101 Determination
◎For a whole day and night, Gu Ningxi was unable to leave the imperial tent.◎
"Could it be that you are deceiving me?"
"No, no."
Thinking of the words he had said when he was proud, Gu Ningxi was silent for a moment and could only accept it.
Her calves hung down beside the couch, held down by Lu Jing's knee, leaving her with nowhere to retreat.
"Have you thought about your instructions to me?"
It was a bright day and the area around the imperial tent was silent.
It has been more than half a month since they parted on bad terms in the imperial study.
Gu Ningxi said, "I...I said something wrong."
"Um?"
Gu Ningxi rested her hands on the soft brocade quilt and looked up at Lu Jing.
"What offspring? I just made that up."
Her eyes are clear and beautiful, like a clear spring, which can easily dissolve all the troubles in people's hearts.
She followed her heart: "I don't want you to be with anyone else!"
These words were clearly a bit overbearing, yet they made people feel as if they were in a spring breeze.
Lu Jing leaned over and looked at her rosy face and stubborn eyes.
He smiled softly, looking into her eyes.
"Okay, I'll remember that."
He spoke every word and kissed her rosy lips.
Gu Ningxi naturally believed him. Even in his previous life, he had never had anyone else.
The breeze swayed the bed curtains, which were originally swaying gently, suddenly became violent.
The jade belt of the official uniform was untied, and the messy clothes fell on the screen, some of which fluttered to the ground.
Gu Ningxi was pressed horizontally on the couch. It was an autumn day in the mountains. The last piece of underwear felt a little cold when it was taken off, but it soon disappeared without a trace.
Her hands unconsciously clenched the quilt beneath her. Facing the man who had been celibate for most of the month, she felt that disaster was about to happen.
Besides, we are now in a tent, which is not as reassuring as the palace.
"You—" Lu Jing was trapped by her and felt a sweat on his forehead. "Relax a little."
Gu Ningxi's wrists were pinned to the pillow, and she was in another place, her body involuntarily controlled by her emotions.
Lu Jing gently held her lips. He was familiar with her and knew how to comfort her.
In the gentle and lingering kiss, when the person under him became soft and slippery, Lu Jingfang went straight in.
The bed curtains swayed, mixed with the girl's suppressed moans of pleasure.
For a whole day and night, Gu Ningxi was unable to leave the imperial tent.
She no longer remembered what time she fell asleep again in the second half of the night. She only knew that when she woke up the next day, the curtains on the couch had been replaced.
The official uniform is acceptable, but the inner garment is completely unsightly, with the laces missing completely.
Lu Jing was about to order someone to go get clothes from her tent when Gu Ningxi grabbed him and said, "Don't go!"
This back and forth was a blatant act.
There was still a hint of hoarseness in her voice from the aftermath of love, which was inexplicably alluring.
Gu Ningxi protected her nightgown and decided not to leave the tent for the day. It wasn't until night fell and the entire camp was immersed in peace and tranquility that Yinzhu finally delivered the washed clothes as Master Gu had requested.
After a full day of rest, Gu Ningxi finally had the strength to go hunting in the mountains the next day.
Feiyun and Qingzhui rode side by side. Seeing Lord Gu and His Majesty heading east, Xie Qian and the other two hurriedly chose to go west so as not to disturb each other.
The forest paths are intricate and complex, and most of the time, it depends on your eyes. Yellow leaves cover the ground, rustling under the feet of horse hooves.
Gu Ningxi found the voice interesting and smiled at Lu Jing.
There were countless prey in the autumn forests, so this trip wouldn't be in vain. Gu Ningxi took up her longbow, feeling a bit more confident in her improved archery skills. Her quiver held dozens of brand-new arrows, which looked presentable at first glance.
Sunlight filtered through the shadows of the trees, and Gu Ningxi softened the sound of her horse's hooves. She didn't dare hunt lynx, and wild deer were too sensitive and would only waste her arrows. Gu Ningxi nocked her bow and took aim at a pheasant leisurely roaming beneath a tree.
The long arrow flew out of the string and pierced into the tree trunk with a "whoosh" sound.
The pheasant was startled by the noise and flew up, flapping its wings and about to flee. But the next moment, another long arrow, with a sharp sound of wind, pierced the pheasant into the ground.
The timing was perfect, as if it had been anticipated.
Gu Ningxi looked at the man who was putting away his bow and arrow, and took over the job.
She said, "I could have shot it."
It was all because of the way he held the bow, the arrow's energy caused her to deviate from its direction.
Lu Jing: “…”
Lu Jing: "Okay."
The prey is collected by guards, who determine its owner based on the different feathers on it.
As before, Gu Ningxi grabbed a few of his own arrows and threw them into Lu Jing's quiver.
The two rode together, and Gu Ningxi led the way all the way, and they gained a lot along the way.
Gu Ningxi identified the mark left by the secret guard, pulled the reins of the horse, and chose the road on the right.
Lu Jing casually hunted a wild deer and saw some clues. He smiled and said, "Where are you looking for?"
"Didn't the spies reveal where the weapons were buried? I want to go and see it."
Lu Jing laughed. The road was not easy to find. Even the spies needed half a map to find the location.
The imperial guards took them for a long time to march forward, and marked the route along the way on their return.
Although he felt it was unnecessary, Lu Jing still followed Gu Ningxi's curiosity and accompanied her to explore the way.
Among the thirty-seven weapons unearthed by the imperial guards was a scimitar, a common weapon used by the Turks in battle. There were even two bottles of poison. It seems that if Prince Huai were to start a rebellion, he would be ready to blame the Turks.
Yesterday, the Ministry of Justice reported that after a retrial of the imprisoned confidants of the former Huai Wang Palace, they had confessed to this new crime. Most of the correspondence with the Turks had been burned, but they had retained half a book of accounts, originally intending to use it to seek wealth and glory after the Huai Wang's success.
However, the Huai Palace suffered a crushing defeat, and it was useless for them to produce the accounts. They would also have to add another shameful crime of colluding with foreign races.
Therefore, when they first entered the Ministry of Justice, they confessed to most of the crimes, and even actively reported the crimes, making meritorious contributions while serving their sentences. Coincidentally, there was a general amnesty, and the new emperor showed leniency, and the Ministry of Justice changed the execution sentence to imprisonment in the autumn, and detained them in the Tianlao.
They never imagined they would be of use again. It was just that Prince Huai was suspicious by nature, so the ambush at the Jiuyun Mountain camp was not given to them, and they were unaware of it.
But no matter what, the evidence that Prince Huai colluded with the Turks is irrefutable and cannot be denied.
He was already half-crazy and imprisoned in Renzhi Palace. Gu Ningxi asked, "What should we do with him?"
"Once we have gathered all the evidence, we will hand it over to our father, and he will make the final decision."
Gu Ningxi nodded. The emperor was still alive, so it would be better to ask him to come forward.
She looked at Lu Jing. If he issued the decree, no matter what the new emperor's reasons were, he would inevitably be branded as a man who harmed his brothers.
For a ruler, the most important thing is to be legitimate.
If one's position is not legitimate, he will inevitably be criticized by scholars. Even ordinary natural disasters will be criticized and regarded as warnings from heaven. The pressure can be imagined.
The horse's hooves followed the mark and finally stopped in front of a locust tree.
The soil under the shade of the tree showed obvious signs of backfilling, and the weapons were unearthed here.
The autumn wind dyed the green leaves yellow. Gu Ningxi looked at the tall locust tree and could no longer remember what it looked like in his dream.
She jumped off her horse, stepped through the fresh mud, and stroked its rough branches inch by inch.
Two yellow leaves slowly fell and landed at Gu Ningxi's feet.
Dreams and reality seem to overlap silently at this moment.
Feeling the touch between his fingers, Gu Ningxi wondered, what is the meaning of dreams?
It seemed to guide her to untie the knot of her past life and escape from the predicament; but because of it, she revealed her identity to him in advance while searching for the locust tree.
It seemed as if there was a predetermined arrangement in the dark that returned destiny to where it should be.
She thought of the Empress, who was still in Renzhi Palace, with her youngest son, who had committed countless crimes, by her side, never allowed to take a single step out of her for the rest of his life.
"What are you thinking about?"
Gu Ningxi withdrew his hand and paused for a moment: "I was just wondering, what kind of poison is buried here?"
Lu Jing couldn't remember the name for a moment: "It is tempered on the arrow to increase the chances of success."
Not only was it targeting him, the Huai Palace also wanted to get rid of the emperor's brother.
At least I didn't lose to him all these years. Now I think it's really not easy.
Gu Ningxi lowered his eyes. Only the one who sits in the highest position can get everything. Therefore, the struggle for power has always been bloody and life-and-death.
She whispered, "It's good that the poison is destroyed."
She took one last look at the locust tree, which turned into a relieved smile. She reached out to hold Lu Jing's hand and said, "Shall we go back?"
Lu Jinghui shook it and nodded.
…
At dusk, a bonfire was set up in the open space by the river.
The prey caught during the day has been handed over to the imperial chef for preliminary cooking. The scenery at the foot of Jiuyun Mountain is picturesque, and the cool weather is perfect for eating some roasted meat.
Gu Ningxi changed out of the clothes she wore during the day's hunting and arrived last with Lu Jing.
Xie Qian, Zhen Yuan, and Qin Yu were already waiting for them by the campfire. Seeing His Majesty and Lord Gu together again, what else was there to say? They must have reconciled.
The three of them breathed a sigh of relief at the same time.
Gu Ningxi sat down next to Lu Jing, and Qin Yu happened to sit opposite her.
She had a good relationship with Qin Yu, and she also admired Qin Yanming for going to the battlefield at a young age and single-handedly reviving the Qi family.
But things are different now, Qin Yu is about to marry her eldest sister.
Even though she knew that he was truly in love with her sister, when she thought about her sister leaving her to live with him in the future, Gu Ningxi always felt dissatisfied with Qin Yanming and could find many faults with him.
Qin Yu endured Gu Ningxi's gaze and smiled at her ingratiatingly, having already prepared to please her.
This earned him another glare from Lu Jing.
Xie Qian was the most intelligent person: "So, wouldn't Your Majesty and Yan Ming be brothers-in-law in the future?"
Lu Jing and Qin Yu both found this pleasing to the ear, and Zhen Yuan thought about it and realized that it was indeed true.
Yan Ming married the eldest daughter of the Gu family on the fifth day of the twelfth lunar month. He and Huai Cheng had already prepared the gifts.
Zhen Yuan smiled and said, "Yan Ming is about to get married. I just don't know when His Majesty and Lord Gu will get married."
Ever since he heard the news on Qixi Festival that year, he had thought that His Majesty would soon appoint a queen. But who would have thought that after so many twists and turns, it would have been delayed until today.
Lu Jing pondered his answer, while Gu Ningxi beside him said with a relaxed smile, "That depends on your majesty's wishes."
Lu Jing turned his head, but Gu Ningxi lowered her head and didn't look at him.
Lu Jing's heart suddenly started beating violently as he carefully recalled what she had just said.
When he raised his head again, he met Huaicheng's meaningful gaze.
Xie Qian fiddled with the barbecue and said, "It's really inappropriate that Your Majesty has been slow to give Lord Gu a title."
Looking at the current Jin Dynasty, who can still be the master of Your Majesty?
Lu Jing always felt that the look was strange, but he couldn't tell why.
Soon the meat was cooked. Lu Jing used a dagger to cut the best piece of rabbit meat and handed it to Gu Ningxi first.
Gu Ningxi tasted it, her eyes lit up, and she nodded to him with a smile.
The rabbit meat is tender, grilled to perfection, and the seasoning is even better.
Lu Jing also laughed. Xie Qian only took a glance at the expressions between the two and then looked away.
Of course he had to do it himself, and he kindly handed it to Zhen Yuan who was sitting on the right.
Zhen Yuan thanked him, and Xie Qian thought that they were brothers who could accomplish great things together.
"What are you still looking at?" Xie Qian waved his hand in front of Qin Yu.
Qin Yu smiled and reminisced, "In fact, in the past, Your Majesty and Lord Gu seemed to get along like this."
Years have passed, but everything remains the same.
…
The moon hangs high in the sky, and all is quiet.
The clouds cleared and the rain stopped on the imperial bed. Gu Ningxi closed her eyes and was embraced by Lu Jing.
She was still awake. Lu Jing kissed her forehead and said, "When you return to Beijing in a few days, you can take a detour to visit the Beishoushan Imperial Tomb."
"Shall we go and see the Queen Mother?"
The moonlight illuminated the brocade tent, and the two pauses seemed so long.
"good."
With a simple and clear answer, Gu Ningxi found a more comfortable position in Lu Jing's arms.
"The Queen has known me since childhood, so you shouldn't find it strange, right?"
"Won't."
When Lu Jing smelled the sweet fragrance of her hair, an indescribable feeling of satisfaction filled his heart.
They slept in each other's arms, Gu Ningxi leaning against him.
She thought that this was probably her fate.
In fact, it is much better than the previous life.
If... fate could be changed——
She would rather change his fate.
【Author’s words】
(pats chest) Girls won't be trapped in the harem
More updates will be added on the weekend~[laughing]
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