Chapter 46: Field Battle
Ye Chenyin walked towards Rongyu as if he saw nothing, leaned over and whispered in his ear, his deep voice carrying an irresistible meaning: "Don't run around, wait for me to come back."
The warm breath beside his ear tickled his neck, and Rong Yu subconsciously took a step back. This small movement fell into Ye Chenyuan's eyes, but it became a blatant flirtation.
Seeing Rong Yu blushing, Ye Chenyuan felt blinded. He had always been courteous to Rong Yu, never even thinking of overstepping the bounds. Seeing them so affectionate in public, a nameless rage suddenly surged up, searing his sanity and making it difficult to suppress.
His usually gentle face was slightly distorted. How could Rong Yu, the person he cherished in his heart, be treated so contemptuously?
"Your Highness." Shen Qinghe stepped forward at the right moment, his tone as gentle as water, "Please be careful."
Ye Chenyuan instantly suppressed all his emotions and gave him a gentle smile, as if the storm had never happened. Everything was back to normal.
According to convention, the princes had to accompany Emperor Gan on hunting first, and only after Emperor Gan had had his fill and left could everyone else move freely.
Rongyu was also worried that some blind mad dog would take the opportunity to cause trouble, so he stayed where there were many people and did not dare to go far away.
"Host, host, look at the man in front of you..." The system's voice sounded in my mind.
Rong Yu looked up and saw a man sitting quietly in a corner. His calm and serious aura was out of tune with the noisy banquet atmosphere around him.
It was a face sculpted by time, its skin slightly sagging, its brow bones slightly protruding, and a habitual shallow ravine formed where the peaks of its brows seemed to be locked with sorrow. His eyes were calm and distant, as if he had lost all interest in the world.
"He is the person Xianpin has been thinking about all the time, Song Mei'an," the system revealed.
So this was the man whose wife was forcibly taken away by Emperor Gan. Rong Yu suddenly realized that it was no wonder that Concubine Xian had no feelings for Emperor Gan. No one else would be moved. After tasting the clear and sweet spring water, how could they swallow the muddy water?
"Perhaps Concubine Xian agreed to come just to see Song Mei'an from afar? Can the Emperor Gan have the heart to tolerate him? Didn't he chop her into pieces and feed her to the dogs?"
"You don't know this. Song Mei'an is still alive today because Concubine Xian threatened to die. If Song Mei'an dies, she will never live alone," the system explained.
"This dog emperor has a masochistic tendency. He has three harems and six courtyards, but he still wants to separate them. Isn't he afraid of the backlash of greed?"
Rongyu sighed inwardly, his eyes glancing at Consort Wang Ruomu. He saw her frequently casting glances in Song Mei'an's direction, her eyes filled with deep regret that threatened to overflow. Their story was even more heartbreaking than that of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, who stared at each other across the river.
The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl can still meet once a year and enjoy a brief moment of tenderness, but they probably have never even exchanged a complete sentence. What a twist of fate.
Things are different, people are different, everything is over, tears come before words.
"What happened to them?" Rong Yu couldn't help but ask.
"Song Mei'an eventually died, so Concubine Xian could be considered to have committed suicide for love."
"Is Concubine Xian dead?" Rong Yu's heart skipped a beat: "What about Ye Chenyin?"
If his mother died, wouldn't this prince turn evil again?
"In the original novel, Ye Chenyin died before Concubine Xian." The system replied.
Rong Yu was speechless and choked. Would this book end up being nothing but its title? Seeing Emperor Gan's behavior, the author surely wouldn't give him a good ending.
The warm spring sun was lovely, but sitting there for three hours had left Rong Yu with only numbness in his hips and stiff legs. It was truly boring. He hadn't expected Emperor Gan to be so old and energetic; without his permission, Ye Chenyin couldn't withdraw.
If Ye Chenyin doesn't come back, he will be trapped where he is and unable to move forward.
Suddenly, a thought struck Rongyu, sending a chill down his spine.
"Early! You said that Emperor Gan wanted to kill Ye Chenyin, would he choose to do it now?"
"In the original novel, Emperor Gan used Ye Chenming to poison Ye Chenyin, but Ye Chenyin saw through his plan and turned the tables, drugging him instead. Emperor Gan caught him red-handed when he got carried away. But now Ye Chenming is imprisoned, the plot has changed, and I can't predict it anymore." The system's voice also revealed a certain solemnity.
"Oh my God! Why didn't you tell me earlier? What if Emperor Gan takes action now?"
Rong Yu abruptly stood up and ran deep into the dense forest. With so many hunters around, wouldn't Emperor Gan dare to attack openly? Furthermore, Ye Chenyin's skills were extraordinary, making him inaccessible to ordinary people. But Emperor Gan was determined to eliminate him at all costs.
He was extremely confused. Even if he rushed over, what could he change with his limited strength?
Elsewhere, deep in the royal hunting grounds, the hunt was in full swing. Emperor Gan was chasing a sika deer, excitedly. Tao Yi, Ye Chenyuan, and Ye Chenyin followed closely behind.
Ye Chenyin only managed to hunt a few rabbits, appearing somewhat absent-minded. Ye Chenyuan, on the other hand, had a good harvest, having taken a wild boar and a fox. Tao Yi, on the other hand, had been a constant companion throughout the hunt, making no move.
Ye Chenyuan and Ye Chenyin's hearts had already flown away from this hunting ground and they had no interest in it at all.
The deer was in the woods not far away. Emperor Gan held his breath and concentrated on drawing his bow and aiming.
Ye Chenyin rode his horse quietly towards Tao Yi and said in a low voice, "I'll go over there and take a look."
Tao Yi nodded slightly. Ye Chenyin immediately turned his horse around and quickly disappeared into the forest. He circled back to the camp, but Rongyu was nowhere to be seen. Furious, he reined in his horse and turned back, searching deep into the dense forest.
Rong Yu had originally planned to follow the main road, figuring that no matter how vast the hunting grounds were, he'd eventually run into them. But he'd forgotten that the royal hunting grounds were vast, comparable to a city. After wandering around for a long time, not only did he not see anyone, he'd actually lost his way! He'd always had a terrible sense of direction, and now, with Ye Chenyin's fate hanging in the balance, he was afraid he'd have to get ahead of him. He'd clearly heard the deep, terrifying roar of a beast—definitely not a benevolent one!
"Zao Zao, do you have a compass?" Rong Yu's voice trembled slightly.
'Go to the left and back!'
Rong Yu had just taken a few steps according to the instructions when the way ahead was completely blocked by a huge black shadow!
A pitch-black brown bear was slowly approaching him.
His luck was so bad that he ran into such a ferocious beast as soon as he went out!
"The TV said that if you don't move, the brown bear won't attack?" Fragments of memory flashed through his mind.
'That's the theory. But host, can you control yourself and stay still? I see your legs are shaking violently.'
How could I not tremble? With such a colossus towering before me, the breath of death lingering in my face, and fear already gripping my heart! I felt myself about to lose control of my bladder. Staying still? How easy was that!
"Host, can you still run?"
Rong Yu wanted to retreat, but his legs felt heavy and numb, as if they were filled with lead. He finally understood why people in operas never ran away when they were in danger. It wasn't because they didn't want to, but because they simply couldn't move their legs!
The black bear was approaching step by step, and countless figures flashed through Rongyu's mind. The faces of his parents and grandmother were blurred, only Ye Chenyin's face was extremely clear.
The black bear suddenly stood up, opened its bloody mouth, and pounced at Rongyu with a bloody gust of wind! Rongyu closed her eyes in despair, hugged her head and curled up.
The expected severe pain did not come, and all he could hear was the black bear's shrill howl! The next second, he was swept into a solid and familiar embrace.
"Your Highness?" Rong Yu cried out in a lost voice.
Ye Chenyin hugged him tightly, jumped onto the horse nimbly, whipped the horse and galloped away!
"Didn't I tell you not to run around?" The deep voice suppressed the shock, anger, and fear of surviving the disaster. God knows how his heart sank into an icy cave when he returned to the tent and didn't see Rongyu! He didn't even dare to think about what would have happened if he had been a moment later.
Rong Yu was also filled with grievances. If she hadn't been worried about his safety, why would she have ended up like this? But the reason couldn't be explained at the moment, and it was extremely frustrating.
"The forest is dangerous. I'm just worried about your highness's safety. I came here because I was really worried." He said in a muffled voice.
Ye Chenyin rode his horse into the depths of a dense forest with particularly lush vegetation. The surroundings were silent, with no traces of wild animals and no human habitation.
He dismounted and hugged Rong Yu tightly in his arms with such strength that it seemed as if he wanted to knead him into his bones and blood: "No matter what your plan is, remember, you are not allowed to leave my side for even a step on every inch of land you stand on!" His voice was hoarse and low, and seemed to be pleading, with even a barely perceptible sob.
Rong Yu had never expected his disappearance to cause Ye Chenyin to lose control so much. Could a brief moment of being lost have caused him to feel so insecure?
"Your Highness, I'm really just worried that you don't have any other thoughts, let alone leaving." Rong Yu's heart softened, and she also reached out to hug him. Her voice was very soft and soothing: "I won't run around anymore and won't make Your Highness worry."
Ye Chenyin remained silent, but hugged him even tighter, as if he wanted to embed this lost and found treasure into his chest.
Rong Yu couldn't fathom the source of the turmoil swirling within him. Lately, Ye Chenyin had been saying things that made no sense, yet he refused to reveal the truth. Well, she'd just dismiss it as the common anxiety of lovers, and just spend more time with him.
"Xuanhe," Ye Chenyin buried his head in the crook of his neck, his voice hoarse and hot, "I miss you."
This thought, Rong Yu naturally understood the deep meaning. Ye Chenyin had asked this question many times.
But this is the wild!
"Your Highness..." Rong Yu was about to remind him that this was not the right place. Emperor Gan's hunting party was so close, and if they were caught, the consequences would be disastrous.
However, Ye Chenyin's kiss fell like a torrential downpour, fierce and fervent, carrying a long-suppressed desire, irresistibly silencing all his words. The collar of his clothes had been ripped open in a hurry, and the cool air pressed against his skin, Rongyu was truly panicked.
He struggled to free his lips from being seized, panting and whispering, "Your Highness! We can't be here! Let's go somewhere else!"
"It's okay, no one will come here." Ye Chenyin responded firmly, covering his lips again, and gently but firmly laid him down on the ground covered with special plants. Although his back was not painful, it felt damp and slightly cool.
This is a unique spot within the royal hunting grounds, home to a special plant whose scent is extremely pungent and unpleasant to wild beasts. Animals with keen senses of smell avoid it, and naturally, no hunter would set foot here.
This was a secret corner that Ye Chenyin had stumbled upon many years ago. Whenever he went hunting, he would pretend to be unskilled in horse riding and archery and come here to while away the time. It was precisely because of its secrecy that he dared to be so presumptuous.
"Your Highness... Ugh!" Rong Yu's exclamation was blocked again.
Ye Chenyin was completely oblivious to any words he said. He hadn't touched him in nearly a month, and now both of them felt like dry firewood, ignited at the slightest touch.
Ye Chenyin whispered in a low and dangerous voice against his hot earlobe: "Speak softly." Although there was no one around, if someone passed by, making too loud a sound would be a source of trouble.
Looking at the man under him with a frown on his face and red eyes, Ye Chenyin raised a satisfied smile at the corner of his lips and kissed his slightly open lips again, letting himself indulge in this secret and crazy pleasure, venting all the accumulated longing and possession.
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