Chapter 514: I Will Not Tolerate Him

Tuan Tuan lifted her little face and looked at her: "Yes! Mom, it's that old sword I brought back from the desert!"

Granny Liu looked at her complexion: "Your Highness, what's wrong?"

Cheng Ru'an shook her head and asked softly: "Is the Heavenly Son Sword still with Xun Er?"

Tuan Tuan nodded: "Yes! It's always been with Third Brother."

Cheng Ru'an whispered: "Mom knows."

"Mom's fine, you don't need to worry—go play with Xiao Yueyue for a while."

Tuan Tuan put her arms around her neck, pulled her close, and lightly kissed her cheek: "Mom, don't get sick again—I'm so worried!"

Cheng Ru'an smiled and kissed her too: "Okay, Mom won't let my little Tuan Tuan worry anymore—go play."

That evening, to celebrate Cheng Ru'an's recovery, the family sat down together for a reunion meal.

Xiao Yuanhang stayed overnight in his wife's tent.

In the middle of the night, Cheng Ru'an silently picked up her clothes, put them on piece by piece, and peered out through a gap in the tent curtain.

The Main Camp was quiet, only a few torches flickering with a dim yellow light.

After a while, a patrol of soldiers walked past in front of the tent.

After they had gone far away, Cheng Ru'an lifted the curtain and stepped out quietly.

She made her way all the way to Xiao Ningxun's tent; inside there was no candlelight, and both Xiao Ningxun and Tuan Tuan were already asleep.

She listened attentively for a moment, then lifted the curtain and entered.

Inside the tent were two beds; Xiao Ningxun and Tuan Tuan were sound asleep.

Only a chair separated the two beds, with their clothes placed on it.

Cheng Ru'an bent over and gently rummaged through the siblings' clothing, as if searching for something.

After a moment, she straightened up, tilted her head, pondered for a while, and began to search through the tent.

Her movements were very light, like a ghost drifting about, but the faint sound still woke Tuan Tuan.

Tuan Tuan mumbled sleepily: "Third Brother..."

A large hand covered her mouth, and Tuan Tuan jolted awake, opening her eyes.

She saw Xiao Ningxun crouching beside his own bed, shaking his head slightly at her.

Tuan Tuan obediently nodded, and Xiao Ningxun pointed at Cheng Ru'an, who had her back to them.

Tuan Tuan's eyes widened instantly: "Mom?"

She looked at her brother, full of confusion, and Xiao Ningxun shook his head, signaling her not to speak.

Tuan Tuan nodded, and Xiao Ningxun helped her lie back down, then returned to his own bed, pulled the covers over himself, and closed his eyes.

There weren't many things in the tent, and Cheng Ru'an soon finished searching.

She walked to the bedside again, reached under Xiao Ningxun's pillow, and felt a hard object.

She gently pulled it out, examined it carefully, nodded in satisfaction, and turned to leave the tent.

Xiao Ningxun and Tuan Tuan sat up.

"Third Brother, what's wrong with Mom? Why did she take the Heavenly Son Sword?"

Cold sweat beaded on Xiao Ningxun's forehead: "I don't know either, Tuan Tuan—stay put and don't move; I'll follow her."

Tuan Tuan shook her head vigorously: "No! I want to go too!"

Xiao Ningxun hesitated no longer, grabbed his clothes, wrapped his sister in them, and rushed out of the tent holding her.

Cheng Ru'an didn't walk quickly; her steps were light.

She evaded the patrolling soldiers, made her way all the way to the Bitter Water Well, drew out the Heavenly Son Sword, and threw it into the well.

Tuan Tuan's eyes widened enormously, and Xiao Ningxun's face was full of astonishment and doubt.

Cheng Ru'an retraced her steps, entered her own tent, and lay back down beside her husband.

Xiao Ningxun held his sister, looked at her for a moment, returned to the tent, lit the lamp, and said: "Tuan Tuan, did Mother come today?"

"Mm-hmm! When you went to find Elder Brother and the others, Mom came by."

"What did she say to you?"

Tuan Tuan recalled and recounted the conversation she had with Cheng Ru'an when she came during the day.

Xiao Ningxun suddenly understood: "No wonder! Mother knew the Heavenly Son Sword was still here, so she came tonight."

"In that case, that fake Heavenly Son Sword must have been taken by Mother as well."

"But why would she do that?"

Tuan Tuan looked at him, full of worry: "Third Brother, is Mom's illness not really better? Why did she throw the Heavenly Son Sword into the well?"

Xiao Ningxun shook his head: "I don't know either."

"Listen, Tuan Tuan, you must on no account mention this to anyone else—the Heavenly Son Sword brother will be fished up tomorrow."

"I need you to do me a favor."

Tuan Tuan pursed her lips: "All right, what should I do?"

Early the next morning, Xiao Ningxun led Tuan Tuan into Cheng Ru'an's tent: "Let's pay our respects to Mother—how is she today?"

Cheng Ru'an's complexion was flushed: "I'm much better now. From now on, you can come whenever you like. Tuan Tuan, would you like to come back and live with Mom?"

Xiao Ningxun hurried to reply: "Mother's health has just improved; it's better to let Tuan Tuan stay with me a few more days before moving back, for greater stability."

Cheng Ru'an nodded: "That's fine too—thank you for your trouble."

She looked at her daughter: "Tuan Tuan, you're different from your Third Brother and Mom—he works hard during the day, so don't pester him with talk at night; let him rest more."

Hearing this, Xiao Ningxun's heart softened.

"Okay!" Tuan Tuan walked up to her: "Mom, the fish you made for me yesterday was delicious—I want some again tonight."

Cheng Ru'an blinked: "Fish? I didn't make last night's fish, you little glutton—that was Granny Liu's cooking; if you want some, I'll have her make it for you again tonight."

Tuan Tuan looks at Xiao Ningxun: "Oh, then I remembered wrong!"

Xiao Ningxun thinks silently: If he can point out that Tuan Tuan misremembered, his mother's memory is normal.

He asks softly: "Last night I couldn't sleep, so I went out for a walk. Unexpectedly, it seemed I even saw mother walking in the Main Camp."

Cheng Ru'an is startled at first, then laughs: "Then you must have seen wrong; last night I slept very deeply and didn't wake the whole night."

Slept so deeply, didn't wake all night?

The siblings give each other a glance.

Xiao Ningxun is about to speak further, but Tuan Tuan can't hold back: "But Mother, I also saw it!"

"You also saw it?"

"Yes! Mother, don't you remember?"

Tuan Tuan darts into her arms, worried to the point of panic: "Mother, is your illness still not cured? Shall I call the doctor uncle?"

Cheng Ru'an murmurs: "Did I really walk in the Main Camp at midnight?"

"Really! Mother."

"But why do I remember nothing? Let me think, I need to think carefully."

But as soon as she finishes speaking, a buzzing starts in her ears, a familiar headache strikes suddenly, her head feeling as if hammered by an iron hammer.

Cheng Ru'an lifts both hands to cover her head: "My, my head hurts again, it hurts so much!"

Her complexion grows paler and paler, and Tuan Tuan looks up at her, her little face also turning white.

Grandma Liu, carrying a tray, enters with a startled cry: "Madam!" The tray in her hands falls to the floor, tea spilling everywhere.

She runs to Cheng Ru'an's side, helps her sit up and lie on the bed.

Cheng Ru'an still clutches her head, moaning: "My head hurts so much, it's killing me."

Tuan Tuan turns and runs: "I'll go call the doctor uncle!"

Xiao Ningxun stands nearby, his brows tightly knit.

No, this is all wrong.

Mother doesn't recall anything she did at all, and even just thinking about it brings a headache.

She could never be the spy sent by King Chen and King Qing!

Yet she indeed took the Heavenly Son Sword and threw it into the well!

What on earth is going on?

He feels heavy‑hearted, recalling the Emperor's words: "Military law punishment, I will not tolerate it!"