62 Exposed
◎Gu Yuanle, what are you so upset about?◎
The morning mist dissipated, the sky was filled with morning glow, and the majestic Jiuyun Mountain was bathed in golden light.
The hunting horns sounded loudly, startling countless birds into flight.
The new generation of elites in the court were all wearing armor and holding bows, ready to go.
Amid the sounds of ritual music, Emperor Mingde took the precious bow under the gaze of his ministers and bent the bowstring into a full moon.
The long arrow flew out of the air, and the emperor shot the first arrow of the hunt.
The young men from the aristocratic families followed closely behind, spurring their horses to the mountain paddock to test their prowess.
From the high platform, Emperor Mingde looked down at the young men. They were like the vibrant spring scenery in the mountains, full of infinite vitality.
The emperor's gaze was unconsciously attracted to the person in the front row. Qi'an, the child, was full of vigor and vitality, just like he was when he was young.
The morning light is brilliant, the rising sun illuminates the grand and magnificent hunting scene.
The emperor who once fought on the battlefield and is now approaching the age of 50 cannot help but sigh that the hero is old and say that the disciple is better than the master.
In the fierce competition among the children of aristocratic families, Gu Ningxi found a less crowded route and deliberately left alone.
She rode her horse along the mountain path, carefully observing the scenery in the forest.
The assassination attempt in the dream must have taken place during an autumn hunt, at a banquet. Furthermore, a certain area within Jiuyun Mountain, where a locust tree stood, recurred in the dream. Gu Ningxi vividly remembered the falling yellow leaves of autumn. Since most of the scenes in the dream had already come true, she had no choice but to continue her investigation along this line.
While chasing in the mountains, Gu Ningxi would occasionally pick up a bow and shoot some simple prey to get by so as not to return empty-handed.
After spending the better part of a day in the mountains, Gu Ningxi's first day of hunting yielded nothing of the kind he'd hoped for. There were so many trees in the mountains; finding a single locust tree, or even a specific one, was no easy feat. With no news from his cousin, Gu Ningxi prepared himself mentally, reassuring himself not to lose heart.
She sat in her tent, rubbing her brow. Tomorrow would still be another day to search. This matter depended on chance, so she would just do her best.
The night is shrouded in darkness and the bright moon hangs in the sky.
Gu Ningwan arrived in front of her sister's tent and said, "The meat is ready. Would you like to come out and have some?"
Since returning at dusk, Xier has been staying in her tent.
"I'm coming." Gu Ningxi agreed without offending her sister.
In addition to the hunting of the various families, His Majesty also sent fifteen teams of imperial guards into the mountains during the day, and the harvest was quite fruitful. His Majesty also bestowed game upon many mansions, including the Xuanping Marquisate.
The barbecue is cooked to the perfect temperature, tender and fragrant, making people's appetites whet.
Gu Ningxi had no appetite, so she just ate a little to avoid worrying her sister.
Under the same moonlight, His Royal Highness Prince Zhao was also in a lack of interest.
Beside the campfire, Qin Yu personally grilled venison. It was a pity Huai Cheng wasn't here, otherwise his grilling skills would be the best in the Xuanjia Army. Back in the day, when they weren't fighting, they would go out hunting for game. Thinking about it now, it truly was the most beautiful and purest memory of the military.
The venison is sizzling with fragrance, and today's prey has finally been counted.
Seeing that His Royal Highness Prince Zhao had no interest in talking, Zhen Yuan cut a piece of roasted venison and handed it to him.
Your Highness brought back the most prey to the camp today. If you don’t know, you might think that Your Highness Prince Zhao wants to compete with them for the top spot in the Black Armor Army.
…
The next day, when entering the mountains, Gu Ningxi changed the direction from the previous day.
Having searched the surrounding area, Gu Ningxi headed further into the mountains, marking the path along the way.
She was careful not to go too deep into the forest and put herself in danger.
After all, it's just a dream, don't take it seriously.
Gu Ningxi picked up a bunch of branches and leaves. Sometimes, after seeing so many scenes in the mountains, she felt that they were all similar.
As she wandered around, she couldn't help but doubt herself. She had sacrificed two days of spring hunting for a vague dream.
Looking for a locust tree in such a vast mountain without any other clues is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
On the way, Gu Ningxi met His Royal Highness Prince Zhao once, but he was busy chasing his prey and ignored her.
This locust tree didn't look like it either. Gu Ningxi remounted her horse and looked around. There were many locust trees in this area of the forest, and now that she was there, she had to check them all out.
The warm sun was shining in the sky, and the sunlight filtered through the layers of branches and leaves, illuminating the path in the forest.
The horse beneath her became restless for some reason, and Gu Ningxi listened intently to the movements in the forest. Although she didn't notice anything obviously amiss, she made a decisive move and turned back.
A gentle breeze blew, shadows of trees swayed, and the air seemed to carry a faint scent of blood. This area was not yet close to the inner perimeter of Jiuyun Mountain, and was frequently patrolled by imperial guards. Gu Ningxi memorized the route and returned along the same route.
Just in case, she gripped the longbow tightly in her hand and commented to herself that she was "bluffing".
Two forks appeared in the woods, and Gu Ningxi remembered that it was the right direction.
The scenery around here has become familiar, but after Gu Ningxi took a few steps, his mount hesitated and refused to move forward.
Gu Ningxi hesitated about whether to change her route when she heard an unusual noise echoing through the forest. Before she could identify the source of the sound, a beast resembling a cat and a leopard suddenly leaped out of the dense forest.
A lynx, or more precisely, a wounded lynx. It had been shot in the back with an arrow, but it still had some fighting power.
If there were no tigers, the lynx would be the king of the mountains.
Gu Ningxi never dared to provoke such a ferocious beast, and he didn't know who chased it here from the depths of the jungle.
The fleeing lynx bared its claws and fangs. Although it hadn't been attacked yet, the horse Gu Ningxi was riding jumped up in fright. Gu Ningxi immediately threw the arrow and controlled the reins, but the frightened horse was no longer under her control and fled with all four hooves spread out.
The lynx did not chase her. In the chaos, Gu Ningxi's calf hit the tree hard, and she groaned in pain.
She didn't dare let go of the reins for fear of falling off.
The horse galloped faster and faster, the wind whistled past his ears, and Gu Ningxi could not make out any other sounds.
She gripped the reins tightly, her body stiff, and forced herself to calm down.
She remembered that when she was young and learning to ride a horse, the man taught her that if the horse ever went crazy, she must not... must not resist, and must not hold the reins too tight.
Try to soothe it, stroke the horse's mane.
Gu Ningxi tried hard to calm her rapid breathing, completely unaware of how far she had been taken.
Fortunately, the horse under him slowed down, but it was difficult to stop for the time being.
Not far ahead is a steep slope, and there is tender green grass in this section.
There was no time to hesitate. Gu Ningxi pulled out his uninjured left leg, closed his eyes, and jumped off the horse.
She rolled several times on the grass before she managed to grab a tree root and stabilize herself.
Gu Ningxi was dizzy and it took her a while to recover before she stood up by supporting herself on a tree root. The horse she was riding was nowhere to be found.
Fortunately, she had heard the footsteps of the pursuer, who must have been the lynx hunter. He did not chase his prey, but followed the movement.
Gu Ningxi leaned against the tree trunk and looked up at the person who came.
——His Royal Highness Prince Zhao.
It was both unexpected and not unexpected, so she asked, how many people in the hunting team dared to provoke the lynx.
Lu Jing chased here, jumped off his horse, and hurried to the tree in two steps.
"Where are you hurt?"
After the panic of his heart beating like a drum passed, Gu Ningxi felt pain all over his body.
Lu Jing half-knelt in front of Gu Ningxi and first checked the injury on her right leg.
He took off her boots with one hand, and when her ankle was held by someone, Gu Ningxi inevitably shuddered.
With his trouser legs rolled up, his originally fair and well-proportioned calves were now red and swollen.
"It's okay," Lu Jing breathed a sigh of relief, "It should just be a sprain. Come on, I'll carry you."
It is not advisable to stay here for long, but when Lu Jing raised his eyes, he saw undisguised resistance in Yuan Le's eyes.
"Your Highness, I, your servant...is not following the rules." Gu Ningxi clung to the tree trunk behind him, unwilling to move.
Before she could find a suitable reason, Lu Jing had already called her out crisply: "Gu Yuanle."
"What are you so upset about?"
"I……"
The two of them were so close that all their expressions could be seen in each other's eyes.
Yuan Le's reluctance to cooperate was baffling to Lu Jing. Besides the fact that he had to make an emergency decision, they had never discussed many rules in private, so why had Yuan Le become so estranged from him?
Gu Ningxi's mind was in a mess, his wounds were aching, and he felt even more uneasy.
When she first saw His Royal Highness Prince Zhao after being injured, she undoubtedly felt relieved.
But at this moment, how could she accept letting His Royal Highness Prince Zhao carry her? If she wasn't careful, her true identity would be exposed.
But she didn't know where this place was, and it would take time for the guards to find it.
The pain in her ankle came in waves. She couldn't walk. How could she get away today?
Gu Ningxi bit her lip, not knowing why she was caught in such a dilemma.
Gu Ningxi had just fallen and rolled on the grass, and a few strands of her black hair were scattered.
Her usually fair face was covered in dust and had a scratch. She pursed her lips and remained silent, looking stubborn, aggrieved, and pitiable.
Lu Jing was completely helpless with her and realized that his tone was a little hasty.
Yuan Le was suddenly frightened and should take a while to calm down.
He whistled to call Qingzhui to come closer. Qingzhui didn't understand what was going on between the two familiar masters, and lowered his head to rub against Gu Ningxi affectionately.
Lu Jing took the flare and water bag and called the nearby secret guards over.
He wet his handkerchief with the water from the kettle and cleaned the scratches on Gu Ningxi's cheek first.
"Don't move."
Gu Ningxi endured the pain, the wound was not deep.
Lu Jing wiped her dirty cheeks gently.
"Are you feeling better?"
Lu Jing softened his tone, he had to take Yuan Le back first.
Gu Ningxi couldn't delay any longer and knew that he had to give an answer as soon as possible.
She moved her lips and suddenly heard a noise not far away.
Lu Jing looked over and saw that Meng Ting had also arrived at the same time as the secret guards from Prince Zhao's mansion.
But without the order of His Royal Highness Prince Zhao, the secret guards stopped General Meng outside.
Gu Ningxi whispered, "My cousin."
There was a request in her eyes, and Lu Jing raised his hand, signaling to let the person in.
"Your servant Meng Ting greets His Royal Highness Prince Zhao."
Meng Ting raised his hand in a salute, his eyes quickly falling on Gu Ningxi, looking her up and down.
He understood Xi'er's meaning and took the initiative to say, "Your Highness, Yuan Le is my cousin. Please leave this place to me."
Lu Jing ignored him and only looked at Gu Ningxi. Gu Ningxi said softly, "I dare not trouble Your Highness."
She avoided his gaze, but made her rejection clear.
"well."
Lu Jing stood up and left. He saw the worry and anxiety in Meng Ting's eyes from the scenes just now, and he also saw the relief in Yuan Le's eyes the moment Meng Ting appeared.
The guards of Prince Zhao's mansion left with His Highness, but left two people behind to help as His Highness wished.
"What happened? How badly injured?" Meng Ting asked anxiously.
"It's okay, luckily my cousin arrived in time."
Gu Ningxi breathed a sigh of relief, otherwise she really didn't know how the situation between her and His Royal Highness Prince Zhao would end.
How Xi'er was injured could be asked back at camp. Meng Ting helped her to her feet. Knowing Xi'er didn't want him to hold her, Meng Ting carefully grasped Gu Ningxi's wrist and supported her back. Due to the strict rules between men and women, Meng Ting tried to touch as little of her body as possible.
Gu Ningxi's horse is temporarily missing, and His Royal Highness Prince Zhao's Qingzhui remains where it is.
She sighed. If she had known this would happen, she should have brought Feiyun with her before setting out for the hunt.
Gu Ningxi blew a whistle, and Qingzhui obediently bent its front legs to allow Gu Ningxi to mount.
During the three years when His Royal Highness Prince Zhao was away from Kyoto, Qingzhui and Feiyun were still raised together. Gu Ningxi would go to look after them in her spare time, so Qingzhui recognized her.
Gu Ningxi touched its head, and Qingzhui lifted the person up steadily.
…
The forest gradually returned to tranquility. On a small hill not far away, Cheng Wu knelt on one knee in front of His Royal Highness Prince Zhao.
"Your Highness."
He has been ordered by His Royal Highness Prince Zhao to write a letter to Kyoto, mobilizing all the secret guards currently available and waiting for His Royal Highness Prince Zhao's instructions.
Lu Jing watched Yuan Le and Meng Ting walk away, and a smile suddenly appeared on his lips.
Is it necessary to be so formal when cousins touch each other physically?
The past events appeared before my eyes one by one, connected into a line.
"The identity of the Second Young Master of the Gu family," he said coldly, "Go check it out."
【Author’s words】
It's even later to report the meaning. I said it will be revealed this week.
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