Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Jinjiang First Release

Chapter 84

Su Li is no longer a noble lady from an aristocratic family. It is rare for her to look at this hunting feast as an outsider, and the feeling is quite fresh.

Perhaps because she knew that she was now having fun in the hunting ground, even if she accidentally offended someone, she would not end up being left without a burial place, so her mood was not as depressed as before.

Su Li accompanied Cui Shunying to drink a cup of black plum drink, which was also accompanied by two soft and fragrant cakes.

They originally wanted to stay in the tent, but soon, many noble ladies from aristocratic families came to visit the eldest princess.

At that time, the State of Wu was implementing the new policy of special examinations and governing the country with Confucianism. The gentry loved poetry and books, and when the noble ladies went out to socialize, they respected Xie Qinghan, the daughter of the Xie family who had inherited poetry and etiquette from her family.

Logically speaking, girls from noble families would never have trouble finding a husband, as a daughter from one family would be sought after by hundreds of families. Xie Qinghan's grandfather was Xie Xiuming, the most powerful minister in the State of Wu, who was highly trusted by the king. Xie Qinghan had already reached the age of marriage, so even if she didn't get married, she should have had a marriage arranged for her.

But Xie Qinghan is now eighteen years old, but she is still unmarried.

After everyone thought about it, their minds became active.

They vaguely remembered that three years ago, the Cui and Xie families also had the intention of marriage, but Cui Jue founded the country and ascended the throne, and he was loyal to his deceased wife, so the marriage was delayed.

Now that Empress Su has passed away for three years, it is time for Cui Jue to reopen the harem and welcome a new master.

Then the future Queen of Wu would most likely be Xie Qinghan.

With this in mind, the noble ladies tried even harder to please Xie Qinghan, hoping that in the future they could use this friendship to have Xie Qinghan whisper in Cui Jue's ear and help the family avoid disasters.

Xie Qinghan bowed gracefully and said through the curtain, "Your Highness, the Princess, wishes you all the best."

Upon hearing this, Cui Shunying waved to the head maid Yuanchun, "Let them in. We'll do a headcount and bring some sweet tea."

When Su Li heard the ladies enter the tent, she made a move to stand up and follow them, but Cui Shunying quickly held her arm down and muttered, "Sister, please don't be like this. This is my territory. I can honor whoever I want, and no one dares to say anything! If you're timid and don't have a good time today, you will definitely not come to the official banquet again in the future."

Su Li couldn't help but be amused by her, thinking that the little girl was quite clever.

Su Li was indeed impatient to deal with these nobles. If she had to entertain people in fear every time, she might as well stay in Meihua Village... In early summer, eating some wild peaches washed with well water, drinking a bowl of mung bean soup, fumigating mosquitoes with mugwort at the four corners of the house, and then sitting in the courtyard fanning herself in the cool air, how comfortable it would be.

Su Li was sitting there in a daze, but Xie Qinghan saw her for the first time when he entered the tent.

Following Xie Qinghan's stunned gaze, the noble ladies turned their eyes to Su Li one by one.

When they saw Su Li's beautiful face, they were all stunned...

The girl has eyes like autumn water and lips like cherry blossoms. She is so beautiful.

I've never heard of a wealthy family having such a beautiful young lady.

Especially since she was familiar with the eldest princess Cui Shunying, it didn't seem like they had just met... They couldn't help but wonder in their hearts who Su Li was?

No one else had seen the young lady sitting there, but Xie Qinghan had previously been interested in Cui Jue. Three years ago, she had gone to a teahouse and made a special trip to look at the late queen...

The woman in front of me looks so much like Cui Jue’s deceased wife, Su.

Xie Qinghan had been scolded by Cui Jue before, and was both afraid and terrified of this king. However, when he saw that Cui Jue, against all odds, insisted on posthumously honoring his deceased wife and remained a virgin for her for three full years, Xie Qinghan couldn't help but be tempted.

Although it is not known whether Cui Jue had sex in private, there was indeed no queen or concubine in the harem, and the emperor was indeed a good husband with deep affection and loyalty.

Therefore, the vague affection in Xie Qinghan's heart once again broke through the wall of his heart.

Xie Qinghan was very wary of the Su family. She knew very well that no living person could compare to the dead.

But upon hearing this, my mother sneered softly, "Your Majesty is still a man, and he holds a living, beautiful woman in his arms. Even if he talks about missing his late wife, isn't he focusing all his energy on you? Besides, my Han'er is born with a fairy-like appearance and beauty. How can she be compared to a woman of commoner origin? Just wait and see. Within three years, His Majesty will have forgotten all about the Su family. Then, if you can find an opportunity to meet her more often, you will have the opportunity to get close to the monarch!"

Xie Qinghan followed her mother's instructions and would dress up carefully to meet the emperor whenever there was an official banquet or a hunting banquet.

But Cui Jue treated everyone equally, was neither cold nor hot to anyone, and never gossiped with her.

It's really discouraging.

Xie Qinghan glanced at the beautiful woman sitting on the chair and couldn't help but guess her identity... Could it be that she was a substitute for the queen found by a high-ranking official and specially presented to Cui Jue?

But why is she so familiar with the eldest princess?

Could it be that because she has won the king's favor, Cui Shunying treats her differently?

In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Su Li had been looked at dozens of times by these noble ladies.

She didn't like being looked at like a cabbage in the field, so she sighed subconsciously and looked up at them.

It was quite interesting. Except for Xie Qinghan, whom Su Li had met before, the other single girls looked a little unfamiliar.

Su Li couldn't help but sigh. Only three years had passed, and the circle of noble ladies had changed.

Girls are like leeks that never stop growing, a new batch comes every two or three years.

Seeing that Xie Qinghan still had her hair in a bun like an unmarried girl, Su Li guessed that she had not married for a long time and must be waiting for Cui Jue to be crowned queen.

After all, the Xie family and the Cui family had thought of marriage back then... Cui Jue even brought this matter up in front of her to seek credit.

Su Li thought about how Cui Jue had been pretending to be deeply in love with his deceased wife over the years, but secretly he had been accepting those substitute beauties who came to his door, and he had also been attracting bees and butterflies outside, tricking young ladies into waiting for him year after year... He had really done all kinds of evil things.

She felt contempt in her heart, but her face remained calm. She continued to drink tea and cakes quietly, acting like a taciturn beauty.

Cui Shunying and Xie Qinghan exchanged a few words, then pulled Su Li out of the tent.

"Sanniang, let's go to the hunting grounds. It is said that many handsome and dashing men will be hunting tonight. The scene must be spectacular!" Cui Shunying was eager to try, and her words did not show any panic or helplessness about meeting her husband.

Su Li looked at her doubtfully and couldn't help but sigh that Cui Shunying had a really good attitude, worthy of being the daughter of the Cui family who had seen a lot of ups and downs.

-

The hunting ground was crowded with people and guarded by soldiers.

On a moonlit night in the suburbs, torches were lit everywhere, and the bright candlelight illuminated the wilderness.

Because it was a hunting competition, the young men from noble families all wanted to show off in front of the king, his officials, and the beautiful young ladies. Of course, they selected the fattest and strongest horses, as well as the most powerful ox horn bows and black feather arrows, and prepared to fight.

The young men were dressed in light riding and shooting clothes, with belts tied around their waists, bows and arrows on their backs, and they mounted their horses swiftly, each of them dressed in bright clothes and riding a fast horse, looking very heroic.

When Cui Shunying and others approached, the young men turned around and their eyes fell on the beautiful young lady who looked unfamiliar.

The mountain wind was biting, and the girl's robe was blown by the night wind, bringing with it a faint and elegant fragrance of osmanthus.

Some people were surprised by Su Li's beauty, while others secretly speculated about her origins...

For a moment, the hunting ground was silent.

Cui Jue noticed something strange and looked sideways.

He saw Su Li standing next to Choi Sun-young.

The girl has a graceful figure and stands gracefully on one side.

Although Su Li did not chat with anyone, she followed Cui Shunying obediently, allowing everyone to look at her.

Even if Su Li didn't speak, there were still men who were interested in her and would ride their horses up to her and chat with her casually.

Cui Jue narrowed her eyes slightly and stared at the eldest son of the Xie family in the distance.

Mr. Cui knew that the government was unstable and wanted to make peace with the Xie family.

Since Cui Jue had no interest in Xie's daughter, he considered letting Cui Shunying marry Xie to form a Qin-Jin relationship.

But the eldest grandson of the Xie family, although he has an outstanding temperament and a graceful demeanor, his behavior is not upright. On the one hand, he is trying to make friends with Cui Shunying, and on the other hand, he is secretly spying on Su Li... He is really a fickle villain.

Cui Jue's face was gloomy, and he felt the veins on his forehead twitching slightly.

He quietly rubbed the jade ring on his index finger for a long time without saying a word.

After a few moments of silence, Cui Jue took the bow and arrow from Yang Da with a serious face.

The man took hold of the reins, mounted his horse, and rode away.

Cui Jue suddenly moved, startling Chen Heng.

Chen Heng hurriedly shouted, "Your Majesty, where are you going?! We're waiting for you to give the prize to the winner later! Why are you running away?!"

Cui Jue galloped his horse, his voice cold and calm, carried on the wind: "The young men of the noble families are so heroic and energetic. I am very pleased. To encourage them to strive for progress, I will personally be on the scene to encourage them."

Chen Heng was stunned by Cui Jue's words and scratched his head. "Then I should come too? It doesn't seem right for you to be the only one standing out in front of everyone."

Chen Heng climbed onto the horse's back helplessly, whipped it and caught up.

Just as he was about to approach the fenced hunting ground, he saw a stunningly beautiful figure.

Chen Heng quickly understood why Cui Jue acted out of character and insisted on competing with a group of young men who were still wet behind the ears.

It turned out that Sister Su was here in person for the hunting banquet!

Chen Heng chuckled inwardly and muttered meaningfully, "Oh, Cui Lanju, are you really going to make it? I never thought you would end up like this!"

Cui Jue insisted on showing off his skills in front of his wife, so why did Chen Heng join in the fun?

He no longer cared about Cui Jue, and let Cui Jue spread her feathers like a peacock and embarrass herself in front of everyone!

-

When the contestants heard that Cui Jue was also going to compete, they became so excited that they were incoherent.

You should know that Cui Jue did not climb to the throne through hereditary imperial power. He established the Wu Kingdom through military campaigns and conquests.

Not only the young and energetic young men from aristocratic families, but also many generals in the army were eager to try their archery skills against such a heroic and unparalleled god of war.

For a moment, the hunting ground was bustling with activity.

The noble ladies who were unaware of the inside story thought that Cui Jue had learned that Xie Qinghan was also watching the game and had come out to help her.

Only Cui Shunying stared at her brother with disdain, thinking in her heart: "Brother... do you think I can't see that you are flirting and trying to attract my attention?"

Su Li was forced to be sandwiched between a group of noble ladies who wanted to admire the emperor's style, and felt helpless.

Although she likes riding horses, she is not very interested in hunting.

If Cui Shunying hadn't been here, she would have preferred to go back to the tent to drink tea and rest.

Su Li hadn't forgotten the purpose of attending the banquet today. Her eyes didn't fall on Cui Jue who was riding over. Instead, she secretly glanced at the eldest son of the Xie family, the third son of the Zhou family, and General Xiao Liu, who had just been chatting happily with Cui Shunying...

Su Li had a plan in mind.

Xie Dalang is an arrogant person. Although he is polite to Cui Shunying in his words, his eyes are not clear and upright, so he is not a good match for her.

Zhou Jia Sanlang was sincere and his heart and eyes were full of Cui Shunying, but he was reckless and too young.

As for General Xiao Liu, Su Li doesn't know much about military generals, so Cui Jue may have to come and check on him for his sister.

Su Li thought it over for a few times in her mind, and when she made a decision, she frowned and stopped looking at others.

-

The hunting competition will begin soon.

It was originally just a small fight between young men, but after Cui Jue came on the field, the competition became intense and fanatical.

Cui Jue did not show mercy just because his opponents were a group of young men.

The trumpet blew, declaring war.

Cui Jue crouched low, braving the cold night wind, and rode his horse into the vast, leafy wilderness.

The man was tall and had sharp eyes.

But in a moment, they discovered the musk deer, wild deer and mountain wolves hiding in the jungle.

Cui Jue's face was stern as he unhesitatingly drew his bow, aiming at the prey that couldn't dodge. As he drew his bow and arrow, the man's back muscles beneath his clothes stretched out the outline of the cloth. The absence of any excess flesh only accentuated his muscular build and broad shoulders.

As the force of pulling the bow grew stronger, Cui Jue's strong arms faintly revealed the bulging meridians and blood vessels, and the bowstring in his hand was fully stretched into a full moon.

But after a moment of judgment, Cui Jue closed his eyes and released his fingers, and a black feather arrow shot out and flew into the dense forest with great momentum.

Followed by a shrill howl of a mountain beast.

The body of an adult wild deer suddenly fell from the half-human-high grass.

"good!!"

There was a burst of cheers from the crowd. Even the young men competing in the competition were stunned by Cui Jue's superb archery skills and sped up their hunting in confusion.

Cui Jue was not disturbed by the cheers. While the bowstring was still trembling, he pulled three more arrows from his quiver and placed them on the ox horn bow...

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Arrows were shot in succession, and every arrow hit its target.

In just a quarter of an hour, the corpses of several mountain wolves and wild deer piled up under Cui Jue's horse hooves...

Cui Jue's robe was stained with blood, and he looked like he was in hell, with a strong smell of blood.

The competition is over.

Cui Jue put away the bow, turned his head calmly, and glanced coldly at Su Li's position.

But Su Li lowered her head, not knowing what she was thinking.

She didn't look at him...

-

Cui Jue was an expert archer with excellent accuracy.

Moreover, during night hunting, he could make sure that every arrow he shot would penetrate the prey's head and pierce the brain with one arrow. He was truly a rare archer in the world!

The winner of this competition is naturally Cui Jue.

Su Li saw Cui Jue's hunting feats from afar, and also saw a bunch of wild beasts with arrows piercing their heads. Her lips turned pale, and she couldn't help but have a deeper understanding of Cui Jue... It turned out that Cui Jue not only liked to behead people, but also liked to shoot his prey in the head with one arrow.

It really fits his murderous and bloodthirsty violent personality.

-

The competition came to an end and the young men returned home with a full load.

Many noble ladies from aristocratic families brought sheepskin water bags and soaked towels and gave them to their beloved men to quench their thirst and wipe their sweat.

Pushed by her sisters, Xie Qinghan blushed and stepped forward with a sheepskin water bag to present it to the king.

"Your Majesty, that competition was truly spectacular. You must be tired. Would you like some water to moisten your throat?"

Cui Jue glanced at Xie Qinghan indifferently.

He didn't accept the water bag that the young lady offered him. Instead, he said coldly, "Thank you for your kindness, madam. I appreciate it. I have some government affairs to deal with, so I'll go ahead."

After saying that, Cui Jue didn't care how miserable Xie Qinghan looked. He just squeezed the horse's belly and turned away.

-

Su Li didn't sleep enough last night and felt a little tired after standing for an hour.

She said hello to Choi Sun-young and went back to the tent to rest for a while. When the dinner started, she asked Aunt Hui-young to call her to join the banquet.

Cui Shunying has always been playful, and she was unwilling to return to the tent, so she had no choice but to let Su Li go.

Su Li thought about what happened last night, and her legs still felt a little sore.

She was exhausted. Just as she returned to the makeshift tent, a warm body pressed against her back and held her in his arms.

Su Li was startled, her back went numb and she trembled continuously.

But soon, she smelled a quiet and subtle scent of orchid and gradually felt relieved.

It’s Cui Jue who is here.

The man's long, wet, and cold black hair slowly fell from Su Li's shoulders like a snake, and slid into the valley of his chest.

Soon, the sound of sticky water rang in her ear. It was Cui Jue who gently sucked and bit her earlobe and whispered something.

"Su Li, I don't like you smiling at others, nor do I like you dressing so coquettishly for others to see..."

"Su Li, you should only look at me."