Chapter 714 To Go to the Hunting Party or Not
The night grew deeper and deeper.
Red lanterns lit up the courtyard, their warm light dispelling some of the chill.
The King of Qin looked at the woman opposite him, and the sharpness in his thin lips softened slightly.
He pulled a dark gold invitation card from his sleeve and tossed it over: "You don't need to go to the Prince of Qin's residence. You must be present at the hunt three days from now."
Cheng Wanwan took the invitation, opened it and glanced at it. It said that the King of Qin would hold a hunting party in three days, in a mountain forest on the outskirts of the capital, and there would also be a hunting competition.
She raised her eyes and said, "Your Highness has extended such a generous invitation, and I should not refuse. However, I cannot ride a horse, much less hunt, so I will refrain from making a fool of myself."
The King of Qin's face immediately darkened: "It seems that no matter what I say, you will refuse."
Cheng Wanwan silently grumbled to herself, "If he had made a normal request, I would have agreed, okay? I don't want to offend the royal family."
She paused, then continued, "I've heard that Miss Mu was very good at riding horses. Every time she participated in the royal hunt, she was the most eye-catching among the young ladies..."
The King of Qin's mood somber whenever the person in his heart was mentioned.
He snatched the invitation from Cheng Wanwan's hand, turned and left without a second thought.
Cheng Wanwan breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, this King Qin still had a weakness, otherwise she really wouldn't know how to deal with him.
No sooner had the King of Qin left than Lu Yingxue came over, her face full of gossip, and asked, "Sister Wanwan, tell me quickly, what did the King of Qin come here for?"
Cheng Wanwan sighed and said, "They invited me to some kind of hunting party, but I declined. Do you want to go? If you do, I'll call the King of Qin back."
“I would like to go, but I can’t ride a horse.” Lu Yingxue blinked. “When Sister Wanwan was in Dahe Town, didn’t she learn to ride a horse? Why refuse? She should go to the hunting party and show those ladies from the capital that Sui Shuren is not only good at farming, cooking, and speaking foreign languages, but also at riding and hunting…”
"Alright, alright!" Cheng Wanwan covered her mouth. "If you don't speak, no one will think you're mute. It's getting late, go to sleep."
She walked towards her own yard.
Before going to sleep, she would listen to the day's surveillance footage, of course, at double speed, trying to finish listening within half an hour.
The pen holder was given to He Ling by He Xiao yesterday afternoon. He Xiao humbled himself to seek reconciliation, and He Ling, as the eldest brother, agreed to live in harmony in the future, whether sincerely or not. He Ling casually placed this gift of reconciliation on the table in his study.
He Ling attends court in the morning and handles government affairs outside in the afternoon. He is basically only in his study in the evening.
He Ling was alone in the study, reading and writing. Cheng Wanwan sped up the audio by more than ten times, but still couldn't hear any voices. Just when she thought she wouldn't get any news today, she heard a knock on the door through the audio. It must have been He Ling's confidant who came in. She quickly turned off the speed and listened carefully.
"Young Master, Lin Xi has been settled."
“This matter must be kept extremely secret and my father must not know about it.” He Ling’s voice was cold. “Ever since He Xiao came back, my father has become hesitant and timid in his actions. How can he accomplish great things with such a cowardly attitude? The He family has been in the capital for over a hundred years, but we are still only second-rank officials and are suppressed by others everywhere… Only I can change this situation.”
"What the young master says is absolutely right. I will certainly take it seriously."
"If we're short of money, we can use the pretext of helping a collateral branch of the He family to take silver from the public account. Rather than letting He Xiao benefit, it's better to help me achieve my great cause..."
"yes……"
Cheng Wanwan's expression darkened.
What big plan is He Ling plotting?
A third-rank official in charge of the Imperial Household Department, whose main responsibility is to manage the palace's official items, what important matters could possibly require his attention?
She thought for a while, but couldn't figure it out.
However, she noticed a place name, Linxi. Just today, she also saw this place name on the King of Qin's post.
She immediately got up and went to Zhao Sidan's study, where she found a relevant atlas and began to look through it.
Linxi is a mountain forest on the outskirts of Beijing, but it is neither a royal hunting ground nor a place of leisure for high-ranking officials and nobles. There are tall plants and abundant prey there, but at the same time, unknown dangers are also hidden.
Given the temperament of the King of Qin, it's not surprising that he would advocate holding a hunting festival in Linxi.
It's not surprising that He Ling chose Linxi as the location for his secret mission.
Cheng Wanwan pondered all night and decided to attend the King of Qin's hunting party. She had to see what was there.
Although going back on one's word is not good, it's more important to find out He Ling's actions...
So, the next morning, she asked Granny Qi to make some unique snacks and specially sent Cheng Yi to the Prince of Qin's residence.
The Prince of Qin's Mansion stands next to the Imperial Palace. It is the largest mansion in the entire capital, and it is exceptionally luxurious and exquisite. Its main gate is also different from other mansions.
As soon as Cheng Yi arrived at the gate of the Prince of Qin's residence, he bumped into the Prince of Qin walking out of the main gate.
He quickly dismounted and knelt on one knee: "Greetings, Your Majesty. Consort Sui has specially sent me to deliver some refreshments to Your Majesty."
He presented the food box he had brought with both hands.
A smile of interest appeared on the King of Qin's lips.
Did this woman know she had offended him, and deliberately bring him food to appease him?
He sneered, "Bring it here."
The guard beside him immediately took the food box, opened it in front of him, and the pastries inside were ones he had never seen before; they were very beautiful and smelled delicious.
He reached out and took a piece, put it in his mouth, and smelled a rich milky aroma. It must be a pastry made from goat milk. It melted in his mouth, giving him a great enjoyment.
The King of Qin's mood immediately brightened, and he said, "Go back and tell Consort Sui that I am magnanimous and will not hold her rudeness against me."
Cheng Yi lowered his head and said, "Besides having my subordinates deliver food, Lady Sui also wants to request an invitation to the Linxi Hunting Club."
The King of Qin's smile widened: "She can't ride a horse or hunt, so wouldn't it be boring for her? I'm not the kind of person who likes to force people. If she doesn't want to go, then she shouldn't go."
"Ahem, Lady Shu said she'd like to learn to ride a horse these next two days," Cheng Yi began dryly. "The King of Qin extended a warm invitation, but Lady Shu couldn't sleep all night after declining, which is why she sent me here..."
"She's smart enough to know what's good for her," said the man behind Qin Wangchao. "We'll send the invitation to Lady Shu's residence later."
Cheng Yi was overjoyed: "Thank you, Your Highness!"
He hurried back to report the news.
The King of Qin chuckled softly, and his mood inexplicably improved.
He said, "Prepare the carriage; I'm going to the Wan Hua Pavilion to have some fun."
Wanhua Pavilion is the largest pleasure-seeking place in the capital, but the women here only sell their art, not their bodies, and dance and play music for high-ranking officials and nobles to relieve their boredom.
Just as he was about to board the carriage, a low-key yet luxurious carriage stopped in front of the Prince of Qin's residence. He knew at a glance that it was a carriage from the palace.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and an older eunuch stepped out, bowing respectfully to him: "This servant greets Your Highness. The Empress Dowager has instructed me to come and obtain an invitation to the hunting party."
The King of Qin frowned: "When did Mother take a liking to hunting?"
"Your Highness is joking. The Empress Dowager is too old to participate in the hunt," the old man said with a smile. "It is Princess Rongqing who wants to go."
The King of Qin's face immediately darkened: "She's just a princess, she has plenty of invitations to flower viewing parties and poetry recitation parties, what is she doing at the hunting party?"
The old man bent down and said, "The Empress Dowager said that if the Prince does not allow Princess Rongqing to participate, then after the spring, the Empress Dowager will have the Emperor issue an edict to send the Prince back to the Northwest."
The King of Qin's good mood vanished without a trace in that instant.
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