30 Chapter (28): The survey 

The physician bowed to the princess and left, now that he could discover the poison that had killed the Queen slowly without leaving a trace, it was necessary to find out which type it was that his father couldn't notice it. It couldn't be from food, otherwise silver could reveal it.

But the hazardous part was that the Queen was assassinated and it might be still among maidens. What if they tend to take princess's life? He should privately talk to Li Shu and leave it to her. The princess was right about the girl, she was trustful. Opening his fist, there were some of the pills the woman was giving Li Shu!

Sniffing them, he shook his head, "Shrewd woman, she had used cowpat inside these pills," he didn't want to know what Li Shu felt after swallowing them! He was struggled now, how could he let the girl know? It seemed sending Gu Ju to clean the hen's dens served her right.

Back to the garden, the old man let out a cheerful beam, the prince had a pleasant face to attract suitors, her trouble was double then!

"I feel like a new person now!" his eyes were on Chaoxiang, so this was the face behind the mask last night, yet have half-covered mask. This man didn't trust him or either of the people around, it was good for the prince's safety. His loyalty was precious than any gem.

"What made you come here, master Qin?" asked the princess.

"Your highness knows me; this is a privilege! But I live as Qin Fei."

The princess smiled; he didn't bring too much changes to his name but his appearance had changed. She was confident that no one could remember him, besides, many of valets and eunuchs had changed except the King's and his mother's eunuchs.

"Then company me in my exploration, I am fortunate that I have you here. Let me treat you lunch among our people."

She was attempting to use his skills and enhance her discoveries before meeting her father and get involved with the suitors matters, yet she didn't know what the king and his mother had sorted out for her. She wouldn't marry until she could solve this case and prove that her mother was murdered. Besides, she had made words with Li Shu that she wouldn't break at all. She didn't want to live as a wretched empress, bowing to the ministers desires as a puppet.

"It is my pleasure to be at your disposal."

Li Shu smiled, "Your highness, what a good grandpa is joining us."

Walking down the path to reach the guards and the litter. "Do you like master Qin?"

"I do, he sounds wise, his sagacity can assist your majesty to get rid of some witless rats that had been decreasing like pests."

Fu Liu darted a glare at Chaoxiang and received a shrug, could his sister speak or behave someone with generosity? But banned them all from this.

"Hey, people said she is rude but I see that she is following matters," Yan Yuxi complimented.

Fu Liu gave her a strange look, "Just be patient, she is playful. By the way, weren't you the one who made a face when I noted you can ask maidens?"

"Huh, Ke Xin is not considered like everyone!"

Ke Xin bit her lower lip, hearing them while following behind, she rushed beside Li Shu, gasping for running the whole way, her eyes rolled on Li Shu who was walking behind the princess.

"Your aunt is hired in aviary, they truly needed someone to sweep the place. So many bugs were causing trouble."

Ke Xin murmured to her.

"Serves her, right. Let her lose weight and cruelty. She had hurt me a lot."

Li Shu replied.

"Last night I saw how the merchant caught the assassin, he must be an elite from Sheed, this isn't easy to catch someone without killing him."

Master Qin brought it up.

"Yes, it was a disaster that we were slow, if he didn't realize him, I wouldn't too. The assassin had a poisonous tooth, we had to take it out."

The princess blushed, remembering the merchant who was unlike anyone she had met before. Her heart strikingly was beating, how could his aura do this to her? Even before sleeping, she kept thinking about his eyes. Why were they speaking to her?

"What happened last night?" Li Shu asked, as the prince she was in the heart of the occurrence but she wanted to hear from princess Xing Huan.

The princess told them about where she had continued the survey. She only explained about master Qin a little that he was her mother's friend.

Li Shu smirked wickedly and with her naughty sights gazed at Ke Xin. She knew that this ruthless girl was going to utter something not pleasant. She hoped it wasn't referring the merchant, because it would cause rumors, Li Shu was bright enough not to speak of it, right?

"Your highness, as I know, when our Queens die the eunuch must also die!"

Ke Xin let out a slight breath, but seeing the gloomy face of Fu Liu, she grimaced.

The old man began to cough, how did he forget to cover up his tattoo, Li Shu was warning that be must hid it, and as the prince, she was avenging this situation. How wicked the prince had become. It could be notable privately.

"Yes, it is a law unless the Queen asked to save her eunuch."

Yan Yuxi and Zha Gang traded glances, then their eyes rolled on Fu Liu, "hey, you were right!"

"I take my words back." Yam Yuxi added.

Li Shu could hear them gossiping and snapping at her, she itched to give them more lessons, it wasn't bad talk about laws, was it? They should prepare themselves for everything when an assassin simply could enter the city and cause violence. What if the man killed the princess? He was skillful and capable of giving her a deadly wound, no one could predict that an assassin was in the city, with malice purposes.

"If something happens to your highness, what will happen to Fu Liu?" She had only one reason to make him a topic, why was this old eunuch still alive? Were the mother Queen that generous to protect her eunuch? What about princess Xing Huan, would she spare his life?

"I give my life for, your highness." Fu Liu replied, drily, 'I can kill you for this, pretty devil, what do you cultivate in your head exactly?'

The princess's eyes averted on her eunuch who was wearing a tensed skin, he disliked the question but it wasn't rudeness to speak about it, even her grandmother was always taking care of such matters. Her mother released her eunuch too.

Pity, her mother, If she was also alive, the princess wasn't forced to get into an arranged marriage.

"She is right, if something happens to me Fu Liu will be free to live a regular life in peace."

"If something happens to my lady, I will die too, I can't live like this." Fu Liu had his own desire.

Li Shu was indicating about a new commence, something that could give another chance to live the life, but he refused it. 'Do you love her, Fu Liu? Or it is loyalty? You and many other eunuchs were raised by her side, she chose you, is there something in your heart toward her?'

Ke Xin nudged the girl beside her, "Why are you teasing Fu Liu?"

"I don't just like him making face for me. He won't die if he treats me nice, I am not his enemy!" She shrugged, her eyes landed on the guards who weren't sure whether to like Li Shu or not! Their opinion didn't matter either way.

"Do you like him?"

Ke Xin asked, her eyes sharpened as if she was a suspicious detective.

Li Shu sighed, "Do you I have a heart to like someone? You answer this question! I just sent you to pass my aunt to clean the birds' shit!" she murmured near her.

Clearing her throat, Ke Xin blushed, "anyway, he is handsome. By the way, the whole time your aunt was cursing you to be caught by wolves but she remembered that you can runaway or kill them. Then she cursed you to be beaten by a thunderbolt."

Everyone heard that and laughed, except for Li Shu, the princess, and Chaoxiang!

"Perhaps she is expecting a punishment." The princess uttered and stopped by the litter, directing to Zha Gang, she added, "Bring a carriage! Li Shu just got better. We won't disturb her." Her eyes fell on the maiden with sympathy, 'I will teach you to love people, little wild bird.' She thought.

The man bowed and quickly went to the stable.

"Li Shu, did you drink last night?" Princess Xing Huan asked.

Chaoxiang bowed his head, "It was my fault, she never drinks but I gave her one cup."

"From now on, she will never drink. Physician Yu forbid this for me too."

Li Shu just stared at the princess; how could she simply believe everything? She was beside this princess in his actual shape, last night, being damned to feel his heart beat for a woman, hating himself for it; this was pity for her, as Li Shu guessed, the princess was impressed by merchant, Raz Long Sheed!