Chapter 5 The fox had a grudge and took revenge on the spot: "My younger brother is handsome..."

"Here, have this steamed bun." Ji Qing pushed the steamer basket over, another one dangling from her mouth, and mumbled, "Are you busy today?"

Having eaten too much at once, the fox choked a little, so it drank some tea to help it swallow.

"Today His Majesty is going to ride horses at the hunting grounds outside the capital. This servant will accompany him to serve him."

"Oh." The fox lowered its head, responding softly with a hint of disappointment. Suddenly remembering something, it looked up sharply. "Go horseback riding? Um... Is His Majesty in good health?"

Upon hearing this, Tinglan was at a loss for words. Ji Qing's words were far too direct, and the disappointment and surprise in his voice were impossible to conceal, as if he were hoping the emperor was unwell...

But if they really hoped for it, why would they say it so directly?

Tinglan simply frowned slightly and said, "Your Majesty is in good health and still has the vigor you need."

The fox lowered its head and poked the poor bun in the plate with its chopsticks.

His mind couldn't comprehend these intricate details; he simply realized he had been deceived!

The group of people told him that there was an old man who was in poor health and was worried about his lost son. This was his only wish before he died, but the child had already died. In order to fulfill the old father's wish, they asked him to be a prince to coax the old man.

The fox, unusually, had some ulterior motives and acted like a wicked fox. He thought that training required building relationships with people, and now he wouldn't have to worry about it at all. Once the old man passed away and no one cared about him, he would take the opportunity to run away.

As it turns out, that old man called His Majesty is in good health and can even ride a horse... He'll be pretending for ages.

The fox channeled its grief and anger into its appetite, taking a big bite of the bun. "Sister, I can't go home for now."

These people are even more cunning than foxes; I must be more careful next time.

Ji Qing's sighing and lamenting appearance seemed even stranger to Ting Lan... Could it be that he really hoped for a national mourning?

"Does Your Highness wish to go?" Tinglan asked in a low voice.

"Are we going horseback riding?" The fox immediately forgot about being tricked and looked up with a look of surprise.

Tinglan nodded.

The fox lowered its head and whispered, "But I can't ride a horse."

He had never even seen a horse before, let alone ridden one. All he knew was that it had four legs and was probably a little bigger than a cat or dog, which also had four legs.

"This servant will instruct Your Highness."

Before he could finish speaking, Tinglan found himself in someone else's arms.

The young prince leaned closer, hooking his fingers around his shoulder, his upper body almost pressed against him, his long, dark hair hanging down his legs, his shining eyes reflecting his astonished face.

Tinglan stiffly looked away, avoiding eye contact.

"That's a deal! Don't laugh at me later!" the fox exclaimed. "My good friend, you're so kind!"

Tinglan didn't know why the little prince could approach him so naturally.

If she only wanted to live a better life in the palace, she didn't need to humiliate herself by being so close to a eunuch.

He opened his mouth, but said nothing.

Because he was happy to see it happen.

The fox happily returned to his spot, finally able to get some fresh air. He had boundless energy and was ready to run, jump, spin around, chase chickens and dogs, and even ride a horse.

After finishing his meal, Ji Qing got into the carriage that Ting Lan had prepared. The carriage was ornate and had many decorations that the fox couldn't understand. He poked around at it for a while, studied it, and waited and waited. It was almost time to leave, but Ting Lan still hadn't gotten into the carriage.

The fox lifted the curtain and nudged the guard beside him, "Hello, I'd like to ask you something..."

The guard bowed with his sword in hand, "What are your orders, Your Highness?"

Where did Tinglan go?

"Your Highness, the Grand Seal Master is currently attending to His Majesty."

"Thank you." The fox sullenly turned its head back. Really, couldn't His Majesty do things himself?

The chickens they raise can eat on their own; they just scatter corn on the ground and the chickens will peck at it.

The fox leaned against the carriage, which was swaying and bumping along, making it impossible for him to sleep. So he leaned against the window and looked out.

Looking at it this way, he saw a pair of eyes staring at him from a carriage not far away.

Not knowing who was on the other end, the fox happily smiled at them, but before they could even wave hello, the person had already climbed back into their car.

The fox stretched its head back, lay down in a ball out of boredom, and quietly tried to fall asleep.

The situation on the opposite carriage was far from peaceful.

"That's Pei Jiqing?!" King Wei asked in a low voice.

"That should be correct," the subordinate replied respectfully.

He narrowed his eyes, rubbing a bow in his hand, and said viciously, "He does have a pretty face, but in the palace, a pretty face is the least useful thing. I heard he's close to Tinglan. He's just arrived and he's already found himself a backer."

The aide opposite echoed, "He seems a bit clever, but he's clueless and utterly useless. He's just looking for a lackey to rely on."

The King of Wei smiled, a hint of malice in his eyes. "That's the Ninth Prince. Do you think he's just some ordinary servant? If Pei Jiqing really manages to get close to him, he'll be a significant threat."

He lifted the curtain, looked at the yellowish-green area of ​​the hunting grounds, and muttered, "None of my brothers are easy to deal with."

The seventh prince has finally fallen from power, the crown prince's power is unstable, and now Pei Jiqing has appeared. It really is a case of one after another taking the stage.

But it's too early to take action.

We need to proceed slowly...

Before the carriage had even stopped, and while Prince Wei was still adjusting his clothes to ensure he wouldn't make a mistake in front of his father, the fox darted out of the window and began running around wildly.

What a huge place!

This sky, this land, this forest!

This is a great place; the fox likes it!

Before anyone else had even gotten off the bus, the fox had already run quite a distance before scurrying back and blending into the crowd.

Although he was supposed to blend into the crowd, the fox was far too conspicuous. When traveling with His Majesty, everyone lowered their heads, but he was the one who laughed the most happily. Because he had not yet reached adulthood, his hair was simply tied up with a hairpin and hung casually at his waist. He walked with a bouncy gait, and his hair bounced along with him, dazzling the eyes in the sunlight.

The emperor saw his newly adopted son from afar, smiled with narrowed eyes, and was very satisfied. He said to his close ministers, "Look at my son, doesn't he look just like me?"

Your Majesty is very handsome. Although you are no longer in your prime, you are very proud of your appearance when you were young. Now that you have such a handsome "son", you are even more proud and show off to your subjects.

Standing beside the emperor, Tinglan listened to the flattering words of the people and thought to herself that they were indeed right about one thing: the young prince was indeed... a celestial being.

He looked across the crowd and saw Ji Qing looking around, seemingly searching for someone. He felt inexplicably annoyed and his lips curled into a smile.

By the time he realized what had happened, the person had already disappeared from his sight.

really……

Before he could think any further, someone quietly tugged at his sleeve and whispered in his ear, "When are we going horseback riding?"

Tinglan did not turn around, but said slowly, "Your Highness, please wait a moment."

The crowd had their backs to them, busy flattering the emperor, and no one noticed that Tinglan had a thirteenth prince by his side.

No one noticed that the Ninth Prince blushed.

The emperor went horseback riding with his guards, and the Nine Thousand Years Old finally had some free time to deal with the troublesome vixen.

Tinglan rubbed her temples, genuinely feeling as if she were possessed... and this guy was the real monster.

It's not an exaggeration to say he has a seductive appearance.

Tinglan knew perfectly well that the young prince was just trying to curry favor; no one would be willing to confide in or treat a eunuch with sincerity.

He himself was merely testing whether the other party was friend or foe.

I'm perfectly clear-headed, but I always get inexplicably confused.

He lowered his eyes. "Your Highness, grab here, yes, step on here."

Ji Qing had stepped on the right spot and grabbed the right hand, but the fox was already lying on the horse's back, yelling, "I'm a little scared, please don't let go."

Tinglan coaxed helplessly, "I won't let go."

The fox was still hanging on the horse. The more flustered he became, the faster he spoke. "Tinglan, would you like to come to my place for dinner? Qiuyuan said we're having roast mutton for dinner. Of course, I can come to your place too. I won't eat much, so don't worry."

"What's there to worry about when it's just a meal?" Tinglan was both amused and exasperated. She stopped and helped the fox, who was lying on the horse's back, up. "It's all fine, as Your Highness wishes."

"It's a deal then, I'll eat at your place!"

Hehe, I'm going to my good friend's place to eat and drink for free.

The fox started plotting his foolish scheme again, because he hadn't received any money for food from anyone. When he asked Qiu Yuan, she seemed not to understand.

My sister said that any place that doesn't have clearly marked prices is a rip-off. He ate and drank at a rip-off place; how much money must he have spent?

He'd go mooch a meal off his good friend, saving every penny he could. He was a thrifty and hardworking fox, Ji Qing thought happily.

Suddenly, an arrow, accompanied by a gust of wind, whizzed past the fox and disappeared into the grass.

The fox knew, but the fox did not hide.

Anyway, they can't hit him or Tinglan.

He remained swaying and quite nervous as he rode the horse.

Tinglan's expression suddenly hardened, and he turned around to look in the direction from which the arrow had been shot.

"This must be my thirteenth brother. I'm so sorry, I just saw a white fox and was thinking of shooting it to make a scarf, but I didn't mean to disturb my thirteenth brother while he was riding his horse."

King Wei, with his bow and arrows slung over his shoulder, sat lazily on his horse, his eyes filled with disdain.

Ji Qing raised her head, her expression no longer relaxed as before. She no longer cared about being afraid, straightened up, and squinted at the person who had come from behind the light.

“Your Highness, this is probably not a hunting ground, is it? His Majesty is here, yet you dare to draw your weapons. Do you intend to assassinate the King?” Tinglan’s voice remained calm and unhurried, like a venomous snake slowly approaching its prey.

"You flatter me, Your Excellency. I apologize." The Prince of Wei dismounted, walked over with a smile, stared at Ting Lan, cupped his hands in an awkward gesture, and said to him in a low voice, "You really have a leisurely and refined taste."

She looked up at Ji Qing again and smiled, "It's only natural that my younger brother is handsome."

After all, eunuchs can be considered human beings, albeit in a lesser sense.

The Prince of Wei was unclear about the relationship between Pei Jiqing and Tinglan, and his words were ambiguous. But even if Pei Jiqing was an illegitimate child brought back from outside, he was still a prince. The Prince of Wei's words implied that he was being targeted by a eunuch, which might have made him furious.

If he can still get along with Tinglan as if nothing happened, then his younger brother can be considered to have endured humiliation and hardship.

After King Wei finished speaking, he chuckled to himself twice, then turned and strode away.

Ji Qing suddenly jumped off his horse. He had only learned how to mount the horse and didn't actually know how to dismount, but the fox was very angry and he didn't care anymore. He flipped over haphazardly and landed silently on the ground.

So you're the one shooting foxes with arrows, huh!

So you're using a fox as a scarf, huh?

White fox!

I am the white-haired fox!

If I turn back into my original form, I'll scare you to death, you bad guy! Who are you trying to frighten with that broken arrow?!

Ji Qing walked over angrily, picked up the arrow, silently mounted his horse, and waited until the others were far away.

Tinglan stood quietly in place, his face gloomy. He thought that the arrangements in the Prince Wei's court would definitely have to be changed in the future.

Keeping this kind of person around will only cause big trouble.

And what King Wei said to Ji Qing... even the most naive child should have understood it by now.

Turning his head, he saw the fox riding a horse, holding a feathered arrow, tilting his head and smiling at him before throwing it into the distance.

"Who goes there!"

The arrow grazed the King of Wei's cheek, leaving a red mark.

The accompanying guards were thrown into chaos, drawing their swords and preparing to shoot in the direction the arrows came from, but they had no idea where the enemy was. "Quickly, protect His Highness!"

"A bunch of useless trash!" King Wei roared, covering his face as he looked at the arrow that had almost hit him.

The arrowhead was completely embedded in the grass, and the fletching swayed three times, demonstrating the immense force of the archer.

He was furious and turned around abruptly, only to see Pei Jiqing swaying on his horse, with Tinglan even having to lead him. Neither of them was carrying a bow.

The King of Wei felt a chill in his heart. Such a master, moving so silently, could it be that his father had arranged it?

Thinking of this, he gritted his teeth, and a hint of malice flashed in his eyes.

Pei Jiqing, you are indeed extraordinary to have alarmed the Emperor.

A note from the author:

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