Chapter 48 Heart-Fluttering

The next day, Huiyi did not allow Lin Er to accompany him on the hunt, but only took five or six skilled archers from the Imperial Guards into the mountains.

The reason was that her third brother jokingly said that her bumper harvest was only possible because Lin Er helped her.

This made Huiyi very unhappy.

So the next day, Huiyi resolutely refused to let Lin Er follow her, wanting her third brother to see his own strength.

Emperor Yongxi was quite interested and acted as a witness for the brother and sister, and also brought his son-in-law to his side.

Let's talk about the situation in Goguryeo.

The last time I summoned them, uncle and nephew, was because of the unusual activities in Goguryeo, and a few days ago, news of their disloyalty even came.

Without Lin Er, and with no one to talk to or tease her, Huiyi seemed to have lost some of her interest and became listless.

With practiced skill, an arrow pierced the pheasant's body. A scream was heard, followed by a flapping sound, and the pheasant was picked up, adding another prey to the horse's back.

“Princess, I remember there are wild boars in the northwest, both big and small. Why don’t we accompany you there to hunt them? That would make you even more impressive.”

A kind-faced Imperial Guard stepped forward and spoke fluently.

These words struck a chord with Huiyi.

If we can hunt a wild boar and bring it back, let's see what the third brother has to say.

Let that scoundrel Lin Er see how powerful she is!

With that thought in mind, Huiyi spurred her horse and galloped into the deep forest.

In the main tent of Anning County, Li Xiuyun was eating her medicine with a pale face and a listless expression.

The medicine was too bitter for her to swallow, and Li Xiuyun ate it very slowly.

Halfway through the meal, Hua Chun, a trusted confidante, entered, looking anxious and uneasy.

"Is the matter finished?"

When Hua Chun entered, Li Xiuyun's expression was indifferent, and her brows were furrowed with melancholy.

Hua Chun nodded and respectfully replied, "Your Highness, everything has been taken care of."

"that is……"

Hua Chun couldn't hold back any longer and hesitantly spoke up.

Li Xiuyun couldn't stand this hesitant manner and said impatiently, "Just say what you have to say, don't wait for me to beg you!"

Hua Chun then said tremblingly, "This servant knows her mistake. This servant is just worried that if things come to light, it will be difficult to explain to the Emperor, and I'm afraid even the King won't be able to protect the County Princess..."

Is Princess Chang Le someone who can be easily moved?

Even after following the county magistrate's arrogance for so many years, Hua Chun had to admit that the county magistrate's behavior was nothing short of outrageous.

A well-intentioned word of advice was met with a scolding from the county magistrate.

"Just do as I say, what's there to say!"

In anger, Li Xiuyun knocked over the medicine bowl near her mouth, spilling the medicine all over the floor.

"Get down!"

Hua Chun dared not say anything more, only hoping that this matter could be kept secret and not implicate her.

Inside the tent, Li Xiuyun's expression flickered with uncertainty, filled with the joy of her impending success in avenging her defeat.

Yesterday, following her father's wishes, she humbly apologized. Not only did he not give her face at the time, but afterwards he even sent someone to assassinate her, hanging her from a tree all night.

Li Xiuyun can still recall how biting the autumn night wind was, and how wolves occasionally roamed below.

Those bright green eyes almost made her faint.

Fortunately, wolves can't climb trees, otherwise she would have been dead.

After warming up, Li Xiuyun, who was still furious, couldn't take it anymore and decided to get revenge on Li Huiyi.

It was just a scare tactic; it wouldn't affect her father's grand plan anyway, so she got her revenge.

There will always be a chance to settle the score in the future.

Thinking of her father's grand plan, Li Xiuyun was filled with excitement and eagerly awaited good news.

...

Huiyi was lucky; as soon as she entered the forest, she encountered a wild boar of medium size, its long tusks rooting in the ground.

Not only that, it was also a clever wild boar. As soon as Huiyi drew her bow, the wild boar took off running away.

"Little wild boar, wait!"

Huiyi shouted and immediately spurred his horse to give chase, with several Imperial Guardsmen following behind.

After running for about fifteen minutes, the wild boar was blocked. Just as Huiyi touched the bow, a sudden whooshing sound rang out.

Several cold arrows flew in with a whoosh, embedding themselves in the tree trunks on either side of Huiyi, causing leaves to flutter down, creating a desolate and cold atmosphere.

Huiyi froze for a moment, and the soldiers guarding her immediately shouted, "Assassins! Protect the princess!"

Several more arrows flew in, but were blocked by several Imperial Guards soldiers who drew their swords.

"Princess, go quickly! We'll cover the rear!"

Huiyi's archery skills are only good for hunting pheasants and rabbits; she is not yet capable of handling situations like this.

Thinking that staying behind would only be a hindrance and could even result in being hit by arrows, it would be a losing proposition.

Having considered the implications, Huiyi immediately agreed and rode off.

The autumn mountain wind howled across her face, finally making Huiyi feel the biting cold.

She never imagined that she would encounter an assassin in Qishan, the royal hunting ground.

Or should we target her?

Are you out of your mind?!

With no time to think and unable to understand, Huiyi stood frozen, fearing a cold arrow might pierce her from behind.

Under intense pressure, Huiyi's mind began to wander uncontrollably.

For example, it would be great if Lin Er were by her side today.

That way, she wouldn't have to live such a miserable life.

But there are no "what ifs" in life. She could only escape as quickly as possible and then let her parents deal with the assassins who dared to kill her.

Like Fuxue beneath her, Huiyi was panting heavily, her heart pounding as if it were about to leap out of her chest.

Suddenly, Huiyi heard the sound of horses' hooves again.

Not only are there quite a few people listening, but they are even gradually getting closer.

Her heart skipped a beat, and Huiyi immediately thought of the assassin.

Because reinforcements simply couldn't arrive that quickly, and her intuition told her the same thing.

With her mind racing, Huiyi gritted her teeth and slapped Fuxue a few times before dismounting and nimbly rolling into the surrounding bushes.

If she keeps running like this, she'll be caught sooner or later, and who knows what will happen then.

She had to find another way to get out of this situation.

With her gaze fixed on the snowflakes that were disappearing into the distance, Huiyi hid herself behind a tree overgrown with weeds, muttering to herself.

"Fuxue, Fuxue, if we both make it back alive this time, you will be my savior. I will definitely ask my grandfather to name you the number one horse, and find you a sweetheart. I will take care of you in your old age and see you off in your final days, and I will set up an incense tablet for you at Ci'en Temple..."

Just as he was muttering those few words, a group of people appeared on the previously empty road. Their faces were obscured, but they moved with agility.

Just as Huiyi had hoped, they followed the hoofprints and didn't notice Huiyi hiding in the bushes for a moment.

Huiyi seized the opportunity and started running as soon as they left.

She dared not run back, not only because she couldn't run back on her own two legs, but more importantly, because when those damned assassins discovered that Fuxue was unaccompanied, they would turn around and search for her along the way.

She could only find a random place to hide and wait for things to calm down so her parents could send someone to rescue her.

Without distinguishing east from west or north from south, Huiyi ran recklessly in one direction.

Fearing that her bright red riding outfit was too conspicuous, Huiyi simply took it off, crumpled it into a ball, and hid it in a crevice in the rocks before continuing to run.

I fell many times during that time. Some times I tripped over dry grass, some times I tripped over stones, and once I stepped on wet moss on a stone and twisted my ankle.

It hurt a lot, but Huiyi didn't have time to care at the time. She only thought about running further away so that the group of assassins couldn't find her.

Finally, Huiyi found a cave where she could hide.

It's small, but well hidden. If we use some tree branches or something similar to cover it up, no one should be able to tell that there's someone inside.

As he spoke, he grabbed the nearest dead tree branch, retreated into the cave, and then slowly moved the branch in front of him to completely cover the narrow cave.

The cave was smaller than Huiyi had imagined. Although she felt uncomfortable curled up inside, she inexplicably felt safe.

Unfortunately, there was a snake hiding inside. It was startled when it saw her come in and darted away, almost making Huiyi scream.

It was a small, slippery snake, black with red markings, that darted away in the blink of an eye.

Huiyi hasn't seen snakes, insects, rodents, or ants in the mountains for many years.

In the past, when I went to the stream with my three brothers to catch shrimp and crabs, we would encounter small snakes. Once, I was even bitten, but fortunately, the water snake was not poisonous.

After the little snake ran away, Huiyi became the true master of the cave.

She quietly hid inside, blending into every blade of grass and tree in the mountains and forests.

Time slipped by quietly, the sky darkened, and everything became gloomy.

The good thing is that no assassins are chasing her, but she's afraid of the dark.

When the sunlight completely disappeared and all that could be seen was darkness, Huiyi's heart also began to pound.

In the stillness of the night, deep in the mountains and forests.

It's where some scary supernatural tales are most likely to happen.

For a moment, Huiyi forgot about the jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards; only the boundless darkness chilled him to the bone.

She feared the dark night, and even more so, she feared that no one could find her.

Huiyi started to feel sleepy, but she didn't dare to sleep, afraid that some small insects would crawl on her if she fell asleep.

The only saving grace was that there weren't many mosquitoes in late autumn; otherwise, being in the mountains, she would have had a face full of bites.

After holding her breath and concentrating for about half an hour, Huiyi began to tremble.

Her original clothing wasn't very warm, and she lost her outer robe halfway through the journey. After squatting in the dark forest for half a day, Huiyi couldn't possibly withstand such cold.

She rubbed her hands together to warm them and then pressed them against her face. Her pale lips trembled slightly as she gazed at the bright moon in the sky, feeling a pang of sadness.

She didn't want to spend the night here, even if it meant going back to sleep with Lin Er and being kissed unconscious by him.

You can kiss him on the chest, that's fine too.

As long as she can go back, she's willing to do anything.

Feeling physically and mentally uncomfortable from the darkness and cold, Huiyi inevitably started to have all sorts of wild thoughts and expectations.

Despite feeling cold and scared, Huiyi couldn't resist her sleepiness and began to drift off to sleep.

Leaning against the narrow stone wall, Huiyi also had to constantly worry that small insects might crawl into her hair.

In her daze, Huiyi heard a rustling sound.

It sounded like some nimble animal walking over dry branches and fallen leaves, accompanied by sniffing.

Such a commotion would undoubtedly be startling in the pitch-black night.

Perhaps it was a wolf, or some other ferocious wild beast.

Huiyi took a deep breath, forcing herself to suppress any heavy breathing so as not to attract the unknown beast.

But it still failed. The beast's sense of smell was too keen. Huiyi could hear the rustling sounds getting closer and closer, each sound like a death knell.

Trembling, Huiyi picked up a sharp stone, ready to smash the beast's head as soon as it got close.

It will inevitably end up bleeding profusely.

As Huiyi's breathing quickened, she met those bright green eyes.

Just as she was about to raise her hand, a loud bark stopped Huiyi in her tracks.

If I'm not mistaken, that's the sound of a dog barking.

Moreover, it's the sound of a standard domestic dog, not a wild dog from the mountains.

He slowly released the stone from his palm, revealing his palm, which was slightly bleeding from gripping it tightly.

The firelight drew near, and the sound of footsteps accompanied by barking approached.

By the light of the torch in the man's hand, Huiyi could see who it was.

Her tense emotions collapsed instantly, and her whole body relaxed.

"Why did you take so long to get here? I was terrified!"

Overwhelmed by emotion, a surge of heat rose from her chest to her throat, then to her nose, and finally to her eyes. Huiyi couldn't help but pout, looking like she was about to cry.

Through a pile of withered tree branches, Lin Lanting couldn't see who was inside, but as soon as he heard that voice, he immediately knew.

He pushed aside the tangled mess of branches in front of him with one hand, and before he could say a word, a soft, trembling, and slightly cold body rushed into his arms.

It was an unprecedented level of initiative and enthusiasm, but Lin Lanting felt no secret joy, only peace of mind.

"It's alright, I'll take you back."

Gently patting Huiyi's back reassuringly, Lin Lanting carefully controlled the force, afraid that he might accidentally hit her too hard and cause her injury.

They clapped for almost the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, until Lin Lanting's hands were a little stiff from clapping. He leaned close to Huiyi's ear and whispered, "Shall we go back?"

Lin Er was so warm that Huiyi didn't want to let go of him, wanting only to drown in his warm embrace.

But home always has to be returned to. After absorbing some warmth, Huiyi pulled herself out of the warm embrace and said in a muffled voice, "My feet hurt, I can't walk anymore, carry me."

It had been hurting ever since she sprained her ankle, but she hadn't had time to pay attention to it before. Now that someone was there to complain to, she immediately remembered them, and her words carried a hint of coquetry.

Lin Lanting raised an eyebrow, stuck the torch into the ground, half-squatted down and looked up at Huiyi, saying, "Sit down, let me take a look at you."

The moonlight was thin in the deep forest, and the red glow of the flames reflected on that handsome face, which was adorned with a gentle smile. Huiyi was captivated by the sight and remained stunned for a moment before slowly sitting down.

This is the first time I've noticed how good-looking Lin Ersheng is. How come I never noticed before?

She sat down without saying a word, letting the other person take off her shoes and socks. Her fingertips groped her bare feet, and Huiyi felt itchy all over.

To clear her mind of these chaotic thoughts, Huiyi looked around and noticed the well-behaved dog crouching next to Lin Er.

It was a greyhound, a hunting dog commonly used by the powerful and wealthy, renowned for its hunting and tracking abilities, and also exceptional for finding people.

No wonder they found her.

"Dislocated? How did you get hurt?"

After her foot bones were gently pinched a few times, Huiyi heard Lin Lanting ask her a question.

"You ran too fast, slipped on a rock, twisted your ankle, are you sure you'll be alright?"

Lin Lanting remained silent for a long while, his dark eyes filled with bright tenderness, and he said in a hoarse voice, "Yes, but it might hurt a little, so please bear with it."

Upon hearing this, Huiyi immediately tensed up. Lin Lanting, holding that slender foot, noticed Huiyi's nervousness instantly.

After thinking for a moment, his eyes gleamed as he said, "I have a way to reduce your pain. Would you like to try it?"

Huiyi was naturally unwilling, nodding her head like a chick pecking at rice, and said repeatedly, "Let's give it a try!"

Who wouldn't want to experience less pain?

Upon hearing this, Lin Lanting smiled and beckoned to her with his finger, saying mysteriously, "Then come here, I'll tell you."

Huiyi, without suspecting anything, immediately lowered her head and leaned closer.

The next moment, her lips were covered, and a hot kiss enveloped her, leaving Huiyi's mind blank.

Just then, a sharp pain shot through my foot, so fast it was almost frightening.

Only after Lin Er removed his lips from hers did Huiyi belatedly realize what his so-called method of reducing pain was.

However, Huiyi was not angry this time, but only felt her face burning.

Lin Lanting was prepared to be scolded, but he saw Huiyi sitting quietly with her eyes downcast, seemingly lost in thought.

Lin Lanting didn't dare to say a word, and just consciously helped Huiyi put on her shoes and socks.

A gust of cold wind blew by, causing the flame on the torch to flicker for a moment, and Huiyi hugged herself tightly because of the cold.

Lin Lanting then noticed, his eyelids twitched, and he immediately unbuckled his belt and quickly put his own robe on Huiyi.

"You're amazing, you're freezing and you didn't say a word. Hurry up and put it on."

Wearing the warm outer robe, which still felt warm from her body, Huiyi felt a long-lost warmth, but that wasn't enough.

"It's still cold."

Perhaps Lin Lanting could withstand the chill in the mountains, but she was far from it.

Lin Lanting looked over in surprise, meeting the girl's bright eyes and seeing a certain expectation within them.

"That's easy."

Lin Lanting was never one to spoil the fun. After understanding her little scheme, he bent his knees and picked up Huiyi, then simply extinguished the torch and proceeded by the dim moonlight.

Huiyi excitedly hugged Lin Er's neck, continuing to absorb his warmth.

The greyhound is very intelligent, quietly following behind its owner with a leisurely pace.

The two of them took turns speaking, explaining their respective situations.

Upon learning that Li Xiuyun was the one who had plotted against her, Huiyi was furious.

Upon learning that it was because Lin Er had hung someone up all night that Li Xiuyun went mad and retaliated against her, Huiyi immediately gave him a severe dressing-down.

But thinking that Lin Er was only trying to please her, and that he was indeed happy for a long time at the time, he didn't plan to do anything further.

"However, King Liang sacrificed the pawn to save the king, and Princess Anning took all the blame, saying it was just a grudge between the two of you, so the emperor only dealt with Princess Anning."

"What was the punishment?"

Huiyi, not wanting to miss such a pleasant opportunity, lifted her head from Lin Er's chest and asked with great interest.

Lin Lanting smiled and explained to her, "The emperor was furious that someone tried to assassinate you, Princess Chang Le. Even though the Prince of Liang pleaded for you, Princess Anning was stripped of her title and sent to Puji Temple."

Huiyi clapped her hands in delight, feeling much of her pent-up frustration dissipate.

The mountain winds were chilly in late autumn, but Lin Er blocked most of them along the way. Huiyi was wrapped in a warm embrace, as if she were a cloud that had been warmed by the sun.

A clear and strong heartbeat filled his ears, along with Lin Er's teasing words.

"To be honest, you're quite the runner. The Emperor sent so many Imperial Guards but they couldn't find you. It's a good thing I found a greyhound to help me."

The boy's cheerful tone also infected Huiyi, and she temporarily forgot the pain of that time, and said happily, "Of course, when I was a child I often played hide-and-seek with my older brother and sister, and I was the best at hiding!"

"You're really amazing!"

When they weren't arguing, Lin Er was very good at flattering people, responding to every word and making everyone happy.

They returned chatting and laughing all the way, as if Huiyi hadn't survived a disaster, but had just gone out for a stroll.

The autumn hunt ended early, and a group of people waited at the camp, all eagerly hoping that Princess Chang Le would return, otherwise the Emperor and Empress Du would cause a huge uproar.

Upon seeing their beloved daughter return, the whole family surrounded her. If it weren't for the fact that Huiyi had been frightened, they would have definitely pressed her for endless questions.

After confirming that there was no danger, Emperor Yongxi finally ordered a return to the palace, ending this unfortunate autumn hunt.

Because of the danger she faced, Huiyi was kept in the palace by her parents for several days to recuperate. She drank soup made with precious medicinal herbs for three days in a row, and Huiyi felt that she had gained a lot of weight before she was sent back to the Lin residence.

During the few days that Lin Er stayed in the palace, he originally wanted to stay and keep her company, but because his father had assigned him some tasks, he had been busy at the Jinwuwei office for the past few days and could only come to see her at a fixed time every afternoon.

I remember bringing her some of her favorite snacks and trinkets from outside, like red bean glutinous rice cakes from Yiningfang and new shadow puppets from Baixifang...

Occasionally, he would even perform shadow puppet shows for her himself. Whether they were entertaining or not was another matter, but they were very funny and could make Huiyi happy all day long.

On the fourth day, which was the third day of the tenth month, Huiyi stepped out of Xunfeng Palace and saw Lin Er waiting under the green plum tree outside the palace.

This plum tree is an early-blooming one; it just started flowering a few days ago, and it's quite a sight to behold from afar.

With someone like Lin Er by her side, Huiyi looks even more pleasing to the eye.

Perhaps because Lin Er was the first person to find her that night, Huiyi always remembered his kindness.

He just watched with a smile, making Huiyi somewhat afraid to meet his gaze.

I felt a little awkward, but also very excited.

It's a very strange feeling.

After returning to the Lin residence, her parents-in-law and the whole family prepared a meal for her to calm her nerves. Huiyi was so happy that she drank a few cups of wine, and was carried back by Lin Er in a daze.

After being helped to wash up by the maid, Huiyi saw Lin Er personally bring over a hangover soup.

"Drink this quickly to sober up, I have something important to tell you."

Huiyi obediently nodded and drank the hangover soup. After the curtain closed, she waited for Lin Er's so-called important words.

"It's already October, Princess, have you decided how to answer me?"

After a passionate and intimate kiss, Lin Er, panting heavily, asked with a hazy and ambiguous expression.

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Author's note: Here I am! [heart emoji]

Let's get this chapter going! [heart emoji]