The Empress became interested.

"Oh, you can hunt? You've been in the mountains for so long, what kind of things can you possibly catch?"

Zhao Qingyan then began to recount her experiences wandering around the Daqingshan Mountains.

"There are plenty of things to find in the mountains; as the saying goes, those who live by the mountains live off the mountains."

Normally, after finishing the work in the fields, we would go up the mountain to pick wild vegetables, mushrooms, and wood ear fungus. When we went hunting in the mountains, we could get much more.

For example, there are many pheasants and rabbits.

It's just that the food is too small and not very convenient to carry, so we usually only eat it when we're hungry.

When I go into the mountains, the animals I hunt most are wild boars.

Sometimes it's one big one, sometimes it's a whole family of wild boars..."

Blah blah blah, describing hunting in the mountains as as pleasant as a picnic.

Seeing the longing look in the Empress's eyes, Zhao Qingyan added another sentence.

"That's right. The worst thing about living in the forest is not being able to take a bath every day, and even changing clothes is difficult."

After all, the purpose of going into the mountains is to hunt.

Only by getting a large quantity of food can we sell it to improve our lives, such as buying more salt or brown rice.

If they had more money, they would go to the butcher shop and buy a few more pounds of fatty meat to render into oil at home.

That's how you get six months' worth of oil.

During the busy farming season, adding an extra spoonful of lard to stews makes them taste incredibly delicious.

So, going into the mountains to hunt is not for fun. The mountains and forests are full of snakes, insects, rats, tigers, and bears.

I once even killed a bear.

That thing has very thick fur, and the most vulnerable spot is the white fur on its chest.

It's not easy to start somewhere else.

Fighting that bear that time really exhausted me. My fists were bleeding from all the punches…”

Zhao Qingyan described the entire process of fighting the bear in such detail that the Empress almost grabbed Zhao Qingyan's small hand to check for any scars.

Han Xuri, standing to the side, inwardly grumbled as he listened.

"When did hunting become so difficult for you? When you took down a whole family of wild boars all by yourself, you didn't show the slightest sign of fatigue, as if I were blind."

Even the strongest bear can't withstand your punch.

The more the emperor listened, the more he felt that this girl was fierce and brave.

If Lao Ba really marries her, he might actually get beaten up eight times a day.

In the imperial family, it is not permissible to divorce one's wife. However, if one divorces her simply because she has been beaten, or even kills her, it is not a respectable thing to do.

Thinking of this, the Emperor's eyes turned slightly cold, and Consort Rou began to have her own schemes.

She got up and called Han Xuri, who was listening to the story, to go out together. Zhao Qingyan was left alone to chat with the Empress.

After eating for an hour and telling stories for an hour, Zhao Qingyan felt that she had run out of ideas.

He picked up the cup and gulped down the water in one go, saying, "I was so thirsty."

The Empress nodded.

"Drink more if you're thirsty. Besides going up the mountain, what else do you usually do? Do you have any other sisters at home?"

Zhao Qingyan became enthusiastic again and began to talk about her sisters, how beautiful and intelligent they were, and how they were skilled in both literature and martial arts.

Kicking a few thugs is no problem.

Upon hearing this, the Empress felt quite uncomfortable and wiped the fine sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief.

"With your family raising your daughter to be so fierce and tough, will she be easy to marry?"

Zhao Qingyan smiled.

"Hehe, my eldest sister is already married and recently gave birth to a son. I'm also engaged. Now, only my second sister and fourth sister in the family are not engaged."

But none of this is urgent.

My grandma said that if a woman can't get married, she should find a husband to come to her home.

Anyway, we have plenty of space at home, so building another room isn't a problem.

Each of us sisters has a small wooden house in our home.

Therefore, my daughter has no trouble getting married.

The Empress felt she could no longer chat with Zhao Qingyan.

It sounds completely different from the traditional female virtues and precepts I learned about from childhood to university.

It sounds awkward, yet I feel a sense of longing.

This is the most outrageous part. In order not to shake the values ​​she had been taught since childhood, the Empress decided that it would be best to get rid of this girl as soon as possible.

He rewarded Zhao Qingyan with a set of jewelry suitable for a young girl, and then had the nanny beside him send Zhao Qingyan out of the palace.

Subsequently, the Emperor's gifts also arrived at the Huicui Pavilion.

Two bolts of brocade, five strings of coral beads, two pairs of jade bracelets...

Add a few more boxes, and this time Zhao Qingyan knelt down without any hesitation.

For money, what's wrong with bowing your head and bending your knees?

Who am I to succumb to money so easily? Integrity is nothing compared to gold and jewels.

Looking at the things displayed in the room, Zhao Qingyan was overjoyed.

Because of the rewards Zhao Qingyan received, new rumors began to circulate: the young master of Huicui Pavilion was deeply favored by the Emperor and Empress, and it was certain that she would become the Eighth Prince's concubine.

After taking stock of the gold and silver treasures bestowed by the Emperor, Zhao Qingyan quickly wrote a letter to Xu Dongsheng.

In order to ensure that there are carrier eagles delivering messages every day.

Xu Dongsheng came up with a solution, training more than a dozen carrier hawks to barely complete the mission of delivering the message.

Xu Dongsheng's skill in training falcons was the envy of Han Xuri, Zhao Han, and others.

I don't know what that kid ate to grow up like that. Such fierce birds are like chicks in front of him.

Although they don't meet in person, Zhao Qingyan is happy to communicate with her boyfriend every day.

This account details everything in great detail, from the imperial decree that bestowed the marriage upon her, to how she defied the decree, and how she entered the palace.

Naturally, the letters she wrote to Xu Dongsheng were all written with a carbon pen.

Only with a fine enough pen tip can you write more on a single sheet of paper. Otherwise, it would be quite tiring for the hawk to fly.

Zhao Qingyan, who was at the center of the rumors and was about to become the Eighth Prince's concubine, was stopped by the guards of the Ninth Prince's residence as soon as she left Huicui Pavilion.

"Miss Zhao, the Ninth Prince has ordered that you come to his residence for a chat."

Zhao Qingyan glanced at the person in front of her.

"Please trouble the guard to go back and tell your Ninth Prince that men and women should not touch each other. We are not familiar with each other and there is nothing for us to talk about."

Furthermore, I will not marry the Eighth Prince as a concubine. I already have a fiancé.

After saying that, she wanted to leave, but the guard was so stubborn that he stretched out his hand holding the sword and blocked Zhao Qingyan's way.

Zhao Qingyan's face turned cold.

"What, you're planning to kidnap me if I don't go?"

The guard calmly said, "If Miss Zhao insists on not going with me, then I have no choice but to offend you."

Zhao Qingyan frowned, wondering to herself, "Do you want me to hit you or not?"

His gaze swept over Zhao Han, who was standing beside him, the unspoken message being, "What do you mean by this?"

Seeing his daughter pleading for help, Zhao Han naturally couldn't stand idly by.

"If a fight breaks out in the street, it will surely damage the Ninth Prince's reputation."

"How about this: my daughter and I will wait in a private room at the Wangyue Tower on the main street for the Ninth Prince's arrival."