Chapter 296 – Princess of the Prairie Rules the World – Hidden Agendas (21)
The deputy general recounted the events surrounding last year’s rebellion in Nanyun City. At the end of his story, seeing that Bai Tang still wore a “you’ve got the wrong person” expression, he paused, hesitated for a moment, and then asked with difficulty, “Does Bai Tang have a small black mole on his lower back?”
A place like the lower back wasn’t something Bai Tang could see himself—but Tuoba Jingyao knew.
The moment the deputy general asked the question, Tuoba Jingyao was already certain that Bai Tang was indeed the heir of the Nanyun King.
“He does,” Tuoba Jingyao confirmed.
Bai Tang was stunned. The male supporting character had such a powerful force behind him, yet in the original story he still met such a tragic end—falling off a cliff, his body broken and bloodied.
Xiao A had already uncovered the male supporting character’s backstory from the original plot.
“Host, there’s no need to doubt. Your identity is indeed the heir to the Nanyun King.”
Qiu’er added, “The original plot never explicitly revealed the supporting character’s identity, but it did explain how the male lead managed to gain the support of half of Aixi Nation’s military within three years. It was because Tang Tang was once saved by the Xingluo tribe. Although he later ‘accidentally’ died, the tribe still took care of him. So after confirming his identity, the deputy general and the former subordinates of the Nanyun King defected to the male lead’s side—both to repay the tribe’s kindness and to avenge the royal family of Nanyun.”
Now that Tuoba Jingyao had acknowledged it, and the deputy general was sure Bai Tang was the young master he had been searching for, he dropped to his knees again and offered Bai Tang a deep bow. The gesture startled Bai Tang, and he quickly reached out to help him up.
“Please rise, General,” Bai Tang said, as he and Tuoba Jingyao helped the deputy general to his feet.
“We’ve been out for a long time. If we don’t return soon, the Emperor will surely send people to look for us. This place isn’t safe. If you have more to say, General, why don’t you return to the tribe with us and speak there?” As long as they were on imperial land, Tuoba Jingyao couldn’t let his guard down.
“Very well,” the deputy general agreed.
To protect the Emperor, the deputy general had stationed himself at a vantage point—one of the best positions short of the very top. From there, he had seen the Emperor’s lecherous behavior clearly. He now had enough evidence to confirm that the Emperor was indeed behind the persecution of the Nanyun King. It wasn’t comprehensive, but it was sufficient for confirmation.
Following Tuoba Jingyao’s instructions, Rong Ningjing stayed for a while, then used the excuse of feeling unwell to return to the tribe and send someone else to escort the chief and his consort. She left with Aqi driving the carriage.
But they didn’t actually return to the tribe—instead, they waited outside the forest for Tuoba Jingyao and Bai Tang.
The two waited in boredom when suddenly, the sound of footsteps approached from a distance.
Rong Ningjing narrowed her eyes and saw three figures walking toward them in the dark.
“Could it be the patrol? But why are there three people?” Rong Ningjing’s concern wasn’t unfounded. With the emperor traveling, there were sure to be guards patrolling the area. Although they had made their way into the forest to wait, they were still within the hunting grounds—territory under the emperor’s control.
Aqi, who had trained with Tuoba Jingyao since childhood, recognized his footsteps.
“It’s the chief, no doubt.”
As the figures drew closer, it really was Tuoba Jingyao and Bai Tang—along with a burly, bearded man they didn’t recognize.
Rong Ningjing asked suspiciously, “And this is…?”
Judging by his attire, he was from Aixi Nation. Why was he returning with them?
Tuoba Jingyao walked to the carriage, lifted the curtain, and carried Bai Tang up.
“We’ll talk later.”
Rong Ningjing and Aqi exchanged glances. Though full of questions, they said nothing more.
Space inside the carriage was limited, and the deputy general’s appearance was far too conspicuous. If he sat outside and someone saw him leaving in a Xingluo tribe carriage, it could easily cause trouble.
So, reluctantly, they had Rong Ningjing, a young woman, sit outside with Aqi.
Once they had exited the hunting grounds, Rong Ningjing was finally able to swap places with the deputy general and take a seat inside the carriage.
Bai Tang sat on Tuoba Jingyao’s lap, munching on dried fruit. When he saw Rong Ningjing enter, he generously offered her the paper bag.
“These are really tasty~”
Rong Ningjing took a piece of dried mango and thanked him.
Bai Tang’s cheeks puffed as he chewed. Before even finishing one piece, he reached for another. Half a bag of mango slices was gone before they’d even made it back to the tribe.
When Bai Tang reached for another bag and was just about to open it, a large hand snatched it away.
“No more for you, Tang Tang.” Mango slices were far too sweet. Eating too many at once wasn’t good for his teeth. For the sake of his little sweetheart’s health, Tuoba Jingyao would rather play the bad guy and control Bai Tang’s snack intake.
“…Alright~” The boy lowered his head in disappointment, visibly dejected.
Tuoba Jingyao kissed the top of his head.
“Good boy. It’s too late now. You can have more tomorrow.”
Bai Tang looked up and gave Tuoba Jingyao a quick kiss on the chin in return.
“Ahem, ahem~” Faced with the couple constantly showing off their affection, Rong Ningjing gave a pointed cough as a reminder.
She had been fed more than enough “dog food” to last a lifetime. Rong Ningjing had seen too much and felt thoroughly exasperated.
If this were the modern world, and her friends flaunted their relationship like this in front of her, she would absolutely reject their “dog food,” smack their dog heads in annoyance, and even kick over their dog bowls.
But now that she was here, she didn’t dare. After all, she couldn’t beat Tuoba Jingyao.
Bai Tang had already come to see Rong Ningjing as one of their own, and feeding her “dog food” had become a habit. He wasn’t shy about interacting with his husband in front of her, and had grown used to ignoring her presence altogether.
The couple returned to the tribe under Rong Ningjing’s “resentful” gaze.
When Aqi announced from outside that they had arrived, Bai Tang eagerly lifted the curtain, ready to jump down and escape the heroine’s “mild resentment.” But before he could move, a strong arm wrapped around his waist and lifted him down.
Back in the main tent, Tuoba Jingyao had Rong Ningjing attend to the deputy general while he took Bai Tang back to their own tent to help him change clothes.
Possessive as ever, Tuoba Jingyao couldn’t stand the smell of grape wine lingering on Bai Tang—it was proof that the Emperor had openly been coveting his young partner.
“Ah Yao~” Bai Tang yawned. It was about time for bed, and he was getting drowsy.
Tuoba Jingyao gently ruffled his hair. “Sleepy already? Go ahead and rest. I’ll take care of things.”
He took a set of sleepwear and helped Bai Tang change, then tucked him into bed. “Sleep now.”
Bai Tang grabbed his hand. “It doesn’t feel right if I don’t go… Maybe I should come along too?”
His identity was the key to unraveling everything. If he were present, the deputy general would likely pledge allegiance to Ah Yao right away—instead of what happened in the original plot, where it took two battles before they agreed to work together.
“The general will understand,” Tuoba Jingyao said, pressing a kiss to Bai Tang’s lips.
“Then come back soon, okay~” Bai Tang mumbled sleepily. Since Tuoba Jingyao refused to let him go, he couldn’t resist the drowsiness any longer and closed his eyes.
Tuoba Jingyao tucked him in securely and quietly left the tent.
…
Meanwhile, at the imperial banquet:
The Emperor waited and waited, but Tuoba Jingyao and Bai Tang never returned. He sent someone to check, only to find that the carriage they had arrived in was already long gone—and the two of them had vanished without a trace.
The chief of the Menghei Tribe let out a hearty laugh.
“At this hour, I’d guess Chief Tuoba’s consort got sleepy, and he took him back to bed.”
To be fair, Chief Menghei had hit the nail on the head—Tuoba really had taken Bai Tang home to sleep.
The emperor’s face darkened. This was a blatant display of disrespect.
The other tribal chiefs, well aware of Tuoba Jingyao’s well-known tendency to dote on his consort, nodded in agreement with Chief Menghei.
“Exactly. Who among the surrounding tribes doesn’t know that Chief Tuoba treasures his consort the most?”
The people of the Xingluo Tribe referred to Bai Tang as the consort, and since the other tribes interacted with Xingluo frequently, they naturally picked up the habit and used the same term.
What they didn’t realize was that this term—when it reached the emperor’s ears—sounded exactly like repeated mockery. As if they were laughing at him for overestimating himself and daring to try and take someone from Tuoba Jingyao.
He ruled a vast empire—wealth and talent at his fingertips—and yet he’d lost to a grassland tribe?
With a loud slam of his palm on the table, the banquet instantly fell silent. All eyes turned to the emperor at the head of the table.
The emperor raised a smile and waved his hand. Instantly, a group of imperial guards stormed in from outside, surrounding the entire hall.
Chief Menghei barked, “Your Majesty, what is the meaning of this?!”
“The meaning? Do you really not understand?” The emperor’s tone was cold.
They had all drunk the wine—it was over. They were like fish on the chopping block now. The only regret was that Tuoba Jingyao had managed to escape.
The tribal chiefs rose to their feet, preparing to fight the guards—but suddenly, a wave of dizziness swept over them. Their vision blurred, and objects began to split into multiple overlapping images.
“This is…”
“There’s poison in the wine…”
Someone finally realized the truth. But it was already too late. The drug mixed into the wine had been absorbed into their systems and was acting fast. Their strength was sapped—they couldn’t even stay standing, let alone fight.
“Bang—”
“Bang, bang—”
One by one, the strong and sturdy men of the grasslands fell, eventually all collapsing to the ground.
“Lock them up,” the Emperor ordered. The guards began dragging the men away, one by one.
The Empress remained silent, her eyes fixed on the scene as the guards hauled the bodies out. In her heart, a new calculation was already taking shape.
The most honored couple in Aixi Nation had long since stopped sharing the same dreams, though they still shared the same bed. That night, once the Emperor had fallen asleep, the Empress quietly got out of bed. She snuffed out the incense burning in the censer, then stared dazedly at the deeply sleeping Emperor.
“If only you belonged to me alone… wouldn’t that be wonderful~”
Her eyes were filled with obsession, pain, and resentment.
“You’re the one who broke your promise. All these years, I’ve given in again and again, tolerating everything—but you only pushed harder and harder. You forced my hand, so don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
She draped a robe over her shoulders and left the palace under the moonlight.
…
The deputy general’s name was Qin Fu. He had once been a martial arts instructor among the common folk, but later entered the Nanyun royal household as a guard.
Years ago, when his mother was gravely ill and he had no money for treatment, it was the Nanyun King who came to his aid—personally funding the medical expenses and finding a physician. The king even granted him extended leave so he could stay by his mother’s side and fulfill his filial duty. Though the physician was unable to save her, his mother’s final days were at least peaceful and less painful.
Afterward, Qin Fu returned to serve at the Nanyun royal residence and swore unwavering loyalty to the king. Because of his martial skill and loyalty, he quickly rose in favor and was gradually promoted to the position of deputy general. He didn’t belong to the imperial court, but he was one of the Nanyun King’s most trusted men.
That was why, when a rebellion arose, and the king found something suspicious about the case, he secretly sent Qin Fu to investigate. Since Qin wasn’t an official court member, he could move under the radar, unnoticed by the court. But by the time he returned, the Nanyun royal household had already been destroyed.
Due to his role as the Nanyun King’s deputy general, the court absorbed him into its ranks—but the Emperor never truly trusted him. Instead, he was assigned to an insignificant post at the imperial hunting grounds, far from the center of power, never given a real opportunity to wield influence.
This move was meant to guard against the remnants of the Nanyun King’s forces, but it also gave Qin Fu an opportunity.