Chapter 86: The Little Liar
This autumn hunt was the first hunting activity led by Xiao Qi'an since his ascension to the throne, in which he led his generals and noble families to enjoy the hunt together. In order to boost morale, the prizes were extremely generous - the person who caught the most game would be rewarded with a thousand taels of silver, and the person who caught the most unusual game would be rewarded with a bushel of pearls from the East Sea.
With such a brave, skilled, and convincing monarch in place, the military officers, who had been suppressed for too long, were all filled with enthusiasm and eager to fight. The mountains and forests trembled, birds and beasts took flight, and the soldiers returned home laden with spoils every day.
Inside the palace at night, Xiao Qi'an rewarded his officials with a hundred jars of deer blood wine, known for its health benefits, and various delicacies. The officials drank and chatted happily, their morale soaring like never before.
Yun Kui, seated at the head of the women's table, had never personally hosted such a victory banquet before, but she had witnessed how Consort Yin had managed things at the previous New Year's Eve banquet, so she followed suit, saying some polite words and giving some extra rewards to the families of the officials who had hunted the most game that day. The process was almost complete.
The only regret was that, under the watchful eyes of everyone, she couldn't feast as freely as she would in her own palace. Seeing the sizzling, oily roasted meat, she could only let her servants cut it into tiny pieces the size of a fingernail, then cover her face with a handkerchief and timidly take a small bite.
Anyway, she had a mission tonight, so she didn't let herself eat too much. In front of Huaiqing and Huaizhu, she pretended to have a poor appetite.
After several rounds of drinks, Huai Zhu was sent to inform His Majesty that she was feeling unwell and would be leaving first.
Huai Zhu cautiously reported this to the authorities.
Xiao Qi'an looked at the women's section. The little girl was about to get up and leave. He frowned and put down his cup: "Did she say she was feeling unwell?"
Huai Zhu said, "The imperial physician came to see her and said that Her Majesty is not seriously ill. Perhaps it was the long journey and the wind at the martial arts field that made her feel tired. Also, the dinner was too greasy, so Her Majesty didn't have much of an appetite."
Xiao Qi'an instructed Cao Yuanlu, "Have the kitchen prepare some light and low-oil dishes and send them to Chang Le Palace."
Cao Yuanlu immediately gave the order.
Xiao Qi'an did not stay at the banquet for long. He summoned the imperial physician who was with him and hurried back to Chang Le Palace.
Chang Le Palace was the emperor and empress's sleeping quarters in the Yanshan Palace. After returning, Yun Kui went straight to lie down on the canopy bed, her mind only focused on one thing—she was sick, and she wasn't faking it.
Only when she firmly believed this from the bottom of her heart, and did not inform the imperial physician or anyone around her, even Huaizhu thought she was really unwell, could she avoid giving herself away in front of His Majesty.
The kitchen staff brought over some side dishes and soup. She ate a couple of small bites and then lay back down on the bed.
I thought Xiao Qi'an would not return until the banquet was over, but I didn't expect him to arrive so quickly, and he even brought the imperial physician with him.
When Xiao Qi'an returned, he went straight inside and helped the person up. "Are you alright? Tell me where it hurts."
Yun Kui looked a little listless after removing her makeup. She propped herself up on his arm, and her voice was a little hoarse because she hadn't drunk water for a long time: "I'm fine, just a little tired."
The imperial physician stepped forward to take his pulse, but could not diagnose any particular ailment.
These noble ladies were all delicate and frail. The imperial physicians had seen many cases and each had their own set of words: "Your Majesty is tired from the long journey. I will prescribe a blood-nourishing and qi-tonifying soup for Your Majesty. You will be fine after resting for two more days."
Xiao Qi'an nodded and dismissed the others.
He turned to her again and said, "Why didn't you say you weren't feeling well earlier?"
"It's not that I didn't want to spoil your fun. By the way," Yun Kui said, "aren't you going back to the banquet? Why are you rushing back like this..."
Xiao Qi'an said, "Of course, your health is the most important thing."
Yun Kui pursed her lips, afraid that she would lose her smile. "I'm fine, I just need some rest. It's just that these past few days... I haven't been able to satisfy His Majesty."
Xiao Qi'an: "..."
If she hadn't said that, Xiao Qi'an would have genuinely thought she was just tired, but the fact that she brought it up so quickly made him suspicious.
Xiao Qi'an tucked the blanket around her, "You should rest well and not think about those things."
Yun Kui secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said softly, "Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty."
Xiao Qi'an told her to rest in the bedroom. After she left, Huai Qing asked, "You were fine during the day, how did you suddenly collapse from exhaustion?"
Huaiqing replied truthfully, "Your Majesty was a little tired after returning from the stands, and then she forced herself to go to the victory banquet, which is why she is exhausted."
Xiao Qi'an: "Was there anything unusual while you were in the stands?"
Huaiqing thought for a moment and shook her head: "No, Her Majesty met with the ladies and then pulled Madam Chen aside to talk. They chatted and laughed, and she seemed to be in good spirits. She must have been out in the wind for too long..."
Before she could finish speaking, Xiao Qi'an said, "Summon Lady Shen, I have something to ask her."
Upon hearing the emperor's summons, Jiang Qingci hurriedly withdrew from the banquet and went to Chang Le Hall to meet the emperor.
Seeing her tense expression, Xiao Qi'an raised his hand and said, "Madam Shen, you may rise. I invited you here simply to inquire about the Empress's health. She didn't look well when she returned from the stands today."
Jiang Qingci was slightly taken aback.
"Is the Empress feigning illness now?"
Xiao Qi'an narrowed his phoenix eyes.
Jiang Qingci, unaware of the situation, was about to cover for the Empress when the Emperor dismissed her.
Could it be that His Majesty has figured it out?
After asking the questions, Jiang Qingci, who had almost finished eating, returned to her room, where Shen Yanyu was already waiting outside the courtyard gate.
Upon seeing the man return, he hurriedly stepped forward and asked, "Why did His Majesty summon you?"
Jiang Qingci said, "It's because Her Majesty the Empress is unwell and spent a lot of time with me today that His Majesty summoned me for questioning."
Shen Yanyu asked anxiously, "Has His Majesty blamed you?"
Jiang Qingci shook her head and smiled, "No, don't worry, Your Highness is just... tired."
Shen Yanyu stared at her for a moment: "Then, are you feeling unwell today?"
Jiang Qingci avoided eye contact, "I'm tired from the long journey."
Shen Yanyu sighed softly, “Today His Majesty bestowed deer blood wine upon me. How cruel you are, my lady, to make me suffer like this?”
Jiang Qingci: "..."
Chang Le Hall.
Xiao Qi'an stood under the corridor, pondered for a moment, and then instructed Huaiqing: "Keep the matter of me seeing Madam Shen a secret from the Empress for now."
Huaiqing should be right.
Xiao Qi'an wasn't in a hurry to go back and keep her company. After taking a bath, he returned to his bedchamber and, hearing the girl's even breathing, embraced her from behind.
Yun Kui almost instinctively woke up with a start, "Your Majesty..."
Xiao Qi'an's hot breath landed on the back of her head, and Yun Kui seemed to feel a slight pain as his teeth grazed the back of her head, giving her the illusion that someone had bitten her vital point.
"Seriously? I'm already sick, and you still want to..."
Xiao Qi'an snorted inwardly and gently bit her.
Little liar.
He rubbed her ear: "Go to sleep, I promised I wouldn't touch you."
Yun Kui breathed a sigh of relief, her heart pounding. But with the man pressed so tightly against her back, her body instinctively felt a sense of dependence. She turned around and hugged his waist, tentatively asking, "I'm still a little cold. Can I sleep while holding Your Majesty?"
As it turns out, this person is a prime example of taking an inch and wanting a mile, wanting to enjoy his body but not wanting to put in any effort.
Xiao Qi'an smiled and said, "Mm."
Then it was comfortably used as a body pillow.
Yun Kui didn't sleep very well that night—she had too many dreams.
Perhaps it was because deer blood wine was served at the victory banquet tonight, that all the officials were filled with lustful desires. Yun Kui had entered the dreams of several noble ladies, and without exception, they were all being brutally taken by their military husbands...
I wonder if His Majesty drank the deer blood wine. He was going to reward the soldiers, and there was bound to be a lot of drinking and toasting. He must have drunk some, right?
Even in her dream, Yun Kui couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache. She could never resist pressing against her and tossing and turning all day, how could she possibly hold back tonight...?
Well, she should just pity herself; the red marks on her body haven't faded yet.
One scene after another flashed through her dreams, and seeing them too often became somewhat tedious. It wasn't until the familiar Shen Yanyu and his wife appeared before her that her interest was rekindled.
However, this Lord Shen was very different from the image of a refined gentleman she had in mind.
He slowly and deliberately lifted Madam Shen's dress, his usually gentle peach blossom eyes revealing an extremely dangerous aura, and his cold voice sending chills down one's spine.
"Qingci, you lied to me about how you were weak and had poor blood and qi since childhood, didn't you?"
"Are you that afraid of me, huh?"
Madam Shen was trembling with fear and tried to escape, but he pressed her down hard.
Yun Kui: "..."
It's hard to believe that Lord Shen is such a wicked person. Madam Shen is terrified that he will expose her lie about faking illness.
etc……
His Majesty couldn't possibly have guessed it... Ugh, stop thinking like that! Don't think about it!!
The inner screams had already woken the man up.
Xiao Qi'an pressed his temples.
Yun Kui opened her eyes cautiously, and immediately retorted, "Who told you to reward me with deer blood wine today? It made me dream like I was visiting a brothel, and I couldn't sleep well at all."
Xiao Qi'an chuckled and pinched her chin: "So, does your head still hurt? Are you still feeling tired?"
Yun Kui replied decisively, "Absolutely."
Fearing he wouldn't believe her, she added, feigning grievance, "I was already exhausted from what you'd done earlier, and yesterday I spent half the day traveling and had to deal with so many noblewomen. I barely ate any of the barbecue at dinner..."
Xiao Qi'an sighed, "Alright."
After thinking for a moment, he said, "When you feel better, I'll take you horseback riding and have some roast meat."
Yun Kui's eyes lit up instantly. "You're taking me? Just the two of us?"
She had never ridden a horse before, and the thought of his dashing figure on horseback filled her with both excitement and anticipation.
Xiao Qi'an smiled and said, "You really want to go? Then why don't we go tomorrow?"
Yun Kui swallowed her words back, "Of course, I need to rest for a couple of days first, otherwise I won't be able to handle it..."
Xiao Qi'an stared intently at her, his gaze so intense it gave her goosebumps, before finally smiling slowly: "Yes, go to sleep, it's still early."
Seeing that she had been fooled, Yun Kui immediately crawled into bed.
It has to be said that feigning illness was indeed effective. Yun Kui had been resting and recuperating for two days, but she couldn't stay in bed any longer. On the third day, she was lively and energetic, pestering him to go horseback riding.
Xiao Qi'an selected a white horse from the stable that wasn't too fierce, named it "Benxiao," and had it led out.
Hearing a burst of laughter behind him, he turned around and saw his queen dressed in a bright red riding outfit. Her long black hair was tied up high, her skin was as smooth as snow, and her bright almond eyes were like a snow lake under the Yanshan Mountains. The close-fitting outfit perfectly outlined her snow-white neck and slender waist. Her red dress danced in the wind, like the most beautiful and dazzling pearl on the grassland.
She was unaware of her own beauty, but he could already hear the gasps of amazement emanating from the eunuchs of the Imperial Horse Stables.
Xiao Qi'an mounted his horse first and reached out to help her: "Step into the stirrups, hold my hand, and I'll help you up."
Even the most docile horses in the imperial stables were Akhal-Teke horses, tributes from the Western Regions, which were far superior to human horses.
With him by her side, Yun Kui felt a strange sense of security, knowing that no matter what she did, he would protect her.
She boldly stepped into the stirrups, and he grabbed her waist, lifting her up lightly with one hand, so she was now firmly seated on the horse, her view immediately opening up.
Xiao Qi'an tightened his grip on the horse's flanks and reminded her, "Hold the reins tight and keep a steady grip."
Just as Yun Kui was ready, Ben Xiao shot off like an arrow. Yun Kui gradually adapted to the bumpy rhythm from the initial tension and trepidation, and her limbs finally relaxed.
The wind whistled in her ears. There were only two people and one horse in the wilderness. As far as the eye could see, there were thousands of mountains and valleys, with layers of green and gold. She shouted excitedly, and a surge of unrestrained pleasure filled her chest.
The two walked to a shelter from the wind and rain. Xiao Qi'an spread a felt mat on the grass for her to sit down and rest. He went to collect firewood, cleaned the pheasant and rabbit he had just hunted by the stream, and brought them back. He then set up a fire and roasted them over it.
Looking at his series of practiced movements, Yun Kui asked incredulously, "How does Your Majesty know all of these?"
Xiao Qi'an turned the grill in his hand and said, "When you're on the march, there aren't many opportunities for you to set up camp, cook, and start a fire. Over time, you'll learn to do everything."
Yun Kui rested her chin on her hand, looking at his profile reflected in the firelight. She felt that everything around her had become blurry, and she could only see him.
Xiao Qi'an looked up at her, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly: "Finally thought of it?"
Yun Kui was slightly stunned, and it took her a long time to realize what he was talking about.
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