Chapter 118 - The Fox Likes What He Sees

Everyone watched as Xiao Yuan dragged the corpse of the dead wolf into the clearing, many people gasping in shock. Chu Yun kept looking at the cream corpse of the dead wolf, trying to remember who it belonged to.

A gaggle of servants immediately surrounded Xiao Yuan, who emerged from their middle dressed, if not composed.

He pointed down at the corpse and shouted, "Someone murdered the Crown Princess."

The effect of his words in the crowd was immediate, gasps of shock rose from the onlookers. The curious bystanders drew in close, trying to get a glimpse at the dead Crown Princess in her wolf form.

Chu Yun exchanged a worried glance with Xiao Zai, who was staring at his brother with a look of extreme confusion. Fan Jiang, freshly changed into new robes stared at the commotion with apprehension written all over his face, it was clear from the downwards slant of his mouth that he wished he could rush to Xiao Yuan's side.

The King's personal guard dispersed the crowd so that he could approach the First Prince and inspect the scene.

He spared the corpse of his dead daughter-in-law only the most cursory of glances before turning towards Xiao Zai with a thunderous expression. "What's the meaning of this?"

Of course his suspicions would immediately fall on Xiao Zai. Chu Yun hadn't realised he'd taken a step forward, until he felt Xiao Zai holding him back by the elbow.

"I would also like to know," Xiao Zai said, returning his father's caustic glare. "Maybe she fell victim to the tiger who attacked me? One must ask what was a tiger doing in the royal forest grounds."

The King completely ignored the remark about the tiger, even though it was clearly visible on the floor by Chu Yun's feet. "It was impossible for the Crown Princess to be mauled by a tiger without anyone noticing."

Xiao Yuan nodded, his features pale and haggard. "I didn't hear anything, no one did. One moment she was walking behind the group, the next she was lying dead on the snow!"

He looked like he was in a trance, unable to accept the reality of the death of his wife of less than a month. It was obviously not heartbreak making him incredulous, Chu Yun doubted the two of them had seen each other more than twice in the days since the wedding. But it took a special kind of coldness to be indifferent to the senseless death of another person.

Someone like the King, for instance. "It's odd that so soon after one of the First Prince's concubines lost a child, his First Wife is now dead." 

Xiao Zai chuckled bitterly. "It is odd, but it has nothing to do with me."

The King's gaze travelled from Xiao Zai to Chu Yun. "Perhaps, I've been looking in the right place but at the wrong person."

Ah, there was the Queen Dowager's foresight paying off. Chu Yun wondered if she knew this in particular would happen, or if she had simply anticipated that her son would do something after the pantomime with the abortive tea.

Just as he was thinking that, the woman herself approached the corpse of the Princess Consort. She shook her head with a sigh of regret, and then turned to her son. "Miaoyan stayed in the tower the whole night. Something that would be hard to miss because his presence is both overwhelming and extremely tiresome."

Chu Yun supposed he could handle the insult seeing as she was trying to intercede in his favour. Gu Wei was probably somewhere watching everything, and smirking knowingly to himself, like the mastermind he fancied himself as.

The King clearly didn't expect his Queen Mother to provide Chu Yun's defence, and stayed quiet, his expression grim.

Xiao Zai exchanged a few words with Fan Jiang, and then took a step forward. He raised his hand showing the red circle of a handmade bracelet that Chu Yun immediately recognised.

He had made that bracelet for Chu Hean himself, when he started his classes in the academy, which would mark his first time leaving their estate for an extended period of time. He'd expressed his worry about not being around their family, and anxiety about whether his classmates and teacher would like him.

Chu Yun had made that bracelet to remind him that he was always with him, and that no matter what, he could trust his dage to protect him if something happened to him. 

Seeing it in Xiao Zai's hand made Chu Yun's stomach drop.

"This bracelet was all that Chu Hean left behind before escaping on the back of a horse ridden by a mysterious, hooded figure," he closed his fist around the thin red strings, "I'd like to know the meaning of that."

Chu Yun couldn't hide his relieved sigh. He would never wish any harm to come to his brother, no matter how strained their relationship became. At the same time, Xiao Zai's description immediately made him think of that waist token from Su that Hua Nanyi found.

For once, the King wasn't able to hide the look that passed across his eyes. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Xiao Zai nodded. "Just like with the tiger...this son understands," he smiled derisively and bent down to heft the dead tiger across his shoulders.

"Where do you think you're going?" the King shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Xiao Zai.

"I'm going home to have a cloak made for my husband."

His words sent a bolt of lightning down Chu Yun's spine. He liked it when Xiao Zai openly defied his father like this. It made everyone around him stand to attention. It showed them all a glimpse of the King he could be.

Without a word, Chu Yun held onto Xiao Zai's elbow, and the two of them made their way through the crowd that parted for them like clouds after a storm.

"Do you think this means you've won?" the King shouted after his son's retreating back, but Xiao Zai kept walking. "You're supposed to catch the prey in a hunt!"

Xiao Zai lifted the bracelet in the air again. "Royal father is welcome to go into the forest and look for Chu Hean, this son assures him he won't find him."

Chu Yun struggled not to laugh out loud. 

He was superficially aware of Hua Nanyi, Fan Jiang, and all their other servants following after them, but he couldn't stop himself from asking the question that had been bouncing around his mind since he'd seen Xiao Zai walk out of the forest bloodied from a fresh kill. 

"The full moon is in four days, isn't it?"

Xiao Zai shot him a heated look. "It is. Why do you ask?"

Chu Yun smirked.. "Good boys deserve treats."