August is a good time for hunting.
In previous years, Emperor Zhaokang would also hold hunting in the autumn, but it was usually at the end of August, when the weather was clear and the prey was plump. This year, in order to allow the Rongdi delegation to participate in this event, Emperor Zhaokang specially moved the date of the autumn hunting forward to the beginning of the month.
So, on the second day after Tao Ti's menstruation ended, she boarded a carriage to the Lishan hunting ground.
Every year, the autumn hunt was very lively. In addition to the members of the Dayuan royal family, high-ranking civil and military officials, and the wives of officials with imperial edicts would all participate. This time, the Rongdi delegation was also present, and the whole journey was really grand and lively.
Qing He used to not like to join in such fun. After all, she couldn't ride a horse, let alone draw a bow and shoot an arrow. She felt like she had no part in the autumn hunt at all.
But this time, when Qinghe heard that Tao Ti and Xu Wenchan would both go, she became interested and begged Princess Jingyang to let her go as well.
Princess Jingyang saw that her precious daughter was willing to go out. She thought that since she was frightened in Zhulin Yayuan last time, it would be good for her to go out and relax this time, so she readily agreed.
Princess Jingyang was also a lively person who loved riding and shooting. Seeing that her two children were going, she decided to go with them.
She also privately asked Zhang to go together, but Zhang declined on the grounds of feeling unwell.
Because of this, Princess Jingyang even went to Taoti to complain, saying something like: Your mother becomes more boring as she gets older.
Tao Ti smiled awkwardly, then turned around and continued playing mahjong with Qinghe and Xu Wenchan.
On the way to Mount Li, the three of them rode in a horse-drawn carriage, chatting and laughing, eating various snacks prepared by Tao Ti, just like elementary school students on an autumn outing, and they were very happy.
Xu Wenchan was particularly eager to hunt. His round face was as red as an apple, and his eyes were sparkling. "For this autumn hunt, I made a new set of riding clothes and bought a good bow and arrow. I heard there are foxes in the enclosure, so I will try to catch three. We can each get one, which is just right for making scarves in winter!"
Qing He admired him, "A Chan, your riding skills are so amazing!"
Xu Wenchan raised his chin, a little proud, "Of course it's necessary."
Tao Ti smiled and said to Xu Wenchan, "I finally saw the true face of your brothers just now. Tsk, your six brothers are really cut from the same mold as your father, tall, strong and dark. In comparison, your seventh brother is simply a breath of fresh air in your Xu family."
There was no exaggeration in Tao Ti's words. The genes of Marquis Dingbei were indeed very strong. From a distance, the first six sons looked like Russian nesting dolls and were obviously brothers.
Among that group of nesting dolls, Xu Guangji, wearing a white riding suit, with his black hair tied up high, a long sword on his waist, a face as handsome as jade, red lips and white teeth, truly deserves the title of "Jade-faced Young General".
After hearing this, Xu Wenchan chuckled, "Right, I said my seventh brother is good-looking! Ah Ti, did you see just now that many young ladies are secretly looking at my seventh brother! As expected, he still needs to go out and walk around. He has been staying at home all the time, and Zhou Muyan and the others slandered him, saying that he is a rough and uncouth man. His good reputation is about to be ruined. Last time he showed up at that elegant gathering, after he came back, many people came to ask about his marriage."
She threw a piece of pork jerky into her mouth and said confidently, "At the last gathering, my seventh brother showed his literary talent. This autumn hunting, my seventh brother will show his talent again... When those officials with daughters at home see him, they will think, what a good son-in-law who is both civil and military! They will rush to marry their daughters to my seventh brother!"
Tao Ti was amused and laughed out loud. She glanced at Qing He from the corner of her eyes and said with a curled lip, "It's a pity that none of my sisters are suitable, otherwise I would have wanted your seventh brother to be the son-in-law of the Yongwei Marquis's mansion."
As soon as she said this, she saw a trace of melancholy and loss between Qinghe's delicate eyebrows.
Tao Ti's eyes flashed with cunning, and she asked loudly, "Qinghe, what do you think?"
Qing He was startled, "Ah..."
Tao Ti raised her eyebrows and asked, "What do you think of General Xu?"
Xu Wenchan also came over, looking at Qinghe expectantly with his big eyes, waiting for her answer.
Under the intense gaze of the two little sisters, Qing He's fair cheeks flushed. She lowered her head and whispered, "General Xu is a very good person..."
Tao Ti looked at Qinghe's little hands tightly grasping the hem of her skirt and smiled secretly.
Xu Wenchan heaved a sigh of relief, "Huh, County Lord, I'm glad you don't dislike my Seventh Brother. You don't know that my Seventh Brother has always blamed himself for his rudeness on the polo field. He was afraid that you would think he was a playboy and have a bad impression of him."
Qing He's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she said hurriedly, "I, I don't dislike him."
Xu Wenchan grinned, "Yeah, that's good. My seventh brother will definitely be relieved when he knows about this."
Tao Ti watched from the side and wondered: Has Ah Chan not yet seen the affection between Qing He and Xu Guangji?
Well, let's take advantage of this autumn hunt to observe carefully and see how far the relationship between these two has come.
If the man is in love and the woman is willing, I would be happy to ask Ah Chan to help.
…
It was already afternoon when we arrived at Lishan Paddock.
The tents in the enclosure had been set up three days ago. Haohao and Tangtang arrived and moved in directly with their luggage.
After a short rest, Emperor Zhaokang summoned everyone and couldn't wait to start the hunting competition.
On the high rest platform, the broad roof shielded the scorching sun. Emperor Zhaokang, Empress Zhou, and Princess Jingyang sat on the upper seats.
The princes and nobles also put on riding clothes, carried bows and arrows, and stood in four neat rows.
Tao Ti and Qing He sat next to Princess Jingyang, both of them were dressed elegantly, since they were not going to perform anyway.
Apart from eating, Tao Ti really has no other hobbies. Forget about riding horses or shooting arrows because she is too lazy to move.
However, looking at Pei Yan in riding clothes, Tao Ti's eyes sparkled involuntarily——
Pei Yan was wearing a black riding suit with a deer-bead pattern today. He had an upright figure and an outstanding appearance. Although the other children of the noble families were all quite handsome, they were immediately inferior to Pei Yan.
Tao Ti: Today is also the day when Pei Yan uses her beauty to kill people.
As if sensing something, Pei Yan turned his head slightly and saw the admiring look on his little girl's face.
The corners of his lips curled up slightly and he smiled at her gently.
Tao Ti's cheeks suddenly felt hot, and her heart was beating like a wall: Ahhh, he is so handsome! So handsome, and he is mine! !
According to the position, the person standing next to Pei Yan was the second prince Pei Changzhou. He saw all the interactions between Pei Yan and Tao Ti, with a gloomy and terrifying face.
In her heart, she could not help but curse: How shameless, flirting in broad daylight! Especially this Tao Ti, what a scumbag, she was so devoted to me years ago. But as soon as she married into the East Palace, she changed her mind in the blink of an eye, and now she is flirting with Pei Yan, a sickly guy, in front of her.
Although Pei Changzhou had no true feelings for Tao Ti, he felt really uncomfortable seeing the woman who used to chase after him now being in love with someone else!
Besides this, what bothered him even more was that, it seemed that Pei Yan's mental state was getting better and better, just as Pei Lingbi had warned him.
For example, at this moment, Pei Yan, dressed in a cavalry suit, looks handsome and energetic. How could he look sick at all?
I heard that my father has found some trace of Xu Wenhe. If Xu Wenhe is really found and Xu Wenhe happens to cure Pei Yan, what should I do?
After enduring for so many years, having endured for so many years, am I always inferior to Pei Yan?
Pei Changzhou's mind was in turmoil, his eyes became increasingly sinister, and he was filled with reluctance.
At this time, the Rongdi delegation also arrived.
Qiong Qi was wearing a royal blue riding suit and a leather belt inlaid with colorful gemstones. He was nine feet tall, sturdy and strong, and very majestic.
As soon as he appeared on the stage, he attracted the attention of countless young ladies.
Among them, Tao Ti's is also included.
Seeing her best friend so handsome and cool, Tao Ti suppressed the urge to wave at her and just looked at Qiong Qi with joy on her face——
It has to be said that Aquaman's innate charm cannot be concealed, whether he is a man or a woman.
Qiong Qi naturally met Tao Ti's gaze, raised her chin towards her and raised her eyebrows.
This action is quite romantic.
Pei Yan, who witnessed the whole process of Tao Ti's attention shift, said, "..."
He calmly tightened his grip on the dagger at his waist, murderous intent surging in his mind.
As luck would have it, Pei Changzhou also saw it, and immediately felt happy. He leaned towards Pei Yan, lowered his voice, and said ambiguously, "Prince, I think the Crown Princess has a close relationship with this Prince Ashina?"
Pei Yan turned his head, his peach blossom eyes were like ice, and he looked straight at Pei Changzhou, "What do you want to say?"
Pei Changzhou was shocked by his cold aura and the smile on his face froze. This was the first time he saw Pei Yan with such a cold and hard attitude.
Unlike his usual gentle and refined self, Pei Yan at that moment suddenly had some of his father's majesty.
Pei Changzhou touched his nose angrily and said, "I just reminded the prince."
Pei Yan said calmly, "The Crown Princess belongs to my Eastern Palace. It is not your turn to interfere in her affairs."
Pei Changzhou felt a little embarrassed and forced a smile, "Your Highness, this is too polite. No matter what, I have to call the Crown Princess sister-in-law."
Pei Yan raised his thin lips in a disdainful arc as if he had heard something funny, "Isn't that just being polite?"
Now, Pei Changzhou couldn't hold back his smile anymore, and his eyes turned gloomy.
Pei Yan ignored him, lowered his eyes, pressed the dagger at his waist, and felt upset.
One or two of them annoyed him to the point of wanting to kill.
Fortunately, it wasn't long before Emperor Zhaokang announced the start of hunting.
He also offered a bow and arrow as a prize; whoever hunted the most prey would get the bow.
The bow and arrow shone with golden light and was inlaid with bright and clear gems. It shone with extremely bright light under the pure sunlight.
As soon as he saw the bow and arrow, Tao Ti subconsciously looked at Xu Wenchan: This strong aura of nouveau riche is simply the consistent style of the Dingbei Marquis Mansion.
Xu Wenchan also understood what Tao Ti meant, and found an opportunity to touch it, secretly complaining, "This bow and arrow was a gift from my father to Your Majesty on your 40th birthday. It has been several years since it was given, and there are so many treasures in the national treasury. Your Majesty probably forgot who gave it to him, and just picked one at random as a prize."
Tao Ti: No wonder!
No matter what, once such a rich and magnificent prize is unveiled, it is still very impressive.
With a command, all the young men jumped on their horses, gripped the horses' bellies tightly, and rode away, raising clouds of dust.
Tao Ti stretched her neck to look.
I saw Qiong Qi leading the way, followed closely by Pei Yan in a black robe. However, in a blink of an eye, they were plunged into the dense forest and could no longer be seen.
Qing He chuckled and said, "Don't worry, cousin. I think the prince is in good shape today. He should be able to hunt a lot of prey."
"It doesn't matter whether we hunt or not, I just worry that he will get tired."
Tao Ti sat back in her seat, picked up the teacup and took a sip, and then specifically cue Xu Guangji, "Qinghe, did you just see General Xu? He looked so cool when he climbed onto his horse!"
"It's just... okay."
Tao Ti came up to her and said in a low voice, "Now that we are alone, let me ask you, are you interested in General Xu?"
Qing He's ears suddenly turned red, and she stuttered, "Cousin, what are you talking about?"
"Hmm? Don't you like it? You don't have any good feelings towards me at all?" Tao Ti pretended to sigh, "Oh, that's a pity. I saw that young General Xu looked at you several times before he set out."
Qing He's eyes widened. "Cousin, you said he looked at me?"
Tao Ti nodded, "Yeah."
Qinghe bit her lip, her cheeks turned red again, her head lowered, it was obvious that she was feeling sweet inside.
While they were chatting and laughing here, in the dense forest, the atmosphere was tense and intense.
The Autumn Hunting was such a grand event that everyone was trying their best to perform well in front of His Majesty. Even if they couldn't get first place, at least they wouldn't fall behind, as that would be too embarrassing if the news got out.
Qiongqi is an excellent horse rider. She was born in the late Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty. Over the past three hundred years from the founding of the Qing Dynasty to modern society, she has ridden horses thousands of times.
What's more, this body has very good physical fitness. She uses it with ease and easily leaves the others behind, except Pei Yan.
Qiong Qi gripped the reins tightly, turned her head and looked at the man in black robe who was chasing her relentlessly, her eyes narrowed.
In A-ti's description, her husband was a poor man with a beautiful face but a miserable life and a weak body. But based on the two encounters at the welcoming banquet and hunting, Qiongqi's strong sixth sense told her that Pei Yan was definitely not that simple...
Only my little sisters are silly. They jump headfirst into love for the first time and their IQ drops to zero.
Seeing the two running farther and farther away, Qiong Qila stopped his horse and shouted to Pei Yan, "Your Highness, why are you following me?"
Pei Yan said calmly, "Hunting."
As he spoke, he rode his horse and drew his bow.
The longbow was fully drawn, and his strong arm muscles bulged into strong lines. The sharp arrow flashed with a cold light, slowly turned a circle, and finally aimed straight at Qiong Qi.
Qiong Qi's expression changed, but she quickly calmed down.
She vaguely guessed the reason, but calmed down and said with a raised lip corner, "Your Highness, hold the bow and arrow tightly. Once the bow is shot, there is no turning back. Don't waste all your previous plans just for the sake of a momentary impulse."
Pei Yan's eyebrows twitched slightly, then relaxed.
The direction of the bow and arrow was slightly off, and the sharp arrow rushed out and directly hit Qiong Qi - a rabbit behind him.
Qiongqi's heart tightened and then relaxed.
The moment the sharp arrow shot towards her, she really thought that the man was going to kill her.
Although you won't die, being hit by a sharp arrow is very painful!
Pei Yan rode over, picked up the rabbit and put it in his bag.
As he was leaving, he brushed past Qiong Qi and said in a cold voice, "Stay away from my Crown Princess, or I'll kill you next time."
At this time, would Qiong Qi be scared? Of course not! He was called the Sea King for a reason. She had seen Shura Fields that were even more terrifying than this before!
But considering that the man in front of her was her sister's husband, she didn't want to add fuel to the fire. She just remained cool and said nothing with a straight face.
Only after Pei Yan rode away did she breathe a sigh of relief. She raised her hand and patted her chest, muttering to herself, "Oh my god, A-Ti's man is too vicious."
Based on Qiong Qiong's experience of meeting countless men, this prince is definitely a black.
In her mind, she could see Tao Ti, a little woman immersed in sweet love, and Pei Yan, with a gloomy face, trying to "secretly" kill her...
Qiong Qi shuddered, thinking that she would find an opportunity later to give some advice to that love idiot Ati.
………
About an hour later, Emperor Zhaokang and others on the rest platform heard the sound of horse hooves.
Princess Jingyang was drowsy one moment, but woke up the next, sat up straight, and wanted to see which boy won the first place.
Tao Ti and Qing He also looked forward to it.
The first person to rush out of the dense forest was Pei Yan in a black riding suit, followed closely by Xu Guangji, and then Young Master Xie...
Queen Zhou, who was sitting at the top, clenched her fingers when she saw that the first one was Pei Yan. After waiting for several people and still not seeing Pei Changzhou, she frowned.
Pei Changzhou ranked sixth, not too far behind but not too far ahead either.
Queen Zhou was very disappointed, but she still maintained a smile and praised, "I didn't expect the prince's riding and archery to be so superb. It really makes people look at him with new eyes."
Could it be that Pei Yan had been hiding his abilities in previous years? Now that he had Jing Yang to support him, and soon the Gu family would also be back, was he beginning to show his talents?
This horrible guess made Queen Zhou very uneasy, and her clenched palms began to sweat.
Emperor Zhaokang and Princess Jingyang were both very happy. They stood up and prepared to step forward to receive the compliments.
When Tao Ti saw Pei Yan coming in first, she was naturally very happy. But after she looked for a long time and still didn't see Qiong Qi, the smile in her eyes gradually faded.
That's not right. Based on her understanding of Qiong Qi, it wouldn't be that she hasn't come back for so long.
Pei Yan jumped off his horse, bowed to Emperor Zhaokang and the others, and then strode towards Tao Ti, "Ati."
Tao Ti smiled at him and took out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat. "Your Highness, you are amazing. You came in first!"
Pei Yan bent his waist and cooperated with her in wiping the sweat off her face. He was in a good mood. If he hadn't noticed Tao Ti's anxious gaze constantly looking behind him -
She is waiting for someone.
Who are you waiting for? Ashina Qi?
His eyes were cold and he grabbed her wrist.
This sudden action startled Tao Ti. When she came to her senses, Pei Yan loosened his grip on her wrist and asked her with a smile, "What are you looking at?"
Tao Ti felt guilty for a moment, so she naturally didn't notice Pei Yan's strange expression. She lowered her eyes and whispered, "Nothing."
People came back one after another, and the eunuchs began to count the prey. At this time, four Rongdi guards came back with the dying Qiongqi in their arms.
"Your Majesty, the Emperor of the Great Yuan Dynasty, something terrible has happened. Our prince has fallen off his horse!"
Tao Ti's face turned pale and she blurted out, "Aqi!"
Pei Yan narrowed his eyes, "Ah, Qi?"