Chapter 299 Horseback Hunting

Along the official road, willows are as green as smoke, and locust trees are emerald green.

One after another, fine horses passed through the shade of willows in twos and threes.

The woman in the lead, dressed in a light green dress and riding a yellow horse, and the woman in a tight-fitting outfit, did not just stroll by like the others; instead, they sped off as if in a race.

Following the two horses were several mounted guards who accompanied and protected the two.

"Weren't Daiyu and Lansu the first to go there?"

They could hardly see who the people in the past were, only remembering the appearance of their clothes, which seemed to be Daiyu and Lansu.

"It's them. I saw Daiyu after dinner, and she was wearing the same outfit. Lan Su's clothes are also correct," a girl next to her said confidently.

Why are they in such a hurry?

"But what happened up ahead?"

"Let's go and take a look."

The group of female students watched the two people traveling far ahead and all wanted to spur their horses to catch up, but they were stopped by the guards in front.

"Ladies, Princess Lin and Miss Lan have heard that there is a mountain ahead and would like to go ahead and see it."

"We can go too! Daiyu actually left me behind, that's so unfair!" Liu Qianrou said anxiously, urging her horse to hurry up and catch up with Daiyu.

However, the guards who accompanied her had long been on guard against Liu Qianrou doing this, and they grabbed Liu Qianrou's reins.

“Miss, Princess Lin didn’t say you could come along, so you shouldn’t go, lest you upset Princess Lin.”

Now, the guards of the Liu family know what to say to keep Liu Qianrou from acting impulsively.

First of all, Princess Lin was Liu Qianrou's first nemesis.

Sure enough, after the guard said those words, Liu Qianrou's tense body relaxed.

"Since Daiyu forbids me from going with her, she must have her reasons. I'll just walk slowly..."

The female students around her were already used to Liu Qianrou's behavior.

“Aren’t those two breaking the rules by not walking with the group?” a woman at the back of the line said in a deep voice.

"As long as the basic rules are followed, that's fine. What's the point of going out to play if you have to abide by all those rules and regulations? You might as well just study at the academy!"

The person in front of him, upon hearing this, spoke without any politeness.

The female students behind them, who originally had two other companions, urged their horses forward a few steps after hearing this, and stopped staying with the female students.

Seeing this, the female student felt annoyed and simply turned her horse around, heading towards the carriage procession behind.

She had barely left when the female students started gossiping about her.

Saying these things to her face might make the female students think they are bullying her, but that doesn't stop them from talking behind her back.

Sometimes, chatting with others about crickets can be a great way to socialize!

"Who was that old scholar just now? Someone who knows the rules so well, why would he need to go to school!" a woman mocked.

"That's right, such scholars should be kept hidden in their boudoirs."

“What were her family thinking? Not only did they send her to school, but they also made her come on this study tour. Isn’t she just suffering by going on these kinds of study tours?” a girl in a pale yellow dress continued.

"It's true. If someone values ​​rules, they shouldn't be traveling for study. Not only did she come, but she also came riding horses with us. And she even has the nerve to talk about 'rules.' What's this called? 'The magistrate is allowed to set fires, but the common people are forbidden to light lamps'?"

"Bah! A daughter from a poor, fifth-rank family doesn't even deserve to use that phrase. You should use that old saying we all learned: 'The crow lands on the pig, seeing the pig's flaws but not its own...'"

A single sentence made the women laugh, while the older women exchanged glances.

They are older, so they naturally know more than these twelve or thirteen-year-old children.

Among these female students who signed up for the study tour, some were not actually there for the purpose of studying; they were simply there to befriend some of the other girls so that they could benefit their families in the future.

Although this is a well-known fact, since they are all students of the academy, when signing up for the study tour, we really can't show favoritism or be too strict in our selection.

Apart from a few who were not in good health and were not suitable for long-distance travel, almost all the other female students who signed up for the study tour were in this group.

The female student who had just returned to the carriage group had her eyes light up when she saw one of the carriages.

"Sister Bao, I am Sun Youqing."

A gentle, steady voice came from inside the carriage, "Miss Sun, please get in the carriage. How about we play a game of chess?"

As soon as the carriage came to a stop, Sun Youqing dismounted and boarded it.

Inside the carriage sat a slightly plump woman, Xue Baochai, a new auditing student admitted to the girls' academy this year.

Xue Baochai did not go horseback riding. Although she knew it was a good opportunity to get close to powerful women, firstly, she had only learned to ride horses after entering the academy and was not very skilled; secondly, she still had to help her brother with the accounts in the carriage.

Upon hearing the noise outside, Xue Baochai quickly gathered up the account books and other items from inside the carriage.

Upon seeing Sun Youqing come up, Xue Baochai revealed a gentle smile that made people want to get close to her at first glance.

Sun Youqing took off her veil, revealing a small face no bigger than the palm of her hand.

This face is so small, and Sun Youqing's features are relatively large. At first glance, it looks stunning, but you can't look closely. Upon closer inspection, it seems that the face can't contain her features at all, and it's not gentle at all, giving people a harsh feeling.

Sun Youqing recounted the events that had just transpired, receiving agreement from Xue Baochai. Satisfied, she returned to her carriage.

Xue Baochai tapped her fingers lightly on the table, pondering whether the news brought by Sun Youqing would be of any use to her.

Lin Daiyu and Lan Su went ahead to the nearby mountains. With Lan Su's skills, hunting a few prey would be a piece of cake.

I guess they're going to use this to show off tonight.

However, Xue Baochai had just secured a batch of donations from her family, which she planned to use that very night. If the two of them stole the limelight, then her item might not cause a sensation or spread its fame.

After much deliberation, Xue Baochai decided against taking the risk. She would simply relax for a few days during this study tour, and as for making new friends, she would see how things went in the following days.

In less than a quarter of an hour, Daiyu and Lansu arrived at the foot of the mountain that the guide had pointed out to them.

Daiyu looked at the not-so-tall mountain and frowned slightly. It wasn't far from the capital. If there was anything on the mountain, it would probably have been looted long ago. How could it possibly wait for them to come?

"Sister Susu, are there wild fruits and prey in these mountains?"