The Story of a Stroppy Princess

Chapter 10: Two Treasures

Hua Yueling felt delighted to see the group escape in a rush, and calmly turned to Ye You, "You needn't show your mercy to such people, and they deserve it if they lose arms and legs." She even thought that Ye You didn't exert all his strength.

"I have never beaten a woman." Ye You looked a bit remorseful, for today he had made an exception.

"Women enjoy no difference. Don't underestimate any woman. A good lesson should be given to such a bitch." Her tone was so determined that it didn't allow any challenge and her cold complexion added much to her grandeur.

Ye You glanced at her and nodded his head. Right, women should not be underestimated. The woman right in front of him served as a good example whose boldness and brutality exceeded much more than that of men.

At night, with the cool breeze and beautiful moon, the whole 'Bright Moon Pavilion' was veiled in the silver moonlight, creating an illusive atmosphere.

In the main house, the golden stove was fiercely burning. Lying in the couch in her elegant nightgown, Hua Yueling listened attentively to Ping'er's report about her father's reaction to the fact that Ye You beat Wu's brother and sister.

"My lady, you really did a good job this time!" Ping'er beamed like a delicate sunflower and said, "The Lord feels so proud of you! And he said there is no coward in our family."

"Really?" Hearing this, Hua Yueling was also delighted. At least, it showed that his father was not a pushover. On the contrary, her father could hold his head high from now on and didn't need to endure the weak Hua Yueling anymore.

"The Lord also said, 'A wise goose never lays a tame egg.' You have utterly transformed. What a blessing! He won't be looked down upon any more. How could the daughter of Prime Minister be bullied by others?" Ping'er said in such an excitement that her face began to flush.

"Well, it's good news. It has saved me much trouble from explaining to daddy." Hua Yueling picked up a cup of tea and took a little sip gracefully.

Just at that time, Ye You appeared without any sound, "My lady, the Fourth Prince has arrived."

"Oh, let him come in please!" Hua Yueling was just waiting for him, and she jumped to her feet in great delight.

"My Lady, your nightgowns..." Ye You looked at her nightgown and frowned. Though it was elegant, it was a little casual for her to wear it to meet people.

"Oh, it doesn't matter. It's comfortable and I'm not going out. Can you see what I'm wearing under my nightgown? Apparently not. It is really unnecessary." Hua Yueling rolled her eyes as she thought to herself, 'The ancients did have developed strong stereotype about clothing. The dress is too long for me to move, and now I don't have time to get changed! You see I just stay here, my private room. Do you think it is necessary?'

"Miss, it is against the rules." Ping'er also advised.

"Rules? Don't you think I have broken too many rules? I don't care! Let Brother Yixuan come in." Hua Yueling almost lost her patience.

Ye You was at his wits' end and he thought she was far cry from the well-bred girl in noble families. Then he went out to invite the Forth Prince.

Nangong Yixuan in dark black stepped inside and he looked exceptionally gentle and graceful with his clothes embroidered with a few branches of plum blossoms and his jet-black hair coiled with a white jade hairpin.

"Ling'er!" Nangong Yixuan walked to Hua Yueling excitedly. But when he saw her dress, he stopped and frowned...

"Brother, where is my Soft Gold Vest?" Hua Yueling didn't want to explain anything that had no relation with her treasure but simply reached out for the Soft Gold Vest.

"Is that all you can remember, little girl?" Nangong Yixuan's frown loosened as he smiled. He found Hua Yueling more attractive than before.

"Of course, this is to keep me safe. If a man dies, he can do nothing." Hua Yueling had a firm faith that real happiness derived from continuous fight.

Nangong Yixuan took out a package and handed it to Hua Yueling. With beaming eyes, she unwrapped the package, and a gold vest exposed, light and elastic. It was amazing.

"Made from iron of the sea, it's so invulnerable that enemies' power will decrease sharply after a strike. So it is the greatest treasure in the world. You know, it is a great loss to the Emperor." Nangong Yixuan burst into laughter when he recalled the heart-broken expression on the Emperor's face.

"Why is he so mean? He has already had one, hasn't he? It is useless if unused. Besides, if I die, it'll definitely be returned to him," Hua Yueling said in a funny tone.

"Ling'er, stop saying it. It's unlucky saying those words." Nangong Yixuan hissed at her. Sometimes he thought Hua Yueling, being always insensible, really had no idea of what was the proper way of speaking.

"If one could die by talking about it, that bastard, the Third Prince, would have died hundreds of times." Hua Yueling laughed, then she found something inside the vest, "What's this?"

"What?" Nangong Yixuan had no idea but stared at her hand in puzzlement. Hua Yueling pulled it over and said, "It's a fingerstall." Hua Yueling was excited, and hurriedly she put that on her middle finger, which was so perfect for it, except for the stiffness at fingertip. It was so delicate, as shining as the vest.

"Gee, it seems that the Emperor doesn't know there's a fingerstall inside." Nangong Yixuan squinted at her golden finger and said, "Ha-ha, anyway, it belongs to me now. Brother Yixuan, you won't help the Emperor get it back, will you?" After saying that, Hua Yueling poked her finger at the mahogany table beside her.

Hua Yueling smiled, watching her finger sinking into the table. She knew exactly it was a rare treasure.

Nangong Yixuan and Ye You wondered why they both felt a little bit creepy when seeing that evil smile on Hua Yueling's face.

"Ling'er, this stall is very sharp. Don't use it at random!" Nangong Yixuan worried. For he had heard before he came that Hua Yueling had given orders to beat up the two children of the Minister of Rites. He was afraid that she would become more furious and ruthless with the stall.

"Don't worry, I can handle that. By the way, where's the information you wanted me to decipher?" Hua Yueling didn't want to show off her delight too much. With those two treasures in hand and her modern fighting skills, would she need to be afraid of being bullied?

"Here it is." Nangong Yixuan took on a serious expression. He took the paper out and gave a meaningful glance at Ye You who got it immediately and went out immediately.

Putting the treasure away, Hua Yueling took a good look at the three pieces of paper, looked up and asked seriously, "What time did you get them?"

Nangong Yixuan's heart jolted as he said, "About one month ago. We had them on three different occasions. But we failed to figure them out every time. What's going on?"

"The information on these three pieces of paper is concerned with the actual locations of our spies in the Kingdom of Lanyue." Hua Yueling knitted her brows and suspected that the three patriots might have been killed.

Nangong Yixuan looked ghastly pale and shouted, "How do they know the information of our spies?"

"That's the question I want to ask. How many people in your side have the knowledge of the spies in the Kingdom of Lanyue? It must be someone who lets the cat out of the bag. We have our spies in Lanyue and so do they. As long as we catch one of them, we would know who the informer is." Hua Yueling came up with an idea in a moment. "It is very urgent to tell our spies in the Kingdom of Lanyue not to stay where they are but be flexible at changing circumstances in case that more would be killed."

Nangong Yixuan looked grave and asked, "How can we find the spies in our country? The selection, training and appointment of spies were in the charge of a specific department called 'Bunker' under the direct control of the Emperor. It is not easy to find the hidden traitor."

"Then let's start from the three pavilions under the name of the Third Prince?" Hua Yueling said with a sort of shrewdness passing through her eyes.

"Yes, absolutely, do you have any further plan, Ling'er?" Nangong Yixuan appealed to Hua Yueling while looking at her beautiful wise eyes.