Coroner's Diary

"Ah—Qin Guan! How dare you—how dare you—"

Tuoba Wu's horse was galloping forward like mad. She wanted to turn her head to scold Qin Guan, but with the slightest movement, she nearly got thrown off the saddle. Unlike Qin Guan, Tuoba Wu was skilled in martial arts; an ordinary crazed horse shouldn't have affected her much, and she had initially thought so. Yet, for some reason, the horse beneath her was even wilder than the white horse Qin Guan had just ridden. Not daring to be careless, Tuoba Wu frowned and tightened the reins sharply. With her skills, taming a horse shouldn't have been difficult.

Confident in her abilities, even as the horse grew increasingly frenzied, Tuoba Wu had no intention of dismounting. Instead, she aimed to subdue the maddened steed. However, the more she pulled on the reins, the more wildly the horse ran. Tuoba Wu was jolted so violently that her bones seemed to creak, and she soon broke into a sweat. Yet, knowing Qin Guan was watching from behind, she refused to lose face and strained with all her might to rein in the horse. Despite her efforts, the horse only slightly altered its frantic course.

Caught in danger, Tuoba Wu couldn't fathom how things had come to this.

She had meant to mock Qin Guan, to teach her a lesson. Qin Guan had tumbled off her horse in disgrace, but how had her own horse ended up like this?

These horses had accompanied them from Northern Wei, and this chestnut mare had been with her since childhood. She knew her horse wasn't some weakling that couldn't stand the sight of blood. If that were the case, where had this madness come from?

Tuoba Wu carried a dagger at her side and could have killed the horse like Qin Guan did, but how could she bring herself to do it? This horse had been with her for nearly ten years—she couldn't possibly harm it!

The horse's frenzy had struck without warning. She couldn't tame it, nor could she bring herself to kill it. Tuoba Wu's heart burned with anxiety. If this continued, she would exhaust herself and get injured.

Her brow furrowed tightly, and her hands, gripping the reins too hard, were rubbed raw, leaving bloody marks.

Tuoba Wu couldn't understand why what had just happened to Qin Guan was now happening to her so quickly!

"Your Highness—"

Seeing Tuoba Wu carried away by the crazed horse and then change direction, being jolted so violently on the field that she could be thrown off at any moment, the Northern Wei maid grew frantic. She glared fiercely at Qin Guan. "How dare you! If anything happens to our princess, we will surely seek justice from the Emperor and the Empress—"

Qin Guan narrowed her eyes at the maid, who felt an inexplicable panic under her gaze.

Qin Guan had no desire to engage with a mere maid, but upon looking up, she noticed many figures approaching the field. She let out a cold laugh. "It seems you won't need to seek justice—"

The maid, startled, turned to look and saw a large group marching toward the field. At the forefront were the Empress Dowager and Emperor Yan Huai, sharing the Imperial Carriage. Behind them followed Crown Prince Yan Che, Prince Cheng Yan Qi, Prince Rui's heir Yan Chi, Prince Gong's heir Yan Li, along with Northern Wei's Crown Prince Tuoba Hong, Fifth Prince Tuoba Rui, and Western Liang's Third Prince Liu Yun, all on horseback. The entourage was surrounded by numerous guards. At the sight of this procession, the maid panicked. When she turned back to look, she saw Tuoba Wu thrown from her horse far in the distance!The maidservant gasped in alarm and, disregarding all else, immediately urged her horse to find Tuoba Wu.

Baiying whispered in Qin Guan's ear, "Miss, when that white horse went mad earlier, the guards nearby noticed something amiss and headed toward the main tent. It must have been their report that alerted the Empress Dowager."

A faint smile curved Qin Guan's lips. "They came at just the right moment."

These four words surprised Baiying inwardly. She had originally thought Qin Guan only displayed such an intimidating aura during corpse examinations, but never expected she wouldn't show mercy when others bullied her right before her eyes.

Though Tuoba Wu didn't know Qin Guan well, Baiying had served her for nearly half a year. The trouble with Tuoba Wu's horse must have been Qin Guan's doing. Thinking this, Baiying couldn't help but worry. Although Tuoba Wu was the true culprit, she was still a princess after all. Even if Qin Guan enjoyed the favor of the Empress Dowager and others, her status likely couldn't compare to that of a princess.

As Yan Huai and the others drew nearer, Qin Guan remained rooted to the spot without moving an inch. When the Empress Dowager clearly saw Qin Guan's disheveled state and the white horse lying in a pool of blood, her face instantly turned pale with distress. Just as her heart clenched with worry, she saw a single rider charging toward Qin Guan at full speed—it was Yan Chi!

Both Yan Huai and the others had seen it. The Empress Dowager quickly exclaimed, "Yan Chi, go check if Ninth Girl is injured!"

With the Empress Dowager's words, it seemed as if Yan Chi had received her command. His whip fell urgently as he galloped straight to Qin Guan. Yan Chi remained mounted while Qin Guan stood on the ground. Their eyes met, and Qin Guan subtly shook her head.

Yan Chi's eyes were filled with anxiety. After scrutinizing Qin Guan from head to toe, he finally breathed a slight sigh of relief. Though supported by Baiying, Qin Guan could stand firmly on her own, indicating she hadn't sustained serious injuries. Yet her hair was disheveled and her clothes stained with blood, making her appear utterly pitiful. After glancing at the white horse on the ground and the Cold Moon dagger in Qin Guan's hand, Yan Chi lifted his gaze and cast an icy glare toward Tuoba Wu in the distance. He narrowed his eyes, looked at Qin Guan once more, then turned his horse to greet the Empress Dowager and the others.

"Imperial Grandmother, Ninth Miss appears seriously injured."

As soon as Yan Chi spoke, the Empress Dowager urged the palanquin to move faster. Yan Huai also frowned deeply. "Quick, summon the imperial physicians! What exactly happened today? Weren't we told there was an accident during the horse riding?"

At Yan Huai's command, guards immediately turned back toward the main camp. The equerry who had reported the incident explained, "Your Majesty, Ninth Miss was perfectly fine when she arrived, but soon her white horse went mad and bolted. At first we didn't think much of it, but when we saw Ninth Miss being thrown about violently, I ordered someone to report the situation."

Yan Huai frowned. "So the horse suddenly went mad?"

As they spoke, the palanquin finally reached Qin Guan. The Empress Dowager hastily stepped down.

"Ninth Girl, what happened?! Weren't you supposed to treat the Northern Wei princess? Why are you covered in blood? Are you injured somewhere?"

Qin Guan bowed in greeting, but the Empress Dowager immediately helped her up. Lowering her eyes, Qin Guan shook her head. "There's no need to worry, Your Majesty. Not all this blood is mine—some is from the mad horse."

"Mad horse?" The Empress Dowager looked at the fallen white horse.

Meanwhile, Baiying spoke in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, this horse has a problem—"Tuoba Hong and the others had also arrived. Hearing this, he glanced at the white horse and found it strikingly familiar. Upon closer inspection, he was startled—wasn’t this Tuoba Wu’s horse?!

Tuoba Hong immediately said, “How could that be? This horse belongs to Wu’er. There can’t be anything wrong with it.”

Baiying lifted her gaze, her eyes dark and profound as she looked at Tuoba Hong. “Your Highness the Crown Prince, would this horse obey the Princess’s commands?”

Tuoba Hong’s mind raced with calculations. He didn’t want the situation to turn against Tuoba Wu, but she was still dozens of yards away, unable to approach, and she had no idea how things had escalated to this point. To avoid mistakes, he could only nod first. “Yes, this is Wu’er’s horse, and it does obey her.”

At these words, Baiying’s expression turned resentful. She gave Tuoba Hong a deep look before suddenly kneeling before the Empress Dowager and Yan Huai. Surrounded by nobles, she, a mere maidservant, dared to speak only on her knees.

“I beg Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager to uphold justice for my lady. The Empress Dowager knows that today, my lady kindly helped the Princess treat a patient. After leaving the Empress Dowager’s tent, the Princess had my lady mount this horse. At the time, my lady asked where the patient was, but the Princess led her to the carriage instead. When they reached the riding grounds, the Princess declared that the one needing treatment was this white horse. Before my lady could react, the Princess blew a whistle, and the white horse went mad. I tried to save my lady, but the Princess’s maidservants held me back…”

Baiying abruptly raised her head, accusing, “I beg Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager to uphold justice for my lady! The Princess’s intentions are unclear—today, she clearly meant to kill my lady!”

In the distance, Tuoba Wu, who had fallen from the horse, was now walking toward Qin Guan. Her face was filled with anger, her steps swift. Meanwhile, Tuoba Hong’s expression shifted repeatedly. He knew—Tuoba Wu was capable of such an act.

“This… surely there must be some misunderstanding… Why would Wu’er be so disrespectful to Ninth Miss?”

After Baiying finished speaking, it was Qin Guan’s turn to speak. She sheathed Cold Moon into her sleeve and brushed the bloodstains from her skirt. “If there is any misunderstanding, Your Highness the Crown Prince will have to ask the Princess herself. Today, in the Empress Dowager’s presence, the Princess asked for my help but never mentioned that the patient was this white horse. After leaving the Empress Dowager’s tent, she watched me mount it without warning me it was a mad horse. At the riding grounds, she used a whistle to provoke the horse into a frenzy. The Princess seemed quite pleased.”

If Baiying’s words were an accusation born of concern for Qin Guan, then Qin Guan’s statement was a direct indictment of Tuoba Wu. Qin Guan’s disheveled state was real, the blood on her clothes was real, the death of the white horse was real—faced with such evidence, Tuoba Hong could not utter a single word in rebuttal. The Empress Dowager and Yan Huai, too, had clearly grasped the situation.

Yan Huai’s frown deepened. Yan Che and the others were also puzzled. Originally, they had gathered to accompany Yan Huai to watch an archery contest, but just as they assembled, someone reported that Qin Guan had encountered trouble while riding. The Empress Dowager, deeply worried, insisted on seeing for herself. Since the contest had not yet officially begun, Yan Huai brought everyone along.Perfectly fine, how could Tuoba Wu, a Northern Wei princess, have a conflict with Qin Guan?!

Yan Chi stood to the side with a grim expression. Since everyone was looking at Qin Guan, no one noticed Yan Chi's unusually dark countenance. Seeing the bloodstains on Qin Guan, his heart ached intensely—though most of it was horse blood, just the sight of it shook him to his core. He had underestimated Tuoba Wu's audacity. He had known since last night that Tuoba Wu had discovered him and Qin Guan, and he thought she might resort to other means. Even when the report came just now, he never expected the scene to be so horrifying. How could he have imagined that Tuoba Wu, as a Northern Wei princess, would so recklessly harm Qin Guan?!

"This... this..." Tuoba Hong stammered. If this were true, it clearly appeared to be Tuoba Wu's fault. Even though Qin Guan wasn't royalty, after spending so many days in Great Zhou, Tuoba Hong had deeply understood how special her status was. "Your Majesty... my younger sister certainly didn't mean it..."

"Whether it was intentional or not, the Crown Prince surely knows in his heart," Yan Chi said coldly. "Everyone knows the Northern Wei has its own methods of taming horses. Most horse trainers in the Northern Wei palace use whistles and bamboo flutes as tools—making the horses docile or frenzied at will. If the Crown Prince still tries to quibble, it won't just be the princess who loses face."

With so many people present, Yan Chi spoke up, making Qin Guan's heart tighten. Others also turned to look at Yan Chi.

Yan Chi clearly knew that speaking out now would draw attention, but he simply couldn't hold back! Tuoba Wu had harmed Qin Guan—how could merely making Tuoba Wu pay the price be enough?! Tuoba Hong, and the Northern Wei, would not be spared!

Seeing Yan Chi like this, Yan Li immediately added, "Is the Crown Prince certain you came to Great Zhou to foster goodwill? You even spoke of seeking a bride from Great Zhou, yet here, on Great Zhou's soil, your princess dares to act so recklessly. If a daughter of Great Zhou were to go to the Northern Wei, would her life be extinguished at the whim of your princess?"

Tuoba Hong's face paled slightly, sweat beading on his forehead. Beside him, Tuoba Rui's eyes held a hint of amusement as he lifted his chin to watch Tuoba Wu approach—

"Your Majesty, Empress Dowager! You've come at the perfect time!"

Tuoba Wu had finally dismounted. Her fall had left her disheveled and in a sorry state. Not only that, her bay horse had now run off and disappeared. Glancing at the fallen white horse, Tuoba Wu's anger grew even fiercer.

Though Yan Huai showed no obvious rage, as the Emperor of Great Zhou, he would not tolerate such humiliation from the Northern Wei, regardless of whether Qin Guan had cured the Empress Dowager and rendered great service or was merely an ordinary noble lady!

"Oh? What does the princess wish to say?" Yan Huai asked leisurely.

Tuoba Wu gritted her teeth and said, "Qin Guan killed my white horse! Not only that, she also caused my bay horse to go mad!"

Qin Guan stared coldly at Tuoba Wu. Looking at her, she repeatedly thought of Yue Ning, but she was wrong—how could someone as willful and arrogant as Tuoba Wu be compared to Yue Ning?!

"Princess! The white horse was a mad horse—why regret killing it? As for your bay horse going mad, it was merely frightened by the sight of blood and panicked on its own. If you hadn't intended to harm me, how would any of this have happened?"Tuoba Wu’s eyes widened. "It must be you! My chestnut horse wouldn’t go mad! She always listens to me!"

By saying this, Tuoba Wu confirmed that the white horse was also under her control. Even if she spoke with fierce intensity, the fact remained that she had harmed Qin Guan first—who would believe Qin Guan had harmed her?! Besides, it was not unusual for a horse to panic at the sight of blood.

At this point, even without Qin Guan refuting her, no one would believe Tuoba Wu!

The Empress Dowager smirked coldly at Tuoba Wu. "Princess, this is Great Zhou. When you came pleading for Ninth Miss’s help this morning, your attitude was entirely different. Now that I’ve granted your request, you attempt to harm Ninth Miss?!"

Tuoba Wu’s heart wavered with guilt. Yet in her eyes, Qin Guan was merely a noblewoman skilled in medicine. Even if the Empress Dowager favored her, how could she compare to a princess of Northern Wei?

"Empress Dowager, I… I only wanted to test her riding skills!" Tuoba Wu blurted out quickly. "But she—she made my chestnut horse go mad! She’s the one who tried to harm me…"

The Empress Dowager sneered again. "Princess, did you also twist right and wrong and act without virtue in Northern Wei?! Is this how the Emperor of Northern Wei taught you? Just days ago, I praised your straightforward and unrestrained nature. Now, it seems you have sorely disappointed me. Crown Prince, you must give me an explanation for today’s events!"

Naturally, Tuoba Wu refused to accept this. As she prepared to retort, Tuoba Hong stepped forward, shielding her. "Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, this is indeed my younger sister’s fault. She has been overly indulged in Northern Wei, and this time, she has gone too far."

Tuoba Wu frowned. "Brother Crown Prince!"

Tuoba Hong shot her a sharp glare. "Silence!"

Rarely did Tuoba Hong speak with such severity. Tuoba Wu was instantly stunned into silence. Her gaze shifted to Yan Huai, Yan Chi, and the others—all subjects of Great Zhou, whose eyes now held clear disapproval. Clenching her fists, she watched as Tuoba Hong cupped his hands toward Qin Guan. "Ninth Miss, I apologize on behalf of my younger sister. You are injured and must tend to your wounds immediately. Later, I will bring her to offer a formal apology in person!"

Tuoba Wu stiffened her neck. "Brother, she killed my horse! She—"

"Wu’er, apologize to Ninth Miss!"

Apologize to this woman?! Tuoba Wu’s delicate fists clenched tightly—how could she be willing?!

"Why should I apologize?! She claimed she could ride! I…" As she spoke, her eyes flickered toward Yan Chi, whose gaze was as sharp as a blade, as if he wished to flay her alive.

A chill ran down Tuoba Wu’s spine. "I, I last night—"

She hadn’t expected to draw such a crowd. Her intention had only been to teach Qin Guan a lesson, but not only had she failed, she had ended up in disgrace. Worse still, she now faced universal condemnation, and from Yan Chi’s expression, she knew he despised her as well. This was never her intention!

Filled with both resentment and fury, under Yan Chi’s piercing stare, she felt an urge to expose his and Qin Guan’s secret, to drag everyone down with her. But as the words began to form, Yan Chi’s gaze intensified—a look reserved for enemies, so chilling it made her shiver and freeze mid-sentence.

Her words faltered as Tuoba Hong forcefully pulled her back.

"Wu’er! Apologize to Ninth Miss—"Tuoba Wu stared into Tuoba Hong's furious eyes, but pressed her lips tightly together and lowered her head.

She would not apologize! Absolutely not! She knew Yan Chi and Qin Guan's secret! Why should she apologize!

The situation remained deadlocked. Yan Huai glanced at the bloodstains on Qin Guan's body, "Ninth girl, how about treating your injuries first?"

Tuoba Wu was not one to prioritize etiquette or diplomatic relations between nations. As a Northern Wei princess, neither the Empress Dowager nor Yan Huai could openly punish her. In that case, let Tuoba Hong deal with her!

Qin Guan understood Yan Huai's meaning and naturally nodded.

The Empress Dowager then looked at Tuoba Hong and Tuoba Wu, "Crown Prince, Ninth girl will stay with me. I await your explanation." With that, she grabbed Qin Guan's hand, "Ninth girl, let's go—"

Since the Empress Dowager had spoken thus, Yan Huai also said, "Crown Prince, this matter could be minor or significant. At present, I somewhat fail to understand the Crown Prince's intentions." Though Yan Huai's tone remained gentle, these words made Tuoba Hong break out in another layer of cold sweat.

Tuoba Hong repeatedly assured, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty. I know what must be done."

Yan Huai nodded before turning away, "We shall await the Crown Prince's response regarding this matter. Today's competition is about to begin. Northern Wei warriors need not participate. Others should not delay the schedule."

Tuoba Hong stood rigidly in place while Liu Yun beside him smiled cheerfully. As everyone prepared to leave, he remarked coolly, "The Crown Prince has been too indulgent with the princess. Even I understand Ninth Miss's importance. How could you show such disrespect to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager and His Majesty?!"

Liu Yun spoke just enough to make his point. With these words, Tuoba Hong's face turned completely pale.

They had all arrived together, but when leaving, only Tuoba Hong and Tuoba Rui remained behind. Tuoba Rui appeared completely unconcerned, while Tuoba Hong trembled with rage. He watched helplessly as Yan Huai's party walked away. Before he could speak, Tuoba Wu said, "Brother, my horse ran off. Send someone to find it for me—"

Before she could finish the word "me," Tuoba Hong raised his hand and slapped her!

A sharp crack echoed as Tuoba Wu's face was whipped to the side. Having just fallen earlier, her face already bore cuts from grass blades. Now, five distinct finger marks quickly emerged on her cheek, and soon blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

Tuoba Wu stood frozen in shock, unable to believe that Tuoba Hong had actually struck her.