The Story of a Stroppy Princess

Chapter 20: Tigress

Hua Yujin sneered, "The damn woman you called is my sister, your highness!" Upon those words, he went away angrily, which apparently embarrassed Nangong Lieye.

Nangoing Lieye was brought to life and came to a sudden realization that they were siblings. But he also knew that Hua Yujin once despised his sister for her crazy obsession with him. But this time it seemed that his sister had won him back.

Behind the Osmanthus Tower, there was a barn beside a pool, fenced with bamboos. The pungent stinky smell almost set Hua Yueling into dizziness and instant flight.

"Damn it, he has made so much money. Why not keep the sty clean? Isn’t he afraid of getting avian influenza!" With her nose pinched by herself, Hua Yueling gave a good curse to Nangong Lieye.

"Miss, what do you mean by saying avian influenza?" Li Yun, an assistant of Hua Yujin, asked in great curiosity.

"Er, it is something like chicken or duck flu, which will kill human beings if it is out of control." Hua Yueling curled her lips hardly.

"Miss, the livestock here is butchered on the very day. There are just a few left until night." The waiter Ah Cai explained.

"Is your business that good?" Hua Yueling curled her lips.

"Of course, the business of the Third Prince ranks number one in the capital city," said Ah Cai, very proudly.

"There must be a large amount of fools easily cheated by you. Humph!" Hua Yueling was far from being convinced by that so she determined to inspect the barn thoroughly.

Li Yun found it strange and asked, "Miss, what are you looking at?Elder Liang’s dead body has been moved out."

"Am I blind?" Hua Yueling surely had seen Elder Liang’s body outside. Nangong Lieye and Hua Yujin were surveying there.

Li Yun then rubbed his hair awkwardly and he thought to himself that Miss used to be a nymphomaniac, but now she turned to be much more normal.

"How is the relationship between Elder Liang and Jing Fu?" Hua Yueling looked around carefully with knitted eyebrows.

"They are really good friends. Jing Fu often comes here to chat with Elder Liang. And Jing Fu also keeps several pigeons here." The waiter’s very word set a sparkle of excitement in Hua Yueling’s eyes. "I see! Where are those pigeons?"

The waiter looked around and felt helpless, "They were here this morning. How on earth none was here?" Ah Cai also scratched his head in bewilderment.

"I saw the pigeons in that cage when I came to catch the chickens." The other waiter interjected, and pointed to the cage in the corner.

Hua Yueling walked over regardless of the smell and lifted the empty cage. She said seriously, "Have you seen Jing Fu freeing the pigeons?"

"Uh, No. The pigeons remained here in the entire daytime. Jing Fu just came to feed them. He said the food here was adequate and he intended to take some home and stew them for his wife after they were fully grown." Ah Cai continued.

"He has a family here?" Hua Yueling said in an excited tone.

"Maybe. But he doesn’t stay here at night. As for the exact place, I really had no idea." The waiter shook his head.

"Does anybody else know?" Hua Yueling went out of the stinking barn and caught a fresh breath.

Not surprisingly, all the people shook their heads to show their ignorance. Hua Yueling was quite speechless and rolled her eyes sullenly.

"I’m afraid these pigeons are their means of exchanging information. Look! He carefully put wires on both sides of the cage for fear that someone might eat or steal the pigeons or let them out." Said Hua Yueling. She threw the cage in front of Hua Yujin and Nangong Lieye, and said, "If I am not wrong, it was Ah Fu who killed Elder Liang, for he wanted to deliver the information to his conspirator as soon as he saw Yamen runners searching. So, he came here to release the pigeons, which was coincidentally seen by Elder Liang. Afraid of Elder Liang’s suspicion or his reporting to the Prince, he murdered Elder Liang. Unluckily, his falsehoods were discovered by me."

"Sis, your analysis makes a lot of sense. But where were all the pigeons?" Said Hua Yujin. He suddenly admired his sister’s analytical ability which was not only very systematically clear but logically reasonable.

"Pigeons, unlike eagles, cannot fly very far. So, we have to find those pigeons as soon as possible so as to trace his conspirators. It is greatly possible that the Third Prince’s West Crane Tower and Full Moon Tower are probably where the pigeons were heading. Yujin, send your men to check it quickly," said Hua Yueling. There was no sign of a joke on her beautiful face.

"Wu Liang, you go to the West Crane Tower. Li Yun, you go to the Full Moon Tower. Quick! Go and see whether the pigeons are really flying there. By the way, tell the Forth Prince that my sister is here." Hua Yujin quickly enjoined.

Wu Liang and Li Yun took orders at once and left immediately.

Hua Yueling turned around, looking at Nangong Lieye and said, "Third Prince, if hidden spies appear in these three places of your own, it really leaves some room for further association," said Hua Yueling, with a wicked smile on her face.

"Hua Yueling! You can curse me whatever you want. But it’s not me, Nangong Lieye, who harbor spies and betray the kingdom!" roared Nangong Lieye.

"Is that true? Then explain it." Hua Yueling did not doubt him actually. However, what she wanted was to set him into restlessness.

"Well, why I have to explain! And with slight necessity, I need to explain to you." Nangong Liye glared at Huayueling’s gloating look.

"Perhaps, sis, these three places are all popular places for dignitaries where spies could easily get quite a complete information so they choose to hide in these places. I don’t think the Third Prince is that kind of person." Although Hua Yujin also hated the Third Prince for bullying his sister, this crime for him was too serious.

"Brat, how can you speak for him?! How much bribe have you taken from him?" Hua Yueling knocked hard on his forehead and squinted eyes at Nangong Lieye and said, "Ping’er, let’s go home!"

"Sis, don’t be angry. Go back and have a rest first. I’ll see you when I get back." Hua Yujin quickly replied with a smile.

"What do you want me for? I still want to say that there is no such thing as a free lunch. If you want me to help, just consider my conditions! Humph!" After finishing her words, Hua Yueling whipped her her long hair back and walked away disposedly.

"Lord Hua, how can your sister be like this? A real tigress." Seeing Hua Yueling going out, Nangong Lieye frowned at Hua Yujin, snorting contemptuously. He thought that Hua Yujin was sort of a reasonable person. After all, he had witnesses everywhere and Hua Yueling daren’t frame him.

"Humph, that’s all your fault! Third Prince, in order to show the fairness, please go to the Ministry of Penalty with me. There’s something you need to explain to the Emperor yourself." Hua Yujin squinted at him with anger.