"Son, you are everything to your mother. You must make your mother proud and not let her down."
Under the gaze of the Consort Xian, the Fifth Prince hurriedly said, "Mother, rest assured, your son will definitely strive for a bright future for you."
Consort Xian's heart finally settled, and her eyes filled with tenderness as she looked at the Fifth Prince.
He then continued, "Today's events weren't entirely without benefit. Qi Mingyue is, after all, Shen Yue's cousin. Now that Qi Mingyue's whole family is living next to Grandpa Qu, it might not be without its advantages for us. We need to plan carefully."
"Your subject understands," the Fifth Prince hurriedly replied.
"Now that we've offended General Shen, he might do something underhanded. You need to be careful in everything you do."
Consort Xian kept giving instructions to the Fifth Prince, and the Fifth Prince remembered them all.
He lowered his eyes to conceal the hatred in his heart.
He will remember this humiliation and will retaliate sooner or later.
...
The next morning, as soon as Shen Yue stepped out of her tent, she saw the Third Prince's figure in the distance and couldn't help but frown.
This is too much of a coincidence.
She intended to pretend she hadn't seen him and turn away, but the Third Prince called her back.
"I never expected to run into Miss Chen here. What a coincidence!"
Helpless, Shen Yue could only turn her head to look over, revealing an embarrassed expression.
"It really is a coincidence!"
The Third Prince seemed oblivious to Shen Yue's embarrassment and continued, "Miss Shen, are you participating in the hunt today?"
Shen Yue shook her head: "I can't ride a horse, let alone shoot an arrow."
"That's a real pity." The Third Prince shook his head.
He then added, "Is there anything Miss Shen desires? Perhaps I can grant your wish?"
Shen Yue sensitively sensed the intimacy in the other person's words, and her brows furrowed even more tightly.
Qu Jingyun's words from last night echoed in my mind again.
He then said, "I won't trouble Your Highness. My brother and father will hunt down whatever I want for me."
The Third Prince nodded with some disappointment, his gaze falling on Shen Yue.
Just as he was about to speak again, he heard Shen Yue continue, "I've been out for quite a while now, and I should go back to see my mother, otherwise she will definitely worry. I'll take my leave now."
After saying this, she ignored the Third Prince's reaction and turned to leave.
He secretly groaned inwardly.
She was really not good at socializing, and she didn't know if what she said just now might have offended the Third Prince.
Unbeknownst to Shen Yue, the Third Prince couldn't help but laugh out loud the moment she turned to leave.
He's an interesting person!
He couldn't hide his thoughts at all; he hadn't met someone like that in a long time.
When Shen Yue reappeared before everyone along with Qu Jingyun, the Third Prince greeted her from afar.
He seemed completely unaware of her growing distance from him.
Qu Jingyun saw this scene and felt a surge of worry. She couldn't help but look at Shen Yue.
Shen Yue met her gaze and was startled.
I thought Qu Jingyun was angry because they had some interaction.
She hurriedly spoke up to explain, "Mother, I am not familiar with the Third Prince. I only bumped into him this morning."
Seeing her cautious manner, Qu Jingyun quickly said, "I didn't mean to blame you. I just think this Third Prince is a bit strange."
"It is indeed a bit strange," Shen Yue couldn't help but mutter to herself.
With so many people around, Qu Jingyun couldn't say much.
In particular, her gaze was instantly drawn to a figure not far away.
The autumn hunt has officially begun, and the Emperor has prepared generous gifts for the best hunters.
Everyone did their utmost for this.
Among them, Shen Yunting was the most outstanding.
Whether it's horseback riding or archery, their style alone has already won over many people.
It attracted the attention of all the noble ladies present.
Although he was getting on in years, his years of life on the frontier had given him a composure and boldness that people from the capital did not possess.
It's really hard to refuse.
The women immediately lost interest in him after thinking about his impotence.
For them, offspring are of utmost importance.
Even if the intention is to marry into the general's mansion, without children, she will only become someone else's stepmother, and her final fate will not be much better.
It's better to focus on others.
As expected, the autumn hunt ended with Shen Yunting winning.
Chen Song's performance was particularly outstanding.
The father and son duo attracted the attention of most noble ladies.
Qu Jingyun also stared intently, her expression carrying a hint of pride.
The emperor's reward was a beautifully crafted bow and arrow passed down from the previous dynasty.
Qu Jingyun took a liking to it from afar, but couldn't help but sigh in disappointment.
If she were still the general's wife, this bow and arrow would definitely belong to her.
But that's probably not possible now; I can only force myself to look away.
The final prey was divided among the group, and Shen Song, without even thinking, threw the prey in front of Qu Jingyun and Shen Yue.
He grinned smugly: "Look, take whatever you want."
"Then we won't stand on ceremony." Shen Yue readily agreed, picking and choosing amidst everyone's envious gazes.
As for Shen Yunting's prey, some was sent to Shen Yue and then distributed to the military generals.
Instantly, everyone's gaze fell upon Qu Jingyun.
Judging from this, it seems that this once enviable couple has truly grown tired of each other.
I just don't know what the reason is.
Is it because Qu Jingyun dislikes Shen Yunting's impotence that she insists on divorce, and Shen Yunting is full of complaints about this, feeling that the other party cannot share hardships?
This is the only possibility that everyone can think of right now.
Upon witnessing this scene, the Emperor couldn't help but harbor some suspicions.
His gaze couldn't help but drift between Qu Jingyun and Shen Yunting.
My mind was filled with doubts. What exactly was going on between these two?
The Empress watched this scene and couldn't help but chuckle, "I suddenly feel a little nostalgic for my youth. Back then, I was quite envious of General Shen and his wife, but who knew that things would have changed so much by now."
"I wonder what's wrong between these two? They seem to be blaming each other. I feel sorry for them."
"How did this couple, once the envy of everyone, become like this? If I weren't afraid of offending them, I would really like to go directly to them and ask them the truth."
As the Empress spoke, her eyes never left the Emperor, and she couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking.
The Emperor simply hummed in agreement and said in a low voice, "This is a private matter between the two of them. Even if you and I are the Emperor and Empress, let them be."
Upon hearing these high-sounding words, the Empress couldn't help but purse her lips.
She was certain that the Emperor would also like to know these things.
It's just that it's not convenient to ask too many questions.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
