Chapter 115: Find them out!

The man let out a painful grunt, yet he didn't utter a single word.

Xiao Er saw that he was tight-lipped and couldn't get anything out of him for a while, so he brought him back to Tuan Tuan.

But he saw Tuan Tuan picking something up from the ground and putting it into her embroidered pouch at her waist.

She fastened the pouch's strap, walked up to the man, and said, "Was this trap your doing?"

The man still remained silent.

Tuan Tuan had endured it for quite a while; she really couldn't stand the wet mud on her: "Uncle Er, take him with us, let's go find Father!"

"Yes!"

Tuan Tuan looked up at the Monkey King: "Hey! Come back with me, I'll give you lots and lots of delicious food as thanks!"

The Monkey King's eyes lit up.

Tuan Tuan glanced at the dense mass of monkeys sprawled on the tree: "But my place is small, you can't all come, so… bring half of you and follow me!"

Having said that, she took Xiao Er's hand: "Let's go, Uncle Er; they'll follow us."

The monkeys let out a chorus of "chitter-chatter!"

Sure enough, the monkeys that had been trailing behind the Monkey King along the tree toward the camp became far fewer.

When Xiao Er carried the mud-covered Tuan Tuan, escorted the tightly bound, disheveled man, and was followed by a mighty throng of dozens of ear-scratching, cheek-picking monkeys into the camp,

the entire autumn hunt main camp erupted in an uproar!

"Good heavens! Is that… the Little Princess?"

"How did she end up like this?"

"Quick look! There are monkeys behind her! Goodness, so many monkeys!"

"Who are they escorting? What happened?"

"The Little Princess is incredible! Yesterday she just brought back a litter of tigers, and today she's brought back a troop of monkeys!"

Exclamations and discussions rose and fell one after another.

People poked their heads out from the tents, all stunned.

Upon hearing the noisy commotion outside, Xiao Yuanhang's first thought was: What has Tuan Tuan done now?

Cheng Ru'an was the same; the two hurried out of the tent.

Cheng Ru'an instantly saw her daughter's filthy state, her heart clenched: "Tuan Tuan! What's going on? How did you come back covered in mud?"

Xiao Yuanhang's face darkened, his sharp gaze sweeping over Xiao Er and the man.

Xiao Er dropped to one knee: "My lord, lady, someone set a deadly trap in the swamp; the young lady accidentally stepped into it and narrowly escaped disaster!"

"Thanks to heavenly protection, the Commandery Princess's boundless fortune, and the aid of the spirit monkeys, she turned peril into safety! This man is the culprit who laid the trap, and we have captured him!"

"What?!" Cheng Ru'an's legs went weak, and she nearly couldn't stand.

Tuan Tuan tugged her hand: "Mother, don't be scared, look, I'm fine!"

She lowered her head, looked at her newly soiled clothes, pouted her little mouth, and felt wronged: "Mother, I'm sorry; you made me a beautiful new outfit, and I got it dirty."

Cheng Ru'an felt a pang in her heart, she hugged the muddy little body tightly, voice choking: "Silly child, what's a piece of clothing? Mother will make you another; your safety is what matters most!"

While wiping her tears, she kept issuing orders: "Hurry! Hurry and prepare hot water! The more the better! Give the young lady a bath! Quick!"

Xiao Yuanhang glanced over the group of monkeys that looked a bit uneasy: "These 'heroes'… take good care of them, don't disturb them."

Tuan Tuan shouted back: "Father! I promised them lots of delicious food!"

Xiao Yuanhang laughed: "Father knows! Go, fetch some tasty treats for them!"

Tuan Tuan took a comfortable hot bath, changed into a clean set of little clothes, took Cheng Ru'an's hand, and walked out of the big tent feeling refreshed.

Xiao Er reported: "Young lady! His Majesty's decree orders a personal trial of that criminal!"

Tuan Tuan nodded, took her mother's hand, and came to the Emperor's imperial tent.

Xiao Jieyun sat upright in the upper seat, Xiao Yuanhang sat below, and both of their faces were grim.

"Imperial Uncle! Father!"

"Are you hurt? Come over quickly so Imperial Uncle can have a good look!"

Tuan Tuan let go of her mother's hand and ran to Xiao Jieyun's front: "I'm fine, I'm not hurt!"

Xiao Jieyun pulled her into his embrace: "That's good! You scared Imperial Uncle half to death."

Then his expression changed: "You have gall! How dare you plot against my Commandery Princess! Aren't you afraid I'll exterminate your nine clans?"

Tuan Tuan looked down and saw the man kneeling in the center, his body covered in wounds, clearly having undergone torture, yet he kept his head lowered and remained silent.

Tuan Tuan tilted her little head, thought for a moment, then pattered to the big tent's entrance: "Come in, you guys!"

The monkey troop had just finished a feast of "imperial meals," playing outside, jumping up and down; hearing her call, the Monkey King nimbly darted in, crouched at her feet, and the other monkeys curiously followed.

Everyone in the tent felt a sudden tension; although monkeys aren't tigers, seeing dozens of them leap about before their eyes still shocked them.

Tuan Tuan pointed at the man and said to the Monkey King: "Can you find out who he was talking to? Have you seen them? Help me find them out!" Having said that, she returned to her mother's side.

The Monkey King chattered "chitter-chitter" several times at the troop; the monkeys gathered around it, and the big tent instantly filled with nonstop "chitter-chatter," as if they were holding a meeting.

The next moment, the monkey horde surged forward and pounced on the man.

"What are you doing? Get off!" the man shouted in terror, struggling, but being tightly bound, he could not resist at all.

With a few "ripping" sounds, his already ragged clothes were instantly torn to shreds by the monkey troop, leaving him completely naked before everyone's eyes!

"Ah!" Cheng Ru'an let out a low cry, quickly covered her daughter's eyes, turned away: "Tuan Tuan, don't look, it's ugly!"

Tuan Tuan obediently stayed in her mother's arms: "Mm! Too ugly! I won't look!"

The man felt both ashamed and angry, his face flushed red and white, his heart tormented: "How am I ugly?"

Xiao Yuanhang hastily waved his hand, ordering someone to grab an old garment and haphazardly cover him to preserve his modesty.

After a moment, Cheng Ru'an glanced back and then lowered her hand.

Tuan Tuan looked at the monkey troop.

The monkeys ripped all the clothes into strips, and a few huge silver notes, dampened by sweat, fell out of the sock covers.

The Monkey King grabbed the silver note and, excited, ran to Tuan Tuan's feet.

Tuan Tuan's little face crumpled: "Too dirty, I don't want it!"

Xiao Jieyun glanced at Cheng Jinyan; Eunuch Cheng understood, stepped forward immediately, and carefully took the silver notes from the Monkey King's claws to examine them.

"Your Majesty, this is a silver note issued by the Bao Feng Money House of Jingcheng."

"However, Bao Feng Firm's silver notes circulate widely, so based solely on this, it's truly hard to trace the source."

Tuan Tuan pointed at the silver note, looking at the Monkey King: "This one's useless!"

The Monkey King rushed toward Eunuch Cheng, snatched the silver note with a swipe, causing Eunuch Cheng to shiver all over.

He muttered inwardly, "Princess, yesterday it was a tiger, today it's a monkey; at my age, could we have fewer scares!"

The Monkey King brought the silver note up to his nose and sniffed it very seriously; moments later, he jerked his head up, his human‑like eyes flashing with excitement.

Tuan Tuan's eyes lit up: "Do you have a way now?"

The Monkey King scratched his ear and chin, squeaked squeak squeak in a burst of shrill cries, and pointed a hand outside the tent, hurriedly about to speak human words.

Tuan Tuan waved a small hand: "Then go!"

Squeak—!

The Monkey King gave a sharp command, clutched the silver note, and, like a gray bolt of lightning, instantly darted out of the imperial tent!

The monkey troupe behind it whooshed out as well.

Xiao Yuanhang ordered: "Quick! Keep up! Whoever it is, bring them here!"

"Yes!" Xiao Er immediately led a few Guard out of the big tent, following closely.

The Monkey King, holding the silver note, led his subordinates weaving through the camp's big tent, sniffing everywhere.

Finally, they stopped at the west side of the camp, in front of a camp tent whose doorway was adorned with glazed wind chimes.

It raised its claw, pointed at that tent, and let out a rapid, angry shriek!