slowly followed them.
Li Shu sighed, and squeezed the horse rein, her eyes averted on Chao, "she is following us."
"Yes, she is greedy. She won't stop it until she gets a share of the prize."
Li Shu shook her head; this woman could make the princess trust them a little bit more as low-born. After half an hour they arrived at the bridge, at the same time the princess and her men arrived, people were getting inside the streets, and steam was coming out of the stovepipe.
"You are on time, your highness." Li Shu jested, but the princess sounded pale, was she suffering from a lack of sleep or illness?
'She is shady, today! She makes me confused.'
"My cousins and siblings had gone for their hunt in the twilight. I must join them so we don't have much time. I don't want them to interfere with my matters."
She looked aggressive today, Li Shu just nodded and climbed up the horse. Gazing back, she shot aunt Gu Ju a glare. The woman winced back and ran away.
Riding to the borders, they found more crows and a burned house.
"They knew we are coming," Chao stated, sitting there, he touched the warm woods.
"Now, we have only two clues. The rest of our investigation will remain for the villages around. How many smitheries are here?"
Fu Liu asked while his eyes were on the princess and the cheeky girl. This burned house was a shock to the princess because of her nightmare.
"Three, and as long as I know, neither of them makes such cross-bows. Perhaps, we must look for them somewhere with more advanced tools."
Li Shu was peering at the princess; she had kept her eyes on the burned building.
"Why does it bother you?" It looked as if he wasn't the only one who hated fire.
"Do you think that they burned here when someone was inside?"
Her eyebrows creased when the words left the princess's lips. Why would she care at all? She was pampered in swan feathers, no one ever took hard on her, why would she care about other's life?
Prince Wu Xiuying could not get along with any woman, but this one was different. She was calm, her presence was as if a ghost was walking around.
"What if there was? Can we do anything?"
"Perhaps I could but I didn't!"
Li Shu's expression changed; she wasn't amused to tease her anymore. After all, she shouldn't be attracted by her. But why not use her mood to absorb some information?
"I don't understand your highness! Are we talking about a nightmare?"
Princess Xing Huan felt the twist in her stomach, she shouldn't have eaten when she was still in tension. Shaking her head, she replied, "Never mind, I must stop overthinking."
"Are you concerned about people?"
As a tyrant, she was eager to notice if this princess was thinking of ruling. What was her plan for the neighborhood? Peace? That was a joke, it was crucial to discover her true intention. All women were like the prince's mother, they loved power, the much that they could chain their child in a cell and burn the fort to make the son release himself.
"They are the only reason I keep living, otherwise…" she swallowed the rest of her words.
What was it? Why did this heat siege Li Shu's body and make her heartache? She could guess the rest of her statement but why would someone like her think of dying?
"Why don't you like life? I think life is exciting and challenging despite the hard moments. I like strong people. I want to win."
Li Shu inhaled and heavily exhaled when she caught the princess's smile.
"Tell me about life, what makes it interesting?"
She opened her mouth to answer but the sound of hooves and uproars dragged their attention to the troop behind them. A hog was running away, begging for help to save it from a gang of riders. In the meantime, arrows whistled and rested on the hog! Blood splashed on their faces.
Li Shu snatched the princess out of the way of the horses. The animal was fallen next to them and one mistake could put their life on the edge. Li Shu frowned, how daring they were to come near the borders and hunt! They were breaking the rules. They were royals and should have been watching over their deeds.
She stormed ahead, smashing one of the men to the ground. Her knees on his chest and her dagger on his neck, sweating in pain and rage.
"Come back, Li Shu." The princess shouted, she was scared of them killing her.
"Wow, what a pretty prey!"
The man stated and Li Shu gritted her teeth. Leaving him she got back.
"Why didn't you tell us that you would come here?"
The young man had a devilish smirk on his face that annoyed Li Shu, she rolled over and shielded the princess, baring her sword.
"Are you in a position to speak like that? Why should she explain herself to you, who the hell are you at all?"
The whispers turned into a deadly shrewd silence. The girl was potently protecting Xing Huan. The princess marveled, after a long while, eventually, her heart was utterly filled with joy.
Fu Liu and Cahoxiang roamed to them and didn't stop the girl from her move, waiting for the princess to order, however, eunuch Fu was itching to kill the princess's illegitimate brother. He was wicked and one of those who fought for the throne. This man was older than the princess and believed that being a prince was enough to take his father's place.
"If I didn't see the hog, I would have thought that you aimed me, Xing Bolin!" The princess's face was dark, not like a moment before when Li Shu succeeded to bring her to life from the wraith's world.
The young man steadied himself, and after him were the rest of the royals.
"Accept my apologies, sister! We didn't know that you are here. Your guards should have protected you!" He blankly gazed at the girl who had the urge to keep her sword on his side. By the way, who was this stunning muse? Couldn't she be from this village, could she?
Xing Bolin, the first child of the king from a woman who then became the king's concubine was famous for being a womanizer. He used his handsomeness and title to seduce powerful women to have his back for any possible coup.
"We are sorry, your highness."
She was Xing Liling, the princess's cousin the third option for the throne after Xing Bolin, she didn't seem sorry at all, at least her face revealed nothing. Beside her was Xing Deli, her fifteen years old brother. He was the calmest one and his cheeks were red out of concern.
"Your majesty, the hog changed its path!" Xing Deli uttered; the faint shiver was clear in his voice.
"Bring your weapon down, Li Shu, these are my family."
Li Shu turned back, gazing at the princess over her shoulder, startled. These mean people were her rivals. The bitter grin on her face bothered the villager girl. Thus, this was why she didn't know what life meant! She had never explored to find a reason for living.
Taking her blade in her sheath, she stepped backward. But her eyes caught the hatred that prince Xing Bolin now had held toward her, although it was contained with a dirty gaze and a lick on his lip. As a girl, she could find it heavy, she could serve a favor to the princess and after breaking the curse, kill this low-worthy rascal.
"Who are these people? I doubt if we had them with us?"
Xing Bolin asked, nearing Li Shu but Chaoxiang came his way.
"This is getting rude!" he nagged, he was patient but these two were ruthless, the girl just insulted him. it won't remain unpaid.
"They are our trackers for today. Why are you hunting near the Di kingdom border? You know that I will report this to father."
The princess changed the topic. Her brother had gone too far, she didn't want to pick a fray, but he deserved a punch for what he did.
"Let's blame the prey, it dragged us here."
Shaking her head, the princess turned her back on them, he didn't worth having a conversation with. His brain couldn't handle complicated matters, instead of letting the animal go, he was tempted to follow it, and kill it. How easy he could take lives for his yearning.
"Leave here now," The princess mounted up, it was a good excuse not to consume more time here, searching for the tailor and smithery was the priority now. She could wrap up her camp and get back to the capital tomorrow.
Li Shu was trying not to think about her behavior, but she couldn't. Even her cousin looked like a cruel woman, he had never seen a caring one but this one until now. It was also hard to make her speak. Why was he even comparing her? Why did she catch his attention? Could it be the magic of jewelry?