The north wind blew, and bonfires blared and people sang and danced in the vast Royal Square. Hundreds of tables were set up and filled with people, and the air was filled with the aroma of roasted meat and strong liquor.
The emperor, returning from the hunt, led noble families, powerful officials, and high-ranking ministers into the imperial tent. As soon as they sat down, all sorts of delicacies were served, and the sounds of string and wind instruments arose. A group of scantily clad beauties entered from the tent, their slender waists and flowing sleeves dancing gracefully, creating an atmosphere of peace and prosperity.
Chu Changning glanced at his son, who was sitting silently at the lower seat, and asked in a low voice with concern, "Ayu, what's wrong?"
Ayu heard her mother's voice, looked up, and said, "I didn't hunt the wolf king."
"---"
“Ayu has done a great job. The wolf you hunted was also very fierce.”
Seeing that her son was still not in a good mood, Chu Changning realized something, glanced at the man sitting next to her, and quietly pinched him.
"Did you bully him again?"
Yan Beimo glanced sideways at his son, then casually asked, "Did I bully you?"
Ah Yu, "---"
The entire imperial tent was filled with the sounds of clinking glasses and congratulations to the emperor. Chu Changning couldn't cause a scene in front of all the ministers, so she pinched him hard under the table to stop him.
Yan Beimo slowly grabbed her hand as she tried to pull away, leaned in and whispered, "Save your energy for tonight, don't faint every time."
"---"
lecher.
She glanced at the crowd below who wanted to look but dared not, and tried to pull her hand away, but he held it tightly.
"If you don't bring a hand warmer next time you go out, you shouldn't go out at all."
Chu Changning whispered, "Isn't that what you're here for?"
Yan Beimo's heart skipped a beat. He gripped her hand tightly, put one arm around her waist, and slowly kneaded it.
"No need, someone will see us."
So what if you see it?
He said it nonchalantly, looking down at the fighting and wrestling performance below.
Chu Changning had been riding for several hours and his back was indeed a little sore, so they let him continue, even directing him to exert some effort wherever he felt sore.
The people below were talking about the prey they had hunted, marveling at the ferocity of the northern bear. Just then, the sound of horns and announcements came from outside.
As the tent curtain moved, a young general in a blue robe and white fur coat led a woman in, followed by a dozen soldiers carrying a cage containing a northern bear. Everyone was startled and looked over immediately. Some of the more timid young noblemen cried out in fright and dared not look any longer.
"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty."
Yan Beimo glanced down casually and said in a gentle voice, "We've hunted something alive."
Wang Hezhan chuckled, "A live Northern Bear, for my wife."
All eyes turned to Xie Rongyue in the crowd. The people from the Langya Wang clan looked at the two of them and their faces immediately darkened. The people from the Lanling Yan clan, however, did not show any abnormality. The atmosphere around them was somewhat strange.
Cui Linyuan glanced around, then smiled and said loudly, "Bestowed by His Majesty, Miss Xie is truly blessed."
Xie Rongyue gracefully bowed to the Emperor, then turned and replied, "Thanks to Your Majesty and Her Majesty's blessings."
This Northern Bear was brought from the desolate northern frontier by the Emperor of Great Qi. It is enormous, extremely ferocious, fast, with sharp teeth and incredibly sharp claws. With a single swing of its arm, it can shatter corpses over a thousand miles, and its immense power can snap forests in two.
Yet the ferocious beast, locked in a cage and baring its teeth and roaring, was completely unharmed. The entire audience fell silent, and the usually refined scholars and literati began to applaud and cheer, gradually making the atmosphere lively. Some brave warriors stepped forward to see what was happening, and thunderous applause erupted.
Wang Hezhan pulled Xie Rongyue to sit down at the table that had been prepared in advance and handed her a cup of hot tea.
Wang Yizhi, who was not far away, came over with a smile and said, "Third Brother, how did you do that? The animal hide is completely undamaged."
"Enough with the nonsense."
"Hehe, I also want to hunt down an animal hide without any scratches to make a coat for Yuanyuan."
Wang Hezhan glanced at him and said, "Do you think it's possible to have no scars?"
Wang Yi looked suspiciously at the cage surrounded by the crowd. The white bear did not appear to be injured and was still roaring with great vigor.
"Look closely, there is still blood flowing from the lower abdomen."
"With such a minor injury, skinning a whole animal hide shouldn't be a problem."
Xie Rongyue sat quietly to the side, listening to the brothers' conversation, her head slightly lowered.
The atmosphere inside the imperial tent was lively, but everyone's attention was not on the exquisite sword dance performance. Instead, they were watching with great interest the lively antics of the two noble young men from the Langya Wang clan, and privately gossiping about the rumors that had been circulating in Jiankang recently.
Some noble ladies from prominent families glanced in Xie Rongyue's direction, seemingly casually, and began chatting amongst themselves.
Various indifferent gazes drifted towards her, carrying disdain and mockery. Xie Rongyue vaguely sensed it, but calmly continued eating her tea and snacks.
Chu Changning, seated on his high seat, noticed the bustling crowd of noble ladies to the west, and his face darkened slightly as he watched them pointing and whispering.
She brushed the man's hand away and gave her son a wink.
"Mother, what's wrong?"
Chu Changning handed him a plate of fruit and said softly, "Take this to the lady in riding attire who is in the East Third Seat."
Ayu glanced at it, took the golden plate, and went down the steps towards the East Seat.
Everyone present was shrewd; although they were all enjoying themselves and drinking, their eyes were secretly watching the surrounding movements with their own hidden agendas.
The fact that the young crown prince of the mighty Qi Dynasty was talking to a young lady from the Xie family immediately attracted the attention of many people. Those with keen minds instantly understood the imperial family's intentions and dared not say anything more, all smiling to cover it up.
Wang Hezhan glanced over and saw Ayu. He couldn't help but pat her head a few times and laughed, "You've grown taller again."
Ayu, having been tormented by him, silently turned to the side and replied, "Your archery skills have improved since last time."
Looking at Ayu's obedient and taciturn appearance, Xie Rongyue couldn't help but think of the lost child, and she rubbed Ayu's little hand, slightly lost in thought.
"Is your sister unhappy?"
Ayu opened her dark eyes and hooked her little hand around Ayu's palm.
Xie Rongyue chuckled at his little gesture and snapped out of her daze.
Wang Hezhan saw that he was being mischievous and tapped him on the head, saying, "Just as bad as your father."
"Is Uncle angry?"
"You call her 'sister,' but me 'uncle'?!"
The deafening sound immediately drew the attention of everyone on the east side, who stared at them in horror.
Xie Rongyue was surprised that he dared to speak like that, and her face flushed red. She hugged Ayu to the side.
Ayu peeked out and blinked, "That's what I used to call you."
"---"
Wang Hezhan snorted, "Then you should call her aunt, understand---"
"No, my sister is so young, calling her old is too much."
"---"
Before Wang Hezhan could catch him, he saw him ascend the high seat, stand in front of his father, and blink at him.
"You little rascal, you're getting revenge for me teaching him archery so you could complain to His Majesty. You're really cunning."
He said something, then noticed the people around him looking at the family on the high seat with envy. He seemed to remember something, so he put his arm around her waist and touched her flat stomach.
“Let’s have one too, so we won’t always envy His Majesty, and let Xie San and Cui Si envy me too.”
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