Chapter 45 The Hunt Begins

On the day of the autumn hunt, Lu An and Pei Yan sat in the carriage, and Xuan Ying was sent to Mo Yuan's carriage.

Mo Yuan looked at Xuan Ying and didn't dare to breathe. What was Pei Yan going to do? What's the matter? Does this mean that Xuanying is hindering their love for each other?

Mo Yuan couldn't stand it anymore at last. Xuan Ying looked like she was about to pounce on him and bite him to death, so he said to Xuan Ying, "If you're unhappy, just snatch it away. You useless thing!" After saying that, he didn't dare to stay any longer and hurried out to chat with Long Qi, leaving Xuan Ying alone, feeling unhappy.

Lu An sat unsteadily in the carriage, still wondering why he didn't see Xuanying? Just as she was about to ask Pei Yan, she thought of what happened this morning. Her face turned red, she lowered her head and kept silent.

Every time Lu An woke up on the dragon bed, Pei Yan was either attending court or going to court. But today, when he opened his eyes, he actually saw that he was held in Pei Yan's arms!

Who understands the feeling of looking up and seeing pectoral muscles early in the morning? Moreover, his hand was placed on Pei Yan's abdomen. What was even more terrible was that Pei Yan said, "Every day after he fell asleep, he would crawl into his arms by himself."

At that moment, Lu An felt like the sky was falling, but he had no way to refute because his hands and legs were still on Pei Yan's body.

[But Pei Yan does have a good figure]

[I feel like I have eight-pack abs]

[I’m tired of saying the word envy me]

Lu An was silent the whole way, mainly because the ancient horse-drawn carriage was too difficult to sit in, and it made his back and waist ache.

[How long will it take to arrive?]

[My waist is about to break]

[Why hasn’t it arrived yet?!] 】

While Lu An was wailing in his heart, Pei Yan brought over a soft pillow and placed it under Lu An's waist.

Lu An:? ? ?

Lu An stared blankly at the softness behind his waist, looking at Pei Yan with bright eyes. Perhaps because of the autumn hunt today, Pei Yan changed into a hunting suit that was different from his court dress.

The whole piece is made of dark brocade, which looks as dark as ink from a distance, but when you look closely you can find dark silver dragon patterns woven between the warp and weft, like distant mountains at dusk in autumn. The dark patterns flow as you walk, just like the rippling waves of a stream in the forest.

Around his waist was a five-finger-wide black jade leather belt with a buckle shaped like a tiger biting a ring. The tiger's eyes were inlaid with two pigeon blood stones. On the right side of the belt hung a dragon-patterned sword - the hilt was wrapped with a dark green silk rope and hung with an ivory-carved wolf head. It was said to be a tribute from the northern tribes.

[This detail is in place, absolutely perfect]

[This is the dream husband of many girls in modern times]

[Rich, powerful, handsome and caring]

Pei Yan saw that Lu An was feeling uncomfortable sitting on the road, so he said, "Be patient, we'll be there soon."

Sure enough, in less than an hour, Pei Yan and his companions arrived at the royal hunting ground.

The autumn sun was like melted gold foil, shining through the gaps between the elm trees at the edge of the hunting grounds, paving a golden corridor on the loess official road.

The sound of horse hooves and the clear ringing of imperial bells came from afar, startling the crows living in the forest, and they fluttered away towards the blue sky.

"Your Majesty has arrived—"

Before the eunuch's drawn-out words had even fallen, everyone was already kneeling around the hunting grounds. The imperial guards stationed there, the palace maids who had come in advance to make arrangements, and the waiting courtiers and nobles all bowed their heads, their foreheads almost touching the slightly cool earth.

Lu An jumped off the carriage in advance and waited on the side.

Then the curtain was lifted from the inside by a pair of white hands, first revealing the black cuffs embroidered with a golden dragon, and then revealing the face of the young emperor.

Pei Yan did not wear a crown today, only tied his hair with a white jade hairpin. The few strands of hair in front of his forehead were slightly swayed by the wind, which added a bit of youthful spirit to him. His eyebrows were like swords, his eyes were like cold stars, his nose was as high as a mountain ridge, but his lips were so thin that they showed a hint of sharpness.

"Everyone, please stand up."

Pei Yan's voice was not loud, but it sounded like the sound of a jade chime, clearly heard by everyone. He held Lu An's hand and stepped off the shaft of the cart. His black deerskin boots stepped on the footstool covered with yellow satin, but did not make any sound at all.

The waistline revealed by the hunting suit was straight and slender, and the dragon-patterned scabbard hanging from the waist occasionally bumped into the gold ornaments on the belt, making a crisp sound.

The Minister of Rites took two steps forward, holding a gilded bronze basin and said, "Your Majesty, please wash your hands."

Pei Yan dipped his hand into the clear water with chrysanthemum petals floating in it. As the water ripples spread, his slightly narrowed eyes were reflected - something flashed by in the birch forest in the northwest corner, reflecting the light.

Pei Yan's expression did not change. As he took the handkerchief to wipe his hands, he turned around and gave Mo Yuan a look. Mo Yuan nodded imperceptibly, his hand already on the hilt of the sword.

"Today we are not talking about the king or his subjects, but only about hunting skills." Pei Yan suddenly raised his voice and took out a golden bow from the rosewood box held by his servant.

The morning sun happened to shine on the gems inlaid on the bow arms, and the refracted light spots danced on everyone's faces like stars. "This dragon tongue bow, treasured by the late emperor, is today's top prize. Whoever hunts the most prey will win."

Wang Yan, who was kneeling in the front, suddenly looked up, the burning heat in his eyes almost turning into substance.

His father Wang Su frowned - the young emperor was standing next to the shaft of the carriage, the sun shining from behind him, and the edge of his hunting suit seemed to be plated with gold. The raised golden bow happened to be aimed at the birch forest in the northwest.

"The hunt begins!"

As the horn blew, everyone jumped on their horses and ran into the paddock.

When Pei Yan entered the tent, he took one last glance at the suspicious forest and a barely perceptible sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth.