Chapter 4: Horseback Riding
Zhao Mingyue looked at Zhao Chun's shaking head, turned her face away uncomfortably, and a painful memory came to her mind.
My mother had a difficult labor when she gave birth to my younger brother. She was hiding behind a pillar at the time and saw basin after basin of blood being carried out. She was so scared that her face turned pale.
The screams in the house were intermittent, from dawn to dusk. In the end, the sound was like the weak struggle of a dying fish.
Someone came out of the house with a beaming face, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! The Queen has given birth to a little prince."
She was just confused. What was there to congratulate? Didn't they see the blood and hear the screams of pain?
Ever since her younger brother was born, her mother's health has never been good. She always has the smell of blood on her body. She held on for two years, but in the end, she left her.
It was her younger brother who sucked her mother's blood and killed her. She would never repeat her mother's mistakes!
But her younger brother is the prince who will ascend the throne, and she, even as a princess, cannot control her own destiny.
In this deep palace, besides supporting her brother, does she have any other choice? The answer is no.
Zhao Mingyue turned around and looked at Zhao Chun with a faint smile, "Then Chun'er, come with me to have dinner with mother." As she said that, she reached out to hold his hand.
Who would have thought that Zhao Chun would slap her hand away directly. With a crisp sound, the back of her hand became red and swollen.
Zhao Chun looked disgusted and said, "I won't go with you. Banban said that the queen has a vicious mind and she will definitely harm me. It's ridiculous that you are trying so hard to please her. It's disgusting!" He turned and left.
Zhao Mingyue's face flushed red, her eyes were filled with suppressed anger, and her swollen hands trembled uncontrollably.
But in front of Danying, she had to cover up for Zhao Chun, "Sister Danying, Chun'er...he definitely didn't mean that..."
Danying smiled and said, "The Crown Prince is still young, how can he distinguish between good and evil people? These words must have been instigated by someone with ulterior motives."
When she heard Dan Ying's excuse for Zhao Chun, she felt relieved and nodded in agreement, hoping that this would not reach Queen Chi's ears.
Not daring to hesitate any longer, he immediately got up and went to Queen Chi's residence.
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It was noon and the sun was shining brightly outside.
Zhao Mingyue walked for a while in the sun, and her forehead was soaked with sweat. When she walked into the hall, she felt a cold air blowing on her face. She looked in surprise and found that there was an iceberg in the room.
Chi Yan sat at the table and waved at her with a smile, "Mingyue, come here quickly. It's very hot outside, right? Have a bowl of sour plum soup to cool down first."
Zhao Mingyue was stunned for a moment before stepping forward to salute and taking the sour plum soup. The iced drink was very sweet and refreshing. She said happily, "It's delicious!"
Chi Qi smiled and nodded, "As long as you like it." Then she raised her hand to serve the food.
When the dishes were served, Zhao Mingyue found that they were all appetizing and refreshing. Each one was to her taste and not greasy. It was obvious that they were all carefully made by the kitchen.
Could it be that this was specially prepared by Queen Chi for her? Zhao Mingyue was happy but also a little uneasy.
A'niang cared so much about her. If she heard what Zhao Chun said, she would definitely be very angry and disappointed in her.
Thinking of this, Zhao Mingyue felt that the food in her mouth had no taste.
After dinner, Chi Luo ordered the maid, "Go get the riding clothes and change the princess into them."
Zhao Mingyue asked in confusion, "Mother, why do you want to change clothes all of a sudden?"
Chi Qi looked at her with a smile, "Didn't we agree to teach you how to hunt? Does Mingyue regret it?"
Zhao Mingyue was slightly stunned. It turned out that teaching her how to hunt was not just a spur of the moment idea of Queen Chi?
He was delighted and shook his head vigorously, "Of course not!"
She changed her clothes and came to the mirror, looking at the well-dressed young man in the mirror. The fourteen-year-old girl had already started to grow up. She was tall, and her tender face with a little baby fat was overflowing with vigor and vitality.
Suddenly, she felt a weight drop on her shoulders. Chi Yan came up behind her and put her hands on her shoulders. "Let me comb Mingyue's hair."
Zhao Mingyue was a little surprised. "Mother, how dare I trouble you?"
Chi Qi didn't give her any explanation. She pushed her down on the chair, picked up a comb to straighten her long hair, and then began to braid it.
Zhao Mingyue saw from the mirror that Chi Qi's movements were not skillful, even a bit clumsy, but the feeling of her fingers running through her hair and touching her scalp from time to time was very warm.
This reminded her of the time when her mother was still alive, and before she knew it, her vision was blurred by tears.
Chi Li asked her, "Why are you crying?"
Zhao Mingyue choked up and said, "I, I remembered my mother... When I was little, she always combed my hair like this...
Chi Qi's eyes dimmed slightly, and a complex emotion flashed in her eyes. The fingers that were braiding her hair trembled slightly. She paused for a moment before continuing and taking the red rope to tie the ends of her hair tightly.
She put down her braided hair, her expression back to normal, and said in a cold voice, "It's done. Wipe your tears. We're going to go riding later. Don't let me see you crying on horseback."
Zhao Mingyue immediately fell silent, feeling a little embarrassed, and hurriedly raised her hand to wipe away her tears.
Coming to the stable again, she glanced at the crowd and sure enough, she didn't see the groom who had been whipped before.
Last night, she specially sent someone to deliver medicine to the groom, but the person who came back told her that the groom had escaped.
It’s really strange. The man was so badly injured that he couldn’t even stand up. How could he escape?
Zhao Mingyue glanced at Chi Lan secretly. Could it be that she had someone get rid of the groom?
Although she had this guess in her mind, Zhao Mingyue did not intend to say it out loud.
Her relationship with Queen Chi has eased a lot now, so there is no need to offend her for a groom she doesn't even know.
While she was stunned, Chi Qi had already chosen a horse for her.
The horse had black fur and deep eyes. When she tried to stroke the mane on its neck, it rubbed her palm very gently.
Zhao Mingyue immediately fell in love with it and led the horse to the hunting ground.
She had never learned to ride a horse before and even thought it was difficult and not something a lady should do.
Therefore, even she did not expect that Chi Qi only demonstrated the movements of getting on and off the horse once, and she could immediately replicate them perfectly, and could even sit steadily on the saddle and drive the horse slowly forward.
Chi Yan looked at her with a hint of surprise in her eyes, "It seems you are more talented than I thought."
Zhao Mingyue felt very proud when she heard the compliment. She raised her chin slightly and felt the breeze blowing across her cheeks.
"Does mother think I'm so bad? I was very powerful when I was little. I never lost a fight with those princes! It's just that father prefers a gentle and elegant daughter - ah!"
The horse suddenly broke into a run. She immediately clamped her grip on the horse's belly, leaned over, hugged the horse's neck, and screamed in panic.
Chi Yan rode up on horseback and followed beside her. "Relax a little and try to sit up straight slowly."
Zhao Mingyue took a deep breath, tried to relax, slowly let go of the reins, grabbed the reins, and sat back.
Chi Li smiled and said, "Very good."
The red sun in the sky gradually sank, the shadows on the ground became long and thin, the mountains and forests were silent, and only the sound of horse hooves could be heard in the vast hunting ground.
Zhao Mingyue rode the horse excitedly for the whole afternoon, as if she had released her nature. When she got off the horse, she found that her waist and legs were so sore that she was shaking as she walked.
In the end, she was supported by Chi Lan and went back. After dinner, because it was late, she stayed in Queen Chi's bedroom.
Zhao Mingyue was lying on an unfamiliar bed, and the person next to her was Queen Chi, whom she both respected and feared. She thought she would be too nervous to sleep, but as soon as her head touched the pillow, she fell into a sweet dream.
It was not until midnight that she was awakened by a noise. In the dim light, she vaguely saw a blurry figure standing by the bed and taking off his coat.
Did he get up to go to the bathroom? Zhao Mingyue was so sleepy that she mumbled something in a daze, closed her eyes, and fell asleep again.
The next day, Zhao Mingyue woke up and found that Chi Lan had already gotten up, put on a light summer shirt, and was sitting by the bed drinking tea and rinsing her mouth.
Danying walked in quickly from outside, her clothes still stained with morning dew, and as she walked, a breeze carrying the fragrance of grass and trees was brought up.
She came to Chi Luan and first glanced at Zhao Mingyue before speaking softly, "Master, the emperor... has passed away."
"What?" Zhao Mingyue suddenly felt a buzzing in her head, and was even in a trance for a moment.
Did she hear it wrongly, or was she still dreaming?
She raised her hand and pinched her arm. The intense pain immediately woke her up and made her realize that it was not a dream.
But Danying's voice seemed to come from far away, "The message from the chief eunuch Wang Li himself cannot be wrong."
Zhao Mingyue still couldn't believe it. She hurriedly got up, put on her clothes, and rushed to Lingxiao Palace with Chi Lan.
But she did not see the emperor immediately. After Chi Luo entered the bedroom, she was stopped and asked to go to the side hall.
The eunuchs on duty were silent, their faces as pale as paper, and even in response to her questions, they could not say anything useful.
Zhao Mingyue understood these people's fear very well. If their father really died, they would all be buried with him.
She sat in the side hall for a while, and then the chief eunuch Wang Li came in, dismissed everyone, and bowed to her, "The captive has met the princess."
Zhao Mingyue was a little surprised. Wang Li was the eunuch serving the emperor and had never taken her, the princess, seriously. Why did he suddenly change his attitude?
Is it because the emperor, his backer, has fallen, and he wants to please the new emperor's sister?
But compared to the young Zhao Chun, the powerful Queen Chi is more worthy of allegiance.
Wang Li looked very sad. "Princess, the emperor did not die of illness, but was murdered by bandits! Therefore, there are some things that I have to ask you for confirmation."
Zhao Mingyue still felt that the emperor's death was unreal, and she could not feel any more emotions. She said calmly, "Please speak, eunuch."
"Was the princess with the queen last night?"
"Yes. I slept with my mother last night, and I rushed here immediately after hearing the bad news this morning. Why do you ask this, father-in-law?"
Wang Li's face was covered with worry, as if he was thinking about something. After a while, he said slowly: "Now that things have come to this, there is nothing left for me to hide."
"Yesterday morning, the Queen came to see His Majesty, and Lucai was waiting outside the palace. I don't know what the Queen said that angered His Majesty. As soon as the Queen left, His Majesty ordered Lucai to draft an edict to depose the Queen—"
"What? The queen was deposed!" Zhao Mingyue's body swayed and she almost fell off the chair.
"Of course I tried hard to persuade him, but the emperor was very determined and didn't listen to me at all. What I didn't expect was that the emperor passed away suddenly before the edict was issued." As Wang Li said this, tears welled up in his eyes and he looked very sad.
However, no one knows whether he is sad for the emperor or for his uncertain future.
Zhao Mingyue saw through his intentions immediately and stood up suddenly. "Are you doubting the Queen?"
Wang Li sank to his knees, "The enemy wouldn't dare!"
Zhao Mingyue angrily scolded, "Father was murdered by someone, and it was clearly due to the inadequate protection provided by you eunuchs and guards. Eunuch Wang, not only did you not die as an apology, but you also attempted to slander the Queen. How bold of you to do so."
Wang Li's face changed instantly, and he raised his hand and slapped himself hard. "I deserve to die! I just want to find out who murdered the emperor, I have no other intentions!"
Zhao Mingyue didn't even look at him, walked past him quickly and then went straight to the main hall and pushed the door open.
She originally wanted to tell Chi Luo about Wang Li, but when she saw the situation in the hall, she froze in place, and a chill quietly crept up her spine.
Only then did she realize that she had woken up once in the middle of the night and happened to see Queen Chi standing by the bed.
There was a buzzing sound in my head.
At that time, was Queen Chi getting up to go to the bathroom or to kill someone?
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