Empress Jiahe said with great grievance: "Xiaojiu was brought up by me. I know that he is a good child and I never meant to say anything bad about him. I only love him deeply and criticize him harshly. I am afraid that he will go astray, so I am always so strict and harsh."

Emperor Zhaowu's brows relaxed slightly, but he said sternly: "The queen should be more careful about her words and actions."

All the concubines were present at the palace banquet.

In front of everyone, Empress Jiahe was very embarrassed, but no matter how angry she was, she couldn't vent it on the emperor. Instead, she bowed her head and admitted her fault, "It was my fault."

After returning to Jinxiu Palace, she clenched her fists in anger.

The academy was closed for the day. The seventeenth prince was playing with a parrot by the window. Empress Jiahe glanced at him and muttered in annoyance, "He is useless."

The seventeenth prince retracted his hand, and a hint of timidity and repression flashed in his lowered eyes.

Empress Jiahe was in no mood to scold him today, so she lifted the curtain and went into the inner room.

Only before her father reminded her not to raise a tiger to cause trouble, she didn't take it seriously.

Although he was not happy with Rong Ting's admission to Bailu Academy, how much waves could a useless person, no matter how capable he was, make?

But if Concubine Yun and Rong Ting formed an alliance, it would be troublesome.

Empress Jiahe thought of Rong Ting one after another, and then of Concubine Yun the next, and her heart became more and more choked up.

It was indeed no more reassuring for her to know that Rong Ting was in Bailu Academy than to have him under her nose.

If the Egret Academy had not been far away and the news had not been slow to come back, she would not have lost face in front of Emperor Zhaowu and been laughed at by Qin Yun.

Empress Jiahe thought resentfully that it was time to find a way to get Rong Ting to leave Bailu Academy.

"Where is the Ninth Prince?"

The maid replied, "Although it is a day off, the Ninth Prince stayed in the academy to copy the orphan book and did not return to the palace."

Since Rong Ting entered Bailu Academy, he has hardly ever returned to the palace.

Queen Jiahe frowned.

"Changing it will really make people unhappy."

Empress Jiahe sneered, "I won't let him have his day either."

She suddenly remembered what happened many years ago.

It was the end of the year and the palace was decorated with lights and colorful lanterns everywhere.

She was holding Little Seventeen in her arms, hugging a heater, and watching the snow scenery from a high building.

At the end of the snow-covered palace road, a staggering figure jumped out.

The figure was quickly knocked to the ground by the snowball.

It was the young Rong Ting, who was being chased and pelted with snowballs by the children of the concubines with whom she had a bad relationship.

The child was weak and could not run well. He was outnumbered and stood up again and again, only to be knocked down again.

Until he couldn't even get up, he lay on the ground and called "Mother", looking cold and pitiful.

But she smiled.

That was the first time she was so happy since she had raised this child of lowly blood, whom she hated to the extreme, against her will.

The child's biological mother was favored at the time, and she was suffering from a serious illness.

Emperor Zhaowu was attracted by the beauty and tricks of that vixen, and became obsessed with her, ignoring her.

But what about in the end?

Her child was not helpless and fell into her hands.

…

Empress Jiahe's eyes brightened with joy as she recalled the past. She instructed the maidservant who was accompanying her, "In a few days, find a way to get the Ninth Prince to take the test at the hunting ground."

The final acceptance test of the hunting course is held at the hunting range on the outskirts of the city by Bailu Academy every year.

People can come and watch to show fairness.

Queen Jiahe spoke softly, but her expression seemed to be sneering, "Temper his character."

Let him look at the high spirits of others, and then look at his current imperfections.

It would be best to show his ugly angry and crazy appearance in public and let others see how crazy he is.

…

That year.

In the snow, the little boy finally stood up tremblingly, hiding from the people behind who were throwing snowballs at his neck. His fingers were broken and bleeding, and he knocked on the door desperately.

He knew his mother was in there.

The red door remained closed from beginning to end.

It separates the two worlds, one cold and one warm, and fits perfectly.

…

In the study.

The young man sat upright at the table, copying classics with his wrist suspended.

He bent his fingers to hold the pen, and a pale white wound mark was visible on the end of the knuckle of his right index finger.

Jiang Rao, wearing the mask her father had drawn for her, sat opposite Rong Ting.

She got permission from Yan Nanxun to go anywhere in the academy, and the servant in the study no longer dared to stop her and let her go.

After entering the study, he wanted to help him copy the unique copy, but was rejected by Rong Ting.

"These classics are all unique copies. Some places are missing words or sentences. I need to circle them and proofread them with you. It's quite complicated. I'd better copy them by myself."

The characters in the ancient books were rare and obscure, and with her limited strength, her wrists would ache after copying for a while.

But he didn't want her to leave his sight.

"Just help me turn the pages."

Jiang Rao nodded.

But I want to...

His habit is exactly the same as the one in the original dream.

In his dreams, no matter what book he wanted to read, he would always ask her to stand by and turn the pages one by one.

He didn't

He moved one finger and supported his head. It would be more accurate to say that he was monitoring whether she was turning the pages properly rather than reading.

At that time, she was afraid that she would accidentally anger him and get her head chopped off like others. Her heart was so tense that she didn't dare to look him in the eye.

But now she dared to stare at his hand while he was writing without any scruples.

Jiang Jinxing poked his head out from under the window and said, "Brother, brother."

He finally realized his dream of having a brother. Although he was not the tall, strong and fighting brother he had imagined, he just wanted to take Jiang Rao out for a walk.

"There will be a horseback archery exam in a few days, and I want to go and see it. Dad won't let me go, saying I'm just joining in the fun."

He looked at Jiang Rao with his watery puppy eyes, and Jiang Rao softened under his gaze, "I'll go with you then."

Huai Qing came back from outside at this time, "Your Highness, the notice for the shooting test in the hunting ground in a few days has been posted. The notice says that everyone must go."

Huai Qing glanced at Rong Ting's legs with concern, "Should I go and tell His Majesty the Ninth Prince to reject the offer?"

Two days ago, Rong Tinghuan told him that it was okay not to participate in such useless activities.

He only asked one more question out of caution.

In fact, he had already made up his mind. After getting Rong Ting's consent, he went to find the two teachers who taught riding and archery to refuse the idea of ​​going to the riding and archery range.

“No need to refuse.”

The low voice sounded as if it had been carefully considered.

Once again, Huai Qing couldn't understand his master's actions.

How can you change your mind just like that?

…

On the day of the horse riding and archery exam, horse-drawn carriages were waiting outside the Bailu Academy.

Jiang Jinxing recently learned how to ride a horse. Jiang Rao gave him a red-blooded pony, and he rode out on the road at dawn.

He rode alone on horseback, followed by a dozen servants from the Jiang family to keep him safe.

Outside the academy, the coachman who was waiting to escort Jiang Rao checked the carriage and the horses, but suddenly wiped his sweat in anxiety.

Jiang Rao had to wait until her father finished fixing Jiang Youfu's makeup before she went out, so she slowed down a bit. When she left the academy, there were only a few carriages left outside.

The coachman said anxiously, "Master Youfu, one of the shafts of our carriage is broken. It will take me at least half an hour to repair it. But by then, it will be too late to go to the archery range."

The coachman suggested: "You might as well not go."

There was a hint of hesitation in Jiang Rao's eyes.

She promised her brother that she would go, but now her brother has left. If she doesn't go.

My younger brother must think that Jiang Youfu is not a good brother.

I'm thinking about whether to go back to Ning

An Bo's Mansion was looking for a carriage, and suddenly a young man with an elegant smile appeared in front of him.

"What trouble did you encounter, young master?"

Yu Yinxue originally thought that this adopted son of Fourth Master Jiang in the countryside had not even been on the table at the last birthday banquet and had never met him, so his status was probably not worth mentioning in the Jiang family.

Compared to this adopted son, he wanted to please the real young master of the Jiang family more.

But as soon as Jiang Jinxing saw him, he raised a whip and was about to hit him. He didn't dare to offend him, and he couldn't make a sound if he was really hit. He didn't want to suffer any loss at all, so he could only stay away from Jiang Jinxing.

But he often saw Jiang Jinxing being very close to this adopted son, and he could also see that Mr. Yan and Fourth Master Jiang treated this adopted son well.

Since that adopted son has some weight...

Yu Yinxue had some evil ideas.

That adopted son, like him, had a poor background and might be easier to please.

But Jiang Youfu always avoided him, leaving him no chance to get close to him.

Fortunately, today, he created an opportunity for himself.

Yu Yinxue looked at the coachman with a guilty look on his face, and said, "Is there something wrong with the carriage?"

He was the one who ordered someone to break the shaft of the carriage when the coachman was not paying attention.

Speaking of this, he should thank Rong Ting. It was he who pointed it out to him yesterday, and he was able to recognize the Jiang family's carriage.

He invited Jiang Rao, "Why don't you go with me in a carriage?"

Jiang Rao listened to Yu Yinxue's warm invitation, but the following eight words ran through her mind: opportunistic and dissolute.

She shook her head heavily.

Even if Yu Yinxue had no problems with his character, she would not get on Yu Yinxue's carriage.

Even though she was a man now, she couldn't easily get into a stranger's carriage.

At this moment, a horse neighed.

A carriage stopped here, and when the curtain was opened, a beautiful face was revealed.

"Brother, Master Jiang."

Rong Ting seemed surprised and asked, "Why can't you change it?"

He was dressed in white and was as gentle as water. "Why don't you get in my carriage?"

Jiang Rao climbed up as if she had found a savior.

Rong Ting leaned over and pulled her.

The other hand was raised to protect her head.

Yu Yinxue was frustrated by his repeated setbacks, but when he thought about how Rong Ting had just asked them whether they wanted to get on his carriage, he immediately developed a better impression of this junior fellow apprentice.

Even if he couldn't ride in the same car with Jiang family's adopted son as he wished and get closer to him, it was not a bad idea for the three of them to go together.

Yu Yinxue followed Jiang Rao and wanted to get on the carriage.

But when I opened the car door, I saw the person sitting inside.

After the two of them, there is no vacant seat.

All the vacant spaces are used for wheelchairs.

Yu Yinxue: “…”

Rong Ting looked at him apologetically, "Brother, it's my fault that my carriage is too small and can't accommodate more people."

Jiang Rao also looked at Yu Yinxue.

The eyes are moist and clear.

The pupils seemed to be written with the words "Go!"

Rong Ting: "There is an empty seat in the carriage where Huai Qing and Shu Tong are."

Yu Yinxue choked suddenly.

What's the point of squeezing in a carriage with those eunuchs and servants?

"I'll take my own carriage." He walked away.

…

At the other end, Liu Heguang and Xie Tongyan looked in the direction of Rong Ting's carriage, with cold disdain in their voices.

"Two cripples, they have a good relationship."

"Only a disabled person can play with him. I don't know what use a wheelchair-bound person like him would be at a hunting range."

"If a horse stepped towards him, he wouldn't be able to dodge it."

Both of them laughed out loud.

…

The carriage slowly turned and Jiang Rao finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She looked out the window worriedly.

"How come my carriage broke down all of a sudden?"

When they were in Yecheng, the horse her father was riding suddenly went mad.

To this day she still hasn't learned from her father who the real murderer is.

Rong Ting leaned against the car wall with his eyelids drooped, looking casual and lazy.

He casually mentioned, as if unintentionally, "Brother Yu asked me yesterday which carriage belonged to the Ning'an Marquis's mansion."

"Could it be him?"

Jiang Rao muttered something, which made Rong Ting raise his eyes. He frowned and coughed in emotional shock.

The carriage ran very smoothly on the flat road.

"If it's really him, then it's all my fault."

The snow-white clothes made him look even more sick and weak. He frowned and looked sad, like a sick beauty who was about to cough out her heart. She covered her face with her sleeves and coughed non-stop.

Jiang Rao was extremely worried for a moment, "Why should I blame you?"