"No, I like it. The stories in this book are very interesting."

As Jiang Shuyue spoke, she lowered her head and continued looking down, secretly thinking to herself, "This person is terrifying. He knows I'm peeking at him without me even lifting my eyelids."

Around noon, Xiao Jingzhao put down the book in his hand, lifted the carriage curtain, and looked outside.

He turned to Jiang Shuyue and said, "We're almost there. Are you hungry? Have some pastries to tide you over."

"Hmm, not very hungry."

Jiang Shuyue didn't stand on ceremony and picked up a piece of pastry to eat.

As expected of pastries made by the imperial chefs, they are not only exquisite in appearance but also taste great, with the sourness of hawthorn and the sweetness of honey perfectly combined.

After eating two pieces of pastry, Jiang Shuyue picked up a handkerchief and dabbed at the corner of her lips.

He took the tea that Xiao Jingzhao handed him and sipped it.

Jiang Shuyue put down her teacup and lifted one of the curtains to look outside.

The roadside is lined with trees, and the view is lush and green.

In the distance, amidst the green forest, one can vaguely see red walls and green tiles.

Jiang Shuyue's eyes lit up. "Your Majesty, the palace doesn't seem to be far from the manor behind the mountain."

"That's someone else's summer resort; the imperial palace is quite a distance from here."

Jiang Shuyue asked curiously, "Has His Majesty come here?"

"I've been here before. When I was young, I went to the capital with my father, and it happened to be during the autumn hunt."

Then he looked out the window and said, "Go through this mountain pass, and walk about a mile further, and you'll reach the mountainside."

Jiang Shuyue estimated that everyone else should have arrived by now. If she and the Emperor appeared in front of everyone at the same time, it would be too much of a spectacle.

"Your Majesty, please ask the coachman to stop. I need to go to the carriage in the back."

As soon as Jiang Shuyue finished speaking, the carriage jolted violently.