Chapter Twenty: Autumn Hunting Grounds

The next day.

Li Bao'er was still asleep when she was suddenly awakened by a commotion.

"Sister, sister, today is the day of the hunt, would you like to come with me?"

The boy's clear voice pierced through the door, accompanied by hurried footsteps approaching from afar.

Dressed in dark red riding attire, Li Yu charged towards Qingfeng Courtyard, a spirited and dashing young man indeed.

His forehead was still glistening with the fine sweat from his morning run, shining in the morning sun.

Linglong, standing outside the door, hurriedly gestured for Li Yu to whisper, "Young Master Yu! Miss is still resting; you'll definitely get scolded by her again."

If you hear his voice but don't see him, then it must be Young Master Li Yu.

Li Yu didn't care at all, grinned, revealing two tiger teeth: "What's there to be afraid of? At most, my sister will scold me a couple of times."

She never really gets angry with me.

He casually pulled a paper package from his pocket. "Look, I also brought my sister's favorite Li Ji osmanthus cake."

Li Bao'er sighed. Li Yu is a good child in every way, except for his loud voice.

As the door opened, Li Bao'er, dressed in a plain white nightgown, her long black hair cascading down to her waist, looked resentfully at the culprit outside the door.

"Li Yu, one day I will throw you out of the Prime Minister's residence."

The morning light shone through her thin clothes, outlining her slender figure.

After a few days of rest, Li Bao'er's health has finally improved, and her complexion has become rosier, although there is still a hint of weariness between her brows.

"You're the one who wouldn't want to leave! Who will take you out of the manor to play if you lose me?"

One second she was saying she bought the osmanthus cake especially for Li Bao'er, and the next second Li Yu was eating it.

"Go change your clothes quickly, I'll wait for you here."

Li Yu urged him indistinctly, crumbs of pastry falling from her fingertips.

Before he could finish speaking, the oil paper package in his hand was snatched away by Li Bao'er.

"I'm not going." She picked up the last piece of osmanthus cake, waved it in front of her younger brother, and then slowly put it into her mouth.

The last time she went on the autumn hunt, she went with bad intentions, her goal being to wound Mu Cenlin's precious horse.

Now that she needs to please Mu Cenlin, she doesn't need to go through all that trouble.

Her body was so frail that riding a horse was not a pleasure for her; she would rather sleep in.

"No way! I already told Old Man Li that we'd go together. Li Zhou is taking that annoying Li Yan with him. They'll definitely gang up on me!" Li Yu screamed, looking like she was about to explode.

Li Yu grabbed Li Bao'er's sleeve and began to shake her violently: "Two against one, I'm at such a disadvantage! Sister! My dear sister..." The last syllable was drawn out.

Upon hearing that Li Zhou would also be going, Li Bao'er frowned almost imperceptibly.

Li Zhou is by no means a fool; he is extremely shrewd and calculating.

In his eyes, Li Yan's little tricks were probably as childish as children playing house.

Ironically, despite his questionable character, Li Xiangyuan's children were all outstanding.

Li Zhou's profound knowledge made the students in the capital forget his status as an illegitimate son, and even the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy praised him for his talent in managing state affairs.

Of course, in Li Bao'er's heart, her own Ayu was the most dazzling one, capable of composing a poem in seven steps and shooting an arrow through a willow leaf from a hundred paces away.

It's just a pity...

Li Bao'er glanced at her younger brother, who was still tugging at her sleeve and shaking it, and sighed.

Li Yu is good in every way, except that she has a temper as quick as a firecracker, and she'll ignite at the slightest provocation.

trouble!

"Wait here for me, I'm going to change my clothes."

Just then, Wang Qingzhi entered the courtyard, followed by her maid Qiuhe, who was carrying a brand-new riding outfit.

Wang Qingzhi's gaze swept over the two siblings, a slight smile playing on her lips, but she deliberately put on a stern face and said, "What are you making a fuss about so early in the morning?"

Li Yu immediately released Li Bao'er's sleeve and stood up properly: "Mother, I'm inviting my elder sister to go hunting in the autumn."

Wang Qingzhi lightly scolded, "Nonsense! Your sister's health has only just improved; how can she withstand such a bumpy ride?"

She reached out and tidied her daughter's stray hairs: "Baby, do you want to go by yourself?"

"Yes, my daughter wants to go," Li Bao'er smiled faintly.

Wang Qingzhi's tone suddenly softened, "You mustn't be stubborn."

Wang Qingzhi took the riding gear from Qiu He and handed it to Li Bao'er, saying, "This is new riding gear; it was prepared from the beginning."

Then he turned and glared at Li Yu: "Protect your sister. If she loses even a single hair, you..."

Li Yu interrupted with a grin, "I know, I know! You can punish me by making me copy the Book of Rites a hundred times!"

Wang Qingzhi shook her head helplessly, took out an embroidered pouch from her sleeve and stuffed it into Li Bao'er's hand: "There are ginseng slices inside. If you feel unwell, suck on one."

Half an hour later, when Li Bao'er lifted the curtain and stepped out, the autumn colors of the entire courtyard seemed to dim.

Her crimson riding attire accentuated her slender waist, while the silver-embroidered intertwined floral patterns flowed with her steps, like moonlight cascading down. Her once pale lips were now adorned with vermilion, and her dark hair was styled in a boyish ponytail, making her neck appear as long and slender as jade.

What is most captivating are his eyes, which used to be misty when he was sick, but now they are as clear as a dagger tempered with starlight.

Li Yu stared blankly, mouth agape, "Sister, you look so beautiful in red."

There is no woman in the world more beautiful than you!

Li Bao'er looked at her outfit with satisfaction and proudly tilted her head back: "Of course."

As soon as the siblings stepped out of the Prime Minister's residence, they saw a tall, slender figure leaning against the carriage.

Li Zhou was dressed in a black riding outfit with subtle embroidery on the lapel.

He had an extremely aggressive appearance, with eyebrows that slanted sharply into his temples like blades, and eyes that were slightly upturned at the corners, always looking at people with a mixture of scrutiny and calculation.

What's most enigmatic are his thin lips; when he's not smiling, they appear sinister, but when he smiles, they exude an evil aura.

Seeing Li Bao'er and Li Yu come out, he smiled and said, "Eldest sister, you look very beautiful today. It reminds me of the canary that my mother kept."

Li Yu clenched his fist. That canary had died from the poisoned pastries at Tingyu Garden!

Li Yan's pupils shrank suddenly. She stared intently at Li Bao'er's crimson riding outfit. The color made Li Bao'er's skin look as white as snow, while her own clothes of the same color looked dull and lifeless, like a poor imitation.

What's even more infuriating is that Li Zhou's gaze was fixed on Li Bao'er the whole time, and that look made her feel nauseous.

Ever since she stumbled upon those obscene portraits in the hidden compartment of Li Zhou's study, she felt nauseous every time she saw her brother looking like that.

"Are you coming or not? Is sunbathing here fun?" Li Yan flung her sleeve and said irritably before getting into the carriage.

Li Zhou's face instantly turned ashen.

As Li Bao'er slowly passed by him, she suddenly turned her head and whispered, "Your outfit today reminds me of how you cried and called me 'elder sister' at the hunting grounds that year."

"Stay away from my sister!" Li Yu threatened, waving her fist.

Li Zhou still had a smile on his face, but his knuckles were white from being clenched in his sleeves. What Li Bao'er was talking about was a sensitive topic that he couldn't mention.