Madame Song also realized she had inadvertently spoken too much and quickly refrained from saying more, attending to the Princess as she went to bed.
The journey back to the capital was bustling.
A huge retinue of people and horses guarded the central carriage; the Princess lay on a soft couch, with Yuwen Ming and Yun Jinnian sitting on one side, Madame Song and Linglong attending to the Princess.
Chu Yu rode on horseback as an escort beside the carriage.
Knowing that Chu Yu was outside the carriage, Yun Jinnian’s heart was slightly at ease.
Chu Yu, knowing that Yun Jinnian was inside the carriage and that a lift of the carriage curtain would allow him to see her, was overjoyed.
Around noon, they passed through a stretch of woodland.
Within the forest lay a clear stream, and Chu Yu suggested they rest by the stream and take the opportunity to catch and grill fish, or make a fish soup.
The Princess laughed and said, "Then let’s rest in the little woodland!"
Chu Yu took the lead in catching fish, and Yun Jinnian and Yuwen Ming, curious, also stood by the stream.
A fish swam by, and Chu Yu, with a calm and steady hand, reached in and caught one.
Not too big, but not too small either.
"Uncle Rui is so amazing!" Yuwen Ming couldn’t help but exclaim.
It was simply magical!
Yun Jinnian also felt amazed; catching fish with bare hands was quite impressive.
Seeing the astonished look on Yun Jinnian’s face, Chu Yu rolled up his sleeves and continued to catch several more fish, while cooks on the side took the fish to grill or make soup.
Yun Jinnian squatted down and reached out to scoop up water to wash her hands.
Chu Yu glanced at her and immediately turned his head, his ears turning red.
After several attempts, he failed to catch any more fish.
Although Yuwen Ming did not understand the subtleties of love, as the daughter of a wealthy family, she knew a great deal, and from the look on Chu Yu, she understood a little.
Yun Jinnian stood up, inhaling deeply through her nose.
"Sister Jinnian, what’s the matter?" Yuwen Ming asked puzzledly.
"There’s a smell of blood!" Yun Jinnian stated calmly, "The scent of blood is coming from upstream of the stream!"
Chu Yu stepped out of the stream, "Luoyi, follow the stream and check upstream!"
Luoyi immediately went to investigate upstream.
Shortly after, Luoyi returned, "Your Highness, there are several bodies upstream!"
"Is anyone still alive?" Chu Yu asked.
"I did not look closely!"
Luoyi, detached and indifferent, never concerned himself with other people’s business.
"Let’s go have a look!"
Chu Yu and Luoyi went to the site and saw several bodies lying by the stream, scattered haphazardly. Without needing Chu Yu’s instructions, Luoyi began to examine them.
"Your Highness, they’re all dead!"
Chu Yu nodded, "Find out who they are!" he said, then turned and walked away.
Luoyi began a thorough investigation before reporting back.
"The deceased are all male, the wounds on their necks, all killed by a single slash. Their clothes are made of coarse fabric; I removed their clothing to check but found nothing that could identify them. One of them had six toes on his left foot. Judging by the calluses on their palms, they’re undoubtedly trained fighters!"
"What about their weapons?"
"They had common blades from a blacksmith, nothing out of the ordinary!"
Chu Yu pondered for a moment, "Go report this to the Governor’s Office and make a record!"
When the Princess learned that there were dead people upstream, she showed little reaction, simply asking, "Has the stream water been contaminated?"
"Those men were some distance from the stream, so no," Chu Yu replied.
"Use our reserve water then. When we reach the next village, we can refill it!"
To ensure the Princess had water on the road, one of the carriages carried a large bucket of clean water.
The grilled fish prepared by the cooks was exceptionally fragrant, and Yun Jinnian ate an entire one, while the Princess only drank a bowl of fish soup.
After lunch and a short rest, they continued on their journey.
No one really dwelled on the deaths of those men...