An Eight-year-old Princess

Chapter 87 The Fire In The Camp

"What?" Yun Shang was surprised. It took a while for her to overcome her shock. "Even though we are

relatives, we are still of different gender. If a man is younger or older than a woman by three years, he

should act cautiously. If it's really inconvenient for me to stay, then I'll move out and live in town."

Prince Jing smiled and said, "Hua Jing was trying so hard to move in here. I believe there's something

that she wants from here. Don't you want to know what it is that brings Hua Jing here? Don't worry. You

can let your maid watch during the night. I'll read books on the other side of the screen."

Yun Shang lowered her head and pondered for a long time. She was surely curious about Hua Jing's

intention. But...

After a moment, she sighed. "Fine. In that case, I'll live here and pretend to be gay and in a relationship

with you."

While they were talking, Hua Jing's voice came from outside. "Is the Prince here? It's Hua Jing. I want

to see you."

Prince Jing's eyes widened. He reached out and held Yun Shang's hand. Yun Shang frowned and tried

to shake his hold. Then Prince Jing said, "Come in."

Yun Shang's brows furrowed. She couldn't figure out why Prince Jing held her hand. Then she saw

Hua Jing enter. Prince Jing also saw her and then said to Yun Shang, "I'm glad you're fine. Next time, I

won't allow you to do anything without protection. I don't know what I will do should anything happen to

you."

Yun Shang was again surprised and turned her head toward Prince Jing. She was stunned to see his

eyes were full of love and care.

"Uncle, I've come to see you." Seeing them like this made Hua Jing uncomfortable. Then she fixed her

eyes on Yun Shang. Yun Shang felt that Prince Jing had loosened his hold on her hand. So she quickly

took her hand back and walked behind the screen.

Then she heard Prince Jing speak, "Your Highness, you'd better get some rest. You were really

frightened today. What is it that brings you here at such a late hour?"

"I......" Hua Jing paused, as if she didn't know where to begin. After a moment, she said, "I found

today's incident bizarre. To be honest, I didn't bring many attendants with me. But there has never been

an assassination attempt. However, on my first day here in Xiyi Town, assassins were following me... Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

Uncle, isn't it too strange?"

Prince Jing snorted coldly, "Well, it is a little bit strange. But you don't need to worry too much. Staying

with us means you have tens of thousands of soldiers watching you. I think you'd better rest now. I'll

leave you here."

"But......" Hua Jing was trying to say more, but Prince Jing had already turned and walked behind the

screen. After a while, Yun Shang heard Hua Jing walk out of the tent.

"Is that what she came here for?" Yun Shang frowned.

"Well, of course not. I noticed that she kept looking around the tent. It seems that she was searching for

something. So I asked her to leave." Prince Jing snorted again. He went out and said, "Luo Ding."

Yun Shang followed him out, and saw Luo Ding approaching them. Prince Jing said, "Where's the

attendant who came with the Princess?"

Luo Ding answered quickly. "The attendant was wounded, so I told him to rest in the surgeon's tent.

The Princess just visited him there."

"Oh?" Prince Jing squinted. "Send more people to follow the Princess and her attendant. Report

anything unusual to me."

Luo Ding nodded and stepped away.

It was almost early morning. Prince Jing turned to Yun Shang and said, "Get some rest. I'll go to the

Deputy Commander's tent."

Yun Shang nodded and watched Prince Jing leave. Then she took off her shoes and lay on the bed

behind the screen.

If Hua Jing and Prince Qingsu made a deal, was it voluntary or forced? Two days ago, Hua Jing was at

the battlefield as Prince Qingsu's hostage. And now, she appeared at the army camp as a free woman.

Why was that? And why did she bring a Yelang servant?

Yun Shang's heart was full of doubts, but she was sure about one thing. If she wanted her revenge,

then it would not be possible to do anything in a camp full of soldiers. She planned on having

somebody fetch Lady Zhao from Linguan Town. Having made up her mind, Yun Shang went to sleep.

Yun Shang was awakened by a loud noise. She quickly got up from her bed and put on her mask.

When she walked past the screen, she saw several Generals sitting in the tent with Prince Jing and

Hua Jing.

"Why don't you put on your shoes? The ground is cold. Be careful so that you don't catch a cold."

Prince Jing frowned at Yun Shang. He raised his voice and shouted at someone outside the tent. "Luo

Ding. Go find a blanket and lay it on the floor."

Yun Shang didn't expect so many people in the tent. Her ears turned red and she hurriedly went behind

the screen to put on her shoes. Hua Jing's voice rose, "My Husband went missing on the battlefield. I

don't know whether he's dead or alive. I just want to know how you're going to deal with the country of

Yelang. I'm so mad that I could tear their General apart and eat him alive. Only by killing them all will

my pain be relieved."

Yun Shang squinted. Hua Jing was only saying that because she wasn't aware that Prince Jing already

knew that she was Ye Lang's hostage. Well, at least she sounded like a Princess. Yun Shang sneered

and wondered how Prince Jing would react. Before Prince Jing started, a husky voice could be heard.

"Your Highness is just a woman. You know nothing about war. We kill real people and see real blood on

the battlefield. That's not a place where you can mess around. You'll hurt your pretty little face. Better

go back to you Palace and live your happy life there."

"How rude! How dare you talk to me like that? For the sake of my uncle, I will forgive you this time."

Hearing Hua Jing speak angrily made Yun Shang smile. How foolish. Hua Jing really thought that

everyone was in awe of her.

"Well, well, well, thank you for your mercy. I see that Your Highness really wants to get involved. In that

case, I suggest you go ten miles from here. That's the country of Yelang. Just go. If you can get Prince

Qingsu's head for us, I'll offer an abject apology to Your Highness for my abruptness."

"You!" Hua Jing shouted angrily. That was all she could say as she did not have a witty enough

rejoinder. Yun Shang couldn't stop her laughter. She didn't expect that the General in the tent could

make Hua Jing so angry that she would be left speechless.

"Alright. That's enough." Prince Jing stopped them calmly. "We are discussing military tactics here. It's

better for Your Highness to leave. Not only are you a woman, but this is not your Palace where you can

exercise your authority. My Generals are of no lower rank than you."

Yun Shang heard a loud sound followed by footsteps. Whoops! Looks like the cocky Princess was

offended.

"Your Highness, I've found that a few soldiers snuck out of the camp the night before last. They were

dressed quite inconspicuously so I didn't notice them. They seemed to have been headed toward

Canglan City..." The man who had just taunted Hua Jing sounded serious.

Yun Shang walked out. Seeing her, Prince Jing waved and said, "Come and take a look."

Yun Shang walked to Prince Jing and stared at the map in front of him. Prince Jing said to her, "In your

opinion, how did they travel from Canglan City to us?"

Yun Shang took a closer look at the map. The two armies were stationed between Canglan City and

Xiyi Town. Both sides of the garrison were surrounded by mountains. On the other side of the

mountains were deserts and marshes. Yun Shang reached out and pointed at the steppe behind

Canglan City. "They must have crossed the steppe and cut through Linguan Town."

Prince Jing was silent. One of his Generals said, "If that's true, then it's a long detour for them. It will

take them six to eight hours to arrive by horse."

Yun Shang lowered her head and pondered before she said. "Yesterday, when Hua Jing came to the

camp, she must have changed her clothes. Perhaps she was in too much of a hurry so she didn't

change her shoes. I noticed a distinct kind of foliage under her shoe. It's the leaves of the Gesang

Flower, which only grows in the country of Yelang."

Prince Jing pondered for another moment before speaking. "I've noticed that she comes to my tent

quite often. There must be something in this tent that attracts her. Since Prince Qingsu has sent her

here, he will surely be patient for a little while. Why don't we..."

Yun Shang understood and blinked. Then a General smiled and completed Prince Jing's sentence,

"Why don't we launch an attack now?"

Prince Jing shook his head. "There's something odd about the man who came with Hua Jing. Today,

the military surgeon said that Hua Jing seemed somewhat frightened when she went to see the man. I

wonder who the man is. Besides, Yelang's army is stationed in front of Canglan City. It is not a good

idea to attack them. We can send a sneak attack to their camp tonight."

The Generals nodded in agreement. Yun Shang also felt the urge to go with them. Prince Jing saw Yun

Shang's reaction and said, "You should stay here and watch Hua Jing..."

Yun Shang smiled and didn't say anything. Her eyes fell on the map.

For the rest of the afternoon, Hua Jing obediently stayed in the tent that Prince Jing had arranged for

her.

In the evening, Prince Jing went out with his soldiers for military training. Yun Shang stayed alone in

the tent. She pulled out a book on military tactics. Before she could finish the first few words, she heard

Luo Ding. "Your Highness. The Prince is not here. Please come another time."

"Well, what about Mister Xiao? Thanks to his help last night, I was not hurt. I'm not coming for Prince

Jing today. I came to express my gratitude to Mister Xiao." Before Luo Ding could say anything, Hua

Jing lifted the curtain and walked in. She saw Yun Shang reading a book at the table. Hua Jing forced a

surprised look and smiled at Luo Ding, "See? Mister Xiao is here."

Luo Ding looked at Yun Shang for help, and Yun Shang smiled. "Luo Ding, come and pour my tea."

Luo Ding nodded and walked toward Yun Shang to fill her cup. Hua Jing walked around freely. She

found a chair to sit on. Once seated, she looked at the objects in the tent. "I've seen the flag outside. It

says that this is uncle's tent. Mister Xiao, you said that you are his military counsellor. Then why do you

live here in Prince Jing's tent?"

Yun Shang raised her eyebrows. She took the cup and blew away the tea foam. Then she smiled. "His

Highness ordered me to live here, so I have to obey."

Hua Jing examined Yun Shang. She hesitated for a moment before she said, "It seems like Mister Xiao

has a good relationship with my uncle."

Yun Shang did not respond. Instead, she flashed a meaningful smile.

Hua Jing frowned and stood up. "Fine. Let's talk about something else. What are you looking at?" Then

she walked toward Yun Shang. But her eyes did not fall on the book in Yun Shang's hand. She was

looking at the pile of parchments lying on the table.

Yun Shang's mouth curved into a smile. She placed the book on the parchments in a casual manner.

"It's just a book on military tactics. His Highness went to train the soldiers and left me here. I got bored.

So I picked up a book to read."

Hua Jing's eyes widened. "I haven't expressed my gratitude for your help yesterday. Without you, I

wouldn't have lived to see today's sunrise. The border is rampant with assassins."

Yun Shang smiled. "It is within my duty. No thanks is necessary. Today, only you and I are present in

this tent. I'm afraid that will affect Your Highness's reputation."

Hua Jing seemed impatient but quickly put on a smile. "You are right, Mister Xiao." Yun Shang waited

till Hua Jing walked far away from the tent. Then she picked up the parchment and spread it out. On

the parchment was a map. It was more detailed than the one on the table. It had four words on it, Map

of Army Distribution.

Yun Shang smiled and put the parchment back in place.

As the night wore on, Prince Jing did not return to camp. Yun Shang felt uneasy as she remembered

their plan to launch a sneak attack on the enemy's camp tonight. She couldn't fall asleep, so she sat up

and read.

"Master, would you like to take a bath?" A short girl who dressed like a boy showed up behind the

screen. Yun Shang had never seen her before. To avoid being recognized by Hua Jing, she had asked

Qian Yin to be replaced. A maid called Qian Meng had been selected for the purpose.

Yun Shang nodded and stood up. Then she heard a noise outside. "Somebody, somebody, somebody,

please help! There's a fire!"

Yun Shang stopped and frowned. She walked out of the tent and asked, "What's going on?"

Seeing Yun Shang, Luo Ding quickly said, "It's the Deputy Commander's tent. His tent is on fire."

Yun Shang looked in the direction of the Deputy Commander's tent and saw the faint glow from the fire.

She walked towards the fire and then heard a gentle voice. "Mister Xiao, what's the matter? Is

something on fire?"

Yun Shang continued to walk toward the burning tent. It was surrounded by soldiers who were pouring

water on the flames.

"Mister Xiao, where is my uncle? Have you seen him?" Hua Jing looked around as she asked.

Yun Shang frowned. "His Highness is in the tent discussing military tactics with the Generals. He can't

make it here now." Then she raised her voice and asked the soldiers, "Is anyone in the tent?"

A soldier ran forward. "I am the Deputy Commander's personal attendant. I was in the tent when it

caught fire. I ran out just in time."

Yun Shang nodded and asked, "Have you heard any strange noises? Where did the fire start?"

The soldier said quickly, "There was no odd sound. I first smelled smoke, and then saw the fire burning

behind the Deputy Commander's table."

The table? Yun Shang thought about Hua Jing's behavior today. She kept getting close to the table.

Then Yun Shang lifted the curtain and tried to get in. But the smoke was so thick it choked her.

"Mister Xiao..." The man who claimed to be the Deputy Commander's personal attendant called out.

"What are you doing?"

Yun Shang frowned and beckoned to the soldiers. "Hurry up and fetch more water to put out the fire.

Open the tent door. Let some air in and let the smoke out."

The soldiers did as she instructed, and a moment later, the fire had been extinguished. Yun Shang

stepped inside the camp. Then she thought about something and turned to the attendant. "You, come

in with me. The others, stay outside."

The attendant hastened in, and when Yun Shang turned, she saw Hua Jing behind her. Yun Shang

frowned, "Your Highness, it's better for you to stay outside. There may be sparks inside."

Hua Jing hesitated for a moment, and then stepped back.

Yun Shang went into the tent and headed straight for the table. She found that almost all the books on

the table had been pushed down. Only a few books were left on the table. Yun Shang picked up the

books on the ground and went behind the table. She saw a large hole in the tent cloth. Fortunately, the

fire had been discovered in time. That's why the table and the books around it were unaffected.

"Were the books placed like this on and off the table before?" Yun Shang turned around and asked.

The soldier quickly went up to check and said, "No. But I'm afraid I touched them when I was trying to

douse the fire. Or maybe they were flushed by the water? Look, Mister Xiao. There's water all over the

place."

"Really?" Yun Shang squinted.

"Well?" The soldier made a surprised sound.

Yun Shang turned and saw two books in the soldier's hands. So she asked, "What's the matter? Is

something missing?"

The soldier shook his head. "Nothing is missing. It's just that these two books were on the table and

they haven't been flushed by the water. I remembered putting the Art of War at the bottom, but now it's

placed second last. And the Biography of Talented Soldiers was supposed to be at the top. But now,

even with all the other books that tumbled to the ground, this biography is still in its original place..."

Yun Shang frowned. "Are you sure?"

The soldier nodded repeatedly. "The Deputy Commander is not a fan of reading, and it usually takes

him a long time to finish one book. But he likes this biography the most, so I've always put it on the top.

That way it's convenient for him to reach it. The Deputy Commander has a habit of putting things in a

fixed place......"

Yun Shang nodded. Her eyes flashed. "So you mean that these books might have been moved by

someone......"