Chapter Twenty-Five: Unexpected Changes
Li Bao'er slowly raised her pale face, a relieved smile blooming on her lips.
Her smile was so pure that Mu Yuan was momentarily stunned; he had never seen her with such an expression before.
"Your Highness, why must we put on this show any longer?"
Mu Yuan's pupils suddenly contracted, and a sudden panic gripped his heart.
She actually dared to say it so bluntly?
"When you used me to steal the military tally, did you ever think I would be charged with treason? When you had me spread rumors about Prince Jing, did you ever worry that I would be falsely accused of framing the royal family?"
Mu Yuan's expression changed drastically: "You!"
With each word she spoke, Mu Yuan's expression grew increasingly grim.
The obsessive clinging he once found annoying was now being denied by her own words, which made his chest feel heavy.
"Shh." She put her slender fingertips to her lips, her smile undiminished. "Don't worry, I don't blame you."
"It was my stupidity that I mistook a fish eye for a pearl, and I deserved to be used as a weapon by you." Li Bao'er chuckled lightly, her eyes no longer filled with the infatuation of the past, only a calm indifference remained.
"Don't worry, no one will bother you anymore."
Mu Yuan subconsciously reached out to grab her wrist, but she nimbly dodged it.
The girl who once obeyed him obediently now looked at him as if he were a stranger.
"Li Bao'er!" His voice held a panic he himself didn't realize, "Do you know what you're saying?"
"It couldn't be clearer." Li Bao'er curtsied respectfully, yet her demeanor was extremely distant.
"I don't want any further contact with you. Inviting you to team up was just to ensure our team wins first place; it had no other purpose. Sorry."
The two spoke in hushed tones, appearing to outsiders to be having a pleasant conversation. Many marveled at the audacity of the Prime Minister's daughter, brazenly engaging with her former lover right in front of her fiancé. Li Bao'er, however, remained upright as she walked away amidst the mocking gazes of the crowd.
*
As the horn sounded, the autumn hunting competition officially began.
Li Bao'er formed a team with Li Yu, Xiao Han, Zhang Chi, and Li Qing, while Mu Yuan's team consisted of Li Zhou, the Fourth Princess Mu Yunshang, and her personal guard Zhang Xingzhi.
Before leaving, Ye Yun anxiously held Li Bao'er's hand: "Sister Bao'er, you've only just recovered. If you feel unwell, be sure to ask Brother A-Yu to bring you back as soon as possible."
"Don't worry, Yunyun." Li Bao'er patted her hand reassuringly, then nimbly flipped over and landed steadily on the horse's back.
In the sunlight, her dark red riding clothes fluttered in the wind, making her skin appear as white as snow.
This scene surprised many people.
Because of rumors that Li Bao'er was in poor health, many people said that she would not live much longer. In fact, the rumors were not unfounded. Several years ago, when she was seriously ill, Wang Qingzhi even sought help from all over the Imperial Hospital.
It's clear that her leaping onto the horse wasn't just for show; she actually had some skill.
Even the Emperor and others in the stands were surprised, since Li Bao'er had never participated in the competitions during the autumn hunt before, and no one had ever seen her riding and shooting.
But it should be noted that Li Bao'er and Li Yu learned their archery and horsemanship skills from their uncle, General Wang Qiang.
Before Li Bao'er was poisoned, the siblings would undergo a month-long special training program with their uncle every year.
Before her time travel, Li Bao'er, a medical student, loved extreme sports as her favorite way to relieve stress, and was proficient in rock climbing, skydiving, and surfing.
You heard right, after all, who wouldn't go crazy studying medicine?
Mu Yunshang, who was standing to the side, was quite surprised that Li Bao'er knew how to ride and shoot. Wasn't she supposed to be quite weak?
Filled with curiosity, Mu Yunshang looked at her third brother, who seemed to be in a bad mood, and asked, "Third brother, does Li Bao'er also know how to ride and shoot?"
Mu Yuan's gaze fell on the dark red figure, and his heart sank: "Just overestimating themselves."
Upon hearing this, Li Zhou, who had been waiting for the group on his horse, suddenly tightened his grip on the reins.
As the horn sounded, dozens of fine horses charged into the hunting grounds like arrows released from a bow.
Li Bao'er took the lead, her dark red riding clothes billowing in the wind like flames, her long black hair flying high.
She leaned close to the horse's back, squeezed her legs against its belly, and the pure white steed darted into the forest path.
"Sister! Wait for us!" Li Yu shouted urgently from behind, but Li Bao'er raised her hand and made a gesture without turning her head. It was a tactical code they had learned from their uncle when they were young.
Xiao Han's eyes darkened, and he immediately spurred his horse to follow.
He maintained a distance of three horse lengths, ensuring he didn't lose track of her while giving Li Bao'er ample room to maneuver.
Zhang Chi and Li Qing positioned themselves on either side, forming a perfect cover formation with the four of them.
"call out"
An arrow shot through the air and struck a fleeing gray rabbit a hundred paces away with pinpoint accuracy.
An arrow pierced the rabbit's ear and pinned it to the tree trunk.
"Excellent archery!"
Cheers erupted from the crowd.
Even the old generals watching from the high platform couldn't help but nod in approval.
"Who is that woman? Her movement skills are extraordinary."
Someone whispered in response, "She seems to be Lord Li's daughter."
A dark glint flashed in the old emperor's eyes, and he said meaningfully, "Interesting. She has actually mastered six-tenths of the Wang family's Moon Chasing Arrow Technique."
On the hunting platform, Mu Cenlin leaned against the rosewood railing, tapping the carved armrest with his knuckles.
He should have been in the hunting grounds, but somehow he ended up here.
"Why isn't Second Brother going hunting?" Fifth Prince Mu Yunyi leaned closer, following his gaze, and suddenly his eyes lit up: "Hey, who's that girl in red? She's so beautiful!"
Mu Cenlin paused, his gaze suddenly turning cold: "Fifth Brother has good eyesight."
Mu Yunyi was completely unaware and was still excitedly looking around: "Her horsemanship is truly amazing! Look at the way she turned around and shot the arrow just now." Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly felt a chill on his neck and turned his head to meet Mu Cenlin's cold gaze.
"That's your future third sister-in-law."
Mu Yunyi asked in bewilderment, "I just heard from the servants that you abandoned your third sister-in-law on the spot, as if you disliked her very much."
Mu Cenlin fell silent. He was very agitated. He couldn't control his emotions whenever he saw Mu Yuan approaching Li Bao'er.
She would then recall the things she had done to him because of Mu Yuan.
But he was swayed by Li Bao'er's words and for a moment wanted to believe her.
On the other side, a group of people sped into the mountains.
"drive!"
Li Bao'er spurred the horse, and the snow-white steed shot into the dense forest like an arrow.
The long-awaited mountain breeze swept over her, carrying the fresh scent of pine and earth. Li Bao'er couldn't help but open her arms, letting the wind pass through her fingers.
"Sister! Slow down!" Li Yu called out urgently from behind, only to see her suddenly rein in her horse and turn around.
Sunlight filtered through the trees, dappling her face and making her eyes sparkle like stars.
"Want to pull off something big?" she asked with a smile, tilting her head. Her smile was bright and unrestrained, a vibrant look she hadn't seen in a long time.
Without realizing it, Xiao Han spurred his horse forward, his gaze falling on her fluttering skirt: "I'll do whatever you say."
"Let's go deeper into the hunt for tigers!" Zhang Chi, standing to the right rear, excitedly brandished his bow and arrow. "I heard they released a tiger into the hunting grounds this year!"
Upon hearing this, Li Qing gasped, "That's a ferocious beast capable of tearing a wild boar apart!"
Li Yu raised an eyebrow. "Scared? Uncle always said the best prey is always hidden in the most dangerous place."
"Who's afraid?! Remember to protect Sister Bao'er!" After saying that, Li Qing tightened the reins and ran inside.
The five men followed the wind deeper into the jungle and, sure enough, found a tiger drinking water at the edge of a cliff.
"Shh!" Xiao Han raised his hand to signal, and silently drew his bow and nocked an arrow.
But just as the arrow was about to leave the bowstring...
"Whoosh!"
A black-feathered arrow pierced the air and struck the tiger beast's hind leg first!
"Li Zhou?!" Li Yu exclaimed in shock.
On the other side, Mu Yuan and his group appeared at some unknown time, and Li Zhou's bowstring was still vibrating.
The wounded tiger roared furiously, and to make matters worse, everyone then discovered that there were two tiger cubs curled up behind the rocks! One of them had been grazed by a stray arrow and was whimpering pitifully.
"Oh no!" Li Bao'er's expression changed drastically.
Upon hearing the sound, the tigress turned around, her amber eyes instantly turning bloodshot. Ignoring her leg injury, she pounced straight at Mu Yunshang, who was closest to her!
"Princess, be careful!"
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