In the blink of an eye, it was the day of the annual Imperial Hunt. Taking advantage of the days before New Year's Eve, the Imperial Family also wanted to gain some good luck, so they went to the hunting grounds to hunt. All the noble sons and ministers had to participate in order to dispel the evil spirits of the year and relax.
The hunting grounds were in the Northern Forest, where there were high mountains and valleys. The terrain was complex, but there were also many rare birds and strange beasts. For the sons and daughters of the rich and noble families, it was a strange challenge. This time, it was unprecedentedly lively.
With great difficulty, Jiang Dan persuaded the Emperor to bring her along. On this day, the palace maids had already chosen clothes for her. Because she was already an imperial concubine and not a daughter of a noble family, she could not wear bright riding clothes like them. Finally, she wore a gorgeous dress. Jiang Dan looked at the woman in the mirror and finally, somewhat annoyed, pulled out the hairpin studded with pearls from her hair and said, "What is this? This hairpin looks a little too old-fashioned. Do you think this consort should wear something like this? "
The palace maid was startled and quickly knelt down to beg for mercy. In fact, there was nothing wrong with the hairpin. It was commonly used by the women in the palace. The color of this hairpin was very good, and it was given to her because the Emperor doted on her very much. Jiang Dan, on the other hand, was a little flustered. She opened the dressing box herself, only to see the pearls and enamels in the box with great dissatisfaction. Unlike Jiang Li, although Jiang Dan pursued a high status, she did not hang rich and noble things on her body like Jiang Li did. She valued and cherished her youth and beauty. Now that she was an imperial concubine of the Emperor, she had to always pay attention to her identity and could not dress like a young girl. Sometimes, she even felt that the little palace maids around her looked younger than her.
Entering the palace and living with a man who was old enough to be her father, fighting with all kinds of women for this man's favor, she had to dress herself up to look older than her peers. Why, she was clearly at the age of a flower. Her gaze fell on a captivating red velvet flower in the dressing box, and she suddenly thought of Jiang Ruan.
Although they were both daughters of the Jiang fu, Jiang Ruan was able to wear the clothes she wanted as she pleased without worrying about whether they would be inappropriate or not. Even though she was also a Furen of the first rank of nobility, and was also Jinying Wangfei, she could still dress like any other young girl, because Xiao Shao did not care about such things at all. Not only that, Xiao Shao was also much younger than the Emperor. His age was just right, and he was born with good looks. Why did Jiang Ruan have such a good life? Even if she had been forced into a desperate situation by Xia Yan, she still had enough good luck to turn things around. On the other hand, she could only sell her youth and freedom in exchange for a temporary lofty position. All the riches and honor in front of him were like the reflection of the moon in the mirror, and could vanish at any time.
"Empress …?" The palace maid saw that she didn't speak for a long time, and the expression on her face seemed a bit ferocious. For a moment, she was a little scared and reminded her.
Jiang Dan came back to her senses and slowly held the red velvet flower tightly in her hand. She was so strong that she almost crushed the petals, but the corners of her mouth revealed a strange smile.
It didn't matter, no matter what, everything was about to end. After this matter was over, she would be the only daughter of the Jiang fu left, and there would no longer be anything in this world that could threaten her. She would always be a person who stood high above others.
…
In Jinying Wangfu, Jiang Ruan looked at the huge luggage in front of her and felt a headache coming on. She could only glare at Xiao Shao, but Xiao Shao pretended to turn his head away unintentionally, obviously pretending not to see her look.
Housekeeper Lin was still chattering on, "Young Madam, this old servant specially asked the kitchen to prepare some pastries and osmanthus wine. You are both young people, and this is the first time you are going out for a proper sightseeing trip, so you should also prepare some food. However, I was afraid that Young Madam would drink too much, so I also prepared some soup to sober up. I added a little honey to it, so it won't be hard to swallow, and the taste will be sweet and lingering. Oh yes, there are also a few poetry books and miscellaneous notes, which may be of use when the time comes. This old servant has already ordered people to carry the Jiao Wei Qin to the carriage. Young Madam probably does not know, but Master plays the qin extremely well. En, there are also some medicines. Cough, ah, this old servant is thinking about what else can't be carried up. We should probably make some camping things. How about candlesticks? They also look good when we wake up at night. "
Jiang Ruan somewhat wanted to press her lips against Housekeeper Lin's. Since the last time Xiao Shao had revealed his background, she could no longer look Housekeeper Lin in the eye. Occasionally, when she looked at Housekeeper Lin's wrinkled old face, she could not help but want to step forward and pull the skin off his face. It would be best if she could pull that skin off at once, and see if the true face underneath was really half as handsome as the rumors said.
No matter what the true face was, to use the status of the third rank of the previous dynasty to talk more endlessly than the wet nurse in the courtyard, it was really somewhat difficult. Jiang Ruan somewhat admired Housekeeper Lin. Even if Housekeeper Lin went out on the streets and said that he was the third rank of the previous dynasty, no one would believe him. It was really — the difference was too big.
Jiang Ruan finally interrupted her words, "Housekeeper Lin, we are only going to hunt, not to sightsee."
"Hunting is just sightseeing," Housekeeper Lin waved his hand, "Let Young Master catch a few wild beasts for you to play with. The fur can be peeled off to make a cloak, and if there are any cubs, Young Madam can raise them to play with. Young Master, you should also bring Hu Ba along. "
"Why bring a pigeon?" The one who spoke was Dewdrop. Xiao Shao's snow pigeon was named 'Hu Ba', which was indeed something that people could not understand. Dewdrop asked, "Do you have any letters to send?"
"Bringing it to intimidate the prey is also good." Housekeeper Lin said, "Hu Ba is very smart."
This time, Dewdrop did not speak. She probably really did not know how such a pigeon could 'intimidate' the prey, but rather confuse the prey. Was this the legendary honey trap? Jiang Ruan thought about it and burst out laughing.
Xiao Shao turned his head and glanced at her. Jiang Ruan hurriedly said, "Do as you like, it's getting late. Let's first get on the carriage. The people at the hunting ground are waiting. If we arrive late, it will save us from attracting gossip."
Housekeeper Lin then hurriedly went outside the fu to pack the carriage. Xiao Shao and Jiang Ruan walked out of the door. The sky outside was clear and the ground under the sun was a vast expanse of white. The trees were covered with sparkling white icicles, a beautiful scenery of the Snow Country. Today, Jiang Ruan wore a riding outfit embroidered with gold and silver threads. On her upper body, she wore a neat little jacket with a coiled collar. On her lower body, she wore knee-length brocade trousers and fox leather boots embroidered with white fur. On the outside, she wore a thick embroidered firemouse cloak. The cloak was an exceptionally bright red, which made her usually bright and charming face look a little more dashing and neat and heroic, making her look even prettier.
On the snowy ground, Xiao Shao was still dressed in black with a golden qilin embroidered on the hem of his clothes. He also wore a dark gold crane cloak of the same color. His facial features were picturesque, yet handsome and indifferent. He appeared as cold and cheerless as the lonely moon in the sky. Jiang Ruan glanced at him and smiled, "Your appearance is very good. If I bring you to the hunting ground, I will feel that all the prey will not be as precious as you."
Xiao Shao raised his eyebrows and turned his head to look at her, "Prey?"
"I have to keep a close eye on you." Jiang Ruan smiled, turned her head, and jumped into the horse carriage that Steward Lin had prepared for them. Xiao Shao also jumped in. After the two of them sat down, Lian Qiao, Jin San, and a few secret guards followed behind them in the horse carriage. Steward Lin gave a few more detailed instructions before pulling the curtain down. The coachman whipped the horse and the horse carriage began to move slowly.
Bei Guang Lin was more than ten miles away from the capital. The terrain was very complicated, so the journey was somewhat boring. Jiang Ruan looked at the small table in front of her. Steward Lin had arranged the interior of the horse carriage very meticulously. Walking in alone, it seemed like a small villa of a wealthy family. On the table, there was even a small pot of wine and a few plates of snacks. Did they actually want them to drink wine in broad daylight?
Jiang Ruan saw that the wine pot was adorable and exquisite. The body of the pot was gilded, and there seemed to be a figure protruding from the top. It appeared to be lifelike. At that time, there must have been a skilled craftsman who had carved it. She turned the wine pot and aimed it at herself. At first glance, she was stunned. It was clearly two people with bare buttocks together. She was not an idiot. No matter how bad her eyesight was, she could still understand what it was. Before she could react, Xiao Shao suddenly reached out and snatched the wine pot from her hand. Putting it aside, he nonchalantly said, "There's nothing to see."
Jiang Ruan thought about it and picked up the wine cup at the side. Wanting to ease the atmosphere, she said, "This wine cup is actually very well made …" Before she could finish her sentence, she stared at the figure on the wine cup and stopped talking.
Xiao Shao silently put the wine cup away. Jiang Ruan's eyes widened as she scanned the contents of the carriage. Finally, she discovered that apart from the wine jug and wine cups, the legs of the small table, the tablecloth, the candlestick, the box for storing pastries, and even the curtains in the carriage were of a different world. The pictures were so lifelike that it really made one's heart beat faster with envy.
Steward Lin was really too considerate. This was simply pervasive. Perhaps he was the most suitable person to be the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guards. This kind of pervasiveness really made one not know whether to laugh or cry. When Jiang Ruan turned her head away, a blush appeared on Xiao Shao's fair and handsome face. He still turned his head away somewhat uncomfortably, but perhaps he felt that this was really deceiving himself, so he quickly turned his head back and fixed his gaze on Jiang Ruan, as if to prove that he did not have a guilty conscience.
Jiang Ruan could not help but laugh. Xiao Shao was really stubborn about some things, especially when he had to protect his face every time he was stuffed to death. It was very awkward. Her laughter made Xiao Shao a little angry. He simply pulled her over and wrapped her in his arms with the ebony crane cloak.
"Still laughing." He said coldly.
Jiang Ruan was not afraid of him. In reality, Xiao Shao had nothing to fear. At most, he only put on a cold face. Moreover, he had never been able to put on a cold face in front of Jiang Ruan. It really did not have any deterrent power.
Xiao Shao raised his eyebrows. He seemed to feel that nowadays, Jiang Ruan was becoming more and more open. For a moment, he held her tighter, lowered his head, and slowly leaned over. Perhaps he only wanted to scare Jiang Ruan, but for some reason, in the end, his gaze fell on Jiang Ruan's lips, and his movements slowly became gentle.
Jiang Ruan quietly watched his handsome face come closer and closer. Others could not imagine what the usually cold and indifferent Xiao Shao looked like when he was aroused, but only she had seen this kind of Xiao Shao. It was as if in an instant, all the coldness and indifference had completely disappeared, leaving only a kind of bone-deep gentleness. She slowly closed her eyes, and then the carriage staggered. Jiang Ruan almost fell head first. Xiao Shao reached out his hand in time to support her, lest she hit her head.
The driver's apologetic voice came from the front, "Master and Madam, just now there was a stone that was burning our feet. The horse kicked it, I hope it did not startle you."
Xiao Shao: "…"
Jiang Ruan could not help but laugh. Xiao Shao helplessly looked at her and laughed for a while. Finally, Jiang Ruan stopped laughing and touched Xiao Shao with her hand, "Tell me the truth, are you nervous about this hunt?"
Xiao Shao pulled her back into his embrace and carefully wrapped her tightly in the crane cloak, revealing only her small palm-sized face. He lightly said, "I am not nervous."
Jiang Ruan allowed him to hug her through the crane cloak and said, "I am actually a little nervous. Jiang Dan will definitely take advantage of this opportunity to make a move. I heard from your Embroidered Uniform Guards that Jiang Dan has already hooked up with Xuan Hua. Her movements are actually quite fast, saving me a lot of trouble."
"You don't have to care about anything." A trace of coldness flashed in Xiao Shao's eyes.
"I don't have to care about anything. They are already anxious to seek their own deaths." Jiang Ruan lightly said, "Jiang Dan scheming against me is understandable. Our enmity was sown many years ago, and in this life, it will not rest until one of us dies. As for Pei 'er, she also wants to scheme against me, which indeed makes me very unhappy. Now, I can't wait to see her defeated appearance. "
Xiao Shao tightened his embrace, pursed his lips, and did not speak. Jiang Ruan smiled faintly. Xiao Shao's crane cloak was very warm. In her previous life, she had also yearned for this Imperial Hunt. At that time, Jiang Su Su could participate because she was an unmarried daughter of an official. On the other hand, Jiang Ruan could only stay in the depths of the palace, separated by red walls and green tiles, yearning for the freedom that she could never have. Now that she had been reborn, she had gone to a place that she had never been to before. Only, this time, it was a chaotic battle. This was indeed a hunt. Everyone wanted to be the hunter and not the hunted. She glanced at Xiao Shao and longed for the warmth under the crane cloak. She leaned closer to his side. The most brilliant hunter was by her side. At least, she had nothing to worry about.
…
In the afternoon, the carriage finally arrived at Bei Guang Lin. Jiang Ruan and Xiao Shao were the last to arrive. This year's Imperial Hunt was much livelier than in previous years. The children of official families were very enthusiastic in participating. Jiang Ruan had just arrived when she was pulled over by Lin Zi Xiang. She said, "You really came a little too late. I thought you wouldn't come."
There were many daughters of officials and nobles in the surroundings. When they saw the arrival of Jinying Wang fu's carriage, they all pointed and gossiped. When they saw Xiao Shao, they coincidentally used the same kind of adoring gaze to stick to him. When Xiao Shao and Jiang Ruan talked for a while and walked over to the side of the men, the gaze he used to look at Jiang Ruan suddenly became full of hostility.
Jiang Ruan was not a fool. Naturally, she knew where this hostility came from. She could not help but feel strange. "He is actually so lovable? But at that time, before he married me, he was not as popular as he is today. "
"Silly," Lin Zi Xiang rolled her eyes at her. "At that time, those people saw that your family's Xiao Wangye was cold on the outside and cold on the inside. They were afraid that they themselves could not enter his eyes. Who would dare to rashly open their mouths and dispel their own thoughts? Who would have known that now that your family's Xiao Wangye treats you so gently and considerately? Moreover, he is also a good person? Don't they regret it? Who doesn't try their best to squeeze into your Wang fu? "
Jiang Ruan thought about it and calmed down. Xiao Shao's talent and influence were indeed among the best in the Da Jin dynasty. When she had first married over, everyone had said that Xiao Shao, this good cabbage, had been taken away by her, this pig. Now, it seemed that there were countless people who wanted this cabbage. Jiang Ruan was pondering when she should raise this cabbage in a pen. Lin Zi Xiang angrily pouted and said, "You see, isn't this a person who regrets?"
Jiang Ruan followed her gaze and saw a woman standing beside the Crown Princess. She was about seventeen or eighteen years of age in the prime of her youth and was dressed in a light green dress with a buttoned collar. Her head was draped in a dark black cloak. Among the women who were contending with each other for beauty, this kind of attire was really plain to the point of being somewhat dull. This woman seemed to be aware of their gazes and turned her head. Coincidentally, her eyes met Jiang Ruan's. She did not reveal an astonished expression but instead smiled slightly.
This woman had light eyebrows and a small mouth. Her facial features did not appear to be particularly special, but when put together, there was a special kind of beauty that was somewhat too delicate and pretty. Most importantly, there was a graceful and magnanimous air between her brows. This air added a lot to her beauty. In short, at first glance, she was a very comfortable and appropriate woman.
Jiang Ruan could faintly guess this woman's identity. She only heard Lin Zi Xiang say, "You still don't know who she is? Binhai Governor Yao family's pearl in the palm, Yao Niannian. "
The daughter of the Yao family, Jiang Ruan's eyes drooped. She had heard many times that the Emperor had intended for this daughter of the Yao family to become Jinying Wangfei. However, she did not know why Xiao Shao had ultimately taken a fancy to Jiang Ruan. Regarding these rumors, Jiang Ruan had always laughed them off. As for Yao Niannian, she was somewhat curious. She had heard that this daughter of the Yao family was knowledgeable in astronomy and geography. Unlike Jiang Su Su, who only knew chess, calligraphy, and painting, Yao Niannian knew the power of the court and understood the bitterness of Jianghu. The Yao family's prosperity was partly due to Yao Niannian's efforts.
Moreover, Jiang Ruan also knew that when the old Jinying Wangs had rebelled, the officials had pressured Jinying Wangfu. However, the Yao family had wholeheartedly supported Jinying Wangfu and even cried out for injustice on Xiao Shao's behalf. It was said that when Yao Niannian found out about this matter, he returned to the fu and strongly advised his father. Therefore, Yao Niannian and Xiao Shao were at least not enemies.
Jiang Ruan had inadvertently glanced at Yao Niannian and did not have any other thoughts. Firstly, Xiao Shao was not a womanizing person. Secondly, this Yao Niannian had always been the Emperor's one-sided wishful thinking. She really did not put him in her eyes. However, in the split second that she had met Yao Niannian's gaze, she had felt that something was wrong. That woman's gaze seemed to contain some hostility. Perhaps she had concealed it very well, but for someone like Jiang Ruan who had grown up with 'hostility' from a young age, this kind of gaze was all too familiar.
"You're talking nonsense again," this was the first time Wen Fei Fei had gone out since giving birth. This time, she had accompanied her husband to the hunting grounds and was in a good mood. After listening to Lin Zi Xiang and Jiang Ruan's idle conversation, she could not help but interrupt, "What regret? I heard that the daughter of the Yao family is a person with lofty ambitions. It's rare for her to be so magnanimous. As for whatever Xiao Wangye you're talking about, don't make things difficult for Ruan meimei. Don't you see that the young couple is just in time for each other? "
"Don't be afraid of a thief stealing, just be afraid of a thief remembering." Unfortunately, Lin Zi Xiang did not appreciate her kindness and insisted on her own opinion, "In this world, all the so-called talented women are the same. They say that they are magnanimous, but they just don't want to become a laughing stock. Isn't it just one word, hypocritical? "
Lin Zi Xiang had a keen intuition about human nature. In many matters, this kind of person was actually the cleverest. This time, Jiang Ruan's thoughts coincided with hers. It was only a short glance, but she knew that this daughter of the Yao family was not as magnanimous and magnanimous as she appeared on the surface. At least, in that glance, she had already sensed many indescribable emotions.
Sure enough, one's own cabbage was precious. If one wasn't careful, others would covet it.
Just as she was thinking, she suddenly heard a familiar voice, "Ruan meimei, you've come too!"
Jiang Ruan turned around and saw Zhao Jin dismount from her horse. Today, she was dressed in a bright yellow riding outfit. Because their family was originally a military family, they were extremely particular about this aspect. Dressed in such a way, it was almost as if a group of womenfolk were directly outshone. It was really very mischievous and heroic. Among the male guests present, many of the sons of the noble families stared at her, and some of them did not even bother to conceal their gazes.
"Ah Ruan." Jiang Xin Zhi just happened to walk over. Nowadays, he could also be considered as a new noble in the imperial court. Today's scene was indispensable. He walked over with large strides. Jiang Ruan had not seen him for a long time. These days, he had been busy with the affairs of the camp and had run less to Jinying Wang fu. Jiang Ruan smiled and said, "Eldest Brother, you've only just arrived."
Zhao Jin originally wanted to speak to Jiang Ruan, but she did not expect that before she could even say a word, Jiang Xin Zhi would arrive. For a moment, she was stunned on the spot. Then, she quickly lowered her head, afraid that Jiang Xin Zhi would notice her. When Lin Zi Xiang saw this, she asked in surprise, "Zhao Jin, what are you looking at? Is there silver on the ground? "
This time, even if Zhao Jin wanted to conceal it, she could only brace herself and raise her head. She dryly greeted, "General Jiang." Then, she lowered her head and looked at the stones under her feet. She kicked them intermittently, as if if she raised her head, something bad would happen.
Jiang Xin Zhi looked at her appearance and frowned. It seemed that he was actually a little angry.
Jiang Ruan's gaze shifted between the two of them, and the corners of her lips curled up. It was not that she did not know that there was something between the two of them, but she did not know that Zhao Jin's influence was actually greater than she had imagined. What kind of person was Jiang Xin Zhi? He was probably one of the few good men in the world. Other than his enemies, he had always treated people with gentleness and elegance. He was a true gentleman. However, such a person, when facing Zhao Jin, had his own emotions. Jiang Xin Zhi himself probably did not notice this problem.
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