Since Xiao Yanzi didn't hang red ribbons for people in the middle of the night like in the drama, the red ribbons on the Matchmaker Tree looked exactly the same as yesterday when everyone was preparing to set off early in the morning.
As they were setting off, Xiao Yanzi started causing trouble again. Whether it was because of what happened last night, or because she didn't want to see An Ke, or because she really wanted to go horseback riding, she said, "Master, can I ride a horse? I'm getting a little bored riding in the carriage every day these days." Xiao Yanzi blinked her big eyes and looked at her master pitifully.
The master seemed not to hear, turning to inquire about An Ke. "How did An An sleep last night? It's so bad since we've been out here. I'm starting to miss my bed at home." How could an inn compare to the palace?
An Ke glanced at the frozen Xiao Yanzi outside the carriage. "Uncle, An An slept well last night. Let's set off early for the next stop." An Ke had no intention of showing off in front of others.
The master seemed to only then remember Little Swallow. "If you want to ride, then ride. Anyway, you don't behave yourself in the carriage." His tone was the same as always, with no difference.
Xiao Yanzi breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes, I certainly don't have Ziwei's composure." After saying that, she stuck out her tongue and mounted her horse.
Just now, a little incident happened. When Xiao Yanzi was about to lead Fei'er out, she suddenly saw Yingfeng on the side. Although Xiao Yanzi did not know what a Ferghana horse was, she thought the horse was very majestic and wanted to see whose horse it was.
After waiting for a long time without seeing anyone come to ride the horse, Xiao Yanzi was about to lead it away when, before she could even throw it off in the wind, a guard disguised as a servant came over.
The guard rushed over and hurriedly interrupted in a stern voice, "No, this horse belongs to the young lady."
Little Swallow froze on the spot, unsure what to do with her hands. "You mean this horse belongs to Anke?"
The guard approached, examined the horse, and then answered Xiao Yanzi's question. "Yes, Yingfeng is Miss's beloved horse. Ordinary people are not allowed to ride it, and Yingfeng has a rather volatile temperament. Those who cannot tame it will usually be thrown off. This is also for your safety." The guard's words were respectful and polite, leaving no room for criticism.
If he spoke directly, he feared offending Princess Huanzhu; if he didn't directly suggest letting her ride, he would offend the princess. But the guard preferred to offend the princess rather than the princess. His last statement was also to save face for the princess.
Xiao Yanzi's face turned pale and then red. She wanted to retort, to say that it was just a horse, and she shouldn't be so petty. She even felt as if the guard's words had slapped her hard across the face. After a moment of stalemate, Xiao Yanzi could only reluctantly lead Fei'er away.
After she left, the guard breathed a long sigh of relief.
"Brother, what's wrong?" Ying had just come out of the outhouse and didn't know what had happened.
"Just now, Princess Huanzhu wanted to ride the princess's horse, and we were at an impasse for a long time. It took a lot of persuasion to finally get her to leave. If the princess saw someone else riding her horse, I'd probably be in big trouble too. Besides, only the princess can tame this horse; anyone else would either be thrown off or thrown overboard. This was all for the princess's safety." The guard patted his still-pounding heart with lingering fear.
Ying patted the guard on the shoulder sympathetically, "You did a good job." She then looked at Yingfeng, who was still blood-red under the sunlight.
After everything was prepared, the master gave the order to depart. Anke felt that her uncle was being a little too nice to her today. Although he was nice to her on other days, he had never smiled at her like this before. He kept trying to find topics to talk about with her the whole way, while Ziwei's handkerchief was almost knotted up.
Fu Erkang was unusually quiet outside the carriage today, though his face was terribly grim. He never imagined his father would actually attack him. This was something he had never dared to even consider before.
Last night, his father came to his room to ask what he had said in the pavilion. He didn't know why his father had made such a fuss. Later, when he heard the reason, he initially thought the princess had gone to the master to complain about them. He couldn't help himself and said a few words of criticism to his father. Last night was also the first time his father had hit him since he grew up, and he told his father to reflect on his actions.
But he didn't know what there was to reflect on. Were they wrong? If it wasn't the princess who spoke, how would his father have known? After Fu Lun left, Fu Er Kang stood there. No one knew what he was thinking.
They traveled along the way, stopping frequently, until they reached a pavilion. Everyone disembarked from the carriage and prepared to rest in the pavilion.
Looking at the beautiful scenery of the lake before him, the master felt very relaxed and happy. He immediately ordered them to stop and rest there.
As soon as Ziwei got off the carriage, she immediately began brewing tea for the master, acting like a very attentive maid. An'an, on the other hand, was seated in another part of the pavilion to enjoy tea and snacks while admiring the scenery. Xiao Yanzi, all smiles, casually joined in. As the saying goes, one doesn't hit a smiling face; just pretend you don't see her, treat her like she's invisible.
Master Ji didn't know much about her, only that Ziwei was talented and hardworking. "Ziwei, take a rest," Master Ji said politely, taking the teacup Ziwei offered.
"It's alright, Master Ji, I'm not tired. Master's favorite drink is tea brewed with dew. Just before we set off, Princess took us to collect some." Ziwei seemed unaffected by the fatigue of the journey, speaking with a beaming smile.
Qing'er observed closely, sometimes frowning, sometimes relaxing. She didn't understand why Ziwei was being so diligent. Could it be that she was trying to please the master? But back in Yue Lao Town, they had gathered together and talked about how many women were in the master's harem. Could it be that Ziwei also wanted to climb the social ladder? Was the Empress Dowager's guess correct? She heard that Ziwei was sent by the Fu family to serve Princess Huanzhu. Could it all be a scheme by the Fu family? But along the way, besides paying attention to the master, Ziwei had also been exchanging glances with Fu Erkang. This was something that Qing'er found very puzzling.
And indeed, just as the Empress Dowager said, besides being extremely attentive and meticulous to the Master, she was also respectful, polite, and very kind to Fu Lun.
But if Ziwei is to enter the palace, then why is Fu Erkang constantly hovering around her? Remembering what An'an said to her in the Cining Palace, and considering the flirtatious glances they exchanged along the way—which Qing'er had also witnessed—if Fu Erkang likes Ziwei, and they like each other, then why does Ziwei look at her master like that?
Qing'er held a teacup in her hand, but stared at the tea in a daze. Recalling the events of the journey, Ziwei seemed to have been a little too considerate. It seemed her gaze was constantly fixed on the master. It seemed the Empress Dowager was right; this Shufangzhai indeed held many secrets.
An saw Qing'er lost in thought and called out softly. Qing'er then snapped out of her reverie and began to carefully observe the scenery outside the pavilion. "It's alright," she thought, "there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. Let them relax for now."
Qing'er turned her head and saw Fu Erkang silently watching Ziwei from outside the pavilion. She wanted to try and get some information out of him, but after telling An'an, An'an still advised against it. Only after Qing'er assured her that she wouldn't be hurt by what Fu Erkang said did An'an let her go.
"Erkang, what are you looking at?" Qing'er quietly walked up to Fu Erkang without him noticing. In order to get information out of him, she could only use the old way of addressing him.
"It's nothing, just checking my surroundings, it was just instinct." A hint of panic flashed in Fu Erkang's eyes, but he quickly concealed it.
An Ke observed Fu Erkang from afar, seeing him as a clown. He had already witnessed everything Fu Erkang had done along the way.
Xiao Yanzi and An Ke sat at the same table, but they didn't have much to talk about. Gradually, they started looking around. When they saw Qing'er walking towards Er Kang, it seemed like they had known each other for a long time. This made Xiao Yanzi's heart pound, and she quietly crept over.
Just then, Xiao Yanzi overheard Qing'er mentioning Biyun Temple, and she quickly stepped forward, saying, "I want to hear what you're saying too."
When Fu Erkang saw Xiao Yanzi joining in the fun, his heart leaped into his throat. He was terrified that she might mispronounce something and upset Ziwei. "I haven't forgotten anything. You should focus on Benjamin and Yongqi."
At this moment, Xiao Yanzi's stubbornness flared up, and she pointed at Fu Erkang, saying, "I just love meddling in other people's business, especially yours." Fu Erkang simply turned his head away, no longer looking at the annoying Xiao Yanzi.
At this moment, Xiao Yanzi took Qing'er's hand and said, "Qing'er, if he won't tell me, you tell me."
Qing'er smiled slightly. She was only here to investigate the situation, not to reminisce. "There's nothing going on. Er Kang and I were just chatting. I grew up in the palace and am very familiar with Yongqi, Er Kang, Ertai, and Benjamin. We haven't had time to sit down and chat since I came back."
"Ah," Little Swallow nodded as if suddenly realizing something. "So you've known each other for a long time?" Qing'er nodded sincerely.
Since she couldn't get any information, Qing'er prepared to leave. Just then, Xiao Yanzi grabbed Qing'er and started chatting with her. An Ke noticed the helplessness on Qing'er's face and stepped in to help her out, slowly walking over.
An Ke had left an indelible impression on them these past few days, causing Xiao Yanzi to become quiet and reserved whenever she saw An Ke. "Qing'er, let's go take a look over there."
Qing'er agreed and, after saying goodbye to Fu Erkang and Xiao Yanzi, followed An Ke. "Didn't get anything out of you, did you?" An Ke asked softly, but her tone was very certain.
Qing'er gave a wry smile. "Yes, if you hadn't come here to help me out, I probably would have been forced to listen to their stories."
“Even if we need to gather information, there’s no rush. The journey is long and time is considerable. The fox will eventually slip up,” Anke said calmly. “Besides, I have a feeling it should be soon.”
Qing'er looked at An Ke, who seemed confident, and asked in confusion, "What's coming soon?"
“Naturally, the truth you want to know will come soon.” Anke turned around and spoke to Qing’er face to face.
After resting for a while, they continued on their way.
On the way, Fu Erkang and the others began to instruct Xiao Yanzi, "Xiao Yanzi, you must not underestimate Qing'er. Qing'er is a good girl, but she is also the Empress Dowager's confidante. She came with us this time, clearly to spy on our secrets."
"How come you have no sense of caution at all? You almost spilled our big secret again." Although Yongqi wanted to distance himself from them, this matter concerned him, so he couldn't help but chime in. After saying this, he gradually distanced himself from them.
"Should we make up a story to tell Qing'er so that she won't become suspicious of us?" Benjamin started offering bad ideas again.
"It's no use. Qing'er is already starting to suspect us. The best thing to do is for Xiao Yanzi to keep quiet and not say anything more." Fu Erkang said dejectedly.
"Alright, alright." Under everyone's urging, Little Swallow had no choice but to agree.
Voltaire, on the other hand, remained leisurely, as if nothing concerned him and that he was simply out sightseeing and resting.
Then, as if letting their guard down, Xiao Yanzi suggested a horse race. Yongqi was uninterested, and Fu Erkang was also preoccupied with a lot of worries. Fu Ertai, on the other hand, was leisurely enjoying the scenery along the way. Only Benjamin had time to keep up with her antics.
They arrived at an inn in the evening, and everyone was exhausted, so they went to bed early.
After another day of traveling, they finally found a flat area, but there was nothing nearby. Anke was starting to get restless.
These past few days, I've been sitting in a horse-drawn carriage so much that my back and waist are aching. It would be much more comfortable to ride a horse.
After asking Qing'er's opinion, Qing'er gladly agreed to go. Ziwei, who couldn't ride a horse and wanted to stay with the master a little longer, stayed in the carriage and didn't go.
Anke rode Yingfeng, while Qing'er rode the gentle horse that Anke had chosen for her. Although Anke longed to ride freely, she didn't care as long as she was with Qing'er.
Even if you're enjoying the scenery along the way, there's always one or two people who have to come and spoil the fun.
"Qing'er, I didn't expect you could ride a horse!" Little Swallow galloped over on her horse. She was quite surprised, thinking that a princess like Qing'er, raised in the palace, would certainly not know how to ride a horse.
“An’an taught me this before I left the palace,” Qing’er answered Xiao Yanzi’s question.
"Riding horses like this is so boring." Little Swallow's eyes darted around, and without consulting Qing'er and An Ke, she whipped the horse Qing'er was riding.
Even the most docile horse, Qing'er's, would be startled by a single whip and would spring off like a spring. Qing'er, terrified, screamed for help from the horse's back.
Anke was to Qing'er's left and didn't notice Xiao Yanzi's actions at first. It wasn't until Qing'er's horse galloped away that Anke noticed Xiao Yanzi holding a whip on the side.
An Ke was so angry she could barely speak. Now wasn't the time to criticize her; winning over Qing'er was the priority. Once they got back, there would be plenty of time to settle scores with her.
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